Ironman Dreams

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T06:53:00.004-05:00

Although I didn't expect to start 2010 injured, just like 2009 unfortunately, here I am; despite a cautious training year. My focus in 2010 is to make some permanent healthy lifestyle changes and just maybe this combination of efforts will also keep me injury free. So here are my modest racing goals for the 2010 season and a few of my resolutions for this year.

Consistently eat better and fuel my body for exercise. I tend to eat well for a few weeks then fall off the wagon.

Lose the extra poundage and keep it off.

Find my happy place with training, I am not entirely sure what my year will look like yet but I want to have a solid training year.

PR in a sprint triathlon and running race.

Four Week Minimum

2009-12-13T08:12:00.002-05:00

No running for at least four weeks, which will I hope be enough time to treat the SI joint dysfunction and start retraining muscles. And last but not least, heal the tenderness in the groin resulting from the imbalance. I could be mad, but I am optimistic that once these issues are sorted out I will run pain free for the first time in 2 years!

So in the spirit of remaining optimistic here is my tentative 2010 race calendar. I am excited to train for a few A races and just to see how the season unfolds.

Monument 10K, Tidewater or Rocketts Int'l, Patriot Half, B2B Half. Maybe a few running races here and there too.

Toy Run 5K

2009-11-19T07:14:00.002-05:00

I am doing this race, my first running race since last spring. I don't expect to break any records but is is an easy fast course so it will be fun to see just where I am in terms of my pace. I'll use it as my gauge for track workouts and hopefully I can recover some of my long lost speed - the word speed used relatively as I am not speedy at anytime!

2010

2009-11-10T07:38:00.003-05:00

I am feeling optimistic about the 2010 season. My run has been coming along quite nicely and so far with the addition of strength training 2-3 week I am injury free. Watching IMFL this past week-end brought back so many emotions and memories that I am inspired to try long distance racing again. IMFL will have to wait until 2011 but I am considering doing some local longer races.

I am going to do at least one HIM but maybe two and B2B iron distance is definitely on my mind... although I am not 100% sure my body is ready.

Regardless of which races I end up choosing I am finally feeling happy about training and I am really looking forward to racing and pushing myself in 2010!

Enough Recovery

2009-10-26T07:36:00.003-04:00

I am finally feeling recovered, almost one year to the day that I became injured. That statistic blows my mind. Who willingly does this to them self? It has been a slow process but I can finally run consistently 5-6 miles for a long run and my pace is dropping too.

I am thinking about doing a running race, probably the 8K as it is a fun event. It will be my first road race in 18 months. I am also officially starting base training for next season on Nov 1st. The pool will be the toughest as the pool and I haven't seen each other since August.

Still I am optimistic that this slow build in distance and endurance, working on overall strength conditioning and backing off when I need to will have me in a good place next season.

And most importantly injury free!!!!!!

I am Falling Apart

2009-10-11T11:51:00.001-04:00

I hurt. My feet, my back, what the hell! I am really fed up. I cannot seem to break this pattern of injury. I wonder if I can ever get healthy enough to train consistently. IMFL seems like a fluke and even then I was racing injured.

Sorry to be such a Debi Downer but this is getting old.

Ready to Race

2009-09-07T12:27:00.004-04:00

Well as ready as I will ever be. Patriot International is my first race since IMFL, that's 10 months folks, and I am ready to have some fun and just enjoy the day.

While I haven't quite gotten the volume I needed for great training, I have been consistent and injury free. All things considered I am just hoping for a decent race with a strong finish and I will be a very happy triathlete.

One Month To Go...

2009-08-12T06:56:00.003-04:00

With one month left of training I am really not where I need to be.

Can I finish the race, yes.

Will it be pretty, absolutely not.

Am I gonna do it, hell yeah!

Spin or Mash

2009-07-11T10:26:00.003-04:00

My natural inclination is to mash the gears. I always feel out of control when I spin especially in aero. I KNOW I'm supposed to spin and I am working on it but it's not easy to change your riding style.

Part of my problem is I am not liking my triple crank these days. I can't seem to find the "sweetspot" gear...it's either too easy or too hard. Maybe a compact crank is the answer???

Need a White Duck?

2009-07-02T08:31:00.003-04:00

Well I know just where to get one very cheap! Last night on my ride on the back roads of Chesterfield County I passed a random sign on the side of a dirt driveway. "White duck $10.00". Cool, if I had the cash I may just of bought it...not.

This is one of the things I love most about bike riding in rural areas, the crazy stuff you see on the side of the road.

Mount Herman

2009-06-25T07:32:00.005-04:00

Mount Herman is a lovely rolling road in western Chesterfield Co., it's my new local short bike ride and has a series of rollers culminating in a longer steep hill as the road ends. The climb which although short rises from 0% to 2% in about a mile is a b!#ch. Actually I was calling the climb a lot worse names on Tuesday when it kicked my ass! I was breathing so hard on the last part of the climb my diaphragm hurt.

That being said, the best thing about this ride is I can do it from my front door on relatively quiet roads and it's a loop. Perfect in so many ways. This loop will become my yardstick. I plan to do it every couple of weeks to measure my fitness. One day I will ride that last hill without stopping or feeling as if I am about to bust open my lungs. Want to try it anyone?

Colonial Beach Tri

2009-06-18T07:38:00.005-04:00

This race has been on my mind for a few weeks now. Even though I am NOT well trained or really prepared to race, I feel the need to do a race. Maybe it's because I miss the excitement of race day or just having something on my schedule. Reading my teammates reports of training adventures and races leaves me with longing to put myself out there. To see what I can do. I wonder if I can actually complete even a 3 mile run let alone a sprint race. Ironman seems like a different lifetime!

But I want to do a race, so why the hesitation? Well I promised myself, after last year's miserable and very painful performances, I would not race unless I was healthy and well trained. Well I am healthy but not well trained. So now I am stuck with indecision and fear of failure. Stupid sport!!!!!

Back in the Pool

2009-06-05T08:51:00.007-04:00

And...

it's not nearly as bad as thought it would be. As with everything else I am painfully slow but I can handle that. The hardest part of starting to swim again has been getting in and out of my swimsuit! Something has obviously changed because I don't remember it being this difficult to get on, or off for that matter.

I have actually enjoyed my two swims, which if you know me means a lot. So now I just have to keep up the consistency, endurance and distance. Patriot is looking better and better every day.

I'm excited...

2009-05-29T08:55:00.004-04:00

because this week-end I plan to ride 30-35 miles. This will will be my longest ride since November and I am really looking forward to it. Taking 5 months off from training certainly has depleted my fitness but on the flip side has been great for my mental health.

As I slowly build strength and distance each new milestone is a treat, taking me back to when I first began training and racing. Now the running and biking is coming along nicely, hey two out of three ain't bad, I just need to get in the water and I may be ready for Patriot in September!

Training for training's sake

2009-05-13T11:16:00.003-04:00

With only one race on my calendar in September, I'm not really following a specific training plan although I know I should be. This is my season to rebuild my fitness and stay injury free. So far so good.

Reading race reports does make me a little nostalgic and I wonder if I should consider adding a race or two to my season. But I don't want to race unfit and I my confidence is a little low. For me racing is not essential, I like training and I don't like racing all that much. So for now maybe I'll stick with my plan and just keep a low profile this year.

5/2/09

2009-05-03T08:34:00.001-04:00

Finally a real tri workout on the books. Yesterday I did my first brick in 5 months. It was short and sweet, but felt pretty good! Saw lots of TG's out at WC all working hard and looking good. I think I may just be back on track finally!!!!

Blog Blahs

2009-04-30T07:53:00.003-04:00

I just don't have anything to say right now and my training sucks. So no news is good news!

If my life/training ever get back on track I'll be sure the world hears about it.

My Does Time Fly

2009-03-23T20:00:00.005-04:00

I love springtime!!! Even so I can hardly believe it's almost April and I still haven't gotten into a good training rhythm.

I have to admit my motivation is a little low but I know that once the weather is consistently warm it will be much easier. So for now I am not gong to beat myself up about it and just enjoy hearing about the all the TG's successes. And, I am adamant I am going to let this season unfold at it's own pace.

