100 Miles of Epic Awesomeness

I haven't fully wrapped my head around it yet (otherwise I might really freak the hell out), but my BHAG (big harry audacious goal) for 2013 is the 100 mile Rocky Raccoon trail race on February 2, 2013.

Whew. I said it out loud. Well, I typed it at least, so now I am accountable. Actually, I signed up with my running partner extraordinaire, Mark, so I was definitely already accountable!

So, what does that mean for the rest of 2012? Channeling Forest Gump! Lots of trail races and marathons in my future, all in the name of training, training, training! The next trail race on the agenda is the Captain Karl's 60k Night Trail race. The race starts at 7 pm, so it will be great practice running in the dark and while I would normally be sleeping.

I am still going to be doing a few tris, full schedule to follow ...

So, what's your next epic adventure in racing, training, life, etc?

Virtual Run Across America

Starting at midnight tonight, Rev3 will start its Run Across America to raise $100,000 for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

I am not able to take three weeks off of work to complete the entire run, but I still want to be a big part of the experience. I am going to do that in three big ways ...

1 - I have a goal to raise $1000 towards the $100,000 goal
2 - I am going to join the crew for two days of running in Tennessee
3 - I will run 315 miles in 21 days (roughly what I would personally run if I was able to run with them from CA to DC)

Have you been touched by cancer? For most of us, there is usually not more than 2 degrees of separation to cancer ... and cancer in young adults is especially heart breaking. Running an average of 15 miles a day over 3 weeks will hurt, but it is nothing compared to those that are fighting for their lives. Please consider making a donation to support this cause. Every dollar raised helps YOUNG PEOPLE with cancer and every single dollar counts.

I have done a lot of training and racing over the last five years but this is the first time I am asking for help in raising money for what I think is a very worthy cause. Will you consider making a small donation, even $1? If so, please follow this link and when you finalize the donation on the second page, please select my name as the Rev3 team member.

Thank you for your consideration!

Filling in the Blanks

As I mentioned in my last post, I am without a major goal this year. I have been having a hard time deciding what races I want to do this year and I think I have discovered why. Normally, I would pick an "A" race and then just fill in the blanks. Without an anchor race to provide structure (e.g., doing a HIM on the way to your IM distance race) the blanks are truly that - blank.

So, what have I decided for 2012/2013?

First and foremost, I am beyond excited that Rev3 is bringing a new race to Florida October 27 -28! As a Texas girl, this new race is within driving distance for me and I love, love, love Florida. It will have always have a special place in my heart for triathlon because I did my first 140.6 there. So that is one blank I am very excited to have filled in. The good news / bad news is that a late season race means that I have lots of time before I have to get serious about training for what I am calling my "A" triathlon race of the year.

On the running front, I have signed up for Texas Marathon in Kingwood, TX on January 1, 2013. It is a small race, capped at 650 runners that it is known for having the largest finisher's medal. It sells out early every year, so I have already paid my fees. It is a BQ race, but given the races I am going to describe below, I am not sure I will be in qualifying shape come January 1.

Other marathons I am considering ...

The Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco October 14, 2012. Firemen in tuxes handing out Tiffany boxes. Yes please. It has a lottery entrance so we will see. Based on the hilly nature of the course, I would not plan on attempting to BQ this course. In all actuality, I have a girlfriend in California that I really want to visit and this would be a great race to just "do" and not stress about.

The same crew that puts on the Texas Marathon on New Year's day is staging two races in December on back to back days. The End of the World Marathon on December 21, 2012 (to coincide with the date the Mayans believe will be the end of the world) and the Day After the End of the World Marathon on December 22, 2012 (for those who believe that the world will see 2013). Of course, I think it would be fun to do both. This is not a BQ race and if I run these (which I likely will) then the Texas Marathon a mere 10 days later will not likely to be a BQ attempt either.

So where does that leave me?

I am searching for a summer marathon that I can properly train for to attempt a BQ time. Even if I miss BQing, I would like to see where I am compared to my last stand alone marathon in 2009 (3:57 at Houston).

