I've always wanted to do a turkey trot the morning of Thanksgiving. There are many choices and it's just been pure lack of motivation on my part as to why I haven't done one yet.
This year, my local Y is hosting a Turkey Trot and several of my friends and training buddies are participating. So there's no reason not to run the Turkey Trot...right??? Well...
There's something that I have to admit...I'm lazy...and it's REALLY cold out there.
I admire everyone who is out there braving the cold weather to get in their daily run. I have not been out there. The cold weather came on so fast that I didn't have time to adjust to it...and therefore I've been avoiding it all together.
So when I saw the weather forecast and how COLD it's going to be tomorrow morning, I decided that a Turkey Trot is not going to happen this year either. Brrrrr. Maybe next year!
Read along with my blog as I discuss weight, schedule and life challenges as I try to get my triathlon training back on track. I will also discuss what I've learned along the way and what new goals I'm setting for myself.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Decisions, Decisions
I know that times are tight for a lot of people, and I'm right there too. Our financial situation is getting to the point where I need to make some cutbacks. This means that I have to make some tough choices, which includes my off-season training.
I think I've decided that I'm going to take a break from swimming...maybe one session off. Although I'm worried that I will lose so much ground by taking off a session. Pam keeps the workouts up on the board for the rest of the day so maybe I can try to do the workouts on my own.
I will definitely continue Spin90 as long as possible. Cycling is still my strength and I need to make sure that I don't lose too much fitness in the off-season. Because I hate the trainer so much, I know that I will not keep up my workouts on my own. So this is where I will spend some money.
I am considering a couple of early spring half marathons. This will force me to be more focused on my running. Maybe then I won't be so quick to skip my runs. I need to embrace the cold though...it's already brutal out there.
The one area that I really need to work on is my core strength. Luckily I can do this for free at home! I know that I have a lot of work to do and I feel like I will be able to stay motivated with my core work.
I can do this! The reality is that there are very expensive training options...and they are really great. There is also the option to train completely on your own. I am going to try to combine both and see how it goes. You can be sure that I'll post about the good and bad of my training choices!
I think I've decided that I'm going to take a break from swimming...maybe one session off. Although I'm worried that I will lose so much ground by taking off a session. Pam keeps the workouts up on the board for the rest of the day so maybe I can try to do the workouts on my own.
I will definitely continue Spin90 as long as possible. Cycling is still my strength and I need to make sure that I don't lose too much fitness in the off-season. Because I hate the trainer so much, I know that I will not keep up my workouts on my own. So this is where I will spend some money.
I am considering a couple of early spring half marathons. This will force me to be more focused on my running. Maybe then I won't be so quick to skip my runs. I need to embrace the cold though...it's already brutal out there.
The one area that I really need to work on is my core strength. Luckily I can do this for free at home! I know that I have a lot of work to do and I feel like I will be able to stay motivated with my core work.
I can do this! The reality is that there are very expensive training options...and they are really great. There is also the option to train completely on your own. I am going to try to combine both and see how it goes. You can be sure that I'll post about the good and bad of my training choices!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Break
I haven't posted for awhile. I needed a break.
I needed a break from writing for awhile. I knew that stepping away from the keyboard was the best thing to do. The race overwhelmed me in so many ways. I was trying to process the experience and wasn't sure that the processing was worth documenting here. I hope I didn't lose too many readers by staying away myself!
I also needed a break from all things athletic. I went to my Spin90 classes and I have gone to swimming, but really I haven't been putting in a full effort in anything. I haven't run at all. I haven't been able to ride my bike for very long...but that is mostly due to my continuing back issues. My swimming has been pretty lazy.
I want next year to be a better year. I want to be more focused. I need to figure out how to avoid skipping my runs.
In order to come back better next year, I definitely need this break. I need the intensity to be light for awhile...for both mental and physical reasons.
But I promise I won't take any more big long breaks on writing again! So keep checking in!
I needed a break from writing for awhile. I knew that stepping away from the keyboard was the best thing to do. The race overwhelmed me in so many ways. I was trying to process the experience and wasn't sure that the processing was worth documenting here. I hope I didn't lose too many readers by staying away myself!
I also needed a break from all things athletic. I went to my Spin90 classes and I have gone to swimming, but really I haven't been putting in a full effort in anything. I haven't run at all. I haven't been able to ride my bike for very long...but that is mostly due to my continuing back issues. My swimming has been pretty lazy.
