Endurance Chic

The PF Monster

2011-12-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

I have been struggling with the dreaded Plantar Fasciitis monster since the first week in November. The frustrating part is that I did not get a PF relapse from over training. I haven't had PF since 2008, but again I have also been careful with my foot and never wore heels two days in a row. This time, I got injured during my rest week... yet again. I can't believe I stayed perfectly healthy post wreck only to fall apart in a rest week. I went wild with the high heels. Immediately following my B2B half iron race, I forgot all about my sturdy recovery shoes and slipped on a pair of bright red mile high heels with adorable bows on them. I wore the highest heels I could find every single day for the entire week since I had no work outs to do for a whole week and wasn't too concerned about recovery from a work out or preparing for the next. Then, the day after my rest was over, I did a very easy little trail run in old dirty sneakers. We stopped a lot and did not push the pace, yet the next day, my foot was in agony and it hasn't been the same since. I went to the podiatrist immediately, and have been nursing it, but I have been out of running pretty much since the first week in November with a few failed attempts to return. I'm doing pool running, cycling and swimming. Some people run through PF, but the level of pain I'm experiencing is too much, its constant and I risk rupturing it (tearing it in half) if I run on it.

I'm seeing a podiatrist, getting active release therapy, using the strassburg sock, rolling frozen bottles under my foot twice a day (at least) and stretching like a fool. I don't ever go bare foot. I'm desperately hoping I don't have to bail on my triathlon plans for 2012. I'll do aqua bikes and make the best of it, but I know PF could potentially last a long time. My research shows 3 months to a year (or more!). Last time, I suffered for a year. I'm supposed to take it a week at a time, but its hard not having a timeline. I'm not allowed to even try running until my next dr appt on 1/9, but I supposed that makes sense since I still feel pain when just walking.

Plantar Fascia is the band that runs from the front of your foot to the heel. It shortens at night and when you step on it in the morning it creates tiny little tears. The tears become scar tissue and the pattern repeats itself every day in a painful cycle. Its very difficult to heal since its hard to give your foot the rest it needs, sometimes the pain goes away after it "warms up" so you can't feel if damage is being done until hours later or even the next day. Further, there's little blood flow to the feet so its tough to heel. I know its common, but it doesn't take away the frustration. I've already lost miami half marathon and the Shamrock Full. Those are impossible to build to at this point, even if the pain went away tonight.

Plantar Fasciitis is the worst! It is unbelievably frustrating. I'm just focusing on what I can do though! I can swim and I can bike and I can get my muscles conditioned through strength training and water running. I still have hope and my fingers are crossed for Eagleman and IM Wisconsin!

Beach to Battleship Half Ironman

2011-11-25T17:14:00.000-08:00

Beach to Battleship. It was beautiful! The weather was brutally windy and chilly and the logistics were complicated but the course was really fun and there were definitely tears at the finish line of this race. Sharing the day with me was my husband Nick and my teammates, Brenda and Casey who drove all the way to NC with some awesome signs to cheer me on through out the day. I also raced with a few fellow RTC members. Of course my thoughts while racing were filled with moments I had with everyone that had helped me along the way in this 2011 tri journey.

Before my crash, I wanted to go sub 6 in a half iron distance. Kinetic Half came and went and I was sadly still sidelined. It absolutely crushed me to be at home and to think I would not achieve that goal for 2011. We really were not sure in April/May if I'd be able to recover fast enough to build to a half iron this year....yet I did!

After my crash, I decided I would be better, stronger and faster than ever before. The crash changed everything for me. I became more committed and more driven. I did not enjoy my beautifully laid out plans and goals being snatched away in an instant like that. I wanted to make a "come back" and go sub 5:30 in a half ironman distance instead of sub 6...and I did...by about two minutes! Through hard work, sacrifice and an insane level of focused determination, I shaved 42 minutes off my fastest half ironman time and I am so happy with this race. I am so happy with the season. They say the mental aspect to triathlon is critical and now I can tell "they" are right. I wanted this season to be full of PRs and lots of fast racing progress despite the crash and it was. The suffering I endured trying to recover from the crash was fuel for my training and racing once I was able. It affirmed my commitment and goals in the sport. It was what motivated me to wake up in the dark cold October mornings to train alone and follow my training plan with precision. It allowed me to refrain from handfuls of candy corn and pints of beer and to eat greek yogurt and protein shakes instead. I learned a lot about myself during those dark days and along the road to recovery and I am sure that heightened sense of awareness did help propel me. This is my hobby. I do it to have fun, and it is the most fun to make progress! I am totally addicted to progress.

Sub 5:30 in a half and 4th/45 in my age group is more than I had dreamed of for this race.

I didn't do this alone. I had a lot of help from my husband, friends, family, coaches & team mates, my doctors and PT and heck even my co workers. I had the support of an entire community of triathletes in the Richmond area as well. The EF team and network of triathlon friends I have here were there for me from the darkest days after my crash to the exciting celebrations of each post wreck race along the way. Being a triathlete in Richmond, VA is a wonderful thing! I feel very lucky.

Giant Acorn

2011-10-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

It rocked. 12 minutes faster than Lobsterman, but the bike course was short, so factoring that in, I will say that I had a 9 minute PR for the distance.

My transitions were kind of slow and my run pace was slower than I think it should be again, but I finally got my Olympic distance swim PR and had a great bike split! 4th in age group. Makes me excited to think, if I had pushed a little more on the run, sped through T1 & T2 faster, wow, I could have been on the age group podium at this thing! I was determined to have PRs and podiums post-wreck and so far I've had both.

I am excited that I've moved from being a mid pack swimmer, back pack biker trying to catch people on the run until there's no more race landscape left to being an athlete that is so close to the front. This is despite the devastating bike crash. It's really fun! I love it and it shows just how much determination and hard work (and GASP proper nutrition) and the right training can really do for you!

A lot of this sport is succeeding in the mental aspect. I just want it so much more than I had in the past. I'm more committed and its been paying off. It's been fun!

There is just one more race left and its a half iron distance. I can not believe I was able to build back to the half iron distance. I think I am faster than I was before my crash. I know I am a better athlete now and I am so very grateful to everyone and every event that has helped get me to this point!

Lobsterman

2011-10-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

Lobsterman was in September. It was the most efficiently organized and well run race I have ever done! I guess I shouldn't expect any less than that from Mainers! The course was gorgeous. I guess I took growing up around there for granted. Freeport is adorable.

The race was a comedy of errors for me. Lots of things went wrong, but I stayed strong during the race. My swim was slower than I wanted it to be and my zipper was stuck on my wetsuit, slowing me down in T1. However, I feel like the bike was a huge success for me. There was not an inch of flat on that course. It was constant rollers nonstop and I found it to be incredibly fun! I was not a "baby" on the steep, fun descents! At one point, there was a really tricky area with road work at the bottom of a hill. It was a no-aero zone per the race rules and some dude flies past me (in aero), cuts in front really fast, realizes there was construction, one lane only and pavement turning to dirt at the bottom of a hill and he slammed on his brakes where the pavement ended, nearly causing a multi-bike crash. Thank goodness for my quick reflexes. We then immediately climbed from nearly a stop after that fiasco. If THAT didn't make me cry, then I think I've pretty much mentally recovered from my April wreck. That near disaster would have caused me to panic, even pre-wreck!

My back up bike computer got water logged from my aerodrink leaking into it, and my Garmin got all messed up so I wound up racing technology free. I did not like that. I actually stopped for a minute on the bike course to try to fix it... as there was no flat space to focus, but when it wouldn't work, so I gave up. I would have been faster with my Garmin beeping at me and cheering me along the way like he (errr, it) usually does!

When I came back from the bike, another bike was on my stuff and my shoes were kicked over, which was not making me happy, but I dealt with it and got ready fast. My run was slower than I'd like and the race pictures show me staring at my watch longingly, willing it to work again...but I did PR by a lot on a very challenging course, overcame many obstacles and I am happy with it.... except for the getting off the bike part.

The best part was the lobster feast (tickets extra) and the free Gritty's beer for my family to enjoy! My whole family (both sisters, parents, husband AND in laws) showed up to cheer me on and enjoy the post race picnic. This was amazing!

Doing this course with the fun, hilly bike made me realize I wanted to sign up for IM Wisconsin. The 12+ hour car ride home with Nick gave me plenty of time to talk him into it. So, I signed up for IM Mooo.... the Endorphin Fitness team ironman race next year. The group I will be training with is amazing and I can not wait for the journey to truly begin.

Plus, I liked the challenge of trying to "get in" to that race.... lots of fun with the pressure of registering online. WI, here we come!

Season 2011 part 2, round one.

2011-08-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

I am having such an awesome season!

My comeback race was 3Sports Sprint: Just a local pool sprint, but I wound up with a huge PR and 1st place in my age group and 8th overall women and I was smiling and so incredibly happy the whole time. I had put an unbelievable amount of pressure on myself. It was scary going in....because I was so worried I would disappoint myself after all the hard work I had put in, but it turned out great! I absolutely love triathlon and racing. The opportunity to race was not lost on me that day. I enjoyed every single instant of the experience. I raced it hard. My swim was still slower than I wanted, but the bike was a ton faster than I thought and my run was perfect. I have never been so happy to see a finish line in my life. Silly, since it was just a local sprint, but YES, I was back! The podium finish was just icing!

I did a swim time trial 300 yards a few weeks ago and beat my pre-wreck time by 2 seconds! Yeahh! 4:41 is my new record. Amazing!

I have also raced the Luray Sprint. There was stress leading up to this race: some bike mechanics issues, camping in a rainstorm, running late etc. However, I had a lot of fun with my team mates leading up to and during the race! My swim was better than I had expected, despite leaky goggles. I biked about right, but probably could have pushed more into zone 4 since it was just a sprint. I raced the run hard. I came in 4th out of 48 women in my very competitive age group and 11th overall woman out out 155! Not bad for a former middle of the packer! I am excited to be learning how to push myself more in these sprint races. I am very happy with my hard work in training really paying off.

Now, I must admit Its not all perfect and I am struggling a little now. During my injury recovery, my determination level was oh so very fierce and every single workout was executed with an extreme precision level like I didn't even think was possible. I was absolutely adamant that when I came back to racing I was going to come back shockingly fit and wind up on the local podium. That was my goal. I wanted to come back stronger than before. It was kind of amazing, what I was doing on that indoor trainer....the HR zones I was reaching and the way I could hold onto it for so long....I was like some kind of bullet train on the indoor bike. Nothing was "too hard" for me and I always wanted more. Now, I achieved that little goal and I am so happy, but with that being "out of the way", I am having some issues pushing myself on the bike and I've skipped a few recovery rides too. I just don't know why I can't seem to WANT to excel in the bike like I used to. Yes, I want it, but that inner drive that shuts out all the pain and forces me to "push through" everything...it seems to have abandoned me as soon as I had my first"comeback" race. I wish I could tap into that laser sharp focus I used to have. I know it is there somewhere.... and I need it back! I still have Lobsterman, Giant Acorn AND B2B Half Iron on tap!