I. Must. Start. Training.

2009-03-05T08:33:00.004-05:00

Life has been occupying my time of late and well the weather hasn't been cooperating either. I am a weather wimp when it comes to training, I just don't do cold. The weather is supposed to be balmy this week-end so my plan is to dust off my bike and go for a ride. I am embarrassed to say I have not ridden my bike once since IMFL.

OMFG...it's going to hurt!!!!

Running

2009-02-22T13:23:00.006-05:00

I realized last week I really missed running. Granted my running these days is sloooow but it still feels so good. I can't wait for the day when I can actually just go out and do a long run. A run where I am not constantly checking my watch to make sure I don't go over my intervals and where I am not worrying about every little twinge. I swear being injured makes you totally paranoid. Even with these temporary limitations it's all good!

Patriot International Triathlon

2009-02-18T07:40:00.003-05:00

I am registered! This seems a a reasonable distance to go for given I have spent the last three months sitting on my butt. Let me tell you I am weak. But this race gives me several months to build strength and endurance without being too aggressive. Don't want to end up where I started.

I am so excited to have this goal. I plan to really work hard to rock this race. I have only done one Olympic distance before so I think a PR is possible if I train smart.

I'm not sure if I'll do any racing before Patriot, maybe a few 5K's and perhaps Tavern if all is going well.

I must admit, although I needed the downtime I am really looking forward to tri-ing again. It's been a long few months.

Some good news...

2009-02-02T19:05:00.003-05:00

The stress fracture is healed but I still have inflammation in the tendon where it attaches to the tibia. Why... who the hell knows. You would think that 3 months of physical therapy would have taken care of this.

So back to the rehab drawing board and an even slower return to running than before. If I am lucky I may just about be running again when the season is over!!!!!

No Excuses

2009-01-19T21:04:00.009-05:00

I have no excuses. It's not like I should be tired or anything.

I have most definitely entered the realm of "slacker". Yes I am busy with other things in my life, and yes I still can't run but I COULD be doing more.

It's so hard getting back on track after a long layoff. Inspire me someone...please!

2009-01-08T20:34:00.004-05:00

So after 9 weeks of lazing around and getting fat I am finally cleared to train. Not run mind you, but I can ellipticise and bike on a proper bike.

Finally, I can actually put a routine together that does not involve sitting on my butt. I start back with my swim, bike, run (elliptical) next week so when I can run it will be a seamless transition.

Well... that's the plan. Wish me luck.

Let's eat cake!

2008-12-31T07:02:00.003-05:00

My sister is very talented, look what she made for my niece. I wish I could have been there to see it in person!

It's That Time of Year

2008-12-21T19:34:00.007-05:00

No not Christmas, silly... 2009 race season planning. Except I don't know what to do, still being injured and all. Whatever, I am going to tentatively lay out a plan, it may not come to fruition but it makes me feel better.

So this is my plan if I am healthy. I think it is doable if can start running again in February, but it will most likely change. Hey at least it's a plan.

5/17/09 Carytown 10K
6/28/09 Tavern Sprint
9/12/09 Patriot HIM
10/4/09 Scholarship 30K
11/14/09 Richmond HM

Ironman to Couch Potato Program

2008-11-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

Yep that's the one I am following. As you might it imagine it involves doing very little of anything athletic. I have about 4-6 weeks more before I can officially call myself a couch potato but you can bet I am working on it really hard.

If I can muster up some energy I 'll post my progress, otherwise see you in several weeks.

Ironman Arizona

2008-11-23T12:28:00.005-05:00

TRIGirls, Tammy, Heidi and CJ toe the line today with TG boys, Som and Brad. We in Richmond are all wishing them a fantastic race and speedy legs.

Also, I am curious to see how this race progresses in the new time slot as I may consider doing it one day. Hopefully the weather is better for the racers than April, when they had wind and heat extraordinaire.

My Legs are a Mess

2008-11-20T14:59:00.006-05:00

2.5 weeks post IM and tendon injury and 2 weeks into PT which is supposedly going to help with my recovery. All is going well, the PT is working on the fascia, code for torture, and I'm doing strength/stretching exercises at home. Until Wednesday morning when I could not walk.

Apparently my leg issues are so bad that as soon one area is "released" some where else hurts. Kinda like the cartoons when they hammer down the gopher only for it to pop up somewhere else. So between all the stretching and massaging I manage to strain some itty bitty muscle in the back of my calf.

I knew my legs were a mess because running has been painful for more than a year or so now, but really this is ridiculous. But the truth is, I just have to laugh at this because I know my poor legs need this rest so badly that when I am done I may actually be able to run without feeling like my legs are made of wood.

Post race

2008-11-17T07:20:00.004-05:00

For two weeks I have done absolutely nothing active at all. Well I did swim 1000 measly yards. It is actually a forced rest because I cannot run or bike for 8 weeks. I actually I can't use any gym equipment other than strength, and I can't even power walk. I don't mind really as my body needs the rest.

As for next year, I am making no plans to race. I just have to focus on healing and then rebuilding my fitness slowly. I don't want another year of constant injury. I'll know better in January if I can manage any kind of race season, but it will be light.

So for now I will continue with PT, start my strength and core exercises and do lots of stretching. I guess I will get back in the pool eventually.

The Run

2008-11-10T07:20:00.009-05:00

T2 was like a little piece of heaven. I was so happy to get off the bike and out of the wind. I had a whopping headache and I was very thirsty. TG's Grandsion, Cyndi and Megan were on hand to see that my every need was met. Bringing me water and helping me to dress. I so badly wanted to lie down somewhere dark. I gulped down an entire bottle of water and 4 Tylenol. Kate was patiently waiting for me to be finished so we could start the run together.As soon as we hit the run course I knew it was going be tough. My legs felt awful and I was hot. I waved Kate off, sadly watching as she disappeared down the road. At this point I decided I would run/walk for as long as I could. I knew I had plenty of time to finish so I planned to take the first few miles slowly and try to eat and drink in hopes my legs would feel better.

I really don't have much memory of that first lap, but I know I saw everyone and they all looked strong. As I started the second lap my feet and ankles started to really hurt. I trudged on, left, right, repeat. Coming to the halfway point turnaround I knew I would see my family and this gave me an extra boost. I told them I wasn't feeling so good and I was going to walk the second half.

I really felt low at this point in the race. I sat down on the side of the road and took my shoes and socks off. I had a blood blister the size of Idaho on my little toe. The bottom off my foot was burning and both ankles were swollen. I just sat and stared at my feet. A passerby threw me a piece of moleskin which I stuck on the entire bottom of my foot. I was worried about another injury, if I was going to DNF this is where it was going to happen. I sat some more. I looked at my watch. I had over 5 hours left to be an official finisher, no way was I going to quit now. I put my shoes back on and started walking.

About a mile later, I saw Patty, we stopped for hugs then off she went - 2 miles for her to Ironman. Then Fred came by looking chipper. Sharon passed me trucking along looking really good. Then Shawn smiling with a gaggle of Sherpas in tow. Finally as I entered the park there was Kate looking very determined but running well.

After the turnaround at this late hour most of the people left on the course are hurting. You can see it in their body language and the resigned grimaces on their faces. Some are shuffling, others walking and still others moving forward any way they can. I looked at these people hurting just like I was and offered a few words of encouragement, I hoped they all would be Ironmen.

Six miles to go I made the decision to just power walk, running was so painful and probably slower anyway. I saw someone ahead who looked to be moving at good pace so I caught up to her. We introduced ourselves each telling our respective stories. I looked at my watch and decided we could break 16 hours if we could keep going at this pace. We decided to stay together for the final lap.

As we made the last turn onto Thomas Drive, we agreed to run it in. A final word of encouragement and off I went. I don't remember crossing the finish line or hearing my name called. I think my brain just switched off for a few minutes. Not even the loud whoops from the TG's around me. After the pictures and hugs I just wanted to sit down and take my shoes off, my feet were screaming at me.

The run was really tough. I had mentally prepared to walk a good deal of it but even so I am disappointed that I could run so little. I had hoped to run at least 50% of the marathon but it ended up being only about 25%. I know this was to be expected coming off a year of constant injury, with little time to prepare for the marathon, of course it would be difficult.

Was it worth it. Yes it was, because there is nothing I could have done that would have changed the outcome of this race except not racing and I had put in too much time and energy to not race. But here I am injured again, a partial tendon tear this time. Will I do another Ironman, I think so, but I want to be completely healthy for the next one so it may a while!

