Little Victory: “Feel Good” Moments

It has been a while since I last posted a Little Victory and I think it is quite a shame, there is so much happiness to be found in the little things in life! This Little Victory post comes in the form of emails/messages from my athletes, past and present … just quick notes that instantly brightened my day and made me feel good. Happiness = Little Victory, ergo it should be celebrated and shared with everyone!

The first feel good moment came earlier this week when my athlete John emailed me a photo of him finishing IM Cozumel in November, along with a sweet thank you for helping make his dreams come true. Not only did John set an Ironman PR, but he also qualified for Kona. John is a workhorse and so very deserving of his tremendous accomplishment! The look on his face in the photo says it all … absolute elation and satisfaction in knowing that he gave it his all and was rewarded with the ultimate prize. CONGRATS again John, and thank YOU so much for brightening up my day and inspiring me to be a better coach!

The next feel good moment happened yesterday when my athlete Susan emailed me to let me know that she had nominated me for Travlete’s “The Women Who Inspire Us” article. I am humbled and honored to be included with such an incredibly talented group of women! Thank you so much Susan!

And finally, today’s feel good moment came in the form of an email from one of the runners I coached at the JackRabbit beginner run class last summer. Basically, she came to class straight from the couch (ie having zero run fitness) and over the course of 20 weeks (meeting twice a week) we progressed from walking to walk-running to running. She “graduated” class last summer by completing a 5k, and I couldn’t have been happier or more proud of her! Well, guess what? She emailed me today to tell me that she is running a half marathon in Disney next weekend and was incredibly thankful for providing her the support and inspiration she needed to get off the couch and get in shape. And now she is running a half marathon! I couldn’t be more excited or proud of her!

So there you have it… TGIF! Life is too short to waste being miserable or always looking at things with a glass half empty approach. Even the most dire situations have a silver lining, sometimes you just need to be patient or look for it. Always remember to celebrate the little things, or as I call them, Little Victories … I promise you it will put a smile on your face and brighten up your day!

A Quick Look Back … And A Look Ahead

Howdy! And a rather belated Happy New Year!!

Apologies for the blog hiatus … I have NO idea where the time went. And seriously – is it 2012 already?! How did that happen?? That means I am super tardy on my 2011 Year In Review post … so let’s wrap that up in a jiffy and get down ‘n dirty with the numbers:

total training time: 736 hours 55 minutes
total bike miles: 7,142 miles
total run miles: 1,150 miles
total swim yards: 358,799 yards = 203.9 miles

Which produced the following race results:

1/23: Freehold 5k – NJ [22:05], 2nd female overall
2/19: Chili Bowl 5K – Cleveland OH [21:48], 6th AG
3/19: Prospect Park Duathlon – [1:28:08], 3rd female overall
4/10: Texas 70.3 – Galveston, TX [5:13:34], 9th F30-34
5/1: Bassman Half (aquabike) – NJ – [3:27:39], 1st female overall
6/5: Rev3 Quassy Half – CT – [5:31:34], 5th F30-34
7/17: Vineman 70.3 – CA – [5:04:52], 10th F30-34
8/28: Ironman Canada – Penticton, British Columbia – [11:03:05], 10th F30-34
9/11: Ironman 70.3 World Championship – Las Vegas, NV
10/2: Poconos 70.3 – PA, DNF

That last one still hurts. Fuel for the fire…

2011 was a fun season, and once again included a good amount of travel:

International: Penticton & Vancouver, BC – Canada
US of A: Texas, Ohio, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, NY – Lake Placid.

And there you have it! Yet another season full of blood, sweat and tears … miles, smiles, laughs and memories that will last a lifetime!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So what have I been up to recently? Hard to believe, but I have 8 weeks of base training under my belt and I am in the midst of a challenging build phase and getting excited for my first big challenge of the 2012 season: the Miami half marathon. It has been about 5 years since I last “raced” a half marathon, so I am pretty stoked to test my fitness and see what happens. And really, who wouldn’t want to spend a long weekend relaxing on the beach? As most of you already know, I am all about destination races! The Miami trip actually kicks off a series of travel adventures, I will be spending 3 out of 4 weekends in Florida between Jan & Feb! The next two Florida adventures will take place at the QT2 Training Camp in Clermont, FL and the following weekend in Tampa at the first annual I WILL INSPIRE 5k. Good times and tons of sunshine ahead!

As for 2012 race plans … here is what I have on the docket so far:

1/29: ING Miami Half Marathon – Miami, FL
2/18: I WILL Inspire 5k – Tampa, FL
3/18: San Juan 70.3 – Puerto Rico
April: TBD
5/6: Bassman Half Ironman – NJ [I am seriously contemplating switching this to St. Croix 70.3 ... we shall see]
6/3: Rev3 Quassy Half Ironman – CT
July: TBD
8/11: Ironman NYC

Clearly I still have a few races to fill in, but this is the gist of the schedule and I couldn’t be more excited about it!

And that’s about it from this end! Time to put my head back down and work my tail off!

Things I Am Thankful For…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Finally … a blog post that isn’t a race report. And I won’t even give an update on training (we’ll save that for another post) – I simply want to share with you a few … okay, more like 20 … of the things I am thankful for today, and every day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1.) I am thankful that I am home spending the Thanksgiving holiday with my family … and even more thankful to have their undying love and support day-in and day-out.

My nephew Jackson ... love, love, love this guy!

2.) I am thankful that in less than a year, Mom will be considered “cancer free”. Thank you Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Lorenz for saving her life!

Mom and I cruising the Rhine River during our awesome European vacation.

3.) I am thankful for true friends. You know who you are. Your friendship and support mean the world to me!

Stacy, Bethany and I ... totally sober. I swear.

#1 training buddy and always-there-for-me friend ... Vicky!

4.) I am thankful for a healthy body and the ability to challenge it on a daily basis and achieve goals I never thought physically possible … be it racing a marathon or finishing an Ironman … or just chasing my nephew around the house!

That's me suffering. I'm pretty sure I couldn't feel my hands, face or legs at that point. Totally normal end-of-race feeling.

5.) I am thankful for my QT2 family and all of the knowledge they have provided me to make me a better coach and athlete.

Hardware for everyone. That's how we roll.

6.) I am thankful for the 7 incredibly awesome athletes that I coach and for all of the athletes that I mentor. You all bring so much happiness and purpose to my life, and to be able to have an impact on your life and help you achieve your goals and dreams means more to me than accomplishing my own.

Poconos race morning ... John and I are ready to rock. And yes, it was cold enough to warrant down jackets and hats.

Susan and I after Syracuse 70.3. We're pretty bad-ass.

7.) I am thankful that my family and friends support my crazy triathlon lifestyle – and as long as they keep supporting me I will keep picking great destination races (yes, that is a blatant bribe … anyone else up for San Juan in March?).

The best part about destination races? The post-race drinking, of course!

8.) I am thankful for my “real” job … which yes, has its moments … but provides me with the means that make it possible to enjoy the things I am passionate about and enjoy, not to mention the ability to challenge my brain on a daily basis and utilize a very expensive education. I am also thankful that I work with such a great group of guys who treat me like a daughter and are incredibly supportive of my “other” career (triathlon).