Beatrix Stella Kiddo

2011-05-30T04:57:00.001-07:00

I thought I lost her that day of the bike wreck. My beautiful Stella Cervelo took a brutal hit right along with me. While I cracked some bones and damaged my jaw, she fractured her top tube and mangled her aerobars. As luck would have it Cervelo was all out of 2011 frames in the right size but they had a new 2009 model in the same exact color as before. Yes, Stella came back...or so it seemed.

At first glance, it is almost if nothing happened to her as she sits pristinely in the garage, just waiting to ride again. The blue and silver frame is sparkling... though a little too clean. If you get real close to her you can see the marks of her crash. Fierce silver scars stretch across the vision bars where she dramatically scraped against the road after impact. Her shifters work fine but are slightly scuffed. Despite these nuances, against all odds and despite traumatic damage... she kicked herself back into the scene! She is reborn, yes, but she's been shaped by her experience and she isn't quite so serene anymore.

Stella means star in Latin and style in Greek. Last year, she was constantly playful and would quickly pose on cue for our race pictures. She was a true star amongst the other bikes on her transition rack with her adorable little 650 HED wheels. She places little value on that now. She is back and I can tell that the crash left her absolutely starving to race and crush those hills! We are appropriately renaming her Beatrix Stella Kiddo. She is a ruthless and formidable warrior hungering to go faster than ever before and take her vengeance out on the roads. Let's just hope I can keep up with my "new" friend Beatrix SK once I am ready to ride.

Wreck

2011-05-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

It's been...a while. I suppose I have been so busy, I had zero time to update. Every second was planned and filled.

I once joked that this was the injury tracker... and that may just be true. It's when I have a little more time to reflect and write!

2010 was a year of progress but I saw it as just a hint of what was about to be an incredible 2011 season. I promise I will get you up to speed on the time gap... and all the fun I had working hard and getting faster. That was just too awesome to omit...but it will have to be later. Unfortunately, my recent news is very sad.

A month ago, I was in a bike crash. I hit some gravel going into a corner down a fast hill. I broke poor Stella (my bike), my collarbone...and then i found out my scapula cracked too! I had a bad concussion, and messed up my jaw so badly that I could not talk without terrible pain for days and could not chew for almost 2 weeks. I still can't eat many things and am going to PT for it next week. The worst part was my broken heart over my Ironman CDA dreams shattered. I have been managing the injury and dealing with the disappointment surprisingly better than expected though.

The outpouring of support from the people in my life including the Tri community was incredible. A few days after my hospital stay, I looked at mu EF teams forum online and so many of my teammates had written the most touching messages wishing me a speedy recovery. One person asked me for my post crash reflection. Basically, I am it re-posting here. It's the best way to explain how I felt in those few days. Since then, it has been tough, but I am fighting hard to overcome the adversity...and doing great most days.

"Bob- you just asked a bored, pent up lady on heavy painkillers for a reflection? Here goes... and this was typed one handed on my iphone with my thumb. killed like 1 or 2 hours maybe... should have timed it with my garmin!

1. Always wear your helmet and glasses. Make sure helmet fits and is being worn correctly. Refuse to ride with anyone who won't put one on... I saw how bashed in my helmet was... cracked and everything and I STILL had a huge hematoma and bad concussion. That helmet saved my life.

2. Now that the helmet lecture is over... I would say this has made me realize even more how wonderful this team and the tri community really is. Tri seems so individualized, but the connections I have been able to make with people who also love to Tri makes our sport so special. I always knew and embraced this concept, but even more so now that I have had this hardship. I DREAD asking for support and help... But I haven't even had to!! The outpouring of support has meant so much to me! This is def more than just pushing our physical limits... it's also about connecting with each-other and making strong bonds...but while we all get faster and stronger of course.

3. Enjoy every instant of training and racing. I wanted the perfect ironman this year... and although it is cut short and IMCDA won't be my race... I honestly enjoyed it all. I am of course very disappointed, but I guess I am coming to terms with not being able to do the race easier because I am realizing the race... would have been one amazing day... But the journey there is also so incredibly rewarding. Recognizing the path to the race and looking at the whole experience thus far makes me feel better. The past few months were fun! Until the fall, I was even loving the ride on Sat- the company, the hills, the route, working on my form (big circles)! That was all so fun. Even the worst days of training...I was learning something and making progress.

4. Gosh, I got upset sometimes when it was too windy or I was too sore or not in the right heart rate zone... but today... I would rather be uncomfortable on a chilly bike ride or swimming hard but coming up short of my target than being stuck on the couch with broken bones on heavy painkillers unable to chew food. I dont think I will whine as much when I am healed from this. I will have seen a reason to whine vs just being silly!

Obviously, this will heal and when it does... I plan to remind myself I am lucky to be able to train... Even in tough conditions or on off days.

5. You all better race and train hard and enjoy it!!! I can not... So please train focused and driven for me. And share those experiences with all of us! Enjoy every instant of your training and everything triathlon offers us.

6. Don't crash. "

5K... OK!

2011-03-06T03:44:00.000-08:00

With Ironman CDA less than 4 months away, I should be blogging again...but I am just so busy!
I love looking back at my training from 2009 and seeing how far I've come. Its kind of sad I don't have blogs from 2010 to this point, because its been a fun and exciting tri journey.

Yesterday was huge! I ran a local 5K with a 3 minute PR. I was 3rd overall....not age group...overall women! I was significantly faster than anyone thought I could be. It hurt though, the entire time!

My run and swim progress has been incredible. I can not believe it! I am so happy.
I am also more confident on the bike!

Now, if I could just stop whining so much!

Nutrition

2010-07-07T18:50:00.001-07:00

I just don't see how eating healthier could make me faster. I fuel appropriately before and after work outs. I'm not gaining weight. I hate to diet. I wonder if better nutrition actually would help. I don't want to try it though... unless it would actually make a difference. Otherwise, I'll just be wasting a ton of time figuring out meals and craving chocolate...

IMCDA- I'm IN!

2010-07-07T18:48:00.001-07:00

Signed up for IMCDA and although for the past few months I wondered if I'd have to train alone for this one... half of the city (OK- maybe 15-20 people I know) registered for this race. Let the adventure begin. Cheers!

2011

2010-06-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

In one year and about 20 days... I plan on racing Ironman CDA! Registration is in just a few short weeks.

I am thrilled about the early season race. I'll train hard all winter/spring and then relax the rest of the summer.

Let the adventure begin.

Aero Helmet

2010-05-29T03:09:00.000-07:00

Me: Nick, I can't wear this. Everyone passes me on the bike and it's ridiculous. I'm too slow.

Nick: I have a solution. Pedal faster. Problem solved.

Flying through T1 & 2?

2010-05-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, despite my attempt to sneak out of practice where I found out we would be learning fast transitions by keeping shoes clipped on the bike- my coaches and team mates pretty much peer pressured me into attempting it. Well, at this point it doesn't seem entirely out of the question. I can hop on that bike barefoot & eventually get my feet in my shoes while the bike is coasting. I just need to work on speed and confidence. I also need to figure out how to take my left foot out of my shoe at the end. It was all pretty overwhelming, but I am glad I tried. If I am going to improve, I need to stay outside that comfort zone. I'll entertain the neighbors practicing outside to try it in a race but it won't be perfected in time for Tidewater.

I'm not sure why I'm so nervous on the bike. All through school including part of college I was a competition cheerleader. I was the one at the top of three tiered pyramids, or being tossed up to balance on one person's hands, performing twisting dismounts and all with a huge smile. I was fearless, confident and had amazing balance! Those days are long gone and clearly forgotten, but I need to regain some of that youthful bravery and channel it toward the bike! I mean... its just a little bike!

Kinetic 2010

2010-05-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

I went into this afterthought of a race very relaxed. A significant contrast from last year. However, maybe I could have used a little bit of last year's anxiety this time around. I PR-ed for the course, but only by two minutes. I should have been more focused. I did this for fun since Mooseman wound up conflicting with work. However, next time, I'm going to invest the time and money in a half, it will be a stronger showing.

Swim: Awesome
Bike: Windy and hilly and I was passed a lot. Poor Stella (the bike)
Run: My legs were tired, so I gave up and chatted with too many people. At least the pics came out good.

I spent too much time talking with people on the run course and not paying attention to my pace. This race was for fun... but you know what? A half ironman needs to be taken more seriously (unless its just a prep for a full iron). I also got off my bike about 5 times to stretch my hamstring (only one of those times was truly necessary due to a fallen tree). I'm annoyed that I went so slow. Nick thinks it is hilarious. He says every time he saw me, I was running with someone else and chatting... until I saw him and his camera. He took some amazing pictures by the way- including tons of my EF team mates in action!

Next time:

Follow the training plan I'm paying for- especially when it is put together by a phenomenal coach
Don't do a "secret" hilly marathon so close to a half iron
Cycling only once or twice a week won't make me a better cyclist
I need to practice transitions

And most important:

Have fun and enjoy the race- but go in with a goal. If I don't have a goal, I don't have the pressure and don't perform to my full potential.

Kinetic- Quick Update

2010-05-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

I raced Kinetic with no hamstring issues. It was great to come back and race and see how far I've come in handling pre-race anxiety. I've learned to channel the energy into something useful for the start. I handled all adversities on the course well- including some serious wind knocking down a tree 5 cars ahead of me and blocking both lanes. No one was hurt by it- but it certainly presented an obstacle. Although I did not beat my Patriot's time, it was a PR for the course. I'm pretty happy considering the "secret marathon" so close to this race probably took a lot of my energy. If you think you should keep something secret, maybe... just maybe...it's not the most brilliant idea.

However, since I had to back out of Mooseman, this was just an afterthought.... a race for "fun." I'm glad I did both races, but next time, I'd better pick just one race to focus on and really push myself for that A race.

A full report will follow later.

Day 2

2010-05-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Day 0 Injury & Hopeful Denial Phase
Day1 Ice, ice, ice

Day 2: A trip to the doctor a diagnosis of a 1st degree hamstring strain and a SECOND DEGREE burn! I was so obsessed with icing my leg that I now have an ice-pack sized second degree burn on the back of my leg. She seems more concerned about this burn than she is with the hamstring. She had her assistant take a picture of it since it is so impressive. I told her I don't care about the burn- I'm just worried about the muscle.

She doesn't want me swimming or cycling because of the burn- until it gets better. I can't run because of the hamstring. I'm just going to take it easy and go back to her office Friday at 10:00 am. She thinks a first degree hamstring strain should be improved in time for the race. She says no more NSAIDS since that slows the healing process. I can't ice it anymore because of the burn.
She says to try running Friday morning and let her know how that feels. She knows I'll just ignore her advice if she tells me not to race- so we are going to decide what I will do on Friday morning.

