RUN: 9 miles in abt 1:23 I think about a 9:15 pace?
My first "long run" since IMWI. Only 9 miles, but I have to start somewhere. Last night I did 3 miles on the dreadmill. I was going to do 6, but I felt awful and had to stop. It was a combination of heat and food--the gym is hawt and I had eaten a small meal of meat and some cheese only an hour before. Also I started off on the Random program, which opened up with hills after a short warmup. My legs were killing. My stomach rebelling. My head hurting. Why suffer like that in December?
Well one good reason is that I'm signed up for Pigman! And the DC race is next! I've been in a blah since post-IM injuries. Time to get out of the blah and get back to what I love.
Of course the FBR stands in the way of any real schedule for now, but at the least I can start ramping up the base again.
And I need to work out some nutrition for the DC. Will need some reading research, then some running research. My nutrition has been out of sorts lately. All good food, but never really satisfied. Like I'm craving something I can't put a finger (or tongue) on. Need to figure that out too.
Oh and I should re-name this blog! What comes to mind?
Relentless Forward Motion?
L'audace. Toujours l'audace?
Can I even rename it?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Finding a regular schedule
Today: 1hr run, 6.25 miles. Some pain in inner right thigh muscle.
Yesteday: 1hr ride, abt 18 miles with 8 min hard intervals
Day before that: 1hr ride with 4 min intervals
Before that: 40 min run, 4.4 miles
Before that: 90 min ride, about 25 miles
Still no swimming, but I've got a run and ride schedule at least. The past few weeks have been busy and stressful. We're a few days away from xmas, and this is the least xmas-y I've ever felt. There's not a xmas ornament in sight in the house! And the doggie is still hospitalized, gets out tomorrow. So the last 2-3 weeks have been hard, but having this schedule was a huge help! It gave me some structure.
As for the goals I set a few posts back, some are on track and others failing. The wake/sleep goals were hard to follow with the accumulated lack of sleep and odd hours with the dog. That might continue for a few more days. The morning glass of water is great, but I'm still not drinking enough during the day, so maybe I need to add some more goals like that? I'm also eating less salt, that was a carry-over from IM training, I was craving salty foods. But now I'm not craving it but still eating it.
Plan for the xmas weekend? No bike, probably no pool. Run tomorrow, run Sat and Sun I guess. I'm already at 11.5 miles, tomorrow at 18 miles. Last week was 18 miles total, so maybe only run Sat or Sun, and a short run at that. No need to get injured by over doing it now!
Yesteday: 1hr ride, abt 18 miles with 8 min hard intervals
Day before that: 1hr ride with 4 min intervals
Before that: 40 min run, 4.4 miles
Before that: 90 min ride, about 25 miles
Still no swimming, but I've got a run and ride schedule at least. The past few weeks have been busy and stressful. We're a few days away from xmas, and this is the least xmas-y I've ever felt. There's not a xmas ornament in sight in the house! And the doggie is still hospitalized, gets out tomorrow. So the last 2-3 weeks have been hard, but having this schedule was a huge help! It gave me some structure.
As for the goals I set a few posts back, some are on track and others failing. The wake/sleep goals were hard to follow with the accumulated lack of sleep and odd hours with the dog. That might continue for a few more days. The morning glass of water is great, but I'm still not drinking enough during the day, so maybe I need to add some more goals like that? I'm also eating less salt, that was a carry-over from IM training, I was craving salty foods. But now I'm not craving it but still eating it.
Plan for the xmas weekend? No bike, probably no pool. Run tomorrow, run Sat and Sun I guess. I'm already at 11.5 miles, tomorrow at 18 miles. Last week was 18 miles total, so maybe only run Sat or Sun, and a short run at that. No need to get injured by over doing it now!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Accumulating hours this week!
Like a real training week!
MON: BIKE 1hr, abt 17 miles
TUE: BIKE 45mins, about 12 miles
WED: RUN:1hr 6.44 miles
THU: RUN: 63 mins, 6.5 miles
Yeah!!
I have been thinking a lot about my first big race of next year--the Double Chubb 50K. I have found out that registration is open NOW, not Jan 1st like last year. Now I get to worry between signing up and now risking it, or missing out on the race. Better just sign up now.
I've also been thinking about just how fast I can ramp up my running after the last few weeks of rest. Just how long does it take to de-condition? Am I risking a stress fracture by piling on miles, or do I still have the needed conditioning?
Today's run was on fresh ice put down by freezing rain overnight. So my hips might feel a bit sore later after running along the path in snowy grass. Also, we had a new runner with us today! MK just moved here and lives near the park. She and EK had "snow chains" on, while I didn't. That left me at a bit of a disadvantage! But 12 miles in the last two days and I'm not feeling anything. That's good, I don't want to feel anything, but it also encourages me. A few more miles Sunday and stop short of 20.
MON: BIKE 1hr, abt 17 miles
TUE: BIKE 45mins, about 12 miles
WED: RUN:1hr 6.44 miles
THU: RUN: 63 mins, 6.5 miles
Yeah!!
I have been thinking a lot about my first big race of next year--the Double Chubb 50K. I have found out that registration is open NOW, not Jan 1st like last year. Now I get to worry between signing up and now risking it, or missing out on the race. Better just sign up now.
I've also been thinking about just how fast I can ramp up my running after the last few weeks of rest. Just how long does it take to de-condition? Am I risking a stress fracture by piling on miles, or do I still have the needed conditioning?
Today's run was on fresh ice put down by freezing rain overnight. So my hips might feel a bit sore later after running along the path in snowy grass. Also, we had a new runner with us today! MK just moved here and lives near the park. She and EK had "snow chains" on, while I didn't. That left me at a bit of a disadvantage! But 12 miles in the last two days and I'm not feeling anything. That's good, I don't want to feel anything, but it also encourages me. A few more miles Sunday and stop short of 20.
Friday, December 10, 2010
More indoors
BIKE: long intervals session 1hr, again a guess of about 17 miles. Mostly Z1/Z2 with spinup and sprint intervals.
Would love to tack a run on to the end of the day, it's almost 50F outside and the weekend forecast includes single digits!
Would love to tack a run on to the end of the day, it's almost 50F outside and the weekend forecast includes single digits!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
First Run!! I'm back!
RUN: 6.5 miles in about 1 hr.
Still cold outsite, but peer pressure wins over cold on most occasions. I hadn't planned on doing an entire loop, I thought I'd take it as a I felt. The legs were feeling fine, but I had a head cold and a sick dog keeping me up at night. So I didn't have high expectations for this.
Just me AB and EK. The goal was to keep it slow and easy, just a run around the park. I'll bet we were going slow and easy, but to me it was a bit rough. Lungs heaving, heart rate high, quads burning. But no ankle pain! No foot problems at all! So I can't complain, I'm just happy to be back to what I love.
I think I can not start planning 2011 with more certainty. Double Chubb, how many weeks out? Triple T?
Still cold outsite, but peer pressure wins over cold on most occasions. I hadn't planned on doing an entire loop, I thought I'd take it as a I felt. The legs were feeling fine, but I had a head cold and a sick dog keeping me up at night. So I didn't have high expectations for this.
Just me AB and EK. The goal was to keep it slow and easy, just a run around the park. I'll bet we were going slow and easy, but to me it was a bit rough. Lungs heaving, heart rate high, quads burning. But no ankle pain! No foot problems at all! So I can't complain, I'm just happy to be back to what I love.
I think I can not start planning 2011 with more certainty. Double Chubb, how many weeks out? Triple T?
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Indoor cycling
BIKE: F6 long hills workout, 1hr about 17 miles?
I need to get that monitor fixed. 17 miles? 18 miles? 15 miles? It's all a guess.
My legs are still a bit sore from the strength training on Monday. Am I really that out of shape?
I need to get that monitor fixed. 17 miles? 18 miles? 15 miles? It's all a guess.
My legs are still a bit sore from the strength training on Monday. Am I really that out of shape?
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Aborted Run
RUN: 0 miles. Temperature: 28F.
I was ready to run yesterday, but didn't bring the right clothes. Capri tights and a long sleeve technical shirt just doesnt cut it for 28F. So today was going to be a run day.
I had the best of intentions, all the right gear and warm clothes. But the time wasn't there. By the time the end of the afternoon rolled around, it was getting dark. I got dressed anyway hoping to find even just 20 mins to squeeze in something. While putting my shoes on, I found the laces of the left shoe loose and open. I hadn't worn the shoes since the injury!
But no run. Still 28F, and not very encouraging.
I was ready to run yesterday, but didn't bring the right clothes. Capri tights and a long sleeve technical shirt just doesnt cut it for 28F. So today was going to be a run day.
I had the best of intentions, all the right gear and warm clothes. But the time wasn't there. By the time the end of the afternoon rolled around, it was getting dark. I got dressed anyway hoping to find even just 20 mins to squeeze in something. While putting my shoes on, I found the laces of the left shoe loose and open. I hadn't worn the shoes since the injury!
But no run. Still 28F, and not very encouraging.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Back is better, gonna try again
Yesterday: 1hr on the trainer using commercial break intervals.
Last Thursday, I awoke to a sore back which by the end of the day became spasms. It was shocking just how debilitating that was! I'd rather break a rib! But by Friday it was just sore, by Saturday just tired, and by yesterday OK.
So here we go again. Get a plan together and get it going!
Last Thursday, I awoke to a sore back which by the end of the day became spasms. It was shocking just how debilitating that was! I'd rather break a rib! But by Friday it was just sore, by Saturday just tired, and by yesterday OK.
So here we go again. Get a plan together and get it going!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
It's December!
BIKE: Indoors, 70 mins, abt 18 miles.
Icy Iron 2X, here I come!
I had a bit of an overwhelmed morning. One of those instances in which I realize by To Do list is HUGE. The overwhelmed feeling usually gets me after a certain threshold is crossed, for today it was the realization that I still don't have the FBR website finished. Tonight!!
This life I'm leading of late to bed, late to rise is coming to an end. I feel so purpose-less right now. Back in my Iron days, I fell asleep reviewing the day and awoke with a solid game plan. Now, I just fall asleep and then wake up. I was tired all day but loved it. I miss the goals, the purpose, and the drive.
And so like I said a few days ago, my near year begins now. It would help if I could sign up for a big goal race, but let's not get too crazy here. The biggest signups on the horizon are the Pigman, the TripleT, and the Double Chubb. By the end of December, I'll likely be registered. Yeah!!
Until then, let's get a few goals in place. Change is slow, and it's still technically the off season, so let's pick a few small goals to have in place by this Sunday night, at which time a few more can be made.
1. Get in bed before 9:30pm. Have the book down, head on the pillow, and lights OFF.
2. Get out of bed before 5:30am. The dog can help here! That's a full 8hrs of sleep, more than enough.
3. Wake up to a glass of water. Before coffee, before food. Time to quit being sort-of dehydrated all day long.
4. Put away the salt shaker. Limit it to one use a day. What's with the recent salt addiction anyway?
5. On otherwise off days, get out do something for 30 mins.
Icy Iron 2X, here I come!
I had a bit of an overwhelmed morning. One of those instances in which I realize by To Do list is HUGE. The overwhelmed feeling usually gets me after a certain threshold is crossed, for today it was the realization that I still don't have the FBR website finished. Tonight!!
This life I'm leading of late to bed, late to rise is coming to an end. I feel so purpose-less right now. Back in my Iron days, I fell asleep reviewing the day and awoke with a solid game plan. Now, I just fall asleep and then wake up. I was tired all day but loved it. I miss the goals, the purpose, and the drive.
And so like I said a few days ago, my near year begins now. It would help if I could sign up for a big goal race, but let's not get too crazy here. The biggest signups on the horizon are the Pigman, the TripleT, and the Double Chubb. By the end of December, I'll likely be registered. Yeah!!
Until then, let's get a few goals in place. Change is slow, and it's still technically the off season, so let's pick a few small goals to have in place by this Sunday night, at which time a few more can be made.
1. Get in bed before 9:30pm. Have the book down, head on the pillow, and lights OFF.
2. Get out of bed before 5:30am. The dog can help here! That's a full 8hrs of sleep, more than enough.
3. Wake up to a glass of water. Before coffee, before food. Time to quit being sort-of dehydrated all day long.
4. Put away the salt shaker. Limit it to one use a day. What's with the recent salt addiction anyway?
5. On otherwise off days, get out do something for 30 mins.
These aren't hard goals. Get to 'em, and have these down by Sunday.
Monday, November 29, 2010
IM Songlist
Got a hundred scars I should have run away
Now tattooed on my skin
There's a side of me that just won't stop
Dancin' in the flame
Maybe I just get off on the pain
Now tattooed on my skin
There's a side of me that just won't stop
Dancin' in the flame
Maybe I just get off on the pain
And so begins a new year
Training year, that is. There's a calendar year, an academic year, a fiscal year, and now there's a training year. One key difference is that the training year starts differently for everyone. Some start earlier, some later. For me, December to September is my training year.
Should I re-name the blog? It's no longer "One Year To IMWI 2010". Now it's....well what are my goals for 2011? Wow, where to begin this?
Races I'd like to do:
April:Double Chubb 50K trail run.
May: Triple-T Triathlon.
June: Gramma's Marathon.
September: Savageman 100 Triathlon.
And one superfast HIM race.
Here's a wrench in the plans. There's now an opportunity to qualify for World Long Course in Las Vegas at the August Pigman HIM in Iowa. I'd have to place in top 5 of my AG, I think the rolldown is 10 places. I don't have any real ideas that I'd qualify, I havent been training for weeks so it's hard to imagine going anywhere fast right now. But if'n I did qualify, that means an HIM in August, Sept, and Nov. I love me HIM's, but do I love them that much??
Gotta decide now! Sign-up is right around the corner for most of these races. What are some other goals?
1. Sub 4hr marathon (current PR 4:06)
2. Sub 1:45 half marathon (current 1:53)
3. Sub 5:15 HIM (current PR 5:27, average though is 5:40-ish)
4. Sub 40 min HIM swim (currently about 43 min ave)
5. Sub 22 min 5K
6. Sub 50 min 10K
7. more?
Training plan goals for next year:
1. Saturday MEC rides to get FAST on the bike
2. BRR Tuesday speedwork to get FAST on the run
3. Swim lessons with JM to just learn how to swim
4. Swim Master's classes to get FAST on the swim
5. Year around strength training to get like Dara ;)
Looks like I want to get fast this year!
Should I re-name the blog? It's no longer "One Year To IMWI 2010". Now it's....well what are my goals for 2011? Wow, where to begin this?
Races I'd like to do:
April:Double Chubb 50K trail run.
May: Triple-T Triathlon.
June: Gramma's Marathon.
September: Savageman 100 Triathlon.
And one superfast HIM race.
Here's a wrench in the plans. There's now an opportunity to qualify for World Long Course in Las Vegas at the August Pigman HIM in Iowa. I'd have to place in top 5 of my AG, I think the rolldown is 10 places. I don't have any real ideas that I'd qualify, I havent been training for weeks so it's hard to imagine going anywhere fast right now. But if'n I did qualify, that means an HIM in August, Sept, and Nov. I love me HIM's, but do I love them that much??
Gotta decide now! Sign-up is right around the corner for most of these races. What are some other goals?
1. Sub 4hr marathon (current PR 4:06)
2. Sub 1:45 half marathon (current 1:53)
3. Sub 5:15 HIM (current PR 5:27, average though is 5:40-ish)
4. Sub 40 min HIM swim (currently about 43 min ave)
5. Sub 22 min 5K
6. Sub 50 min 10K
7. more?
Training plan goals for next year:
1. Saturday MEC rides to get FAST on the bike
2. BRR Tuesday speedwork to get FAST on the run
3. Swim lessons with JM to just learn how to swim
4. Swim Master's classes to get FAST on the swim
5. Year around strength training to get like Dara ;)
Looks like I want to get fast this year!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Still recovering...
Can you believe I have ANOTHER injury??? This time an avulsion fracture of the distal left fibula. I swear the best way to learn anatomy is to be injured. I can throw around some fancy words now!
It was one week ago on the Thursday run. Not 5 minutes in, I rolled my left ankle HARD. We heard the crack. I hit the deck and rolled afraid to put weight back on it. Oh it hurt, but not unexpectedly. I almost kept running. But the crack had me scared, it sounded like a small piece of plastic breaking. I got a ride back to my car, but by the time we reached the parking lot, it was already swollen! I rushed home to ice it, wondering what I'll do now.
I went to work, surprised by how little pain there was. The swelling was increasing and so was the discoloration. Hubby and boss both encouraged imaging. I was torn. I was walking, going up and down stairs, feeling stiff but OK. Was I really hurt?
So we ended up at an ER that night for xrays. Initial dx: avulsion fracture, suggested but not definitive. Elastic wrap, gel splint, crutches, and another script for pain meds. Recommendation: follow up with specialist.
Next day, I was lucky to get into Dr M. Before the appt we picked up my images and only then was it real. The radiologist had read the films overnight and dx'd the fracture. The ride to Dr M's office was long. I was in denial up to that point, thinking this was all a waste of time. No dice. Dr M took me off crutches, recommended a different ankle brace. I can swim with good tape once it feels OK. I can bike with the brace again once it feels OK. But running is out for 3-4 weeks, then re-evaluate. Nuts.
So here I am one week out. I tried biking on the trainer Tuesday with pain. I can walk, do stairs, and it seems all else. Frustrating. I miss running!
