This Week in Numbers
Swim:  9900 yards
Bike:  76.48
Run:  31.89 (18 of those for Expedition Relay!)
Total Time:  13:32:23

As you can see it was quite a BIG week as far as training numbers go.  Actually one of my biggest weeks ever!  It’s amazing that I got it all in considering the crazy week we had at the Rue Household.  Both kids had started in with coughs over the weekend and I had a hunch we were in for it!  Coming home from our Thanksgiving travels from Cedar City last Sunday, Syd was not quite herself and all was confirmed when she spiked a fever.  Adam and I still got the Christmas lights (mostly Adam in this department) and decorations up.  (………I just love my house all decked out for the holidays!)

Mr. Germ vs. The Rue Household

Sydney was home from school on Monday which made our schedules very challenging.  Adam and I juggled meetings and workouts with one of us staying with the kiddos.  I really appreciate all the flexibility we have in our lives.  It really helps at times like these.  If even one of us had a traditional full-time job…..we’d be in trouble!  Tuesday Syd went to the doctor and after 24 hours of an antibiotic was back to school on Thursday.  After Syd’s first dose of her medicine, Jake decided it was time for him to run a fever and add a little throwing up to the mix.  After another doctor’s appointment on Wednesday, everyone was drugged up with their antibiotics and on their way to recovery!  We still have lingering coughs and runny noses, but everyone if FINALLY feeling much better.  I realized this week how much I have come to rely on sending Syd off to school everyday and what a COMPLETE DISASTER she makes my house when she is home 🙂  I think both her and I were happy when she went back to school on Thursday………I’m not so sure about her teacher!  Ha!

So the beginning of the week flew by in a flurry of Children’s Advil, antibiotics, and Tylenol.  As a mom family and kids come first. Workouts can be rescheduled, but sick kids need attention NOW!  I’m so grateful that I’m able to juggle everything with the help of my SUPER DUPER supportive husband.  Now let’s just hope the adults can stay healthy as we cruise through December!

I was excited that the kiddos were in full recovery by the end of the week because we had a FULL WEEKEND of plans with HT Training ahead of us.  Heath was scheduled to come down on Thursday night to conduct two swim stroke clinics at the Washington City Community Center on Friday.   Mahogani and Jarom Thurston, and a few more HT Training athletes were to join us sometime Friday for the Expedition St. George 50-Mile Relay.

Friday I hit the pool with the Thurston brothers and had a great workout.  Heath tied our legs together and told us to swim.  As Jarom put it, we were like “dolphins without tails” (I believe this is Jarom quoting the new movie Dolphin Tale).  Boy, if you think you don’t need to kick when you swim, tie your feet together and dive in.  Pull out those kick boards people……..Those kicking intervals help SO MUCH!    Triathletes DO need to kick!  Being in the pool with Heath’s instruction is AMAZING!  He is able to break your stroke down and help you to be so much more efficient.  Little changes make HUGE differences.  Jarom and I even swam ten 100s on 1:55 (including rest) with the swims coming in about 1:24!  For me that is awesome even though Jarom, who hadn’t been swimming at all, was STILL kicking my butt!  Clearly, I have more work to do, but it’s getting better. 🙂

It was great to have company in the pool.  I swim in those lonely waters for thousands of yards every week.  Having others pushing you and take your mind off counting the laps is a blissful change of pace!

After Heath finished up with the morning swim stroke clinic we headed out for a few hours on the bike.  The weather was so-so in the morning, but cleared up nicely in the afternoon and made for an awesome, almost 2 hour ride.  Considering I was planning on running 18+ miles the next day, I probably worked a bit harder than I should have……but we needed to take advantage of this beautiful St. George winter day and it’s not every day you get the opportunity to ride with your Pro Triathlete Coach 🙂

PowerCranks

The coolest part of the ride was when Heath let me jump on his bike and try out his PowerCranks.  WOWZA!  Talk about a different cycling experience.  PowerCranks are cranks (pedals) that work independently of one another.  You don’t get the benefit of the momentum from the other leg pedaling.  The sides are not one unit, but two separate units.  It is like doing Isolated Leg Training (ILTs) the ENTIRE TIME!  Take that HIT students!  Crazy!  I think I want a set.  It definitely helps you find and eliminate the dead spots in your pedal stroke.  You can also really freak people out by pedaling in CRAZY ways like both legs at the same time!  IT’S AWESOME!

Just in case Santa is reading this, I wouldn't mind this under the tree!

The second coolest part about this ride was that Heath’s bike fits me perfectly!  Hmmm……I may be in the market for a used Fezzari when Heath is done with it……Better yet, maybe Santa will just bring me a new one……..I don’t think I will hold my breath for either scenario 🙂

By Friday night our Expedition St. George Relay Teams were in place.  Me, Mahogani, Marci Simons, and Darleen Loch were “Team Spare Tire” and Heath and Jarom were “Team Dos Cajones”.  The next morning we would share a race vehicle and complete the 50 mile trek across St. George.  It would be AWESOME!

For a crazy week in our house, it ended with a weekend of fun.  I can’t believe that we have November behind us and Christmas staring us in the face!  Time is flying.  I even had my very first Ironman St. George anxiety dream this week…….I’ve been waiting for those to start.  As with every dream it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in reality, but when they were trying to hand me someone else’s bike as I am entering the third-leg SWIM(????????), I was really quite worked up 🙂  Here’s to more dreams to come.  On to December………Hold on because the new year is just around the corner!