I am excited to have finished the 2009, 2010, and 2014 Lake Placid Ironman, 2016 Ironman Mont Tremblant, the New Jersey Marathon, Rock n Roll Arizona and San Antonio Marathons, ING NYC Marathon, Mohawk Hudson Marathon, and the Vermont City Marathon. I have also run lots of other running races and several 70.3 races. I love racing and triathlons. This is a blog about training and racing!
About Me
- Kelly
- I am a biology teacher by day but a crazy triathlete and runner at all other times.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
December
I am feeling a little lost right now, again!! I know that after Ironman last year I felt this way but this year it is different - Ironman then NYC made me even less motivated to do anything. I am working out for only 30 min at a time which is fine but I really want to do more. My legs just aren't ready for this yet. I am back in the gym though and I love that! I think today will be the day to get back on my bike and stop punishing it for not cooperating on Ironman day! This should be fun!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
NYC Marathon Race Report
Four years after my first application to NYC I finally got in. The more exciting part is that Joe and Ryan knew I was guarenteed entrance this year so they qualified to get in as well so we could ensure that all of us did it together! The only problem with NYC this year is that it was 3 months after the Ironman. The first month after Ironman I took very lightly when it comes to running. The next month and a 1/2 were slow but good and then I got strep throat and was done for two weeks. The longest run before NYC was 13.5 miles. Going in, I knew where I was when it comes to being in running shape.
We left on Friday to go to the Bronx. Saturday we woke up, had breakfast and then headed into lower Manhattan where we were going to spend the night. The expo was crowded and we didn't spend a lot of time there which now, looking back at it, I am a little disappointed that we didn't spend more time there. We did check in, get our bib numbers, and our shirts (they only had large and extra large left so I have a massive shirt that says NYC marathon on it). The slogan on a lot of the shirts was "Hell and back" which I wasn't thrilled with so we didn't buy anything else. We went to dinner in Chelsea and then went back to the hotel to settle in.
The morning of the race, Joe and Ryan were off at around 5 am and I didn't get up until 6:15am - ahh, I actually got to sleep in on race day! I got up, piled on my clothing since it was 38 degrees out, and then packed my bags so I could check out of the hotel. I left the hotel around 6:45 am to go to the Starbucks a few blocks from the hotel. The Starbucks employee came to the door and told me that the person who was opening the store wasn't there yet but she could give me what I wanted on the house since I had to go and run. Such a good start to the day - free breakfast - I kept saying it must have been a good omen for the day! I went to the Staten Island Ferry building in lower Manhattan early and found a mass of people trying to get onto the ferry. It was my first experience with the insane amount of people who would be doing the race - WOW!!
Statan Island - On the ferry, I got to see the Statue of Liberty as close as I have ever been to it. How beautiful!! Then I got to see the garbage on Statan Island - not so beautiful. We were then herded to the bus to get to the "starting villages". The villages made it even more clear how many people were doing this race. The first wave was already in the corrals and getting ready to take off when I got there. The speaker system was broadcasting in at least 6 different languages. They were telling me over and over that I had 10 minutes to check my clothes though. Oh no!!! Found the green village, took off my checked clothing and piled on the throwaways. I had my second breakfast here - a bagel and tea with honey. I got to watch the beginning of the 1st wave and was in awe of the spectacular size of this event. It was being covered by 4 different helicopters!!!
Again the loud speakers told me to go to my start area. I moved in the massive village area to my starting area, saw the second wave go off and realized how much fun this was - who cares that you have to run 26.2 miles - this is amazing!!! I ended up standing next to a woman from Saranac Lake who I have talked to in the past which was so random and then we were off!! The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was cold and windy but, even though it is one of the steepest bridges and there are thousands of people on it, it never felt super crowded or steep! I could hear the bridge moving with the thousands of feet that were traversing it. This was the beginning of my saying out loud how amazing this experience was. I was surrounded by people from all over the world taking pictures, being happy and excited!! How often do you get to be a part of something this big! By the way, the mounds of throwaway clothing was amazing as well.
Brooklyn!!! We were in Brooklyn forever! I saw some amazing things though - hundreds of people out to watch - excited about the people running the race. I saw neighborhood churches having their community breakfasts and lunches outside so that they could be together and cheer for the runners, a woman who was cooking brought the police officers food since they had been there for such a long time, and the police officers smiling, cheering and excited to be there instead of angry to be working this event. These miles felt great and adrenaline was flowing high.
Queens - I kept saying if I got to mile 14 I would have someone cheering for me. I didn't see him there but I did see someone with a sign saying "Go Kelly" and that drove me forward a little further. Only a short time in Queens but that was good since you want to take the run burough to burough and at this point, I am already in unchartered territory from my training. In Queens I figured out that I was running near Jared from Subway because all I could hear from the spectators saying was "Hey, its Jared from Subway - GO JARED!!"
Manhattan - going over the Queensboro Bridge I tripped over a joint in the bridge and fell down. My first reaction was "Get up before you get trampled". One of the people near me picked me up so quickly that I didn't know what happened. Then another person asked me if I was ok so I asked her "If my fall was graceful?" She said "definetly" so it was ok. Jared was still around at this point too. Running down the middle of 1st avenue was amazing! I had made a deal with myself that I had to run to mile 18 without walking and then I could walk/run or just walk depending on how I felt. I was noticing a change in my legs after mile 16 - again, I haven't run this far continuously during training. I was getting nutrition and water but not doing a great job of it. The worst was that the aid stations were so slippery with liquid on the ground, cups, and bananas and peels (yes, those are really slippery).
Bronx - wait, we went through the Bronx!!! This mile of the race was slow and I was in run/walk mode. Still hearing "Go Jared, Go!"
Manhattan - the last stretch and my body spoke up vehemently "NO"!!!!! All of a sudden my legs decided they were done. I walked an entire mile - and it was slow since I couldn't get my legs moving - 18 mins - ugh!! I lost Jared - no more "Go Jared, go". I felt bad. At mile 24 though, I decided I wanted to be done so I sucked it up and started running. I was looking for Joe in the crowd although that seems stupid in retrospect since he couldn't have gotten that far away from the finishing area easily. The finish was amazing. What a huge crowd. I was preparing for my finishing line picture, smiling, being happy, and not looking at my watch and when I crossed the finish line the man next to me puked!!! I started laughing because of the craziness of how I prepared for my photo for the first time ever since both of my Ironman finishing photos are of me pressing my watch and then he puked again. (He was immediately attended to by the American Red Cross people so it wasn't like I was just ignoring him.) Can't wait to see that finishing picture though. What an end to a very unique experience. Hopefully, I can do it again sometime (no puking man at the finish line next time though and more training please).
End note: Joe and Ryan did well (Joe 3 hrs 12 min 21 sec and Ryan 3 hrs 18 min). We all loved the experience. The next few days for me proved to be pretty painful - between the fall and the run I had pains in many places. I am super excited that my year of activity is over and I get to rest and recover completely. Having done 4 marathons, 2 Ironmans, 3 1/2 Ironmans, 2 century rides, and countless 1/2 marathons since April of 2007 has allowed me to feel like I need a break. Next year is my year of speed and I have placed a limit of 1.2 miles of swimming, 13.1 miles of running, and 56 miles of biking as my longest distances I am allowing my body to enduring at one time - no 1/2 Ironmans or Ironmans for me next year, only sprint and olympic distance triathlons for me and a couple of 1/2 marathons. I am looking forward to the rest and recovery!
We left on Friday to go to the Bronx. Saturday we woke up, had breakfast and then headed into lower Manhattan where we were going to spend the night. The expo was crowded and we didn't spend a lot of time there which now, looking back at it, I am a little disappointed that we didn't spend more time there. We did check in, get our bib numbers, and our shirts (they only had large and extra large left so I have a massive shirt that says NYC marathon on it). The slogan on a lot of the shirts was "Hell and back" which I wasn't thrilled with so we didn't buy anything else. We went to dinner in Chelsea and then went back to the hotel to settle in.
The morning of the race, Joe and Ryan were off at around 5 am and I didn't get up until 6:15am - ahh, I actually got to sleep in on race day! I got up, piled on my clothing since it was 38 degrees out, and then packed my bags so I could check out of the hotel. I left the hotel around 6:45 am to go to the Starbucks a few blocks from the hotel. The Starbucks employee came to the door and told me that the person who was opening the store wasn't there yet but she could give me what I wanted on the house since I had to go and run. Such a good start to the day - free breakfast - I kept saying it must have been a good omen for the day! I went to the Staten Island Ferry building in lower Manhattan early and found a mass of people trying to get onto the ferry. It was my first experience with the insane amount of people who would be doing the race - WOW!!
Statan Island - On the ferry, I got to see the Statue of Liberty as close as I have ever been to it. How beautiful!! Then I got to see the garbage on Statan Island - not so beautiful. We were then herded to the bus to get to the "starting villages". The villages made it even more clear how many people were doing this race. The first wave was already in the corrals and getting ready to take off when I got there. The speaker system was broadcasting in at least 6 different languages. They were telling me over and over that I had 10 minutes to check my clothes though. Oh no!!! Found the green village, took off my checked clothing and piled on the throwaways. I had my second breakfast here - a bagel and tea with honey. I got to watch the beginning of the 1st wave and was in awe of the spectacular size of this event. It was being covered by 4 different helicopters!!!
Again the loud speakers told me to go to my start area. I moved in the massive village area to my starting area, saw the second wave go off and realized how much fun this was - who cares that you have to run 26.2 miles - this is amazing!!! I ended up standing next to a woman from Saranac Lake who I have talked to in the past which was so random and then we were off!! The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was cold and windy but, even though it is one of the steepest bridges and there are thousands of people on it, it never felt super crowded or steep! I could hear the bridge moving with the thousands of feet that were traversing it. This was the beginning of my saying out loud how amazing this experience was. I was surrounded by people from all over the world taking pictures, being happy and excited!! How often do you get to be a part of something this big! By the way, the mounds of throwaway clothing was amazing as well.
Brooklyn!!! We were in Brooklyn forever! I saw some amazing things though - hundreds of people out to watch - excited about the people running the race. I saw neighborhood churches having their community breakfasts and lunches outside so that they could be together and cheer for the runners, a woman who was cooking brought the police officers food since they had been there for such a long time, and the police officers smiling, cheering and excited to be there instead of angry to be working this event. These miles felt great and adrenaline was flowing high.
Queens - I kept saying if I got to mile 14 I would have someone cheering for me. I didn't see him there but I did see someone with a sign saying "Go Kelly" and that drove me forward a little further. Only a short time in Queens but that was good since you want to take the run burough to burough and at this point, I am already in unchartered territory from my training. In Queens I figured out that I was running near Jared from Subway because all I could hear from the spectators saying was "Hey, its Jared from Subway - GO JARED!!"