I want next year to be a better year. I want to be more focused. I need to figure out how to avoid skipping my runs.
In order to come back better next year, I definitely need this break. I need the intensity to be light for awhile...for both mental and physical reasons.
But I promise I won't take any more big long breaks on writing again! So keep checking in!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Race Recap: 70.3 Venice, FL
Race Day:
I woke up feeling rested and ready. I got into my tri-suit, got my last minute things together, grabbed my transition bag and we were out the door. We parked the car and walked over to the transition area. I was nervous, but not overwhelmingly so.
In transition I talked with several of the women around me while we set up our areas. For some of us it was our first half...for others, they had done one before. I bonded with a woman named Angie. She had done the Augusta 70.3 and actually qualified for nationals at her first half! Wow.
I met back up with Stephen and we wandered over to the same area where I had taken off my wetsuit the day before. I began the process I affectionately refer to as the "wetsuit dance"...put one leg in, shimmy around, put the other leg in, shimmy some more, hop as you yank the suit up, stick your hands down the inside of the suit and pull. Finally put your arms in the holes and wiggle around until everything finds its place.
A woman sang a beautiful rendition of the national anthem. It always makes me think of Ryann when I hear a good version of that song. I missed my girls.
I watched the pro men start their race. There was an area to the left of the swim entry where they allowed swim warmups. I knew that I should do a warmup. So I timidly walked over to the warmup area.
I saw Angie in the water and waded over to her. We chatted a bit and decided that we were going to be great friends. She has a spark that is contagious. You can't help but smile around her...which really helped me to calm down and forget about the pre-race jitters. Thank you Angie!
Finally I jumped in and started doing a short warmup swim. The pro women went off, then the younger men's age group. Angie and I decided it was time to get out of the warmup area and walk over to the starting line.
It was a beach start, which I've never done before. I was so anxious about tripping and falling. Watching all the other waves helped because no one seemed to have much difficulty running into the water. It was our time to line up. Angie and I started next to each other, although that would be the last time I would see her all day. The gun went off and we started running down the beach. I just kept telling myself to relax and enjoy the day.
I got to the sandbar quicker than I had expected. The water was deeper than the day before, but we still had to stand to get over the sandbar. However, we could drop back down and swim a lot sooner than I could during the practice swim.
I felt good. I knew I was going slow, but I also knew that this was going to be the longest swim I've ever done in a race. I kept thinking, just relax. I got to the first turn buoy before I knew it. Stephen had hoped to stand on the end of the pier and get some good shots of me swimming. But when I was out there and glanced at the end of the pier, I knew we were way too far for him to get anything.
By the time I was heading back into the shoreline, I was feeling good. I knew I had conserved energy for the rest of the day. I knew that I hadn't swallowed much of the salt water. The only thing that was worrying me was an ache in my lower back. I think between the wetsuit and the salt water, my swimming posture was a bit askew...which was putting pressure on my back.
As I was getting out of the water, I fell. I started laughing at myself and Stephen took this photo.
He yelled that everyone was tripping getting out of the water. I was still laughing when I ran up to the wetsuit strippers. This is something else that I've never experienced before. You just plop down, they pull off your wetsuit and throw it at you as you jump up. Very efficient!
Of course I still had a ridiculously slow transition time. There was a VERY long run from the wetsuit strippers to the entrance of the transition area...then my bike was all the way at the opposite end, near the bike out. It was good to be close to the bike out, but my feet were not happy about running that far on the pavement in bare feet.
I love the volunteers at events like this. I try to say thank you to as many of them as possible. They make me smile...this picture catches me in full-on smile from something the volunteer had said to me. They were really great throughout the whole race.
So I knew that this course was going to be flat, and I expected that to mean fast. I wasn't worried about the continual grinding of muscles on a flat course...I was trained and ready for that. There was a pretty healthy headwind...no big deal...just like riding on the Eastern Shore. Get aero and go Karen. I did that pretty well for the first 10 miles or so. There was an aid station around mile 18 (I can't remember exactly what mile they were on). My back was starting to bother me, so I stopped just past the aid station, got off the bike and stretched. I also ate my first Stinger waffle and made sure to get plenty of fluids. Back on the bike...right into the headwind.