She was proud of me for coming in so soon after an injury and keeping my calm during the appointment. I'm really making progress in injury management.

I am also very happy I joined the E group training team. I know it was the right decision. I sent my crazy injury plan from the last post to the head coach yesterday. He offered to help me however he could and suggested some people that could help as well. He even told me to give him an update every day! I said, "Isn't that going to be annoying?" No, apparantly, when their athletes are injured, they want to hear how they are doing on a daily basis. That kind of support really means a lot.

I'm in better spirits. I really hope the doctor is right. I really hope this strain improves! If this annoying burn gets better as well, that would be great. There are blisters!

Venting

2010-05-02T05:17:00.000-07:00

I should just re-name this blog- Injury Tracker. It seems I only write when I am injured or terrified of being injured. I thought I would relax, not turn it into a catastrophe, just remain C-A-L-M next time a little sharp pain popped up. I thought, hey, I'm different now. I've overcome injury in the past. I am an ironman.

Nope. Not the case. I am really stressing out. I have some kind of sharp pain in the back of my leg- above my knee- but near the outside. Maybe it is my hamstring.

I'm tapering for Kinetic. How did I pull my hamstring (or whatever this may be) during a slow 31 mile bike ride? I don't remember it happening. This is not good. I iced it yesterday and hoped it would just disappear in the morning. It is still here.

Kinetic is less than a week away. What am I going to do?! I kind of expected to hobble off the marathon course two weeks ago and at that time, I would have been mentally prepared to give up Kinetic. However, I really took it easy post marathon and had no problems at all....until now. This is shocking.

Why is this happening? I really want to do my race next week. I really don't want to sit out another gorgeous early summer season.

I don't know how to manage this. Normally, I'd take a week off, then test it out. However, with Kinetic less than a week away- it is ice, over the counter anti-inflam, rest and pray!

Tried and True Injury Plan:

Plan: Sunday- ice, no work out
Monday: ice, no work out- make appt for Tues/Wed if possible
Tuesday: Go to doctor and ignore advice, if advice is don't race
Wed: Whine about it
Thursday: Cry and whine about it
Friday: Pack for race and pretend to be miraculously cured so Nick doesn't give me a hard time
Saturday: Participate in the race, popping advil like candy and secretly thinking I'm super tough
Sunday: Cry when I'm limping around and have to take the summer off from training

OK, maybe I need a plan B.
Maybe it will disappear tomorrow!

Uh Oh!

2010-04-14T13:00:00.001-07:00

3 days before my first ever standalone marathon- something I've wanted to do ever since IMFL- and I'm sick. I'm hoping it is just food poisoning and I'll be able to recover super fast and go on as planned!

I wasn't really worrying about this race at all, but with this wrench thrown in... now I'm getting a little concerned.

I also hate to miss swim practice! Coach R was working with me on flip turns last week and I'm swimming in lane 4! I don't like missing out. Every single practice I have been to has served a purpose and has been beneficial. I swam a 300 in 5:03 a few weeks ago! I can not believe it. I pretty much never skip practice unless I have work commitments or in today's case... pathetically sick.

IM Again?!

2010-04-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

I am going to do another Ironman. Next year. I am still working out the details. CDA? WI? Placid? Canada? B2B? I don't know!

This season has been amazing. Due to some great coaching and track workouts, I've PR'ed on all my running races thus far.

Did my first 5K

PR'ed at Shamrock half by 1o full minutes

PR'ed at the Monument Ave 10K by 15 seconds or so

I am about to do my first ever standalone marathon. I have kept the marathon plans a secret. That was probably not the best idea. My coaches could have really helped me prepare had I fessed up sooner. I know it's silly to plan a half iron so close to a marathon, but I am ready!

I can not wait for this marathon. I am not nervous. I am looking forward to it!

I love my new training team! It's new, different, challenging, super organized and exciting.

I can't do Mooseman- but that's ok. The new job it worth it.

I'm still not a good cyclist. I'll work on that later this season.

That is the update.

Winter Blues

2010-01-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

Why am I sore from a 6 mile run? Is this real? What has happened to me? I need to get back on track.

It's too cold outside.

I'm too stressed out.

My foot tendonitis hurts.

I'd rather have a beer.

I need to sleep in.

excuses, excuses, excuses.

Good thing my winter training team practices start again tomorrow. I've never had such a motivation issue.... EVER.

I signed up for a half marathon in March and a full and HILLY marathon in April. This should motivate me.

Running

2009-12-10T15:46:00.001-08:00

I am finally running again. I love running more than almost anything. It clears my mind and helps me figure out solutions to any problem. I only swim and bike so that I can keep on running. Tuesday, I had a bad day...and forced myself to bundle up in a 40 degree rain storm for a group track workout. This was excellent- nice warm up and lots of work on pacing and form. I left the track feeling so incredibly happy. I wish I could run every day...but I'm so injury prone, running is a treat a few times a week. I wish I'd discovered running when I was younger. Maybe I would have been good at it.

I can not wait to run a marathon....with out all the swimming and biking. I wonder how fast I can do it. I'm going to go sign up for the Shamrock Marathon...right now! I was hesitant...because Nick might not be able to go, and it would conflict with my Mooseman training...but a marathon sounds so exciting!

Ironman Florida Race Report

2009-11-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

Delayed- but detailed...

Pre Race:

Apart from losing my brand new goggles and having to find my spare pair, the morning went by fine.

The Swim

Having slipped away from my friends and team mates to cross the timing mat on the beach and start on my own, I was ready. I was a little concerned about the old back up goggles, but I tried not to think about that. The music was loud and exciting, contrasting with the aura of nervous anticipation enveloping the thick crowd. I observed the excitement, concentration, anxiety on the faces of other wetsuit clad athletes staring out at the ocean. I watched the calm looking waters, gazing out towards the buoys placed far out into the horizon and I thought about everything I’d been through to get to this point: the hours of training, the time commitments, the sacrifices, the injuries & the toughest training days. Of course I was nervous, but I was prepared and I knew it. When the grandness of the situation got to me a little, I chatted with a nice women next to me. “Who’s going to be an ironman today?” came out on the loudspeaker and we all cheered. At this point I was jumping up and down, so incredibly happy to have even made it to the starting line. Of course I was nervous, but I was working to channel that energy towards a strong start. I used a lot of “self talk” and continued to reflect upon everything I’d gone through and all the people in my life that helped me to make it to this point and I just wanted to hear that starting gun.

I loved the swim. I have zero sense of direction and you know I’ve gone a little off course in other races. However, these IM buoys had to have been at least 5 feet tall. I could easily see them which really helped speed up my swim time. The water was fairly clear until the turnaround buoy, which made it easier to avoid getting kicked in the face. I did see a few jellyfish floating below us, but none were touching my hands. They didn’t intimidate me at all after the C-Man experience. There was some chop and swells at times and the sun made it tougher to see but it was nothing I hadn’t experienced in the past. The toughest part was maneuvering through the other racers. This was the most physical of any swim I’ve had. At times it was stressful – being pushed under the water, kicked in the sides, sandwiched and squished between racers, but I forged on. In some ways, all the physical contact was reassuring- it meant I wasn’t straying too far off course. I only sighted every 12-15 strokes instead of every 6. Just before the end of the first lap, my goggles did get kicked and luckily I wore them under my cap so they only slid to the side of my face. They fogged up immediately. Then, I felt a hand grab at my ankle and nearly tore off my chip strap. I was able, by some miracle to catch it in the water as it slipped off and had to stop and tread water to get it back on. During the entire 2^nd lap, my goggles were leaking and fogging up. The goggle issues slowed me down a bit, but I still managed a swim split faster than at c-man in about 1:22. I was glowing as I came off the beach and had my wetsuit stripped off.

I spent too much time here. I really didn’t want to get on that bike. I had a great volunteer stay with me the whole time. She even helped me put on my arm warmers and socks. I had packed my things in 2 large ziplock bags- one “must have” for my dry shorts, tri top, socks, sun block, cycling shoes and one “might want.” This way, I was able to have the mental security of all the extra junk (spare socks, spare tube, leg warmers) with out slowing myself down by digging through all the unnecessary gear. The volunteer was fantastic. I was also happy I’d rehearsed my T1 in the hotel before so I didn’t try to put on my glasses before my sun block, or my watch before my arm warmers. Dressing went smooth. It was the sitting and chatting with the volunteer I could have eliminated to make it faster. I was out of there in around 10 minutes. I saw my fans- the parents, in laws and Nick cheering me on as I headed toward the bike.

Bike

There’s some myth about IMFL being flat. I know it's no mountain and there are way more technical and hilly courses out there, but was drilled into me all year long to ride aero constantly because the course is so flat. I was thinking it would be pancake like conditions similar to the ride in Mathews VA or C-Man- but this course was hillier than anticipated. Yes, there was just the overpass as far as a "steep climb" but apart from that, there did seem to be many gradual uphill slopes and nothing down hill. All the aero riding did pay off, but mentally I was unprepared for the 40 mile uphill slope into a headwind in the middle of the course. There were a lot of false flats. However, it wasn’t nearly as bad as that awful Kiptopeke ride or C-Man, race so I just reminded myself of those races and held it together out there.

There was a lot of crowding on the road. Generally, we all tried to do the right thing and not draft, but sometimes I wondered if we were all too close to each other, in clusters- at least for the first 50 miles. Even if I dropped back, I’d just fall into a different group of riders. However, there was a lot of camaraderie out there and the volunteers were extremely nice. I ran into a few other Tri Girls through the day, which was always a good pick me up, even when they zoomed past me!

I did suddenly hate my carbo pro and couldn’t stand it around mile 30 or so. My stomach felt pretty bad and I just couldn’t seem to stomach the taste of it. I stopped eating and made myself at least take in water. I forced myself to stay on the bike. Around mile 45 I had to dump out all my carbo pro and use Gatorade to get some calories in my body. It took the entire ride for my stomach to settle. My nutrition wasn’t going as I’d meticulously calculated- but luckily I’d packed lots of extra food. I drank Gatorade and water until finally around mile 60 I could manage to chew my shot blocks and gels.

Once I got to mile 80, the ride became exciting and the miles seemed to fly by. Around mile 106, I was ready to get off though. I began singing out loud, the last 2 miles and continued singing, just to keep my mental focus and spirits up until finally, it was time to get off the bike. Patty, was volunteering here and she took my bike for me. She’s got this wonderful exuberant personality, so seeing her was very uplifting. I looked at my watch and realized I had 8 hours to complete the marathon. I was definitely going to be an ironman!

T2 Fairly easy transition, yet it took me 8 minutes. I was being too cautious.

