Adios

So long, farewell, aufwiedersehn, goodbye ...

To sleeping in past 6 am
To staying up late
To the extra 7 hours a week
To the dust on my Felt
To the 7 pounds that I need to lose

Goodbye, offseason! I will miss you greatly these first weeks back in the saddle when I am getting up with the moon, but I am excited to put you behind me as I prepare to tackle IMTX.

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!

Santa Came Early

I was the benefactor of a serious pay it forward a couple of weeks ago ...

An acquintance at work is retiring from the sport and she sold me her 650c Zipp 404s, including tires and rear cassette for a steal (front is used and rear is brand new)! A set of new stickers to come (so the front and rear colors match) and Merry Christmas to me! More photos to come ...

Rev3 Cedar Point - The Run

Better late than never ...

As I exited T2 and began my 26.2 miles, Douglas and I shared a fist bump and I saw Coach Carole. I was honestly excited to be in my running shoes and the energy I got from seeing Doug and Carole was palpable!

I did my best to settle down the energy and stick to my plan. The plan was to run sub 9 for as long as I could, knowing I would slow down in the second half to around 9:30, but with a goal of coming in around 4 hours (9:10 average pace). It was a stretch goal, but I had trained for it and the conditions were right (and I have done it stand alone).

My nutrition plan was simple. I carried a hand held bottle and used NUUN for extra salt and took in calories every mile.

The first miles were effortless. I felt great and I saw a lot of my Trakkers teammates, including Megan who was FLYING, which was a great pick me up along the way. Lots of folks were finishing up the half and it was great to cheer them on as they passed by, including my teammate Kiersten who was battling knee pain but powering through.

This is the first race that I used a hand held bottle and I was really happy with it. The aid stations tend to get congested and I was happy to be able to stay to the left, only slowing twice when I needed to refill the bottle. I was also happy to have access to water whenever I wanted, even though I was not drinking nearly as much as I had in training because the temps were so much cooler (mistake #1).

The run course was a 13.1 mile loop that the 140.6 athletes completed twice. The course was mostly flat, with only one hill on the bridge near the two/eleven mile mark. My only frustration with the course were the zigs and zags through parks that were not clearly marked and some of the volunteers were not giving great directions. This has happened at IM branded races too, it really just depends on the volunteers. When you are 'in the zone' zigs and zags can be easy to miss or require abrubt changes in stride, which don't feel good.

Around 9 miles into the marathon, I started to feel the miles. It was taking more effort to maintain my pace but I kept telling myself that I could slow down at the half way mark and that I was going to see Douglas. I fought to maintain pace but my mental state was deteriorating. This should have been a clue I needed more calories.

I fought my way to the half way point and got cheers from Trakkers teammate Ryan, that helped, but I almost lost it when I saw Dougas as I turned to start the next 13.1 miles. You can see from the photos that I am fighting back tears. I told Douglas that I was slowing down and not to worry if it took me longer than expected to finish. I was mentally giving up on my sub-12 hour race, heck at this point, time was no longer important.

Looking back now, despite the fact that I had been taking in calories as I trained, I must have needed more for whatever reason. I needed to adapt better on the fly, and my mental state was a major indicator that something was wrong. I just don't think or act that way normally. I am a fighter and I don't like to throw in the towel. I should have started trying to shovel down the calories, which I ended up doing many miles later.

I managed to run 2 more miles before deciding that I would walk up the hill and then from then on I would allow myself to walk through aid stations. This is not something I ever do, but it was the deal I made with myself so that I could keep moving forward. My pace slowed down quite a bit and my walks through aid stations got longer.

If you had asked me about IMTX at that point during the race, I would have cussed you out and told you to keep my $700.

At one point, a nice racer approached me and asked if I was ok. That was a major wake up call. I must have looked totally out of it. He walked with me through that aid station and for a bit after and I started shoveling down calories. I walked through this to make myself get the calories down and started drinking more water. I told him I was ok so that he wouldn't feel obligated to stay with me. This must have been around the 18 mile mark and I gave myself a mental slap to get my shit together. I felt light headed and knew that my race would be in jepaordy if I didn't take immediate action.