I definitely plan to race local this year with my local tri team, Team Bicycle World and Fitness. I have spent the last two seasons doing more training than racing and I am looking forward to some short, fast races and getting to know more local triathletes. First up, Du the Polar Bear Duathlon next weekend. Hmm ... maybe I should air up my bike tires???

Finally, I am going to be doing my absolute best to make it to another one or two Rev3 races. I am a firm believer that if we as triathletes want to see better races, we need to support the new brands like Rev3 that are trying to give us a better race experience.

So, things are starting to fall into place. Clearly the last quarter of the year is set, so I will just slowly continue to fill in the blanks. Deep breath, I am starting to feel better. :)

Searching

Preface: I have had this post in draft form for three weeks and it just didn't feel "finished". Maybe I felt like I was not conveying with words how I feel or the balance struggle. Anyhow, after reading that Chrissie Wellington is taking a break from Ironman, I figured, if the reigning world champion is looking for balance, can't we all?

Ok, back to the post ...

The 1st of January has come and gone and I am doing my best not to be frustrated with myself for not having any clear cut goals this year. I don’t want to pick an arbitrary goal just to have a goal, yet, I NEED something to point towards.

I keep asking myself the very simple question “What do you want to accomplish this year? What sounds exciting to you?” and I don’t really have an answer other than I want BALANCE while still setting goals and attempting to achieve them.

I have always felt that I manage being a wife / mother / full time career woman who travels for her job / athlete / and so much more ... pretty well, but if I am totally honest with myself, there are sacrifices – big ones. I have a super supportive family so they don’t make me feel bad about the sacrifices I have made pursuing my athletic dreams, but I am the one that has to look in the mirror and be ok with those sacrifices. Looking back, I feel pretty good about the decisions that I have made to this point, but I don’t personally feel I can continue to make those same decisions right now. An entire weekend day of training every single weekend leading up to a big race is too much to give right now in my life.

I love racing long and I have thought about reducing my training (train smarter not longer) so that I can feel more balance yet still comfortably participate at the 140.6 distance (obviously with slower times) BUT the competitor in me doesn’t just want to “participate”. So, for now at least, I am leaving 140.6 off the table. I want to keep racing that distance and I know I can get faster, potentially even much faster, but that is a goal and challenge I am saving for another day. I still not-so-secretly want to get to Kona one day, after all (yep, I said it AGAIN, I am putting that out into the universe).

So, where does that leave me for 2012? I have thought hard about EPIC type goals (100 mile trail race anyone?) and the more mundane (get “faster”, have FUN!) but nothing specific is really tripping my trigger (BQ, xx:xx Oly). I am finished with my post 50K recovery running plan – so I am back up to running 35 miles per week – and that means that I do not currently have a plan. HELP!

Here is the reality for me, as an individual it is really easy to fall into the one-up trap. The “I did a sprint, now I am going to do an Olympic distance race, well how about a 70.3 … well, I guess all that is left is 140.6” one-up trap. So, once you have done 140.6, do you have to keep doing them, keep getting faster or go even longer to one-up yourself? I definitely see the appeal, but that certainly doesn't fit the balance goal I am in search of. There are EPIC type goals that allow for more balance than 140.6 but I am still searching for one that makes my heart flutter.

So, is 2012 the year of reflection and searching for the next big goal? Probably.

In the mean time, I have thought long and hard about what to do while I am searching. I want to stay fit, I want to race and I want to have fun. I don’t want to lose my base.

I have also spent a lot of time thinking about why goals like “going faster” don’t trip my trigger. I think it is because they scare me a bit, going fast hurts. It puts me out of my comfort zone … and you know what that tells me? That I should ABSOLUTELY make that my goal. I am a big believer that we should challenge ourselves by getting out of our comfort zones. The mere fact that it scares me, tells me that is why I should do it. I also hope that learning to go faster and to accept a bit of pain will help me mentally when I do go back to the 140.6 distance.