9.) I am thankful for a super cool pup who always welcomes me with a wagging tail and tons of love and kisses. Nothing beats Marley’s unconditional love and companionship!

Long rides make Marley tired. Me too. Although I would NEVER use one of my cycling shoes as a pillow...

10.) I am thankful for morning runs and rides in beautiful Central Park … hard to imagine, but there really IS silence in NYC (you just have to be up and at ‘em pretty early in the morning).

Central Park in the fall = pure heaven

11.) I am thankful for long rides and runs, as they give me time to ponder some of life’s biggest decisions and problems.

12.) I am thankful for warm blankets on cold days and snuggling on the couch. And really big don’t-wanna-let-you-go bear hugs!

13.) I am thankful for sports … nothing beats watching great football and hoops on a chilly fall/winter day! [bonus: #12 + #13 = a perfect fall/winter afternoon, if you ask me] GO BUCKEYES!

14.) I am thankful for sponsor deals, schwag, goodie bags and well, pretty much anything sporty and free!

Free stuff? Why yes, don't mind if I do!

15.) I am thankful for the 2 major food groups: homemade cookies and frozen margaritas. Those are food groups, right?

16.) I am thankful for quality time with my big brother. And by quality time I mean drunken debauchery. I wasn’t nearly as thankful when I woke up and had to run a Turkey Trot 5k this morning … but that quickly changed when I ran a (21:15) 5k PR!

Thanksgiving Eve with Jon (aka my drinking coach)

17.) I am thankful for gossip magazines, websites and reality tv – especially Bachelor, Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad – I am pretty sure it has the same effect on my brain as sniffing paint, but I really do enjoy watching and reading it… it makes my life seem so, well, normal.

18.) I am thankful that in just a few weeks it will be Christmas … and then my birthday … and then New Years Eve. Trifecta!

19.) I am thankful that it is finally time to bust out my favorite Christmas movies: Love Actually, The Holiday, and what I consider the classics: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Elf. Don’t judge me (the first two are the only girly movies I will ever admit to liking, for the record).

20.) I am thankful for the simple things in life like sunrises and sunsets, they really are beautiful and worth stopping to take in… and never get old.

See what I mean?

Poconos 70.3 Race Report

perspective (pəˈspɛktɪv)— noun
1. a way of regarding situations, facts, etc, and judging their relative importance
2. the proper or accurate point of view or the ability to see it; objectivity: try to get some perspective on your troubles

This is probably the shortest race report I will ever put together. I apologize to the folks I promised a detailed report to – unfortunately I was only able to see about 30 miles of the bike course. That is it. Nada mas.

What happened?

To start, the swim was canceled on Friday afternoon due to unsafe water conditions. I was pretty bummed to hear this news, but as we discovered on race morning, it was likely for the better. Race morning temps were pretty chilly (45 degrees and a “real feel” of 40 degrees) and the large amount of rain that fell early in the week and the night before the race meant a lot of run-off (read: contamination) in the river and a pretty hefty current to boot.

The race would still go off, but as a bike + run with a TT start on the bike. Athletes were sent off by bib #, and as it happens (this is what I get for signing up so late) I drew lucky number 2004 … out of about 2050 athletes. This meant I had to stand around in transition for over an hour and a half until my start, and I would have to deal with a lot of athletes on the roads ahead of me. My age group was in the 1300′s, so odds were that I wouldn’t see any of them out there – essentially, I was racing the clock. No big deal. I loved the idea of the challenge and welcomed it with open arms. And you better believe I was still going to try to hunt down girls from my age group!

The first 5 miles of the bike were mentally TOUGH. I was freezing cold and was literally shivering, just doing what I could to warm up and get around the mess of athletes struggling to make it up the first few hills. Simply put: it was a complete shit show. Athletes 3-wide sitting up and chatting, athletes riding on the wrong side of the road and a mess of wet leaves and sticks in the road from the heavy rain the night before. It took a good 10 miles, but I finally worked my way through the riff-raff and settled into a nice groove. And just as I passed the mile 10 mark, it hit me: I was in my happy place – my legs were ON and I felt fantastic. I was smiling and I was happy, it was my day. Giddy up! The course itself was incredibly beautiful and scenic, and it was challenging. Hills galore!

And then it happened. Mile 32. The dreaded flat. NOOOOOO! I just had a new tubular put on for IMC, it can’t be flat. Yep, sure enough, it was – a huge puncture in the rear tubular. Okay, no big deal, I’ll change it and be on my merry way. I rip the rear tubular off and pop the spare on … go to fill it up … and the valve rips apart from the tubular. Shit! 2 flats, no more spares. I wait (im)patiently on the side of the road for bike support for well over an hour. Unfortunately, most of the “meat” has already passed through – so despite my begging and pleading with passing athletes, no one has a spare tubular that I can borrow. Bike support finally arrives – I was a freezing shivering mess by then – and they tell me they do not have a spare tubular or even a spare wheel. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. Game over. Checkmate. I refuse to give in, I tell them I will wait on the side of the road in hopes of a generous athlete with a spare tubular. After another half hour of waiting, I see it: the sweeper van. Fuck. It is the end of the line, I do not have another option. They force me into the van (I obviously did not go willingly) and I hear the dreaded 3 letters that NO athlete wants to hear:

athlete number 2004: DNF

For the second time, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I literally wanted to throw up and my head was spinning. I buried my head in my arms and broke down in tears. I didn’t know what else to do, I was completely overwhelmed.

After what felt like an eternity, I arrived back to T2 and was able to finally catch up with my good friend and race sherpa MaryBeth. I felt awful for her, she had been waiting for me for well over 2 hours, worried sick! She was quick to grab my bike and my stuff, get me some warm & dry clothes, and offer up a huge hug which I desperately needed. I can’t say it enough: thank you MB for your support, it means the world to me!!

The drive back to NYC was a long and quiet one. I was devastated. MB was a saint (especially for letting me put Coldplay’s new song “Paradise” on repeat pretty much the entire time) and I spoke to my #1 fan on the phone (MOM!) and it certainly helped, but I needed some time to just think things though, and honestly, to sulk. I spent a good portion of the evening feeling sorry for myself … but also realizing just how lucky I am to have so many kind, generous, caring and supportive friends & family. I am, without question, the luckiest girl in the world. SO many people were quick to reach out and cheer me up, and it really put things into perspective. Seriously – if the worst thing in my life right now is the fact that I DNF’d a race because of mechanical issues, then LIFE IS GOOD.

Life is really REALLY freaking good. I am happier now than I have been in years and I couldn’t be more thankful for everything and everyone I am blessed with. I survived that race in one piece yesterday and got to spend time with MB and my athlete John (who once again kicked ass!) and his wife Maria – we had a blast laughing together Saturday night about the absurdity of the weather, and really, the entire race. At the end of the day, it is all about the process – and what I will remember about Poconos weekend is the fun I had with MB, John & Maria, hanging with Brad before the race while freezing our asses off, meeting new friends in the sweeper van during the dreaded ride back to T2 (and joking about the “walk of shame” back to T2 with our broken bikes and broken egos), and most importantly the realization that – in the grand scheme of things – I lucked out and survived that day in one piece. It could have been a lot worse!

