Here I sit here on Thanksgiving morning before the crack of dawn because I still can't sleep in though I am thankful for the 5 or 6 solid hours that I got.
My body is exhausted though I am thankful that the excruciating pain from Day 2 has come to an end thanks to rest, Dr. Hoy's magic cream, compression gear, hot tubs, slow motion, stretching and massage.
My mind is beginning to want my body to move again, yet I am thankful that the desire to move did not get totally wiped out from my brain. The act of moving will have to wait as I now possess the ability to resist temptation.
My family is coming over despite I have not the energy or strength to cook a turkey, but thankful that others will step in when I can no longer stand on my feet.
I am depleted, but thankful I am not defeated and I will be back on the track with new goals for 2013.
I am thankful that I had a year where I stepped out of my comfortable shell to experience something that not everyone will understand. I am thankful for the feeling that my life is complete.
I am thankful for a sport that is not all about what your body can do or how many people you can beat, but it is about what you can do in life. I am thankful for the men in Hawaii who decided to put together a race with 3 events to see who could endure. I am not sure I would have come up with the idea to "tri" on my own.
I am thankful for the people who have inspired me through their own journeys to overcome hardship, to work hard, to push forward, to pursue, to persist, to share, to stay positive, to run away from negative energy, to jump over the obstacles, to never give up, and to make it to the end.
I am thankful for completing something that I set out to do and for the people that inspired me and supported me along the way. I am thankful for those that accepted that I was too busy or too tired to do the simple things in life like clean my house, help with homework, stay awake to watch a movie together, or spend time with friends. I am thankful for those that did not question WHY and stuck by me no matter what!
Top 20 blessings of triathlon which I am most grateful for.....
1. fit body
2. fit mind
3. lots of friends
4. lots of food
5. events to participate in
6. triathlon gear
7. energy bars
8. compression gear
9. calf sleeves
10. good coaches
11. talented massage therapists
12. teammates
13. my bike, Scottie
14. sherpas
15. sag wagons
16. water to swim in and to drink
17. hills to climb
18. shade
19. volunteers
20. sanity (and insanity)
That is a lot to be thankful for. Enjoy your day!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
TURTLES CAN FLY! I AM AN IRONMAN, now tattoo or no tattoo is the question?
Seven hours ago, I became an Ironman. The day finally arrived after signing up exactly 1 year ago for this challenge of a lifetime when I decided WHY NOT instead of WHY! After 1 year of committing to complete a 2.4 mile swim, 112 bike ride, and a 26.2 run, I earned the sacred title of an IRONMAN. My goal was to make all the cut offs in order to beat the time limit of 17 hours. When I first started training, my abilities would put me close to those marks. I was a strong swimmer, weak on the bike, and running would be questionable with years of chronic back, hip and leg issues. For some reason, I wanted to accomplish what my brothers had already done as when I was actively running marathons, I used to joke that maybe by the time I was 65, I could qualify to go to Kona and be an IRONMAN when less people are active.
To complete this far out goal, I asked for my family's blessing, joined a team, found a bike expert to help find a bike that fit and to teach me how to ride it, and surrounded myself with people with the same goal. My life changed a lot over the past year. I gained a whole new family and I learned a lot about myself. The training results in a strong mind and a strong body and a higher level of fitness. Throughout the day, I felt confident that I could achieve this goal. It almost seemed easy, but it progressively became harder. I was slow and steady though my teammates still argue about the word slow. I was steady. I was strong mentally and that is how I got over the obstacles that appeared on the course.
My brother posted U2s song in the morning, "It's a Beautiful Day"! and that is what the day turned out to be. I woke up around 2:40 am to start my morning rituals and my brother picked me up after 4 am to get me to the start on time. We arrived 2 hours before the race to do final preparation for the day with our bikes and bags. My family came shortly after and staked out a position on the bridge above the swim start. Our team stood in a circle while our coach gave a speech and we ended with a "racelab cheer". Then we hustled to the swim start line where everyone jumped into Tempe Town Lake (all 2500 of my new friends) right after the pro start. By the time I hit the water, pink and green caps filled the lake with boats and kayaks right along our sides for support and a few words to pump us up were shouted out and THE CANNON WENT OFF. It was most certainly a test of survival for the first 40 minutes as you fought for your own space in the water. I questioned again why they start as a mass groups as this is part of the 140.6 tradition. People of all skill levels starting side by side i s just the beginning of this insanity! I kept a cool head and lifted my head and regrouped when I got punched, hit, kicked or pulled on and kept moving forward. Our docile lake turned into a turbulent ocean. The sun was in our eyes. My goal was to swim along the sighting buoy line, but part way through one of the kayak volunteers was yelling to swim right. It was a bit of a challenge to see each yellow buoy on the way out. Once we got under the bridge to swim toward the first red turning buoy, I was able to enjoy the swim. I was thankful the water was chilly in the low 60s to numb my arm that has been sore for the past few months from overuse. I was able to push a little and just enjoy this first part triathlons that make some others so uncomfortable. I reminded myself to take it all in for this part would quickly be over and then we would get on our bikes. The orange buoys were easier to spot, however, they did not appear to make a straight line, but more of a curved path to the last red turning buoy. I am usually a little sad when the swim ends, but I had a big day ahead. I mentally checked off 1 event and was relieved to survive the mass swim and the cold water temperature and come out of the water ahead of what I expected. Getting out on the steps and trying to re-orient to a vertical position is an interesting experience in itself. The crowd makes it even more exciting. You start running on a path filled with hundreds of cheering spectators, stop for the wet suit strippers to pull off your supersuit (wetsuits feel like they do give you super powers, at least I swim much faster with one on), and continue running into the transition area, grab your T1 bag with all your bike gear and head into the changing tent. There were volunteers to help you get into your bike stuff which is a great big help when your hands and feet are numb and your body is shivering. One of my teammates was sitting right next to me and we had another teammate volunteering in the tent helping us. As fast as you can get out of your swim suit, put your bike gear on including warm shirt, bike jersey, bike pants, helmet, gloves, glasses, helmet and bike socks, you then run into the sea of bikes to your bike rack and grab your bike. I had to stop a few times to adjust my shoes with my numb hands and then I grabbed little Scottie my bike and ran to the mount line. It is an exciting time and again the entire transition area is lined with people cheering on their athletes. The first half mile of the course is also filled with spectators, so gives you a boost of energy on the bike. My job was to get my heart rate down and go easy on the first lap. The course was an out and back loop that you had to repeat 3 times. Our team has trained on it many times, but November brings more wind and today was no different. The weather forecast had predicted 2 mph winds, but it felt much stronger to me. The hardest part of the bike course, was the crowded course and having to leave 4 bike lengths between athletes. The course officials were handing out penalties on the first loop. I did not want a 4 card for drafting so every time someone passed you, you had 20 seconds to drop back. Going out to the turn around was tricky to pass others, because you had 20 seconds to get ahead and then stay ahead, so I limited passing to when I knew I could overtake and maintain the pass. There was a lot of drafting and blocking going on due to the narrow course, but if a reference was not present, no penalty was handed out. After each loop, you got to ride through the beginning of the course with all the spectators and refuel on energy with the loud roars. I waived each time I passed the racelab tent. It was hard to know exactly who was there, but I felt the love. For some reason today, my aero position that I have been training in did not feel so comfortable and I rode on the top of my bars a lot instead of aero much of the time. I also needed to stand a lot to relieve the pressure on my bottom and my back. Despite that, I still felt strong and find my space with a few others going back and forth. I was thankful for all the great aide stations on the course and was successful most of the time grabbing water bottles. Again I thought about how this was such a doable event and Ironman no longer seemed so big or out of reach. As I was fatiguing, I told myself I can't wait to finish and go run a marathon. I was actually going to be very happy to get off the bike.