The Bike

2008-11-09T12:13:00.008-05:00

I had hoped for a pretty decent bike split based on the three 100+ milers done in training. Unfortunately I just could not seem to get my legs moving well. The ride started out okay, I settled into a comfortable pace and worked at getting some solids in. This proved to be a problem though. My nose was really congested from the salt water and wind and just kept dripping. Because my nose was so stuffed up when I tried to eat I was gasping for air.

Once we turned on to Route 20 the supposedly "pancake flat" course turned into what I would call undulating. By no means hills, but enough to challenge me especially as this stretch was directly into a headwind. A bit later into the ride I was surprised to hear someone calling my name but wasn't sure who it was which is why I am squinting in this picture. I found out later it was TG Heidi. I did see KR Maggie a few times and TG Kate and I stayed close to each other for most of the ride. By the time we got to the 30 miles to go point I stopped to pee and that's when I lost Kate.
On the final stretch everyone tells me there was a tailwind but I really didn't feel it. I did manage to pick-up the pace and pass a few people though. I did not enjoy the bike course. The road surface was awful for about 30% of the ride and the wind though not terrible just sapped my energy. My nose dripped the whole time and I just could not get comfortable on my saddle. I was disappointed with my time but hoped the slower than expected pace would leave my legs in good shape for the run. Finally, off the bike and into T2.

The Swim

2008-11-08T07:25:00.007-05:00

On race morning I was amazed that I had slept pretty well, getting about 5 hours of solid sleep. I ate breakfast at 3:30 and lay down on the couch to doze for another hour or so. I finished preparing my nutrition and the other last minute details before driving the two miles to the race site. As I entered the transition area it was already crowded with athletes busy with their preparations.

I completed my last minute preparations with loads of time to spare. As I was finishing up Kate, Patty and the TG volunteers found me and we chatted for a bit and posed for pictures. Everyone looked excited and happy. I spent the time before the swim keeping warm in the lobby. Time went by quickly. At the swim start the crowd of athletes was electric. There was every emotion on the faces in the crowd.

Once the gun went off I held back to avoid the crush. When only the last stragglers were left on the beach I entered the water and began swimming. It didn't take long before I was surrounded by swimmers despite waiting to start. It was difficult finding any open water so I just kept going, sighting often to try to find a clear path.About half way into the first loop I got kicked in the jaw. Luckily this was just a glancing blow and didn't really hurt although it kind of shocked me. As I made the second turn some one grabbed my foot which kind of ticked me off. I also had some crazy guy zigzagging in front me. I am pretty good at sighting but this guy would look up swim furiously for a few minutes, swim into me, correct himself, then do the whole thing over. As we were swimming around the same pace I could not seem to shake him. Finally I stopped for a minute or two to get him out of my line and took off really fast to get away.

The second loop was still crowded. This time I had my goggles dislodged. Because I wear contacts I had to stop and fix them which was harder than you would think because of the swells and constant stream of swimmers. Finally I got to the end of the swim. Looking at my watch I was thrilled to see my time. I had hoped for a 1:30-1:35 swim and I had beaten that goal by 3 minutes. I took my time walking to transition, stopping to rinse off in the shower.

The change tent was packed. I could hardly find a place to sit. Eventually a volunteer took me to a seat by the exit and I proceeded to strip. To hell with modesty. Kate was right next to me finishing up and Patty was just heading out. The volunteer was amazing, helping to dress me, lather me in sunscreen, constantly asking me what I needed and how she could help. Soon enough I was ready as was Kate, we headed out to the the bikes together. TG Cyndi handed me my bike and with quick hugs from Cyndi, Derik and Grandison I walked to the bike mount feeling pretty good.

IMFL RR - Pre race

2008-11-08T06:17:00.006-05:00

The days before the race were calm and relaxed. I did not feel one bit anxious. I enjoyed the beach, sipping a few cold ones and just chilling out. On Thursday I met the TG's to swim one loop of the swim course. It was chilly that morning and as we all stood around shivering I could feel the nervous energy. Despite the air temperature, the water was beautiful and not really that cold. This was the first time I had been in my wetsuit for any distance since May and I was curious to see if the hours in the pool had paid off. I had a great swim and hit the beach after one lap in 42 minutes. This would give me a projected race swim of about 1:25, I was ecstatic.After the swim I got dressed, ate some breakfast and headed over to registration. There was already a line forming. A familiar scene at Ironman. Luckily I was in line early so it was over and done with pretty quickly. The most nerve wracking time in the whole race was when I had to step on the scales. I totally looked the other way, LOL.

I had spoken with Kyle earlier and arranged to meet them after he and Maggie finished their swim. I had a rough idea of what I was looking for - a tall guy with a petite, dark haired girl. Amazingly after a few minutes of looking I saw what I thought was them just finishing up their swim. As soon as the guy pulled out a white hat I thought "bingo" and headed down the beach. Sure enough Kyle and Maggie. We chatted for a bit before taking off to our respective condos. It was great to meet them.

The remaining time before the race was filled with packing, course recon, sleeping and eating. Bliss!!!

I am an Ironman

2008-11-05T20:59:00.002-05:00

15:57:51 - I made it and I met my secondary goal of under 16 hours.

I have not fully absorbed the day, my head is swimming with random bursts of thoughts. I have a new injury to ponder. When I get caught up I will post a RR.

One Week

2008-10-21T07:54:00.005-04:00

Yep in one week I will be driving to Panama City Beach. It still seems a lifetime away but that's because my brain is in a bit of denial. I feel way too calm and removed from what is the single biggest athletic event in my life, but I guess that is a good thing. Plenty of time to panic later.

I have really been enjoying the taper. Never one to be an "overtrainer" I relish the lack of mega long workouts, the fresh feeling in my legs and the joy of a short, sweet run. I do have a 2.5 mile swim today, a thought which would have me quivering in fright 6 months ago and now seems so ordinary.

I view these feelings as signs that I am indeed ready to take on Ironman. I have trained to the best of my ability and there is nothing left to be done but stay healthy and get to the start line. I am also working on the mental aspects of racing IMFL. Visualizing the race and me doing it. Working through the logistics of the bike and run and planning for the unexpected.

I am nervous, but in the way that makes you smile when you think about it. Happy, tingly nerves I'll call it. There is no room for fear or self-doubt and I refuse to let those thoughts take hold. So as I move into my final week of training, thanks for your support throughout this last year. I'll be back in a couple of weeks.

Bib Number

2008-10-18T15:29:00.000-04:00

#2504. Oh yeah!

It's Taper Time

2008-10-17T07:49:00.005-04:00

I am officially in the taper mode of training. A little late as I had one last long run to complete because I am behind the regular IM training schedule. I did a 15 mile run which was slow and painful towards the end. Now all I can do is my best on race day and hope the bike fitness and rest will get me through the marathon.

This weekend I have one last long workout, a 50/10 brick. Oddly, I am quite nervous about this as I am feeling achy with random pains popping up everywhere. I guess I am actually ready for taper, my body needs some rest.

It is hard to believe the race is almost here. I am somewhat in awe of all the training I've done but at the same time worried it's not enough. I keep telling myself to trust in my training; I know this is just the "taper crazies" getting to me. Race day here I come.

Eastern Shore Ride Report

2008-10-13T07:29:00.011-04:00

The plan for our final big training weekend was a 100 mile ride followed by a run at Kiptopeke Sate Park on the Eastern Shore. Charlotte and I headed down on Friday afternoon so we could do a short OW swim in the bay. With the car loaded to the hilt with bikes, gear, food and most importantly beer we made good time and got to the lodge around 3 PM.

Let me just say the lodges are wonderful. Much nicer than I had expected with room for everyone, towels and a well equipped kitchen. After a bit Sharon and Karen arrived. We chatted, unpacked our stuff, donned our wetsuits and headed down to the bay for our swim. The water was pleasant and mostly calm but somehow I managed to get seasick and the last stretch of the swim was rough. I hadn't eaten since morning so that probably contributed to the dizziness. We swam about 1000 yards and then headed back to the lodge to wait for the other TG's.

Saturday morning came all too soon and we were up and off on our ride. We knew to expect wind but even so the outbound ride was tough with a good bit of headwind and some gusty crosswinds thrown in for good measure. It was a beautiful fall day with great scenery, mostly good roads and very flat. We all made it to the turnaround, refueled and headed back for the last half of the ride. Thankfully the wind was mostly a tailwind and we were flying back averaging around 18-19 mph.