The Run

This was by far my favorite part of the entire day. I love to run. I was surprised by how gross my stomach still felt from the carbo pro and how slow my pace was, but I forged on. I chatted with a lot of people. I found some of my friends along the course. My foot started hurting almost immediately (top left, near the toe). I bargained internally that I couldn’t have advil until mile 10. No, I gave in and had advil at mile 5. I did my best to block out the pain. The adrenaline from the day, the other racers and the crowd helped a lot.

The crowd was wild. During the first lap, we encountered some strange drunk people all dressed up. I remember one drunk guy shouting “ You’re an animal!” which made me laugh and run a little taller. Whenever I felt a little sluggish, or my foot bothered me, I repeated the phrase in my head and it turned around the bad mood. It became dark very fast. I grabbed a glow stick coming out of the park. It was so uplifting to run with this thing since it reminded me of those adorable days back at Rollerworld as a child. Nothing like a little nostalgia during the marathon leg of an IM. Any distraction from the pain is helpful!

I was also glad I’d kept a headlamp clipped to my race # belt. The head strap was in my special needs bag which I picked up at the turnaround. As you may recall, I learned a big lesson about running in the dark back in May (and have a permanent dent in my thigh as a reminder). Seeing my cheering squad at the turnaround was exciting. Alternating between hot chicken broth and cold caffeinated coke at the aid stations on the 2^nd loop was delicious. I ran most of the time at a nice, steady pace with walk breaks through the aid stations. About 2 miles from the finish, most people were walking. I caught up with a guy running a nice 10 min mile clip and chatted a bit. “Its so nice to find someone else still running.” He said he hated to disappoint, but he was about to walk. “I said, well you could walk now, or just walk when you finish in two miles. We are too close to walk” It worked, I had an instant running buddy to get me to the finish. We both walked the last aid station, then picked up the pace again. Having that company to pull through to the finish was great. It was dark and lonely for a long stretch. Then suddenly, we hit that last aid station and people started to cheer. I saw a group of veteran IMFL Tri girls tailgating along the way and they were shouting, “You’re an ironman!” I was just beaming. I was so close! Then, we turned the corner and the music was loud, the lights were bright and the crowd was thick on both sides. My “buddy” picked up his pace and dashed ahead, which was fine because who wants company in their finisher photo? Not me! I saw my family along the shoot, flashed a smile and kept on running. I’d been racing to this point not just all day, but all year long!

Then I heard it, my name followed by “You’re an Ironman!” I did it! I finished the ironman the happiest I can ever remember feeling. I crossed the line a stronger, tougher, more confident and resourceful woman.

Mooseman, Here I Come!

2009-11-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

I've signed up for Mooseman 70.3 for June 2010.

The lake is supposed to be pristine, the course should be beautiful and I get to race close to my MA/ME/NH friends and family. Perfect. However, the hilly bike course looks scary....er um challenging. The water will be chilly and it sounds a little intimidating after training for warm, flat races through 2009. It's just what I need. After doing IMFL, I want a goal that won't take up as much time as IM training, but remains outside my comfort zone to help push and motivate me to train hard.

I also want to run a marathon with out all the swimming and biking first. Running was my favorite part of IMFL. I was hoping for Shamrock in march, but the way my toe is feeling, I'm not sure I'll have the time. Perhaps I'll do a fall marathon instead.

Now, if only this toe would heal up. It still hurts and it's starting to really make me mad. I've had enough rest. I want to run. I'm not sure if this medical sandal or wrapping it is helping at all. Wondering if my miracle working podiatrist could have been wrong. He thought I'd be running by Thanksgiving. I think I was still so glowing and happy about IMFL, that I must have somehow miscommunicated how much this toe hurts. Even though I have no short term goals on the horizon, I am still not happy about this silly injury. At all.

blah

2009-11-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

I don't feel like doing anything. I don't want to write my race report, go to happy hour, clean my house, plan my holidays or anything else. I do wish I could go for a run (darn toe injury) but maybe I'm only thinking that because its not actually an option right now.

I think I just need some down time. Activity has been non-stop since the Ironman. I got home from Vegas Sunday night and was at work 8 hours later and of course I came back to lots of problems needing to be solved. Hopefully, I'll recover a little this weekend and then I'll spill all the details about the ironman.

The ironman was such a wonderful, positive experience. I know myself so much better now. I am capable of more than I imagined and to know that, well, its a good feeling.

Ironman

2009-11-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

I am an Ironman!

The race was amazing! A full race report will follow, but here are the highlights:

Beautiful weather, rough swim, windy bike, awesome run in the dark.
I did not cry the entire day, not at the start and not at the finish. I am so proud.
I PR-ed on the swim, the bike and ran my first Marathon.

I "recovered" working in Vegas, and I am now exhausted from my first day back to reality.
It felt strange not rushing off to the gym or jumping on the trainer after work.

I hurt my toe during the run and its getting worse, so need to see a doctor this week. At least I made it through!

More later...

one week to go...

2009-10-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

I'm busy, but here are some of my random, unorganized pre-ironman thoughts:

Earlier this week I was really happy and excited- but with a lot of temporary OCD about the swine flu. Now I am still excited...but worried about last minute things that could ruin the race.
At this time in one week, I should be off the bike and on the run. That is cool.
This morning was crazy! Broken stem and a really difficult tire

Ready?!

2009-10-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

This year, I’ve run 22 hilly miles in the heat after a night of drinking, fallen off my bike and got back on, fixed flats & dropped chains. I’ve swam in choppy waters with jellyfish, vomited behind a tree and continued running for 8 more miles. I've been lost while biking, running and even swimming and always made it back. I once rode long in a cold windy rainstorm severely under-dressed. I swam 3 miles in a pool & another day rode 112 miles and didn’t die of boredom. I’ve come back from my camping injury, and severe plantar fasciitis before that. I didn’t think I could do any of those things, but I did. I've managed some serious stress from work and from a family member's illness. I’ve had hard times and good times. I’ve had help along the way, for which I am grateful. No matter what happens I’m glad I have the health and ability to say that I am ready for IMFL. (Now, would it just hurry up and get here before I catch the swine flue)?!

Rain Ride

2009-10-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

I've been training and working so hard that I haven't had a chance to give an update:

10/16- 10/18- Training weekend with most of the team. Friday night we had lots of delicious pasta, a little bit of wine, and we were in bed by 10pm after helping one girl with a random flat tire. It turns out there was a hole in her actual tire- not just in the tube! After a few flats before ride morning, she switched entire wheels with one of the girls that did IMFL last year. After seeing her issues, I'm bringing my extra 650 wheel to IMFL in case anything like that goes wrong with my race wheel!

Early Saturday, we were setting off to do a century ride- last time I checked the forecast there was a 40% chance of showers and a high of 60, but that was a few days before the weekend.

Well, what we actually had to face was a temperature in the low 40's with winds of 16-18mph and a torrential downpour. I didn't even own a rain jacket or pack any warm clothes. I was out in the elements wearing a thin yellow summer windbreaker, a long sleeve shirt, shorts, knee warmers and fleece gloves (which became soaking wet after 15 minutes). I was so cold. Mentally, I tried to stay strong, chatting with team mates, trying to take in the scenery etc..but with in a half hour I couldn't feel my fingers enough to shift gears or eat any nutrition other than energy drink in my aero bottle. I was terrified about clipping out because I couldn't feel my feet. It was becoming worried about my fingers, my toes, my health, etc and I think I was right to be concerned. I wish I'd had a warmer layer, gloves that were not fleece and of course a rain jacket. I've since purchased all of the above, so this will never happen again!

Four of us turned around early and did almost 45 miles. Most of the group got in 70 miles. Only four brave souls of the group did the full 100 and it took them over 8 hours to do it.

At least I did thaw out back at the cabin and after a half hour, I could feel my feet again. I decided to run 13 miles to make up for the missed cycling. I could not convince anyone else to do that with me. They headed to a restaurant but some were planning to make up the time later in the week which I couldn't do because of work. I ran down to the ocean and around the park and at least I got in a nice 5 hour work out.

Then next morning was supposed to be an open water swim, but with the winds at 20mph and temperatures in the 4o's again, no one was up for it.

I feel bad about missing my peak cycling work out and starting to taper with out that training overload. It doesn't make me happy at all, but I know that I was seriously under-dressed and to continue, for me, could have been really bad for my health. I still wish I'd been able to do it right.

Now, I am tapering. Yesterday, we rode 48 miles and ran 10. The rain held off until after were were off the bikes and done with the run. Pretty easy! Next weekend is a simple cycle 25 run 5. Easy.

If IMFL were tomorrow, I know I could do it!

Costochondritis

2009-10-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Friday I experienced by far the scariest injury I have had to date through my training. My theory is that my HR monitor has been too tight, but we aren't really sure how it was caused. This injury is inflammation of cartilage in the rib cage. They symptoms? Are 100% identical to a heart attack.

Imagine this. Your daily life has become extremely stressful. Your days are long. You think you are handling it in stride as best as you can, but then you wake up 2 hours earlier than normal with terrible sharp chest pain. It turns into a dull ache lasting past lunch. Your day gets worse. Your chest pain is still there. You wonder, is this killing me? Really? You realize it's a long weekend for doctors. You decide to try to get in to see your doctor... and they tell you to go to the ER. You refuse since you are a healthy triathlete in your 20's. They insist. You have things to do. They put you on hold then tell you that they conferred with the doctor and you need to drop everything you are doing and get there immediately. Yeah, I was scared.

My family doctor is really good. An EKG and Chest X ray later, a full exam and a lot of questions, I am diagnosed with Costochondritis. It will go away and I can train through it.

After my 22 mile run today w/ my HR monitor, the pain was really bad. I'm now pretty sure it was my too tight HR monitor strap. I'm so glad its only inflamed cartilage. Now, I need to find a way to reduce the stress. That was a real eye opener.

bad

2009-10-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

This is supposed to be peak training time. I can't seem to hit my weekday workouts. I just don't want to do it. It could be stress. Normally, my workouts help me relieve that, but instead, I've lacked training motivation. I gave my bike to the shop to clean on Monday. Since I was so burnt out by the C-man ride, I told them to keep it until right before my scheduled 100 mile bike ride. I'm missing all the bike training now.

Last Sat I did bike 50 miles and ran 12 easy miles. I swam 2 miles in the pool Sunday.

This week, I just can't seem to get motivated. I'm working so hard during the day that I feel drained as the day wraps up. I can't seem to get up early to train either. I need to get my act together. I'm not even "fatigued" from working out like a typical ironman in training. No, in my case, I'm just being lazy and letting day to day stress get in the way of my training goals. Bad.

On a more positive note, at least my last minute- "I'm not working out tonight" phone calls this week have led me to catch up with some of my non training friends.

Confidence Builder

2009-09-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was difficult. It was the longest and most challenging race I have ever participated in. It is the first race I have done that I really did not enjoy. I was certainly the most ultimate physical challenge of my life and although I had to wrestle a lot of self doubt all day, I've come out of this race a lot stronger and with a ton of confidence for IMFL.