Having fun is the other goal that keeps creeping back into my mind. What does that even mean? Well, let me explain. When I was training for 140.6, I was super conservative, especially when training for the first two. For example, I wouldn’t play a pickup game of soccer or softball or sign up for Tough Mudder because I didn’t want to get hurt and risk my A race. I didn’t do a lot of shorter distance races because I needed to be training long on those days. I want to remove the shackles and do some of these fun races. I want to decide to visit a friend somewhere and do a fun race in their neck of the woods and have it be ok that it is not on my training schedule. Don’t get me wrong, I love schedules, but I also want to color outside the lines.

... now, I just need to decide what picture to start coloring!

Injury Update and What's Next

It has been two weeks since the 50K and things are starting to look up. I have learned over seasons of endurance training that if I don't let my body recover properly, I pay for it.

I am (loosely) following Hal Higdon's 4 weeks between marathons plan, which essentially has a reverse taper, two weeks of 30-ish mile weeks and then a taper the week of next marathon. He even encourages cross training in the two 30-ish mile weeks in place of running workouts, if that is what your body needs.

I have been spending some quality time on the elliptical to let my ankle recover properly and I think it is nearly 100% now. I did a 6 mile run today and felt great! My calf, which was bothering me for weeks before the 50K, still flares up, but it is manageable and I am doing calf stretches to improve the range of motion in my calf and ankle. Tomorrow is my first longish run (2 hours) since the race, so I will see how those deep muscles are feeling.

I am really looking forward to a bit of R & R this week beginning on Wednesday. I think it will be just what the doctor ordered for both my body and my sanity! It may even give me some time to reflect on what my goals (and ultimately) races will be for 2012.

Happy Training, Safe Travels and Happy Thanksgiving!

Terrific Taper Timing

Awww, how I love thee, taper!

This week begins week two of the taper and culiminates with 32 for 32! I have put in all of the miles and feel ready for the race. Having never run the distance or a trail race before, I have zero time goals - mostly, I just want to stay vertical and avoid roots, rocks, holes, etc. that will send my flying (and not in a good way). I am really excited to be doing something new and different and tackling a new challenge. With that said, AFTER the race, I need to do some soul searching ... what will my race calendar look like in 2012? There are a lot of decisions to be made.

Identity Crisis

What words do you use to describe yourself?

I am a Catholic wife, mother, daughter and friend. I am an endurance triathlete and hobbyist photographer. I am passionate in all aspects of life - family and friends, work and hobbies.

And now, I am having a bit of an identity crisis.

For the first time since April 2008 I do not have a big, fat hairy goal to chase or a big race on the calendar .... and I am lost.

I promised myself during peak IMTX training that I would take a year away from the IM distance, focusing on shorter races with at least a 70.3 next year to keep me honest. This would also allow me to pursue other goals, like an ultra trail race and/or bucket list races like Escape from Alcatraz, Goofy's Challenge or the Nike Women's Marathon, to name a few.

Sounds reasonable, right?

Let me take a step back though …

You may be wondering why I would want to take a year away from the distance in the first place. This is easy to answer.

Training for an Ironman is selfish. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I do think that we should all do things for ourselves that are inherently selfish – but we also need to recognize it. Selfish is not a “bad” word but it is an opportunity cost.

No matter how time efficient you are, if you respect the iron distance, you have to train long on the bike and that means a long ride (or really a long brick) every weekend leading up to the race.

I trained for IMTX from January to May – so let’s call it 5 months training. During that time, there were at least 2 months where my long brick took me until well into the afternoon.

With two boys ages 4.5 and 7, I feel like the opportunity cost is too great to give up that much of my weekend to training. I am lucky in that my family 100% supports this passion of mine and has encouraged me to sign up for another iron distance race, but my own guilt is holding me back.

I think that my struggle, well part of it anyway, is that all of races I am considering are in 2012 and I need a goal NOW (any ideas on getting into the San Francisco Nike Women’s marathon this year?). Another issue I am facing is that I have come to identify myself as an endurance triathlete, so how do I see myself if I am not currently training for an Ironman?

I also know that next May when everyone locally is gearing up for IMTX again, I am going to be jealous instead of relieved that it is not me out there training and racing.

This is the crux of my struggle – what I want to do versus what I think it best for this period of my life for my family. I don’t want to look back and regret that I missed this time with my boys.