All that changed at mile 27 when we decided to ride in a paceline. Some of us didn't quite get the gist of this; me, Heidi and Kate O. We thought this meant we needed to speed up for our turn at the front. Well needless to say the three of us promptly trashed our legs and the last few miles were brutal. At about mile 93 I was toast. I wasn't having a very good ride and I was struggling to hold it all together. I had a terrible headache and I was nauseous.

By far this was the worst of my 100 milers. While I did not question I could do the distance, I just didn't feel great the whole day. I had expected it to feel almost easy as it was my third time at this distance. But the combination of too little sleep, poor pacing, leg fatigue and inadequate nutrition (I had forgotten half my bike nutrition in the fridge at home) left me lagging. After the ride we headed out for a short run. The run was uneventful but quite painful and I only managed about 2 miles.

With the final big workout complete it was time to celebrate. Hot showers, a good dinner prepared by Super Sherpa Karen plus a few beers made for a great night.

A few thoughts about training. Even though this ride was not ideal, I learned a lot about what my body can tolerate. I also got a first hand look at the difference between feeling good off the bike or not so good. Also for the first time I worked with the wind instead of against it and this made a huge difference mentally. Finally, I know I need to stay with my routine. I know after all this training what works for me and what doesn't; so I need to stick with my plan on race day.

So with three weeks to go we are ready, everyone looks strong and we are ready for Florida.

Run Kate Run!

2008-10-07T13:23:00.002-04:00

After two disastrous runs this weekend, I tried again today to get my 12 miler done. I may not be fast but I am persistent. Well... mission accomplished. I ran 12.4 miles relatively pain free and with minimal GI issues. I am thrilled!

I really want to get my long run to around 15 miles. This is more mental than anything because even at 15 there is big difference to 26.2. But I feel if I get to 15, that is more than halfway and that just makes me feel better.

So onward and further, two more long runs for me before IMFL. I will be ready as I can be and I am totally okay with that.

Sick and Hurting

2008-10-01T14:04:00.005-04:00

My leg hurts when I run, despite a cortisone shot, anti inflammatory patch, compression sleeve and oral medicine. I am sick of it and I don't even have a diagnosis.

I am on my third course of antibiotics since May for saddle sores in unmentionable places that will not heal until I give up riding.

I am sick with an upper respiratory bug and an irritating little cough, unh, unh.

But guess what?

I am training for an Ironman! In four short weeks I will be standing on the beach at PCB. How freaking awesome is that!!!!!!!

River Ride RR

2008-09-29T07:37:00.012-04:00

Well what a crazy weekend. The morning started with thunderstorms and lightening and I worried the event would be delayed. Still I headed to the start with swim suit and towel ready to do my OW swim. Luckily the storms passed and for a few moments I actually thought I might have dry weather to ride in. I jumped into the cove, I forgot to bring my wetsuit and was hit by a blast of cold water. After a few choice words, I put my head down and swam out for around 1/4 mile (the speck on the horizon to the right in the picture) and then back. I grabbed my bike gear from the car and headed to the restrooms to change.

Still no rain at this point as I headed out through Kilmarnock and the open roads. Not 10 minutes later it started to rain. Torrential rain. I was soaked and my shoes filled with water. I plastered a smile on my face and chanted "Don't worry, be happy" which is my IMFL theme song. The first 30 miles continued this way often riding through 2 inches of water. I skipped the first rest stop and rode back to town for the next stage.

At the 48 mile mark I stopped to pee and refill bottles. I was covered in grit from the roads and my nutrition was a soggy mess. I stuffed a bunch of disintegrating fig bars in my mouth, grabbed a banana and was back on the road. Finally, it stopped raining. I was still feeling pretty good so I kept pushing the pace, however this part of the course was rolling hills, long false flats with a couple of nasty hills (think Naylors) thrown in. At the 80 mile mark I stopped for one last time to refill bottles. The last 27 miles were tough. The wind picked up and I felt cold. About 75 % of the ride I was completely on my own it was weird. I kept on singing. As I came back into Kilmarnock I was surprised by the distance on my computer 105, by the time I got off my bike it was a little over 107 in 6:39.

I quickly racked my bike on my car, changed my socks and shorts and headed out for my run. The volunteers looked at me as though I was crazy and some roadie who I had passed a few times shouted something derogatory but I ignored him. I ran 2.5 miles feeling okay. Long enough to know my nutrition was good although I did not drink as much water as I should have. I blame that on the rain. By now the sun was out and everywhere had warmed up. I took a quick shower ready for the drive home.

This ride was really a well organized event overall. Tons of food and drink which I didn't get to enjoy, portalets at the rest stops, super friendly volunteers, lunch looked good as well. The course was not ideal for a training ride because of the many stops and lots of turns through towns. It would be great for a leisurely bike cruise though. Anyhow, I accomplished my goals and feel really good about my training.

NN River Ride

2008-09-24T07:44:00.009-04:00

This weekend while all the IM TG's are racing Chesapeakeman I will be riding solo at the Northern Neck River Ride Century. I know they will all do really well and I will miss them.

But I won't be slacking either. My plan for the century is to simulate race conditions as much as possible although I won't have the "benefit" of the 2.4 mile swim before cycling.

Even so this won't be a leisurely ride through the countryside stopping 4-5 times with a catered lunch. My goal is to ride as though I am racing and ride through the rest stops; refueling at the halfway point with only the nutrition I can bring. Should be interesting!

I am actually looking forward to it in a bizarre way. Riding with a group is fun, distracting and simply easier than racing or riding solo. But for me, it is important to do some of the long training on my own without the group support and pacing. Experience has shown me that even a little bit of drafting makes a difference. It will be a challenge to ride this long completely dependent on myself and I expect I will realize how mentally tough I am rather quickly.

So the plan is a short swim to start, 100+ miles of cycling topped off with a short transition run. Should be a good weekend, don't ya think?????

Patriot HIM Update

2008-09-21T14:46:00.006-04:00

GH from Set-Up Events called me this week to let me know that they had decided to let athletes registered for the cancelled HIM to register for any VTS sprint or Olympic distance race next year at no cost; or any HIM race at 50% discount. That makes me much happier than the previous refund deal.

I have no idea yet what my 2009 season will look like, but is nice not be forced into racing an event because you have a discount for it. The new Olympic race at Lake Anna sounds good for starters.

I know he felt bad for the athletes who got sideswiped by the turn of events and I think it is a credit to Set-Up for rethinking the refund so it benefits the athletes. So start making race plans everyone, we've got some thinking to do.

Fast Tracking 26.2

2008-09-19T13:27:00.006-04:00

I had a cortisone shot in my leg today to stop the mystery, phantom pain I continue to have. My doctor tells me my injuries do not manifest in the typical manner. Now why does that not surprise me?????? Despite a positive bone scan in April I have NO signs of injury but neither do I have signs of healing in my stress fracture. That is weird!

But it is also great news as it means I have the total green light to run my ass off! Finally I am on the fast track to 26.2 (without another injury thank you very much) and I am excited. Believe me, wait until someone tells you can't run, it becomes your entire focus in life, even if you hate running.

So with 5 weeks of real training left I am going to shoot for making it to 15-16 miles before IMFL. I am going to be able to run at least part of the marathon and I am going to feel somewhat prepared. I can't tell you how great this feels right now.

Training Milestones

2008-09-15T07:27:00.004-04:00

This weekend marked a few milestones for me.

My single longest training week at 13 hours.

My longest bike ride at 97 miles.

My longest training weekend at 8 hours.

I cleaned my bike for the first time since I have owned it.

Walking 26.2

2008-09-12T09:24:00.004-04:00

It's not that I am opposed to walking during a marathon like some running purists. In fact in the two marathons I have completed I walked a good deal. It's just that I didn't expect to have to walk the entire marathon at IMFL.

Unfortunately it is beginning to look more and more like this will be the case. I have not run in 4 weeks, this after a year where I have only been able to run 4 months out of 9. I question the sanity of what I am doing and hope I can pull it off. I am beginning to realize that running may be something I just don't do. That this is my only chance to fulfill my Ironman dream.

I watch my teammates enviously as they complete longer and longer runs and I feel so unprepared I can almost laugh at the comedy of this enterprise. Ironman or triathlon or running does not define me, but setting a goal and accomplishing that goal through hard work, dedication and commitment does. I fear failure and it pisses me off!