Manhattan - going over the Queensboro Bridge I tripped over a joint in the bridge and fell down. My first reaction was "Get up before you get trampled". One of the people near me picked me up so quickly that I didn't know what happened. Then another person asked me if I was ok so I asked her "If my fall was graceful?" She said "definetly" so it was ok. Jared was still around at this point too. Running down the middle of 1st avenue was amazing! I had made a deal with myself that I had to run to mile 18 without walking and then I could walk/run or just walk depending on how I felt. I was noticing a change in my legs after mile 16 - again, I haven't run this far continuously during training. I was getting nutrition and water but not doing a great job of it. The worst was that the aid stations were so slippery with liquid on the ground, cups, and bananas and peels (yes, those are really slippery).
Bronx - wait, we went through the Bronx!!! This mile of the race was slow and I was in run/walk mode. Still hearing "Go Jared, Go!"
Manhattan - the last stretch and my body spoke up vehemently "NO"!!!!! All of a sudden my legs decided they were done. I walked an entire mile - and it was slow since I couldn't get my legs moving - 18 mins - ugh!! I lost Jared - no more "Go Jared, go". I felt bad. At mile 24 though, I decided I wanted to be done so I sucked it up and started running. I was looking for Joe in the crowd although that seems stupid in retrospect since he couldn't have gotten that far away from the finishing area easily. The finish was amazing. What a huge crowd. I was preparing for my finishing line picture, smiling, being happy, and not looking at my watch and when I crossed the finish line the man next to me puked!!! I started laughing because of the craziness of how I prepared for my photo for the first time ever since both of my Ironman finishing photos are of me pressing my watch and then he puked again. (He was immediately attended to by the American Red Cross people so it wasn't like I was just ignoring him.) Can't wait to see that finishing picture though. What an end to a very unique experience. Hopefully, I can do it again sometime (no puking man at the finish line next time though and more training please).
End note: Joe and Ryan did well (Joe 3 hrs 12 min 21 sec and Ryan 3 hrs 18 min). We all loved the experience. The next few days for me proved to be pretty painful - between the fall and the run I had pains in many places. I am super excited that my year of activity is over and I get to rest and recover completely. Having done 4 marathons, 2 Ironmans, 3 1/2 Ironmans, 2 century rides, and countless 1/2 marathons since April of 2007 has allowed me to feel like I need a break. Next year is my year of speed and I have placed a limit of 1.2 miles of swimming, 13.1 miles of running, and 56 miles of biking as my longest distances I am allowing my body to enduring at one time - no 1/2 Ironmans or Ironmans for me next year, only sprint and olympic distance triathlons for me and a couple of 1/2 marathons. I am looking forward to the rest and recovery!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Frustrated
I am doing the NYC Marathon this weekend. I didn't envision my NYC Marathon attempt to be as it will be. I got sick Oct 16, missed my long run that weekend, ended up struggling through the week at work, was diagnosed with strep throat on Oct 23, missed my last long run, tried to run long on Tuesday and felt like crap so I bagged my long runs for training. (Wow, a long run-on sentence.) I have managed to finally feel good enough to run a fairly difficult 6 miles on Sunday at the Squirrely Six miler but I am really slow. I am finally feeling better though. I was doing well up until Oct 16 when this cold just hammered me. I was lucky to get off of my couch and go to work most of those days. I felt like it was all going as planed and I would be where I was supposed to be. I guess sh$# happens though. So, I am going into NYC grossly undertrained (having only gotten up to 13.5 miles running - 2 hrs 39 min as a total long run) and slightly worried. I have walked a good portion of a marathon before, after 127.5 miles - at least that isn't the case this time. I just have to enjoy it for what it is worth and hope for the best!!! I just hope the best is under 5 hrs 30 min! NYC here I come!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Back to work
About 2 months later and about 6 weeks out from the New York City Marathon. I am feeling positive about running right now, although when I have to run I think I would rather be biking and when I decide to go for a bike ride, I think I would rather be running. Notice how swimming is not even in my mind. I am recovering from runs well this year without the major pain that I felt last year. I think I did a good thing for myself by laying off of everything in August. My longest run in August was probably 4 miles. This time I didn't rush my recovery and thus feel better about everything. It still feels surreal that I did Ironman again - it is so funny how you are in the best shape of your life right before Ironman, Ironman day feels like a really long dream, and then the next day your body is a complete wreck and for months later, your mind doesn't want to do anything. I am still a mental nightmare in that I don't really feel motivated to actually go for a run or anything really but once I get out running, it generally gets a little better. It is funny how I usually love to workout - the gym is my home away from home usually - but for a few months after Ironman I have to bride myself to workout at all and I just don't feel like the normal me.
My long run this weekend was 2 hrs long (10.2 miles - Holy Slow). I didn't wonder if I could do it (which is a great feeling after many months of questioning my abilities and generally feeling concerned about my fitness level), I was more upset by the fact that I had to start using Gatorade on the run as I felt really happy for myself that I hadn't had to drink or eat any of this factory made crap in my body for the past 2 months and my intestines were thanking me for it. I also didn't like having to wear my fuel belt again. But, alas, I needed to start getting in fluids on the run. (I haven't even started eating gu blocks yet - makes me want to barf thinking about it.) I started running in low 60's and cloudy weather. I was struggling to get into a rhythm at the beginning and I looked down at my watch to see when I felt comfy, I was surprised to realize it was 51 min into the run (that is absurd, I have to run for 4.5 miles before I warm up - crazy). I felt invincible for the next 15 min and then felt not so great. It was spritzing a little in the middle of the run and was the best running weather I could have asked for on a long run. I felt ok for the next 20 min and then hit the big hill leading up to Main St. in Lake Placid and felt like I was going to die. But I finished a 2 hr run without feeling too horribly. I am happy with this progress. I actually felt like I still had some of my Ironman fitness in me.
Next week I will be at my cousins wedding in Phoenix so I will only be running for 1 hr but the 3 weeks after that will see a 13 mile run, 15 mile run, and between 17 and 18 mile run. Not exactly the best marathon training plan but not a bad one after doing an Ironman in July! I am hopeful that I will be able to run more than half of the marathon and will be carried along by the crazy crowds that line the marathon course in NYC! I am excited to be a part of this wonderful event which is a feeling I have been waiting to experience. I feel like, if all goes according to plan, I will have the experience I have always wanted to have at NYC and enjoy the experience.
My long run this weekend was 2 hrs long (10.2 miles - Holy Slow). I didn't wonder if I could do it (which is a great feeling after many months of questioning my abilities and generally feeling concerned about my fitness level), I was more upset by the fact that I had to start using Gatorade on the run as I felt really happy for myself that I hadn't had to drink or eat any of this factory made crap in my body for the past 2 months and my intestines were thanking me for it. I also didn't like having to wear my fuel belt again. But, alas, I needed to start getting in fluids on the run. (I haven't even started eating gu blocks yet - makes me want to barf thinking about it.) I started running in low 60's and cloudy weather. I was struggling to get into a rhythm at the beginning and I looked down at my watch to see when I felt comfy, I was surprised to realize it was 51 min into the run (that is absurd, I have to run for 4.5 miles before I warm up - crazy). I felt invincible for the next 15 min and then felt not so great. It was spritzing a little in the middle of the run and was the best running weather I could have asked for on a long run. I felt ok for the next 20 min and then hit the big hill leading up to Main St. in Lake Placid and felt like I was going to die. But I finished a 2 hr run without feeling too horribly. I am happy with this progress. I actually felt like I still had some of my Ironman fitness in me.
Next week I will be at my cousins wedding in Phoenix so I will only be running for 1 hr but the 3 weeks after that will see a 13 mile run, 15 mile run, and between 17 and 18 mile run. Not exactly the best marathon training plan but not a bad one after doing an Ironman in July! I am hopeful that I will be able to run more than half of the marathon and will be carried along by the crazy crowds that line the marathon course in NYC! I am excited to be a part of this wonderful event which is a feeling I have been waiting to experience. I feel like, if all goes according to plan, I will have the experience I have always wanted to have at NYC and enjoy the experience.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
One week later
One week out from Ironman and I keep remembering some random things along the way. I am running again as I want to keep moving - my body doesn't like to stop moving - plus, I have a marathon to do on Nov 7! I got on the bike again - not as much fun as I wanted it to be. We are planning on starting to kayak more now that we have time to do it and we are really excited about it. We are also planning on visiting some friends in the Boston area for a couple of days which should be fun and a different pace for us. I remember more of the good things from Ironman day now that I am farther away from the pain and stomach problems. I also now remember some random things - like I saw a Santa on a motorcycle while I was biking (another sign that I was delusional maybe, but it was real, I swear, just like Michael Phelps*). I also remember bouncing off of the swimmers who were all around me - I recognize that if this was my first Ironman swim, it would not have been a very good experience but because I had done it before it wasn't as bad as I knew that it could have been. I remember the ATVs offering volunteers rides back to their cars and I kept telling them that they should offer me a ride too! I am still in awe that I completed 140.6 miles in a day, twice for that matter!!! I still dream of the finish line and know that it was an amazing experience both times. I remember why I do this: because there is nothing better than accomplishing the impossible. What an amazing journey I had and I really do love that I have been able to accomplish this.
* BTW - I have decided that Michael Phelps should have to appologize to me for making me think I was delusional on the course!!! I wouldn't mind actually meeting the swimmer Michael Phelps - maybe he could teach me better swim mechanics.
My July stats:
Swim 12.15 miles
Swim time 8 hrs 16 min
Bike 406 miles
Bike time: 30 hrs 15 min
Run 77.1 miles
Run time 15 hrs 23 min
Total miles: 495.25 miles
Total time: 53 hrs 53 min
Total miles to date for the year: 2137.67 miles
Total time to date for the year: 238 hrs 28 min (about 10 days)
We will see what I can pull for numbers for the rest of the year.
* BTW - I have decided that Michael Phelps should have to appologize to me for making me think I was delusional on the course!!! I wouldn't mind actually meeting the swimmer Michael Phelps - maybe he could teach me better swim mechanics.