By mile 20, I was having some serious pain in my lower back. I kept trying to change positions to take some of the stress off my back. But the only position that didn't hurt was sitting as upright as possible. I did that...which is not ideal for the amount of wind I was encountering. I was going SLOW and using up a lot of energy. I tried to just focus on my cadence and not on the speed...although I was being passed by everyone and their grandmother...literally...a lady passed me with "75" on her calf, which indicates her age. I was SLOW and getting frustrated.
After the second aid station, I pulled over again and did some more stretching. By now, my knees were in on the action...you guessed it, they were hurting too. A volunteer ran over to me to bring me some water and make sure I was OK. I smiled and thanked him for his concern. I wasn't OK. I was disappointed...the bike is my strength! This was supposed to be a FAST bike...not a slow one. I tried to keep my focus and visualized Daryl in front of me blocking the wind. It didn't help with the wind, but it made me feel less lonely out there. I knew I wasn't in last place, but I also knew that there weren't many behind me. And since it was a small field, there weren't many people to begin with.
I honestly did not like the bike course at all. It took us through the city streets of Venice. Most of them had bike lanes, but there was a lot of traffic and some pretty major intersections we were going through. I did not feel safe, even with the police directing traffic. Then we went on some back roads. The race director had said that the roads were in "great" condition, but I was bumped around more than any ride on the Eastern Shore. Then there were the U-Turns...4 in all on the course. One was a wide, sweeping U-turn...no big deal. The other 3 were tight turns...I was not a fan.
I was so happy to ride back into the transition and get off the bike. Maybe my back would be better in the run!!! I took some extra time in this transition to try to gather myself. Most of the miles were behind me...only 13.1 to go. Keep it together, relax and enjoy the run.
As I started my run, I stuck with the original plan of run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute. The first walk break came quicker than I had expected so I ignored it and just ran through it. The run was an out and back course that we had to run twice. BORING. It was pretty the first time I ran by...
During the first loop, I pretty much stuck to my gameplan of running 5 minutes/ walking 1 minute. I was running slower than I had hoped I would be, but I was OK with that considering the amount of pain I was trying to ignore coming from my lower back and my knees.
I came upon a nice man named Mike. I had seen Mike's face everywhere on the course. His family had put up signs the night before. They had his face plastered every 2 miles or so on the run course. His signs had made me smile, and now I got to meet the man in person. We chatted for a bit as we jogged together. We talked about where we were from, that it was our first half ironman, that his son and daughter-in-law were also competing, that I was on a mini-vacation with my husband while my wonderful parents kept the kids. He stopped to walk and I kept on jogging. We wished each other well on the remainder of the race.
When I was doing my first lap, the majority of the racers were on their 2nd lap. When I started the 2nd lap, most of the racers were finishing. That was pretty demoralizing. I was feeling the effects of everything...the pain, the heat, the loneliness. That's when I walked...and walked...and walked. No running, just one foot in front of the other. I was fighting tears. This was not the race I thought I would have! I couldn't run, I couldn't jog...I just walked. Stephen caught the desperation in this photo. Notice my hunched shoulders and that I'm not even power walking...I'm just walking.
I didn't stop though...even though it would have been very easy to just stop. I told Stephen that the 2nd lap might be a LOOOONG one. He yelled so many encouraging things to me during that brief exchange that I can't even remember. But the one thing I do remember him saying was "I believe in you". I thought about how grateful I was to have such support. Stephen was there, spending an entire day just waiting for me to briefly pass by...then he took great pictures of the moment and posted updates on Facebook for everyone else who was thinking of me. I thought about all the people who had helped me get to this point. Abby, Anne, Pam, John, Daryl, Heidi, Instructor Rob, Heather, Meghan, Andi, Katy and so many more. I can do this...it might be slow but I'm not letting all those people down...and I'm not letting myself down.
I was still walking, but my pace increased ever so slightly and I occasionally pushed myself to jog. That's when Mike caught up with me. We walked together for about a mile. We shared our pains and we prayed together. Mike is a very spiritual man and when he asked if it was OK if he prayed for me, I thought it might be exactly what I needed. Mike grabbed my hand and asked the Lord to help us have the strength to make it to the finish line. Mike told me that his daughter-in-law had crashed on her bike. She was OK and she pressed on to finish the race.
There was a medic riding around on her bike to check on all of us stragglers. When she came upon Mike, she got off her bike and tried to stretch his legs that were severely cramping. After her stretching, Mike was able to jog a little bit. He would jog ahead, then I would catch up when he took a walk break. Finally we came to mile marker 11. 2 more miles to go!!! We walked together for another half a mile, then I decided to do a modified run/walk. The course was marked by orange cones that were placed without any consistent distance between them. I decided to run to the next cone, then walk to the following. I kept this up until the very last water stop. I ran from that point to the finish. My "run" was so slow that most people could have probably walked as fast as I was going...but I was determined not to walk anymore.