Weekend Recap

2008-09-07T14:14:00.006-04:00

With the cancellation of the Patriot HIM I had the whole weekend free to do as I pleased with my workouts. Thanks to my friend Beth for the guest pass to do the 2.5 mile swim in the ACAC 50 meter pool. Swimming long in a 50 meter pool is infinitely better than in a 25 yd pool. It just seems so much easier when you don't have to make all those turns. Got that done and felt GREAT afterwards!!!!!!

Then it was off to Performance bike to pick up some new sunglasses and pedals. I love new gear, and as expensive as this crazy sport is, it's so much fun to get new stuff. Got the pedals and cleats installed just in time for the rain to start. Oh well.

Saturday morning I opted to skip the group workout, not really much point as I wasn't running anyway, and I slept in. Hopped on the trainer I had set-up in my garage around 10 AM and watched the rain fall. I must have sweat out 10 pints it was so damn humid. Then I jumped in the car heading to the gym for 2 hours of elliptical and treadmill.

Sunday morning was an absolutely gorgeous day for an easy solo ride through Goochland to cap the weekend. Overall a solid few days of training.

Who Cancels a Race

2008-09-06T09:16:00.004-04:00

Well Set-Up does. I am not entirely convinced the Patriot HIM needed to be canceled based on the weather here in Richmond, but what do I know. So far it's raining and that's about it.

I am a bit ticked off to tell the truth because athletes don't get a refund just a 50% credit towards next years race. I think Set-Up had other options like a credit to any race, or best yet a refund. But this is just how my year of triathlon has been, one non-event after another. Things had better improve soon.

Yah...I'm Stressed

2008-09-04T19:50:00.013-04:00

Well who wants to race a HIM in a freaking hurricane or tropical storm, whatever Hanna turns out to be. And yes I will be "downgrading" to aqua bike. Bleh!!!!

Kudos to our recent TG Ironman Joan and best wishes and better weather to those tackling IM MOO... Aimee, Rick and Blake I think.

Here we go again...

2008-08-24T07:37:00.006-04:00

It seems I have yet another injury, could this get more ridiculous. It started with lower leg pain after last weeks long workout and it has not really subsided.

After a visit to the Doc, we are optimistically treating it as a muscle injury. Is it another stress fracture? Well my history tells me to expect the worst and hope for the best so that's what I am doing. Either way it means no running for 2 weeks then back for re-evaluation.

So for now I get to wear yet another "running accessory". A black neoprene sleeve, aren't you jealous, and an inflammatory patch.

What does this mean for IMFL? I have no idea but my expectation is that I will be at the start line.

Highs and lows

2008-08-21T09:07:00.003-04:00

One of the strange things to me about training is how one week I feel like the energizer bunny and then two days later I can feel like a bus ran over me. Well that is how I feel right now. I feel sluggish, unmotivated and just plain tired.

I always internally struggle about training when tired. On the one had it's what makes you stronger but on the other it seems so pointless going through the motions like a slug. So today on the books is a one hour bike, one hour run and a 45 min swim.

Don't hold your breath!

Triple Bricks and Crazy Geese

2008-08-12T21:21:00.004-04:00

Let's start with the crazy geese. This is not some new Merlot from the Napa Valley but something that happened to me the other night while riding at West Creek. Now if you have ever ridden at WC you'll know about the geese that wander over the road in the middle of the 6 mile loop. Every time I ride there and the geese are out in force I think about the running into one of the damned creatures. Geese are not small so hitting one could be a nasty mess. Usually they stay out of the way, but on this particular night I actually hit one. Fortunately for me I only clipped it's wing, I am not sure if I hurt it but I am happy I didn't wreck.

Now for the brick. TG Bethany posted her double brick workout a few weeks ago and it just sounded like fun. So not having done one of these in a while I thought I would try it out. I decided to do 3 bricks of bike 6/run 1.3 miles; with the goal of riding moderately hard and maintaining the same pace for each brick. And what do you know, I nailed it. My splits were not blistering fast but they were exactly spot on.

Loop 1 - 21 min bike, 13.47 run
Loop 2 - 21 min bike, 13.56 run
Loop 3 - 21.09 min bike, 13.55 run

What does this mean? Well it means I am getting better at pacing myself and my run endurance is definitely improving. Not fast but consistent, I'll take it, thank you very much!!!!!

Patriot HIM Pre Ride

2008-08-10T13:45:00.009-04:00

On Saturday a bunch of TG's drove to Williamsburg to do a pre-ride of the Patriot HIM course. It was a beautiful, cool morning with low humidity promising a great ride. Having had little opportunity this summer to ride flat courses I was looking forward to this ride to see how months of hill climbing may have improved my stamina. I packed my race nutrition and wore my race clothing so I could really simulate race day.

The course is great! It is mostly flat, there are a few small hills scattered throughout but overall it is fast. There is one scary metal bridge to watch out for, especially if it is wet. Please weather gods no rain on race day. There are long straight stretches of road where you can tuck in aero and really hammer. Please weather gods no wind on race day. I followed the bike with a short 2 mile transition run.

I totally slammed my goals for the day which were to ride in aero for 90% of the time, eat all my planned nutrition, get off the bike feeling good with a decent bike split and have fun. Check!!!!!

Sunday morning had me up early again to do my long run. My running is coming along nicely and though I was nervous about the day's planned 10 miles, I felt good enough to give it a shot. Well my legs were definitely feeling the bike from Saturday but I trudged on and got it done.

So overall a great week-end of training and a big boost in confidence.

90 Days

2008-08-02T11:32:00.011-04:00

I am finally in the last few months of training for IMFL. Time to pull out all the stops and focus, focus, focus. These next few months are all about increasing time and distance. I feel pretty good so far about my training although I still worry I am not doing enough. The running is coming along nicely but I am still way behind in terms of distance.

I also need to get my nutrition nailed down. I am practicing on every ride but last weeks 50 miler showed me I still have to work to do. I felt nauseous a good part of the ride. Ironman training is not easy, there is so much planning involved just to get workouts done. You have to think about training routes, food, hydration, the list goes on. Plain and simple Ironman training is a big deal but still I can't wait for November 1st, despite all my fears and days of panic. I realize in the next few months there is always going to be something to think about, but these challenges big or small are all part of this crazy dream.

So in these last 90 days I am going to train with passion and enthusiasm, push my anxieties and worries away and do the hard work that remains to be done. I will get through all the long kick ass workouts and get up and do it again. Then on November 1st I'll stand at the start line as ready as I can be knowing that when I do my best once again I am making my dream a reality.

My Butt Hurts!!!

2008-07-27T17:13:00.004-04:00

Seriously. All I can say is I must be a member of the colossally weak ass club. I am pretty sure this is directly related to suffering, er... enjoying the the non stop rolling hills in Goochland and trying to push on the bike more.

Shout outs to TG Joan for riding with me on Saturday. It was a tough ride for me but we made it through TG Cyndi's 50 mile route and had a good ride. And to TG Sarah who I met for the first time, who drove a long way to join in the fun.

Random Thoughts

2008-07-19T16:10:00.007-04:00

Napping. I need to learn this skill. I have decided that IM training requires trainees to learn how to take naps on a regular basis. I try, but unless the house is really quiet I rarely seem to fall into the deep oblivion I am craving.

I never can seem to acclimate to the summer heat. Yesterdays brick about did me in. You would think that after 10 years in VA and by this time in the summer I would be used to it, but no, not me. I must've sweat out 10 pints yesterday and spent the whole afternoon drinking water until I sloshed.

I have been enjoying my training of late. Improvements are coming in small increments, but they are coming. Also I feel much better now I have been running for a few weeks, it makes me less worried about IMFL and that is just good for the psyche.

I have loved watching the Tour de France this year. It is amazing to see the skill of the riders. And with no clear favorite rider this year it is totally up for grabs.

Fear & Loathing in the Blue Ridge

2008-07-13T14:12:00.008-04:00

20 miles of this

and this 11 miles of this

is pure hell. How the rockstar TG"s managed 50, 80 or 100 miles of cycling is simply amazing. I can honestly say I have never been so miserable on a bike ride as riding yesterday in the Blue Ridge. It was terrifying and hard and not one bit enjoyable.

