Active recovery or rest? As a Princess I want to say rest. Let someone else do the work:-) As an athlete I have real problems with this. As a Princess, I will get FAT. As an athlete I will lose endurance.  (Note to self: look up what double personality disorder is on google and then come up with 400 other things you may have:-)  My knee is still swollen as is my ankle. I have altered, but not stopped my workouts. Would it heal faster if I just stopped for a while? I know I won't do this so I'm not sure why I am even asking. So many questions, so little answers.

If I listen to my coach and chiropractor who are both very knowledgable and accomplished athletes, they  say no rest, active recovery!! I think I am just frustrated. I used to heal faster. Oh please, I started this post 2 days ago and am so bored by the topic that I haven't written since. Leave it for the big boys and just let me know. In the meantime I will hobble along with my active recovery.

Let's get back to me:) How did I get the JAP title? I can't say I was born with it because I am Italian Catholic. Now my husband is Jewish so I guess that makes me Jewish by injection. I think the correct Royal title for me is BCMJHSM, BORN CATHOLIC, MARRIED JEWISH HUSBAND, SPOILED ME. It's not as easy to remember nor does it flow off your tong as easy as Duchess of..... so I will stick with the IronPrincess (wannabe), hoping to drop the last part of wannabe this year.

Let's talk a little more about cow tipping.  Here is a perfect example of it. I like the way he catches his fall with his face. Nice touch. Why is it hard to twist out of the shoes. Is this just me? It can't be the shoes because I have tried many brands. Maybe I have a defective ankle.

Here is another great issue with what we wear. It is not always the most flattering attire. Does this camera man really have to take her picture right then and there? Eh

Goggle Eyes and Family Time

     Two things the Princess needs to discuss today. One very important one, because it is all about me. right? Goggle eyes!!! I cannot be walking around all day with goggle eyes. I had a commercial shoot last week and the make up artist was actually mad at me. Her exact words were, "did you really have to go swimming before working?" Since I knew her pretty well and had worked with her many times before, I said "It's your job to make me look great, let's see how good you really are!" What I was really thinking was, "No, I didn't want to get up at 5:00 to swim and have a 7:00 call but I am afraid not to. I need to get my workouts in if I am going to even try to make it to the starting line of Ironman Florida!" That is another reason I sign up for these events. If I didn't have a means to an end, I would have rolled over and gone back to sleep. I am a very self motivated person but on a commercial work day, I know I have to bring my A game or I won't work again. Acting and triathlons are very similar that way. You have to BRING it or you are in trouble.  I guess I just found another reason I am doing this. It scares me into not skipping workouts. Anyway, back to me:-) Anyone out there have any solutions for goggle eyes other than piling on a lot of makeup? Creams help a little but not a lot. I have enough wrinkles going on at this point! I don't need any more!!!