I may have been down yesterday, but I am not out. Not even close. My season may be over, and it may not have ended on a high note – but it was a great one and I am not going to allow Poconos 70.3 (or 69.1, whatever you want to call it) to put a damper on it. I couldn’t be happier with my results this season, I worked hard for them! And you better believe that I held on to the spare tubulars as a reminder that I should never, ever take anything for granted – especially not a race finish. I am a fighter, and I will be back next season with a vengeance like none other – and you better believe I am going to unleash it on the next 70.3 course I race! And I have the motivation and drive I need to get through the tough winter months of base training. The fire in my belly is burning stronger than ever!

But for now … it is FINALLY fat & happy season! It is time to take a much-needed break from everything swim, bike and run. Time to enjoy life and all of the love, laughter and good times it has to offer. Time to spend with the people who mean the most to me, you all know who you are!

Ironman Canada Race Report

So, where to begin? Simply put, Ironman Canada (which I will refer to as IMC from here on out) 2011 was epic. In every sense of the term. I absolutely LOVE this race – the course is challenging and incredibly beautiful, and the people in Penticton (and Summerland) are really down to earth and sincerely good-hearted people. Having grown up in a small town, I really miss that friendly small town aspect – NYC just doesn’t have it!

One downside to the race is the travel involved … it wasn’t terribly bad, just really long. The journey began with a 4am pickup on Thursday morning; on the way to Newark airport I swung by the West Side and picked up my travel pals Betsy & Allison (thanks so much for keeping me company ladies!). We made it with plenty of time to spare and enjoyed a nice breakfast while waiting for our flight to depart. And that’s when the long journey began! 7am flight … delayed an hour on the tarmac … 6 hours later we landed in Vancouver (love the direct flights! and $30 bike box fee with Air Canada!!). Another hour or two to grab lunch and get our rental cars worked out and then we were off for a 4.5 hour drive from Vancouver to Penticton. The drive was beautiful, but after a 6 hour flight it really started taking its toll on me… until we made the turn off the highway and onto BC-97, which is the highway that takes you straight into Penticton … and I am graced with this view:

an entire day worth of travel exhaustion eliminated as soon as I see this view! totally worth it!

WOW! And yes, I took that photo while driving 70+mph … I was so taken back by the view that I couldn’t help myself! A few miles later I peeled off in Summerland, which is a tiny town about 15 minutes north of Penticton. I was delinquent on booking a room for the race, and as a result, couldn’t get anything in town. And this is where Bryan came to the rescue! He found a cute little B&B in Summerland with two rooms, I took a room and he & Jill took the other room. The B&B is called Red Barn Ranch, and is part of a horse farm – if you ever find yourself doing IMC or just in the area, definitely check this place out! We literally had a “home” for the long weekend, it was AWESOME! I don’t think I could ever stay in a hotel before an IM again. One of my favorite parts of the house was the back yard – complete with rocking chairs on the porch. We definitely took advantage of them! On top of everything, Gwen (the woman who runs the B&B) cooked us a delicious breakfast every day. And let me tell you, that woman can make a mean pancake! I’m not sure what the final tally was, but I’m pretty sure Bryan, Jill and I each put down 4-5 pancakes for the Saturday morning breakfast carbo load. Each. BIG pancakes. With real maple syrup.

view from our B&B. pretty incredible, right?

The days leading into the race consisted of carbo loading, relaxing on the rocking chairs & reading, and just chilling out – I can’t remember the last time I was so relaxed! That being said … as race day approached, the anticipation grew – I was getting more and more excited to get out on the course and RACE. I arrived in Penticton feeling fantastic; stronger, faster and leaner than ever before, and ready to tackle the course. I had some unfinished business to take care of…

You see, this was not my first time racing IMC … IMC was actually the first IM I did, in 2006. The day, in short, was a complete disaster. Nothing went right and I left Penticton utterly disappointed. And when I left, I made a promise to myself that I would return to that course 5 years later and give it hell. The name of the game for IMC 2011? Redemption.

Race morning: I arrive to transition at 5am and quickly get everything set up. Minutes later I run into Vicky and Lowell, and we hang out until they call us into the water. We go for a nice little warm-up swim and comment on how great the water feels – not too warm, not too cold – perfect temperature for a wetsuit swim! I really love the IMC swim start, it’s a wide beach start and really allows for a large number of athletes to start without getting pummeled (a la IMLP). Vic, Lowell and I stood in the waist deep water wide left and a row back and waited for the gun to go off.

IMC swim start ... plenty of real estate!

[photo borrowed from Slowtwitch]

Swim = 2.4 miles = 1:08:06 (1:48/100m)
goal swim time 1:06-1:08 … close enough …

Ahhhh, the swim. Why do I have such a love/hate relationship with it? Really, I’m pretty happy with my swim. It wasn’t picture perfect, but I got the job done and didn’t get pummeled too much. No black and blue eyes or a broken nose or a dislocated finger = Bonus. As soon as the gun went off, I dove in and got to work. The plan was to hit the first 400 hard, then settle in and find a fast set of toes. Easy enough, eh? [insert Canadian accent on the eh] Not so much. Not more than 50m in to the swim, for reasons unknown to me, the guy in front of me slows down and flips onto his back. Seriously dude? Now is not the time for the backstroke! You lined up at the front of the pack, ergo you should swim FAST! Of course I don’t realize this and proceed to swim up & on top of him (good thing for neoprene…), which immediately pisses him off (clearly I’m not his type). His reaction? He literally tosses me like a rag doll into the air and I land on my side, on top of another swimmer – he literally put a hand on my shoulder and another hand on my hip and tossed me. Thanks, buddy. I really needed that. I actually laughed at the absurdity of it … and did what I could to steer clear of Mr. Backstroke and find some open water. The rest of the swim was pretty mellow, I found a pack and hung with them – every now and then it got a little crowded and we had to jostle for position, but it really wasn’t too bad. The entire time I just pictured myself in my own little box and focused on staying in that box. It worked really well! And really, the swim flew by pretty fast – I was shocked to look up and see the exit so soon.

T1 = 2:35

Not too much to report here. I flew through T1 in a jiffy – I had a 112 mile date with my noble steed!