I am extremely happy that I went out there to try it on for size, but I won't be going back...at least not this year.

Progress Finally

2008-07-08T20:20:00.003-04:00

Tonight's workout, courtesy of Coach B was a strength ride. We were to ride as much as possible in the big chain ring...even up the hills. I decided to ride in WC as I was short of time. As we all know WC has a nasty little hill but is mostly flat with some rollers.

Well I am happy to report I did stay in the big ring on the rollers and only dropped a few gears in the middle ring on "nasty, little hill". I actually manged to hold 13.5 mph on the hill and averaged 17.6 for the whole ride. Not blazing fast by most standards but I am stoked.

On a random note...after climbing "the hill" on the first loop, some guy pulls up next to me and starts quizzing me about my riding. This sort of irritated me, even though I think he was just trying to be kind. I just did not feel like explaining why I was trying to power up that hill in a heavy gear. Mainly because at that point I could hardly breathe.

Why do complete strangers feel the need to critique a persons workout? This happens to me in the pool sometimes. Oh well!!!

I Need a Panic Button

2008-07-06T14:57:00.003-04:00

I am starting to feel a little panicky about my training. I don't feel like I am doing enough. The race is just a few short months away and I feel as though I am going to run out of time to train. When you factor in taper time there is only 3 MONTHS left to prepare.

I feel a bit like a deer in headlights, where did all those months go?

Perspective

2008-06-29T10:56:00.004-04:00

This morning I completed my long run for the week, a whopping 4 miles!!! It has been a long time since 4 miles was my longest run but it does mean I am able now to slowly build my distance.

It was difficult. I don't know if it's a mental or physical block or a combination of both, but even small increases in distance seem hard for me these days. I am trying to keep things in perspective and cut myself some slack.

Looking back it has been 10 months since I first got injured and during that 10 months I have only been able to run for 8 weeks. So of course it is going to take a while to get back in running shape. I am confident I can do this even if I am slow as molasses. Just get to me to the start line please!

Saddle Sores

2008-06-24T08:38:00.004-04:00

In the interest of being true to my journal...the reason I am keeping this blog is to document fully my year of training for Ironman including the good, bad and the ugly...I must write about this cycling rite of passage. Well I am not digging this particular cycling issue, saddle sores.

It started way back at White Lake with some serious chafing and has slowly progressed despite my best efforts. So a trip to the doc for me, she will no doubt assume I have some horrible disease as she isn't much into sports.

I am looking for some new shorts and hope to keep riding. Hopefully, I'll get some help today and get rid of these little f^ckers once and for all!

Duh-Oh!!!

2008-06-22T22:56:00.007-04:00

Okay, I overslept my alarm and "missed" the BR ride. I'll get over it.
Actually, I was pretty irritated by my uselessness so I rode the ILTT course hard instead and then added a few miles. Still not a BR ride to be sure. Oh well.

James River Splash

2008-06-17T07:41:00.005-04:00

This was my very first swim race ever!

I was pretty nervous about doing this race as I have been out of town for 2 weeks with no access to a pool. I also felt a bit jet lagged and tired.

Anyhow I decided I would walk down to the park and check it out to see if I felt like doing the swim. Lucky for me TG Charlotte was there to peer pressure me into signing up, which of course I did.

Swimming 1 mile in open water without a wet suit was a first for me. I was not really worried about finishing but knew my endurance was lacking with so much time off. I did struggle a bit in the middle and had to resort to breast stroke for 5 minutes.

The current wasn't bad although it did seem to take an endless amount of time to get to the turnaround. At the turnaround I was expecting some great current to simply wash me down stream which did not materialize. And though I know it was faster going back I really didn't feel it. 41:15 was my final time, I am actually pleased with that as it was much better than I expected.

Now I am thinking about the Chris Greene Cable Swim in Charlottesville which is a 1 or 2 mile lake swim.

Anyone?

Vacation RR in Pictures

2008-06-13T05:15:00.018-04:00

While my teammates are doing IM races, epic swims or completing in their first triathlon; I have a vacation report, no great athletic accomplishment but a needed break from the part-time insanity of life. I was solo on this holiday, I ditched DH and kids and took some much needed me time.

Me and the youngest members of my family

Joe 3
Sam 2

Me and my MUM!
1000 year old church
Hiking in the Yorkshire Dales

Post hike refreshments at the pub

I'm Back!

2008-06-11T20:19:00.002-04:00

Got back this evening from 10 days visiting my family in England. I had a wonderful time seeing all my family, hiking and generally just hanging out.

Now back to training which I am actually really looking forward to.

Stepping out of my Comfort Zone

2008-05-29T16:39:00.013-04:00

Today I found myself with an appointment in the Lake Anna area so I decided to take my bike and do a ride. I am not usually one to ride a route unseen as I have had a few terrible experiences with mucho traffic, huge trucks buzzing me or roads not being where the map says they are. But I thought what the hell, how bad can it be in that area. I mapped out a route the night before looking for a comfortable ride of about 32 miles with only a few turns.

I was rewarded with a beautiful day, quiet country roads traversing 4 counties, Louisa, Spotsylvania, Caroline and Hanover. It was such a great ride the roads were empty, and really mean that. On some roads maybe one car passed me.

I hit one snag when one of my turns was not really a road but crushed stone with major potholes. Rather than risk a flat I made a quick detour which added 3 more miles but I didn't mind.

The route is what I would call rolling, with a good mix of short steep climbs, rollers and false flats. Good climbers would probably laugh and say it was flat. See for yourself.

Thinking Positive

2008-05-26T15:36:00.006-04:00

I have been MIA in my training this week. For various reasons, none of them adequate I just didn't get my shit together. In reality I am in a training funk right now. I feel like I have been in a stop/start mode for several weeks so it is difficult building training momentum. I know in the grand scheme of things one week isn't going to change anything but these stop/start weeks add up and it's bothering me now.

I was feeling so bad about it I talked to Coach Mark, who assures me that my running or lack of won't prevent me from finishing IMFL. It won't be pretty that's for sure. Even so I don't feel good about my training. I have another week off coming up, I will be in England visiting my family.

I need to get over this, it is what it is. I must stop whining, time to refocus and just get on with it and stop worrying.

Anti Gravity Treadmill

2008-05-20T10:48:00.003-04:00

Today I ran 1.5 miles at 50% of my body weight. The G-Trainer allows you reduce your body weight and run just like on a regular TM. It was pretty cool. Way better than pool running.

It is not something I will have access to all the time, once a week maybe, but I hope to use it to try to maintain some run fitness while minimally weight bearing. As you might guess I am not cleared to run yet so this is a good option for me in addition to the pool running.

Over the next few weeks I am going to have to think long and hard about my ability to do IMFL. Right now it's still possible, but at some point I need to be able to run more than one mile at a time.

Carytown 10K

2008-05-18T13:49:00.004-04:00

Before you say what are you doing racing...I walked this race. I had registered just before I found out about my new injuries. As I am officially on the mend I thought it would be a good test of how my feet are healing. I did a walk/run of 8/2. I am happy to report no pain from the stress fractures, although there is still something wrong with my foot. It could be the arthritis who knows.

Of course I did not get Dr. Stadler's permission to do this, but as I am seeing her on Tuesday I figured it would be okay. Approaching the end of the race I run across a busy intersection and who should be there but Dr. Stadler.

I am so busted.

She cheered me on...it obviously didn't register that I am one of her injured patients. I am sure she will give me grief about it on Tuesday though.

I'm no Fishie

2008-05-13T10:46:00.004-04:00

Oh the swim. If triathlon did not have a swim I would be very happy. It's not that really dislike swimming, it's okay. I just find it the most difficult of the three sports to do well. I do however, love watching people who swim well, they make it look effortless and graceful.

Last night was my fist swim post HIM. I felt horrible, uncoordinated, legs simply would not kick, no matter how much I willed them to move. So I thrashed up and down for an hour all the while telling myself to spend more time in the water between now and Nov 1.

On the positive side, I have made improvements over the last year and I know I can continue to improve if I keep working on it so that's what I will do. After all, the swim is simply the warm-up I must get through so I can bike and run. That's perspective for you.

86

2008-05-10T17:56:00.005-04:00

That's the number of miles I rode today. I participated in the Cap2Cap bike ride. They have a century or half century ride. Some in our group did the full distance, some did the half, but me Cyndi and Derik made our own distance which included getting lost a couple of times.