Yet another problem with taking a year off the IM distance is that the necessity of signing up for most races a year in advance means that I may be looking at taking two years away from the distance. Thank God for races like Rev3 Cedar Point and Red Man that allow you to sign up much closer to the race, but I digress.

On a whim, I signed up for a local Sprint Triathlon on August 7 and I have been trying to add speed to my workouts as a new type of challenge, but that still leaves 5 months on the 2011 calendar.

I am not sure what I am asking necessarily, but I needed to share my struggle.
Any suggestions on making the transition from long course to short course? Any races I should be considering? What should I focus on this Summer and Fall before picking a goal for 2012?

Thanks for reading!

Conflicting Goals

"One of the most maddening parts about timed racing is that speed - the very component that truly defines success - is largely incidental. Whether it's swimming, biking or running, speed is overwhelmingly influenced by terrain, weather, equipment, and a host of other factors. Did you shave 10 seconds off your PR in the pool because of hard training or was it because of that new full-body rubberized suit? Was that 5K PR due to smarter pacing or was it a tailwind pushing you along? Nowhere are these questions more prevalent than when you're on the bike, where wind speed, road surface, tire choice, equipment aerodynamics, topography and even air density play a role in speed. How fast you go is all that gets recorded in the official results, but it doesn't even come close to telling the whole story of what it took to get there."

- Jordan Rapp, "Power Play", Lava Magazine

The above is an excerpt from a Lava Magazine article on training with power (which I don't, in case you were wondering). This concept that speed is incidental is one of the first lessons that Coach Carole taught me last year. Carole was far more concerned about the execution of my plan (for a given workout or race) than she was about my speed, since it is all relative.

That brings me to this quote from Mirinda Carfrae from the "Chasing Down a Ghost" article, also in Lava Magazine (by Susna Legacki) ...

"My goal was to race my own race, and I did that. I knew that people would ask about Chrissie (Wellington, 2009 champion who did not race due to illness), but I really know that I raced my best on my best day and I just wanted the focus to be on that."

So, what does all of this have to do with me? With week two of IM training behind me, I have been struggling to articulate my triathlon goals for 2011.

I can say without question, on a perfect day, I would like to break 12 hours at IMTX. To refer to my teammate Mike Moore's (no relation) term and one that I have used before, it is my BHAG. Big, Harry, Audacious Goal -- a stretch goal that is still achievable.

But I don't want to define success at IMTX based on a time goal. My goal at Cedar Point was to race my best on my best day, to adapt to the conditions and know at the end of the race that I had done my best. I feel like I got 90% of the way there (see my run race report for details).

So, for IMTX my goal will be the same - to race my best race. Will my fitness be there to break 12 hours? Will the conditions help me or hurt me? I can control the first (well, some what, more on that ...) but not the second.

IMTX will be my third Ironman but the first I have trained for with a significant work travel schedule. The workouts that suffer the most during travel are typically the ones in the pool. Hotel pools are invariably too small and a lot of the small towns I visit do not have other facilities available close by.

Going through this exercise has also reminded me of why I compete -- I enjoy having a goal to work towards, I like this lifestyle and I like pushing myself from time to time to see how I am doing (e.g. a race). What I have also realized though, is that after 3 years in the sport, that improvements in race times will be harder to come by and I have to be ok with that, unless I am willing to sacrifice something else (time/balance, money) to get faster, which for the time being, I am not.

Like race day, I am going to do the best I can through training. I am going to get in all of the workouts that I can, and especially the long training and intervals and know that when I show up on race morning that I am racing as a wife, mother, full time employee and athlete. I will be mentally prepared to push hard to race my best race - regardless of the time on the clock when I cross the finish line.

p.s. I ordered the Cycleops 2 Fluid Trainer - product review to come!

Year in Review

As 2010 comes to a close, it is time to evaluate how I measured up on what I wanted to accomplish this year.

In years past I have chosen to focus on one goal for the year and that philiosophy served me well. I have stated time and time again, that you make time for what is important to you, and if you have but one goal, it is (relatively) simple to make time for it.