It was one week ago on the Thursday run. Not 5 minutes in, I rolled my left ankle HARD. We heard the crack. I hit the deck and rolled afraid to put weight back on it. Oh it hurt, but not unexpectedly. I almost kept running. But the crack had me scared, it sounded like a small piece of plastic breaking. I got a ride back to my car, but by the time we reached the parking lot, it was already swollen! I rushed home to ice it, wondering what I'll do now.
I went to work, surprised by how little pain there was. The swelling was increasing and so was the discoloration. Hubby and boss both encouraged imaging. I was torn. I was walking, going up and down stairs, feeling stiff but OK. Was I really hurt?
So we ended up at an ER that night for xrays. Initial dx: avulsion fracture, suggested but not definitive. Elastic wrap, gel splint, crutches, and another script for pain meds. Recommendation: follow up with specialist.
Next day, I was lucky to get into Dr M. Before the appt we picked up my images and only then was it real. The radiologist had read the films overnight and dx'd the fracture. The ride to Dr M's office was long. I was in denial up to that point, thinking this was all a waste of time. No dice. Dr M took me off crutches, recommended a different ankle brace. I can swim with good tape once it feels OK. I can bike with the brace again once it feels OK. But running is out for 3-4 weeks, then re-evaluate. Nuts.
So here I am one week out. I tried biking on the trainer Tuesday with pain. I can walk, do stairs, and it seems all else. Frustrating. I miss running!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Still recovering, still just thinking
I feel like someone flipped a switch in me. Just months ago I was this powerhouse of energy and motivation. Heck, just go back to any post in July or August and compare that to what you'll see here.
The last week or so I've been mostly pain-free (just can't pick up anything heavy, and still some rib pain with crunches) but also mostly exercise-free. What!? No exercise?! Note I'm not using the word Training. No Training. Too Early. (I'm just reminding myself of that).
Last night I began to wonder, when will that urge come back? Am I in a lull because I don't have the high to feed off of? Because the momentum is gone? So do I push myself back out there, or just wait on it?
The last week or so I've been mostly pain-free (just can't pick up anything heavy, and still some rib pain with crunches) but also mostly exercise-free. What!? No exercise?! Note I'm not using the word Training. No Training. Too Early. (I'm just reminding myself of that).
Last night I began to wonder, when will that urge come back? Am I in a lull because I don't have the high to feed off of? Because the momentum is gone? So do I push myself back out there, or just wait on it?
Monday, October 25, 2010
I'm Back!
Saturday: 1st ever cyclocross race, 9 mile race. 1st place in Womens 4. OMG!
Sunday: trail run in Queeny 4 miles, then 2nd CX race in Antire Park. 10 mile race. I think 8th place out of 21. Awesome!
I'm not sure if anyone else besides me reads this or not. But just in case, here's a brief run-down of why I've been gone so long. It will also help to remind me later of why I quit typing in here.
One week to the day after IM I fell and was injured. Injury has got to be about the hardest thing to deal with for us. It was especially hard because I was just feeling good enough again to go for a run or ride that weekend to continue the high I felt after finishing the race. It's awful hard to go from 15-20hrs a week to 0 hours a week, just like that.
I'd started some posts, thinking it would be good to track the recovery process. But they all tended to go negative. I'd lament the fact that I couldn't even ride the bike on the trainer. I'd wallow in fear of long-lasting or permanent injuries. It just got bad, so I decided to take an extended break.
Turns out, that was the best thing to do. I'd log any runs or ride, but not here. I wouldn't call it training, it was just a run. No Garmin, no goals, no reason other than fun. I'd been looking forward to this all summer, so it was funny that once injured the last thing I wanted to do was sit still!
My goal was to be recovered by my birthday--today! Happy Birthday to Me!!
Sunday: trail run in Queeny 4 miles, then 2nd CX race in Antire Park. 10 mile race. I think 8th place out of 21. Awesome!
I'm not sure if anyone else besides me reads this or not. But just in case, here's a brief run-down of why I've been gone so long. It will also help to remind me later of why I quit typing in here.
One week to the day after IM I fell and was injured. Injury has got to be about the hardest thing to deal with for us. It was especially hard because I was just feeling good enough again to go for a run or ride that weekend to continue the high I felt after finishing the race. It's awful hard to go from 15-20hrs a week to 0 hours a week, just like that.
I'd started some posts, thinking it would be good to track the recovery process. But they all tended to go negative. I'd lament the fact that I couldn't even ride the bike on the trainer. I'd wallow in fear of long-lasting or permanent injuries. It just got bad, so I decided to take an extended break.
Turns out, that was the best thing to do. I'd log any runs or ride, but not here. I wouldn't call it training, it was just a run. No Garmin, no goals, no reason other than fun. I'd been looking forward to this all summer, so it was funny that once injured the last thing I wanted to do was sit still!
My goal was to be recovered by my birthday--today! Happy Birthday to Me!!
Monday, September 13, 2010
One Year to IMWI 2010--WrapUp
Since Sept 1st, 2010:
SWIM: 159821 yards (90.8 miles) in 72.71 hours
BIKE: 4176.49 miles in 248 hours
RUN: 1221.46 miles in 188.08 hours
While the progress towards this race is often measured in miles, and I really can't deny that those numbers are impressive, the real reward can't be measured. I am a different person.
I spend the past year alternating between doubt and confidence. The year began with the Redman Incident, the low point in my 5 years of triathlon. It took time to move beyond that and I learned so much from it about myself. As time passed, my confidence returned to normal and I decided that I was much stronger than I ever realized.
I trained though pain, doubt, and fatigue. I pushed myself beyond limits I thought I'd never be able to test. I broke new barriers for myself. I found a new eating lifestyle. But that still doesn't cover the changes.
I developed an Iron Self Confidence (or Smugacity!) that is now a part of me. Having a bad day? I did an ironman race, I can get through a bad day. Someone pissing me off? I did an ironman race, this one person can't ruin my mood. Tired, hungry, hurting? I did an ironman race, I've seen it all before and took it with a smile. Sure I still have my doubts and low points, but I'm more upfront in dealing with them.
I'm confident now, I confront people and speak my mind. I'm not afraid of my thoughts or body, in fact I'm more one with myself than ever before. I'm stronger than I ever realized.
People keep saying "Oh I could never do anything like that!". I beg to differ. Yes you can, but only if you really want it. And it doesn't have to be ironman. It can be a 5K, quitting smoking, or just making positive changes for yourself. Because what I really did is challenge myself with this race. And all you need to do is challenge yourself. Find something that excites you and GO FOR IT.
And that's the big lesson I learned for myself. GO FOR IT. Don't hold back. Don't doubt so much. Quit complaining and finding excuses. Recognize your unmutable limits and learn to work with them. Love who you are and what you have. Take your fears, your reservations, and your doubts, take them and grind them up under the foot of determinations and just GO FOR IT.
SWIM: 159821 yards (90.8 miles) in 72.71 hours
BIKE: 4176.49 miles in 248 hours
RUN: 1221.46 miles in 188.08 hours
While the progress towards this race is often measured in miles, and I really can't deny that those numbers are impressive, the real reward can't be measured. I am a different person.
I spend the past year alternating between doubt and confidence. The year began with the Redman Incident, the low point in my 5 years of triathlon. It took time to move beyond that and I learned so much from it about myself. As time passed, my confidence returned to normal and I decided that I was much stronger than I ever realized.
I trained though pain, doubt, and fatigue. I pushed myself beyond limits I thought I'd never be able to test. I broke new barriers for myself. I found a new eating lifestyle. But that still doesn't cover the changes.
I developed an Iron Self Confidence (or Smugacity!) that is now a part of me. Having a bad day? I did an ironman race, I can get through a bad day. Someone pissing me off? I did an ironman race, this one person can't ruin my mood. Tired, hungry, hurting? I did an ironman race, I've seen it all before and took it with a smile. Sure I still have my doubts and low points, but I'm more upfront in dealing with them.
I'm confident now, I confront people and speak my mind. I'm not afraid of my thoughts or body, in fact I'm more one with myself than ever before. I'm stronger than I ever realized.
People keep saying "Oh I could never do anything like that!". I beg to differ. Yes you can, but only if you really want it. And it doesn't have to be ironman. It can be a 5K, quitting smoking, or just making positive changes for yourself. Because what I really did is challenge myself with this race. And all you need to do is challenge yourself. Find something that excites you and GO FOR IT.
And that's the big lesson I learned for myself. GO FOR IT. Don't hold back. Don't doubt so much. Quit complaining and finding excuses. Recognize your unmutable limits and learn to work with them. Love who you are and what you have. Take your fears, your reservations, and your doubts, take them and grind them up under the foot of determinations and just GO FOR IT.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
IMWI 2010 FINISH
THE FINISH: Mile 25 came and went, and before I knew it mile 26 was right in front of me. By now I was back in civilization, with loud spectators, cowbells, signs, and more. I wondered if they knew if I was finishing my first or second lap, heck they could be cheering me through a turn around for all they knew! Regardless they cheered anyway. And it was in these last few tenths of a mile that the magic of the whole day enveloped me. The street lights cast an orangish glow, for some reason I remember that. I targeted the crowd barrier fence to maximize the cheering. Hundreds of people were lined up, all of them cheering for me and the other athletes around me!! I ran the first stretch along the Capitol and saw BN. Turned right and got high fives all along the second stretch. I could hear music and Mike Reilly announcing at the Finish. Another right turn, more high fives and the JM’s!! I was laughing, screaming, almost crying, and running as if it was my first mile of the whole day. It was as if the Finish line projected energy that I could absorb. And the closer I got to it, the better I felt.
One last left turn…and there it was…The Finish Line!! The white arch, Mike Reilly, the official Race Clock. But I almost couldn’t see it in all the excitement. It was overwhelming. Tears, goosebumps, laughter, cheering…I’d imagined this very moment all summer long. When the miles started to wear on me, when the heat of the day took all my energy, and when my motivation was low, I’d play this very moment in my head as a motivation. Then Mike Reilly called my name:
Before I knew it, I crossed the timing line and passed under the arch! 13 hours, 42 minutes and 36 seconds.
Again, I was overwhelmed. Two catchers grabbed me and kept me walking. They led me off to get my medal and my T-shirt. They kept talking to me, kept me walking, and led me off to the finish photographer. They let me wear the honeybee hat, which is now immortalized in my finisher’s photo.
POST RACE: And that was it. It was over! The catchers released me when I found my family, who were waiting on a chicken dance. They were rewarded with the best chicken dance I could do after 140.6 miles.
My immediate concerns focused on rehydrating. I knew I was low on fluids, but didn’t have the stomach to take too much. Besides, I was too distracted to drink water. My friends and family had met up at the finish. Amazingly enough, I still had the energy to sing and dance with the finish line music. My energy levels would crash eventually, for now, I was going to revel in the celebrations.
But soon enough, as with everything, it had to end. I wanted to stay up the rest of the night and relive these moments. I wanted to run the last few tenths of a mile over and over. I wanted more of this drug called Ironman! But I needed fluids. A shower. And a chair. Wow was I tired!!
One of my biggest surprises of the day was the realization that I had not one blister, raw spot, or injury from the entire day. There were training days this summer in which 5 miles left me hurting, but today truly was blessed.
We headed back to the car. Rich and the family had already collected my transition bags and Frea, my trusty steed. Did I really do all this? It seemed unreal. The Tri club group gathered for a late dinner at Perkins, rehashing the day and swapping stories. I always envisioned IM post race to be a zombie walk to bed. Instead here I was eating dinner!
Love it. Absolutely Loved It. And now I want more!!
One last left turn…and there it was…The Finish Line!! The white arch, Mike Reilly, the official Race Clock. But I almost couldn’t see it in all the excitement. It was overwhelming. Tears, goosebumps, laughter, cheering…I’d imagined this very moment all summer long. When the miles started to wear on me, when the heat of the day took all my energy, and when my motivation was low, I’d play this very moment in my head as a motivation. Then Mike Reilly called my name:
"Tracy Jo Pasieka, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"
Before I knew it, I crossed the timing line and passed under the arch! 13 hours, 42 minutes and 36 seconds.
Again, I was overwhelmed. Two catchers grabbed me and kept me walking. They led me off to get my medal and my T-shirt. They kept talking to me, kept me walking, and led me off to the finish photographer. They let me wear the honeybee hat, which is now immortalized in my finisher’s photo.
POST RACE: And that was it. It was over! The catchers released me when I found my family, who were waiting on a chicken dance. They were rewarded with the best chicken dance I could do after 140.6 miles.
My immediate concerns focused on rehydrating. I knew I was low on fluids, but didn’t have the stomach to take too much. Besides, I was too distracted to drink water. My friends and family had met up at the finish. Amazingly enough, I still had the energy to sing and dance with the finish line music. My energy levels would crash eventually, for now, I was going to revel in the celebrations.
But soon enough, as with everything, it had to end. I wanted to stay up the rest of the night and relive these moments. I wanted to run the last few tenths of a mile over and over. I wanted more of this drug called Ironman! But I needed fluids. A shower. And a chair. Wow was I tired!!
One of my biggest surprises of the day was the realization that I had not one blister, raw spot, or injury from the entire day. There were training days this summer in which 5 miles left me hurting, but today truly was blessed.
We headed back to the car. Rich and the family had already collected my transition bags and Frea, my trusty steed. Did I really do all this? It seemed unreal. The Tri club group gathered for a late dinner at Perkins, rehashing the day and swapping stories. I always envisioned IM post race to be a zombie walk to bed. Instead here I was eating dinner!
Love it. Absolutely Loved It. And now I want more!!
IMWI Run
RUN: 26.2 miles. Mostly flat, on streets and soft trails along Lake Mendota.
"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!"
Loop 1: Coming out of T2, I felt surprisingly great. Where was the brick-heavy feeling I expected to have post ride? And the numbness and pain from the last few miles of the bike? Gone. In fact, it almost felt as if I was doing my first event of the day! This was probably due to the adenaline rush, the crowds, and the realization that I was so close to finishing this race. My plan for this run: Keep a comfortable pace and walk every aid station, whether or not I needed the rest. And walk whenever I wanted to, don’t force a run, just take the time and walk. And enjoy it!
In training runs and in IMKS, I would start out too fast in the first mile and wear myself out for later. This time I was able to keep the pace easy, I forced myself not so much to slow down, but to relax and enjoy the experience. This is Ironman! I think relaxing was key, it wasn’t so much pace but more being wound up and ready to run. We circled the capitol, headed through State St, and spun out for the two out-n-backs on the course. Once we left the capitol area, these sections formed a T-shape, we turned right first in the top of the T.
Since my pre-race preview of the course missed some areas in the first few miles, this part of the course was mostly new to me. I soon learned why we missed those areas—they weren’t streets but bike paths and little neighborhood areas. In the first 2 miles there was a short out-n-back loop, probably put in there to adjust for distance and to get the full 26.2 miles. It broke up my pace, but it also broke up monotony. Also breaking up the run was the way the aid stations alternated with mileage markers—the stations seemed to come at the half-mile points. My favorite was the comic-con water station between miles 2 and 3, all the costumes and energy was memorable.
Another thing I learned in IMKS was to eat ice, not only for cooling but as a way to trickle water into the tummy (and it was something to do). But in Kansas the ice was those nice flat chips. This race had the rounded ones with the hole in the middle. I hate to be picky, but these are harder to eat. I wasn’t hot, actually I don’t even think I was sweating all that much. But at every aid station I refilled my ice cup. That’s not to say I consumed the cup of ice in that mile, I would dump some or spit some out. But it gave me something to look forward to.
We looped through Randall Stadium (nice soft turf!), then headed up towards Lake Mendota for another section of the course I didn’t get to preview. I was still feeling good, but losing some of that Wow-Energy I had in the first few miles. The reality of the long trudge ahead was setting in, along with some low fueling problems. I had hoped to eat a gel every 30-40 mins, but I was instead doing every 60-75. I’m sure this contributed to the low points between miles 5-11. The run along the lake was fun, with a soft trail and shade making it feel like less of a race and more of training run in a park. I was surprised by the number of people walking around me, and I wondered just how long I had before I was one of them. The first out-n-back along the lake turned around on State St, and at the 6 mile aid station I tried to eat 3 grapes. Big mistake. Those 3 little grapes settled nicely in my tummy but did not go down nice. I almost gagged while chewing and swallowing. (And weeks later as I type this, I still don’t want to eat a grape!) At this, my mind rebelled against all foods—no more. Even the sight of them at the aid stations was unpleasant. I shifted over to the Powerbar Perform drink for calories for the rest of the race.
While the grapes were unpleasant, the crowds were wonderful! I don’t have a distinct memory of seeing family at this turn-around (not sure why) but I’m sure I did see them. With this boost I headed back towards the lake for the top of the T and the left side of it. This is where my hit the worst low of my race. My mental energy just tanked. I was getting clumsy and dumping my ice by accident. It wasn’t like hitting the wall or bonking. I just lost motivation in this section; the miles ahead just seemed to stretch out forever. I needed to eat, so I tried a gel. It only helped somewhat, so I started focusing on moving just one mile marker to the next. Oh there’s 6!! Hi 6!! Goodbye 6!! Where’s 7?! One by one the markers went by. Heeeeerrrreeee 8….where are you 8….oh there you are!!! Now for 9….. This part of the course along the lake seemed to stretch on and on and on…
Another problem I was having in this stretch was that I wasn’t breathing evenly. I was taking these short, gaspy breaths. I wasn’t relaxed, maybe I was started to feel a little of the panic from thinking about all the miles ahead. I focused on nice full even breaths. Stay relaxed, stay easy, stay with it…
It wasn’t until mile 10 or so that we left the lake and started running on streets again. Once I reached this point, I got some ideas as to why the run along the lake was such a low—no spectators, no noise, nothing to look at but the limestone path ahead of you and the other athletes. I was still jogging along and feeling good, passing walkers and other runners. I wondered if these were the people I’d read about—the ones that take the bike too hard or too fast and blow up on the run. It helped to think that maybe my conservative bike really did work for me.