My July stats:
Swim 12.15 miles
Swim time 8 hrs 16 min
Bike 406 miles
Bike time: 30 hrs 15 min
Run 77.1 miles
Run time 15 hrs 23 min
Total miles: 495.25 miles
Total time: 53 hrs 53 min
Total miles to date for the year: 2137.67 miles
Total time to date for the year: 238 hrs 28 min (about 10 days)
We will see what I can pull for numbers for the rest of the year.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Ironman 2010 Journey
Ironman takes up 5 whole days of excitement. I have started with the Thursday before Ironman and will end with race day. If you want to just read about race day, please scroll down to Sunday, July 25. I hope you enjoy reading about my journey...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
We began Ironman weekend with a pre-race massage to work on my lower back which had decided to start to spasm on Sunday. I had been to the Lake Placid Massage place every week now and then twice this week to help me deal with all of the pain that I had been feeling during workouts and was hopeful that Tim could make all of my muscle soreness a little less pronounced – he had done wonders on my calf when that was spasming on me. After the massages we went SHOPPING!!!! Since we had done Ironman in 2009, Joe and I felt that we could purchase things ahead of time this year so that we weren’t left with the weird sizes the day after and didn’t get what we wanted. After shopping, it was time for us to go and check in. This is where I realized that this was going to be a completely different experience from last year. Not only was race management different and had forgotten Joe when they assigned bib numbers but it was set-up differently in the gym for registration. There was also no anxiety, there was no worry in me, I had been here and done this before and knew what was to come. After we were done, we walked up Main St and had some lunch at the Crepe place then headed back down to the oval to see if they had Bakers Breakfast Cookies, put in our Ford Motivational Mile sayings, and then out to our cars to go for a bike ride. This was a test ride, again. My bike seat had been changed out 2 weeks before Ironman day because it was unbearable to ride on and I needed to make the change and then on the 1st ride with a new seat, my aerobar pad broke and I had to get a new set of aerobars as well. All of this change had allowed me to have positioning issues with IT band pain and back pain. Melinda and I were going to do a nice easy 16 mile ride. We road down the last 7 hills of the course, down River Road, and then back up the hills to the car. I hadn’t really been climbing much in the past 2 ½ weeks so this felt great to do in preparation for Sunday. My IT band was still really sore on the ride though but my back was finally blissfully pain free. I was still so worried about the bike due to this pain that we went to the local bike shop and asked them to give us any suggestions. All they could suggest at this point was to lower the seat a little more and hope my body held up on race day. At this point, we just loaded up our bikes in the car and went home to get some dinner and then head to bed early to get some much needed rest.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Woke up and stretched for the millionth time this week to loosen up the IT band and lower back. The IT band was so tight that night that I couldn’t sleep as I wanted but at least my lower back wasn’t the reason I wasn’t sleeping this time. Ate some breakfast and headed into Lake Placid to go for a swim in Mirror Lake with Melinda. It was a gray, kind-of rainy, cool sort of day. When we arrived in Lake Placid, we noticed the second change in the race – they were no longer being sponsored by Gatorade which had run a bag check last year and gave out free stuff, they were sponsored by PowerAde now and they were not running the bag checks this year. Also, none of the buoys were out yet for race day. This was the first time we noticed how many athletes were in town for the race – there was one person after another going out to swim the course and all you saw in the water were swimming arms (a beautiful site if you ask me). We got into our wetsuits just as the drizzle started and headed out into the water for a nice easy swim. The entire way it was pretty choppy – I thought of how this was good practice for race day! People were passing left and right while I was meandering through my 1.2 mile swim and again, I embraced the experience for more mental preparation for race day. When we were done I noticed that it was the fastest I had swam the loop in the entire training for Ironman which was surprising as I was really taking it easy. We headed for home after the swim to eat lunch and then go out for a short bike to test the slightly lowered seat position. The bike didn’t go as I would have expected but I figured on race day I would just suck it up and gut it out if my back or IT band was bothering me – I didn’t train this hard to let one little thing put me out of becoming an Ironman. My dad cleaned and lubed my bike, checked out my tires, and then we stored it away for the next morning. That evening we went to the athlete’s banquet which was so exciting and motivational. I love seeing all of the other athletes. As a no-longer Iron-virgin, we new what was coming and enjoyed listening to the stories of the biggest losers, the Everyday heroes, and the voice of Mike Riley!!! We skipped the “mandatory” athletes meeting as that brings on greater stress for me and I already know not to draft, how to signal to the lifeguard that I am in trouble, and the cutoff times (oh, boy do I know the cutoff times). Home we went to my parents and our first visitor Erin and to pack all of our special needs bags and transition bags.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Woke up after having a very sleep-less night. All I kept thinking about was that I was missing things in my transition bags. Had some breakfast and started packing the car to bring our bikes to the transition area. I went over my transition bags again checking my checklists for the 3rd or 4th times, looking at my pictures to see that I had everything in the bags. We packed up the car and headed up to Lake Placid with Erin and all of our stuff. We rode the course so that Erin could get a view of the hills on the course and appreciate what we were going to be doing on race day. All I kept thinking was “Wow, that was a long car ride, and I have to do that plus more on race day!” We went into our transition area, I found my spot for my bike and racked it, put on my bento box, and aero water bottle then went to put my bags in their area. Because Joe was not given a number until Thursday, his bike was in the first bike rack when you entered the oval and his bags were on a table on the side of the racks for the bags – this is another weird thing about this new race organization – they allowed in 450 more athletes this year without making the proper adjustments/investments to accommodate all of these people. Lake Placid was a mad house at this point, so we walked up Main Street for a couple of minutes then headed back to Keene Valley to wait for some more guests and get ready for the early bedtime. After greeting Alynn and Sam at the camp, eating pasta for dinner, making cytomax carbo-pro cocktails, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, we were headed to bed by 8:45 pm.
Sunday, July 25, 2010 – Race day
Waking up at 4 am is not my favorite thing in the world to do but since I didn’t really sleep last night, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I turned to Joe as soon as the alarm went off and said “In 20 hrs we will be Ironmen all over again and this will all be over!” It was cool and gray outside with a little light rain. We ate breakfast – surprisingly I actually wasn’t nauseous while eating, just excited for the day to be over so that I could sit and relax tomorrow. (Is that what this was supposed to feel like the 2nd time around?) We were out of the house by 4:50 am and headed into Lake Placid. When we got there we were lucky to have other people willing to bring our special needs bags up Mirror Lake Drive for us so that all we needed to do was go to transition, setup our bikes with our fluids, and hit the porta-potties. As I am waiting with Joe, we hear our names being screamed from above the oval from Sam and Erin who had spotted us already. Body marking was next and went off without a hitch even though one of the athletes was yelling at the volunteer who was going to put a smiley face on her left calf and she thought this was appalling. I lost Joe for the first time during this stage and it happened multiple times over the next 30 min when I would run into people I knew and he would keep walking not realizing I had stopped to say good luck to someone. We met with our family and friends in front of the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, put on our wetsuits and waited for Melinda to join us but her wetsuit zipper had come off and people were trying to figure out a solution to this problem. We left Melinda and Christine with a “good luck” and went out in search of the medical tent to hand in my inhaler, then into the water where we waited patiently.
Swim – It hit me as we were standing there that I was really freaked out. I hadn’t really thought of race day jitters because I felt sure of myself before the race but here they were. I wanted to cry, puke, scream – something to help release the anxiety. Then the cannon went off, Joe said goodbye to me. I waited a minute then started swimming. Almost immediately I was passing people just bobbing. Then I was thrust into a chaotic realm of arms and legs flailing with choppy waves hitting me in the face when I was trying to breathe. It was obvious that there were 450 more people in the water this year than last year. I was always running into people who I was faster than and then having to come to a complete stop to find a way around them as every time I tried to make a lateral move someone was there too. I would follow someone who appeared to be on the line and going in a straight line for a while until I would get blocked in and then have to find someone else to follow along but couldn’t see anyone because of the waves. I was swimming dodging the arms and legs until I got a nice swift heel to the right goggle – wow that hurt but I remained calm and kept going. I was getting face-fulls of water every 3rd breathe so I swallowed my fill of lake water along the way. I finished the 1st loop to Mike Riley calling out my name and was excited how easy that felt. The first loop was 46 min (perfect for me) and I figured I would have some room on my second loop but then I looked up and realized how many people were around me and knew that wasn’t going to happen so I just started swimming again. This time around it was just as crowded and violent as the first time around but I came out unscathed in 1 hr 35 min – not exactly what I wanted but it will do. I knew I was slower than last year and I immediately knew I needed to just let it go and move on with my day.
T1- The wetsuit strippers took off my wetsuit for me, I ran through transition and heard my name from Daci (I got really excited since I was her mentor for running this spring and thought it was great that she got to see me doing what I love now) then heard my family yelling for me. Bike shoes on, helmet on, sunscreen on, sunglasses on, food in my bike shirt pouch, and I was out yelling my number “2447, 2447, 2447” like we were told but no one showed up to give me my bike and I had past my rack so I went back, retrieved my bike and then headed out while eating sharkies. As it turns out, I guess most people had to get their own bike this year – not sure why but there didn’t seem like there were enough volunteers. The T1 time was 8 min 50 sec, which was better than last year by 1 min 42 secs.
Bike – My goal after the swim was to take in 1 full bottle of Cytomax/Carbo-pro within the first 30 min of the bike so that I could hydrate and get calories in after the swim. I was going up the 1st hill out of Lake Placid and heard my name – it was Jenn and Andrew yelling for me. I even felt so good at this point that I joked with them about being at mile 60 already since the 60th mile marker was on this hill. I flew down the Keene hills – most people were up on their brakes but since I train on these hills, I know them so well. My max speed for the day was a 46.6 mph!!! I got to the flats in Keene/Jay and knew I was pushing too hard. I kept telling myself to back off but my body was feeling ok and I was afraid of not finishing within the time frame. My IT band was feeling pretty good though. I had a great cadence going because this was part of the strategy to keep the IT band feeling good and I think it helped on the first lap but then came the 2nd lap. I finished the first lap in 4 hrs 10 min which was right around my planned time. The 2nd lap started with a PB&J sandwich and then me feeling extremely sick to my stomach. The hills out of Lake Placid felt easy, I bombed down the hill just like the first time but this time I had a wind at my back!! Then I realized how tired my legs felt and my stomach wasn’t taking nutrition the way it should have. I headed back up trying to do the math and not doing it very well thinking I was not going to make the time cut off only to realize I had an hour more than I thought to do 20 miles. I was doing well getting back into town when my left calf started to hurt and then my left foot plantar fascia started to cramp and I couldn’t put weight on that part of my foot. I started to worry about running now – I had pushed too hard and now had two problems as well as not having taken in enough calories. I chugged my last bottle of cyto to get in some calories. Finished the 2nd bike loop in 4 hrs 24 min which gives me a final bike time of 8 hrs 35 min which is exactly the same as last year – so much for all those extra bike miles and preparation on the course and my PR for the day. But at least I made it back to go out on the run. I always said that I didn’t train for a marathon not to get off the bike.
T2 – Changed shorts, shoes and headed out. Foot felt immediately better once I was off the bike so I felt a little more energized. My T2 time was 5 min 5 sec, which was faster than last year by 13 secs.