I attempted to chase multiple goals in 2010 becuase there wasn't necessarily one big goal that I wanted to focus on, but as you will see in my results below, too many goals can be distracting. With limited time in the day, I managed to find time for what was most important and everything else fell to the wayside. To use a swimming analogy, I can only focus on one or two things at once per 25 or 100 or set because otherwise my stroke and times go to crap.

The funny thing is, looking back, I am not heartbroken about the things I did not accomplish, probably because they were never the priority they should have been and I did spend time and energy on what mattered to me. As I craft my goals for 2011, this lesson will definitely not be forgotten.

So, here were my 2010 goals and my self graded results:

Personal (non-tri) Goals:

1. Read the Bible from cover to cover. - Grade: F

I gave myself an F because I feel like this was a complete or not complete goal and I gave up on this goal failry early in the year. What I DID do that I am extremely happy about was make time to go to church every Sunday and by the end of the year, it was a family affair. I did not write that down as a goal, but it was something that I did not do in 2009 and I wanted to do in 2010 (and beyond) and for that I get an A+

2. Spend more time on photography. - Grade: C

I gave myself a C because I consider it to be an average grade and that is where my photography stayed in 2010. I documented the important life events and captured some great shots, although was frustrated by others that were elusive, despite my best efforts. I know that I am going to have to devote a lot more time and money to this if I want to really improve.

Triathlon/Endurance Goals:

Theme: Respect my body. I need to train smarter not harder. - Overall Grade A

I listened to my body this year. I logged fewer hours yet trained smarter (thanks, Coach Carole!) and had still managed PRs at both of my 2010 races. I took time for an off season where I have done what I want when I want (first real off season since 2008). I did NOT over commit. I did not attempt an ultra despite my desire to do so, given that I did not want to jeapordize my other planned races. Result? No injuries or major illnesses this year! Given what we as triathletes put our bodies through, that is a major win.

1. Weekly stretching and foam rollering - Grade B

I found that I did this as needed instead of daily, and that worked for me. It wasn't my goal, but I did listen to my body, and that was what this year was all about.

2. Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. - Grade B-

I experimented quite a bit with training and racing nutrition - A+! I did not pay as much attention to my non-training meals - C-. I am still looking for new, easy recipes. This will likely show up again in 2011 as something to focus on.

3. Core / stability / strength training sessions 2x per week - Grade B

I did significantly more strength training in 2010 than I did in 2009, but I definitely did not manage two sessions every week. I did more during the off season though and most importantly, listened to my body.

4. Focus on swimming technique - Grade B

I did do more intervals to focus on speed (yeah!) but I did not have more form videoed for analysis. My pool swim times improved, although my race swim times were about the same.

5. Fun Goals to Chase - Grade A+
-Do a Sprint just for fun and leave it all on the course - Skipped this. It was for fun - No grade.
-PR HIM (time to beat: 5:52:58) - Did it! 5:44!! A+
-Complete Cedar Point Iron Distance Triathlon - Did it with a PR to boot - 12:23!! A+
-Complete an Ultra (may defer due existing injuries) - skipped this. A+ for being smart.

Overall, I am happy with 2010. I PR'd the 70.3 distance early in the season and left it all on the course. I made a commitment to my 140.6 training by hiring a coach and I PR'd that distance as well. I learned so much about myself as an athlete from Coach Carole. I also learned my training limitations as a working mother and wife and was reminded of the delicate balance between the many aspects of life. I did listen to my body, which was my main goal, so for that I am happy, and I did focus on my spirituality, just not in the way I originally intended.

I am extremely grateful for my incredibly supportive husband and family, I couldn't tackle these goals without them. I am also so grateful for my Team Trakkers family and our amazing sponsors who kept us well nourished (First Endurance), clothed (Saucony), and clean (TriSwim) in 2010.

2011 is sure to be an amazing year - I am excited to be a part of Team Trakkers again - on an expanded team! - and with new sponsors. Stay tuned for all the excitement. Thank you for being with me on this journey.

Wishing you all the best for 2011. Follow your dreams and train hard. Happy new year!