It was another happy moment dismounting the bike and handing it to a volunteer who returned it to the rack as once again I ran through transition grabbed my T2 bag with my running gear went into the changing tent and had 2 volunteers help me get out of my bike gear and put on my calf sleeves, socks, tri shorts and top, race belt,running shoes, hat, and stuff my pockets with food. I ran to the bathroom outside the tent and then was off on the run. I tried to take it easy and remember how many times we had run on Sundays after being tired from a long bike ride on Saturday in training. I knew I could go slow and steady! That is what I do best. And, that is what I did. My goal for the marathon was to run the entire way which was big in itself because my running has been very inconsistent and sometimes non existent over the past 10 years. I had brought the jelly beans I usually take on a long run, salt tablets, and some extra food and used the supplies provided at each aide station beginning with water and Ironman Perform. The jelly beans and Ironman Perform were not agreeing with my stomach and I started taking shots of cola by mile 8 for the remainder of the race. Coke is my new best race drink. It settle my stomach temporarily and gave me a surge after each aide station stop. Every now and then I tried to eat a piece of fruit or a pretzel, but my stomach really was protesting about putting more solids into it. I felt thirsty a lot but had trouble quenching my thirst despite using a lot of salt sticks. I knew the caffeine and water might be cancelling each other out, but I felt it was the only way to control my stomach and it worked. The other things that made the run more fun was that many of my teammates and a few good friends were volunteering at the aide stations so that gave a needed boost. The course was a figure 8 loop where you crossed by the transition area 6 times (It was really more like a 3 leaf clover pattern). This helped break the run up into different parts and I got to pass by my people 6 times along with many other cheering fans. The course was never lonely. By the second loop many people were walking. I was able to sustain a run with my coach's words in my head if you follow your heart rate zone, you will be passing a lot of people during the run! This was not a typical scenario for me on a run because it is my slowest event and I have earned my turtle title here, but an IRONMAN is about endurance and being slow and steady is a definite advantage.
When I rounded the corner for the finish the clock said 12:58 which took me by surprise. I had no idea what time it was because I had to reset my Garmin a few times, so when I saw that I could break 13 hours, I sprinted to the end. I got a quick "Elizabeth Kozura, You are an Ironman" because there were several athletes finishing close together. As I crossed the finish and screamed "YES, I DID IT". One of my teammates was volunteering as a "catcher" and she literally reached out for me, covered me in a blanket and I held on and cried a few tears of joy as she kept me upright while they handed me my IRONMAN finisher hat, shirt and medal, removed my timing chip, got my picture taken and found my family. One of my coaches also came to take over and held me up and escorted me to my family. I went briefly the the medical tent for the nausea and had some chicken broth. Then my family and I found a area with a folding chair and I changed and sipped on clear soda. My husband and son went and retrieved my bike and gear bags while I recovered more and then we went back to the finish line to wait for some of my teammates to finish. It was a sweet celebration with lots of hugs.
Though I moved slow and swiftly for just under 13 hours, once you stop, you lose that ability. That is when the post IM shuffle takes effect. You walk like you just dismounted a horse and you look like a penguin. You need help stepping on and off a curb and you would dare take on steps. Sitting in a chair is not an easy task either. We made it home and I checked all the hub bub on facebook, got a shower, a drink and a few crackers, and worked my way into my compression gear. It was hard to turn off and shut down especially after drinking shots of cola all night! I talked until my husband passed out and then finally closed me eyes. I slept solid for a few hours, but I am sure I will be taking many naps to catch up over the next few days.
This morning is the post race celebration and award ceremony and the stores puts out finisher gear for purchase. Many of my teammates who trained along my side this year are heading down to Tempe this morning to sign up for 2013. I call them the CLASS OF 2013.
So eight hours after finishing my first IRONMAN I do not feel strongly compelled to do another just yet. It was a joyful experience and everything came together well for race day. I am one happy turtle. My biggest question is not what race I will sign up for next, but to get an IRONMAN TATTO like I have promised myself as as symbol of belonging to the club! I guess I will just sleep on it for now.
If you believe in yourself and you do the work even a turtle can do the unexpected. I am living proof that TURTLES CAN FLY!
To complete this far out goal, I asked for my family's blessing, joined a team, found a bike expert to help find a bike that fit and to teach me how to ride it, and surrounded myself with people with the same goal. My life changed a lot over the past year. I gained a whole new family and I learned a lot about myself. The training results in a strong mind and a strong body and a higher level of fitness. Throughout the day, I felt confident that I could achieve this goal. It almost seemed easy, but it progressively became harder. I was slow and steady though my teammates still argue about the word slow. I was steady. I was strong mentally and that is how I got over the obstacles that appeared on the course.