Around mile 11, I saw the JM’s and slowed to walk with them. But just before I saw them, I decided to get some electrolytes in me, but I had no ice (I had clumsily dumped it again). So I decided to break open an Endurolyte and let the salt dissolve on my tongue. I should have done this in practice—it’s hard to do! I chewed on the end of it and got salt all over my lips and chin. I got a good laugh at how I probably looked to them—like a sloppy drug addict. The combination of a good laugh, seeing the J’s, and getting more than just 30s of walking did wonders for me. It was a huge boost to see them roving the course and it was no act when I said I was having fun. I really was! In just minutes I was ready to run again and said goodbye. It was around this point I saw BN taking pictures. Another surprise! Off to State St!
I sailed into the Capitol area, did the pre-pass of special needs and headed towards the turn-around. I had mentally prepared for this—seeing the finish line and leaving it behind. And in the end, it was painless. I’ll be back, I had no doubts. First loop: about 2hrs 22 mins.
Loop 2:
In training runs and in IMKS, I would start out too fast in the first mile and wear myself out for later. This time I was able to keep the pace easy, I forced myself not so much to slow down, but to relax and enjoy the experience. This is Ironman! I think relaxing was key, it wasn’t so much pace but more being wound up and ready to run. We circled the capitol, headed through State St, and spun out for the two out-n-backs on the course. Once we left the capitol area, these sections formed a T-shape, we turned right first in the top of the T.
Since my pre-race preview of the course missed some areas in the first few miles, this part of the course was mostly new to me. I soon learned why we missed those areas—they weren’t streets but bike paths and little neighborhood areas. In the first 2 miles there was a short out-n-back loop, probably put in there to adjust for distance and to get the full 26.2 miles. It broke up my pace, but it also broke up monotony. Also breaking up the run was the way the aid stations alternated with mileage markers—the stations seemed to come at the half-mile points. My favorite was the comic-con water station between miles 2 and 3, all the costumes and energy was memorable.
Another thing I learned in IMKS was to eat ice, not only for cooling but as a way to trickle water into the tummy (and it was something to do). But in Kansas the ice was those nice flat chips. This race had the rounded ones with the hole in the middle. I hate to be picky, but these are harder to eat. I wasn’t hot, actually I don’t even think I was sweating all that much. But at every aid station I refilled my ice cup. That’s not to say I consumed the cup of ice in that mile, I would dump some or spit some out. But it gave me something to look forward to.
We looped through Randall Stadium (nice soft turf!), then headed up towards Lake Mendota for another section of the course I didn’t get to preview. I was still feeling good, but losing some of that Wow-Energy I had in the first few miles. The reality of the long trudge ahead was setting in, along with some low fueling problems. I had hoped to eat a gel every 30-40 mins, but I was instead doing every 60-75. I’m sure this contributed to the low points between miles 5-11. The run along the lake was fun, with a soft trail and shade making it feel like less of a race and more of training run in a park. I was surprised by the number of people walking around me, and I wondered just how long I had before I was one of them. The first out-n-back along the lake turned around on State St, and at the 6 mile aid station I tried to eat 3 grapes. Big mistake. Those 3 little grapes settled nicely in my tummy but did not go down nice. I almost gagged while chewing and swallowing. (And weeks later as I type this, I still don’t want to eat a grape!) At this, my mind rebelled against all foods—no more. Even the sight of them at the aid stations was unpleasant. I shifted over to the Powerbar Perform drink for calories for the rest of the race.While the grapes were unpleasant, the crowds were wonderful! I don’t have a distinct memory of seeing family at this turn-around (not sure why) but I’m sure I did see them. With this boost I headed back towards the lake for the top of the T and the left side of it. This is where my hit the worst low of my race. My mental energy just tanked. I was getting clumsy and dumping my ice by accident. It wasn’t like hitting the wall or bonking. I just lost motivation in this section; the miles ahead just seemed to stretch out forever. I needed to eat, so I tried a gel. It only helped somewhat, so I started focusing on moving just one mile marker to the next. Oh there’s 6!! Hi 6!! Goodbye 6!! Where’s 7?! One by one the markers went by. Heeeeerrrreeee 8….where are you 8….oh there you are!!! Now for 9….. This part of the course along the lake seemed to stretch on and on and on…
Another problem I was having in this stretch was that I wasn’t breathing evenly. I was taking these short, gaspy breaths. I wasn’t relaxed, maybe I was started to feel a little of the panic from thinking about all the miles ahead. I focused on nice full even breaths. Stay relaxed, stay easy, stay with it…
It wasn’t until mile 10 or so that we left the lake and started running on streets again. Once I reached this point, I got some ideas as to why the run along the lake was such a low—no spectators, no noise, nothing to look at but the limestone path ahead of you and the other athletes. I was still jogging along and feeling good, passing walkers and other runners. I wondered if these were the people I’d read about—the ones that take the bike too hard or too fast and blow up on the run. It helped to think that maybe my conservative bike really did work for me.
Around mile 11, I saw the JM’s and slowed to walk with them. But just before I saw them, I decided to get some electrolytes in me, but I had no ice (I had clumsily dumped it again). So I decided to break open an Endurolyte and let the salt dissolve on my tongue. I should have done this in practice—it’s hard to do! I chewed on the end of it and got salt all over my lips and chin. I got a good laugh at how I probably looked to them—like a sloppy drug addict. The combination of a good laugh, seeing the J’s, and getting more than just 30s of walking did wonders for me. It was a huge boost to see them roving the course and it was no act when I said I was having fun. I really was! In just minutes I was ready to run again and said goodbye. It was around this point I saw BN taking pictures. Another surprise! Off to State St!
I sailed into the Capitol area, did the pre-pass of special needs and headed towards the turn-around. I had mentally prepared for this—seeing the finish line and leaving it behind. And in the end, it was painless. I’ll be back, I had no doubts. First loop: about 2hrs 22 mins.
Loop 2:
May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh! How far you are from home
Mornie utúlië (darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantië (darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now
I had told myself that if I was feeling good and enjoying the race, I’d put on the honeybee headband the husband bought for me. I had two thoughts about this. The first was that this was Ironman, and I shouldn’t be screwing around or mocking it. The second was that this was Ironman and I was going to enjoy it! In the end, I grabbed only the headband, some gum, and the mint gels before taking off again. Didn’t need the long sleeved shirt, the weather was still perfect.
Only 13.1 more miles to go, and this time when setting out I knew exactly what to expect on the course—the hills, aid stations, boring areas and exciting ones. Miles 13-15 just flew by, and again I’m sure I saw the family in that section but sitting her now I don’t distinctly remember it. What I do remember is that the crowds loved the honeybee headband. I now have proof that wearing something silly like that does garner you more crowd support. They cheered for the headband and I loved cracking jokes about it. Kids pointed it out to parents and cameras clicked away on it. I was having fun in the first loop, and now even more so! 11 more miles to go!
As the next 8 miles went on, I seemed to be one of a very athletes still jogging. I was passing walkers everywhere, or playing leapfrog with runners who’d run a minute then walk a few. I wondered which was more efficient—a steady jog like mine or the run/walk method. Given that I’d pass the run/walk people then eventually never see them again, my method was working better for me. One surprise around mile 12-13 was seeing MU. He was supposed to be 1-3 hours ahead of me! He was walking, cramped up and low and salt. I gave him all I had in Endurolytes, walked a bit with him, then took off. The second time around the T along the lake, I was ready for the long dismal trail. But what I wasn’t ready for was the dark. I’d seen the generator-run portable lights parked along the trail on my first pass and I knew they’d be turned on for when I came back, but that didn’t help any. While they could have been a bright spot to anticipate in the long dark miles of the trail, instead they were bug-clogged, blinding areas that made the darkness all the darker.
Around mile 18, I turned around the second time on the State St out-n-back. No grapes for me this time. But I did see family!! Mom had a sign that said “chicken dance ahead!” OMG, that’s right!! Only 8 more miles to the chicken dance!! 8 MORE MILES!!!
Heeeeerrrreeeeee mile 19….where are you 19?????.......19?!?!?!? The bike ride I’d just finished hours ago was already forgotten. The swim I’d done this morning seemed like yesterday. Did I really do all that today?
Right around this time, I started to feel some GI distress. Just pain under my diaphragm, no other symptoms (thankfully!). And suddenly I just wanted to walk. I’d run a few mins, then walk 30s, run a few mins then walk 30s. Something was breaking down. I did a quick systems check. No other pains. No cramps, injuries, blisters. Fatigue and mental fuzz at expected levels. Hunger? None. Thirst? Yes. Fuel levels, low but steady intake. Hydration levels? Hydration…? Wait…what…no bathroom break in 4 hours? And I’m thirsty? Am I dehydrated?!?! How did I let this happen??!!
I decided to stop at a porta-potty at the 18-19 aid station to assess hydration. Thankfully there was no line. I stepped into the dark porta-potty and …. Nothing. OK a dribble. YIKES!! But, this is easy to fix. Water and Perform drink are available every mile. I figured I had one more hour to go, plenty of time to crash and burn in dehydration but also enough time to get a lot of fluids in.
It was also at about this time that I realized I was going to come in under 14hrs. My original goal was 13-14 hrs and as close to 13 as possible. If I kept going at my current pace, I’d beat 14hrs. This immensely helped my spirits and I bumbled along the dark trail. Those dismal feelings I’d felt in the first loop were coming back. The lake that reflected a pretty sunset in the first loop was now black and hidden from view. Instead I had a beautiful moon to look at. Halfway between the new moon and first quarter, and hung in a clear quiet sky, the moon was a constant light that I frequently looked up at. I was going to finish this race under that moon, a MLF (moon light finish)!
So at every aid station, I took 2-3 small cups of water or Perform. I was thirsty but cautious about overdoing it. And to my surprise around mile 22, a particularly black section of the course right around the inspirations signs, I ran into MU again. He had recovered from his problems and was back on the run again. We mutually decided that if we could hang together and help each other out, the last 3 miles would fly by. And they did. He needed to walk or I did at times, and by waiting a bit for the other we kept our energy going. By mile 24, our pace had definitely picked up and we were looking and feeling strong. He encouraged me to stick with him until State St, at which point he was going to take off and I was going to watch for family. We passed athletes still on the outbound of the course, being warned by volunteers that they had just over 3 hours left to go. Gut-check time for them, finish line time for me. Mile 25 was a breeze into the crowds of State Street.
Only 13.1 more miles to go, and this time when setting out I knew exactly what to expect on the course—the hills, aid stations, boring areas and exciting ones. Miles 13-15 just flew by, and again I’m sure I saw the family in that section but sitting her now I don’t distinctly remember it. What I do remember is that the crowds loved the honeybee headband. I now have proof that wearing something silly like that does garner you more crowd support. They cheered for the headband and I loved cracking jokes about it. Kids pointed it out to parents and cameras clicked away on it. I was having fun in the first loop, and now even more so! 11 more miles to go!
As the next 8 miles went on, I seemed to be one of a very athletes still jogging. I was passing walkers everywhere, or playing leapfrog with runners who’d run a minute then walk a few. I wondered which was more efficient—a steady jog like mine or the run/walk method. Given that I’d pass the run/walk people then eventually never see them again, my method was working better for me. One surprise around mile 12-13 was seeing MU. He was supposed to be 1-3 hours ahead of me! He was walking, cramped up and low and salt. I gave him all I had in Endurolytes, walked a bit with him, then took off. The second time around the T along the lake, I was ready for the long dismal trail. But what I wasn’t ready for was the dark. I’d seen the generator-run portable lights parked along the trail on my first pass and I knew they’d be turned on for when I came back, but that didn’t help any. While they could have been a bright spot to anticipate in the long dark miles of the trail, instead they were bug-clogged, blinding areas that made the darkness all the darker.
Around mile 18, I turned around the second time on the State St out-n-back. No grapes for me this time. But I did see family!! Mom had a sign that said “chicken dance ahead!” OMG, that’s right!! Only 8 more miles to the chicken dance!! 8 MORE MILES!!!
Heeeeerrrreeeeee mile 19….where are you 19?????.......19?!?!?!? The bike ride I’d just finished hours ago was already forgotten. The swim I’d done this morning seemed like yesterday. Did I really do all that today?
Right around this time, I started to feel some GI distress. Just pain under my diaphragm, no other symptoms (thankfully!). And suddenly I just wanted to walk. I’d run a few mins, then walk 30s, run a few mins then walk 30s. Something was breaking down. I did a quick systems check. No other pains. No cramps, injuries, blisters. Fatigue and mental fuzz at expected levels. Hunger? None. Thirst? Yes. Fuel levels, low but steady intake. Hydration levels? Hydration…? Wait…what…no bathroom break in 4 hours? And I’m thirsty? Am I dehydrated?!?! How did I let this happen??!!
I decided to stop at a porta-potty at the 18-19 aid station to assess hydration. Thankfully there was no line. I stepped into the dark porta-potty and …. Nothing. OK a dribble. YIKES!! But, this is easy to fix. Water and Perform drink are available every mile. I figured I had one more hour to go, plenty of time to crash and burn in dehydration but also enough time to get a lot of fluids in.
It was also at about this time that I realized I was going to come in under 14hrs. My original goal was 13-14 hrs and as close to 13 as possible. If I kept going at my current pace, I’d beat 14hrs. This immensely helped my spirits and I bumbled along the dark trail. Those dismal feelings I’d felt in the first loop were coming back. The lake that reflected a pretty sunset in the first loop was now black and hidden from view. Instead I had a beautiful moon to look at. Halfway between the new moon and first quarter, and hung in a clear quiet sky, the moon was a constant light that I frequently looked up at. I was going to finish this race under that moon, a MLF (moon light finish)!
So at every aid station, I took 2-3 small cups of water or Perform. I was thirsty but cautious about overdoing it. And to my surprise around mile 22, a particularly black section of the course right around the inspirations signs, I ran into MU again. He had recovered from his problems and was back on the run again. We mutually decided that if we could hang together and help each other out, the last 3 miles would fly by. And they did. He needed to walk or I did at times, and by waiting a bit for the other we kept our energy going. By mile 24, our pace had definitely picked up and we were looking and feeling strong. He encouraged me to stick with him until State St, at which point he was going to take off and I was going to watch for family. We passed athletes still on the outbound of the course, being warned by volunteers that they had just over 3 hours left to go. Gut-check time for them, finish line time for me. Mile 25 was a breeze into the crowds of State Street.
IMWI 2010 T2
T2: bike to run transition.
Pain. OMG, did my feet HURT. The pain I was ignoring in the last few miles of the bike was still there, I must have blocked it out? I couldn't walk! But I bit it back and focused.
I handed Frea off to a catcher, but not before I thanked her for a good ride and gave a light pat on the aerobars. Now off to T2.
Limp, limp, limp. I couldn't put pressure on the balls of my feet! How was I going to run?!? I hobbled off to T2, was handed my bag, and gimped to a chair. It felt so good to sit down, but I kept in mind what PS had advised me: T2 is a negative place, don't stay there too long. So I got moving again. What did I need?
All bike gear off. More than happy to remove the shoes, helmet, and gloves. Change shorts for a fresher feeling. Put the club singlet on. Grab my ziplock bag of goodies. Get some water. Pull on the Brooks. I was moving through a well-rehearsed routine.
I looked to my right, only to see a fellow athlete who had crashed on the bike. Road rash all down one side. And she was going back out. Focus on me, don't worry about her.
Soon enough I was on my feet again, and surprisingly they were feeling good. I stopped at the sunscreen station, hell yeah I wanted sunscreen! Then a bathroom break. Then ... my family!! Right outside bathrooms, with signs and hats and cheers. There is a picture of me and dad at this point, I love this pict!
I kept moving, there was so much I wanted to say but I had to keep moving. My feet felt great all the sudden, no pain at all! I rounded a left turn, passed under the arch, and took in a beautiful visual of the state capital.
Time to RUN!
"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
Pain. OMG, did my feet HURT. The pain I was ignoring in the last few miles of the bike was still there, I must have blocked it out? I couldn't walk! But I bit it back and focused.
I handed Frea off to a catcher, but not before I thanked her for a good ride and gave a light pat on the aerobars. Now off to T2.
Limp, limp, limp. I couldn't put pressure on the balls of my feet! How was I going to run?!? I hobbled off to T2, was handed my bag, and gimped to a chair. It felt so good to sit down, but I kept in mind what PS had advised me: T2 is a negative place, don't stay there too long. So I got moving again. What did I need?
All bike gear off. More than happy to remove the shoes, helmet, and gloves. Change shorts for a fresher feeling. Put the club singlet on. Grab my ziplock bag of goodies. Get some water. Pull on the Brooks. I was moving through a well-rehearsed routine.