I finished the Chesapeakeman Aqua Velo in Cambridge, MD. This was a 2.4 mile swim in very brackish, choppy water saturated with slimy sea nettles followed by a 112 mile lonely, extremely windy, flat, desolate bike course. The mental challenges were worse than the physical. I should note, that I could not get more than 30 minutes of sleep at a time the night before due to the obnoxious family in the next hotel room. They were out of control loud until 3:00 am. I had to get up at 4:00. I'm sure that did not aid my frame of mind.

I had a few melt downs, one at the start when we sent my husband on a quick errand and he had trouble and disappeared for an hour or more and nearly missed the race start. I had another rough moment at mile 66. After being "attacked" by the wind and having to ride my bike through flooded roadways on what I found to be a really boring course, I did not want to get back on the bike. The pavement was horrible during some sections and I got off my bike twice thinking I had a flat tire. I wasn't sure where the aid stations would be since they were irregularly spaced and most of the time I was all alone out there, wondering if I had missed a turn. It was not fun, but it was extremely rewarding to finally finish and get off that bike!

However, as hard as it was, I found the inner strength to keep pushing through. In fact, once I set out again, I did the rest of the ride super fast and Nick did not get to see me finish. After witnessing my attitude at mile 66, he was NOT expecting me to pull it together and come back stronger in the end.

Now, I know I can do the Ironman. I am 100% sure my body will be fit enough and my mental toughness will come through. I am not worried about the running part at all. I have enough time in my splits to walk it and still finish! Despite the distance and challenge, I still had plenty of energy after the race. Plus, I believe IMFL's bike will be easier mentally. Its a bigger race, so there will be spectators and many other athletes. There's also an aid station every 10 miles, so I'll be able to focus on getting to each aid station and break the race into mini-goals.

Now, I need to figure out how to fix poor Stella. Her gears/chain ring is just covered in gross salt water.

Swim: 1:33:22

T1: 9:21 (need to practice transition w/ gear bags)

Bike: 6:59:36

Total: 8:42:18

4th out of 4 in age group...but for me, on that day, just finishing was rewarding enough.

Nutrition:

Breakfast: bagel, laughing cow cream cheese, doubleshot expresso, banana, gatorade, water

Pre-Swim: shot block

Bike- lots of gatorade endurance, water, shot blocks, Gu Roctane gels, regular gu gels, power gels, a Cliff Bar- oatmeal at mile 66, a few e-caps.

Recovery: 1 slice of pizza, water. I still can't get an appetite.

Someone told me I should look into "carbo pro" a calorie dense drink so I don't have to carry as much nutrition or slow down for my 20 minute "feedings" as often. I will try it sometime in October.

Cortisone= Magic?

2009-09-22T15:52:00.001-07:00

I hope! I got the shot yesterday. No swimming until Saturday. I am also using some super medicated gel. I'm not worried...yet. The shoulder hurts more now than it did yesterday, but that is probably a normal reaction.

Today I am skipping cycling and I won't be swimming tomorrow! Bad bad bad. Its all rainy and gets dark too early.

Missing

2009-09-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

I lost something. Its been with me a long time... and has brought me a lot of joy over the years but suddenly it is gone.... my alcohol tolerance! Since I've been drinking more gatorade and recovery chocolate milk, I'm drinking my post work glass of wine less and less. In fact I have probably been sober for months with out realizing it. Friday, I went out for a drink down the street and wound up tipsy off of two beers. This is not good. I had a headache in the morning and skipped my team work out, which I had been looking forward to. Saturday night, I gave it a second shot at a festival, and again, Nick had to drive me home after just a little bit of wine.

I'm supposed to go on a work trip shortly after IMFL that will "require" me to drink. Obviously they can't make me drink alcohol, but given the culture... it's going to happen and I'm going to need to be able to handle my liquor for my coworker's benefit. I'm going to adhere to a strict schedule of drinking at least one drink three times per week. I don't know how I can have two endurance events that could not be more different...back to back. Train for the IM and build back my tolerance in time for the trip, now there's a goal!

In other news, I ran TWENTY TWO miles by myself yesterday... after cycling at a leisurely pace for 2 hours. I'm feeling very confident about my running now! My legs feel fine. I've made such a comeback.

However, on Wednesday, during my timed 2 mile pool swim, I started experiencing a painful twinge in my shoulder. It only happens when I lift my arm for the recovery phase. I'm thinking its just a shoulder impingement. I was going to go to the doctor and see if I should get a shot.... but it doesn't feel that bad today. I haven't tried swimming with it since Wed. I am going to skip all swimming this week until C-Man, where I'll need to swim 2.4. I hope it goes away! In the meantime, I better replace my swim workouts with beer drinking "training."

My 2nd Half Ironman- Patriots Race Report

2009-09-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Patriots Half Iron, Williamsburg, VA 9/12/2009

Disclaimer: I’m supposed to practice my nutrition for Ironman Florida, so this race report will contain information about food and calorie counts…boring I know! I thought I signed up for “this thing” so I wouldn’t need to count calories…boy was a wrong. There’s a whole science to IM nutrition and I don’t want to be one to collapse before the finish, so I’m paying attention…at least on race day. However, I’m highlighting the boring food parts in blue, so if you don’t care what I ate, just skip over it!

DAY BEFORE:

We were lucky to have beautiful weather the entire weekend. Having to work a little and check e-mails all day on my vacation time, losing my adorable race number belt, and not being able to find my favorite water bottle all stressed me a little, but once we got to Williamsburg the day turned around. Packet pick up went well and after 5pm, I was very relaxed (for a little while). Nick and I had dinner at a nice place in Williamsburg where I had champagne spritzer, delicious pan seared scallops, asparagus with field green salad and warm bread & butter. We got the dessert to go, and I was able to get a good night’s sleep of 6 solid hours.

RACE MORNING

I was up at 4:05 am. I immediately toasted up a yummy blueberry bagel topped w/ a laughing cow swiss cheese triangle. I forced down a starbucks expresso double shot (hey, I can’t function with out my caffeine!), a water bottle and half a banana. Once on site, Nick helped me pump my tires, then we had a dark walk over to transition to set everything up. It was low stress. There wasn’t even a line to get body marked. I set up some shoes near the swim finish. I sipped Gatorade rain all morning and had half a power gel w/ caffeine. Nick patiently helped me struggle into my wetsuit, which I punctured with my nails since I was rushing an panicking at little about not being able to get in a good swim warm up before the pre-race meeting, but I made it in the water just in time. The good news: I did not cry or stress at the start like I did at Kinetic. I’m becoming much more positive and strong. I still felt nervous, but was able to channel that energy towards a successful beginning this time. The swim warm up was a great idea because I was already comfortable in the water before the race.

Breakfast Calories: - about 510

Pre-swim Calories- about 150

Sodium, carbs, protein, etc: I don’t know! I just had to google how many calories are in a banana since I've never counted calories in my life. Looking up food content is not fun so I’m just not interested in breaking it down to that level!

SWIM

I lined up towards the front of my wave this time and when the gun went off, I pushed hard. This was the most contact I had ever had in a swim. My face took a strong kick and I was concerned I’d have a bruise, but I cringed from the pain and focused on moving forward. I successfully swam on course to the first few orange buoys, remembering to sight at least every 6 strokes. Jostling from other swimmers did not take me off course or slow me down. It was tough to catch a draft, since the water was brown and mucky and I couldn’t find bubbles from feet. I was swimming in a pack, but every time I accidently made contact, I’d get kicked or hit and lose the effect of the draft. However, I remained calm.

It was an exciting swim start for me… until the yellow turn around buoy. What happened beyond that point remains a question.

I passed the yellow buoy and then with the sun’s glare I could not find the next orange buoy to sight. In fact, all the swimmers ahead and around me seemed to be swimming straight, rather than turning. Masses of athletes around me were treading water with their goggles off, looking around. One woman in my wave asked if I knew where to go and I said “No, I can’t see a buoy.” She sighed and said, “Okay, everyone seems to be going this way, lets follow the pack”. Off I went for a long, aimless swim. Since I had no idea which direction to head, I sighted, only to make sure others were around and in front of me. Eventually, a kayaker approached our group and yelled, “aim for the big white boat!” There was a large ferry boat in front of us… but rumor has it that while were sighting towards it, the boat moved in the wrong direction. The current was pulling to the right, and we were allegedly sighting a moving target, which did not help us get closer. The entire group around me swam way off course, and then the wave of men had followed us out there and caught up to us. These men were not kickers, so I kept swimming over them, noticing only when I was already on top and getting kicked in the gut. At another point, I touched a sharp, scaly feeling swimmer. My imagination got carried away, but it was probably just a bare, unshaven leg.

Frustration set in. I have a bad reputation when it comes to a sense of direction, but getting “lost” on a swim course seemed ridiculous! I looked for land. There was a white tent up on a hill at the shore line and I sighted towards that in hopes that it was part of the race event. I spotted orange buoys way out to my left and behind me and wondered if all the swimmers were supposed to be going around those, or if those were the starting buoys. (I still have no idea). Even if it meant giving up the race and hiking 2 miles barefoot in a wetsuit, all I wanted was to step on land again. A few hundred strokes later, I spotted the “wiggly man” at the swim finish. Of course, the excitement of finally seeing something that made sense was taken down a peg when an awful charlie horse pained my calf. The water was still deep and there was a current was pushing me to the right, away from where I needed to be. The last 10 minutes were brutal and I swam with my feet flexed and legs sunken and straigh. I walked slowly on my heels through the water once it was shallow enough to stand. Nick was at the swim finish all smiles and although it was great to see him, I felt slightly defeated. I looked at my watch: 48 minutes.

This was almost 10 minutes slower than I did the Kinetic Half.

Official swim time: 47:59 (19 out of 28 in age group)

I grabbed my shoes and ran out of the way to fight with my wetsuit. The wetsuit nearly won, but 2 minutes, one toe splinter and a grassy back later, it came off. During the struggle the pain in my calf had relented. We all proceeded up a steep hill back to transition and I think I took too much time standing around staring at my stuff…yet again.