My brother posted U2s song in the morning, "It's a Beautiful Day"! and that is what the day turned out to be. I woke up around 2:40 am to start my morning rituals and my brother picked me up after 4 am to get me to the start on time. We arrived 2 hours before the race to do final preparation for the day with our bikes and bags. My family came shortly after and staked out a position on the bridge above the swim start. Our team stood in a circle while our coach gave a speech and we ended with a "racelab cheer". Then we hustled to the swim start line where everyone jumped into Tempe Town Lake (all 2500 of my new friends) right after the pro start. By the time I hit the water, pink and green caps filled the lake with boats and kayaks right along our sides for support and a few words to pump us up were shouted out and THE CANNON WENT OFF. It was most certainly a test of survival for the first 40 minutes as you fought for your own space in the water. I questioned again why they start as a mass groups as this is part of the 140.6 tradition. People of all skill levels starting side by side i s just the beginning of this insanity! I kept a cool head and lifted my head and regrouped when I got punched, hit, kicked or pulled on and kept moving forward. Our docile lake turned into a turbulent ocean. The sun was in our eyes. My goal was to swim along the sighting buoy line, but part way through one of the kayak volunteers was yelling to swim right. It was a bit of a challenge to see each yellow buoy on the way out. Once we got under the bridge to swim toward the first red turning buoy, I was able to enjoy the swim. I was thankful the water was chilly in the low 60s to numb my arm that has been sore for the past few months from overuse. I was able to push a little and just enjoy this first part triathlons that make some others so uncomfortable. I reminded myself to take it all in for this part would quickly be over and then we would get on our bikes. The orange buoys were easier to spot, however, they did not appear to make a straight line, but more of a curved path to the last red turning buoy. I am usually a little sad when the swim ends, but I had a big day ahead. I mentally checked off 1 event and was relieved to survive the mass swim and the cold water temperature and come out of the water ahead of what I expected. Getting out on the steps and trying to re-orient to a vertical position is an interesting experience in itself. The crowd makes it even more exciting. You start running on a path filled with hundreds of cheering spectators, stop for the wet suit strippers to pull off your supersuit (wetsuits feel like they do give you super powers, at least I swim much faster with one on), and continue running into the transition area, grab your T1 bag with all your bike gear and head into the changing tent. There were volunteers to help you get into your bike stuff which is a great big help when your hands and feet are numb and your body is shivering. One of my teammates was sitting right next to me and we had another teammate volunteering in the tent helping us. As fast as you can get out of your swim suit, put your bike gear on including warm shirt, bike jersey, bike pants, helmet, gloves, glasses, helmet and bike socks, you then run into the sea of bikes to your bike rack and grab your bike. I had to stop a few times to adjust my shoes with my numb hands and then I grabbed little Scottie my bike and ran to the mount line. It is an exciting time and again the entire transition area is lined with people cheering on their athletes. The first half mile of the course is also filled with spectators, so gives you a boost of energy on the bike. My job was to get my heart rate down and go easy on the first lap. The course was an out and back loop that you had to repeat 3 times. Our team has trained on it many times, but November brings more wind and today was no different. The weather forecast had predicted 2 mph winds, but it felt much stronger to me. The hardest part of the bike course, was the crowded course and having to leave 4 bike lengths between athletes. The course officials were handing out penalties on the first loop. I did not want a 4 card for drafting so every time someone passed you, you had 20 seconds to drop back. Going out to the turn around was tricky to pass others, because you had 20 seconds to get ahead and then stay ahead, so I limited passing to when I knew I could overtake and maintain the pass. There was a lot of drafting and blocking going on due to the narrow course, but if a reference was not present, no penalty was handed out. After each loop, you got to ride through the beginning of the course with all the spectators and refuel on energy with the loud roars. I waived each time I passed the racelab tent. It was hard to know exactly who was there, but I felt the love. For some reason today, my aero position that I have been training in did not feel so comfortable and I rode on the top of my bars a lot instead of aero much of the time. I also needed to stand a lot to relieve the pressure on my bottom and my back. Despite that, I still felt strong and find my space with a few others going back and forth. I was thankful for all the great aide stations on the course and was successful most of the time grabbing water bottles. Again I thought about how this was such a doable event and Ironman no longer seemed so big or out of reach. As I was fatiguing, I told myself I can't wait to finish and go run a marathon. I was actually going to be very happy to get off the bike.
It was another happy moment dismounting the bike and handing it to a volunteer who returned it to the rack as once again I ran through transition grabbed my T2 bag with my running gear went into the changing tent and had 2 volunteers help me get out of my bike gear and put on my calf sleeves, socks, tri shorts and top, race belt,running shoes, hat, and stuff my pockets with food. I ran to the bathroom outside the tent and then was off on the run. I tried to take it easy and remember how many times we had run on Sundays after being tired from a long bike ride on Saturday in training. I knew I could go slow and steady! That is what I do best. And, that is what I did. My goal for the marathon was to run the entire way which was big in itself because my running has been very inconsistent and sometimes non existent over the past 10 years. I had brought the jelly beans I usually take on a long run, salt tablets, and some extra food and used the supplies provided at each aide station beginning with water and Ironman Perform. The jelly beans and Ironman Perform were not agreeing with my stomach and I started taking shots of cola by mile 8 for the remainder of the race. Coke is my new best race drink. It settle my stomach temporarily and gave me a surge after each aide station stop. Every now and then I tried to eat a piece of fruit or a pretzel, but my stomach really was protesting about putting more solids into it. I felt thirsty a lot but had trouble quenching my thirst despite using a lot of salt sticks. I knew the caffeine and water might be cancelling each other out, but I felt it was the only way to control my stomach and it worked. The other things that made the run more fun was that many of my teammates and a few good friends were volunteering at the aide stations so that gave a needed boost. The course was a figure 8 loop where you crossed by the transition area 6 times (It was really more like a 3 leaf clover pattern). This helped break the run up into different parts and I got to pass by my people 6 times along with many other cheering fans. The course was never lonely. By the second loop many people were walking. I was able to sustain a run with my coach's words in my head if you follow your heart rate zone, you will be passing a lot of people during the run! This was not a typical scenario for me on a run because it is my slowest event and I have earned my turtle title here, but an IRONMAN is about endurance and being slow and steady is a definite advantage.
When I rounded the corner for the finish the clock said 12:58 which took me by surprise. I had no idea what time it was because I had to reset my Garmin a few times, so when I saw that I could break 13 hours, I sprinted to the end. I got a quick "Elizabeth Kozura, You are an Ironman" because there were several athletes finishing close together. As I crossed the finish and screamed "YES, I DID IT". One of my teammates was volunteering as a "catcher" and she literally reached out for me, covered me in a blanket and I held on and cried a few tears of joy as she kept me upright while they handed me my IRONMAN finisher hat, shirt and medal, removed my timing chip, got my picture taken and found my family. One of my coaches also came to take over and held me up and escorted me to my family. I went briefly the the medical tent for the nausea and had some chicken broth. Then my family and I found a area with a folding chair and I changed and sipped on clear soda. My husband and son went and retrieved my bike and gear bags while I recovered more and then we went back to the finish line to wait for some of my teammates to finish. It was a sweet celebration with lots of hugs.