Run – “Holy crap I don’t want to run and I think I am going to puke” is my 1st thought once I start to run. My upper right ab is cramping already (it has been a problem for the past 6 weeks). I get all the way down to River Road and walk the 1st aid station to get something caloric in me and immediately wanted to reject it. I kept running thinking I wanted to run all of River Road then walk up the hill then run to the next hill then walk up the hill then get to the turn around. I am monitoring my miles times and know it is too fast but when I am trying to control my pace and think about my body, I want to throw up. So, I just keep plugging along. I see Joe walking on River Road and feel a little settled to know he is ok and still moving since I haven’t seen him since he started the swim. I get back into town to find none of my cheering squad out and think “Oh, Joe must be finishing.” I keep thinking about how awful I feel and what I can tolerate – I am willing to try anything to make this feeling of nausea go away. My plantar fascia is throbbing at this point. I start walking and running more at the half way point. Surprisingly, I ran a 2 hr 20 min ½ marathon feeling like crap (I had run a 2 hr 21 min ½ marathon in Lake Placid back in June so this was amazing). I am feeling so bad that I see this guy standing on the side of the road and damn he looks like Michael Phelps, it can’t be. Now I think I am delusional as well. (He was actually there though – not delusional but I really didn’t feel well) The PowerAde flavor changes from aid station to aid station were making me sick. Chicken broth was almost a disaster. Cola is giving me a little energy boost but initially makes me want to vomit. Every time I try to run I think I am going to puke or poop my pants but the thought of stopping and using a bathroom has me freaked out because I keep thinking I won’t make the midnight cutoff and the medics are looming and I don’t want them to tell me I can’t keep going if I start to puke. I just keep telling myself to keep moving forward and that is what I did. Everything hurt, my feet were moving inside of my shoes for some weird reason and I felt like I was being stabbed every time I stepped on them, I felt so horrible – just keep moving forward. I knew so many people out there though and felt the need to make it look like I was ok – cheering them on, smiling, whatever, all while feeling horrible. The rising moon was so beautiful though that it allows for a moment of bliss before I feel sick again. I smiled when my motivational statement from my husband appeared again “Smile. You are there!” I kept thinking that I just needed to get this thing over with so I would run, feel like I was going to puke, then walk again. I stopped taking anything from aid stations at mile 18 since I think I am going to be sick. I find my dad walking down to get me. We talk about how bad I feel and how I need one more shot at this damn race because obviously I don’t have it down (training, nutrition, racing) and I am really stubborn that I feel like I need to conquer this thing. I start running the 1st part of the out and back to the finish and then have to walk but once I hit that timing mat I start running. I just want to be done!!! The pain is gone in my feet, my stomach is not protesting as much, and I am almost done. I am passing people left and right and then I enter the oval and I smile. I see my husband, my father, and high five with all of the people. It is the most amazing feeling to finish with that many people waiting and cheering for you. I enjoy the moment and see my time and can’t believe it, how did that happen – 16 hrs 9 min a 15 min PR over last year. It was all worth it at that moment!!! 140.6 miles done, again, thank goodness!!
The aftermath – I felt sick for the next 4 days – eating and then feeling really nauseous again. My weight isn’t stabilizing yet and I am having trouble sleeping due to some residual muscle pain. I never want to see PowerAde or Gu Blocks again. I also can’t help feel like this wasn’t the day I had planned for and am slightly disappointed in myself. I wish I had been able to start training heavier miles earlier but last years Ironman left me injured for about 7 months after and I see this as me making excuses for myself – I have to accept this and move forward. I PRed, that should be great but my bike, which I worked so hard on, was exactly the same. I worked really hard on nutrition and still failed at that. I look forward to the next time to make sure I figure this out!! For now, I am resting and recovering and working on being happy with my PR and learning from all the rest. Ironman Lake Placid 2012, here I come!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
We began Ironman weekend with a pre-race massage to work on my lower back which had decided to start to spasm on Sunday. I had been to the Lake Placid Massage place every week now and then twice this week to help me deal with all of the pain that I had been feeling during workouts and was hopeful that Tim could make all of my muscle soreness a little less pronounced – he had done wonders on my calf when that was spasming on me. After the massages we went SHOPPING!!!! Since we had done Ironman in 2009, Joe and I felt that we could purchase things ahead of time this year so that we weren’t left with the weird sizes the day after and didn’t get what we wanted. After shopping, it was time for us to go and check in. This is where I realized that this was going to be a completely different experience from last year. Not only was race management different and had forgotten Joe when they assigned bib numbers but it was set-up differently in the gym for registration. There was also no anxiety, there was no worry in me, I had been here and done this before and knew what was to come. After we were done, we walked up Main St and had some lunch at the Crepe place then headed back down to the oval to see if they had Bakers Breakfast Cookies, put in our Ford Motivational Mile sayings, and then out to our cars to go for a bike ride. This was a test ride, again. My bike seat had been changed out 2 weeks before Ironman day because it was unbearable to ride on and I needed to make the change and then on the 1st ride with a new seat, my aerobar pad broke and I had to get a new set of aerobars as well. All of this change had allowed me to have positioning issues with IT band pain and back pain. Melinda and I were going to do a nice easy 16 mile ride. We road down the last 7 hills of the course, down River Road, and then back up the hills to the car. I hadn’t really been climbing much in the past 2 ½ weeks so this felt great to do in preparation for Sunday. My IT band was still really sore on the ride though but my back was finally blissfully pain free. I was still so worried about the bike due to this pain that we went to the local bike shop and asked them to give us any suggestions. All they could suggest at this point was to lower the seat a little more and hope my body held up on race day. At this point, we just loaded up our bikes in the car and went home to get some dinner and then head to bed early to get some much needed rest.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Woke up and stretched for the millionth time this week to loosen up the IT band and lower back. The IT band was so tight that night that I couldn’t sleep as I wanted but at least my lower back wasn’t the reason I wasn’t sleeping this time. Ate some breakfast and headed into Lake Placid to go for a swim in Mirror Lake with Melinda. It was a gray, kind-of rainy, cool sort of day. When we arrived in Lake Placid, we noticed the second change in the race – they were no longer being sponsored by Gatorade which had run a bag check last year and gave out free stuff, they were sponsored by PowerAde now and they were not running the bag checks this year. Also, none of the buoys were out yet for race day. This was the first time we noticed how many athletes were in town for the race – there was one person after another going out to swim the course and all you saw in the water were swimming arms (a beautiful site if you ask me). We got into our wetsuits just as the drizzle started and headed out into the water for a nice easy swim. The entire way it was pretty choppy – I thought of how this was good practice for race day! People were passing left and right while I was meandering through my 1.2 mile swim and again, I embraced the experience for more mental preparation for race day. When we were done I noticed that it was the fastest I had swam the loop in the entire training for Ironman which was surprising as I was really taking it easy. We headed for home after the swim to eat lunch and then go out for a short bike to test the slightly lowered seat position. The bike didn’t go as I would have expected but I figured on race day I would just suck it up and gut it out if my back or IT band was bothering me – I didn’t train this hard to let one little thing put me out of becoming an Ironman. My dad cleaned and lubed my bike, checked out my tires, and then we stored it away for the next morning. That evening we went to the athlete’s banquet which was so exciting and motivational. I love seeing all of the other athletes. As a no-longer Iron-virgin, we new what was coming and enjoyed listening to the stories of the biggest losers, the Everyday heroes, and the voice of Mike Riley!!! We skipped the “mandatory” athletes meeting as that brings on greater stress for me and I already know not to draft, how to signal to the lifeguard that I am in trouble, and the cutoff times (oh, boy do I know the cutoff times). Home we went to my parents and our first visitor Erin and to pack all of our special needs bags and transition bags.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Woke up after having a very sleep-less night. All I kept thinking about was that I was missing things in my transition bags. Had some breakfast and started packing the car to bring our bikes to the transition area. I went over my transition bags again checking my checklists for the 3rd or 4th times, looking at my pictures to see that I had everything in the bags. We packed up the car and headed up to Lake Placid with Erin and all of our stuff. We rode the course so that Erin could get a view of the hills on the course and appreciate what we were going to be doing on race day. All I kept thinking was “Wow, that was a long car ride, and I have to do that plus more on race day!” We went into our transition area, I found my spot for my bike and racked it, put on my bento box, and aero water bottle then went to put my bags in their area. Because Joe was not given a number until Thursday, his bike was in the first bike rack when you entered the oval and his bags were on a table on the side of the racks for the bags – this is another weird thing about this new race organization – they allowed in 450 more athletes this year without making the proper adjustments/investments to accommodate all of these people. Lake Placid was a mad house at this point, so we walked up Main Street for a couple of minutes then headed back to Keene Valley to wait for some more guests and get ready for the early bedtime. After greeting Alynn and Sam at the camp, eating pasta for dinner, making cytomax carbo-pro cocktails, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, we were headed to bed by 8:45 pm.
Sunday, July 25, 2010 – Race day
Waking up at 4 am is not my favorite thing in the world to do but since I didn’t really sleep last night, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I turned to Joe as soon as the alarm went off and said “In 20 hrs we will be Ironmen all over again and this will all be over!” It was cool and gray outside with a little light rain. We ate breakfast – surprisingly I actually wasn’t nauseous while eating, just excited for the day to be over so that I could sit and relax tomorrow. (Is that what this was supposed to feel like the 2nd time around?) We were out of the house by 4:50 am and headed into Lake Placid. When we got there we were lucky to have other people willing to bring our special needs bags up Mirror Lake Drive for us so that all we needed to do was go to transition, setup our bikes with our fluids, and hit the porta-potties. As I am waiting with Joe, we hear our names being screamed from above the oval from Sam and Erin who had spotted us already. Body marking was next and went off without a hitch even though one of the athletes was yelling at the volunteer who was going to put a smiley face on her left calf and she thought this was appalling. I lost Joe for the first time during this stage and it happened multiple times over the next 30 min when I would run into people I knew and he would keep walking not realizing I had stopped to say good luck to someone. We met with our family and friends in front of the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, put on our wetsuits and waited for Melinda to join us but her wetsuit zipper had come off and people were trying to figure out a solution to this problem. We left Melinda and Christine with a “good luck” and went out in search of the medical tent to hand in my inhaler, then into the water where we waited patiently.