The next thing I wanted to discuss is family and training. As any of you real Ironmen know, (I'm just a wannabe) it can be a balancing act between, work, training and family!! I worry about those days when I wake up and wonder how I am going to get my workout in.  I don't like when it takes time away from my family and are they going to be mad. Two things I have going for me. I have 3 teenagers! Need I say more? They prefer that I am in the other room. Not too far away in case they need a ride or a meal cooked but not close enough to touch them:-) My son, who is almost 21 and a Jr. at University of Delaware, actually told me one time that I was breathing too loud. True story! How does that saying go, "Your kids would rather you be miserable in the next room that happy in Hawaii." For teenagers that's only because they think it's all about them. I have to remind mine on a daily basis that it is all about ME!! I am the Princess. I have found that at times this works out well for me. I swim while they sleep until 1:00 in the afternoon or if I have to be here to drive them to their 42 million events, I go in the basement on my trainer or treadmill. I am not a big fan of treadmill running but it is a good time to catch up on mindless TV. I'm hooked on Breaking Bad right now. The other great thing about basement workouts is that I do most of them in my PJ's. Of course I put my running bra underneath for the ladies:-) On work days for me, it gets a trickier! I have to be ready to "work" but will be distracted if I didn't get the "workout" in. Another OCD thing. I lose more interest in workouts with every hour that passes in a day. I am most definitely a morning person. I also worry that I am going to run out of energy. This happens to me a lot. I'll save that for another topic though.
I don't think someone can really train well for an event like this unless their spouse is supportive. I have known quite a few triathletes and marathon runners who have divorced over this. I am sorry, but if it came down to Ironman or my husband, he wins!!!   Although I'm not sure I understand this mentality.  I grew up the a physical education teacher for a mother and a West Point military ranger for a father. They always knew the value of being in shape.  If you really truly love someone, shouldn't your relationship be enhancing their life and not holding them back? We could argue that an Ironman goes beyond staying in shape. The money and time it takes to get to one could be a bone of contention. (Is that how that saying goes? I wanted to sound smart. You know, all this and brains too.) I am VERY fortunate in this area. Check back with me when I need to get in the 6 hour bike rides on the weekends when the kids have events. We will see, but right now my husband has my back. I even hear him in a crowd bragging about how his wife is a triathlete. I wish I could get him to join me but we all know the further you push, the more interest they lose. I am trying to push by example. He has driven me to events and sat and watched for hours for me to finish.  He even did a team at one with my sister and son. They won , I didn't:-) Another true story.  My husband is very funny. One time he even said to me, "Look honey they ARE putting the chairs away for the night." As I have mentioned, that is always my goal, to finish before that truck comes around to pick up the cones:-) One more thing about Prince Charming. Ok maybe two. He pushes me to do what I need to do, and trust me, I've put my sights on some strange ventures. You try being married to an actress who is training for a Ironman.  He is always there to catch me when I fall!  Prince Charming is also not the clingy kind. Yes, we need time together and yes he loves sex but we don't need to be on top of each other all the time. We both like our space. That to me works in my "IronPrincess" favor.

I mentioned how funny my husband is? I got the whole family to do a mud run with me recently. I told him to go around and take pictures for our scrapbook and this is what he came back with.

Ahhhhh no, she is not me or a family member:-)

This is me:-) I need that girls tight shorts though. Wait, maybe I need her butt too.

Enough about me for the day! Let's talk about you. What do you think of me.... Go?? You knew that was coming.

     Day after Christmas. Went swimming for an hour. Laps and then aqua jogging with no floatation device. That's not easy. The whole town was there swimming off the food.  I bought a underwater apple ishuffle thingy. I think it is the best gadget that I own. I am soooooo tired of staring at that black line:-) Yes that is the Princess in me complaining again. My sister was right, I am a Princess. Anyway, if you don't own one of these, go buy one. They are the BEST.  They are not that expensive either. I think about $70. I listen to a book on tape now while swimming. I actually did an extra 200 because I wanted to finish the chapter. I don't use it for swim classes but by myself and for aqua jogging, it is "bangin." My kids said I am never allowed to say that again so of course it became a big word in my vocabulary:-)

     I got a lot of private messages about the bra thing. It seems a lot of us have this issue but no one talks about it. I remember when I was ballet dancing. They got in the way then too. The best thing to do would be to leave them at home but since that's not an option. I don't think bras are a one size fits all thing. I have found some bras that work well and go from wet to ride to run.  That brings up another Princess question. Do you change clothes in between for an Ironman or no?   Another issue is bike seats. I have a lot of padding in my shorts and on my seat but my butt bones are still sore. Lots of questions!! Boy can I complain!!  Thoughts.......go!


This is the "go to" bra I keep coming back to. It is moving comfort and actually allows me to do that!

Just checking in for the day. Christmas Day. Tuesdays are usually my day off. I took it but I don't think all the eating I did was part of the deal!! Merry Christmas everyone! Eating/sleeping/more eating. Ok one day a year it's the best triathlon.

Can Princesses Really Finish an Ironman?

     It is Christmas Eve. 10:15 pm. and I have started a blog for my 2013 Ironman venture. As I sit here I have a huge "cankle" that is black and blue as well as a swollen knee that is also very colorful. I fell running a few days ago for no reason. Yup just fell and laid there spread eagle with an audience. Anyway, as of now, I'm not really sure what a blog is. I just feel that I need a place to document my quest to hear, "You Are An Ironman." My quest consists of wanting to finish before they are putting the chairs away for the night. I have picked Ironman Florida which is late in the season, November. I have my coach, although he is laughing at me right now. He witnessed my fall from grace while running.