I looked to my right, only to see a fellow athlete who had crashed on the bike. Road rash all down one side. And she was going back out. Focus on me, don't worry about her.
Soon enough I was on my feet again, and surprisingly they were feeling good. I stopped at the sunscreen station, hell yeah I wanted sunscreen! Then a bathroom break. Then ... my family!! Right outside bathrooms, with signs and hats and cheers. There is a picture of me and dad at this point, I love this pict!
I kept moving, there was so much I wanted to say but I had to keep moving. My feet felt great all the sudden, no pain at all! I rounded a left turn, passed under the arch, and took in a beautiful visual of the state capital.
Time to RUN!
IMWI 2010 Bike
BIKE: 112 miles in 6hrs 45mins. Very hilly course composed of a 15 miles stick from Madison to Verona, 2 loops, then back on the 15 mile stick to Madison.
Forth, and fear no darkness! Arise! Arise, Riders of Theoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day... a red day... ere the sun rises! Ride now!... Ride now!... Ride! Ride to ruin and the world's ending!
With the slight dizziness of the swim gone, I was ready to ride. My plan was to take the first 40 miles as a warm-up, see how I felt at that point and go from there. The ride is best broken up into segments.
0-15 miles: The Ride To Verona
The ride started down the helix, similar to the one I just ran up from the lake but now at the opposite end of the Terrace building. It was a No Pass Zone and a nice coast downhill. I saw my two friends at the bottom, their cheering got me smiling. The first few miles were a nice easy ride on local bike trails, with sharp turns and switchbacks to keep the speed under control. A technical ride that would be more difficult to focus on 6-7 hrs from now. Soon enough we were on the roads! The immediate and not unexpected problem was the 10's of other cyclists in my immediate area. This was a no-drafting race, and it seemed impossible to not be drafting! Still warming up, I did my best to stay off the back of others. To do so meant I had to pass cyclists going even slightly slower than me. But I wanted to keep it easy for now, meaning I purposefully tailed a few as far back as I could. I hadn't ridden or previewed this part of the course and it was all new to me. It went by quickly.
********
15-56 miles: The First Loop
Once into Verona, the roads became familiar. This was the part of the course previewed a few weeks ago, and I am so glad for that preview. It gave me landmarks to look forward to, a headup of technical areas, and something to think about while riding. Never before was a course preview so useful!
The course was still pretty flat in this region, so it surprised me when my chain jumped off the big ring around mile 15-16. I was shifting, but not on any incline. Further, it jumped off the biggest ring to the outside, usually it jumps off the smaller ring. Only mildly frustrated, I put it back and kept rolling. And hoped their wasn't an adjustment problem on the bike that would cause a repeat performance.
The hills started soon enough, and I stuck to my goal of spinning up them easy without getting my heart rate up. But the problem was that I was continuously passing people! Moving up from one group to the next, pass that group, then catch the next. I began to wonder--was I going too fast? Would these people pass me later on the run when my legs are blown out from riding too hard? Or was I seeded into groups of slower athletes based on my slow swim? I tried using people as pacers, staying behind someone for a few minutes to find a slower pace, but this only worked for a minute. Then I'd pass. I didn't get nervous or upset, just kept going.
Soon enough we entered Mt Horeb, the first city in the loop. The crowds were out lining the streets, as were the residents of the local nursing home! Wheelchairs and oxygen tanks lined one section of street. Some of them didn't even look awake, but I waved and smiled anyway.
My drinking was on schedule (every 15 mins) but my eating was lagging. Instead of every 30, it was more like every 45-55 mins. It is harder to eat on hills because you don't' want to take your hands off the bars, so I thought it crucial to eat in the flatter sections. Cutting my packages open before the ride was a wonderful idea. But pulling the bars out of the foil packages in the warm sun wasn't easy, and at one point I nearly ate a small piece of foil!
After Mt Horeb, the real hills started. Long roads with fast hills. Speeds varying from 5mph to 35mph. Climbing gear to descending gear, over and over and over. I loved it! I would get passed by heavier and/or more confident riders on the downhills, then I would boogie past them on the uphills. We call this leapfrogging. Again, the course preview made all the difference here, I knew exactly what to expect. The course was beautiful in this area: farms, hills, cows, trees, idyllic pastures, and more spectator-placed signs for Sara and Marie Frey than I could count. Those lucky athletes has some unbelievable supporters!
Cross Point was the next city on our tour. Not as many spectators here, but we only saw a little bit of town. Some flats, then the real hills were ahead of us. I used the flats to refuel and rest. It was in this section that we crossed areas of the course I'd forgotten about. Once I saw it, I'd remember, but I kept thinking hills were just around the corner only to find they weren't. But The Hills, the famous ones on the course, were marked by a U-turny road that crosses paths with a farm's cow crossing. No missing or forgetting that!
The first of the 4 hills was lined with spectators. I loved that these people drove all the way out to this rural road to yell, cowbell, and hold signs. My favorite sign was one that said FASTER DAMMIT it big letters. So many good signs, wish I could remember them all.
I flew up hills. Passed people left and right. Err...I mean left, not right (passing on the right is a race violation). Seeing my progress, I'd get my own special cheers which unfortunately only encouraged me. The first two hills passed without much problem for me, the only problem I had was that I was going faster than everyone else and could pass easily. A brief flat, a right turn, the The Biggie, a long straight hill that is most famous with spectators. Again, I flew up. And I saw Elvis. He would chase cyclists up the hill. :) Best of all, my husband was there. Seeing him raised my spirits and I took off down the hill, now going too fast and getting my heart rate too high. Bad Tracy! Slow down! The 4th hill is coming up!
Forth, and fear no darkness! Arise! Arise, Riders of Theoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day... a red day... ere the sun rises! Ride now!... Ride now!... Ride! Ride to ruin and the world's ending!
With the slight dizziness of the swim gone, I was ready to ride. My plan was to take the first 40 miles as a warm-up, see how I felt at that point and go from there. The ride is best broken up into segments.
0-15 miles: The Ride To Verona
The ride started down the helix, similar to the one I just ran up from the lake but now at the opposite end of the Terrace building. It was a No Pass Zone and a nice coast downhill. I saw my two friends at the bottom, their cheering got me smiling. The first few miles were a nice easy ride on local bike trails, with sharp turns and switchbacks to keep the speed under control. A technical ride that would be more difficult to focus on 6-7 hrs from now. Soon enough we were on the roads! The immediate and not unexpected problem was the 10's of other cyclists in my immediate area. This was a no-drafting race, and it seemed impossible to not be drafting! Still warming up, I did my best to stay off the back of others. To do so meant I had to pass cyclists going even slightly slower than me. But I wanted to keep it easy for now, meaning I purposefully tailed a few as far back as I could. I hadn't ridden or previewed this part of the course and it was all new to me. It went by quickly.
********
15-56 miles: The First Loop
Once into Verona, the roads became familiar. This was the part of the course previewed a few weeks ago, and I am so glad for that preview. It gave me landmarks to look forward to, a headup of technical areas, and something to think about while riding. Never before was a course preview so useful!
The course was still pretty flat in this region, so it surprised me when my chain jumped off the big ring around mile 15-16. I was shifting, but not on any incline. Further, it jumped off the biggest ring to the outside, usually it jumps off the smaller ring. Only mildly frustrated, I put it back and kept rolling. And hoped their wasn't an adjustment problem on the bike that would cause a repeat performance.
The hills started soon enough, and I stuck to my goal of spinning up them easy without getting my heart rate up. But the problem was that I was continuously passing people! Moving up from one group to the next, pass that group, then catch the next. I began to wonder--was I going too fast? Would these people pass me later on the run when my legs are blown out from riding too hard? Or was I seeded into groups of slower athletes based on my slow swim? I tried using people as pacers, staying behind someone for a few minutes to find a slower pace, but this only worked for a minute. Then I'd pass. I didn't get nervous or upset, just kept going.
Soon enough we entered Mt Horeb, the first city in the loop. The crowds were out lining the streets, as were the residents of the local nursing home! Wheelchairs and oxygen tanks lined one section of street. Some of them didn't even look awake, but I waved and smiled anyway.
My drinking was on schedule (every 15 mins) but my eating was lagging. Instead of every 30, it was more like every 45-55 mins. It is harder to eat on hills because you don't' want to take your hands off the bars, so I thought it crucial to eat in the flatter sections. Cutting my packages open before the ride was a wonderful idea. But pulling the bars out of the foil packages in the warm sun wasn't easy, and at one point I nearly ate a small piece of foil!
After Mt Horeb, the real hills started. Long roads with fast hills. Speeds varying from 5mph to 35mph. Climbing gear to descending gear, over and over and over. I loved it! I would get passed by heavier and/or more confident riders on the downhills, then I would boogie past them on the uphills. We call this leapfrogging. Again, the course preview made all the difference here, I knew exactly what to expect. The course was beautiful in this area: farms, hills, cows, trees, idyllic pastures, and more spectator-placed signs for Sara and Marie Frey than I could count. Those lucky athletes has some unbelievable supporters!
Cross Point was the next city on our tour. Not as many spectators here, but we only saw a little bit of town. Some flats, then the real hills were ahead of us. I used the flats to refuel and rest. It was in this section that we crossed areas of the course I'd forgotten about. Once I saw it, I'd remember, but I kept thinking hills were just around the corner only to find they weren't. But The Hills, the famous ones on the course, were marked by a U-turny road that crosses paths with a farm's cow crossing. No missing or forgetting that!
The first of the 4 hills was lined with spectators. I loved that these people drove all the way out to this rural road to yell, cowbell, and hold signs. My favorite sign was one that said FASTER DAMMIT it big letters. So many good signs, wish I could remember them all.
I flew up hills. Passed people left and right. Err...I mean left, not right (passing on the right is a race violation). Seeing my progress, I'd get my own special cheers which unfortunately only encouraged me. The first two hills passed without much problem for me, the only problem I had was that I was going faster than everyone else and could pass easily. A brief flat, a right turn, the The Biggie, a long straight hill that is most famous with spectators. Again, I flew up. And I saw Elvis. He would chase cyclists up the hill. :) Best of all, my husband was there. Seeing him raised my spirits and I took off down the hill, now going too fast and getting my heart rate too high. Bad Tracy! Slow down! The 4th hill is coming up!
We started heading back towards Verona, but not before one more big hill with the EN group cheering people on. They were wearing pick speedo shorts that said something about cowgirls. Another fast hill climb, again I'm worrying that I'm ruining my run, but it all feels so good....
Verona was a welcome sight--it was the halfway mark through the bike. The crowds picked up again and as I was learning crowds mean adrenaline. Verona marketed itself as having a Iron Festival on race day, I have to say I was pretty disappointed in their Festival. It was just a long water station with crowds? Really? BUT--I did hear my dad yell for me as I went past!! I was afraid of whipping my head around in aero to see him, but oh what a rush! There were right there cheering me on even if I couldn't see them. At the "turn left to Finish, turn right for 2nd loop" split, I came across the JM's. I think they were lounging in chairs? Or sitting on the curb? Regardless, the brief contact with family and friends left me smiling for the next round. Time so far about 3-3.25hrs.
Second verse, just like the first. I won't rehash the course here, but I'll hit some highlights. I stopped at my first aid station right after the split. Topped off the tanks, don't think I stopped for the bathroom. Also stopped at special needs and gathered the rest of my stuff. Probably wouldn't need it, but I'm paranoid. Both stops were clumsy, I felt rushed too. All those hours in aero The nursing home people were all gone and Mt Horeb was a little thin on cheering. The rollers before Cross Point tasted just as good. I ran in to Bob from MEC in the flats. Cheering also a little sparse in the Big Hills, but my family was there! Yeah!!! Again I attacked on the hills and gained a lot of ground of other cyclists.
The ride continued with good fueling, good energy, and fun. I passed the JM's at the top of the last big hill and JoM jogged with me a few steps. He said something, can't remember what now, that had me smiling for the next few minutes. I needed it, I was starting to wear down.
I hit the Turn Left split and was buoyed, but my body wasn't. My focus was starting to blur. My legs getting stiff. And my feet. OMG my feet started to hurt around 100-106 miles. Burning, sharp, pain in the balls of my feet. I wanted to stop but didn't want to stop. My water was warm. Gels were over-rated. This was my sign--Eat Anyway!! So I ate, knowing I needed all the focus I could get for negotiating the turns through the bike paths before the finish line. No need to crash now! It was funny riding the last few miles in the country, I really don't remember riding them outbound just 6 hours ago!
I ignored the pain, focused on perfect pedal strokes instead. It abated around mile 110, at which point I started mentally mapping out my T2. It was a welcome distraction to think ahead, I'd been keeping myself from doing so all day.
Finally we came to Lake Menona (I swam in that this morning!!) and the convention center. 112 miles and no flats, problems, or worries. The last feature on this ride from heaven was the ride up the helix to T2. In training, I reminded myself to hang on to some energy for this last "hill". I'd heard that regardless of how tired you are, being so close to finishing got you up the helix. True! I popped right up and got ready to hand Frea over to the bike catchers. I swung off, put my feet down, and the pain was so bad I nearly fell over!
IMWI 2010 T1: Swim to bike transition
T1: 15 mins, 22 sec.
"Don't be hasty".
This time started once I crossed the arch at the boat dock and continued all the way to the mount line on the bike course. It's a somewhat long T1 time, and here's why.
One the way to T1, the wetsuit was peeled off. This took awhile, I couldn't get myself to stop moving since I wanted to keep running. Once I stopped I got a little woozy (Imagine swiveling your head straight ahead t0 right to ahead to right to ahead to right for 100 minutes...that was my swim...). The peelers has some trouble getting me to sit and put my feet up for them to pull. I kept trying to help which only hindered their efforts. Soon enough--the suit was off. Now off to the Terrace building to change clothes.
A unique feature of this race is the run up the helical parking ramps. They wind up 2-3 full circles on a slow incline lined with spectators. I thought this would be a struggle after the swim but I bebopped right up. On the way I saw Rich and gave him a big wet hug. One more turn and there was my family!! Mom seemed to be crying?!? This left my crying a bit too, but so happy to see them! The hard part was done for me! Now the fun stuff!
Once to the building, I was guided to my #2 gear bag. A volunteer called my number out and another volunteer grabbed it for me. Smooth efficiency. I grabbed my bag and ran off to women's changing. This room had rows of chairs for us to sit on. A volunteer followed me to a chair and she stayed with me the entire time.
I had worn my swim suit under the wetsuit, with the plan of completely changing my outfit for the bike ride. USAT has strict rules against public nudity, so the idea of being entirely naked during a race has a weird thrill to it. "Are you serious, I can do this?" I ask the volunteer. "Sure, look around you", she says. Sure enough. Naked everywhere. So off the suit goes (sorry readers, but if you havent figured it out already I'll remind you again. Triathletes seem to spend a lot of time talking and thinking about bodies and body functions. You get a new level of body comfort after a few years). And the new clothes came on: tri shorts, sports bra, cycling jersey. My volunteer helped with every step.
I was hurrying for no reason, so I kept saying "I need to slow down". In fact, I pulled out my index note card, on which I wrote "Don't be hasty". No need to hurry here, just get everything together, and savor the experience. Soak it in. I looked around a bit to watch other athletes. What a scene!
My wonderful volunteer (why didn't I get her name?!) was so patient and so helpful. She handed me everything one by one, and she seemed to understand what I needed to do. I was probably the 100th person she'd helped that morning, and I commented that she must have seen about everything already this morning and that nothing I'd do could surprise her. She laughed and nodded.
Halo headband on, gloves on, Garmin on , tissues in back pocket, gloves off because I forgot chamois butt'r. My volunteer offered to put this on for me. Although I promised I'd revel in the IM experience, I didn't want my volunteer rubbing body lube on my butt!! Again, it was a weird thrill to be have your hand down your pants rubbing lub on your crotch area in public. But given the choice between that and pain at mile 50, easy choice!! Wipe hands on towel, gloves back on, forgot HR monitor so put that on, helmet, shoes, no not the shoes carry those out instead. Arm warmers? No, another volunteer said, it's warm you should be OK. I tucked them in a back pocket instead. Wow, did I have everything? I took a minute to look around again. Still quite the scene.
I was ready to go! Thanked my volunteer for the umpteenth time and ran out. Time to find Frea and saddle up for 112 miles!
One the way out, I came across the sunscreen volunteers. They had vats (seriously, vats) of sunscreen that they would dip their hands in and just cover athletes to the point of white skin. Did I want sunscreen? Sure! I want the whole experience! So I was patted and globbed up with sunscreen as requested. They were having so much fun doing it, how could I refuse?
Next stop the portapotty. Good, I was hydrated! On the way to the bike, I noticed that my Garmin watch still hadn't sync'd with the GPS satellites. I turned it off and on again, hoping to help it along. This had worked in training. Being in the building had blocked its signal but now I was in open air. At the bike, I paused a bit. A volunteer grabbed Frea to hand her to me, but I held off. I needed to get the other GPS tracking device on my waist. I took my time, again, what's the rush? GPS tracker on, GPS watch still thinking about it. Don't wait just go.
I had a long jog with the bike to the mount line. It was a walk/jog really, it's hard to jog in bike shoes! At one point I stopped to get a rock out of my shoe, no need to have that bothering me for 112 miles! Finally the mount line. By now the Garmin watch had located the GPS satellites. I was ready!! Hop on and RIDE!