I crossed the finish line and raised my arms. I did it! 70.3 miles! It was ugly and painful and slow, but I did it. I got my finisher's medal and T-shirt, ice cold wet towel draped around my shoulders and an official race photo in front of the Rev3 finisher sign. I told Stephen about Mike. We waited at the finish line for Mike to cross. I gave him a hug and a quick congratulations, then got out of the way so that his wonderful family could celebrate with him.
My overall time was 7:35:35. Here's how it broke down:
Swim 46:43
T1 6:08
Bike 3:24:00
T2 4:17
Run 3:14:27
I have a lot of thoughts about this race but I will share them in another post. For now, I'm going to wrap up by saying that I am so proud of myself for this race. While it was not the experience I had hoped for, I did have a memorable experience. I pushed myself to finish even when I thought I couldn't. I respect this sport and I definitely respect this distance. 70.3 miles. I completed a half ironman! I met some extraordinary people along the way. And I came out with some good lessons.
Thank you to everyone reading this. I know this race report is lengthy...I appreciate all of you who take the time to read this blog! THANK YOU!!!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Pre-Race Build Up
70.3 miles...I did that...70.3 freakin miles! It wasn't pretty and it sure wasn't easy...but I did it. I have divided the race report into several posts since most of you probably aren't interested in this level of detail. But if you are, get comfy because I've got a lot to get out there!
Pre-Race:
I was surprisingly calm during the week leading up to the race. I only had briefly glimpses of freak outs. Well, that is until Friday night. My cousin Jennifer and her husband Brooks live in Naples, FL. I was so excited to meet them for dinner at Sharky's on the Pier which was right next to the swim start. We got there right at sunset. It was beautiful, but all I could see were the waves. They were huge! OK, not Hawaii surfing huge, but not the "no surf in the Gulf" waves I had been told about. These waves were definitely what I would call surf! My stomach went into immediate knots. Dinner helped...SOOO yummy...and an awesome time with relatives that I don't see very often. I tried really hard to put the waves out of my head.
Saturday morning was the practice swim. I was up early and ready to go. I needed this practice swim...I needed to work out the kinks and to get used to the salt water. Swimming in the Chesapeake Bay is awesome for open water practice, but it's not salty. So any time I get in salt water, I tend to freak out a little. I needed to have that freak out in the practice swim, not in the race.
The practice swim started at 8 and we got there at 8:05. Yes, I was really anxious to get in the water. I got my wetsuit on and listened to the guy with the megaphone describe the swim course and the practice course (which was really short compared to the real swim course).
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm not truly comfortable in any situation unless I'm talking. So to ease some of the nerves before getting in the water, I walked over to 2 of the guys in official race volunteer T-shirts and just started talking.
I didn't really have any questions...I just wanted to talk. So I asked about the waves. They were significantly smaller than they had been the night before...but the waves from the night before were still stuck in my mind. The nice men told me that because it was so windy that morning, the waves hadn't really settled...and that since the wind was expected to calm throughout the day, that race morning they expected no waves. YAY!!!
After several more questions and reassurances from the men, I thanked them for their assistance and walked toward the water. I took a deep breath to calm the nerves and walked into the water.
It wasn't as cold as I had expected...perfect temp for my sleeveless wetsuit. I just kept walking into the water until it was over my waist. I dove in and did some quick breathing bobs...trying to do everything Anne and Pam had taught me.
There was a sandbar about 100 yards out where the water was so shallow that you had to stand up and walk across it. I tried to dolphin dive, but it quickly got to shallow to do that. The water was below my knee when I stood up! Crazy. When I got across the sandbar, I encountered my first volunteer on a canoe. I stopped swimming and began treading water. She was an older lady, probably in her mid 70's, but very physically fit. We chatted for a few minutes before I swam on. Again, getting comfortable in my environment by talking!
I was in no hurry. I stopped and talked to every single kayaker, canoer and paddle boarder out there on the practice swim course. I thanked each of them for being out there to support us. I was amazed that most of them were older...then I remembered that we were in the retirement capital of the world...Florida. I'm just used to the swim support being so much younger than me.