I started running again and almost immediately started to feel a bit better. I kept to running between aid stations until about 3 miles to go, when the adrenaline must have kicked in. I skipped walking through an aid station and told myself I could make myself run until the hill on the bridge. When I got there, I decided I didn't need to walk. At that point my pace was increasing again. I may have blown a sub-12 hour race but I knew a sub 12:30 race was still in my grasp.

The fact that I was able to get back to a decent pace at this point in the race really showed me two things: 1) I lost the mental battle earlier in the race and 2) I can dig deep. Knowing I can dig deep will definitely help me in future races (so will staying better in tune with my mental state).

With about a mile or so to go, my left IT band started to scream at me, but I was not going to let anything slow me down. I grimaced through the pain, let out a few profanities, cheered on athletes starting their second loop and kept putting one foot in front of the other.

As I neared the finish line I saw Carole, who from my time, knew things must have fallen apart, but she cheered me on as I ran to the finisher's chute. I saw Douglas and smiled a huge smile. This time I remembered to put my hands and smile as I crossed the finish line (no deer in the headlights look like at IMFL).

My teammate Josh caught me as I crossed the line and gave me my finisher gear and Doug was able to find and hug me right away, so much better than at IMFL!

Run Time:

4:38:19, 10:37 Pace

5/14 Division Place

25/67 Overall Place Women

Final Stats:

Swim - 1:24:28

T1 - 4:24

Bike -6:12:38

T2 - 3:56

Run -4:38:19

Total Time - 12:23:57 -- 40 min PR!

Division Place: 5/14

Overall Place: 25/67

Since the top 2 women in my AG, were also in the top 3 overall amatuer women, I ended up in 3rd place for my AG!

Post Race Thoughts

My entire body hurt the minute I crossed the finish line. After the short walk to the athlete's area, I only had a short wait for ART. The ART didn't feel good, but I sure did after I got it - complete transformation! I walked back to the hotel fairly easily, showered and walked back to the finish line, where I proceeded to stub my toe, which ended up hurting more than my legs!

After cheering on a bunch of finisher's, Douglas and I walked back to the car to get some grub and cheer folks on from the car who were still on the course. There was not much open so we settled on Sonic, which hit the spot.

We woke up early the next day to pack up and hit the Rev 3 finisher store. We got to wander the park and be silly in the finisher area which was fun. We had to miss the awards to make the drive to Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before heading back to Columbus for our flight home. I had no idea I was missing 3rd place AG hardware!

Finally, I think it took me so long to write this race report because while I am thrilled with my PR, I know I could have done better. It was not about my finisher time, it was about not executing the race as I had planned (doing the best I could do on that day, under those conditions based on my level of fitness). Disappointment is not fun to write about, but it is something to learn from, and learn I did. I took less than 30 minutes after crossing the finish line to think about what I would do differently at IMTX ...

Procrastination

I should have been finishing my race report, paying bills, reading a book, or name a 100 hundred things that are on my to do list, but instead I spent several hours playing in photoshop designing this logo for my support crew at IMTX.

Since it is a home town race, I am hopeful I will have a good size cheering section and Doug and I thought shirts would be a nice touch. I am still deciding on a background color (right now it is shown on grey), but otherwise, we are pretty happy with the design. We will likely add Support Crew on the back of the shirts. Any other ideas? I would love some feedback!

I finally made it to the pool this morning -- it wasn't pretty, but the "skunk is off the porch"!

Have a great weekend!

Du the Teddy Bear - Andrew's First Race!

Andrew, my 6 year old, competed in his first race in October and I could not be more proud!

We live near Bear Creek Park and there is an annual duathlon in October called "Du the Bear". I have never raced it because it has yet to align with my race schedule, but the bike shop I frequent is the head lining sponsor and I just happened to see an advertisement for a kids race called "Du the Teddy Bear".

The kids race was supposed to be a half mile run, 2 mile bike ride, and half mile run, but they ended up splitting the race into kids over 8 (they did the original distance) and kids 7 and under, who did a shorter version.