5:46 (21 out of 28)

BIKE

The bike course cheered me up immediately. I figured I’d have a faster bike split than Kinetic, since the route was flat with just a few slight hills to keep things interesting. Not knowing the course, I wanted to be under 3:30 minutes and I went even faster! My favorite part of the course was the bridge with a wide shoulder and gorgeous water views. The only “steep” climb on the course rewarded with beautiful scenery at the top. The rest of the course was mostly shady with smooth pavement (apart from the last mile). The wind was only noticeably difficult for me for around 5-10 minutes during a stretch near a field. For the most part, traffic was low although there were a few cars that made me nervous with their unique maneuvering. I wish I was faster at cornering and while eating my gels. I passed one women and I mentioned the views. A few miles later (while I was eating a gel and going slow) she passed me and thanked me for reminding her to enjoy the scenes rather than focus on the pain. That in turn made me feel great. My bike computer stopped sensing the rear wheel around mile 30, but luckily I also had my Garmin Forerunner on my wrist so I was fine. My Garmin hit 56 miles about a mile prior to the finish. I was getting pretty mad at my watch, thinking it was incredibly off, but I found out later that the course was marked long by about 1 to 1.8 miles (depending on who you talk to). My GPS says it was 57.05 miles and that my pace was 17.8 mph. This was so much better than Kinetic. I was aero almost the whole time. For now, I’m working on endurance, aero riding and bike handling (while eating) for the IM distance, but next year I want to focus on getting much faster on the bike. I think my thigh/camping injury may have slowed down my progress on bike speed this year.

I bypassed all the water stops because I had carried what I thought was enough fluids (and people threw water bottles all over the road, so I was focused on not crashing into them), although at mile 44, after the last stop, I wished I’d grabbed another bottle of water. I did drop my entire packet of e-caps, so my sodium intake was low. At this race, I have decided I am giving up Acel Gel. The new vanilla formula is chunky, thick and gross. I am mad they changed it because I liked the idea of protein in the gels, but it was hard to get out of the packet so it made a mess all over poor Stella and tasted bad. I didn’t eat the solid foods I brought because even the gels were slowing me down. Luckily, I packed extra gel so my calorie intake was fine.

2 Acel Gels, 5 power gels, 250 calories of Gatorade Endurance mixed in 56 oz water, 980 total calories, 680 mg sodium, 32 oz pure water.

BIKE TIME 3:11:55 (Kinetic was 3:39:10…so this was great!) 12^th in age group out of 28.

I racked Stella, grabbed my gear and set out. My hair was a disaster since didn’t fix my ponytail in T2 like I used to. It looked silly in pictures, but this isn’t the prom, so I “shouldn’t” worry about that! I shaved 20 seconds off my Kinetic T2 time.

2:26 (19 out of 28 in age group)

RUN

Yes, finally! Once I set out for the run, I am happy whether I'm training or racing. I like having two feet on solid ground. I love the way my legs feel heavy at first, but after 5 minutes they become light and ready. I appreciate that I am able to run despite all the injuries I have had in the past. I drank a lot of water, chewed on some ice, probably had a few e-caps and an energy gel. I know I had heed twice and spit out some coke which was not flat…otherwise, I just didn’t count calories. I took in what I felt like at each stop. This was a lollipop shaped route with two loops, so on the out and backs, I saw a lot of my fellow TG team members and others from the RTC and EF that I know, so that was a lot of fun. Along the course, the TGs also had some fans, and I saw Nick a few times, although every time he snapped a picture of me, I seemed to be pounding a water or ripping a gel open with my teeth. The course ran through a gravel trail which was nice and mostly shady. I was able to pass a lot of people that had gained on me on the bike. I felt strong even though I was begging people with fuel belts for advil (with no luck) when my left toes started to feel crampy and awful at mile 8. I later found out I had an awful cut and splinter from running barefoot, and my adrenaline had masked the pain until that point. At mile 12 I was groaning to myself and a random spectator shouted “Almost there, stay strong.” Stay strong became my mantra the next mile and when I saw the finish line, I kicked it up as I finished to Men at Work’s, “Ain’t Nothing Going to Hold Me Down.” What a fun song for a half iron finish!

After the race, I caught up with Nick and the TG teammates to cheer on all the remaining finishers. Every TG that started the race made the cut off. This was a wonderful day.

Run Time: 2:05:42 11 out of 28 in age group

Total Time: 6:13:45 (12 out of 28 age group place)

(much faster than my 6:54:30 Kinetic time)

Immediate recovery- chocolate milk, water and macaroni & cheese

My “recovery” 5 Guys cheeseburger and fries after we left followed by a small pepperoni pizza four hours later may be shunned by nutritionists everywhere, but it was a well earned junk food treat…and no, I will not be counting and highlighting the nutrition content of those meals!

90/7

2009-09-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

After cycling 90 miles then running 7 on Saturday then doing the TG open water swim practice at Lake Anna on Sunday, I am feeling confident. I can not believe what I am able to do! This is incredible. If someone had told me last year at this time that I'd by cycling 90 miles followed by a run, I am not sure I would have believed it. Last year at this time, I was worried about my ability to complete my first Olympic distance triathlon. Sometimes these workout milestones are just as rewarding at the races themselves. Granted, during these training sessions, there's no crowd support and no finish line, but there's still that glorious feeling of accomplishment which makes all the sacrifices along the way seem worthwhile.

There are just four days left until the half ironman. I don't feel too nervous about it yet. I do hope I can go faster than I did at the Kinetic half, but we are not even tapering for this race. It is just a "workout" for us so I shouldn't be focusing on time as much as practicing nutrition and mental toughness skills.

My first goal is not to mentally break down at the start. I think I was hyperventilating and actually crying big ridiculous tears and begging Nick to take me home 5 minutes before the Kinetic started and it really slowed down my swim and threw off my focus for part of the bike as well. I generally stay happy and excited until just before the start of any race, and then cave in to total anxiety. Now, I need to anticipate all of that nervous, anxious energy and then channel it to help me go faster and stronger, rather than let it overcome me. If I do cry with in 5 minutes of the start, I'm banning chocolate from myself until after the Aqua Velo, at which time, I'll have another opportunity to not cry at a race start. If I cry at the start of the Aqua Velo AND Patriots...I can't have chocolate until after IMFL! If that is not motivation to keep my cool, I don't know WHAT will work.

Ramblings

2009-08-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

This week, I missed 4 full days of training due to that terrible cold. I had a fever and figured I needed rest rather than workouts. Luckily, I was healthy in time for a long brick on Saturday. The long workouts are the ones I really do not want to miss. I decided not to go to the TG outing since I wasn't sure how I'd fare after being sick and figured I'd need the extra hour of sleep. I got a hard time (and rightly so) from some of the girls. I'm so lazy not to join them and my excuse wasn't really a very good one!

I slept in an hour later than usual (until 6am), then jumped on my indoor trainer for an hour and a half before an 18 mile run! That is the furthest I have ever run. I did it at a faster average pace than the 16 miler 2 weeks ago. My neighborhood running buddy got me started for the first 3 miles...but of course I couldn't convince her to add 15. She is the woman who was there the day I ran 5 miles with out stopping for the first time ever a few years ago while we trained for our first 10K together. I'm really glad she's been so supportive of me through this craziness I signed up for. It was nice having her company, but the run was very lonely, hot and boring after she left. I'm pretty sure I was using self talk...out loud after mile 15 when everything started to hurt.

Afterward I decided to try something new... an ice bath.

The ice bath was more torture than the run itself. All my books, magazines and even team mates say it helps promote a speedy recovery. Since my right calf and ankle were burning mile 15+, then my left hip started hurting after the run I decided to try it. One of the guys training for IMFL told me he gets a cup of soup, a winter hat, a sweatshirt and sits in a tub full of ice. Anything to quicken recovery, right? Augh! I didn't even use enough ice, so it turned out to be a cold water bath, but that was still very uncomfortable.

My 2nd ever half ironman is in two weeks. I'm looking forward to it, but I really don't feel nervous about it...yet.

I am nervous about the 90 mile bike ride scheduled for next week. I'm really not in love with doing long rides like I thought I would be. Anything over 50 miles and I feel like I'm going to crash, bonk or get lost. It is so stressful trying to pack everything I need onto my bike, figure out how many layers I need, put air in my tires, deal with traffic, figure out navigating, deal with snakes, squirrels and dogs running around the road. I just haven't felt the same since my knee skinning crashes during my 60 and 70 mile rides a few weeks ago. I keep clipping out of both pedals before every turn since I'm ridiculously paranoid that I might forget. I thought I got over all that newbie fear ages ago. Its slowing me down mentally big time. The 80 miler last week was a confidence builder and I'm no longer worried about the distance, but still... I'm thinking next year... I'm just going to train for a marathon and forget about Stella for a while. That would be soo much easier than all this!

I've got to work on my attitude...I don't SOUND like a future ironman when I whine about having to ride my bike, do I? Maybe this week I'll try doing some low stress WC loops alone and work on handling skills. I need to get very confident eating on the bike, switching water bottles from the back of the bike to the one on the down tube etc. Hopefully TG will get a map/cue sheet out to us early in the week like they did for the 80. If it is last minute, I'll fret about where we are riding all week long.

I've got a fever of 100 degrees..

2009-08-25T09:55:00.001-07:00

I really do. Now, I am sick! I have no idea how this happened. I've been sleeping enough and taking vitamins. It is probably work stress getting me down. Now, I am stuck on my couch with a cup of soup I can barely sip hoping this only lasts 24 hours.

The Storm

2009-08-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

Does the fact that I finished an 81 mile bike ride make up for the fact that I skipped one swim session and one 90 minute bike session mid-week? I hope so!

Exhaustion set in this week, big time. On Friday night Nick and I went to a nice low key dinner at a friend's house and I was yawning at 8pm. Someone commented, "Hey aren't you still 20 - something? Why are you yawning on a Friday night?"

I'm sure long distance triathletes have more in common with 6 year olds than with people our own age. On the weekends in the summer, we run all around town, ride our bike with friends and go swimming...sometimes in places no one else would really want to swim, such as the river...gross! We also get cranky if not fed at regular intervals. We get up before "Saturday Morning Cartoons" and sometimes... have been know to fall asleep before it even gets dark. Did you know that some... (not me...I still think that is gross!!) even pee their pants on the bike because they just don't want to get off the bike (to save time)?

However, when I got up this morning, it certainly was not to watch cartoons. After worrying about the weather, and about getting lost I packed up my bike and off I went to join the team for a nice long 80 miler. I wound up doing most of the second half on my own, but it was great mental toughness training. Luckily it barely rained until the run. Then, it just poured and poured on us. I kept getting a call around mile four and finally answered it. Turns out Nick heard there was a TORNADO warning where we were running! No wonder it was coming down hard. Four of us were together and the adrenaline really kicked in as we finished our fifth mile like we were being chased. I made it home safe and sound.

Almost every Sat brick from this point on will be a milestone for me. Next week I cycle 25 miles and run....EIGHTEEN miles! I can not wait.

I am ready!

2009-08-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

This week was incredible for IM training. I napped and ate all day long today in recovery mode, but I am finally am back on track with the rest of the team. The revised plan I came up with and had the TG coaches approve called for me to cycle 25, run 13 on Saturday.

The week was rough...work was overwhelming and busy and Nick has still been with out a vehicle. Also, some of my non-tri friends gave me a really difficult time about my goals, which came as a complete shock. However, after hitting every single scheduled workout except for strength on Thursday (due to a dead car battery) I was ready to meet the girls out in WC for the long Saturday brick. Getting up when it is still dark is a challenge, but I remind myself (out loud) that these are the days that will decide if I become an Ironman.