SUMMARY: I could have gone faster, but why. I needed to have everything together for the next 6-7 hours of racing. I did the right thing by waiting for my dizzyness to subside and taking time to prepare. By the time I hopped on the bike, I was fully ready.
"Don't be hasty".
This time started once I crossed the arch at the boat dock and continued all the way to the mount line on the bike course. It's a somewhat long T1 time, and here's why.
One the way to T1, the wetsuit was peeled off. This took awhile, I couldn't get myself to stop moving since I wanted to keep running. Once I stopped I got a little woozy (Imagine swiveling your head straight ahead t0 right to ahead to right to ahead to right for 100 minutes...that was my swim...). The peelers has some trouble getting me to sit and put my feet up for them to pull. I kept trying to help which only hindered their efforts. Soon enough--the suit was off. Now off to the Terrace building to change clothes.
A unique feature of this race is the run up the helical parking ramps. They wind up 2-3 full circles on a slow incline lined with spectators. I thought this would be a struggle after the swim but I bebopped right up. On the way I saw Rich and gave him a big wet hug. One more turn and there was my family!! Mom seemed to be crying?!? This left my crying a bit too, but so happy to see them! The hard part was done for me! Now the fun stuff!
Once to the building, I was guided to my #2 gear bag. A volunteer called my number out and another volunteer grabbed it for me. Smooth efficiency. I grabbed my bag and ran off to women's changing. This room had rows of chairs for us to sit on. A volunteer followed me to a chair and she stayed with me the entire time.
I had worn my swim suit under the wetsuit, with the plan of completely changing my outfit for the bike ride. USAT has strict rules against public nudity, so the idea of being entirely naked during a race has a weird thrill to it. "Are you serious, I can do this?" I ask the volunteer. "Sure, look around you", she says. Sure enough. Naked everywhere. So off the suit goes (sorry readers, but if you havent figured it out already I'll remind you again. Triathletes seem to spend a lot of time talking and thinking about bodies and body functions. You get a new level of body comfort after a few years). And the new clothes came on: tri shorts, sports bra, cycling jersey. My volunteer helped with every step.
I was hurrying for no reason, so I kept saying "I need to slow down". In fact, I pulled out my index note card, on which I wrote "Don't be hasty". No need to hurry here, just get everything together, and savor the experience. Soak it in. I looked around a bit to watch other athletes. What a scene!
My wonderful volunteer (why didn't I get her name?!) was so patient and so helpful. She handed me everything one by one, and she seemed to understand what I needed to do. I was probably the 100th person she'd helped that morning, and I commented that she must have seen about everything already this morning and that nothing I'd do could surprise her. She laughed and nodded.
Halo headband on, gloves on, Garmin on , tissues in back pocket, gloves off because I forgot chamois butt'r. My volunteer offered to put this on for me. Although I promised I'd revel in the IM experience, I didn't want my volunteer rubbing body lube on my butt!! Again, it was a weird thrill to be have your hand down your pants rubbing lub on your crotch area in public. But given the choice between that and pain at mile 50, easy choice!! Wipe hands on towel, gloves back on, forgot HR monitor so put that on, helmet, shoes, no not the shoes carry those out instead. Arm warmers? No, another volunteer said, it's warm you should be OK. I tucked them in a back pocket instead. Wow, did I have everything? I took a minute to look around again. Still quite the scene.
I was ready to go! Thanked my volunteer for the umpteenth time and ran out. Time to find Frea and saddle up for 112 miles!
One the way out, I came across the sunscreen volunteers. They had vats (seriously, vats) of sunscreen that they would dip their hands in and just cover athletes to the point of white skin. Did I want sunscreen? Sure! I want the whole experience! So I was patted and globbed up with sunscreen as requested. They were having so much fun doing it, how could I refuse?
Next stop the portapotty. Good, I was hydrated! On the way to the bike, I noticed that my Garmin watch still hadn't sync'd with the GPS satellites. I turned it off and on again, hoping to help it along. This had worked in training. Being in the building had blocked its signal but now I was in open air. At the bike, I paused a bit. A volunteer grabbed Frea to hand her to me, but I held off. I needed to get the other GPS tracking device on my waist. I took my time, again, what's the rush? GPS tracker on, GPS watch still thinking about it. Don't wait just go.
I had a long jog with the bike to the mount line. It was a walk/jog really, it's hard to jog in bike shoes! At one point I stopped to get a rock out of my shoe, no need to have that bothering me for 112 miles! Finally the mount line. By now the Garmin watch had located the GPS satellites. I was ready!! Hop on and RIDE!
SUMMARY: I could have gone faster, but why. I needed to have everything together for the next 6-7 hours of racing. I did the right thing by waiting for my dizzyness to subside and taking time to prepare. By the time I hopped on the bike, I was fully ready.
IMWI Swim
SWIM: 2.4 miles in 1hr 40 mins 43 sec. Water temp high 60's. Clear still weather. Rectangular course with long lengths and very short sides. Mass start in deep water. 2 loop course, staying in water between loops. Counterclockwise swim with the first leg along the shore under the Monona Terrace buildings.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time given to us".
First order of business was to get dressed. Get the wetsuit, goggles, and cap on. I was nervous about the wetsuit rubbing my neck, so I put enough BodyGlide on for 3 races. There must have been a pile of it there. I kept watching for anyone I knew to talk to, amidst the 2900 athletes milling about, with race personnel and family too. A crowded, but quiet chaos.
Once dressed, I went to drop off bag #1. My family could retrieve it for me during the race so I could have it at the finish line. Happily I found DC during this time. And PS. And then I calmed a bit. Now we just had to wait. All the pro athletes entered the water first for a 6:50am gun time. Then all 2900 of us had to file through an inflated arch with a timing mat. This way the race officials would know how many entered the water and be sure everyone came out.
Waiting. Waiting. The line moved slowly. We were a pack of neoprened cattle, being herded off to the lake. I can't believe how calm I was. But by this time there was nothing else to worry about. Nothing else I could do to prepare. This was it.
We finally made it to the water, and I seeded myself to the back of the pack. I swam out a bit towards the halfway point across the start line. Unlike in Kansas, I was able to pee in the suit this time. All the training was coming into place. :)
The National Anthem played. The announcer got us ready. The spectators cheered, we cheered. Then U2's Beautiful Day came over the speakers., and when the song came to the loud guitar riff and main chorus, the cannon sounded.
"It's a beautiful day, Don’t let it get away"
IMWI 2010 was underway. OMG!
I knew the swim start would be chaos, and it lived up to the promise. Arms, legs, torsos, heads, splashing, churning, bubbles EVERYWHERE. Although I started towards the back I hit the back of the pack soon enough. Swim a few strokes, stop to sight, swim a few strokes, stop to sight. This went on for the entire first length of the swim, about half a mile. Amazingly enough, I wasn't kicked, hit, or knocked around too bad at all. In fact, it was kinda fun.
I kept to the outside of the pack as well. While this probably meant I'd swim much more than 2.4 miles, I figured it was a good trade off. I could fight my way along the buoys or have some good open space around me. I chose the latter. Also in my plans was to stop if I wanted to, rest, look around, and get my bearings. I reached the first turn, and heard Moo-ing. We were told at the welcome dinner that the kayakers and safety personnel at the first turn liked to be moo'd at. This meant I was at the first turn already! MOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Round the turn, swim a short distance, then another turn. Now another long ~half mile swim. I had mostly clear water around me, but I was still being bumped around. After the 2nd turn, someone hit my right calf and whether coincident or not, it cramped! WHAT?! OK, no panic, this has happened in training. Float a few seconds and let the leg hang. Don't flex it yet. It seemed way too early to cramp, I worried this was a bad sign for the rest of the swim. The leg relaxed after only 30 seconds and I took off. This back half of the swim course seemed awfully long. I suffered a bit mentally, hitting a low attitude for a few minutes. I think it was because there was nothing to see on this leg of the swim. In the first long leg, the Terrace building slid by in my field of view marking my progress. On this leg I just saw sky, which doesn't show change or progress. But I just kept at it, figuring each turn of the arms brought me one more step closer to the finish.
Finally the 3rd turn approached and went by. The 4th turn (the start of the 2nd lap) came slowly. I checked my watch at the 4th turn: 47 minutes. My longest 1.2 mile swim time. Ever. I chalked it up to the rough start and kept going. Once again the Terrace was in view. I was smiling at a few points. I was doing it!!! I was going to finish this swim!!!
It seemed a long time to the 1st turn. And I was starting to swim towards the right, which meant I was getting tired and my form was suffering. As this was a counter clockwise swim, this put me on a heading off course. I needed some mental kick, so I started counting strokes. Count to 10, sight. Count to 10, sight. A few rounds of this, then a voice yelled at me. I popped up to see a kayak right in front of me! I was off course! The kayaker was wearing a stuffed cow hat with horns. I told him that I just swim over to say that I liked his hat. He laughed, then pointed me off, wishing a good race.
Focus on straight lines! 10, sight. 10, sight. Finally the 2nd turn. Only one more long straightaway!! I figured that it was equivalent to only 10 laps in the 50m pool, just like I practiced. Maybe 20-25 more minutes! It was right about here that I inhaled some water. I sputtered and coughed a bit before continuing. That was the only time during the swim that I did that!
This stretch went on even longer than the first time I did it. The buoys were numbered, #1, #2, etc on to #8 before the 3rd turn. I focused on one buoy at a time. I talked to them in my mind. "Heeeeerre buoy #3, come to momma, come here you!". One by one, they slid by. At 2 points in this length, each calf took its turn at cramping. Both were short lived, but both stopped me a few minutes. One kayaker yelled to see if I was OK. I gave a Thumbs Up. I'm nearly to the last turn of this swim, no way I'd quit now.
Finally the last turn. Now the homestretch. I resisted looking at my watch. This wasn't about time, this was about finish. This last leg took the longest. I didn't think I was even moving at one point, the finish arch seemed to hang in the distance and never came closer. But it did. Slowly. Suddenly I was surrounded by other swimmers--they had been swimming along the buoys and I had avoided them all by swimming wide. (At no point during the entire swim was I close to the buoys, I wonder just how far I really swam?). Now as everyone homed in on the finish arch, I was crowded in the swim, bumped, hit, pushed around. As before, I pushed back and held my space, but now I was tired and ready to leave the water. I wanted out!
Soon enough, the boat ramp was underfoot. It's dizzying to stand all of the sudden, but I'M DONE! The clock read 1hr 40 mins. WHAT?!? 53 mins for the last loop. Really?!?! I was elated and saddened at the same time. No matter now, what's done is done. No use crying over a slow swim.
SUMMARY: What a rush, the mass start was described to be like a pack a piranas and after seeing a video I'd have to agree. What did I do good? I just kept going and I stayed very calm. I didn't let the mass of other swimmers get to me and I didn't take the hits and bumps personally. Just kept plugging away at the course. What can I improve on? My form and my efficiency. After fixing those, I'll get some speed. I kept turning off course and wasn't confident enough to swim in the pack for very long.
IMWI Race Morning
The alarm went off at 4:15am. The plan was to leave for the race site at 5:10 or so. I had my usual morning, the same as I had all summer training for this race: coffee, banana, Lara Bar, Powerbar, email, water, bathroom, get dressed.
Only this morning, right after coffee I put on my timing chip. No chip, no time. I filled my water bottles and mixed my energy drinks.
I wasn't nervous. I wasn't anxious. But I was electric. There was a buzz in my blood. An energy that had me razor sharp on all race matters but oblivious to all else. I moved moment to moment.
Double checked gear bags #1, 3, and 5 again, then headed out the door. It was still dark on the drive, the sun was only barely peeking over the horizon. I was suddenly quiet in the car. But not nervous.
Parked the car, grabbed the bags. #3 and #5 had to be dropped off on State St. #3 would be trucked out to the bike course, #5 would be lined up for access on State St during the run. #1 came with me to the swim start.
I was in a goofy mood, posing for pictures and joking around. I felt kinda like I do before I leave for a long trip. Tears in my eyes, heart skipping beats. For some reason I dreaded leaving Rich, because once I did it meant I was on my own for the rest of the day. I wanted him near as long as possible. We found the bike and dropped of the water bottles, GPS device, and nutrition. Then body marking, where the volunteer asked if I wanted a "V" with my number, to indicate Iron Virgin. No, thank you. Then a porta-potty. The atmosphere was similar to most races--nervous atheletes, lost spectators, music, sun rising, orderly chaos. This I was familiar with, I could handle this. As big a day as everyone was facing, everyone was supportive, helpful, nice and smiling. The energy was undescribable.
Now down to the lake. I had my first view of the real race buoys as we walked down the helix from the bikes. They weren't so bad, not so far out as I feared. Once less thing to worry about.
It was crowded by the lake, and now there were fences set up to separate athletes from non-athletes. Rich was ready to let me go, I wasn't ready. I clung for a bit, during which I found a friend from St Louis waiting with his brother (also racing today) and his family. A short good luck to them. Then Rich was pushing me off again. More tears, a hug, and I thanked him for everything. All the last year, all the past week, and for everything to come today.
Then I was off. Time to get ready to swim!
Only this morning, right after coffee I put on my timing chip. No chip, no time. I filled my water bottles and mixed my energy drinks.
I wasn't nervous. I wasn't anxious. But I was electric. There was a buzz in my blood. An energy that had me razor sharp on all race matters but oblivious to all else. I moved moment to moment.
Double checked gear bags #1, 3, and 5 again, then headed out the door. It was still dark on the drive, the sun was only barely peeking over the horizon. I was suddenly quiet in the car. But not nervous.
Parked the car, grabbed the bags. #3 and #5 had to be dropped off on State St. #3 would be trucked out to the bike course, #5 would be lined up for access on State St during the run. #1 came with me to the swim start.
I was in a goofy mood, posing for pictures and joking around. I felt kinda like I do before I leave for a long trip. Tears in my eyes, heart skipping beats. For some reason I dreaded leaving Rich, because once I did it meant I was on my own for the rest of the day. I wanted him near as long as possible. We found the bike and dropped of the water bottles, GPS device, and nutrition. Then body marking, where the volunteer asked if I wanted a "V" with my number, to indicate Iron Virgin. No, thank you. Then a porta-potty. The atmosphere was similar to most races--nervous atheletes, lost spectators, music, sun rising, orderly chaos. This I was familiar with, I could handle this. As big a day as everyone was facing, everyone was supportive, helpful, nice and smiling. The energy was undescribable.
Now down to the lake. I had my first view of the real race buoys as we walked down the helix from the bikes. They weren't so bad, not so far out as I feared. Once less thing to worry about.
It was crowded by the lake, and now there were fences set up to separate athletes from non-athletes. Rich was ready to let me go, I wasn't ready. I clung for a bit, during which I found a friend from St Louis waiting with his brother (also racing today) and his family. A short good luck to them. Then Rich was pushing me off again. More tears, a hug, and I thanked him for everything. All the last year, all the past week, and for everything to come today.
Then I was off. Time to get ready to swim!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Saturday Before the Race
I woke up early to rain. No surpise, I knew it was coming. In fact, we looked forward to it because the sooner the front moved through the sooner Sunday's weather would clear out.
The original plan was to swim at 8am with DC, but we delayed for the rain. Good thing, because I heard from others that the water was rough that morning. Instead we swam around 11am.
The delay wasn't all good for me though. With the hubby still asleep I decided to pack my 5 gear bags. To help with packing, a had prepared index cards with a packing list about 2 weeks ago. I knew I'd be overwhelmed and not thinking clearly the morning I packed them. Good call.
I had the bags lined up #1-5 along the wall in the hotel floor. Some were easy to pack, like the dry clothes bag. Others had me paralyzed in thought. Will I change clothes after the swim? If yes, then I need the sports bra and tri shorts in bag #2, not bag #1. (I very nearly forgot to pack this sports bra!! This caused more minor panic.) Do I have enought food? Do I have too many caffeinated gels? Do I want things bundled together or separate and easy to find? (For this I decided to Ziplock small things into groups--all the food here, all the others there. DC suggested this, great idea, the plan was just grab whatever little bag I needed out of the big one).
I struggled with packing for about 3 hours. DC invited me to join him for breakfast, at first I thought it a good idea to get away from this stress. Then I decided against it; I needed to get this done! Chocolate or vanilla gel in bag #3? Will I need a long sleeve shirt for the run? Which bag of the run? Do I have electrolytes in each bag? Enough gum? Soon enough I pinpointed my stress: I had gear separation anxiety. The bike, bag #2, and #4 all had to be dropped off today between 10-4pm. This might be the last chance I had to be absolutely sure I had EVERYTHING I might want or need. I like to look at my stuff over and over and over the night before and the morning of a race. I'd pack a bag, then go through it again to be sure. And again. I needed to get out.
Soon the hubby woke up, and we left for breakfast. My legs were bouncing. I mouth going 90mph. My hands shaking. My thoughts jumbled. But I wasn't worried about the race. I was worried about packing for it. My stomach was a mess of twisting and turning.
The rain cleared up, then DC and I left to swim. By this time (11am or so) the waters calmed to a nice smooth surface. Almost the sheet of glass I'd heard about for this lake. So this 2nd practice swim was even better than yesterday's. DC and I swam out about 15 mins then turned around. He pointed out key features of the course, sightlines, buoys, and gave me an idea of how the start line would look. The buoys he pointed out seemed so far away from the shore, way out in the lake. This left me uncertain about the swim. Would we really be that far out?? Could I really swim this? Would I get too nervous in what seemed like the middle of the lake?? More stomach turning, just what I needed. Yet with all this the swim was great and built confidence.