Though I moved slow and swiftly for just under 13 hours, once you stop, you lose that ability. That is when the post IM shuffle takes effect. You walk like you just dismounted a horse and you look like a penguin. You need help stepping on and off a curb and you would dare take on steps. Sitting in a chair is not an easy task either. We made it home and I checked all the hub bub on facebook, got a shower, a drink and a few crackers, and worked my way into my compression gear. It was hard to turn off and shut down especially after drinking shots of cola all night! I talked until my husband passed out and then finally closed me eyes. I slept solid for a few hours, but I am sure I will be taking many naps to catch up over the next few days.
This morning is the post race celebration and award ceremony and the stores puts out finisher gear for purchase. Many of my teammates who trained along my side this year are heading down to Tempe this morning to sign up for 2013. I call them the CLASS OF 2013.
So eight hours after finishing my first IRONMAN I do not feel strongly compelled to do another just yet. It was a joyful experience and everything came together well for race day. I am one happy turtle. My biggest question is not what race I will sign up for next, but to get an IRONMAN TATTO like I have promised myself as as symbol of belonging to the club! I guess I will just sleep on it for now.
If you believe in yourself and you do the work even a turtle can do the unexpected. I am living proof that TURTLES CAN FLY!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Butterflies, Belief and Dilemmas of an Ironman
So here I sit almost 24 hours away from race time. So many athletes have had BUTTERFLIES in their stomaches all week. I have felt calm, but know that it is probably the calm before the storm. Went to the big Welcome Dinner and Athlete's Meeting Last Night with a sea of 2500 triathletes. Took in inspirational stories of different athletes and last minute instructions about the weekend festivities. For an athlete that enjoys solitude on her swim, bike and run workouts, this is not that type of event. I will soon have 2499 new friends racing by my side for under 17 hours. I will share this journey with them, though will be in motion with my favorite trio once again: "me, myself, and I".....we will never be lonely as the ones we love and the ones that love us will be by our side and along the route. We could not do this without our fans, our cheerleaders or our loved ones.
As I was walking past the finish line on my way back to my car last night, I thought how out of reach this goal used to feel. I no longer feel that IRONMAN is so big, because over the last year of pushing back the wall and the boundaries, you find the BELIEF that anything is possible. And you have to put your faith that your body now knows what to do and that your mind can keep up with your body.
That is now not to say that us athletes don't still face many important dilemmas about what to wear, what to put in our special needs bags, what to eat before, during and after, what time to get to the race, and whether it would be bad luck to purchase your Ironman souvenirs before you complete the race. At least this will give me something to occupy my time until the cannon goes off tomorrow.
A big shout out once again to all the people who made getting to the start possible for this turtle who has earned the name IRONTURTLE. Thanks to my coaches, my family, my friends, my teammates, my blog buddy, my bike fitter/trainer, my massage therapist, my angels, and my body, mind and soul and the hard shell that holds them together. It truly does take a village to raise a triathlete.
As I was walking past the finish line on my way back to my car last night, I thought how out of reach this goal used to feel. I no longer feel that IRONMAN is so big, because over the last year of pushing back the wall and the boundaries, you find the BELIEF that anything is possible. And you have to put your faith that your body now knows what to do and that your mind can keep up with your body.
That is now not to say that us athletes don't still face many important dilemmas about what to wear, what to put in our special needs bags, what to eat before, during and after, what time to get to the race, and whether it would be bad luck to purchase your Ironman souvenirs before you complete the race. At least this will give me something to occupy my time until the cannon goes off tomorrow.
A big shout out once again to all the people who made getting to the start possible for this turtle who has earned the name IRONTURTLE. Thanks to my coaches, my family, my friends, my teammates, my blog buddy, my bike fitter/trainer, my massage therapist, my angels, and my body, mind and soul and the hard shell that holds them together. It truly does take a village to raise a triathlete.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Pre-Ironman Chores
The time has come to put our weary bodies to rest. Yes, I said REST! That is in the physical sense, except there are chores to be done.
We were able to get a swim in at Tempe Town Lake thanks to a 3000 meter Splash and Dash being scheduled. One week before Ironman should give us a good idea of what conditions are going to be for race day, however, a cold front arrived in AZ this weekend. We were spared the predicted rain, so the swim proceeded as scheduled with 67 degree water temps and 56 degree air temps. Everyone was wearing long sleeves except a few brave souls in their speedos and myself and a few others in their sleeveless wetsuits. I wondered if they knew something that I did not know because I always wear my sleeveless in all AZ water temperatures (because that is all I own and I also do not want my shoulder motion restricted by a piece of tight rubber). I knew the water was going to be warmer than the air, so all was good. I had a decent swim despite the water being choppy. It was not my fastest as I am still battling arm pain, but it was fast enough. My coach preferred that we switch our run and bike, so we ran a final loop of the IM course around Tempe Town Lake (8.6 miles). We ran with wind and through lots of dogs as there was an ANIMAL WALK going on in Tempe. I was afraid that I was going to get a chunk of leg removed by a hungry canine, but I survived the furry critters and the windy conditions. We were lucky to have the swim on Saturday because the frost arrived that night and we woke up to temperatures in the upper 30s. My husband accompanied me on today's final long ride (which was not really long) as I declared that I had to go and that the cold was not going to stop me. We have to be prepared for whatever happens on race day, but the good news is that the temperatures are going to warm up again during the week and the predicted conditions on race day are 56 to 80 degrees and sunny. The lake temperature will probably be in the low to mid 60s. Of course, part of the test is being prepared to respond to whatever happens. SO.....the preparation begins to be able to react to conditions and performance at any moment.
CHORE CHART: So for this week, I decided as part of my getting ready that my blog was going to include lists of what I need to do this week. Here we go.