     I picked the name "IronPrincess" because my sister thinks I'm a Princess. The questions I ask are not always ones on the top of other Ironmen (women) (why is it called "Ironman?")  "wannabe's", list. Please don't correct my grammar, as a Princess, I can use run on sentences if I want!! Questions asked by a true IronPrincess, where do I buy a good DD running bra? Note to self: don't buy the ones with the velcro in the front. They are cute but velcro comes lose in the water. Do I really have to pee on the bike? EW!!  A porta potty is pushing it for any real Princess but that I will put up with. Peeing on my bike as of now is NOT an option. Check back with me in a while. EW  Did you hear that FL. Ironman people? Please bring in some more port potties for the bike course, a Princess will be arriving:-) Do I look fat in these bike shorts? Yup, just these questions alone would make me an IronPrincess but let me go on. When I started triathlons five years ago, athletes would keep asking me if I wanted to get in on a workout. I think the wanted me to join them because it made them feel fast:-) I was VERY excited about that because I had a lot to learn. "Ok, meet us in the Y parking lot at 4:50 for a quick warm up ride before we swim." I was so so excited until I realized they meant 4:50 AM!!!   What is up with that?  No really, WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? Does the pool disappear at 8:00AM? Are the roads closed at 9:00 AM? Fine , I know the answers to some of these questions, but that was NOT happening. I have kids to get off to school and 4:50 is NOT the morning. It is the middle of the night!!!

     Now all kidding aside, here is a serious question I am asking myself. Have I missed the IronPrincess boat? I am 52 which would kind of make me more of a IronQueen but don't go there. No one around me is allowed to use the "O" word, OLD. One of my Drs. even wrote it in his chart. Do not use the "O" word around Lani Martin!!! This brings up another question. Why are there so many people in there 40's, 50's and 60's doing triathlons and pushing the Ironman button? Are we testing our mortality? Are we just trying to stay in shape? I don't think you need to swim 2.2, bike 112 and follow it up with a marathon to stay in shape. In fact, I'm not convinced it's even healthy. What is the reason then? For me the reason is that I need a new challenge. I have covered other distances, finished and lived to talk about them. I need a new challenge. I don't know how much longer I could even consider an iron distance so I think that is the reason I am in. I also want to show my kids what hard work does. Even if I don't finish, I will have gone as far as my body and mind will take me. My idol is "The Iron Nun." She started in her 40's with an old pair of running shoes and is still going strong in her 80's!!! She is the oldest woman to complete an Ironman.  Look her up, she is incredible!!! I would love to hear why other age groupers do it.

     I started training a little early because my coach told me that I am too dangerous to be left alone anymore. He was right!! I get a little over zealous! OCD thing. Some days I think, I've got this!!! Other days I wake up and think, really? What the hell am I thinking!! My biggest problem right now is not mental although I am sure that will come. I have not put that pressure on myself. My problem is keeping my body healthy enough to get through the workouts. The last thing my coach said to me after my latest fall was, "I think we should work on some injury prevention when your ankle is healed. Now get in the water without a floatation device and aqua run!" What he was really saying was, "how the hell am I going to get you to the starting line in over a year without you killing yourself and others:-)" Did I mention that I cow tip a lot on the bike? For those of you who don't understand that statement, watch a cow fall over sometime!! Not very Princessy of me! I was never clumsy while dancing. I am a professional actress with a lot of musicals under my belt. What happened?

     One more thing I need to say today. Let's clear up one thing now!! I am a swimmer!!!!!!! I am an above average swimmer!!!  I would rather swim the marathon than run it!! As far as running and biking go, I love to run but it hurts in a lot of places right now and I am not fast. I am thinking maybe the Galloway method. Walk 8 minutes, run 1 minute. Just kidding!!   Biking for me is just there right now. I know Iron People, it's the most important and longest. I'm working on it. I have a great bike, a cevelo so I can't use that excuse. My coach is even going to pimp my ride for the event.  I have an awesome wetsuit. In fact on some days when I'm tired, I tell my wetsuit to start without me and I will catch up. Hence the name, IronPrincess. I have great running shoes, all the latest gadgets and fashion attire thanks to my Prince Charming husband. Hey, it just dawned on me. If he really is Prince Charming, which he is trust me, then I am a real Princess:-)