I slowly completed one loop of the practice swim course. The guy with the megaphone had said you could do as many loops as you wanted. I was happy with my one slow loop. I had done what I needed to do...work out the kinks, get comfortable with the salt water and get my mental state ready for a good swim.
I got out of the water knowing that I could swim in this water. My only concern was how much water I had swallowed when I was trying to sight. Anne's swim clinic had taught me to sight like an alligator but I guess I was trying to breathe and sight at the same time. That results in a mouth full of water. I've heard of people having serious GI problems after swallowing a lot of salt water...I definitely didn't want that! Note to self - keep your mouth shut when sighting.
I got out of the water and Stephen was patiently waiting for me on the beach...and taking pictures of course! We walked over to Sharky's where there was a perfect area for me to sit and take off my wetsuit without getting it too sandy. Plus there was a shower where I could rinse off my wetsuit as well as my sandy feet.
As I was getting myself together, a young guy and his father walked up. They were talking to each other, but asking questions about the course. We struck up a conversation and I explained the swim course and the difference with the practice swim course. We chatted about the challenges of traveling to an event and they gave me some really good advice on flying with a bike. He has some kind of fancy case that he uses to pack his broken down bike. He says that the airline workers always ask what's in it and he says that it's sporting equipment...because it's a $100 charge to fly with a bike. Since it's broken down, it's technically not a bike, so the kid is telling the truth!
Stephen ran into the father during the race and found out that the guy was 20 years old, in college, and had been invited on several occasions to get his pro card! His father wisely advised him to finish college first. This kid is really going places in the sport of triathlon. I'd like to follow his career...can't remember his name though...that might take a little bit of research.
I guess I thought the practice swim would take longer, because Stephen and I ended up sitting around waiting for the packet pick-up to open. Finally it opened and I went to get my packet. We went through the expo and I was surprised at how small it was...I guess I expected more vendors like there are at the Baltimore Marathon.
After packet pick-up, Stephen and I headed back into the little downtown area of Venice. I wanted pizza for lunch...so we ended up at this place called A Taste of Italy. It wasn't the average pizza slice I was craving, but it was SOO much better. After a nice, relaxing lunch, we headed back to the race venue. I checked in my bike and then headed to the mandatory athlete's meeting.
I got there in time to hear the Q&A session with a panel of pros. That was really interesting...although Stephen fell asleep at least once. I guess you have to participate in triathlon in order to find a Q&A session with the pros interesting!
We headed back to the hotel...a nap was in my future after sitting in the sun for so long! Quick naps and then dinner. We had dinner at a really nice place called the Venice Inn. The table next to us had 3 racers...I could tell from their arm bands! Dinner was so good - we ate really good food on this trip. I had some sort of chicken dish with a very light sauce with a glass of red wine. Perfect pre-race meal for me! I'm not sure if anyone else in the world has a glass of wine before every race, but it's a tradition that works for me.
Back to the hotel for a good night's sleep...we were in bed before 9:30.
Pre-Race:
I was surprisingly calm during the week leading up to the race. I only had briefly glimpses of freak outs. Well, that is until Friday night. My cousin Jennifer and her husband Brooks live in Naples, FL. I was so excited to meet them for dinner at Sharky's on the Pier which was right next to the swim start. We got there right at sunset. It was beautiful, but all I could see were the waves. They were huge! OK, not Hawaii surfing huge, but not the "no surf in the Gulf" waves I had been told about. These waves were definitely what I would call surf! My stomach went into immediate knots. Dinner helped...SOOO yummy...and an awesome time with relatives that I don't see very often. I tried really hard to put the waves out of my head.
Saturday morning was the practice swim. I was up early and ready to go. I needed this practice swim...I needed to work out the kinks and to get used to the salt water. Swimming in the Chesapeake Bay is awesome for open water practice, but it's not salty. So any time I get in salt water, I tend to freak out a little. I needed to have that freak out in the practice swim, not in the race.
The practice swim started at 8 and we got there at 8:05. Yes, I was really anxious to get in the water. I got my wetsuit on and listened to the guy with the megaphone describe the swim course and the practice course (which was really short compared to the real swim course).
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm not truly comfortable in any situation unless I'm talking. So to ease some of the nerves before getting in the water, I walked over to 2 of the guys in official race volunteer T-shirts and just started talking.