Bike = 112 miles = 5:56:28 (18.9mph avg)
target avg HR = 140, target avg power = 165W (I raced at 131#, for anyone who cares to do the math)
Actual Garmin splits, taken at 28mi intervals:
#1: HR = 154, power = 164, speed = 21.9mph (tailwind + fastest section of the course)
#2: HR = 155, power = 171, speed = 17.3mph (headwind + Richter Pass)
#3: HR = 149, power = 171, speed = 18.4mph (headwind + 7 bitches, as named by Slowtwitch … or as I refer to them, 7 rollers)
#4: HR = 146, power = 163, speed = 17.8mph (out & back + Yellow Lake climb + stupid windy descent back into Penticton)

As you can see, my HR just would not come down. My HR is typically elevated for the first few miles on the bike, but for some reason, it just wouldn’t settle. After about 15 miles (and a screaming downhill that didn’t even see a drop in HR), I came to the conclusion that my HR monitor wasn’t working and I had to stick with power and cadence. Easy enough. Plus, this wasn’t my first time around the block, I’ve covered thousands of miles on the bike this season alone and I know how my body feels at certain efforts … and I know what I need to do to stay within my limits. I look back at this data and it tells me that I rode too hard, but NEVER did I feel like I was pushing it – most of the time I felt like I was holding back way too much. I floated through this ride, I kept a close eye on my power and made a solid effort to see the 165W – allowing for a +50W increase (max) on the climbs. The problem was, the climbs really pulled the average up – so riding at 165W when not climbing would still leave me with an average well over what I should have been at. What also contributed to the high wattage was the wind – it was relentless. I’m talking about a headwind going downhill … having to push 200W at 10mph going DOWNhill! It was really unbelievable. The temperatures were also climbing, and as predicted, race day temps soared into the 90′s. I didn’t notice it on the bike, but made sure to stay hydrated and keep myself cool by taking a water bottle at every station and dousing myself with cold water.

The ride really flew by quickly, I was shocked when I arrived at the out & back portion of the ride (I believe around mile 80). Took a quick inventory “all good? how are the legs feeling? yup, feeling fantastic! legs are spunky!” Then again at the base of the Yellow Lake climb, around mile 90 “still good? yup! legs? ready to climb, bring it on! watch that power – nice ‘n steady” … and again at the top of Yellow Lake “how’s it going? great! that was a doozy of a climb, but holy cow the spectators lining the course were awesome!”. Up until mile 100 I was feeling on top of the world, wondering if I had pushed the bike hard enough. And then it hit. The headwind. On the final 12 mile descent back into town, we got slammed with a headwind. Not cool! There should really be some sort of rule with Mother Nature … downhill = no wind (or even better, a tailwind). Last time I rode that 12 mile stretch I screamed back into town with a tailwind … but not this time – we had to work to get back to T2. That last 12 miles took forrrrrever. And I really felt it in my legs. Clearly it’s a cumulative effect from the 100 miles leading up to that point, but for some reason, it hit me like a brick wall at the beginning of the descent.

Consumables, for those who asked:
9 bottles of IMPerform (I’m not sure what flavor the orange bottle was, but it was disgusting!)
2 Powerbars (cookies n cream)
6 Powergels (1 raspberry, 2 chocolate, 3 cafe latte)
*the bars and gels were taken on 35min intervals

T2 = 2:32

Again, an uneventful transition. I quickly change, down a banana, get lathered up with sunscreen and I am off for the marathon!

Run = 26.2 miles = 3:53:25 (8:55 avg pace)
goal time, before realizing it was going to be 93 degrees = 3:40-3:48
actual splits from my Garmin:
first 13 miles = 1:48:41, avg pace = 8:17
final 13.2 miles = 2:04:44, avg pace = 9:27 … ouch…

The ironman marathon is by far my favorite part of the race. It hurts. It’s hard. And it’ll test your will and bring out an inner strength you never knew you had. I thought I understood the pain and suffering involved with the IM marathon, but I have once again been humbled and discovered a whole new lever of pain and suffering. And yes, I loved every.single.minute of it.

I knew from the get-go that it was going to be a tough day. My legs didn’t have their normal spunk – they didn’t feel terrible – just not spunky. I eased into an 8:10 pace and fought hard to just keep it there for as long as I possibly could. I immediately felt the heat, and knew that I would be contending with some pretty tough conditions out on the course. I slowed at every aid station and treated it like a buffet – ice-cold sponges tucked into my top, ice water over my head, IMPerform in my belly. Shot bloks every other mile, 3 cafe latte Powergels with thermotabs (at miles 1, 5, 11). 10 second walk breaks every other aid station up until the 14 mile mark.

And then the hurt miles began. I LOVE the hurt miles, I live for them and love to push through them. Mentally I had the strength to push through them, physically my legs were able to push through them … but unfortunately the heat took its toll and my stomach just couldn’t handle it – I couldn’t keep down anything sugary from mile 14 on. I tried IMPerform, threw it up. Gels – same thing. Bloks – no dice. The only thing I could keep down was Coke and orange slices. All righty … let’s roll with that and see what happens … good thing you got in a ton of calories early! From mile 14 on it was pretty much damage control. I would run between aid stations, then walk through them trying to cool off as much as possible and take in some Coke + oranges. Then run to the next. I was SO frustrated, my legs wanted to move but every time I picked up the pace I would get nauseous and have to back down. This is crazy … it’s hotter in Canada than it was in Cozumel!

Thankfully, I was able to hold it together for the final miles of the run … there were times that I thought I’d be a goner and join the carnage on the side of the road (I watched one guy literally try to walk down into Skaha Lake – which is adjacent to the run course – so that he could jump in and cool off, I really don’t think he was coherent especially given the glazed look in his eyes). It took everything I had to finish that run, I’ve never hurt so bad in my life.

Official Finish Time = 140.6 miles = 11:03:05, 10th F30-34, 304th OA
Did I finish as fast as I had hoped? Nope. Am I disappointed at all? Absolutely not! I am psyched with this finish, it’s my second fastest IM and the hardest I’ve ever worked to earn that medal. I gave that course hell, it put up a damn good fight, but I put up an even tougher fight. Redemption. I left Penticton on Cloud 9, my business there was complete. IM #7 is in the books!

Now what? I recover and re-assess the final part of my 2011 season. I really, really wanted to do the 70.3 World Championship in Las Vegas on 9/11 … but I know my body won’t be recovered enough to put forward the effort my heart would want, and I just cannot half-ass a race. Especially that race. So sadly, Vegas is a no-go this year. All is not lost though, I am registered for Poconos 70.3 on October 2nd – I will finish my season off with a hilly half IM in the Poconos Mountains and I couldn’t be more excited!

And finally … I am going to leave you with a link to Jordan Rapp’s IMC victory speech, which I think hits the nail on the head. Especially the final paragraph. Jordan is a class act and one BAMF.

Vineman 70.3 Race Report

Holy amazing! Vineman 70.3 certainly lived up to it’s reputation as a beautiful yet challenging course. The day went by so incredibly fast, and I’m pretty sure it was because the scenery was so amazing and provided a great distraction!

This photo was from our train ride, but pretty much sums up the view everywhere!

So I’m going to break this race report into two parts … this one will be the actual race and then I’ll follow it up with the “fun” non-race stuff Sound good?

Prologue: (okay, that sounds a little silly, but I figure it wouldn’t hurt to set the stage for the race) – I came into this race on a mostly rested/recovered set of legs thanks to a recovery week. I had just finished a pretty big 4 week training block (normally I’m on 3 week blocks), each week consisting of 20+ hours of training – by week 4 I was really struggling, my body was begging for some rest and my confidence wavered. I had a nice chat with Cait and it really was the motivation I needed to keep pushing on, and the best advice I could’ve gotten: just take it one workout and one day at a time. And I won’t lie, I was cranky – and poor Cait had to take the brunt of my whining Thanks so much, Coach! And yes, I made it through week 4 and boy did it feel good to knock that training block off the list!