Swim – It hit me as we were standing there that I was really freaked out. I hadn’t really thought of race day jitters because I felt sure of myself before the race but here they were. I wanted to cry, puke, scream – something to help release the anxiety. Then the cannon went off, Joe said goodbye to me. I waited a minute then started swimming. Almost immediately I was passing people just bobbing. Then I was thrust into a chaotic realm of arms and legs flailing with choppy waves hitting me in the face when I was trying to breathe. It was obvious that there were 450 more people in the water this year than last year. I was always running into people who I was faster than and then having to come to a complete stop to find a way around them as every time I tried to make a lateral move someone was there too. I would follow someone who appeared to be on the line and going in a straight line for a while until I would get blocked in and then have to find someone else to follow along but couldn’t see anyone because of the waves. I was swimming dodging the arms and legs until I got a nice swift heel to the right goggle – wow that hurt but I remained calm and kept going. I was getting face-fulls of water every 3rd breathe so I swallowed my fill of lake water along the way. I finished the 1st loop to Mike Riley calling out my name and was excited how easy that felt. The first loop was 46 min (perfect for me) and I figured I would have some room on my second loop but then I looked up and realized how many people were around me and knew that wasn’t going to happen so I just started swimming again. This time around it was just as crowded and violent as the first time around but I came out unscathed in 1 hr 35 min – not exactly what I wanted but it will do. I knew I was slower than last year and I immediately knew I needed to just let it go and move on with my day.
T1- The wetsuit strippers took off my wetsuit for me, I ran through transition and heard my name from Daci (I got really excited since I was her mentor for running this spring and thought it was great that she got to see me doing what I love now) then heard my family yelling for me. Bike shoes on, helmet on, sunscreen on, sunglasses on, food in my bike shirt pouch, and I was out yelling my number “2447, 2447, 2447” like we were told but no one showed up to give me my bike and I had past my rack so I went back, retrieved my bike and then headed out while eating sharkies. As it turns out, I guess most people had to get their own bike this year – not sure why but there didn’t seem like there were enough volunteers. The T1 time was 8 min 50 sec, which was better than last year by 1 min 42 secs.
Bike – My goal after the swim was to take in 1 full bottle of Cytomax/Carbo-pro within the first 30 min of the bike so that I could hydrate and get calories in after the swim. I was going up the 1st hill out of Lake Placid and heard my name – it was Jenn and Andrew yelling for me. I even felt so good at this point that I joked with them about being at mile 60 already since the 60th mile marker was on this hill. I flew down the Keene hills – most people were up on their brakes but since I train on these hills, I know them so well. My max speed for the day was a 46.6 mph!!! I got to the flats in Keene/Jay and knew I was pushing too hard. I kept telling myself to back off but my body was feeling ok and I was afraid of not finishing within the time frame. My IT band was feeling pretty good though. I had a great cadence going because this was part of the strategy to keep the IT band feeling good and I think it helped on the first lap but then came the 2nd lap. I finished the first lap in 4 hrs 10 min which was right around my planned time. The 2nd lap started with a PB&J sandwich and then me feeling extremely sick to my stomach. The hills out of Lake Placid felt easy, I bombed down the hill just like the first time but this time I had a wind at my back!! Then I realized how tired my legs felt and my stomach wasn’t taking nutrition the way it should have. I headed back up trying to do the math and not doing it very well thinking I was not going to make the time cut off only to realize I had an hour more than I thought to do 20 miles. I was doing well getting back into town when my left calf started to hurt and then my left foot plantar fascia started to cramp and I couldn’t put weight on that part of my foot. I started to worry about running now – I had pushed too hard and now had two problems as well as not having taken in enough calories. I chugged my last bottle of cyto to get in some calories. Finished the 2nd bike loop in 4 hrs 24 min which gives me a final bike time of 8 hrs 35 min which is exactly the same as last year – so much for all those extra bike miles and preparation on the course and my PR for the day. But at least I made it back to go out on the run. I always said that I didn’t train for a marathon not to get off the bike.
T2 – Changed shorts, shoes and headed out. Foot felt immediately better once I was off the bike so I felt a little more energized. My T2 time was 5 min 5 sec, which was faster than last year by 13 secs.
Run – “Holy crap I don’t want to run and I think I am going to puke” is my 1st thought once I start to run. My upper right ab is cramping already (it has been a problem for the past 6 weeks). I get all the way down to River Road and walk the 1st aid station to get something caloric in me and immediately wanted to reject it. I kept running thinking I wanted to run all of River Road then walk up the hill then run to the next hill then walk up the hill then get to the turn around. I am monitoring my miles times and know it is too fast but when I am trying to control my pace and think about my body, I want to throw up. So, I just keep plugging along. I see Joe walking on River Road and feel a little settled to know he is ok and still moving since I haven’t seen him since he started the swim. I get back into town to find none of my cheering squad out and think “Oh, Joe must be finishing.” I keep thinking about how awful I feel and what I can tolerate – I am willing to try anything to make this feeling of nausea go away. My plantar fascia is throbbing at this point. I start walking and running more at the half way point. Surprisingly, I ran a 2 hr 20 min ½ marathon feeling like crap (I had run a 2 hr 21 min ½ marathon in Lake Placid back in June so this was amazing). I am feeling so bad that I see this guy standing on the side of the road and damn he looks like Michael Phelps, it can’t be. Now I think I am delusional as well. (He was actually there though – not delusional but I really didn’t feel well) The PowerAde flavor changes from aid station to aid station were making me sick. Chicken broth was almost a disaster. Cola is giving me a little energy boost but initially makes me want to vomit. Every time I try to run I think I am going to puke or poop my pants but the thought of stopping and using a bathroom has me freaked out because I keep thinking I won’t make the midnight cutoff and the medics are looming and I don’t want them to tell me I can’t keep going if I start to puke. I just keep telling myself to keep moving forward and that is what I did. Everything hurt, my feet were moving inside of my shoes for some weird reason and I felt like I was being stabbed every time I stepped on them, I felt so horrible – just keep moving forward. I knew so many people out there though and felt the need to make it look like I was ok – cheering them on, smiling, whatever, all while feeling horrible. The rising moon was so beautiful though that it allows for a moment of bliss before I feel sick again. I smiled when my motivational statement from my husband appeared again “Smile. You are there!” I kept thinking that I just needed to get this thing over with so I would run, feel like I was going to puke, then walk again. I stopped taking anything from aid stations at mile 18 since I think I am going to be sick. I find my dad walking down to get me. We talk about how bad I feel and how I need one more shot at this damn race because obviously I don’t have it down (training, nutrition, racing) and I am really stubborn that I feel like I need to conquer this thing. I start running the 1st part of the out and back to the finish and then have to walk but once I hit that timing mat I start running. I just want to be done!!! The pain is gone in my feet, my stomach is not protesting as much, and I am almost done. I am passing people left and right and then I enter the oval and I smile. I see my husband, my father, and high five with all of the people. It is the most amazing feeling to finish with that many people waiting and cheering for you. I enjoy the moment and see my time and can’t believe it, how did that happen – 16 hrs 9 min a 15 min PR over last year. It was all worth it at that moment!!! 140.6 miles done, again, thank goodness!!
The aftermath – I felt sick for the next 4 days – eating and then feeling really nauseous again. My weight isn’t stabilizing yet and I am having trouble sleeping due to some residual muscle pain. I never want to see PowerAde or Gu Blocks again. I also can’t help feel like this wasn’t the day I had planned for and am slightly disappointed in myself. I wish I had been able to start training heavier miles earlier but last years Ironman left me injured for about 7 months after and I see this as me making excuses for myself – I have to accept this and move forward. I PRed, that should be great but my bike, which I worked so hard on, was exactly the same. I worked really hard on nutrition and still failed at that. I look forward to the next time to make sure I figure this out!! For now, I am resting and recovering and working on being happy with my PR and learning from all the rest. Ironman Lake Placid 2012, here I come!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Breakdown - mental and bicycle
I went for my 2nd ever 112 mile bike ride on Saturday with Melinda (the last one was last July 26th when I became an Ironman). It was a really tough day but I did it. It was sooooo hot out - the air temp was in the high 80's, the headwind was hot and uncomfortable, and it was humid. It was such a hot day and we saw tubers in the river and contemplated taking their tubes and leaving them with our bikes. We also contemplated drinking margaritas since the Cliff Blocks flavor that I saw at the store was Margarita! The first loop was rough. The second loop my calf started to hurt. I knew it was my last long ride so I was taking in fluids like my life depended on it to see what I thought I would need on race day but all I wanted was water and I ran out of water and it was sooo hot out that all of my other fluids were extremely warm and I just wanted off of the bike so I stopped drinking appropriately which wasn't a good idea. The ride took 15 min too long for me and I am expecting that on race day I will be better since I will have water being handed to me on the course, oranges and bananas all the time on the bike, and maybe, just maybe, it will be a little less hot and humid out. Good news, I completed the 112 miles, I rode with my new bike shorts which were fabulous, and I felt like I could go out for a run after! Bad news - my bike seat was definetly shot, my time wasn't what it needs to be, and I need to rehab my calf badly before the race.
Since that ride, I have bought a new bike seat, tried it out on a 45 mile bike ride (was supposed to be 55 mile bike ride), and felt like someone was stabbing me in my sits-bones - on the positive side, during yoga I have trouble finding my sits-bones and now have figured out where they are. I have broken my speedometer/odometer and am waiting for another one. On the same ride where I felt like I was being stabbed by my bike seat, I broke my aero bars (luckily I didn't fall of the bike when I did this). So, this means that 2 weeks and 2 days from Ironman I have a brand new Fizik Vitesse Tri saddle which I am breaking in, have had to reposition my bike to accomodate said bike seat and new (almost exactly the same aero bars), and have no idea how far I am riding because my GPS refuses to keep a signal when leaving from Keene Valley to go for a bike ride. On the positive side, my calf hasn't hurt at all this week during the bike or run - Yippie! The weather on the other hand isn't very nice out. The heat is unbelieveable. We set a record high this week. I don't remember the last time it was like this in the Adirondacks. I go out for a run and get only a few miles before I am completely dripping in sweat and dieing for a drink. On the bike yesterday, at least the bugs couldn't land on me because I was soo sweaty that they were just sliding off (again the positives of the day). On the positive side, we live next to the river so when you are done running or biking, you jump in the cold river and feel fabulous for about an hour before you want to go back in again. AND, because it is so hot outside, the swim has been wonderful - except when you are putting on your wetsuit in the 90 degree heat and sweating like crazy but once you are in, you don't want to get out.
Today, I went for a short, hot run then went to try out the bike seat with Joe in tow in order to put my bike seat in the correct place. In the 20 miles I ended up doing, it was a little sore sometimes and I think it will take some getting used to and breaking in. I hope the breaking in session will not be too long as the other option of going back to the old seat is so terrifying that I can't image doing that. My old seat hurts me so much that I hurt to wear underware and pants/shorts after I am done riding - this is not what I feel like with the new saddle. I feel almost exactly as I did last year at this time - tired, sore, excited, and antsy. My strategy for the next few weeks is to think positively (had a little breakdown this morning in that positive thinking - took it out on my wonderful, supportive husband who bought a new bike seat and moved on with his life easily). I will look for the positives in the taper that I have left and know that I can become and Ironman again. That there is something wonderful and amazing about hearing the words "Kelly Sullivan you are an Ironman!" I am in love with this sport which likes to kick my ass but I will kick back don't you worry!