I didn't really have any questions...I just wanted to talk. So I asked about the waves. They were significantly smaller than they had been the night before...but the waves from the night before were still stuck in my mind. The nice men told me that because it was so windy that morning, the waves hadn't really settled...and that since the wind was expected to calm throughout the day, that race morning they expected no waves. YAY!!!
After several more questions and reassurances from the men, I thanked them for their assistance and walked toward the water. I took a deep breath to calm the nerves and walked into the water.
It wasn't as cold as I had expected...perfect temp for my sleeveless wetsuit. I just kept walking into the water until it was over my waist. I dove in and did some quick breathing bobs...trying to do everything Anne and Pam had taught me.
There was a sandbar about 100 yards out where the water was so shallow that you had to stand up and walk across it. I tried to dolphin dive, but it quickly got to shallow to do that. The water was below my knee when I stood up! Crazy. When I got across the sandbar, I encountered my first volunteer on a canoe. I stopped swimming and began treading water. She was an older lady, probably in her mid 70's, but very physically fit. We chatted for a few minutes before I swam on. Again, getting comfortable in my environment by talking!
I was in no hurry. I stopped and talked to every single kayaker, canoer and paddle boarder out there on the practice swim course. I thanked each of them for being out there to support us. I was amazed that most of them were older...then I remembered that we were in the retirement capital of the world...Florida. I'm just used to the swim support being so much younger than me.
I slowly completed one loop of the practice swim course. The guy with the megaphone had said you could do as many loops as you wanted. I was happy with my one slow loop. I had done what I needed to do...work out the kinks, get comfortable with the salt water and get my mental state ready for a good swim.
I got out of the water knowing that I could swim in this water. My only concern was how much water I had swallowed when I was trying to sight. Anne's swim clinic had taught me to sight like an alligator but I guess I was trying to breathe and sight at the same time. That results in a mouth full of water. I've heard of people having serious GI problems after swallowing a lot of salt water...I definitely didn't want that! Note to self - keep your mouth shut when sighting.
I got out of the water and Stephen was patiently waiting for me on the beach...and taking pictures of course! We walked over to Sharky's where there was a perfect area for me to sit and take off my wetsuit without getting it too sandy. Plus there was a shower where I could rinse off my wetsuit as well as my sandy feet.
As I was getting myself together, a young guy and his father walked up. They were talking to each other, but asking questions about the course. We struck up a conversation and I explained the swim course and the difference with the practice swim course. We chatted about the challenges of traveling to an event and they gave me some really good advice on flying with a bike. He has some kind of fancy case that he uses to pack his broken down bike. He says that the airline workers always ask what's in it and he says that it's sporting equipment...because it's a $100 charge to fly with a bike. Since it's broken down, it's technically not a bike, so the kid is telling the truth!
Stephen ran into the father during the race and found out that the guy was 20 years old, in college, and had been invited on several occasions to get his pro card! His father wisely advised him to finish college first. This kid is really going places in the sport of triathlon. I'd like to follow his career...can't remember his name though...that might take a little bit of research.
I guess I thought the practice swim would take longer, because Stephen and I ended up sitting around waiting for the packet pick-up to open. Finally it opened and I went to get my packet. We went through the expo and I was surprised at how small it was...I guess I expected more vendors like there are at the Baltimore Marathon.
After packet pick-up, Stephen and I headed back into the little downtown area of Venice. I wanted pizza for lunch...so we ended up at this place called A Taste of Italy. It wasn't the average pizza slice I was craving, but it was SOO much better. After a nice, relaxing lunch, we headed back to the race venue. I checked in my bike and then headed to the mandatory athlete's meeting.
I got there in time to hear the Q&A session with a panel of pros. That was really interesting...although Stephen fell asleep at least once. I guess you have to participate in triathlon in order to find a Q&A session with the pros interesting!
We headed back to the hotel...a nap was in my future after sitting in the sun for so long! Quick naps and then dinner. We had dinner at a really nice place called the Venice Inn. The table next to us had 3 racers...I could tell from their arm bands! Dinner was so good - we ate really good food on this trip. I had some sort of chicken dish with a very light sauce with a glass of red wine. Perfect pre-race meal for me! I'm not sure if anyone else in the world has a glass of wine before every race, but it's a tradition that works for me.
Back to the hotel for a good night's sleep...we were in bed before 9:30.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
I Am Ready!
Stephen and I leave for our drive south tomorrow. Today is running around and trying to get everything ready for us to be gone. But realistically, I've done my last workout before the race.