Race morning: I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the crack o’ 3:45am. I couldn’t sleep! And I had some pretty crazy dreams – the one I distinctly remember was getting a lecture from Mike Tyson about racing hard and smart. Mike Tyson? WTF? I mean really, who can even understand the guy when he talks, let alone have a decent conversation with him?! No idea why or where that came from, but apparently his pre-race pep talk helped!

Back to the topic on-hand: race morning. It really went off without a hitch. Mom and I arrived at the swim start/T1 5:30am (fyi this is a point-to-point race, and kudos to the race director for making it a rather painless & easy process to check-in & collect gear post-race), I set up my bike in transition, and we sat at the swim start and chilled while waiting for the race to start. I had the lucky draw – I was in the 3rd swim wave, which went off at 6:46am. Let me tell you, it made a HUGE difference being able to start that early – when I crossed the finish line the sun was just starting to peek through the clouds, and it got HOT.

By the numbers:

1.2mi Swim = 31:56 (1:40/100m)
[target swim time range = :30-:32, just made it!]

Oh baby! I am beyond excited about this swim! I have been consistently swimming in the 34min range and it’s been frustrating to not break through that barrier. The past few weeks I had some big volume & hard swim workouts, and it definitely helped! [to note: the swim takes place in a very shallow, narrow river. it's an out-and-back with the "out" being slightly against a current and the "back" with the current. the "out" is probably about 0.7mi and the "back" is about 0.5mi, give or take.] The swim start was a little frantic, mostly because of where I positioned myself – 2nd row back, right in the middle. The plan was to swim the first ~400m hard and find a set of toes or a pack to draft so that I didn’t have to waste energy fighting the current. Mission accomplished! After ~500m we all managed to settle in and find our respective swim zones. I took a good beating to the back of the head (nothing new there), but the worst part was the kick I took to my left hand – or actually, pointer finger. It hurt! (more on that later) A few times the water got reeeeally shallow, my hand was literally dragging across the bottom of the river. At one point I took a breath and realized that there was a guy WALKING next to me as I was swimming, I couldn’t help but laugh! All-in-all, it was a great swim and went by pretty quickly – which I was happy about. As much as I like the water I LOVE being out of it and on my bike!

T1 = 3:32

T1 was huuuuge, and it was really spread out. I probably ran about a quarter mile from where my bike was racked to get to the bike mount line. And to the race director: seriously, a hill right out of transition?! Whoa, that was mean! It was tough trying to clip in and get enough momentum to not tip over, it was pretty much an uphill single-leg-drill start on the bike
[and for future reference, I'm told that the pros actually ran their bikes up the hill and mounted at the top - I'd highly recommend doing that]

56mi Bike = 2:49:48 (19.8mph avg)
[target bike time 2:41-2:45, target HR = 154]
actual splits from my Garmin:
1st half of the bike = 19.3mph avg speed, avg HR = 159
2nd half of the bike = 20.0mph avg speed, avg HR = 155

Beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous. Rolling hills and non-stop views of vineyards. Old farms with big red barns and cows & goats out grazing. It doesn’t get much better than that! This was by far one of the most beautiful bike courses I’ve ever ridden! And challenging too – not ridiculously hard like Rev3 Quassy, but it definitely made you earn your time. The course is most certainly a cyclists course. Unfortunately I didn’t quite have my cycling legs, but I am not disappointed in my time at all. I fought hard out there, and as you can see from the data above, I actually rode a little harder than I should’ve. (yeah, that caught up to me on the run!)

So here’s where it gets interesting… remember in the swim when I mentioned that I got kicked in the hand? About an hour into the ride it came back to haunt me. I was really struggling to get my HR down, usually it’s elevated for the first 10-15mins of the ride (this is pretty normal after the swim) but then settles back into my “normal” range. But it wouldn’t budge – it should’ve been around 154 (maybe 157-158 after the swim, before settling), but it was holding steady in the mid to high 160s, and my body definitely wasn’t putting out that type of effort. Something definitely wasn’t right. And then it hits me – literally as I am shifting from the small chain ring to the big chain ring (ie pulling up on the lever with my left finger) I feel an incredible amount of pain. I look down and realize my finger is not only crooked, but I also can’t bend it and there’s a big bump on the side of it. Dammit! I’m pretty sure my finger is either jammed or dislocated. Dammit again! I actually didn’t panic – I played hoops in college and this was nothing out of the ordinary; I just grabbed it and gave it a good tug and POP, back it went. And wouldn’t you know, my HR almost immediately dropped down to it’s normal range. I spent the next few miles laughing to myself (when we were kids my dad always played the “pull my finger” joke on my brother, sister and I – we always fell for it … come to think of it, he still does it to this day …) and thinking that Stacy would get a kick out of it because no race is complete for me without some sort of drama! (broken toe in Kona still takes the cake)

The rest of the ride was pretty care free and really a complete pleasure – it flew by so fast!

Lessons (re)Learned on the bike:
1.) listen to your body. It’ll tell you when something is wrong, but you need to actually listen to it!

T2 = 2:34

The highlight of T2 was seeing Mom!! She is a ROCKSTAR, and it goes without saying, my #1 fan! I don’t know how she does it, but she is everywhere and always has a huge smile and words of encouragement (and she’s got a mean cowbell, let me tell ya – she can ring that sucker like none other!)

13.1mi Run = 1:37:02 (7:25 avg pace)
[target time range 1:43-1:46, target HR = 170]
Official race splits:
1st half of run = 7:26 avg pace (avg HR = 167)
2nd half of run = 7:21 avg pace (avg HR = 170)

Whoa Nellie. This run course was a lot tougher than I thought it would be! Basically, the first 6 miles were an uphill climb to a vineyard, then we ran a 1mi loop on a gravel path around the vineyard (loved it, despite a mishap which I’ll get to in a minute) and then headed back home with a mostly downhill 6 miles. My plan was simple: go out at a 7:50 pace for the first mile and then hold a HR of 170 for the rest of the race (whatever pace that equates to – I have a tendency to race a lot faster than my training paces indicate, hence the 1:43-1:45 goal time range. Cait and I both knew I’d run faster than that and she was pretty much dead on when we chatted before the race, she predicted a 1:37-1:38.)