Since that ride, I have bought a new bike seat, tried it out on a 45 mile bike ride (was supposed to be 55 mile bike ride), and felt like someone was stabbing me in my sits-bones - on the positive side, during yoga I have trouble finding my sits-bones and now have figured out where they are. I have broken my speedometer/odometer and am waiting for another one. On the same ride where I felt like I was being stabbed by my bike seat, I broke my aero bars (luckily I didn't fall of the bike when I did this). So, this means that 2 weeks and 2 days from Ironman I have a brand new Fizik Vitesse Tri saddle which I am breaking in, have had to reposition my bike to accomodate said bike seat and new (almost exactly the same aero bars), and have no idea how far I am riding because my GPS refuses to keep a signal when leaving from Keene Valley to go for a bike ride. On the positive side, my calf hasn't hurt at all this week during the bike or run - Yippie! The weather on the other hand isn't very nice out. The heat is unbelieveable. We set a record high this week. I don't remember the last time it was like this in the Adirondacks. I go out for a run and get only a few miles before I am completely dripping in sweat and dieing for a drink. On the bike yesterday, at least the bugs couldn't land on me because I was soo sweaty that they were just sliding off (again the positives of the day). On the positive side, we live next to the river so when you are done running or biking, you jump in the cold river and feel fabulous for about an hour before you want to go back in again. AND, because it is so hot outside, the swim has been wonderful - except when you are putting on your wetsuit in the 90 degree heat and sweating like crazy but once you are in, you don't want to get out.
Today, I went for a short, hot run then went to try out the bike seat with Joe in tow in order to put my bike seat in the correct place. In the 20 miles I ended up doing, it was a little sore sometimes and I think it will take some getting used to and breaking in. I hope the breaking in session will not be too long as the other option of going back to the old seat is so terrifying that I can't image doing that. My old seat hurts me so much that I hurt to wear underware and pants/shorts after I am done riding - this is not what I feel like with the new saddle. I feel almost exactly as I did last year at this time - tired, sore, excited, and antsy. My strategy for the next few weeks is to think positively (had a little breakdown this morning in that positive thinking - took it out on my wonderful, supportive husband who bought a new bike seat and moved on with his life easily). I will look for the positives in the taper that I have left and know that I can become and Ironman again. That there is something wonderful and amazing about hearing the words "Kelly Sullivan you are an Ironman!" I am in love with this sport which likes to kick my ass but I will kick back don't you worry!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tupper Lake Tinman
Saturday, June 26 - Tupper Lake Tinman
Had to work on Friday then we left for Keene Valley after packing up some of our stuff then to Tupper Lake to get our numbers, take a swim, and basically have all of the things we needed to pack up our things before the race. I was mentally not in a great place before the race. I was concerned with my training, my bike times getting slower instead of faster on the course, my calf pain, my right upper ab strain all contributed to my craziness. Joe has come to the conclusion that I have an anxiety disorder when it comes to racing - after watching Obsessed on TV, I concur. We get to the race site and are about to go swimming but I decide not to go as the lake was completely choppy, my ab hurt, and I didn't want to mentally destroy myself. Joe gets his wetsuit on and realizes he didn't bring his goggles with him to the camp at all. Wetsuit off, we go in search of new goggles. Go home, pack, get some sleep for a 5 am wakeup.
I get up and choke down some breakfast but feel like I am going to puke. The feeling lasts all the way into Tupper Lake and even before we get into the water. I am surrounded by a father of a former student of mine who has done 10 Ironmans, Joe, and our friends Melinda and Christine. We are laughing getting ready for the swim and my anxiety is slightly lessened. The swim starts and I am in a real groove until we pass where the sprint tri leg turns and I can't see the next bouy. Follow the hats in front of me. Then I see three bouys only one is off to the left of the others and I have to stop to make sure I am sighting in the correct direction (I see at least 10 others do the same thing). Yup, I am sighting correctly, but the 2nd bouy has drifted out of alignment so we have to do a V like course on the out to make sure we are within the bouys. It is pretty obvious at this point that Tupper Lake Tinman is not being run by athletes as they would have given up more bouys to sight from and made sure they were in alignment before the start as they would have thought about the swim from a swimmers perspective not a boaters perspective. On the turn I see a guy who is breast stroking pretty quickly so I watch him and figure he is looking straight at where we should be going so there is no need to sight for the rest of the swim. Swim time was 43.01 - fast than last year.
Transition goes well - someone starts to talk to me and I am tuning her out and focusing on me, not trying to be rude but I need to focus while in transition.
Bike does not start well. My knees are aching and I can't get comfy on the bike. My feet are numb, my traps hurt, I am pushing though. I finally get into a groove at the halfway point but realize that I am pushing hard and still have to run a 1/2 marathon. I keep pushing though. Liquids are going in fine but solid foods and gu blocks are not being tolerated - I can't even swallow anything solid except oranges. I finish the bike in 3 hrs 51 min which is 3 min slower than last year.
Transition again goes well. I head for the potty and then out on the run. My legs are protesting and I contemplate just not doing the run but know that I need to do it. Then I get into the zone. I felt like I was doing so well. I just kept running taking in gatorade and water and when available oranges. I walked 2 short but steep hills and 2 aid stations. My stomach is sloshing but my mind is saying drink more, I need more fuel. I keep pushing through. I probably walked about 1/4 of a mile total but that is it. I ran the 13.4 miles (yes, that was 13.4 miles) in 2:26 which is fantastic for me. My finishing time was 5 min faster than last year in a 7:06. Wow!!! That is a moral booster. During the entire run, I could feel my legs being chaffed and when I finished Joe realized that I was bleeding. I cut my legs pretty badly from chaffing. Joe looked at my legs in the med tent and said "You took a chunk of skin off. Oh, wait, there it is on the other leg!" It hurt but I was so happy with my time and my running performance.
Things seem to be lining up appropriately for Ironman. I did my last long run of the training today 17.1 miles in 3 hrs 20 min. It sucked but I did it. I did the same distance before Ironman last year in the same time too. On the run all I could think of is how people think I love every minute of this training and that it is easy to those of us who do it. Not so. It is such hard work both mentally and physically. I just know that feel of the finish line is worth every second of pain and every moment of the craziness.
Had to work on Friday then we left for Keene Valley after packing up some of our stuff then to Tupper Lake to get our numbers, take a swim, and basically have all of the things we needed to pack up our things before the race. I was mentally not in a great place before the race. I was concerned with my training, my bike times getting slower instead of faster on the course, my calf pain, my right upper ab strain all contributed to my craziness. Joe has come to the conclusion that I have an anxiety disorder when it comes to racing - after watching Obsessed on TV, I concur. We get to the race site and are about to go swimming but I decide not to go as the lake was completely choppy, my ab hurt, and I didn't want to mentally destroy myself. Joe gets his wetsuit on and realizes he didn't bring his goggles with him to the camp at all. Wetsuit off, we go in search of new goggles. Go home, pack, get some sleep for a 5 am wakeup.
I get up and choke down some breakfast but feel like I am going to puke. The feeling lasts all the way into Tupper Lake and even before we get into the water. I am surrounded by a father of a former student of mine who has done 10 Ironmans, Joe, and our friends Melinda and Christine. We are laughing getting ready for the swim and my anxiety is slightly lessened. The swim starts and I am in a real groove until we pass where the sprint tri leg turns and I can't see the next bouy. Follow the hats in front of me. Then I see three bouys only one is off to the left of the others and I have to stop to make sure I am sighting in the correct direction (I see at least 10 others do the same thing). Yup, I am sighting correctly, but the 2nd bouy has drifted out of alignment so we have to do a V like course on the out to make sure we are within the bouys. It is pretty obvious at this point that Tupper Lake Tinman is not being run by athletes as they would have given up more bouys to sight from and made sure they were in alignment before the start as they would have thought about the swim from a swimmers perspective not a boaters perspective. On the turn I see a guy who is breast stroking pretty quickly so I watch him and figure he is looking straight at where we should be going so there is no need to sight for the rest of the swim. Swim time was 43.01 - fast than last year.
Transition goes well - someone starts to talk to me and I am tuning her out and focusing on me, not trying to be rude but I need to focus while in transition.
Bike does not start well. My knees are aching and I can't get comfy on the bike. My feet are numb, my traps hurt, I am pushing though. I finally get into a groove at the halfway point but realize that I am pushing hard and still have to run a 1/2 marathon. I keep pushing though. Liquids are going in fine but solid foods and gu blocks are not being tolerated - I can't even swallow anything solid except oranges. I finish the bike in 3 hrs 51 min which is 3 min slower than last year.
Transition again goes well. I head for the potty and then out on the run. My legs are protesting and I contemplate just not doing the run but know that I need to do it. Then I get into the zone. I felt like I was doing so well. I just kept running taking in gatorade and water and when available oranges. I walked 2 short but steep hills and 2 aid stations. My stomach is sloshing but my mind is saying drink more, I need more fuel. I keep pushing through. I probably walked about 1/4 of a mile total but that is it. I ran the 13.4 miles (yes, that was 13.4 miles) in 2:26 which is fantastic for me. My finishing time was 5 min faster than last year in a 7:06. Wow!!! That is a moral booster. During the entire run, I could feel my legs being chaffed and when I finished Joe realized that I was bleeding. I cut my legs pretty badly from chaffing. Joe looked at my legs in the med tent and said "You took a chunk of skin off. Oh, wait, there it is on the other leg!" It hurt but I was so happy with my time and my running performance.
Things seem to be lining up appropriately for Ironman. I did my last long run of the training today 17.1 miles in 3 hrs 20 min. It sucked but I did it. I did the same distance before Ironman last year in the same time too. On the run all I could think of is how people think I love every minute of this training and that it is easy to those of us who do it. Not so. It is such hard work both mentally and physically. I just know that feel of the finish line is worth every second of pain and every moment of the craziness.
Monday, June 21, 2010
How did I do this last year??
I really don't know how I did all of this training, worked, kept my house semi clean, and made us dinner on a nightly basis last year. Come to think of it, I don't think I kept the house clean or made dinner 1/2 as much as I should have last year either. How did I have time to do all of the training last year? The thing is, I exceeded my training time and miles in May of this year as compared to last year and am on my way in June to do the same thing. Last year I was sick every 3 weeks and this year I am not so I am taking that as a sign that I am training smarter than I did last year (boy I hope that is what is going on). I am craving the end of the school year just so I can get some much needed sleep which I hope will improve my recovery time - there is nothing like having a normal breakfast in the morning, going for a workout, eating lunch, taking a nap and then doing another workout, eating dinner, sitting with your legs up reading a book and then going to bed at 10 so you can get up at 8 the next morning - this is the situation where Ironman training becomes easier!