Sunday: Wash bike, lube chain, practice tire changing
Monday: Prepare Gear and Divide into race bags
Swim: wetsuit, goggles, cap, glide, swim suit
Bike: bike, helmet, glasses, gloves, shoes, socks, nutrition, fluid, bottles, bike shirts & shorts
Run: shoes, tri shorts & shirt, socks, camelback, nutrition, number, race belt, hat
Extra: Special Need Bags, Warm clothes, clothes for before and after
Tuesday: 60 min ride, 3 mile run
Wednesday: Rest, Breakfast with my tri-angels
Thursday: 800 yard swim, pick up race packet
Friday: 30 min bike, 3 mile run, Massage, Welcome Dinner and Athlete's Meeting
Saturday: Final bike and gear check, Check Bike and Transition Bags In, Team Lunch
Sunday: IRONMAN
Monday: RECOVER, AWARD CEREMONY AND POST RACE CELEBRATION
Tuesday: Haircut
Wednesday: Post Race Massage
Thursday: Thanksgiving
DAILY PREPARATION: Ice massage to arm, stretching, eat, rest, eat, drink, rest, stretch, sleep, eat, drink, visualize, mental practice, tire changing, how to transition out of a bag...practice, pack, rest, eat sleep, SHOW UP ON RACE DAY and JUST DO IT!
VISUALIZATION: Imagine the perfect Arizona day...not too hot, not too cold, not too windy. On race day, I wake up around 3:15 to go through my morning race day rituals. I arrive at transition at 5 am and check my bike, pump my tires and gather with my team. I donne my wetsuit and my coach says a few words. We stand in line to enter the water among 2500 people. There is a lot of chatter followed by silence. The national anthem begins and my eyes are full of tears because I made it to the start. I take a cleansing breath and focus on the job ahead. There will be a few minutes of excitement while everyone finds their space in the water. I will remain calm and let everyone around me flail until I find my place and I will focus on following the crowd and swimming straight. I love to swim. I will remind myself to enjoy this hour because it will come to a quick end and then a long day will begin. I will enjoy the cold water surrounding my body. It will provide healing and calming to my overused muscles and help me start off my day. I will slowly be passing a lot of people and finding my way to the steps. I will be sad to get out of the water but happy because I need to use this head start to beat the cut offs. I will grab my zipper and pull my arms out of my wetsuit and find the nearest wetsuit stripper. I will enjoy running with my wetsuit over my shoulder hearing the music and the crowd to T1 and call out my number "1010" to receive my transition bag. I will find a spot in the changing tent and fumble to get my bike gear out of my bag. I will call out for help as needed. I am planning on putting on my SKINS long sleeve shirt for warmth and sun protection, my racelab bike jersey and biking shorts, helmet, sunglasses, gloves, socks and shoes. Then I will run toward the bikes and find my SCOTTIE and run him to the mount line. Me and Scottie will take off and I will pass the racelab tent and get my first surge or energy, then I will mellow down into a comfortable heart rate to get warmed up for a few miles until I settle into a rhythm. In all the excitement, I will take a breath and focus on getting into a routine of eating and drinking on the bike to fuel the day and keep my muscles happy and able to keep going through the day and night. On the bike, I will remind myself to look at the scenery, enjoy the people around me (keeping 4 bike lengths between of course) and when times get tough, I will focus on my technique. I will use the CALM strategy that my bicyclologist taught me: cadence, air, leverage, and momentum and pull the rabbit out of my hat when I need a trick to get me through any "rough patches". I will daydream about my family, my friends, my heros who inspire me, my favorite places, the end of the race, hibernating like a bear when it is over, and many other things. I am sure my mind will go blank some of the time as I just BE and just PEDAL. That is the feeling that cannot be beat. When you reach that part of becoming one with your bike. I will wake up out of my trance to count my loops and see who has come out to watch the race and try to remember that they were there. As I head home on my 3rd loop, I will mentally prepare for T2 and the 26.2 mile run ahead. I will hand off my bike, pick up my bag, change into my tri gear and running shoes. Then I will throw my camelback on and personal supplies and head out onto the course. The crowd will distract me from the wobbly legs that are trying to reconnect with the earth. I will break that run into 4th, into 3rds, into halves and I will run from mile to mile, eating, drinking, taking salt, and celebrating one more mile down. Luckily I will pass the racelab tent 6 times during the run and hopefully be able to count that high to remember when to turn toward the finish. The run is going to be step by step, mile by mile, loop by loop and I will have to dig deeper and deeper. The turtle plans to run very slow and very steady and who knows maybe wings will sprout and she will fly into the finish. I will be thankful for the gift of health and the ability to to keep moving. The sound of number 1010 finishing at 10:10 at night is my vision with people cheering and screaming and a big smile and then a b-line to the medical tent for the most delicious cocktail of the day, the IV. If not the IV, I will need my family to put a blanket over me and just let me lie on the ground until I can make it to the next best seat. Maybe I will be able to find the strength to get up for a picture, but I am sure the photographer can lie on the ground next to me and shoot me. Tears will stream down my eyes and into the dirt. BETH KOZURA, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN.
We were able to get a swim in at Tempe Town Lake thanks to a 3000 meter Splash and Dash being scheduled. One week before Ironman should give us a good idea of what conditions are going to be for race day, however, a cold front arrived in AZ this weekend. We were spared the predicted rain, so the swim proceeded as scheduled with 67 degree water temps and 56 degree air temps. Everyone was wearing long sleeves except a few brave souls in their speedos and myself and a few others in their sleeveless wetsuits. I wondered if they knew something that I did not know because I always wear my sleeveless in all AZ water temperatures (because that is all I own and I also do not want my shoulder motion restricted by a piece of tight rubber). I knew the water was going to be warmer than the air, so all was good. I had a decent swim despite the water being choppy. It was not my fastest as I am still battling arm pain, but it was fast enough. My coach preferred that we switch our run and bike, so we ran a final loop of the IM course around Tempe Town Lake (8.6 miles). We ran with wind and through lots of dogs as there was an ANIMAL WALK going on in Tempe. I was afraid that I was going to get a chunk of leg removed by a hungry canine, but I survived the furry critters and the windy conditions. We were lucky to have the swim on Saturday because the frost arrived that night and we woke up to temperatures in the upper 30s. My husband accompanied me on today's final long ride (which was not really long) as I declared that I had to go and that the cold was not going to stop me. We have to be prepared for whatever happens on race day, but the good news is that the temperatures are going to warm up again during the week and the predicted conditions on race day are 56 to 80 degrees and sunny. The lake temperature will probably be in the low to mid 60s. Of course, part of the test is being prepared to respond to whatever happens. SO.....the preparation begins to be able to react to conditions and performance at any moment.
CHORE CHART: So for this week, I decided as part of my getting ready that my blog was going to include lists of what I need to do this week. Here we go.