After a speedy 25 mile warm up on the bike, we proceeded towards our run. The people I'm training with are all incredible people. One unexpected part of my IM experience has been getting to know these team members. We are all so different in age, career, family life etc.. yet we all understand what it takes to train for something like this and the company on these long rides and runs is wonderful.

As we were running our loops, we kept a nice, steady pace and I was feeling strong. Everything was clicking. At mile 13, I decided to keep pushing and I don't know how it was possible, but I was grinning from mile 13 on... finishing the work out just shy of 16 miles. This puts me on schedule with the rest of my team.

That evening we also had our dinner with the coaches. They gave us a folder full of information about Ironman Nutrition. I'm supposed to consume 300-600 calories per hour on the bike. Yum! Good thing I am in love with food...even if it is "fake food." I can not wait until our training retreat in October. It sounds like a great way to incorporate some good times into an agonizing, long century ride.

The coaches also reminded us that this is going to be hard. If it wasn't a challenge, we would not have signed up. That is true. I live to accomplish big goals. This one is just the most unique idea I've come up with so far.

On a paranoid note....

Today, my ankle feels funny and is clicking. I've been icing it, wearing an Ace bandage, taking advil and and I think (hope) it's minor. Asics decided to change the lace eyelet location and/or tongue of the shoe when they upgraded my model. This was my first really long run in the new shoes and I really noticed it restricted my ankle movement. I was fighting against the shoe! Nick has re-laced my speed laces for me. I'm water running in the pool tomorrow instead of doing 5 miles and hopefully this will feel better in time for my run on Thursday. If not, I'm just happy its my ankle so I can have Dr. M look at it. He is the best podiatrist ever and if needed I am 100% confident that he will be able to fix it as quick as possible. It can bear weight just fine, and I know I have had a bone spur issue in that ankle, so its likely just in need of some rest.

To end with a positive note... my shin splints from last week are gone!

Mathews Ride & Run Extravaganza

2009-08-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend I rode 70 miles in beautiful, flat Mathews, VA with three others training for IMFL. Nick came along as my support crew which was very much appreciated. Trigirl T was fantastic in planning the event and hosting us at her home on the bay. The training was perfect preparation for IMFL with low traffic, lots of wind and long stretches of flat, smooth roads. I stayed aero almost the entire ride thanks to an improved bike fit. Luckily T (whose cycling has become incredible this year) waited at all the stops so we all stayed together and I didn't wind up lost in a marsh!

I do really need to work on my mental focus when I become tired towards the end of long rides. I forgot to clip out not once...but twice (at mile 50 and mile 70) resulting in two bloody knees an a bruised ego. I whined a little about not being cut out to ride a bike...to which Trigirl T replied something to the effect of- "you are cut out to ride the bike...as long as you don't stop!"

The 6 mile run after was hot, hot hot...but that just made our recovery cook out and beach time all the more fabulous.

Today, my right shin feels sore...I hope this is nothing. I wore new shoes yesterday and they felt OK. It started on the drive home. I've never had shin pain and they didn't hurt during the run. Today, I'll take it easy!

2009-08-05T17:34:00.001-07:00

I am back to training for Ironman Florida. Now that I am able to run 10 miles with out stopping I have a new plan:

Here is my Race Plan for 12 steps to ultimate SUCCESS:

It’s all about the taper. I’m going to taper for 3 months before the event to make sure my muscles are REALLY RESTED for the effort.
Don’t worry, to build confidence, the day before the race I will bike the entire 112 mile course and run half the marathon slightly below race pace, just to make sure I can do it.
Nutrition: I’m going to eat 5 gallons of pasta with meat sauce at 10pm the night before the race to carbo load. I will also have a bottle of wine.
Although I will be bar hopping the night before to celebrate the upcoming race, I know that the more sleep possible, the better- so I will be waking up 8 minutes before the race and skip breakfast to save time
In order to keep things interesting on the course, I am going to try all new gels, powders, vitamins and energy drinks. I deserve variety on my race day.
I want to get a head start, so I’m going to definitely go out as fast as possible in all three events and if anyone tries to pass me- I won’t let it happen.
I’m going to skip the aid stations, since stopping at those will just slow me down
I think C02, a spare tube, bike tools etc would weigh my bike down. To shave grams off my load and speed things along, I won’t be carrying those heavy supplies. It will save me 3 minutes off my time.
When it gets dark on the run, I will get some beer from my special needs bag. Beer always gave me energy back in college and helped me stay awake all night.
I’m going to buy all new things at the expo the night before- new wheels, new pedals and shoes, a new wetsuit, and definitely a new breathable 100% cotton outfit for the race
I will buy a power meter the day before the race. I’m sure I can figure out how to use it while I’m out on the long course.
I plan on getting a nice tan to show off when I get back to Richmond , so I’m going to forego any sun block whatsoever.

weekend

2009-07-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

This is it. I am going to be able to train. I will catch up on the bike, and build enough mileage on the run to be ready for the marathon. I am going to compete in Ironman Florida.

Saturday: 36 mile bike- I overslept due to exhaustion from last week (non-training related) and wound up doing loops all alone in the heat, but I stayed aero almost the entire time. I really need to fix my bike fit...my shoulders killed the entire time and the left one is STILL sore. I had issues with it during Kinetic too. I've been too busy with the injuries to fix it. My wired bike computer is also failing to read speed or mileage- just cadence. N and I can not figure out what is wrong. Cycling was great though- my leg was behaving beautifully. I love a nice long Saturday brick. I love touching my face and feeling the gritty salt dried onto my skin. I love the heat making workouts more challenging and then feeling the breeze as I glide down the hills. I am so happy to ride outside again.

After Stella (the bike) and I had enough of each other, and my shoulder was screaming, I walked fast for an hour.

Sunday: Swam 1 mile in the pool. My time was slower than normal, but I had plenty of energy to do my first outdoor training run. That's right. 5 minutes of jogging, 1 minute walking repeated 4 times. This was heaven.

Later in the afternoon, N convinced me to try mountain biking. I had not been on the mountain bike for a few years and I think the last time I wound up flying over the handle bars after crashing into a log. I was very scared driving over to meet the group. I psyched myself out and I wound up letting the group go on ahead of me. I found a quiet, flat dirt road and did about 5 easy miles, then sat by the river until they were done. The last thing I need right now is another injury. I'll try mountain biking again...after IMFL.

Comeback

2009-07-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

It has been a long week. I was so upset about my leg I became oblivious to everything else non-ironman related that needed attention. Well, I'm slowly easing back into running now and at the same time, handling the "everything else."

Back to running...twice this week I ran on an alter G trainer at the doctor/PT office. It allows you to run at a significantly reduced body weight to reduce the pounding effects of running. This helped me slowly ease back into it. It was incredible!

There is still a dent in my leg, but the Dr. thinks most of the scar tissue is gone from the muscle layer.

Today was my first day on the treadmill... finally. I just did a few 5 minute slow walk-jog intervals but its a good start and if it keeps going well, there will be no reason that I can't "catch up" on the training plan.

Now, I just need to get back into the habit of training. Getting up at 5am on a Saturday morning is not fun, but riding w/ Stella again will be fantastic!

Hope

2009-07-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

The dent is still there, but it appears to be improving. I'm able to do squats with out pain. I can do straight leg raises with only a few slight muscle twitches.

Today, I convinced N to take a ride out to WC from some easy loops outside. He hasn't been on the bike since last year (totally by choice) and I haven't been with Stella (my gorgeous bike) since the Powersprint!

We only completed 6 miles, but my legs felt fine. A little fatigued on the injured quad, but nothing serious. Tomorrow I'm going to attempt 25 miles outside w/ my training friends. Lets hope it goes well!

Tonight, I'm swimming in the river with the tri club, as long as the swim isn't cancelled.

If it goes well, I'll really have a reason to celebrate on the 4th of July!

If I can catch up on the cycling, I'll be able to at least compete in the Chesapeake Aqua Velo (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike).

I'm a little more hopeful that I'll be able to run. I'm not trying for another week, but I'm really hoping I can do it.

Aqua Jogger

2009-06-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was... Awesome!

1. 1 hour of my yoga DVD

2. Biked 45 minutes on the indoor trainer

3. Aqua jogged for the first time since I was injured for 30 minutes in the sunny outdoor pool

Aqua jogging outside instead of in the lap pool may have looked silly as I "ran" in place treading water with a floatation belt, dodging the teenagers and the cannon-ballers. However, the adrenaline rush was so worth it!

After that, it was time to celebrate, so I drove out for a late afternoon barbecue with my 1/2 IM and IM TG training friends!

Today, my both legs are sore...due to weeks upon weeks of virtually no activity.

I hope I can stay on the recovery path and get rid of this scar tissue fast!

The new "Take 2 pills and call me in the morning!"

2009-06-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

That old phrase has been replaced by, "It will be better in 2 weeks." Yes, any time I go to a doctor with a sports injury, they tell me to come back in two weeks. It drives me nuts because when you return after 2 weeks, they give you another 14 day prediction! I was e-mailing a friend recently about doctor trips and here's the advice I gave her:

When you go to YOUR appointment here's what NOT to do...learn from my mistakes! Doctors get annoyed with me and I can't seem to get along with anyone for the following reasons:

1. They do not like the fact that I should have gone to the emergency room and instead I ignored it and popped a bunch of advil and did a sprint triathlon a week later. If I knew how serious it was, I wouldn't have done that! Who would think a "bruise" was a big deal?

2. They do not like when you google your condition all weekend and call them up Monday and ask them if they think you have XYZ horror story diagnosis or ABC deadly disease.

3. They don't like when you say. "Are you just saying two weeks because you actually have no idea and that is the standard timeframe to tell people?"

4. They REALLY do not like when you burst into tears in their office.... especially if you do it every single visit.

5. They do not like when you ask "What will happen if I disregard your advice and decide to go for a run anyway and ignore the pain?"...

6. The do not like when you say: "Hey, how much can I drink when I'm on this medicine? I know it says you can't drink...but wine doesn't really count does it? This is just an anti-inflammatory after all!"

I have done all of the above!

Here we go again...

2009-06-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

The good news? My leg appears to be getting better. The bad? SLOWLY. Very Slowly.

After being asked by a friend this weekend why I have not posted in a while, I explained, "I wanted the blog to be about my journey to Ironman and instead its just a whine-fest about my leg injury." She was quick to remind me that the injury is part of the experience. So, here we go! You get to hear more about my leg!

Where is the woman that said this at the close of the season last year?: "Now, I'm looking ahead to 2009 and hope to be able to complete an Ironman. It's overwhelming to think about right now, but if I take care of myself and follow the plan I'm confident I'll be able to do it."