Next was dropping off the bike on top of the Terrace parking lot. Bike racks seemed to stretch forever there. I found my rack and hung Frea. This morning I had opened my Powerbar packages (they are hard to open while riding) by cutting open a small slit at one end. Worried about rain, I took them back off the bike so I could keep them dry overnight. Not that rain was in the forecast...I was just overthinking.
Next was #2 and #4 gear bags. Each of these were placed in two large rooms in the Terrace. Imagine row after row of bags, ordered in increments of 50 by race numbers, with little signs pointing out which area your number was in. It reminded me of a library. 2900-some bags in all, all in order, all lined up for tomorrow. Now times that by 2, because there were two bags for each athlete. By dropping off the bags, I got a preview of where to go on race day. Through this door, follow this green carpet, to the bag, through this door, sit in this chair...oh heck. There was no way I was going to remember all this overnight. Besides, there were arrow signs and volunteers everywhere. So no need to worry about getting lost.
After that, Saturday race prep was mostly done. My gear separation anxiety subsided without bags to keep peeking in and checking. Short lunch, then back to the hotel. My stomach calmed down, and so did my mind. But I was awful at decisions. I couldn't think straight enough to decide between anything, thankfully Rich and DC were patient with me all day. I was pretty worthless :)
But overall I was feeling good. I varied between doubt and confidence. At one point on Saturday my cop-out excuses started lining up. I decided that if something happened and I couldn't finish, at least I could say I honestly did my best effort. Minutes later I could see myself at the finish line, and minutes after that I could see me in a bike crash. Doubt to confidence to doubt and back to confidence. But it was a healthy mixture of the two.
My family arrived to Madison that night, as did some club friends who came to spectate. We had a group dinner (at which I couldn't decide what to eat) and my family got a glimpse of my club buddies. haha, wonder what they thought.
The rule is that Friday night's sleep is the most important, because Saturday's sleep would be restless and short. But I slept good both nights, only some worry about that swim.
I would do my best. An honest effort. And regardless of the outcome, I would be satisfied with that.
Bullshit. I was going to finish this race. Come hell or high water.
The original plan was to swim at 8am with DC, but we delayed for the rain. Good thing, because I heard from others that the water was rough that morning. Instead we swam around 11am.
The delay wasn't all good for me though. With the hubby still asleep I decided to pack my 5 gear bags. To help with packing, a had prepared index cards with a packing list about 2 weeks ago. I knew I'd be overwhelmed and not thinking clearly the morning I packed them. Good call.
I had the bags lined up #1-5 along the wall in the hotel floor. Some were easy to pack, like the dry clothes bag. Others had me paralyzed in thought. Will I change clothes after the swim? If yes, then I need the sports bra and tri shorts in bag #2, not bag #1. (I very nearly forgot to pack this sports bra!! This caused more minor panic.) Do I have enought food? Do I have too many caffeinated gels? Do I want things bundled together or separate and easy to find? (For this I decided to Ziplock small things into groups--all the food here, all the others there. DC suggested this, great idea, the plan was just grab whatever little bag I needed out of the big one).
I struggled with packing for about 3 hours. DC invited me to join him for breakfast, at first I thought it a good idea to get away from this stress. Then I decided against it; I needed to get this done! Chocolate or vanilla gel in bag #3? Will I need a long sleeve shirt for the run? Which bag of the run? Do I have electrolytes in each bag? Enough gum? Soon enough I pinpointed my stress: I had gear separation anxiety. The bike, bag #2, and #4 all had to be dropped off today between 10-4pm. This might be the last chance I had to be absolutely sure I had EVERYTHING I might want or need. I like to look at my stuff over and over and over the night before and the morning of a race. I'd pack a bag, then go through it again to be sure. And again. I needed to get out.
Soon the hubby woke up, and we left for breakfast. My legs were bouncing. I mouth going 90mph. My hands shaking. My thoughts jumbled. But I wasn't worried about the race. I was worried about packing for it. My stomach was a mess of twisting and turning.
The rain cleared up, then DC and I left to swim. By this time (11am or so) the waters calmed to a nice smooth surface. Almost the sheet of glass I'd heard about for this lake. So this 2nd practice swim was even better than yesterday's. DC and I swam out about 15 mins then turned around. He pointed out key features of the course, sightlines, buoys, and gave me an idea of how the start line would look. The buoys he pointed out seemed so far away from the shore, way out in the lake. This left me uncertain about the swim. Would we really be that far out?? Could I really swim this? Would I get too nervous in what seemed like the middle of the lake?? More stomach turning, just what I needed. Yet with all this the swim was great and built confidence.
Next was dropping off the bike on top of the Terrace parking lot. Bike racks seemed to stretch forever there. I found my rack and hung Frea. This morning I had opened my Powerbar packages (they are hard to open while riding) by cutting open a small slit at one end. Worried about rain, I took them back off the bike so I could keep them dry overnight. Not that rain was in the forecast...I was just overthinking.
Next was #2 and #4 gear bags. Each of these were placed in two large rooms in the Terrace. Imagine row after row of bags, ordered in increments of 50 by race numbers, with little signs pointing out which area your number was in. It reminded me of a library. 2900-some bags in all, all in order, all lined up for tomorrow. Now times that by 2, because there were two bags for each athlete. By dropping off the bags, I got a preview of where to go on race day. Through this door, follow this green carpet, to the bag, through this door, sit in this chair...oh heck. There was no way I was going to remember all this overnight. Besides, there were arrow signs and volunteers everywhere. So no need to worry about getting lost.
After that, Saturday race prep was mostly done. My gear separation anxiety subsided without bags to keep peeking in and checking. Short lunch, then back to the hotel. My stomach calmed down, and so did my mind. But I was awful at decisions. I couldn't think straight enough to decide between anything, thankfully Rich and DC were patient with me all day. I was pretty worthless :)
But overall I was feeling good. I varied between doubt and confidence. At one point on Saturday my cop-out excuses started lining up. I decided that if something happened and I couldn't finish, at least I could say I honestly did my best effort. Minutes later I could see myself at the finish line, and minutes after that I could see me in a bike crash. Doubt to confidence to doubt and back to confidence. But it was a healthy mixture of the two.
My family arrived to Madison that night, as did some club friends who came to spectate. We had a group dinner (at which I couldn't decide what to eat) and my family got a glimpse of my club buddies. haha, wonder what they thought.
The rule is that Friday night's sleep is the most important, because Saturday's sleep would be restless and short. But I slept good both nights, only some worry about that swim.
I would do my best. An honest effort. And regardless of the outcome, I would be satisfied with that.
Bullshit. I was going to finish this race. Come hell or high water.
Friday, September 10, 2010
How to pack for an Ironman
I was advised to take everything I owned to the race. Funny as it sounded, it was true. So I did. We had 5 gear bags for race day:
#1 was the dry clothes bag- clothes I take off before I swim. Wetsuit, cap, goggles, BodyGlide for wetsuit, silicone plugs for ears, timing chip, gel, Powerbar, towel and dry clothes for after the race. This was pretty straightforward to pack.
#2 was T1--swim to bike. All the bike gear. Shoes, helmet, Halo headband, gloves, Garmin and HR monitor strap, alcohol drops (for water in ears), Chamois butt'r, bag of tissues (to blow nose after swim), cycling jersey, tri shorts, sports bra, armwarmers, sunglasses, washrag to wipe face, mid-sized towel, packet of electrolytes and gum.
#3 was bike special needs. I had access to this halfway through the bike. Mint gel, another gel, Lara bar, extra tube, extra CO2, washrag, extra BodyGlide, more electrolytes and gum.
#4 was T2 bike to run. All the run gear. Shoes, socks, visor, tri top, tri shorts, BodyGlide, another washrag, electrolytes and gum.
#5 was run special needs. I had access to this halfway through the run: bee headgear, mint gel, more ClifBlocks, more BodyGlide, long sleeve shirt, another gel, pack of gum and electrolytes.
The bike had gear bags too. The front aero net had: 3 Powerbars, 1 Lara Bar, 6 gels, electrolytes and gum. The rear bag had a tire, 3 80mm tubes, 3 CO2 cartriges, 3 tire tools, and about 5 zip ties. Oh, and $1 for emergency tire repair.
Of all the gear I brought, I did not use on race day: 1 pair of lightweight armwarmers, light running cap, light full-finger gloves, tire pump...I'm sure there's more.
#1 was the dry clothes bag- clothes I take off before I swim. Wetsuit, cap, goggles, BodyGlide for wetsuit, silicone plugs for ears, timing chip, gel, Powerbar, towel and dry clothes for after the race. This was pretty straightforward to pack.
#2 was T1--swim to bike. All the bike gear. Shoes, helmet, Halo headband, gloves, Garmin and HR monitor strap, alcohol drops (for water in ears), Chamois butt'r, bag of tissues (to blow nose after swim), cycling jersey, tri shorts, sports bra, armwarmers, sunglasses, washrag to wipe face, mid-sized towel, packet of electrolytes and gum.
#3 was bike special needs. I had access to this halfway through the bike. Mint gel, another gel, Lara bar, extra tube, extra CO2, washrag, extra BodyGlide, more electrolytes and gum.
#4 was T2 bike to run. All the run gear. Shoes, socks, visor, tri top, tri shorts, BodyGlide, another washrag, electrolytes and gum.
#5 was run special needs. I had access to this halfway through the run: bee headgear, mint gel, more ClifBlocks, more BodyGlide, long sleeve shirt, another gel, pack of gum and electrolytes.
The bike had gear bags too. The front aero net had: 3 Powerbars, 1 Lara Bar, 6 gels, electrolytes and gum. The rear bag had a tire, 3 80mm tubes, 3 CO2 cartriges, 3 tire tools, and about 5 zip ties. Oh, and $1 for emergency tire repair.
Of all the gear I brought, I did not use on race day: 1 pair of lightweight armwarmers, light running cap, light full-finger gloves, tire pump...I'm sure there's more.
Pre Race Week
I'm behind on my log, I had every good intention of detailing my pre-race week but never got to it. My goal now is to slowly rebuild the week and prepare a good race report.
So many things happened in the last 7 days! And some of it was a blur that just moved from one moment to another so fast that I'd lose track of time. I just reveled in the experience, hopefully I can get it all in here. After a year of planning and tracking, I'd hate to lose that last week!
Pre Race Week:
My training plan had only 4 hours of training--a few minutes here an hour there. The goal was to stay loose, focused, and relaxed. I didn't get in much of that 4 hours, and I don't think it cost me anything. In fact, going by feel was a good idea.
I got in one last ride on the bike Tuesday or Weds morning, can't remember which now! Must have been Wednesday before we left town. I just wanted to run the chain through the new gear cassette and see if I could drop the chain by shifting hard. Nope. Good to go.
Thursday morning we finished the drive to Madison. The first stop was registration and the expo. As expected, registration was a well-managed chain of events. IM organizers have this down. USAT verification, waiver pickup, weigh-in, waiver drop-off. Then off to get swim cap, arm band, timing chip, race numbers, gear bags, and timing strap. Just go from one table to another, with incredibly helpful volunteers to help you get there.
So this was Thursday, and I still had Friday and Saturday to wait out!
Friday morning was my first practice swim. There was wind in the area and a front moving in, so the water had large swells. No chop, just swells. Temp was high 60's, so comfortable in a wetsuit--yea!! I planned to swim only 20 mins, so this wasn't supposed to be a tiring morning or a big deal. But swimming in swells is hard work. The flow of the water pushed me westward along the first leg of the course and I was surprised to stop and one point and realize I far I'd gone! Yikes! And double-yikes to see Madison rescue crews pulling 2 swimmers out of the water along the Terrace building. I found out later that they fatigued or cramped and needed to be pulled out. Great way to start your race weekend--rescued out of the lake!
The swim back was tough but doable. I could feel myself being lifted and dropped in the swells, it gave a slight motion sickness feeling. But not once did I inhale water or have trouble breathing. I stayed surprisingly calm for someone who fears rough waters. What I did hate was the lift of a swell followed by the drop--SMACK--right in the face of the next swell. I swam back to the boat ramp, waved to the husband to reassure him, then went out for more. My goal was to swim in all 4 directions to feel all the ways the water could flow over me.
I got out of the water feeling very confident! I've swum in Lake Michigan at 64F with those rolling and breaking waves. And now I've swim in Lake Monona at 68F-ish with swells. Success both times, I was very happy with today's swim!!!
That night was a welcome dinner and athlete briefing. The welcome dinner had a 1hr inspirational show. Mike Reilly (the guy who will say "YOU are an IRONMAN!) ran a great show. Movies, stories, jokes, special athletes, and more. The oldest athlete (72 years), youngest athlete (18 years), who had the most kids (48 years, 5 kids), who lost the most weight (167 lbs), and much more. The race meeting was the standard fair: rules, guidelines, and more.
The rest of the day was meant to be calm. I worked on some computer files, watched some TV, unpacked some gear and put my piles together. My gear had to be sorted into 5 gear bags, and working on this caused some anxiety. But otherwise, prerace week went both slow and fast, calm and crazy. I felt great, strong, and READY.
So many things happened in the last 7 days! And some of it was a blur that just moved from one moment to another so fast that I'd lose track of time. I just reveled in the experience, hopefully I can get it all in here. After a year of planning and tracking, I'd hate to lose that last week!
Pre Race Week:
My training plan had only 4 hours of training--a few minutes here an hour there. The goal was to stay loose, focused, and relaxed. I didn't get in much of that 4 hours, and I don't think it cost me anything. In fact, going by feel was a good idea.
I got in one last ride on the bike Tuesday or Weds morning, can't remember which now! Must have been Wednesday before we left town. I just wanted to run the chain through the new gear cassette and see if I could drop the chain by shifting hard. Nope. Good to go.
Thursday morning we finished the drive to Madison. The first stop was registration and the expo. As expected, registration was a well-managed chain of events. IM organizers have this down. USAT verification, waiver pickup, weigh-in, waiver drop-off. Then off to get swim cap, arm band, timing chip, race numbers, gear bags, and timing strap. Just go from one table to another, with incredibly helpful volunteers to help you get there.
So this was Thursday, and I still had Friday and Saturday to wait out!
Friday morning was my first practice swim. There was wind in the area and a front moving in, so the water had large swells. No chop, just swells. Temp was high 60's, so comfortable in a wetsuit--yea!! I planned to swim only 20 mins, so this wasn't supposed to be a tiring morning or a big deal. But swimming in swells is hard work. The flow of the water pushed me westward along the first leg of the course and I was surprised to stop and one point and realize I far I'd gone! Yikes! And double-yikes to see Madison rescue crews pulling 2 swimmers out of the water along the Terrace building. I found out later that they fatigued or cramped and needed to be pulled out. Great way to start your race weekend--rescued out of the lake!
The swim back was tough but doable. I could feel myself being lifted and dropped in the swells, it gave a slight motion sickness feeling. But not once did I inhale water or have trouble breathing. I stayed surprisingly calm for someone who fears rough waters. What I did hate was the lift of a swell followed by the drop--SMACK--right in the face of the next swell. I swam back to the boat ramp, waved to the husband to reassure him, then went out for more. My goal was to swim in all 4 directions to feel all the ways the water could flow over me.
I got out of the water feeling very confident! I've swum in Lake Michigan at 64F with those rolling and breaking waves. And now I've swim in Lake Monona at 68F-ish with swells. Success both times, I was very happy with today's swim!!!
That night was a welcome dinner and athlete briefing. The welcome dinner had a 1hr inspirational show. Mike Reilly (the guy who will say "YOU are an IRONMAN!) ran a great show. Movies, stories, jokes, special athletes, and more. The oldest athlete (72 years), youngest athlete (18 years), who had the most kids (48 years, 5 kids), who lost the most weight (167 lbs), and much more. The race meeting was the standard fair: rules, guidelines, and more.
The rest of the day was meant to be calm. I worked on some computer files, watched some TV, unpacked some gear and put my piles together. My gear had to be sorted into 5 gear bags, and working on this caused some anxiety. But otherwise, prerace week went both slow and fast, calm and crazy. I felt great, strong, and READY.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Labor Day Off
DAY OFF!
Although the day was Off for training, it wasn't in terms of life. I ended up working on the house all day, ending up with sore hands and shoulders. Probably shouldn't be doing that anymore this week.
Some good readings lately...
Sign from the pool, seen on my "last swim" last week. I normally wouldn't even take note of this sign, but it stuck with me:
From a friend who just finished an Ironman:
From a song:
I could go on with more. Even the silliest songs, poems, writings, suggestions, and quotes have new meanings for me. I'm seeing my world in a new light and from a new perspective. Now the hubby says I'm getting emotional, like a hormonal pregnant woman. But in reality I'm on the brink of the biggest challenge I may ever do. This is not a race, this is an event. I'm not going to IMWI for a KQ (qualify for Hawaii) or to win anything. I'm going to this race to do something that 3 years ago I thought to be outside the bounds of my abilities. I'm doing this to see what I'm made of, how far I've come, and what I'm capable of doing.
In short, I'm putting a lot of stock into this one day.
And I might find I'm not made of IM stuff yet. And if I have to do this all over again because I'm not ready, well then I sign up again for next year. But that is not where my worries are. Right now I'm more worried about a bike crash, bad weather, bike breakdown, or something else outside of my control.