My body is suffering. It is supposed to be now that I have 2 weeks left of hard training before my taper. I am having a calf problem on the bike that is slowing me down in the later miles of the ride. My bike times on the course keep getting slower - I am hoping that the taper will help that. I keep saying that the Lake Placid bike course is inviting me in, chewing me up, then spitting me up and laughing at me saying "No, you are not conquering me today". This weekend on my 100 mile bike I passed a woman who was crying her eyes out as she road and knew exactly how she felt but at least I was able to continue on and not lose it. My swim is still off balance but is going well. My running is getting so much better but not after the bike - my knees actually hurt when I am running after getting off of the bike and running. My body is tired but it should be at this point in training. My dad told me last year that I trained correctly if I felt like I was beaten up right before taper. I am well on my way to that feeling.
Mentally Ironman is kicking my ass. I need a sports psychologist. I am really excited to take next year off from racing as I am exhausted from all of the self doubt that Ironman training allows me to feel. I have my positive mantras that I keep saying to myself "I am MORE than capable", "I am strong", and "I feel no pain". I have to do an open water swim this weekend at Tupper Lake Tinman and have started to visualize the situations which I could be in to help me cope with the terror of flailing arms and legs and I will start with Ironman visualizations after Tupper is over to help mentally prepare myself for what is to come. I can do this! I just need to trust in my training.
Only two weeks of training to go - long run tomorrow, Tupper Lake Tinman this weekend, another 100 mile ride 4th of July weekend, with my last long run that weekend as well, then I taper. Taper is looking really good right now although I keep wondering if 3 weeks is too long to taper (I always question this but last year 2 1/2 weeks wasn't enough time). I am hopeful that my bike times will come back to where they are supposed to be (this will be my downfall on Ironman day if they do not). I am trying to rehab the legs a little as we go over the next 5 weeks and hope for the best. At least I keep getting on the bike or going for a swim or run and not just giving up, which has been really tempting some days. I have to keep remembering that last year at this time I was in a mental state where I thought I couldn't finish Ironman and was scared to death that I wouldn't be able to do it. This year I can feel the finish line and know I can do it, my bike practices just need to show me that it is possible again. I know it will soon. I have faith in my abilities and my training.
May Stats (a little late but still good)
Swim 7.13 miles
Swim time 4 hrs 48 min
Bike 291.67 miles
Bike time 21 hrs 43 min
Run 71.86 miles
Run time 13 hrs 28 min
Total mileage 370.66 miles
Total time 39 hrs 59 min
My body is suffering. It is supposed to be now that I have 2 weeks left of hard training before my taper. I am having a calf problem on the bike that is slowing me down in the later miles of the ride. My bike times on the course keep getting slower - I am hoping that the taper will help that. I keep saying that the Lake Placid bike course is inviting me in, chewing me up, then spitting me up and laughing at me saying "No, you are not conquering me today". This weekend on my 100 mile bike I passed a woman who was crying her eyes out as she road and knew exactly how she felt but at least I was able to continue on and not lose it. My swim is still off balance but is going well. My running is getting so much better but not after the bike - my knees actually hurt when I am running after getting off of the bike and running. My body is tired but it should be at this point in training. My dad told me last year that I trained correctly if I felt like I was beaten up right before taper. I am well on my way to that feeling.
Mentally Ironman is kicking my ass. I need a sports psychologist. I am really excited to take next year off from racing as I am exhausted from all of the self doubt that Ironman training allows me to feel. I have my positive mantras that I keep saying to myself "I am MORE than capable", "I am strong", and "I feel no pain". I have to do an open water swim this weekend at Tupper Lake Tinman and have started to visualize the situations which I could be in to help me cope with the terror of flailing arms and legs and I will start with Ironman visualizations after Tupper is over to help mentally prepare myself for what is to come. I can do this! I just need to trust in my training.
Only two weeks of training to go - long run tomorrow, Tupper Lake Tinman this weekend, another 100 mile ride 4th of July weekend, with my last long run that weekend as well, then I taper. Taper is looking really good right now although I keep wondering if 3 weeks is too long to taper (I always question this but last year 2 1/2 weeks wasn't enough time). I am hopeful that my bike times will come back to where they are supposed to be (this will be my downfall on Ironman day if they do not). I am trying to rehab the legs a little as we go over the next 5 weeks and hope for the best. At least I keep getting on the bike or going for a swim or run and not just giving up, which has been really tempting some days. I have to keep remembering that last year at this time I was in a mental state where I thought I couldn't finish Ironman and was scared to death that I wouldn't be able to do it. This year I can feel the finish line and know I can do it, my bike practices just need to show me that it is possible again. I know it will soon. I have faith in my abilities and my training.
May Stats (a little late but still good)
Swim 7.13 miles
Swim time 4 hrs 48 min
Bike 291.67 miles
Bike time 21 hrs 43 min
Run 71.86 miles
Run time 13 hrs 28 min
Total mileage 370.66 miles
Total time 39 hrs 59 min
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
March stats and April Break
March actually went well. I am still not getting rid of any weight but I am working out more. By the last week of the month, running didn't hurt (so exciting - new shoes seemed to make a huge difference), swimming was actually faster than it has ever been (not sure why), and my bike was still on the trainer throughout March (too cold outside). I realized this month that I can't keep looking back at last year and trying to replicate it or exceed it as I ended up injured and was sick every 3 weeks last year so that isn't worth replicating. I need to go at my bodies level and continue on my journey with the idea of being healthy throughout this journey.
April started out really well as I was on vacation for the first 11 days of the month and had fantastic weather. I was out on my bike which is just awesome. I started as a mentor at Fleet Feet for their No Boundaries program which means I am able to run before, with the new athletes, and then again after with friends. I am enjoying the idea of training with others especially while running and I have found a few people who are training at my pace which is so exciting. The pool has been great too. I have been doing such tough workouts in the pool so that I can be mentally ready for the swim and be faster in the water - I just want to be slightly faster everywhere to make sure I am giving myself more time during the bike and hopefully get back to the oval before 5pm this time around. I do need to get back into yoga. I just have been so excited to be home at a normal time that yoga has taken a back seat.
I have also decided what my goal is for next year. I have decided that the Country Music 1/2 marathon is my destination next April and then I will do one olympic distance triathlon in late summer!! I also thought that after NYC Marathon this year I may just take off a full month of working out just because I have been working so hard for the past year. Hey, you never know what I will end up doing but I want to feel healthy and happy entering the new year and need to plan to make sure that happens. I say that I want to not workout but who are we kidding, I don't ever see myself taking that long off from working out. My joints would just yell at me!!
Only 15 weeks until Ironman!!! I can do this!!! I will be an Ironman again!
Stats for March:
Swim: 4.01 miles
swim time: 2 hrs 45 min
Bike: 171.41 miles
Bike time: 13 hrs 5 min
Run: 40.31 miles
Run time: 7 hrs 27 min
Total miles: 215.73 miles
Total time: 23hrs 17 min (almost a full day!!)
April started out really well as I was on vacation for the first 11 days of the month and had fantastic weather. I was out on my bike which is just awesome. I started as a mentor at Fleet Feet for their No Boundaries program which means I am able to run before, with the new athletes, and then again after with friends. I am enjoying the idea of training with others especially while running and I have found a few people who are training at my pace which is so exciting. The pool has been great too. I have been doing such tough workouts in the pool so that I can be mentally ready for the swim and be faster in the water - I just want to be slightly faster everywhere to make sure I am giving myself more time during the bike and hopefully get back to the oval before 5pm this time around. I do need to get back into yoga. I just have been so excited to be home at a normal time that yoga has taken a back seat.
I have also decided what my goal is for next year. I have decided that the Country Music 1/2 marathon is my destination next April and then I will do one olympic distance triathlon in late summer!! I also thought that after NYC Marathon this year I may just take off a full month of working out just because I have been working so hard for the past year. Hey, you never know what I will end up doing but I want to feel healthy and happy entering the new year and need to plan to make sure that happens. I say that I want to not workout but who are we kidding, I don't ever see myself taking that long off from working out. My joints would just yell at me!!
Only 15 weeks until Ironman!!! I can do this!!! I will be an Ironman again!
Stats for March:
Swim: 4.01 miles
swim time: 2 hrs 45 min
Bike: 171.41 miles
Bike time: 13 hrs 5 min
Run: 40.31 miles
Run time: 7 hrs 27 min
Total miles: 215.73 miles
Total time: 23hrs 17 min (almost a full day!!)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
February Stats
I have finally gotten back in the pool - Yippie!!! I am so happy with that. Not only am I back in the pool but I feel like I am training appropriately for Ironman again. In all but one week this month, I was working hard and getting in workouts that I should be doing. My ability to recover has also improved which was half of my problem before. My bike miles are up, my run is coming along although not quite where it should be. I am thrilled with my athletic progress right now. I am not exactly where I was last month but I am close by (only 7 miles difference between last year and this year). I have faith in my abilities and my determination.
On the other side of this, I am not taking off any weight. I am working out hard, I am watching my food intake, I am drinking a lot of water, but I am not changing at all. This is one thing that scares me - I do not want to be carrying around this much weight on Ironman day - it was hard enough when I was 10lbs lighter. I don't want it to be harder being heavier. I will continue to work on this and hopefully, I will see change.
February 2010 stats:
Swim: 2.09 miles
Swim time: 1hr 25 min
Bike: 172.27miles
Bike time: 14 hrs 1 min
Run: 30.66 miles
Run time: 5 hrs 44 min
Total miles: 205.02 miles
Total time: 23 hrs 10 min
On the other side of this, I am not taking off any weight. I am working out hard, I am watching my food intake, I am drinking a lot of water, but I am not changing at all. This is one thing that scares me - I do not want to be carrying around this much weight on Ironman day - it was hard enough when I was 10lbs lighter. I don't want it to be harder being heavier. I will continue to work on this and hopefully, I will see change.
