Embrace the things you have no control over

A couple of weeks ago I felt a little something in the back of my leg which has turned into a strained hamstring. Originally I thought it would go away quickly and figured I must have done something on a run since that is where it affected me the most. Wrong, I'm into week 3 now and have analyzed it death; which for those that know me, know that this is not uncommon for me to do.

I "think" that I may have aggravated the hamstring on a ride using my road bike and I adjusted the seat...so dumb, if it's not broken, don't fix it. A couple of days later I had trouble running and didn't relate the two. Then to top it off last week I started fiddling with my Kuota...a.k.a. Chip...even more dumb. In 2 weeks I spent $200 in physio and $100 in massage and it has been still lingering. Soooo frustrating!!! I'm going to see Peter this afternoon in hopes that he can put my seat back to how I had it on both bikes and then I am never touching them again. In the meantime a couple days rest is what I have decided to do in order to get rid of this little annoyance (although mentally I'm having a really hard time with it given we are only 9 weeks away...agghhh).

I have realized more this year that endurance training is most effectively accomplished through routine and consistency. Do not make changes too quickly and allow your body to build slowly. Although the 3 sports and distances seem insane at times, the body is an amazing thing that can be pushed to do the impossible with the right mind set and tools.

I've made peace with my decision for this weekend...now I'm like..hell, I have all this time on my hands for the long weekend. It will be well spent doing some other fun stuff!

And the beat goes on!

We are in the thick of it now, May and June will be the heaviest training months. I am currently training 15.5 hrs per week....Wahoo! Ironman training since January has brought me up to a total of 193 hrs 35 mins of activity; that breaks down to 42.45 hrs of swimming, 100.45 hrs of cycling, and 50.45 hrs of running. The strategies continue and I have implemented a deep tissue massage once a month with frequent Epsom salt bathes to try and relieve some of the lactic acid build up. The body can be a well oiled machine if you give it the proper care and although the training is long and hard it has a tremendous ability.

Recently I have been nursing a strained hamstring which has forced me to cut back on a bit of running. With the help of some physio, stretching, ice, and Advil it will hopefully be a small bump in the road.

The weather has been spectacular which makes for an enjoyable Saturday ride when you are up to 5 hours on the bike followed by a 1/2 hour run. Small compartments on clothing or attached to your bike make it easy to store small snacks full of protein and carbohydrates to get you through the workout. My camelpack is my new favorite water storage that holds 70 ozs of fluid to keep you hydrated. The eload gels give me superpowers to plow through and Annette has discovered that gummy bears have 3 grams of protein per 11 little bears! Who would have thunk it!

Aphids

The beaches must be the breeding grounds for aphids! These pesky little bugs pop up throughout the season and for the most part seem harmless except when I eat about 500 of them on a run. Unfortunately they sneak up on you too, you may be running along and then out of the blue you go through a cloud of them right at eye level. This then results in several getting eaten, stuck to the back of your throat, or subsequently stuck to your face. Poor little bugs, they don't stand a chance. Some may say they are extra protein...which is one way of looking at it.

So what are aphids I ask...and this is what I found:

Aphids, also known as plant lice (and in Britain as greenflies),[1] are small plant-eating insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea.[2] Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions.[3] The damage they do to plants has made them enemies of farmers and gardeners the world over, but from a purely zoological standpoint they are a very successful group of organisms.[4]

About 4,400 species of 10 families are known. Historically, many fewer families were recognized, as most species were included in the family Aphididae. Around 250 species are serious pests for agriculture and forestry as well as an annoyance for gardeners. They vary in length from one to ten millimetres.

Natural enemies include predatory lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), hoverfly larvae (Diptera: Syrphidae), parasitic wasps, aphid midge larvae, crab spiders[5] lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), and entomopathogenic fungi like Lecanicillium lecanii and the Entomophthorales.

Aphids are distributed worldwide, but are most common in temperate zones. Also, in contrast to many taxa, species diversity is much lower in the tropics than in the temperate zones. They can migrate great distances, mainly through passive dispersal by riding on winds. For example, the currant lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri Mosley) is believed to have spread from New Zealand to Tasmania in this way.[6] Aphids have also been spread by human transportation of infested plant materials.

Aphids are the only known member of the animal kingdom to be able to synthesize carotenoids, an ability they gained by coopting the synthetic genes from fungi.

It looks as if the aphids are a combination of friend and foe; while being the enemy to farms and gardens they serve a very important purpose in their world. I still prefer not to eat them during my runs especially now I know they are also known as plant lice....eeewwwww!

Watch out, they may be in your neighbourhood too!