I've been replaced by someone who:

A. Did not take care of myself (stupid camping trip!) and

B. Has no plan right now.

The rest of my team is biking 40 and running 10, or something like that. I am on an indoor trainer in the easiest gear for a half hour with no running! I crinkled up the plan and hid it from myself. I need to wait (I hate waiting) until my leg is capable of running again before I can come up with a new map to IMFL.

My very supportive and experienced coaches think I'm throwing in the towel way too early. I need to take it a week at a time. Once I'm back into running, they will be able to help me and re-evaluate the plan. Apparently, if they can get me to ride 100 miles by the end of October, and run 18 miles by the end of October, I should still be OK. I really, really want to be able to do this! I really do. I'm not giving up, but I need to be realistic. Apart from the sprint tri on May 31st, I have been out of training since May 9th- not even able to aqua jog and therefore my fitness base has significantly deteriorated. I am far behind and the Ironman isn't really something you can expect to finish with out preparation!

I set this goal for myself...to be an Ironman. I'm not going to fail, but the reality is that the injury is out of my control. I may need to postpone the goal. My husband has agreed that I can buy a community fund slot for either Utah or Idaho if I am truly unable to train for IMFL. I will wait and see how this progresses. Regardless, I'm going to be an Ironman!

I really hope IMFL works out though. I cleared my entire schedule and the majority of the non-mandatory, time consuming obligations are on hold until after November 7th. I won't be able to have a nice, clear schedule this coming fall or winter. Plus I don't want to travel to Utah or Idaho...at all.

Update

2009-06-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

The one pro of being injured... I get my Friday nights back with no curfew. I went to dinner club and did not check my watch even once. Friday we had barbecue. Saturday, we went to A barbecue. In the south...there is a very big difference.

The MRI came back negative for stress fractures, calcification etc! I was still pretty disappointed since these means I don't have a clear timeline on the recovery. I tend react better when I know what to expect. Then, I can formulate a new plan.

I do know that it will be at least 2 or 3 MORE weeks before I can return to running. My injury is not a textbook case so there are no definitive answers, but a significant amount of scar tissue has built up around the obvious dent in my leg and is causing all sorts of problems and pain. I asked what would happen if I go for a run say... tomorrow even though it really hurts. I could get some serious complications- such as bone formation in my muscles and around my tendons. Mr Dr. seems to think this is pretty serious, even with the MRI just showing soft tissue issues...so I'm going to be careful.

However, I am trying not to catastrophize the injury. I need to take it a day at a time... which is extremely challenging considering my past experience with injury. This weekend I've been focusing on what I can do instead of what I can not.

I met with a gym frequenter friend who showed me shoulder and arm strengthening workouts. If my leg is injured, there is no excuse not to have an extremely toned upper body and tight abs, right? I dug out my old floor pilates DVD I used when my foot was injured a few years back. I must say, it didn't give me that coveted runner's high, but it was definitely a work out.

I also set up a massage therapy session yesterday which is part of my rehab plan. I'm doing all the mini leg "exercises" I'm supposed to so that my muscles do not completely atrophy. Plus I spun on the indoor trainer for 10 minutes to get the blood flowing.

Today... I'll try to swim some laps...even if I have to finish the workout with a pull buoy.

Injury... the worst part is not knowing

2009-06-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a free session put on by our tri club and led by a sports psychologist. He gave lots of good advice on relaxation, imagry and positive self talk...all the things I'm way too stressed out to even attempt. I usually wind up giggling during yoga (when I'm in better spirits) so I don't think my brain is capable of relaxing in that way.

He did say that injured athletes feel a sense of grief, similar to losing a loved one. I think he is right. It explains a lot about me over the past few weeks. I hate to see my IM dreams crumbling before me. I planned my entire life around the IM. Every single day since 11/1/08 has revolved around IMFL. I've been 100% dedicated to this goal. I've sacrificed a lot, I've spent a lot. Not to mention that the intense training was my way of coping with a really stressful year. Now, I'm grieving twice.

Why so negative? I've been through this nightmare before. I'm scared some distracted doctor will not pay close enough attention to my MRI this week and then I'll be stuck with out a plan, with out any hope and with no idea what is wrong. Or worse, I'll get the wrong diagnosis and instead of getting better, I'll be plummeted into a more painful condition.

This is the worst week of the year.

Possible Issues I know of right now:

myostis ossificans (bone growing in my muscle- gross! I hope this didn't happen)

stress fracture of the femur (not likely...which means I probably have it and it will go undiagnosed and get worse)

bone hematoma (likely...but why would that keep me from running?)

scar tissue (confirmed- but shouldn't keep me from running!)

fatty necrosis (confirmed- but it shouldn't be keeping me from running)

grade 3 quad tear (would explain the ugly dent and my inability to run...but why was I OK to do the sprint tri a week after I tore it?)

tendonitis calcification (gross!)

Treatments: I have no idea how to treat any of these things! Everyone says something different.

Why do I have to wait until tomorrow night to get the MRI?!

Kinetic Half Ironman...All the Details

2009-06-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

I wrote this race report May 10th....but didn't have time to start the blog until today. Here's the dirt on the Kinetic HIM:

The drive up the night before was fun. N let me listen to all sorts of oldies and I blasted “hot blooded” really loud on the radio and got that song stuck in my head.

The next morning, everything was unfolding perfectly. I was feeling good, but when I looked around at 6:50 am and saw everyone else in their wetsuits, warming up I was overcome with doubt in my ability to do this distance. 10 minutes prior to the start, I begged N to take me home. I really need to control my nerves and be more confident. I probably could have shaved a least a half hour off the race if I could have been more steady. I tried to control my breathing during the anthem, but I was already hyperventilating.

Finally, the race started and I dolphin dived with the swim wave but being so panicky before the start destroyed my rhythm. I had to grab onto a kayak for a while and collect myself. By that point, I’d lost the pack and had to push forward on my own without that sweet draft I was hoping to find. I loved not having a current to deal with and I’m pretty concerned about swimming in the ocean for IMFL and the river for Cheseapeake Aqua Velo. Luckily swimming in a wetsuit felt great. I barely had to work to stay afloat and the XTerra suit seemed to encourage good technique as promised.

I did not feel a sense of urgency in TI since I’d just swam 1.2 miles and was about to bike 56. I chatted w/ the woman next to me, who had forgotten to fill her water bottles so I gave her some water. At the start of the bike, Stella (my bike) made a horrible squeak noise. I still can not determine what it was but it continued the duration of the race. The course was 2 loops past a winery, through farmland, over gorgeous bridges and along a marina. I wanted to take a detour at the winery mid-course, but figured that was not a great plan. My nutrition was going well but I went too slow and let everyone pass me since I wasn’t sure how much energy I’d have to chase them back and forth along the course. I could only pass people on the up-hills since I am an attack machine on the ascents. Next time, I’ll have a better feel for this distance. I held back way too much on the bike and didn’t stay aero enough. Poor Stella...I know she's too good for me...but not for long. I'm going to be awesome on the bike this year, now that I know better.

By the time I dismounted the bike, I had moved to the back of the pack and many bikes were already racked. Although that was slightly discouraging, I started off the 3 loop run feeling solid and happy. I love to run! However, eventually discouragement set in yet again. The hot sun was unrelenting and the wind I felt on the bike had all but disappeared. The 2nd and 3rd run laps were brutal. I had built a layer of course sandy salt along my face. Gross! I alternated running and walking even though during training I’d been able to run nonstop for up to 16 miles. For a few seconds I ran with tears streaming and I hope everyone thought it was sweat! I toyed with the idea of stopping…sitting on the grass and resting, but luckily I stayed focused.

The pick me ups were seeing my training team members along the course, and smiling for N on every loop. I also heard the “Hot Blooded” song coming through transition. Fantastic! It had been playing in my mind the whole race, so it was nice to hear it again and get it out. That perked me up and I was able to fly up the hill.

I am proud of the run. I was able to pass a bunch of people who crushed me on the bike. I stayed strong and took good care of myself so I didn’t loose fuel, dehydrate or get hyponatremia. It was slower than I had anticipated, but given the heat conditions I think I did great. I wouldn’t change anything about how I tackled the “run” that day.

The finish was incredible. The announcer knew how to pronounce my last name, which was a race first. Again, I got teary eyed while finishing, but no one could tell because I had a smile and sunglasses covering the emotion. I’d do this race again. Next time, I am going to be much faster and really steady and confident.

How did I recover that day? At the winery of course!

Ironman Florida Training Interrupted

2009-06-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

I've come a long way since the last time I was injured. About three years ago, I was training for a 10K and I suffered from a plantar fascia injury so painful, I could barely walk. The worst part was not knowing what was really wrong and going through several incorrect guesses by doctors and failed treatments. I never had heel pain like the textbook cases one always hears about. No, I went for the extreme and tore the fascia in the middle of the arch. Unfortunately, it wasn’t diagnosed correctly for months. I went through about 7 doctors, 3 drugs, 10 different orthotics and a walking cast all promising a cure and coming up empty. It was a very tiring, dark eight month period. One of the first doctors was so awful that he didn't believe there was a physical injury, despite the obvious hardened lump at the bottom of my foot. He actually gave me a sample drug and advised, "Sometimes, war vets lose limbs but can still feel the pain in a limb lost months ago. This drug treats the kind of phantom pain you are experiencing." Willing to try anything, I took it anyway and consequently zoned into a trance-like state for an entire day. It didn’t work; my foot still hurt a lot... I just didn't seem to care about it for 24 hours.

Finally, I came to accept the injury. I bought a road bike, and I learned to swim between the lane lines. I went on a vacation to Hawaii and kayaked and rode my bike. I sent my husband to the grocery store since it was too painful for me to walk and I bought a pair of crutches to help me maneuver at beer and wine festivals. Life was tolerable again and I began to fill the void left in my spirit when I could no longer walk with out a limp.

Then, I stumbled into something wonderful. I found an incredible podiatrist and his office had just moved pretty close to my home. In one office visit, he diagnosed my injury correctly and put me on the path to recovery. Six weeks later, the pain was gone and I began to rebuild. I could run again. Needless to say, this man is my hero.

Those were some of the darkest days of my life…but guess what? I came out of that much better and stronger. I became a triathlete with my newfound biking and swimming skills. I’ve met some amazing new people along the way.

Since then, I’ve completed 3 sprint triathlons, 1 Olympic distance triathlon, a half marathon, an aquabike, a duathlon and get this….a Half Ironman! All this from a woman who never thought she’d walk strong let alone run again. I’m actually in the middle of training for Ironman Florida in November…

...but I’m suddenly injured again. This time it wasn’t even training related. I hurt myself camping. Of course, it’s another bizarre injury that I’m pretty certain is going to confuse many doctors and cause a major setback. If only my miracle worker podiatrist would consider my injured thigh part of my “upper ankle” and take a look at it for me. If I can’t get help soon, I might ask him! In the meantime, I’m going to try to stay tough through this.