I think the best way to describe the run is to break it into a play-by-play, in my brain – it went a little something like this: [mile 1] easy does it, find your legs – 7:50 pace, no faster! shit, I’m flying … back it down, it’s going to be a long day … oh crap, 7:23 … how are you going to explain that one to Coach? [miles 2-3] nice ‘n steady, get that HR up … it won’t budge past 167 and my quads are hurting already … why are we still climbing up? does this course flatten out? … dammit that ride is catching up to me already! … nice ‘n steady, hang in there … remember your conversation with Mike Tyson last night? race hard & smart! heehee, you’re a dork … footsteps … uh oh, 2 girls just go flying by – put your head down and run YOUR race – you’ll see them later on, there’s no way they can hold that pace [miles 4-6] seriously, we’re still going up? keep turning your legs over, nice ‘n steady … lookey lookey, one of the two girls that passed you is slowing down already … make the pass and keep moving on in search of the other one … HR is getting up to 170 and your legs are really turning over, awesome! [mile 7] so cool, the course finally flattens out and we get to run around a vineyard … hmmm, I don’t like the looks of that gravel path … 2 seconds later … OUCH! f@#$! did you really just try to leap over a pothole and manage to screw it up? (yeah – my toe caught the lip of the hole and my heel dipped down into the hole, the resultant was a feeling like none other – someone stabbing my achilles with a knife and literally pulling that knife straight up the back of my calf) oh man, this isn’t good … try to run it off … maybe the downhill will help, and shorten your stride a little more – yeah, that’s helping [miles 8 & 9] hang in there! oh crap – did that girl in pink just go flying by you like you were standing still? … she’s wearing PINK! … head down, run YOUR race, you’ll see her in a few miles … hey look! there’s girl #2 that passed you earlier, pass her back! cha-ching! … [miles 10-11] how’s that achilles? still hurting, but manageable, keep pushing on … oh wait – it’s mile 10! that means you get to drop the hammer! let your HR soar baby! … holy wow, are my quads going to be able to handle this? how fast am I running? 4min/mi? (totally felt like it) … my quads feel like they’re going to give in any minute … what’s that noise? oh, it’s your labored breathing – nice! push harder! … [mile 12] there she is! pink shirt girl is walking through the aid station – get her!! … eat my dust! … [mile 13] I have NO recollection of that mile. Pure pain and all heart. 7:09 pace, 176 avg HR – my fastest mile of the day.

Lessons (re)Learned on the run:
1.) never, ever, ever give up – keep fighting and keep pushing on. you never know what the person in front of you (or who just passed you) is going through, anything can happen!
2.) stick with the plan and run MY race within MY limits (and more importantly = know your limits!), had I tried to hang with those girls early on I for sure would’ve fizzled out and been walking through the latter part of the run. I stuck with the plan, descended my pace and finished with my fastest miles of the day!

Official Finish Time = 5:04:52, 10th F30-34

I’ll take it! I had zero pressure going into this race, I have my Vegas slot and all I needed to do was execute the plan and hit my numbers. And that I did! My bike split was a little slow, but my HR was on target (okay, a little high) so there’s no reason to be disappointed. I did all I could and gave it all I had – and I couldn’t be happier! Cait was psyched with my race and we’re both happy with where I’m at in this final build into IM Canada.

So what’s next? My two biggest training weeks of the season. I should see ~50 hours of training over the next 2 weeks, it’s going to be tough and exhausting but it will be incredibly rewarding once that final long run is in the books and I can sit back and start the taper! But first … a little down time to recover, I’m nursing a bruised & swollen finger (okay, that’s not a big deal at all but I figured it was worth mentioning – don’t worry, it doesn’t affect my ability to lift a wine glass ) and bruised & swollen ankle (another casualty of the pothole mishap) and a VERY tender achilles. See what I mean when I said in my FB status that I took a beating?!

Not the best photo, but you get the point. Ouch!

But most importantly, it’s time to enjoy Sonoma and the rest of this vacation with Mom

antioxidants: the key to recovery

Rev3 Quassy Half Ironman – Race Report

Roller Coasters! That seems to be the theme since my last blog post. Training-wise, I’ve been on a physical and emotional roller coaster … the plantar fasciitis in my foot resulted in a 3 week hiatus from running and 3 painful shots in my heel over the course of a month – then a month of deep water running and very little dry land running. I’d be lying if I said I was okay with this, and admittedly, got a little depressed and cranky at times. It could be worse though, and I had to keep reminding myself that I could still swim & ride, so I took advantage of the extra focus on those two disciplines. The process to recovery has been slow going, but I am happy to report that I’m slowly building back up to being a ‘runner’ again Rev3 was the first test for my foot and longest run I’ve done by over 35 mins since Texas 70.3 in early April, and I couldn’t be happier with how it went!

I’m getting a little ahead of myself… let’s back up to discuss Rev3 Quassy a little. Long story short: if you have not done this race, DO IT!! Especially if you live in the NYC area, it’s a short ~2hr drive from the city. The race takes place at the Quassy Amusement Park (roller coasters!!) in beautiful Middlebury, CT. Rev3 puts on a fantastic race – super organized, volunteers galore (and they actually know what is going on and can help you – they’re not just standing around looking confused), great schwag, and an amazingly beautiful and challenging course. This is one of the hardest half ironmans I’ve ever done – and yes, I’ve done St. Croix twice (rumored to be one of the hardest 70.3s on the circuit). Hats off to the Rev3 crew!! I fully plan on returning next year and doing more of their races.

Let’s get down to the details…

I went into this race on a pretty tired set of legs. No taper, no recovery – the race fell at the end of a pretty big 3 week build. I was actually pretty nervous going into it … not the normal pre-race jitters, but the “oh man, is my body going to crap out at some point and turn this race into a sufferfest?” kind of nervous. Add to that the fact that my longest run in 2 months was a mere 65 mins and this was the first real test for my foot, and well, there were a lot of unknowns. But the one known was this: I was going into the race feeling fit and ready to give it my all. I wasn’t “training-through” it, I was racing it.

1.2mi Swim = 34:50 (1:48/100m) = 12th AG

The swim is a beach start, which really means I pretty much sprinted into the water and flopped face first as soon as the water was shin deep and tripped me! Okay, not that bad, but my beach start isn’t exactly up to par. In any event, the swim was rather smooth – I fought for the first ~400y or so and then settled in to a nice pace and hugged the buoys most of the swim. It was a clock-wise triangle swim, and after making the first big turn, the biggest obstacle was the sun which was right in your face! Otherwise, it was an uneventful swim and I was mostly alone – same story as most of my other swims, I’m not fast enough to hang with the lead pack, but I’m faster than the trail pack … and I end up in this empty abyss between them.

T1 = 2:38

I forgot to mention another nice little Rev3 detail: your name printed on the stand where you racked your bike! SO cool! I completely forgot to take a photo, but it was a nice little touch.

56mi Bike = 3:09:24 (17.74mph) = started in 11th and moved up to 9th AG

Whoa. 17.74mph average on the bike? I haven’t ridden that slow in a half since, well, St. Croix when I flatted! That’s slower than my IM pace! Goes to show just how hilly this course was. I never really had a stretch where I could put my head down and bang out some solid fast miles – I felt like I was always going up, down, left, right. The course was very technical! But it was AWESOME. Just plain awesome. And beautiful! And yet another nice little Rev3 touch: spray painting the bumps/potholes with yellow paint. It was pretty obvious where the rough sections of road were, they were clearly marked for the entire 56 miles, which certainly made it a safer course.

As for my legs, they felt it from the first climb. They were fatigued! But in hindsight, I think this may have prevented me from surging up a few steep hills and burning matches early in the race (a good thing) – my legs were fatigued enough to just maintain a nice steady cadence and pace. I wasn’t super fast, but I was consistent and I’m thrilled about that. Cait gave me a target HR and power for the bike split (and a max for each) and I was nearly spot on! No crazy spikes or peaks, which I was happy with given the hilly and technical terrain. I’d LOVE to go back and ride this course on a set of rested legs!