Sunday: Wash bike, lube chain, practice tire changing
Monday: Prepare Gear and Divide into race bags
Swim: wetsuit, goggles, cap, glide, swim suit
Bike: bike, helmet, glasses, gloves, shoes, socks, nutrition, fluid, bottles, bike shirts & shorts
Run: shoes, tri shorts & shirt, socks, camelback, nutrition, number, race belt, hat
Extra: Special Need Bags, Warm clothes, clothes for before and after
Tuesday: 60 min ride, 3 mile run
Wednesday: Rest, Breakfast with my tri-angels
Thursday: 800 yard swim, pick up race packet
Friday: 30 min bike, 3 mile run, Massage, Welcome Dinner and Athlete's Meeting
Saturday: Final bike and gear check, Check Bike and Transition Bags In, Team Lunch
Sunday: IRONMAN
Monday: RECOVER, AWARD CEREMONY AND POST RACE CELEBRATION
Tuesday: Haircut
Wednesday: Post Race Massage
Thursday: Thanksgiving
DAILY PREPARATION: Ice massage to arm, stretching, eat, rest, eat, drink, rest, stretch, sleep, eat, drink, visualize, mental practice, tire changing, how to transition out of a bag...practice, pack, rest, eat sleep, SHOW UP ON RACE DAY and JUST DO IT!
VISUALIZATION: Imagine the perfect Arizona day...not too hot, not too cold, not too windy. On race day, I wake up around 3:15 to go through my morning race day rituals. I arrive at transition at 5 am and check my bike, pump my tires and gather with my team. I donne my wetsuit and my coach says a few words. We stand in line to enter the water among 2500 people. There is a lot of chatter followed by silence. The national anthem begins and my eyes are full of tears because I made it to the start. I take a cleansing breath and focus on the job ahead. There will be a few minutes of excitement while everyone finds their space in the water. I will remain calm and let everyone around me flail until I find my place and I will focus on following the crowd and swimming straight. I love to swim. I will remind myself to enjoy this hour because it will come to a quick end and then a long day will begin. I will enjoy the cold water surrounding my body. It will provide healing and calming to my overused muscles and help me start off my day. I will slowly be passing a lot of people and finding my way to the steps. I will be sad to get out of the water but happy because I need to use this head start to beat the cut offs. I will grab my zipper and pull my arms out of my wetsuit and find the nearest wetsuit stripper. I will enjoy running with my wetsuit over my shoulder hearing the music and the crowd to T1 and call out my number "1010" to receive my transition bag. I will find a spot in the changing tent and fumble to get my bike gear out of my bag. I will call out for help as needed. I am planning on putting on my SKINS long sleeve shirt for warmth and sun protection, my racelab bike jersey and biking shorts, helmet, sunglasses, gloves, socks and shoes. Then I will run toward the bikes and find my SCOTTIE and run him to the mount line. Me and Scottie will take off and I will pass the racelab tent and get my first surge or energy, then I will mellow down into a comfortable heart rate to get warmed up for a few miles until I settle into a rhythm. In all the excitement, I will take a breath and focus on getting into a routine of eating and drinking on the bike to fuel the day and keep my muscles happy and able to keep going through the day and night. On the bike, I will remind myself to look at the scenery, enjoy the people around me (keeping 4 bike lengths between of course) and when times get tough, I will focus on my technique. I will use the CALM strategy that my bicyclologist taught me: cadence, air, leverage, and momentum and pull the rabbit out of my hat when I need a trick to get me through any "rough patches". I will daydream about my family, my friends, my heros who inspire me, my favorite places, the end of the race, hibernating like a bear when it is over, and many other things. I am sure my mind will go blank some of the time as I just BE and just PEDAL. That is the feeling that cannot be beat. When you reach that part of becoming one with your bike. I will wake up out of my trance to count my loops and see who has come out to watch the race and try to remember that they were there. As I head home on my 3rd loop, I will mentally prepare for T2 and the 26.2 mile run ahead. I will hand off my bike, pick up my bag, change into my tri gear and running shoes. Then I will throw my camelback on and personal supplies and head out onto the course. The crowd will distract me from the wobbly legs that are trying to reconnect with the earth. I will break that run into 4th, into 3rds, into halves and I will run from mile to mile, eating, drinking, taking salt, and celebrating one more mile down. Luckily I will pass the racelab tent 6 times during the run and hopefully be able to count that high to remember when to turn toward the finish. The run is going to be step by step, mile by mile, loop by loop and I will have to dig deeper and deeper. The turtle plans to run very slow and very steady and who knows maybe wings will sprout and she will fly into the finish. I will be thankful for the gift of health and the ability to to keep moving. The sound of number 1010 finishing at 10:10 at night is my vision with people cheering and screaming and a big smile and then a b-line to the medical tent for the most delicious cocktail of the day, the IV. If not the IV, I will need my family to put a blanket over me and just let me lie on the ground until I can make it to the next best seat. Maybe I will be able to find the strength to get up for a picture, but I am sure the photographer can lie on the ground next to me and shoot me. Tears will stream down my eyes and into the dirt. BETH KOZURA, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
The VOW
Today on my 10 mile run, I made a vow to myself that "I will do triathlons until the day I die". When I got home and shared the news with my family, they shook their heads and said, "I KNEW IT!". They made the assumption that I would be addicted to Ironman back when I signed up just less than I year ago and I reassured them that in my vow, there was no mention of the word Ironman. They shook their heads again. My son predicted that I would do 3 more Ironman races and we daydreamed together about places that would be on my list like IM Canada in Whistler or IM Lake Tahoe. It is hard to think beyond an Ironman, but I did take the leap and sign up for the Vineman 70.3 in July of 2013 this week because the you have to sign up within a few minutes of registration opening up for many of the Ironman Events and Vineman is a popular half IM event in Sonoma County. I decided this would be a nice first CA race which will soon be my home state and a chance to have a reunion with my Arizona teammates who love doing this race.
Besides making this declaration to myself, It is truly hard to commit to any races in the near future and to imagine what your body and mind are going to feel like after completing Ironman. So first things first as we are getting down to the wire with 2 weeks left until the big day. This weekend we had a 4 hour bike and 4 mile run brick workout on Saturday and a 10 mile run and 4000 meter Open Water Swim on Sunday. Everything went smoothly, but the body is tired and sore and ready for a smooth decent to the starting line!
Preparation is in order. I got my bike tuned up this week and we had a meeting to learn more about what to expect and how to prepare for the big day. Our coach talked a lot about visualizing the race from beginning to end. We discussed check in, the welcome dinner and athlete's meeting, dropping off bike and transition bags, all the parts of the race from the swim, T1, bike, T2, run and the finish. So this morning on my run, I packed all my bags and decided what I would wear for each discipline and I went through the race in my head.