February 2010 stats:
Swim: 2.09 miles
Swim time: 1hr 25 min
Bike: 172.27miles
Bike time: 14 hrs 1 min
Run: 30.66 miles
Run time: 5 hrs 44 min
Total miles: 205.02 miles
Total time: 23 hrs 10 min
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Ohmmmmmmmmm
I would love to know what I actually look like during yoga. I was laughing at myself tonight and I couldn't even see all that I was doing. I am sure it had to be entertaining as I was scrunching my face up because I couldn't figure out where my body needed to be during the pose but trying so hard to figure it out, I was raising my leg out straight (it was supposed to be straight), my arm was up in the air, and I was balancing on my ear and my other hand next to my head. It had to be interesting looking. I also try so hard not to look at the others so that I can keep my balance but through my peripheral vision I can see others moving and I have to concentrate even harder to make sure I am working appropriately! It is fun and exciting every week!!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Olympic Spirit in Lake Placid
Joe and I spent last night in Lake Placid. It was fantastic. The spirit of the olypics was just amazing. I love being in Lake Placid. It is one of my favorite places to be especially when there is a large athletic event going on. There were people out playing hockey on the ice, they had both the Canadian and American tv stations so you got lots of olympic reports. At the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery they had a new beer named for all of the local athletes in the olympics called Local Gold which was fantastic. It happened that there was a little snow flurry this morning when I went for my run around Mirror Lake too. The snow felt nice and soft under my feet. The crunch of the snow was something I love to hear. Plus, there were so many runners out around the lake - I miss seeing others runners out when I go for a run. Everyone was so friendly and excited about the games. More people than usual were headed to the Mt VanHovenberg Olympic complex and Whiteface Mountain too. The olypmic speed skating oval was busy with people trying out their abilities on the ice. It was a fun place to be during a really exciting time in the world.
On another note, since the olympics have been on, I have loved watching while on my trainer. Watching people race makes me push even harder on the bike which has been hard for me to do otherwise. I do wish we had more snow so that Joe and I could head out on the cross country skis!!! I do miss cross country skiing.
Gotta go and do my second workout of the day!! My bicycle is calling for my attention! Enjoy the olympics everyone, I know I am.
On another note, since the olympics have been on, I have loved watching while on my trainer. Watching people race makes me push even harder on the bike which has been hard for me to do otherwise. I do wish we had more snow so that Joe and I could head out on the cross country skis!!! I do miss cross country skiing.
Gotta go and do my second workout of the day!! My bicycle is calling for my attention! Enjoy the olympics everyone, I know I am.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Post-script to earlier post
I think that half of my training problem is that I have felt lost since I finished Ironman. I haven't really raced so I have been separated from the running community. I haven't felt good enough to train as I would normally train. I think that everyone expects me to be in fantastic shape and I am not right now which makes me less likely to be around other athletes so I feel like this is a vicious cycle. I had a great week this past week and it has made me feel so much better. 46 miles of biking and 11 miles of running with 1 hour of yoga is a step in the right direction. I will figure this out!
Not back in the pool yet.....
Why can't I figure out how to get back in the pool? I don't know. I am actually trying to figure out how I did this before. I fit in 3 bikes, 3 runs, and 3 swims weekly last year. Although I did not lift before and I didn't fit in yoga before so maybe it was a little easier to do but I am working on it. Soon enough I will do this swim thing - I CAN DO IT!!! I just have to plan better and I just don't really care about being home for tv shows anymore so I don't mind just staying at the gym all night. There are a couple of reasons I do not like to go to the pool. The first is that I don't want to be cold when I get out of the pool. The second is that I don't like the times that the pool is available when I can get to the gym since I have been spinning and doing yoga at random times. Third, I just missed being home so I didn't spend as much time at the gym as I should have last month, I would rather go home and do the bike. But, I didn't do enough biking this month either. I am definetly behind. It doesn't help that I am still struggling with achilles and plantar fascia issues so my progress is slowed although that should have lead me to the pool and it didn't. Plus, school has been crazy this month. I have worked more hours in January than I worked any other month this year due to basketball games and induction ceremonies. This will settle down though in February and March. I want to get it all in and will be spending more time at the gym now but I am struggling with the dinner thing since I am at the gym for so many hours and then getting home around 9 and haven't eaten dinner yet - this is not an optimal situation and I am working on fixing that (not sure how yet, but working on it).
One more thing that I feel like I need to vent about before I present the stats! I HATE spinning!!! I keep telling myself that I will grow to like it but I do not. I told my husband that if this was the only workout that I was told I could do to keep myself in shape, I would resign myself to sitting on the couch and watching tv because I truely HATE spinning. I keep going back though!!! I think the reason I hate it is because it is 1 hour of the most intense workouts that you will ever get and I am used to going out and doing 4 hours of a moderate intensity bike ride so I am not used to the extremely intense workouts in a short amount of time. Plus, I don't feel like I am improving which frustrates me. Joe says that it isn't something you can get good at and that isn't ok with me - I want it to get easier as I get better at it and that is not happening. I am a person who needs to see progress and in spinning you don't see progress just sweat and exhaustion. Plus, it is different every week so I don't feel like I can get better at it. It is the best workout you will ever get - I am a sweaty disgusting mess after - but I just don't enjoy it at all. I am doing it though because I am hoping it will get me into better bike shape for when I hit the roads in April. I keep telling myself that everytime I get on the stupid spin bike. It would be funny to listen to my thoughts while I am on the spin bike - it is an R rated show for graphic language since I am swearing the entire time.
I am still up about 7 lbs since Ironman and I am working on losing them. That is a little frustrating and scary because after this Ironman I have to figure out how to not gain the weight and then how to maintain my weight during a non-Ironman training program training year.
Here are the stats for the month. They aren't pretty but I am working hard and February has started well so I am optimistic about February!!!
January Stats:
Bike distance: 81.28 miles
Bike Time: 6 hours 21 min
Run distance: 30.57 miles
Run time: 5 hours 54 min
Elliptial distance and time 2.24 miles in 34 min
4 hrs of yoga
3 weight lifting sessions
Total miles: 114.09 miles
Total workout time (without weight sessions): 16 hrs 49 min
One more thing that I feel like I need to vent about before I present the stats! I HATE spinning!!! I keep telling myself that I will grow to like it but I do not. I told my husband that if this was the only workout that I was told I could do to keep myself in shape, I would resign myself to sitting on the couch and watching tv because I truely HATE spinning. I keep going back though!!! I think the reason I hate it is because it is 1 hour of the most intense workouts that you will ever get and I am used to going out and doing 4 hours of a moderate intensity bike ride so I am not used to the extremely intense workouts in a short amount of time. Plus, I don't feel like I am improving which frustrates me. Joe says that it isn't something you can get good at and that isn't ok with me - I want it to get easier as I get better at it and that is not happening. I am a person who needs to see progress and in spinning you don't see progress just sweat and exhaustion. Plus, it is different every week so I don't feel like I can get better at it. It is the best workout you will ever get - I am a sweaty disgusting mess after - but I just don't enjoy it at all. I am doing it though because I am hoping it will get me into better bike shape for when I hit the roads in April. I keep telling myself that everytime I get on the stupid spin bike. It would be funny to listen to my thoughts while I am on the spin bike - it is an R rated show for graphic language since I am swearing the entire time.
I am still up about 7 lbs since Ironman and I am working on losing them. That is a little frustrating and scary because after this Ironman I have to figure out how to not gain the weight and then how to maintain my weight during a non-Ironman training program training year.
Here are the stats for the month. They aren't pretty but I am working hard and February has started well so I am optimistic about February!!!
January Stats:
Bike distance: 81.28 miles
Bike Time: 6 hours 21 min
Run distance: 30.57 miles
Run time: 5 hours 54 min
Elliptial distance and time 2.24 miles in 34 min
4 hrs of yoga
3 weight lifting sessions
Total miles: 114.09 miles
Total workout time (without weight sessions): 16 hrs 49 min
Sunday, January 3, 2010
December and Year in Review
Age 30 has been fantastic. I PRed in the Tupper Lake Tinman in June, successfully trained for and finished the Lake Placid Ironman in July, and ran the Philadelphia 1/2 marathon in November. Ironman was a life changing experience and so much fun! This year was a blast! I couldn't believe how much my body was capable of! I can't believe how much I did in time and miles. I can't believe how much I love doing this!
In the next year, I am hoping to hit the 3000 mile mark. I want to stay healthy the enitre time that I am training for Ironman and the marathon this year as well. I am also excited about my schedule for the next year - Lake Placid 1/2 marathon, Tour de Cure 100 miler, Tupper Lake Tinman, Lake Placid Ironman, HMRRC 1/2 marathon, and the culminating race of the New York City Marathon! This may be an even bigger year than last year. So, I am excited about what the future holds for me! Ironman training has begun and I have missed it so much. It will be a great year!
Here are my December stats - due to my leg issues during and after the 1/2 marathon in November, my run miles are very low but I feel good right now and feel healthy so I will take this months totals and move on. They are still greater than last years stats!!!
December stats:
Bike miles: 72.93 miles
Bike Time: 6 hrs 16 min
Run miles: 13.08 miles
Run time: 2 hrs 36 min
Other distance (I did the elliptical instead of running this month at times) 5.5 miles
Other time 3 hrs 41 min (includes yoga)
Total miles: 91.51 miles
Total time: 12 hrs 32 min
2009 stats:
414 workouts total!
Swim distance: 68.87 miles
Swim time: 47 hrs 6 min
Bike distance: 2173.25
Bike time: 164 hrs 53 min
Run distance: 563.39 miles
Run time: 107 hrs 2 min
Other distances: 17.51 miles
Other time: 26 hrs 3 min
Total miles: 2823.02 miles
Total time: 345 hrs 4 min (approximately 14.37 days of working out) - Almost half a month of working out! That is just amazing!
In the next year, I am hoping to hit the 3000 mile mark. I want to stay healthy the enitre time that I am training for Ironman and the marathon this year as well. I am also excited about my schedule for the next year - Lake Placid 1/2 marathon, Tour de Cure 100 miler, Tupper Lake Tinman, Lake Placid Ironman, HMRRC 1/2 marathon, and the culminating race of the New York City Marathon! This may be an even bigger year than last year. So, I am excited about what the future holds for me! Ironman training has begun and I have missed it so much. It will be a great year!
Here are my December stats - due to my leg issues during and after the 1/2 marathon in November, my run miles are very low but I feel good right now and feel healthy so I will take this months totals and move on. They are still greater than last years stats!!!
December stats:
Bike miles: 72.93 miles
Bike Time: 6 hrs 16 min
Run miles: 13.08 miles
Run time: 2 hrs 36 min
Other distance (I did the elliptical instead of running this month at times) 5.5 miles
Other time 3 hrs 41 min (includes yoga)
Total miles: 91.51 miles
Total time: 12 hrs 32 min
2009 stats:
414 workouts total!
Swim distance: 68.87 miles
Swim time: 47 hrs 6 min
Bike distance: 2173.25
Bike time: 164 hrs 53 min
Run distance: 563.39 miles
Run time: 107 hrs 2 min
Other distances: 17.51 miles
Other time: 26 hrs 3 min
Total miles: 2823.02 miles
Total time: 345 hrs 4 min (approximately 14.37 days of working out) - Almost half a month of working out! That is just amazing!
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