Here are the photos that will do a far better job of telling the story of the race ...

Waiting for the race to start - deer in the head lights anyone? :)

Having fun on Run Part I

Still running
T1 - preping for his ride

On the bike leg ... he actually had a minor crash at the turn around, but he got right back on his bike.
These 3 are my favorites - look at him, finishing strong!
The grin is on his way out ...

Receiving his medal

Andrew with his buddy Jack and his favorite little brother
Showing off his medal

Andrew with his gear

Brothers

Proud Mama

Proud Daddy

One Year Anniversary

Today marks the one year anniversary of the day I finished my first Ironman - my how time flies! When I finished IMFL I would not have guessed that a year later I would have completed IM #2 and already registered for IM #3, all within 18 months. My workout today was much shorter, but come January, I am going to be thankful I took some time to enjoy the off season.

Here is to celebrating milestones!

Rev3 Cedar Point - The Bike

As I headed out to start the longest part of my day, I was immediately thankful that I took the time to put on my bolero arm warmers. September in Ohio was cool, with air temps at the start of the bike in the low 60s. It was perfect riding weather, but this Texas girl, especially after training in 100+ degree temps in the weeks leading up to the race, was a bit chilled.

A kiss for Douglas

It always takes me a while to settle in on the bike and find my legs. I have to make a conscience effort not to “eat the paste” while the slower swimmers who are strong bikers fly by in the early miles on the bike. Coach Carole gave me good guidance to take the first miles easy to settle in, so I did just that.

The bike can be mind numbing so I try to split up the miles, if only for a mental break. This bike course was easy to split into 4 sections – the bike start to the start of the first loop, loop 1, loop 2, and the final leg. Douglas and I drove the bike course the day before the race so I was very familiar with the route and my surroundings, which helped tremendously. The best part was that we had so much fun on the bike route tour, just chatting and laughing together in the car, that I couldn’t help but smile as I passed various landmarks and recalled those conversations.

Doug and I had discussed a good spot for him to spectate on the bike course – a place where he could easily see me three times on the bike course without having to drive around like a mad man. I was excited about 20 miles into the race as I approached our designated spot because seeing Douglas is a huge pick-me-up … except, he wasn’t there. No big deal, I told myself. The first 20 miles ended up being pretty fast for me and I figured that Doug must have gotten stuck in traffic. I was wearing a Trakkers device so I knew that Doug would know exactly where I was in the course, so he wouldn’t worry about me. The designated spot was also the demarcation of the end of the first segment and the beginning of the first loop of the course. I did a mental check to mark the first portion as complete and told myself I would see Doug in a couple of hours.

Shortly after the 20 mile marker, we turned to do a short out and back and it was on this stretch that I was surprised to see Douglas – and our rental car completely decorated with colored duct tape as a huge sign for me!

We exchanged a couple of yells back and forth and a virtual fist bump and I was on my way. Douglas later told me that this little town was easier to get to while the race was underway, so he made a game time decision to change spots. Spectating is hard work – hours of waiting and worrying, just to see me for less than 30 seconds! At least with the Trakkers device he could see where I was on the course and my speed, which took away a lot of the worrying (mechanicals, crashes).

We love mom, A+T (Andrew & Tyler)


I got a big boost from seeing Douglas and did some mental math and figured I would see him again a little over 2 hours. I refocused and settled into “section 2” of the ride. Just as was settling in, I noticed a motorcycle behind me. At first I thought it was a race official, but they were not passing me – and then I saw the blur of the lead male cyclist coming up behind me! It was so cool to see the race leader. That is one of the best parts of racing a triathlon – you get to race WITH the pros.

The wind on the course was mostly in our favor or a cross wind for the first leg of the race and I was slightly anxious about when we were going to turn into the headwind. The first half of section 2 (the loop) had a great tail wind, so I did my best to take advantage of the favorable wind. When I turned I was expecting to take a beating, and while my speeds slowed down considerably, I never felt miserable.