I felt much better during the ride than the during the race last week. It was no doubt the great company and nicer weather. I learned a few more things about my nutrition, I practiced riding in a group and spent a good amount of time riding in my aero bars. One more step on the road to IMFL!

Oh Happy Day

2008-05-06T13:49:00.003-04:00

I have been cleared by my doc to stop wearing the hideous and uncomfortable air cast boot. It served its purpose but I am not sorry to say good bye.

Even better news is I can use the elliptical machine. This is big news because I really dislike aqua jogging and I am now in the build towards IMFL so it is important to get the run simulations done.

I have to say using the bone stimulator has really helped speed up the healing process. Last year after 3 months I had no healing at all. This time round I have been using the bone stim since day one and I am practically pain free. I am not 100% but I feel optimistic.

White Lake RR

2008-05-05T18:14:00.016-04:00

This race was to be a test of the results of my base building going into the 2008 season. However, with my recent diagnosis of two stress fractures I found a runner, Annn and switched my registration to a relay. I felt little pressure about the race as I had decided to do it as a training event to practice nutrition and see where I was in terms of my bike fitness. So instead of fussing over the weather and other pre race planning I just decided I would take whatever came my way and give it 100%. Well I did give it 100% but the weather proved to be a beotch. At 89 degrees with a warm southerly wind, the day was going to take a toll on everyone.

The Swim: The water was beautiful but I just could not get my groove going. Normally I prefer open water swims but I just had a hard time with my stroke. I kept plugging away until I could see the finish and then put my head down and went all out. I think my wetsuit is definitely too tight, I could barely get a good deep breath in and felt winded for the entire swim.

T1: Uneventful, I took my time as I wasn’t “racing” and I walked T1 so as not to stress my foot. I am often very dizzy after the swim anyway so the walking gives me time to readjust to being upright.

Bike: The bike course is pancake flat which is one of the reasons I chose this race. I wanted to use it to assess what I need to work on in preparation for IMFL. Going into the race, I was optimistic for a decent bike split after a solid winter of trainer work. My plan was to leave it out on the course as I didn’t have to run. It took me about 10 miles to stop feeling wobbly, but then I was able to drop into aero and really push it. I was averaging 19 mph and even hit 22 for a short while. I began to think the bike was going to be awesome until… we made a right turn into a solid wall of wind. From miles 15-50 we had a 15-20 mph head wind. It was brutal; my speed dropped from 19 to 13 while I was pushing the big gear in 17. I also started having stomach cramps and chafing which forced me to sit upright to relieve the pain. 50 miles later I was cursing the wind and desperate to get off the bike. I was disappointed in my bike time but I gave it everything I had, I just could not have done any better that day.

T2: I rolled into T2 where Annn was waiting. A quick minute to exchange the timing chip and she was off.

Run: This is Ann's story to tell so I will let her do that.

I have never seen so many people cross a finish line in tears of relief and pain. I learned a lot from this race.

I need to re-evaluate my nutrition plan; my stomach was bloated and cramping about half way into the bike.
The wind and heat was tough for me.
I need to ride a lot more flat windy rides to prepare for IMFL.
I need someone to put on my sunscreen.
TRIgirls are awesome to race with, the day was lot of fun.

Race Update

2008-05-04T09:25:00.002-04:00

It was hot.

It was windy.

TRIgirls' kicked ass!

RR in the works.

Words of Wisdom from Woo

2008-04-30T20:08:00.005-04:00

"it's not the vibes, it's the positive can do attitude, proper visualization technique. make the most of what you got. while you are lame, you improve and refine your swimming technique to the point that 2.4 is just the start.you get in the volume of mileage on bike that you can burn 112m and have energy in the tank. there is plenty of time to get yourself ready for the marathon.it's almost may, but you have enough training cycles to pull this off."

Pre Race Jitters?

2008-04-30T11:18:00.004-04:00

Generally speaking, I have a love/hate relationship with cycling. Some days I feel free, powerful and as though I am flying. Not today!

Today I had a horrible bike ride. I felt uncomfortable, as in nervous uncomfortable. I felt like all the gains I have made over the winter are lost.

I did not feel strong. I did not feel at ease. I am still having trouble with my new cleats and pedals. I was very wobbly in aero. Not how I want to feel 2 days before a race.

Tonight I am going to set my bike up on the trainer and try to get this figured out. I may even put my old pedals back on. I know some of this may be psychological but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

Relay Baby, Relay

2008-04-29T14:35:00.005-04:00

During swim practice on Sunday, it was suggested I try to find a runner for White Lake rather than DNF'ing the event. This was a revelation. The thought had honestly never crossed my mind. Lucky for me TRIgirl Annn was ready and available to be my team partner as the runner.

White Lake had better be prepared for Team Ann & Kate... team Pink Trigirl Menace!

Back to Business

2008-04-24T08:10:00.005-04:00

After 2 days of feeling very sorry for myself and being mad at the world I am ready to move on. I am going to DNF at White Lake, it really hurts to say that. But I have put in long hours of training and the ultimate goal is still IMFL. The race will be a good training session for me and it will be fun to cheer on all the TRIgirls.

I also need to figure out what is going on with my body. So my mission is to find someone who can help me track down the problem.

Stress fractures are such a pain.

Comment Love

2008-04-22T18:38:00.002-04:00

Lay it on tri peeps, I am in need of some cheering up.

Stupid Bones

2008-04-22T18:17:00.003-04:00

My bones are obviously not on the TRIgirl training program. I now have cuneiform and tibial stress fractures in the left leg. I am upset at this latest setback, it has just been a crappy two years of one nagging injury after the other. I just can't get a break here, excuse the pun!

What I can't understand is why this is happening. My bone density is good and I trained very conservatively. Any ideas anyone????

White Lake is out, I can swim, bike, DNF, of course. Not sure how I feel about that yet. Ironman is totally up in the air. I'll make that decision based on how well I heal this time around. This really sucks.

Just Shoot Me Now

2008-04-18T16:10:00.005-04:00

Well they say things come in three's, so I am not so anxiously awaiting my third bit of bad luck. Yesterday while running my lower back went into spasm, today I can hardly walk. Well yes I realize I should not have been running but I was just wogging a little 2 mile trail.

Anyhow I got my doc to phone in some serious meds which will get me through the week-end. No workouts for me.

So what's next?

Perhaps my head will fall off and just put me out of my misery.

Rant Alert

2008-04-17T13:43:00.001-04:00

It is possible I may have two more stress fractures. I'll know next Tuesday.

FUCK!

Will the World End?

2008-04-17T09:52:00.004-04:00

If I don't do my workout today, tomorrow, this weekend?

I am feeling rather unmotivated today, actually this week but let's not split hairs. This is partly because of my irrational fear of riding my bike outside. I often manage to make every ride into a pending international incident in my mind. I'm going to crash, fall, get hit by a truck and so on.

The other thing is my stupid foot is still painful, even after 4 weeks of PT, and now so is my leg. I am worried it is a return of the stress fracture. I don't why. I suppose it's that irrational fear thing just taking over my mind or maybe I am just really lazy.

So as I ponder the frailties of my mind and body, I keep putting off my workouts. But that's okay because I have concluded the world will not end if I sit on the couch one more day.

2008-04-12T16:45:00.004-04:00

TRIgirls Debbie Jo, Charlotte and I bucked the group long ride in favor of quieter country roads. What we found were some beautiful long country roads, lots a rednecks in big trucks with big wheels or trailers, a lot of wind and some gut-busting small hills.

We managed 60 scary miles followed by a 2 mile brick.

It rained a little, we got buzzed by a bunch of losers in big trucks with big wheels, we stopped at the chicken shack country store...and we made it home in one piece with a smile on our faces.

Thank you someone for looking out for us. All in all a good days work.

2 Miles

2008-04-11T13:53:00.003-04:00

That's how far I swam today. That is the furthest I have ever swum.

It took 1 hour and 20 minutes and 15 seconds.

I did the first mile in 38:30 minutes which is a PR.

Thank god it is done!

Mental Health

2008-04-09T18:05:00.007-04:00

I have been very down on myself this past year for not meeting my race "expectations". It's funny when I think about this because what I consider my best triathlon performances came when I first started the sport.