Now the waiting game begins. The days are going to move fast, yet slow and once again as I am in the present, soon I will be sitting here writing my blog about my race day. I think about how I will want to make the moments last when I am feeling high and though some people are out there racing against other athletes, the clock or themselves, that I just want to enjoy the gift of movement and celebrate it all day long by swimming, biking and running. I want to celebrate the ability that I have to overcome challenges that come my way and to have the mind that will allow me to adapt to the circumstances that present themselves during that day. It might be wind, rain, cold, stomach aches, pain, raw skin, a flat tire, etc. The thing I can imagine most is the Turtle going strong and steady and eventually budding wings that will carry her to the end. What the end will mean for me after the many hours out there will evolve throughout the day. I picture how I will need to lie down right away with my medal close to my heart.
I will appreciate friends and family that come out to the race to support myself or their loved ones or just out of curiosity and wonderment about why triathletes tri or what goals they might find to challenge themselves. I will carry with me loved ones that have gone through struggles or angels that fly down to give me a lift. It is going to be grande. I might not be able to show my appreciation until I am fully recovered, but I know it is going to be spectacular to feel the energy around me. Yes, I am visualizing, but soon I am going to be in the middle of it all. I hope the real story is as great because once you make a vow there is no turning back.
Besides making this declaration to myself, It is truly hard to commit to any races in the near future and to imagine what your body and mind are going to feel like after completing Ironman. So first things first as we are getting down to the wire with 2 weeks left until the big day. This weekend we had a 4 hour bike and 4 mile run brick workout on Saturday and a 10 mile run and 4000 meter Open Water Swim on Sunday. Everything went smoothly, but the body is tired and sore and ready for a smooth decent to the starting line!
Preparation is in order. I got my bike tuned up this week and we had a meeting to learn more about what to expect and how to prepare for the big day. Our coach talked a lot about visualizing the race from beginning to end. We discussed check in, the welcome dinner and athlete's meeting, dropping off bike and transition bags, all the parts of the race from the swim, T1, bike, T2, run and the finish. So this morning on my run, I packed all my bags and decided what I would wear for each discipline and I went through the race in my head.
Now the waiting game begins. The days are going to move fast, yet slow and once again as I am in the present, soon I will be sitting here writing my blog about my race day. I think about how I will want to make the moments last when I am feeling high and though some people are out there racing against other athletes, the clock or themselves, that I just want to enjoy the gift of movement and celebrate it all day long by swimming, biking and running. I want to celebrate the ability that I have to overcome challenges that come my way and to have the mind that will allow me to adapt to the circumstances that present themselves during that day. It might be wind, rain, cold, stomach aches, pain, raw skin, a flat tire, etc. The thing I can imagine most is the Turtle going strong and steady and eventually budding wings that will carry her to the end. What the end will mean for me after the many hours out there will evolve throughout the day. I picture how I will need to lie down right away with my medal close to my heart.
I will appreciate friends and family that come out to the race to support myself or their loved ones or just out of curiosity and wonderment about why triathletes tri or what goals they might find to challenge themselves. I will carry with me loved ones that have gone through struggles or angels that fly down to give me a lift. It is going to be grande. I might not be able to show my appreciation until I am fully recovered, but I know it is going to be spectacular to feel the energy around me. Yes, I am visualizing, but soon I am going to be in the middle of it all. I hope the real story is as great because once you make a vow there is no turning back.
Monday, October 29, 2012
FUN AND GAMES: THE TAPER!
TAPER
Definition of TAPER
intransitive verb
1
: to become progressively smaller toward one end
2
: to diminish gradually
Synonyms: abate, decline, de-escalate, die (away or down or out), diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down) also rachet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, decrease, taper off, wane
After finishing a 6 hour brick on Saturday (5 hr bike ride and 6 mile run) and a 16 mile run on Sunday, the Taper officially begins. Our bodies are craving rest and recovery. I set a record of sleeping in until 6 am on my day off. Sleep has not been easy to come by with a brain and body amped up on continuous motion. It is hard to jump off the roller coaster to allow the body time to replenish its energy.
The taper could not have arrived at a better time after the last 16 mile run became a job, another task to complete without the joy of running. It was just part of the job preparing for the ultimate performance and another workout to check off. When training starts to lack fun, it is time to recoup and let your mind and body go somewhere else.
Yesterday, we had the perfect place for that to happen. I hosted a bridal shower for one of our IMITs who is tying the knot after Ironman. Who trains for an IM 2 weeks before their wedding any way? My friend who I call THE ROOKIE, does! And it was a perfect excuse to have a party to celebrate our accomplishments and the upcoming big events. So we gathered with good friends and food and a few fun bridal shower games. We served Ironman Perform Punch and had an Aide station/Energy Lab with lots of IM Snacks for starters and everyone brought a dish to share! We played PIN THE DOT on the I (IM LOGO), the MEMORY GAME with race necessities, and NAME THAT GU where you had to taste different gels and guess the flavor. We ran out of time for the tire changing and transition relays! My husband and son even carved out an IM pumpkin! It was fun just hanging out with the friends that have supported each other for the past year through all the ups and downs.
In the middle of the party, I became an aunt again after the birth of my husband's brother and wife's first child. They had been through their own Ironman for the past 3 days and finally made it to the finish with a beautiful little boy as their finisher medal!
REST AND RECOVERY ARE KEY TO A HEALTHY TRIATHLETE AT THE START LINE and DON'T FORGET THAT FUN AND GAMES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART of the PRESCRIPTION!
While we were having a great time at the party, a group of Halloween Bandits struck our cars, decorating them with obscenities on our windshields, eggs and as my son put it "an assortment of foods". It will take a lot more than that to bring us IMIT down! Besides, all is good now because we reached the TAPER!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
TAKE TWO: SOMA
Today I completed my second HALF IRONMAN called SOMA at Tempe Town Lake. I finished in 6:23:24 about 10 minutes faster than Deuces Wild in Septmeber. It was our big dress rehearsal for Ironman.
We started the day in the mid 60s and ended it in the mid 80s. The swim was barely wetsuit legal, but it made for happy triathletes. This gave us an opportunity to practice swimming in Tempe Town Lake and improve my time. I have been moving to the left in swim practice into slower lanes, but put a wetsuit on in cooler water, watch out! I enjoyed the swim, but there was a little bit of wind and felt a little tired on the return leg, but improved my time slightly a little bit from the Deuce Swim which we thought was a little long. I felt comfortable in the water and only the first 30 seconds were a battle for finding your space in the water and then it was time to slowly pass swimmers and see how many different color caps you could pass. The old ladies (my group of 45 plus) got the best flag caps. I passed purple, silver and pink caps along the way.