Yesterday I had my last swim workout in the morning, and my last Spin90 class in the evening. Today I will work in a short run at some point, probably 3-4 miles at an easy pace. Physically there isn't anything I can do to get ready. Now it's just staying loose and not getting hurt.
So the question is...where is my head? After my last few workouts, I have an enormous amount of confidence that my head is in a good place. And really, if my head cooperates, I will have no problem finishing the half IronMan distance.
I am excited to start this journey. The training is done and the logistics are all planned. Let's do this thing!!!
Yesterday I had my last swim workout in the morning, and my last Spin90 class in the evening. Today I will work in a short run at some point, probably 3-4 miles at an easy pace. Physically there isn't anything I can do to get ready. Now it's just staying loose and not getting hurt.
So the question is...where is my head? After my last few workouts, I have an enormous amount of confidence that my head is in a good place. And really, if my head cooperates, I will have no problem finishing the half IronMan distance.
I am excited to start this journey. The training is done and the logistics are all planned. Let's do this thing!!!
Monday, November 4, 2013
Confidence Boosting Run
So my running has recently been one of 2 things: non-existent or a total struggle. I have been a little worried about this with my race being a week away.
When I ran in the Baltimore marathon relay, I did 7 miles and felt great. I was so inspired by the people around me and the overall race atmosphere. But the running I've been doing on my own has been a mental battle. I can't seem to figure out what is going on.
Daryl and I had originally planned to meet for a short ride on Sunday morning. Short was meaning in the range of 30 miles. However, the weather was really cold...too cold for riding in the early morning hours. So we bagged the ride.
Sunday afternoon turned out to be really beautiful. I decided to lace up my running shoes and have a really good run. I went into it thinking that this was going to be a good run.
The first mile was a challenge. My ankles took turns hurting. My knees were aching. My shoulder felt funny. Ugh...here we go again.
After my watch chimed at the one mile mark, I decided just to enjoy the day. Who cares about the run anyway...I'm out here doing it...I might as well enjoy it. My run route took me up a long hill. When I got to the top, I looked to my right and saw a beautiful landscape. The trees were so colorful and stretched out as far as I could see. It was pretty. The air was crisp and the breeze was light - perfect running weather.
I stopped thinking about my run. I stopped thinking about my pace. I just ran. And it was great. Oddly enough, all those aches and pains went away.
After 3 miles I decided to try out a run/walk because I'm seriously considering a run/walk strategy for the race. I ran for 5 minutes and walked for 30 seconds. I did this for the remaining 2 miles of my run. It was hard to walk at first because I didn't feel like I "needed" to walk. But the last mile of my run is all uphill. Halfway up the long hill, I was looking forward to my 30 second walk break.
This was exactly the run that I was needing. My head is now in a good place. My confidence is back. I can complete this race! 6 days to go.
When I ran in the Baltimore marathon relay, I did 7 miles and felt great. I was so inspired by the people around me and the overall race atmosphere. But the running I've been doing on my own has been a mental battle. I can't seem to figure out what is going on.
Daryl and I had originally planned to meet for a short ride on Sunday morning. Short was meaning in the range of 30 miles. However, the weather was really cold...too cold for riding in the early morning hours. So we bagged the ride.
Sunday afternoon turned out to be really beautiful. I decided to lace up my running shoes and have a really good run. I went into it thinking that this was going to be a good run.
The first mile was a challenge. My ankles took turns hurting. My knees were aching. My shoulder felt funny. Ugh...here we go again.
After my watch chimed at the one mile mark, I decided just to enjoy the day. Who cares about the run anyway...I'm out here doing it...I might as well enjoy it. My run route took me up a long hill. When I got to the top, I looked to my right and saw a beautiful landscape. The trees were so colorful and stretched out as far as I could see. It was pretty. The air was crisp and the breeze was light - perfect running weather.
I stopped thinking about my run. I stopped thinking about my pace. I just ran. And it was great. Oddly enough, all those aches and pains went away.
After 3 miles I decided to try out a run/walk because I'm seriously considering a run/walk strategy for the race. I ran for 5 minutes and walked for 30 seconds. I did this for the remaining 2 miles of my run. It was hard to walk at first because I didn't feel like I "needed" to walk. But the last mile of my run is all uphill. Halfway up the long hill, I was looking forward to my 30 second walk break.
This was exactly the run that I was needing. My head is now in a good place. My confidence is back. I can complete this race! 6 days to go.
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