T2 = 1:47

Not much to report here (always a good sign when transition is uneventful)! I threw on my klunkers – that’s what I call my run shoes, unfortunately I couldn’t wear my racing flats because of my foot – and bolted out of there.

13.1mi Run = 1:42:54 (7:51 pace) = started in 9th and ran my way into 5th AG

The big unknown of the day: the run. The first quarter of a mile had me a little worried, my legs were heavy and stiff (no surprise there) and my foot was really tight and I could feel myself limping a little bit. Luckily, it loosened up quickly and I was able to find my run stride. Albeit on a heavy set of legs! I had specific instructions to hold a 170avg HR for the run so instead of worrying about how my legs felt I just focused on hitting 170, and whatever pace came of that, well, I’d be happy with it. Just keep your cadence up and turn those legs over, that’s all you’ve got to do. The first mile was downhill … and I’m pretty sure that was the last time during the run that we ever got to go downhill! Ha! I felt like I climbed, and climbed, and climbed some more – holy ouch! The run, as advertised, was hilly. It was challenging. And it was beautiful. I LOVED it! It made me work hard, and it clearly punished the folks who pushed too hard on the bike. As the miles ticked off, I felt stronger and more in control – like a runner again – which completely shocked me given the fatigue in my legs. As soon as I saw the mile 10 marker, I upped the ante. My breathing became labored, but I knew I could hold it for the final 5k. I started passing a TON of people, and it gave me even more energy to push through the pain and fatigue. The shouts from athletes on the course were incredible and made me so proud of my team: “go QT2! that’s how you guys do it – solid push at the end of the run!” “QT2 smokin’ the run again!” “how do you guys finish so strong?!” … it was awesome. [and how DO we do it? months of hard work and consistent training via the QT2 protocol; we pace ourselves properly and we follow a nutrition plan to a tee.]

The final mile was just plain brutal … up, up, up we went! At the base of the hill I looked up and saw about 6 guys walking up it – my challenge was set: run the entire hill and pass every single one of them. Mission (just barely) accomplished!

Official Finish Time = 5:31:34 = 5th AG

I’ll take it! I’m super happy with this race and how my body responded at the end of the race – especially considering the fact that it came at the end of such a big build sans taper. And happily, I spent the next week resting & recovering – which my body desperately needed.

So what’s next? I’m putting my head down and grinding out 5 solid weeks of training which will take me straight into Vineman 70.3. I have a LOT of work ahead of me, and I couldn’t be more excited about the challenge that lies ahead!

Bassman Half IM Aquabike Race Report

Sunday’s race was a first for me on two fronts: it was my first aquabike (meaning I only did the swim & bike, no run) and it was my first 1st … as in, I finished in 1st place! And that’s a really good thing because as Ricky Bobby says: if you ain’t first, yer last. And in this case, it was quite literal because there were only 2 girls that did the aquabike … myself and another girl named Tara!

More on the race:

Vicky and I made the trip down on Saturday and stayed with her mom … I don’t remember the names of the towns but I do remember this (and I’m told that NJ folks only go by exits, so I’m learning the NJ way I suppose): her mom lives at exit 67 and the race was at exit 52. Does that give the NJ folks an idea of where we were at? Here’s what I know: it was the middle of the Pine Barrens and had a lot of pine trees and not a whole lot of developments or stores. Really, it was the middle of nowhere! We arrived in time for dinner on Saturday and then it was early to bed, we needed to catch some zzzzz’s for the big day on Sunday!

Race morning arrived quickly and I was a little unhappy with how chilly it was … I mean really, 3 weeks ago I woke up on race morning and threw on some flip-flops and a t-shirt and was ready to rock and roll. Now I was digging through my bag looking for every long sleeve shirt I had! Jeez! I think I’m becoming more and more of a warm weather person … is that a sign of the fact that I’m getting old?

I was pleasantly surprised to see that a lot of my QT2 teammates made the trek down from Boston to race!! It was so much fun racing with them and chatting after the race. And get this – EVERYONE who raced the half ended up on the podium (there were 4 of us). Woop woop!

QT2 brings home the hardware!

Okay, and here are the down ‘n dirty details:

Swim [1.2MI] = 33:50 (1:36/100y)

Getting there … not nearly where I’d like to be, but at least it wasn’t slower than TX70.3! The water was surprisingly warm, I think the final number was 68 degrees … and considering the brutal winter we had, I’d say that’s rather balmy for an East Coast swim on May 1st! I fully expected a 60 degree shock to the system.

T1 = 2:10

Normally I wouldn’t even mention transition. But I feel it’s my duty to report the good AND the stupid things that I do. I’ve been racing triathlon for 8 years now – this was the 18th time I’ve toed the line at a half IM … I’m pretty sure I should know the routine by now. Right? WRONG! Here’s my version of how it went when I arrived at my transition area: where are my shoes? oh sh!t, someone stole my cycling shoes!! think Tara, think … what are you going to do? can you ride in your run shoes? ohhhhhhh … wait a minute … did you even pull your cycling shoes out of your bag? better check that … BINGO! you’re an idiot, a complete and utter idiot! Who sets up transition and leaves their shoes in their transition bag?! This girl.

Bike [57 ? 58 ? MI ... I don't think the race director even knew ... my Garmin read 57.3MI] = 2:51:40 (let’s say my avg was around 20mph, give or take)

The bike course was rather flat with a little headwind, and was essentially shaped like the Big Dipper. We did the dipper course twice. The ride was rather uneventful, which I suppose is a good thing! Ironically, the 3 QT2 gals were all within minutes of each other – Della led out of the water, followed by yours truly and then Pattie. Pattie and I jockeyed for position most of the first loop, and then on the second loop I turned up the intensity – I didn’t have to run off the bike so I wasn’t concerned about saving my legs and I wanted to see what kind of numbers I could push… albeit on a set of a legs that were a little sluggish. I rode ahead and passed Della (and gave her a HUGE cheer) and then just put my head down and hammered for the rest of the ride. I need to give a HUUUUUGE shout out and thank you to Ted for coming out on the course and cheering us on! You’re the best!

T2 = non-existent … it was technically the finish line. Finishing the aquabike is seriously anti-climatic, that’s for sure! And I’d be lying if I said I was happy to be done, I really wanted to throw my shoes on and run. Unfortunately, my foot just isn’t ready for it yet And not to mention, I put forth a pretty hard effort in TX just 3 weeks ago and I am looking ahead to the Red Bank Olympic in 2 weeks – so running this 13.1 was never an option, regardless of how my foot felt. This was just an opportunity to get in a good swim & ride. And speaking of ride … my day still wasn’t done yet! I took off my race bib, grabbed more nutrition and hopped back on the bike and rode another loop of the course. I felt like I was sweeping the sweeper van!

Finish Time = 3:27:39, 1st Female Overall
Official Race Results Link.