Since then I have become sucked into trying to beat my previous time or doing longer distances or learning some new skill. I have forgotten the pure joy and excitement I felt when I was just trying something new.

One of the many reasons I joined TRIgirls was for the tremendous support from the coaches’, team members and team experts. I got some good advice recently about focusing more on the joy of training and racing rather than the result. Here is the advice I was given, it seems obvious but I am so far from this it really is a revelation.

I need to refocus on the simple joy of running, biking and swimming. To fall in love with it again instead of listening to the negative thoughts related to my performance. I have to imagine and experience the very simple pleasure of swim, bike, and run and leave it at that; because my training and conditioning will take care of the races.

I need to be okay with whatever the outcome is because the objective of the race is to enjoy doing the three events to the very best of my abilities on any given day.

Period.

Can you say disappointment!

2008-04-06T08:14:00.010-04:00

My first race of the season and my first race as an official TRIgirl and I bombed. I made the rookie mistake of poor race day planning.

It was NOT a good idea to try and meet people at two different times, squeeze in 3 extra miles before the race and then hang around getting wet and cold for an hour waiting for the race start. WTF was I thinking???

Anyhow, I was about 1 minute/mile off pace making for a race time 9 minutes slower than last year. Yep I am an idiot.

Despite my poor result I enjoyed a celebratory post-race party with the TRIgirls who PR'd the race. We enjoyed pink champagne and other delectables graciously provided by ANNN.

Pre Race

2008-04-04T19:27:00.005-04:00

I have carbo loaded, spaghetti and meatballs.

I have drunk water until I slosh.

AND...

I have had 3 glasses of wine. OOPS!!!

Two Words...Aero and Outside

2008-04-01T15:57:00.006-04:00

I rode outdoors today for the first time in almost 6 freakin' months. It was awesome. Who cares that is was so windy I was almost blown off my bike. I felt good and I didn't fall. This was a big concern as I recently got new pedals and shoes which are quite a bit different from my old ones.

The other amazing thing is that I rode in aero for...

THE. FIRST. TIME. EVER.

And not just for a few minutes, for at least 70% of the ride. The girl who thought it would never happen actually got into aero. I am really happy about this because after the first few times I tried I was panicky and uncomfortable. After a bike fit with the one and only Jim Miller and 4 months of indoor cycling with MMF/TG coaches I finally did it.

One step at a time...bring it on Florida!!!

Monument Pre Run

2008-03-30T11:47:00.004-04:00

The wonderful TRIgirl Coach G had a Monument 10K pre-run scheduled for us today. It was my first opportunity to do a coached run with the TRIgirls. During the run Coach G pointed out a few issues with my running form and how to correct them.

I have to say it is amazing how minor adjustments can make such a huge difference to my running. I had a pretty good run today and even managed to negative split the run. I am going to try hard to work on my form as it know it contributes to my risk for injuries and I need to start working on building speed.

Afterwards we enjoyed coffee and laughs as our cool down. Coach G headed back out to complete 22 miles or some god awful number.

Time to Move Outside

2008-03-29T14:25:00.002-04:00

Today was the last scheduled indoor trainer ride at MMF. Everyone was in good spirits this morning and fun was had singing along to corny oldies and doing the butt wave...think about it for a second.

It is hard to believe that 4 months has gone by. I still remember the first few ride indoors, thinking to myself "What the hell, this is really hard". I am ready to move outside, I feel stronger so I hope all the tough love workouts will pay off as I move to road riding full-time.

I have a lot to do to get my bike road ready. For starters, I need to switch out the trainer tire. I am pretty sure my brakes need adjusting too. A few minor tweaks here and there and all will be good. After all that I just have to make sure the weather gods cooperate as I am most definitely a cold weather wimp.

Training Panic

2008-03-23T20:54:00.008-04:00

I have a training schedule. I try to keep up with every workout, but so far I have managed maybe one or two weeks of completing it 100%. Most weeks I am between 90-95% completion rate for my workouts. I'll admit publicly some weeks I may be at only 80% for one of the sports.

Seriously, does anyone do every workout exactly as written?

So now I feel like I should be working harder. It is 6 weeks until White Lake and I don't feel like I have done enough. This is why I being coached scares me. This is when I bite my lip and trust in my coaching. Why this blind trust you ask?

Because I know I have the tendency to over train.

Because this week's 13 mile run felt...easy.

And because I trust my coach.

My Poor Feet

2008-03-19T13:59:00.004-04:00

After weeks of suffering with pain in both my feet, I went back to see Dr. Stadler. Her diagnosis...Hallux Rigidus in the right foot and tendinosis, hopefully, in the left. So I can still run as pain allows and I will start physical therapy with our own TG therapist Jim Miller next week. I will also need custom orthotics. If this treatment plan doesn't work, then I'll need an MRI in the left foot to see what the problem is.

I feel much better knowing I may get some relief from the constant pain. I am not one of those people that can run day after day in pain. What's worse I have this pain even when I walk so I needed to get this figured out.

The only downside is that none of this will be resolved before White Lake. I may have my orthotics, but I won't have had much time to break them in. So I will just have go with the flow and remember the prize this year is IM Florida.

Random Thoughts

2008-03-16T17:36:00.005-04:00

The TRIgirls rocked the Shamrock half and full marathon today. GO PINK!!!!

I am looking forward to my first race of the year, actually my first race since last August, in a few weeks. Unfortunately I don't think it will be a PR race for me this year. It has been a struggle returning to running and I am nowhere close to the fitness I need to run strong. Still my plan is get out there and do my very best.

Starting tomorrow I am going to try to 'eat clean'. Basically that means lots of fresh fruit and veggies. No processed or refined foods and lean fish and chicken. I am hoping this will jump start my weight loss and get me out of the rut I am in. It is not a huge change from the way I eat now just more mindful and less crap.

My cold is much better today. Taking a few days off from training has probably helped although I am fretting about not doing my long run. Next weeks run calls for 16 miles, so far my longest run has been only 11.5. It's going to be tough, I expect I will walking quite a bit.

The yoga DVD has still not been opened. I honestly have no idea why I can't make the time to do this. I am going to try and do it tonight.

I'm Sick

2008-03-14T08:38:00.002-04:00

Blah, I have a bad cold. I cannot breathe so limited workouts for me. I hate being sick.

Running and Random Thoughts

2008-03-11T16:01:00.005-04:00

I am fortunate enough to have a lovely park with a 1.5 mile riverside trail to do my shorter runs on. Today on my 4 mile run I PR'd last week's time by 2 minutes. Hooray, for me.

This is significant because I have really struggled with my running this year. Since starting back in January most runs have been downright painful. I guess it takes a while for the body to readjust to the pounding. Today I felt more fluid and my hips didn't hurt. I am happy to see that my perseverance is paying off.

I share this trail with the local high school cross country team. They usually come bounding by me like gazelles, as I wheeze and pant. That would be the useless lungs I have. The high schoolers are fast, fluid and free. I wish I could run like that.

DST

2008-03-09T10:34:00.004-04:00

That's Daylight Savings Time folks. I love DST, the longer evenings just shout 'summer is here' to me. I do feel bad for the early workouters though, who now go back into darkness.

On a completely different note...I realized this week that I have made huge strides since December in my training. Not because I am faster or stronger, although I hope I am.

It feels easier somehow. I don't even think about the workouts as I look at my schedule, I am so not fazed by whatever is on there. What used to seem daunting just looks well...normal. How crazy and beautiful is that.

2 hour bike ride followed by a 4 mile run, no problem.

1.5 mile swim, okay then.

4 mile run followed by 6 half mile repeats, you got it.

Day by day, week by week it is coming together. That impossible sounding Ironman race is looking doable. I really know I can do this and that is huge.

Word Cloud

2008-03-04T10:50:00.002-05:00

I stole this from TG40's blog. It makes me think of my word choices as I write my blog. This could get interesting.

Odd Inspirations

2008-02-29T19:48:00.006-05:00

It's Friday night, I am tired. The thought of getting up at 5 AM for tomorrow's usual Saturday brick is gnawing away at me. I just want to sleep and my stomach hurts. The whiny side of brain won't stop complaining.

I convince myself to wait until the morning to see how I feel. I turn on the TV looking for a good movie and who should I see? Ironman Sister Extraordinaire Madonna Buder. She is 77 years old for God's sake. If she can do 20 IM's then surely I can train for one.

Decision made.