At this point, I was approaching special needs, but since I carried all of my nutrition on my bike and was feeling comfortable with what I was wearing I did not stop. Rev3 did a great job of having someone a half mile ahead of the special needs stop radioing in our numbers so our bags were waiting for us as we rode by. Special needs also marked nearly the end of the first loop, which meant I was on my way to Doug (yeah!) and that killer tail wind!

With the first loop behind me, it was time for a self assessment. My nutrition felt spot on and my legs felt good. The best part about starting the second loop was knowing what to expect at each turn. Which roads were rough or uphill, when to expect the aid stations, the tail wind and downhills. Mentally, this is a big thing for me.

Shortly after starting the second loop, I saw Douglas again and got another mental boost. I figured I would see him again at the bike finish and settled in to the third section of the ride (loop 2). This loop was slower overall as the wind changed against us. I still had a nice tail wind, but it was not quite as good and the sections with the head wind were tough.

All of my solo riding in preparation for the race paid off though, and I was focused and not at all frustrated or bored. Each turn was a mental checkmark getting me that much closer to the marathon. As I approached the end of the second loop (mental section 3), I was getting a bit down. The wind had slowed me down and I was starting to get ancy to get off my bike.

It was as if Douglas knew I was going to need the boost of seeing him because just as I was having my short lived pity party, I saw Douglas in the original spectating spot we had scoped out. It was so good to see him and it was just what I needed at that moment. At this point with only one mental section left to ride, I was feeling good about my overall pace and my time.

I have always been a second half rider and my body has a bit of a horse to stables mentality so I kicked it up for the last 20 miles, just like Coach Carole wanted. My last hour was one of my strongest. I kept expecting awful wind on the last leg, but it never materialized. I passed quite a few people in those last few miles. I felt so good and I was not pushing the effort, just anxious to hit T2.

Once I was within a mile or two of the finish, I decided to check my mileage on my bike computer to see exactly how much further I had to ride --- and my computer showed 120ish miles. Hmm, that is not right. I knew I reset my computer, so I immediately realized that when we changed out my battery, Doug’s programming must not have worked so my computer thought I was riding on 700c wheels instead of 600c wheels. That explained why my mph was higher than expected throughout the ride. Good thing I was not paying attention to speed much at all -- it was all exertion level and time.

As I made the turn back into the Cedar Point parking lot I said a prayer of thanks for my safety and no mechanical issues (remember, my 3 flat tires the day before?) and was thrilled to be getting off my bike. I was happy to see Doug waiting for me at the bike dismount line. 2 of 3 sports down – 1 to go!

Bike Time: 6:12:39, 18.03 mph
5 /14 Division
26/67 Overall Women (including pros)

T2
As I entered T2 a volunteer grabbed my bike and I started running to the peg boards. I took one step and decided to take my shoes off on the spot. My feet hurt and I couldn’t wait another 20 seconds to take my bike shoes off.

As I turned the corner to reach my T2 bag, Doug was worried and asked me if I was ok. I told him I was great and he asked me if I had had a flat or anything and I said no. He was relieved and told me that my Trakkers device must have run of batteries at the 92 mile mark because that was the last live data he received on my progress and he had been worried about me. He was about to go look for me in the car! I reassured him that I was ok and ran into the tent to get ready for the run.

The tent was empty and I had 2 volunteers waiting on me hand and foot. One took my gear and the other was basically helping me get ready (putting my race number on, turning on my Garmin, helping me with my hat, etc. It was amazing to have such great volunteer support. With that I was off like a prom dress, ready (or so I thought) to conquer the marathon.

T2 Time– 3:56

Starting the marathon, I was 48 minutes ahead of my IMFL time and looking at my watch (cumulative race time was 7:45:37, I could taste a sub 12 hour race.

The Pendulum Swings

Yes, the rest of my race report is way over due.

It IS in process, but my frequent flier account has been getting more action than my running shoes.

Two weeks before Cedar Point I got a new, exciting opportunity at my company. While the weeks leading up to Cedar Point were hectic, I was tapering and the craziness of transitioning to a new job was a (too) good distraction.

