Vicki wrote:
Sept, 10, 2008. OK, so I'm not keeping this updated as much as I would like. I have now lost 25 pounds (or more depending on when I started counting). Everyone tells me I am looking great. I am still 25 pounds over. But my new, smaller size clothes fit well. I think a lot of it is that I have gained a lot of muscle. My distances for triathlon training are now, 1 2/3 mile swims, 30-40 mile hard hills bike ride, >5 mile walk/run.
My pressure has gone from 14 cmH2O to 9 cmH2O. I love my new pressure (and clothes). I am struggling a lot with my masks though. Why can’t they make the perfect FF mask? I think my mask problems are waking me up a lot. But at least I am not hypoxic. I hate the headgear on my F&P Flexifit and the bridge of the nose of my ResMed Quattro cuts my nose. ****sigh****. So last night I woke up and tried to put my Quattro headgear on my Flexifit. It didn’t work too well.
I had a metabolic analysis done because I cannot run any faster than 14 minute miles. Turns out if my heart rate is over 135, then I am in anaerobic metabolism using my sugar stores rather than fat. That explained why my weight loss had stagnated and why I need lots of carbs. when I'd finish. So I am doing most of the 90 minutes I train walking and a little running to keep up my conditioning. Over the course of 3 months or so, I will have some physiological changes which will increase my aerobic capacity. I don't feel them yet though!!
My last triathlon of the season is this Sunday and is called the Malibu Nautica. It is a beautiful course. I've trained on it quite a bit. The bike is on the Pacific Coast Highway. Last Friday, my training buddy, Lorraine, and I rode the course and then past the triathlon turnaround another 10 miles. The ocean is on one side with the base of the Santa Monica Mountains on the other. There are tall rocks, almost small islands, jutting out of the water where the coast makes the transition from going West to heading North. Sometimes you can see the local dolphins playing in the water. On the way back Lorraine had a flat tire and since neither of us have had to change a flat on a course before, it took us awhile before we got it right.
We got the tire changed and happened to be by a very popular sea food shack called "Neptune's Net". Given that we had been out quite awhile and that is was lunch time. We stopped in for a great lunch of steamed shrimp. The remaining 10 miles back were with a happy, full tummy and energized body.
I have to get a swim in now and then tomorrow one more walk/run. Then it is 2 days of relaxing and eating a nice pasta meal Saturday night. The Nautica has a celebrity division. Their wave (start) is before us regular folks so I never see them. But I’m going to wander over to their bike rack in the transition area (where we have all of our stuff to go from one sport to another) and check out their bikes and maybe say hi. I have this dream that Jennifer Lopez (who is doing the triathlon I read in People magazine) has a flat on the course and I help her fix it and then she is so grateful she gives me a million dollars. Yea, dream on. Here are the distances for this triathlon. I am very ready, ½ mile swim, 19 mile bike and 4 mile run (or in my case run/walk).
Off to the pool. See you after the triathlon!!
Vicki
This is really AWESOME
I really like the way you describe the area that you will be biking in. I wish I weren't so lazy. Really I wish I had the energy to ride my bike (not sure I remember how since it's been so long.) Mine is a manual bike. It's an oldie.
I feel horrible worrying over my problems, when after reading some of the things that people are going through are so challenging for them. My problems pale beside some that I have read.
Just wanted to say GO GIRL and let us all hear about your BIG WIN OF THE RACE
We know you'll win, you already are a WINNER 