All the advice and coaches say that you can only change what is in your box: your pace, your heartrate, your nutrition, and your outlook on the race. I can't control weather or technicalities, so I shouldn't be worried about them. Let 'em go.
Although the day was Off for training, it wasn't in terms of life. I ended up working on the house all day, ending up with sore hands and shoulders. Probably shouldn't be doing that anymore this week.
Some good readings lately...
Sign from the pool, seen on my "last swim" last week. I normally wouldn't even take note of this sign, but it stuck with me:
The winner is not the one that touches the wall first. Instead, theSeen in an email:
winners is the one who can look back and see all the hard work done to get to
the start line (paraphrased).
Determination is made up of focused discipline that includes pushing through
personal thresholds to gain a larger purpose. It is the motivation behind our
lives, and it is what brings us to our goals.
From a friend who just finished an Ironman:
Trust your training. It's all a mental game from
here.
From a song:
I need to be myself. I can be no one else. I'm
feeling Supersonic...
I could go on with more. Even the silliest songs, poems, writings, suggestions, and quotes have new meanings for me. I'm seeing my world in a new light and from a new perspective. Now the hubby says I'm getting emotional, like a hormonal pregnant woman. But in reality I'm on the brink of the biggest challenge I may ever do. This is not a race, this is an event. I'm not going to IMWI for a KQ (qualify for Hawaii) or to win anything. I'm going to this race to do something that 3 years ago I thought to be outside the bounds of my abilities. I'm doing this to see what I'm made of, how far I've come, and what I'm capable of doing.
In short, I'm putting a lot of stock into this one day.
And I might find I'm not made of IM stuff yet. And if I have to do this all over again because I'm not ready, well then I sign up again for next year. But that is not where my worries are. Right now I'm more worried about a bike crash, bad weather, bike breakdown, or something else outside of my control.
All the advice and coaches say that you can only change what is in your box: your pace, your heartrate, your nutrition, and your outlook on the race. I can't control weather or technicalities, so I shouldn't be worried about them. Let 'em go.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The last long workouts!!
RUN: 3.08 in 28 min.
BIKE: 14 miles in 58 mins.
RUN: 3.1 in 29 mins.
The goal today was to get a run in with a low heart rate. A nice easy workout that just keeps me moving. My HR monitor was giving me terribly high numbers--over 200 bpm at some points!! When your heart is racing that fast, you know it. A quick check by just counting beats gave me 130-140 bpm. Is that stupid thing not working? What will I do on race day? Trust the HR monitor or go by feel? Go by feel.
I'm amused that the ride was only 14 miles. Seriously? I know I was riding in town with stoplights and stop signs everywhere, but only 14 miles? Really? Was it worth getting dressed for that? I turned around early at 30 mins to end my ride. It was terribly tempting to continue the ride with all my friends, but It's All About Me here and I did NOT need another long ride this weekend. Not that my Ironman hopes and dreams would be squashed by a few more miles, but more that if I did have a bad race next weekend I'd try to put the blame on overtraining.
Next weekend. One week. Oh my goodness, didn't I just say it was one month? Wasn't that just last week??!? Time flies when you're having fun!
I'm confident about my upcoming race. I feel strong, clear, and ready to rumble. More on this as taper week continues.
NUMERICS: 11 hours and 1 minute, very close to goal time of 10hrs 55 mins
SWIM: 4400y in 1.92hrs
BIKE: 98.2 miles in 5.78 hrs
RUN: 21.75 miles in 3.32 hrs
And so ends my training season.
YIKES!
BIKE: 14 miles in 58 mins.
RUN: 3.1 in 29 mins.
The goal today was to get a run in with a low heart rate. A nice easy workout that just keeps me moving. My HR monitor was giving me terribly high numbers--over 200 bpm at some points!! When your heart is racing that fast, you know it. A quick check by just counting beats gave me 130-140 bpm. Is that stupid thing not working? What will I do on race day? Trust the HR monitor or go by feel? Go by feel.
I'm amused that the ride was only 14 miles. Seriously? I know I was riding in town with stoplights and stop signs everywhere, but only 14 miles? Really? Was it worth getting dressed for that? I turned around early at 30 mins to end my ride. It was terribly tempting to continue the ride with all my friends, but It's All About Me here and I did NOT need another long ride this weekend. Not that my Ironman hopes and dreams would be squashed by a few more miles, but more that if I did have a bad race next weekend I'd try to put the blame on overtraining.
Next weekend. One week. Oh my goodness, didn't I just say it was one month? Wasn't that just last week??!? Time flies when you're having fun!
I'm confident about my upcoming race. I feel strong, clear, and ready to rumble. More on this as taper week continues.
NUMERICS: 11 hours and 1 minute, very close to goal time of 10hrs 55 mins
SWIM: 4400y in 1.92hrs
BIKE: 98.2 miles in 5.78 hrs
RUN: 21.75 miles in 3.32 hrs
And so ends my training season.
YIKES!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The final long ride: hills and headwinds
RIDE: 49.2 miles in 2hr 44 mins
RUN: 3.27 miles in 31 mins
Usually I'd round up or down (usually down) to an even number but now that the numbers are so small I'm looking for every tenth I can get!
My weekend plans changed drastically last night. Originally, I was going to run a loop in the park then do a 1hr ride today. Then tomorrow was going to be a 44 mile group ride with a brick run. But I started have race anxieties. What if I crash on the bike riding in town close to other riders? What about all those stoplights, what kind of workout will I get? Will there be enough hills to test the new climbing gear cassette just installed on the bike? Will I have to wait at rest stops for the rest of my group? Questions, questions. Answers?
Go it alone, at my pace on my route with my goals. So today was a 50-mile ride in the hills south of Columbia. The hills in the bluffs have tough climbs and good descents, similar but not as bad as the ones in the race. I wanted a chance to test the new bike gear and really focus on staying in a low heart rate zone. As much as I would have preferred to ride with the group (for all the stops at rest areas, they push a hard pace!) I needed this last ride to be all about me.
Cuz that's all Ironman training and racing really has to be: all about me.
The route I chose opens up with a sharp hill in the first mile. Since I wasn't warmed up yet, my heart rate shot up high. Focus on staying calm. Downshift the gears. Take your time, what is the rush? At first I was disappointed that the new gear ratios didn't make the climb "easy". What did I expect, a free ride up the hill? Regardless of the gearing, physics has it that the amount of work would be required to bring me and the bike up the hill. The new gear cassette isn't a motor doing the work for me, it's just a way to change how much work I'm doing with each pedal stroke. Once I'd convinced myself of this, I enjoyed the new cassette, it will definitely make some of those hills easier.
I worked my way through the hills in perfect weather--cool and sunny. Few cars if any in sight and overall peace and quiet. I talk to myself while riding alone, I crack jokes and give myself a hard time. When I'm in a positive mood, I laugh at my own jokes. When the mood is soured, I'm mean, negative, and the joke is on me. Today was all good. This is the energy I need in one week: good outlook, fun, and willing to take a few bumps without worry.
Once out of the hills, the road flattened out. Completely flattened out. In fact, the only real hills were at railroad crossings. Instead of turning north towards the finish, I went south to fill in the miles. I smiled thinking about our ride earlier this year on this same flat road. It turned into a fast race in a paceline at speeds around 25mph. I was doing only 20 mph now, it didnt' occur to me until I turned around that one reason the 20 mph felt so good was because I had a tailwind.
Oof, the headwind! Once I turned around I realized that the ride home would be longer than expected. Riding in the hills shields you from the wind, so I wasn't really aware of the NW wind I would find. So much for a fast trip home. I ended up enjoying the headwind though, it make it a tougher workout. These shorter rides don't leave me satisfied unless they hurt a bit. :-)
The brick run was planned to be short--just enough to shake out the bike ride from the legs. My heart rate was awful high--160-175! But I don't think that was accurate because I didn't feel my heart racing like that. My form improved as the run progressed--another good final reminder that my run will be hard for the first few miles until my muscles adapt to running.
Overall, a great ride! I'm going to miss these long rides come winter.
RUN: 3.27 miles in 31 mins
Usually I'd round up or down (usually down) to an even number but now that the numbers are so small I'm looking for every tenth I can get!
My weekend plans changed drastically last night. Originally, I was going to run a loop in the park then do a 1hr ride today. Then tomorrow was going to be a 44 mile group ride with a brick run. But I started have race anxieties. What if I crash on the bike riding in town close to other riders? What about all those stoplights, what kind of workout will I get? Will there be enough hills to test the new climbing gear cassette just installed on the bike? Will I have to wait at rest stops for the rest of my group? Questions, questions. Answers?
Go it alone, at my pace on my route with my goals. So today was a 50-mile ride in the hills south of Columbia. The hills in the bluffs have tough climbs and good descents, similar but not as bad as the ones in the race. I wanted a chance to test the new bike gear and really focus on staying in a low heart rate zone. As much as I would have preferred to ride with the group (for all the stops at rest areas, they push a hard pace!) I needed this last ride to be all about me.
Cuz that's all Ironman training and racing really has to be: all about me.
The route I chose opens up with a sharp hill in the first mile. Since I wasn't warmed up yet, my heart rate shot up high. Focus on staying calm. Downshift the gears. Take your time, what is the rush? At first I was disappointed that the new gear ratios didn't make the climb "easy". What did I expect, a free ride up the hill? Regardless of the gearing, physics has it that the amount of work would be required to bring me and the bike up the hill. The new gear cassette isn't a motor doing the work for me, it's just a way to change how much work I'm doing with each pedal stroke. Once I'd convinced myself of this, I enjoyed the new cassette, it will definitely make some of those hills easier.
I worked my way through the hills in perfect weather--cool and sunny. Few cars if any in sight and overall peace and quiet. I talk to myself while riding alone, I crack jokes and give myself a hard time. When I'm in a positive mood, I laugh at my own jokes. When the mood is soured, I'm mean, negative, and the joke is on me. Today was all good. This is the energy I need in one week: good outlook, fun, and willing to take a few bumps without worry.
Once out of the hills, the road flattened out. Completely flattened out. In fact, the only real hills were at railroad crossings. Instead of turning north towards the finish, I went south to fill in the miles. I smiled thinking about our ride earlier this year on this same flat road. It turned into a fast race in a paceline at speeds around 25mph. I was doing only 20 mph now, it didnt' occur to me until I turned around that one reason the 20 mph felt so good was because I had a tailwind.
Oof, the headwind! Once I turned around I realized that the ride home would be longer than expected. Riding in the hills shields you from the wind, so I wasn't really aware of the NW wind I would find. So much for a fast trip home. I ended up enjoying the headwind though, it make it a tougher workout. These shorter rides don't leave me satisfied unless they hurt a bit. :-)
The brick run was planned to be short--just enough to shake out the bike ride from the legs. My heart rate was awful high--160-175! But I don't think that was accurate because I didn't feel my heart racing like that. My form improved as the run progressed--another good final reminder that my run will be hard for the first few miles until my muscles adapt to running.
Overall, a great ride! I'm going to miss these long rides come winter.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Simulation run
RUN: 6.2 miles in 1hr.
The goal of this run was to skip the warm up and go straight into the run, then keep the heart rate under full control as soon as I could. My first 1-2 miles are always rough--tight legs, poor form, and higher than average HR. This is how I might feel getting off the bike in IMWI, so I set out mentally rehearsing these first few miles. It didn't go so well.
The mental rehearsal included grabbing gear and checking shoelaces (hanging the bike in transition and changing shoes, getting gear together), starting off on the sidewalk in front of the house (moving out of the transition area and heading for the Run Out sign), turning into the greenway behind our house and heading down the street (entering the chute lined with spectators, all cheering and ringing bells and screaming), entering the park and settling in for a long run (more spectators, people I know yelling for me, high-5s and lots of good vibes).
So much for keeping the heart rate low. When people are cheering you on and encouraging you, all it does is ramp up the excitement and heart rate!! In the end, most of the run had a high heart rate, even when I slowed down.
So it's a good lesson: don't get caught up in the moment with the crowds cheering. Another lesson: you can still finish the run with a higher than expected heart rate.
The goal of this run was to skip the warm up and go straight into the run, then keep the heart rate under full control as soon as I could. My first 1-2 miles are always rough--tight legs, poor form, and higher than average HR. This is how I might feel getting off the bike in IMWI, so I set out mentally rehearsing these first few miles. It didn't go so well.
The mental rehearsal included grabbing gear and checking shoelaces (hanging the bike in transition and changing shoes, getting gear together), starting off on the sidewalk in front of the house (moving out of the transition area and heading for the Run Out sign), turning into the greenway behind our house and heading down the street (entering the chute lined with spectators, all cheering and ringing bells and screaming), entering the park and settling in for a long run (more spectators, people I know yelling for me, high-5s and lots of good vibes).
So much for keeping the heart rate low. When people are cheering you on and encouraging you, all it does is ramp up the excitement and heart rate!! In the end, most of the run had a high heart rate, even when I slowed down.
So it's a good lesson: don't get caught up in the moment with the crowds cheering. Another lesson: you can still finish the run with a higher than expected heart rate.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The last swim!
SWIM: 2000y in about 55 mins.
I think this will be my last pool swim! My pool closes Sunday afternoon and doesn't open again until Weds, by which time I'll already be out of town. Not that I'll miss the pool...
Today's workout was different--WU was 200 swim, 200 kick, 200 pull, 200 swim. The Main Set was 20 x 25y as 25 fast, 25 easy, 25 kick, 25 non-free. Then CD of 600 easy. It's just funny to think that your cool down is 600 y.
The first parts of the session went by fast. When the intervals are broken up into small bits, they tick right by. Before you know it, you're done! The 600 y was the hardest part, and the most important in my mind. Of all the intervals today, that one best mimicks the IM swim, even if it is drastically shorter. That's the interval in which you suck up your boredom and just keep lapping away. I'd love to stop at the halfway point just for a break but I make myself keep going. If I stopped at IM every 300 y I'd be stopping 14 times in my race. Hmmm, that doesnt seem all that unreasonable to me.... 14 rests? In a 1.5 hr swim? Is that unreasonable? No, but it would be a waste of time!
Then that's it! I climb out of the pool and take one last look. (haha, is if I'm Never coming back or something!). Since January 1st, I've swum just over 56 hours and most of those hours were in this pool. Will that be enough come race day? We'll find out!
I think this will be my last pool swim! My pool closes Sunday afternoon and doesn't open again until Weds, by which time I'll already be out of town. Not that I'll miss the pool...
Today's workout was different--WU was 200 swim, 200 kick, 200 pull, 200 swim. The Main Set was 20 x 25y as 25 fast, 25 easy, 25 kick, 25 non-free. Then CD of 600 easy. It's just funny to think that your cool down is 600 y.
The first parts of the session went by fast. When the intervals are broken up into small bits, they tick right by. Before you know it, you're done! The 600 y was the hardest part, and the most important in my mind. Of all the intervals today, that one best mimicks the IM swim, even if it is drastically shorter. That's the interval in which you suck up your boredom and just keep lapping away. I'd love to stop at the halfway point just for a break but I make myself keep going. If I stopped at IM every 300 y I'd be stopping 14 times in my race. Hmmm, that doesnt seem all that unreasonable to me.... 14 rests? In a 1.5 hr swim? Is that unreasonable? No, but it would be a waste of time!
Then that's it! I climb out of the pool and take one last look. (haha, is if I'm Never coming back or something!). Since January 1st, I've swum just over 56 hours and most of those hours were in this pool. Will that be enough come race day? We'll find out!
Running in the rain
RUN: 6.1 miles in 50:59. OK, 51 minutes. Ave HR 154bpm.
Rain can really mess with my schedule. You can swim in rain, but only if there's not lightning. You can ride in rain, but that's crazy to do because of the slick roads. But running...you can run in the rain. But that brings up another rule for running: there are 3 good weather reasons to not run--cold, dark, and rainy. If two of the three conditions are present, then it's safe to consider skipping your run.
I usually don't follow this rule. If I hid from dark, cold, and rain, I'd never get anything done.
So when I woke up to more rain, I got ready to go. I knew I wouldn't be the only one there. Sure enough, 3 other runners. Just me and the guys, EK and LC were a no show. And just yesterday I declared that I wanted a fast run today, so now I had to live up to my words.
The pace started off fast, so much for the warmup. The rain really started around 2 miles, turning the run into a warm shower and soaking us in minutes. I did OK until mile 3.5 or so, at which point my front row position in the pack was threatened by fatigue. It's not so much that I was leading the group or setting the pace, it's more of a group effort. I pull, they push, I push, etc, and the pack keeps a pretty steady pace this way. You start to slow down? Out the back you go!
So when I started to wear down, the fear of being dropped on my "fast run" kept me going. I took it mile by mile. No, in reality it was more 0.25mile by 0.25mile. Each hill got my heart going faster and I never took a moment to recover. This was more like a race! The mental battle began: my body wanted to stop, my mind didn't. This sounds like something that is easily resolved, but when faced with a mental ultimatum, my body responds in a way that ratchets up the stress. This in turn raises the heart rate, causes me to tighten my upper body, and lengthens my stride. All of this wears me out all the faster. Two more miles to go. I need something else to think about!
Puddles had accumulated on the path, tree branches sagged under the weight of water, the lakes and ponds sang a song of raindrops and ripples. I focused on this. I love running in the rain, it changes the atmosphere and adds a coolness factor, a little bit "I'm tough". You get a too-cool-for-school attitude when you see people in their comfy, warm, dry cars watching you. The roll of the eyes only spurs you on to prove that a little cold, dark, or rainy won't deter you from your run. What, me worry about some rain?