After the race, I came home to recover and jump feet first into my new job. Just like ramping up for peak training when the pendulum swings far to the training side of life, the pendulum has now swung far to the work side of life.

Thankfully, the timing is perfect. I am sure that I would have managed my tri training load with my new job if, for example, I was racing IMFL again this year, but thankfully it has not been necessary.

It is hard for me to embrace the off season, so this somewhat forced hiatus is probably a blessing in disguise and when December / January roll around and I start to ramp back up my training, I should be well situated in my new job and mentally and physically ready to tackle Ironman again.

For now, I am thoroughly enjoying the workouts I manage to fit in, spending as much time with my family as possible and embracing the pendulum in its current spot. Race report to follow soon!

IM Recovery, Inspiration & Team Trakkers 2011

Recovery

Rev3 Cedar Point was nearly 3 weeks ago … so, how am I feeling now?

Recovery, like after IMFL, has been fairly quick. I always expect to feel like I was hit by a ton of bricks, but I find that even the day after the race I am able to get around just fine – walking, taking stairs, but just a bit slower than usual and with less pep in my step.

True recovery though, takes longer. After stressing my body for 7+ months straight, I am being very cautious this go round to respect the recovery period to avoid injuries and give my body what it needs – rest and diversity in workouts (pilates anyone?). The superficial recovery may be complete but the deep rooted recovery takes a bit longer.

I have done two very short runs since Cedar Point, the first 1.5 weeks after the race and the second 2.5 weeks post race. The first run sucked, plain and simple. The second run was infinitely better, but I feel that I have an exponential way to go. I am going to try running again next week to gauge my recovery.

In the mean time, I am still riding my bike, trying to make it to the pool once a week and doing things I have never made time for, like pilates and Parisi speed school.

I love running and I really miss the simplicity of it, but what I learned last year was that my body needs a break from running and I can either do it now or get injured and then do it. My hamstrings and IT bands are still fairly tight, despite a phenomenal massage, which included stripping my IT bands (yowza!). Next week will be the first week post race I have not had to travel, so I am committing right now to spend time each day for the next week on my foam roller to work on my tight muscles.

Also starting next week I am aiming to start a maintenance program. I feel lost without a plan to follow, so I will aim for 6 to 7 hours a week of whatever I feel like doing for the week. A good mix of cardio and strength/flexibility training with a little S,B,R mixed in for good measure.

What do you do during the off season?

Finally, looking ahead to next season (with IM Texas looming on the calendar!), I want to share a bit of inspiration and the incredible opportunity to join Team Trakkers!

"At 29, she [Mirinda Carafrae] has yet to reach her pinnacle as a female endurance athlete, which usually comes in the mid 30s. The full depth of her talent, she believes, has yet to be explored ... Carfrae believes that she has plenty of time to catch and beat Wellington, who, at 33, is entering her prime" -- LAVA Magazine

As a 31 year old female athlete, it was nice to read that the best is yet to come. Maybe I will be able to break 12 hours one day...

Team Trakkers

We are a group of multisport athletes of every shape, size, and ability who love to train, race and have fun. The Green Machine is looking for a new athletes to join in 2011. If you are interested in being a part of this phenomenal group, then click here and fill out the application. Good luck!

If you have any questions about the team, leave them in the comments and I will be happy to respond.

Want to know a bit more about what you get for being a part of the team …

“In addition to the privilege of wearing the awesome green Trakkers kit, we are in process of bringing on some additional companies who are interested in the exposure that a grassroots team would bring. They are in the works, but it will consist of a variety of triathlon related products. Nutrition, clothing and shoes are a couple of the categories that we are close to filling. We will be holding a camp for the team this year and athletes on the team will have their lodging at camp paid for. Also included in team membership is free entry to all of the rev3 races next year.”

Speaking of Rev3 races ... All of the Rev3 races are open for registration for 2011 -- including Cedar Point, and at $425, it is a bargain compared to IM branded races, for arguably, a better experience. Check it out!