All in all, it was a great day! 1.2mi open water swim, 57ish hard miles on the bike, then another 28.5mi easy on the bike with blue skies, warm temps and ample sunshine … and some hardware to boot! Speaking of hardware … CONGRATS to Vicky for finishing 3rd Female Overall, Pattie for finishing 1st in her AG, Della for finishing right behind her in 2nd, and Adam for finishing 2nd in his AG!! Oh baby that’s a lot of hardware!

And in keeping with tradition from my TX70.3 race report, here’s a top 5 list of sights, sounds, smells and random thoughts from the weekend:

1) Sights: a ton of duallys. Made me feel homesick, as there are a lot of duallys back home in Ohio. Who here knows what a dually is?

2) Sights: Pineys (often times, driving said dullays). Anyone know what a Piney is? I was very excited to learn a new term, I’m a big fan of extending my vocabulary. A Piney is a person indigenous to the Pine Barrens … but where I come from, we call them Rednecks. Get the idea? I hope I’m not offending anyone here…

3) Sights: “wildlife”. Deer & a wild turkey! (and Pineys…)

4) Uhm, there actually weren’t any sounds or smells to note (or that I want to note – there’s always the random sounds & aromas emanating from the port-o-potties on race morning).

5) Random thought: Should the general NYC population be worried that I’m responsible for the design of numerous buildings (which yes, are all still standing and most are located here in NYC) yet I can’t even remember to take my cycling shoes out of my transition bag when the ONLY thing I had to do after the swim was ride my bike??

The Good, The Bad and The Not-So-Ugly

Quick Update: The Good, The Bad and The Not-So-Ugly…

The Good: after a full week of rest last week (which was incredibly gluttonous and oh-so-nice!) I’m back into the training routine again. What does that mean? Well, it’s back to basics… and that means base phase training. Time to build strength in the weight room, work on drills & technique in the pool, log more aerobic miles on this body and start the long prep for IM Canada. I always find the base phase to be incredibly boring, but the light at the end of the tunnel is knowing that the build phase is a mere 3.5 weeks away (read: fun training) and I know just how important the base miles are for building the necessary foundation to prepare my body for the stress it will see in the upcoming build weeks. So I’ll deal with “boring” base work for now

The Bad: I still haven’t run since Texas 70.3. It’s been 11 days and I’m getting a little cranky. I’ve been battling some discomfort in my heel – so last week I paid a visit to my podiatrist, Dr. Lazar. He took a few x-rays and ruled out a bone spur, did a little more poking around and the final diagnosis was PF. As in, plantar fasciitis. Ugh. Obviously I’m disappointed, but it’s better to deal with it now than in July or August when IM Canada training is full-swing. Between Dr. Lazar and my physical therapist Michael Conlon, I’m in the hands of the best and am confident that we’re going to put this problem to bed quickly … Finish Line PT is now my home-away-from-home until this foot is 100% !

The Not-So-Ugly: I have a new toy!! It’s a Quarq power meter. I love numbers! Yeah, that statement probably makes me a pretty high level dork (I’m an engineer, it comes with the territory. And anyway, me being a dork is not exactly breaking news to anyone) … but seriously, this thing is super cool. It gives me SO much more data to analyze after my rides, and will be an incredibly powerful tool for taking my cycling to the next level. I think part of the reason I’m not completely devastated about my foot right now is because it means more time in the saddle, which means more time learning how to use the Quarq!

Another tid-bit-o-news … I’m adding another race to my schedule! I’ll be doing the Bassman Half aquabike on May 1st. I’ve never done an aquabike before, so it should be a pretty interesting experience!

And finally, I have two new healthy food addictions that I figured I’d share. #1 = organic Chia seeds. I put ‘em in my smoothie in the morning – they really don’t offer up much flavor, but are packed full of good nutrients! And #2 = organic sunflower nut butter. Yum!! It now trumps peanut butter (by a long shot) and I personally think it’s even better than almond butter.

Texas 70.3 Top 10(ish) List

As promised, and in no particular order, my Galveston Texas 70.3 top 10ish list of sights, sounds, smells and random thoughts/comments:

#1) Best race kit goes to the “More Cowbell” guy. He literally had the words “more cowbell” written across his ass. If you haven’t seen the SNL skit with Will Farrell, you’re missing out – stop reading this post and go to youtube and do a SNL search for more cowbell. Funny stuff.

#2) Second best race kit goes to the “fueled on beef” folks. Yep, they wore a red race kit with “fueled on beef” written across the back. Anyone that knows me, knows I looooooove a good steak – I could legitimately wear a shirt that says “fueled on beef”. I’d eat it 7 days a week if I could! And yes, my post race dinner consisted of a Texas sized steak (and margarita, of course)

#3) Worst tri kit award goes to the fella in the ALL white one piece tri suit. Buddy, do yourself a favor and go with black. Not only is it slimming, but it isn’t neeeeeaaaarly as transparent. Thank you.

#4) I’m not even sure what to call the spectator “kit” award … but I kid you not, there was a (young, female, blond) spectator walking around after the race in a pretty revealing black bra. No, it wasn’t a bikini top. It was a bra. We were all baffled at her selection of attire (or lack thereof) and were left speechless for sure (aside from the gawking and laughing). They certainly do things different down in TX, that’s for sure…

#5) Another spectator, this one wearing a shirt (phew) that said: I don’t do triathlons, I do triathletes. Classy.

#6) Overheard while standing on the pier just before the swim start, a conversation between 2 girls standing in front of me: “wow, that’s a fancy watch you have” .. “thanks! I don’t quite know how to use it yet, but I have the 2 big items on the screen that will get me through the day, so it works for me” .. “really, what do you use? time & HR?” .. “no, HR & calories – I use the HR as a guide to my effort level. The calories show how much I’ve burned and I make sure to replace those calories throughout the race to compensate for what I’ve burned off”. Whaaaaaat? I have to wonder if she finished the race…

#7) Smells: the most fragrant and sweet smelling flowers I’ve ever come across on a bike ride. Ever. We can’t figure out what it was – it sort of smelled like honeysuckle but I have no clue if honeysuckle is indigenous to Galveston. Whatever it was, it sure was pleasant! Runner-up for smells: the ocean. It never gets old! And 3rd runner up: freshly cut grass. Haven’t smelled that since last summer and oh do I miss it!

#8) Sounds: cowbells. waves crashing. And cheers from the crowds. More cowbell please!

#9) Random thought (I have a lot of these, most of which I’ll keep to myself, but a few I’ll share): I love to race. Especially the 70.3 distance. And I really, really love to suffer. The more I hurt, the happier I am. I live for the hurt miles and I love the post race soreness. That can’t be normal…

#10) Can I just say that Terenzo and Chris Lieto are awfully darn handsome in person? And Tim O’Donnell looks just like Jeff Gordon! Kudos to all of those guys on great races, I cannot even begin to fathom the speed at which they traversed that course. Insane! Same for the gals that smoked the course as well. Impressive!

And finally …Texans are SO incredibly friendly and polite, I just love the southern hospitality that we received! I truly enjoyed the trip and would love to have been able to drag it out a few more days!