No way I was going to be dropped. The only drops were going to be the ones on the sidewalks and grass around me. Keep going!
My legs were putty. My lungs burned. My breathing was getting louder (to me anyway) and my heart was pounding in my chest. But the "finish line" was only a few tenths away. Keep going!
Finished! The watch said 50:59 before I could hit Stop. In review, the pace was not all that hard--8:22 min/mile, so why was I so tired?
And so ended my last speedwork session of the season. Let's hope I have the same tough attitude come race day.
Rain can really mess with my schedule. You can swim in rain, but only if there's not lightning. You can ride in rain, but that's crazy to do because of the slick roads. But running...you can run in the rain. But that brings up another rule for running: there are 3 good weather reasons to not run--cold, dark, and rainy. If two of the three conditions are present, then it's safe to consider skipping your run.
I usually don't follow this rule. If I hid from dark, cold, and rain, I'd never get anything done.
So when I woke up to more rain, I got ready to go. I knew I wouldn't be the only one there. Sure enough, 3 other runners. Just me and the guys, EK and LC were a no show. And just yesterday I declared that I wanted a fast run today, so now I had to live up to my words.
The pace started off fast, so much for the warmup. The rain really started around 2 miles, turning the run into a warm shower and soaking us in minutes. I did OK until mile 3.5 or so, at which point my front row position in the pack was threatened by fatigue. It's not so much that I was leading the group or setting the pace, it's more of a group effort. I pull, they push, I push, etc, and the pack keeps a pretty steady pace this way. You start to slow down? Out the back you go!
So when I started to wear down, the fear of being dropped on my "fast run" kept me going. I took it mile by mile. No, in reality it was more 0.25mile by 0.25mile. Each hill got my heart going faster and I never took a moment to recover. This was more like a race! The mental battle began: my body wanted to stop, my mind didn't. This sounds like something that is easily resolved, but when faced with a mental ultimatum, my body responds in a way that ratchets up the stress. This in turn raises the heart rate, causes me to tighten my upper body, and lengthens my stride. All of this wears me out all the faster. Two more miles to go. I need something else to think about!
Puddles had accumulated on the path, tree branches sagged under the weight of water, the lakes and ponds sang a song of raindrops and ripples. I focused on this. I love running in the rain, it changes the atmosphere and adds a coolness factor, a little bit "I'm tough". You get a too-cool-for-school attitude when you see people in their comfy, warm, dry cars watching you. The roll of the eyes only spurs you on to prove that a little cold, dark, or rainy won't deter you from your run. What, me worry about some rain?
No way I was going to be dropped. The only drops were going to be the ones on the sidewalks and grass around me. Keep going!
My legs were putty. My lungs burned. My breathing was getting louder (to me anyway) and my heart was pounding in my chest. But the "finish line" was only a few tenths away. Keep going!
Finished! The watch said 50:59 before I could hit Stop. In review, the pace was not all that hard--8:22 min/mile, so why was I so tired?
And so ended my last speedwork session of the season. Let's hope I have the same tough attitude come race day.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Should have gone in the morning
BIKE: 17 miles in abt 1 hour.
I should have gone in the morning. I kept saying that to myself all afternoon as storm clouds rolled in. Why did I wait to swim or ride?
I slept in, is why. I'm focusing on sleep and rest and staying off my feet when I can so as to recover. I sit when I can, sleep in, drive to work, take the elevators, and lean against countertops.
In summary, I feel lazy.
But it's working. I can feel the strength and energy slowing coming back to me. I still tire easily, but at least I'm awake during the day and I'm eager to swim, bike, or run.
But all this "resting" left me squeezing in a workout late in the day. I decided to run or bike from home, and by the time I got home it was 6:30pm. It would be dark in one hour. I'm tired, unmotivated, but want to do something.
So I ride. Indoors. Pathetic, I know, but the recent rain and setting sun made for a dangerous biking outdoors. I really do fear crashing on the bike right now, so I've been riding indoors quite a bit lately. Is that just an excuse? Am I burning out? Only 11 more days!
I should have gone in the morning. I kept saying that to myself all afternoon as storm clouds rolled in. Why did I wait to swim or ride?
I slept in, is why. I'm focusing on sleep and rest and staying off my feet when I can so as to recover. I sit when I can, sleep in, drive to work, take the elevators, and lean against countertops.
In summary, I feel lazy.
But it's working. I can feel the strength and energy slowing coming back to me. I still tire easily, but at least I'm awake during the day and I'm eager to swim, bike, or run.
But all this "resting" left me squeezing in a workout late in the day. I decided to run or bike from home, and by the time I got home it was 6:30pm. It would be dark in one hour. I'm tired, unmotivated, but want to do something.
So I ride. Indoors. Pathetic, I know, but the recent rain and setting sun made for a dangerous biking outdoors. I really do fear crashing on the bike right now, so I've been riding indoors quite a bit lately. Is that just an excuse? Am I burning out? Only 11 more days!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Finally a good swim
BIKE: 18 miles in 65 mins
SWIM: 2400y in 60 mins
The bike was unremarkable. I rode abt 18 miles. Short for a Tuesday! And in the Tuesday morning meeting at work, I was awake for the first time. Usually I'm tired, stretching my legs in the chair, and eating my second breakfast of the day.
The swim, however, was remarkable. I usually dont' swim all that great in the afternoons, it's harder to focus on technique after a long day. But the goal was simple--follow today's plan: WU=800y with every 4th length as non-free. Main set=3x400y as #1 swim, #2 pull, #3 swim all at 60-70% heart rate. CD= 8x50. Easy enough.
I was going a bit fast in the warmup, and changed the plan to every 4th lap do some non-freestyle work. I don't do much in the way of non-free anyway, unless you count my doggie-paddle-like breaststroke as an off stroke. I had another swimmer in the lane, and I kept working to pace her in my laps. So the WU was harder than it needed to be.
I had quit timing my swims a few weeks ago, after getting discouraged by my slowing times. For some reason, my swim technique was faltering and the last think I needed was one more thing to worry about. But tonight I was feeling good and decided to time the 400's. To my surprise, I did the 1st 400 in 8:12, or about 1 min 1-3 sec/lap!! I was expecting 8:30+.
The second 400 was with a pull buoy. I don't swim all that great with the pull buoy, which is funny because it's supposed to help you improve your swimming. My side-to-side rolling is awkward and unbalanced with the buoy. So even though I'm swimming faster, I'm swimming poorly. Go figure. But, this time I slowed it down and worked on what was wrong. I found that my right arm was curling under me, instead of staying under my shoulder. Once I fixed that, things improved. I visualized the "arm over a barrel" and "scrape the edges of the pool" suggestions. Didn't time the 2nd 400y, as by now there were 3 swimmers in my lane.
And getting to this 3rd swimmer. I have a pet peeve about people who just come up to me and say "we are going to circle swim. OK?" I have to wonder, are you asking me or telling me we are going to circle swim. I like to ask people "would it be OK" and not say "we are going to". It's the assumption on the part of the other person that I would agree to share the lane (even though I always do). whatever. But then to really top it off, she swam sssslllloooooowwwwwww and wide. Big sweep of the arms, big scissor kick with the legs-- she took up over half the lane. Even more, there's a rule that when another swimmer is ready to pass you, you hang on the wall for a few seconds and let them by. Instead, she just pushed off the wall without letting the rest of us pass. It created a continuous traffic jam. Hey, I'm not perfect or fast myself here, but if we're wanna share then you gotta follow the rules.
She kicked me 3 times and hit me with her arms once, and this really fired me up. Suddenly I wanted to swim and buzz by her as fast as possible, to make a stupid point I suppose, about her poor "we are going to share" mentality. So I swam fast. And competitively. I was pushing the pace, looking to pass, and all aboard the Get Out of My Way train. haha, I was probably the jerk in the lane that I complain about. But I never got in her way, I never hit her, and she never had to wait for me.
But I have to give her credit for one thing. Even after stopping a few times to get around her, I did a 7:59 400y swim!! 13 seconds faster than the first one!! I've had this happen before--my best swims and fastest times come after a challenge that gets me riled up. I thought about thanking her once I was done, but she was so absorbed in her scissor kicking that she never looked up. haha, wouldn't that have been funny. "thanks for being an a$$hole, I just had one of my best swims in weeks".
SWIM: 2400y in 60 mins
The bike was unremarkable. I rode abt 18 miles. Short for a Tuesday! And in the Tuesday morning meeting at work, I was awake for the first time. Usually I'm tired, stretching my legs in the chair, and eating my second breakfast of the day.
The swim, however, was remarkable. I usually dont' swim all that great in the afternoons, it's harder to focus on technique after a long day. But the goal was simple--follow today's plan: WU=800y with every 4th length as non-free. Main set=3x400y as #1 swim, #2 pull, #3 swim all at 60-70% heart rate. CD= 8x50. Easy enough.
I was going a bit fast in the warmup, and changed the plan to every 4th lap do some non-freestyle work. I don't do much in the way of non-free anyway, unless you count my doggie-paddle-like breaststroke as an off stroke. I had another swimmer in the lane, and I kept working to pace her in my laps. So the WU was harder than it needed to be.
I had quit timing my swims a few weeks ago, after getting discouraged by my slowing times. For some reason, my swim technique was faltering and the last think I needed was one more thing to worry about. But tonight I was feeling good and decided to time the 400's. To my surprise, I did the 1st 400 in 8:12, or about 1 min 1-3 sec/lap!! I was expecting 8:30+.
The second 400 was with a pull buoy. I don't swim all that great with the pull buoy, which is funny because it's supposed to help you improve your swimming. My side-to-side rolling is awkward and unbalanced with the buoy. So even though I'm swimming faster, I'm swimming poorly. Go figure. But, this time I slowed it down and worked on what was wrong. I found that my right arm was curling under me, instead of staying under my shoulder. Once I fixed that, things improved. I visualized the "arm over a barrel" and "scrape the edges of the pool" suggestions. Didn't time the 2nd 400y, as by now there were 3 swimmers in my lane.
And getting to this 3rd swimmer. I have a pet peeve about people who just come up to me and say "we are going to circle swim. OK?" I have to wonder, are you asking me or telling me we are going to circle swim. I like to ask people "would it be OK" and not say "we are going to". It's the assumption on the part of the other person that I would agree to share the lane (even though I always do). whatever. But then to really top it off, she swam sssslllloooooowwwwwww and wide. Big sweep of the arms, big scissor kick with the legs-- she took up over half the lane. Even more, there's a rule that when another swimmer is ready to pass you, you hang on the wall for a few seconds and let them by. Instead, she just pushed off the wall without letting the rest of us pass. It created a continuous traffic jam. Hey, I'm not perfect or fast myself here, but if we're wanna share then you gotta follow the rules.
She kicked me 3 times and hit me with her arms once, and this really fired me up. Suddenly I wanted to swim and buzz by her as fast as possible, to make a stupid point I suppose, about her poor "we are going to share" mentality. So I swam fast. And competitively. I was pushing the pace, looking to pass, and all aboard the Get Out of My Way train. haha, I was probably the jerk in the lane that I complain about. But I never got in her way, I never hit her, and she never had to wait for me.
But I have to give her credit for one thing. Even after stopping a few times to get around her, I did a 7:59 400y swim!! 13 seconds faster than the first one!! I've had this happen before--my best swims and fastest times come after a challenge that gets me riled up. I thought about thanking her once I was done, but she was so absorbed in her scissor kicking that she never looked up. haha, wouldn't that have been funny. "thanks for being an a$$hole, I just had one of my best swims in weeks".
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sticking to schedule
DAY OFF!
Here it is, the last week of training! Next week is busy with packing, traveling, and preparing, so I'm not counting that one. This is it!
I can remember 9 months ago peeking ahead in the training plan at the taper week, and wondering how things would change after 9 months of training. The taper weeks at the time seemed so far away, but here they are. I plugged away at it all one week at a time, just kept turning the pages and focusing on each week as it came to me.
And now here it is. That thought just keeps running through my mind. The goal of taper week is to recover from the last few weeks of 17+hr weeks. I should start to feel energetic, rejuventated, and peppy. I'm already feeling it!
There's so much to do in the next 2 weeks, gotta get on that to-do list.
Here it is, the last week of training! Next week is busy with packing, traveling, and preparing, so I'm not counting that one. This is it!
I can remember 9 months ago peeking ahead in the training plan at the taper week, and wondering how things would change after 9 months of training. The taper weeks at the time seemed so far away, but here they are. I plugged away at it all one week at a time, just kept turning the pages and focusing on each week as it came to me.
And now here it is. That thought just keeps running through my mind. The goal of taper week is to recover from the last few weeks of 17+hr weeks. I should start to feel energetic, rejuventated, and peppy. I'm already feeling it!
There's so much to do in the next 2 weeks, gotta get on that to-do list.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
IM Louisville
RUN: 12 miles in about 2hrs. No rush, ran along course looking for friends.
It was a long but exciting day spectating at IML. The best way to describe the day was in brief recollections:
--Swim start line-up: the nervous looks, the readjusting of goggles and helmets, the stretching and anxious looks at the water. Followed by the run into said water.
--The bike out: the smiles, the smorgasbords of foods on bikes, the fresh legs.
--The run: the easy, efficient strides of those who are blessed with great running form. The steady, step-step-step of those less blessed. Yet the perpetual forward momentum of both groups.
--The run: runners dropping out to the curbs, leaning over sick, and being carried off the course. this is serious shit.
--More run: the blank stares, the smiles upon recognition of family, the determined look, and the suffering-but-determined look.
--cheering on the course: people love hearing their names, their club, or something yelled out to them. Unless they are really suffering. Then you just get a dirty look. haha.
--cheering at the finish line chute: So emotional. So very emotional. I tear up just remembering it. The look on the faces as they come out of the darkness and into the bright lights of the chute. The willingness to share the joy in high-fives. The tears on their faces, the big smiles, and the pure joy of finishing.
Things I learned for my race:
--Before leaving T1, start the watch and get the first round of nutrition ready. Don't do it in the mount chute.
--Stay in the predetermined HR zone, regardless of how good you feel. You WILL need that energy in the run.
It was a long but exciting day spectating at IML. The best way to describe the day was in brief recollections:
--Swim start line-up: the nervous looks, the readjusting of goggles and helmets, the stretching and anxious looks at the water. Followed by the run into said water.
--The bike out: the smiles, the smorgasbords of foods on bikes, the fresh legs.
--The run: the easy, efficient strides of those who are blessed with great running form. The steady, step-step-step of those less blessed. Yet the perpetual forward momentum of both groups.
--The run: runners dropping out to the curbs, leaning over sick, and being carried off the course. this is serious shit.
--More run: the blank stares, the smiles upon recognition of family, the determined look, and the suffering-but-determined look.
--cheering on the course: people love hearing their names, their club, or something yelled out to them. Unless they are really suffering. Then you just get a dirty look. haha.
--cheering at the finish line chute: So emotional. So very emotional. I tear up just remembering it. The look on the faces as they come out of the darkness and into the bright lights of the chute. The willingness to share the joy in high-fives. The tears on their faces, the big smiles, and the pure joy of finishing.
Things I learned for my race:
--Before leaving T1, start the watch and get the first round of nutrition ready. Don't do it in the mount chute.
--Stay in the predetermined HR zone, regardless of how good you feel. You WILL need that energy in the run.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Ugh...another bad swim
SWIM: 1000m in 30 mins
Hopefully these bad swims won't kill my confidence on race day. I was tired all day and didn't eat much, so by the time I arrived at the pool I was secretly hoping it was closed up for the night. Nope. Open.
I started off OK, but in the 2nd or 3rd lap I lost the mojo to finish anything more. So I worked on bilateral breathing with and without the pull buoy (I think I read somewhere that the pull buoy can simulate the wetsuit). I found, to my surprise, that once I settled into swimming breathing every 4th stroke worked really good for me! I tried every other (my usual pattern), every third (bilateral), and every fourth. I had initially expected that q4 would work great for me, after all, I have this IM sized cardiac engine so I should be able to hold my breath for a bit, but in previous attempts I felt out of breath. So maybe I'll experiment with that more. I'm not sure I'll get much clear water for a nice settled swim, but who knows?
These crappy swims weigh heavily on my mind. I keep saying I'm a weak swimmer, I am, but cut with the excuses and fix it!!
Hopefully these bad swims won't kill my confidence on race day. I was tired all day and didn't eat much, so by the time I arrived at the pool I was secretly hoping it was closed up for the night. Nope. Open.
I started off OK, but in the 2nd or 3rd lap I lost the mojo to finish anything more. So I worked on bilateral breathing with and without the pull buoy (I think I read somewhere that the pull buoy can simulate the wetsuit). I found, to my surprise, that once I settled into swimming breathing every 4th stroke worked really good for me! I tried every other (my usual pattern), every third (bilateral), and every fourth. I had initially expected that q4 would work great for me, after all, I have this IM sized cardiac engine so I should be able to hold my breath for a bit, but in previous attempts I felt out of breath. So maybe I'll experiment with that more. I'm not sure I'll get much clear water for a nice settled swim, but who knows?
These crappy swims weigh heavily on my mind. I keep saying I'm a weak swimmer, I am, but cut with the excuses and fix it!!
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