In transition I started in reverse of what I usually do and I put my helmet and gloves on first, wiped my feet off a little bit because the grass inside of my socks drives me crazy, and then shoes and finally bike. It made for a little faster transition than I typically do and I was at the opposite end of the BIKE OUT exit.
My heart rate was a bit elevated from the swim and running during the transitions, so I spent the first part of the ride trying to get my HR to come down and then keeping it there. Every time I passed riders, it spiked up and then I settled back to a more reasonable number. It was hard to stay steady because there were many sharp U-turns on the course and even a few hills. The water stations were placed in odd locations. The first one was in the center, so you had to grab the bottle with your left hand. That was a bit tricky because then I had to lean on my arm rests from my aero bars and switch hands so I could handle the bottle. I tried to remove my cap to my personal water bottle, dump the water in, and replace the cap, but I dropped the cap. The next water stop was placed immediately after the sharpest U-turn, but it was on the right side, so it was easier to manage. I just squeezed as much water out of the bottle and threw it away. I became more comfortable with the turns as the ride progressed and I just focused on technique, energy management and the 4 areas that Jeff taught me in our last session (CALM: cadence, air, leverage, and momentum). There were a lot of officials on the course checking for drafting and blocking. I enjoyed passing a lot of people on the ride and finishing strong. I was not sure how my body was going to react when I got off the bike. Once again, I had to run my bike to the opposite end of transition to get to my spot. I took my time changing into my running shoes and getting my nutrition and camelback ready.
I started off slowly and had to battle with myself to get from one aide station to the next where I feasted on water, gatorade, ice, and pretzels. Ofcourse I carried my magic jelly beans and salt sticks. I was fighting off nausea and cramping again in a milder form with temperatures in the 80s rather than 90s. The volunteers at the aide stations were amazing. How to run 13 miles when you are very very tired and your body is dreaming of sleep? You tell yourself that you are supposed to be an Ironman in 4 weeks and you have to be able to run or you will have the added stress of making cut offs! You count, forward, backwards, add numbers, subtract, pretend you just woke up and are going for a 13 mile run, a 10 mile run, a 6 mile run, a 4 mile workout, or just a 2 mile cool down. You know if you can make it one more mile, you can get a cup of ice to pour down your shirt to help you cool down. You chant people's names that you are thinking about who have faced hardships and you do it cause they have endured discomfort or just to honor them. You try to stay in the moment and tell yourself how great you feel when you just let your mind wander on a run. Whatever you need to tell yourself, you say to get to the finish line. 13 miles of SELF TALK and working through the ROUGH PATCHES.
I was satisfied with my swim and bike today. I wish I could improve my run, but at this point, I am happy to be able to find a way to stay running and realize the challenge of running on a tired body after completing a swim and run. I made it to the finish pushing through the discomforts of the day so happy to be done. A wave of emotion hit me at the end for enduring the discomfort and for improving my time. I felt better at Deuces, but I performed a little better at SOMA, though the Deuces course was a little bit long. My biggest improvement seems to be happening on the bike.
It was happy day for me and many of my teammates who finished strong. So proud of everyone who had the courage to start and for those who had a successful race and made it to the finish. Even the best athletes don't cross the finish every time, but being a triathlete is about never giving up and learning from each race.
The best part about our team is the spirit, support and comradery. We even won an award today for best team QUANTITY over QUALITY for having the best racer turnout and spirit! It really helps to have our families and friends present and even strangers cheer you on. I can't really get used to people telling me that I, the TURTLE, am an inspiration to them. That is pretty cool if you can have some positive effect on someone else just for your efforts and accomplishments. We all get our strength from somewhere and if you can't find it, then just DIG DEEP, it is inside of ALL of US!
I am so happy that Ironman is almost here, but I am also happy that there are 4 more weeks cause I am really really tired at the moment! Now to just relax in my compression armor and hopefully get some extra sleep tonight!
Preview: TAKE THREE: AZ IRONMAN on November 18th. It will be TWICE as FAR as today's race. I will just sleep on that thought for now!
We started the day in the mid 60s and ended it in the mid 80s. The swim was barely wetsuit legal, but it made for happy triathletes. This gave us an opportunity to practice swimming in Tempe Town Lake and improve my time. I have been moving to the left in swim practice into slower lanes, but put a wetsuit on in cooler water, watch out! I enjoyed the swim, but there was a little bit of wind and felt a little tired on the return leg, but improved my time slightly a little bit from the Deuce Swim which we thought was a little long. I felt comfortable in the water and only the first 30 seconds were a battle for finding your space in the water and then it was time to slowly pass swimmers and see how many different color caps you could pass. The old ladies (my group of 45 plus) got the best flag caps. I passed purple, silver and pink caps along the way.
In transition I started in reverse of what I usually do and I put my helmet and gloves on first, wiped my feet off a little bit because the grass inside of my socks drives me crazy, and then shoes and finally bike. It made for a little faster transition than I typically do and I was at the opposite end of the BIKE OUT exit.
My heart rate was a bit elevated from the swim and running during the transitions, so I spent the first part of the ride trying to get my HR to come down and then keeping it there. Every time I passed riders, it spiked up and then I settled back to a more reasonable number. It was hard to stay steady because there were many sharp U-turns on the course and even a few hills. The water stations were placed in odd locations. The first one was in the center, so you had to grab the bottle with your left hand. That was a bit tricky because then I had to lean on my arm rests from my aero bars and switch hands so I could handle the bottle. I tried to remove my cap to my personal water bottle, dump the water in, and replace the cap, but I dropped the cap. The next water stop was placed immediately after the sharpest U-turn, but it was on the right side, so it was easier to manage. I just squeezed as much water out of the bottle and threw it away. I became more comfortable with the turns as the ride progressed and I just focused on technique, energy management and the 4 areas that Jeff taught me in our last session (CALM: cadence, air, leverage, and momentum). There were a lot of officials on the course checking for drafting and blocking. I enjoyed passing a lot of people on the ride and finishing strong. I was not sure how my body was going to react when I got off the bike. Once again, I had to run my bike to the opposite end of transition to get to my spot. I took my time changing into my running shoes and getting my nutrition and camelback ready.
I started off slowly and had to battle with myself to get from one aide station to the next where I feasted on water, gatorade, ice, and pretzels. Ofcourse I carried my magic jelly beans and salt sticks. I was fighting off nausea and cramping again in a milder form with temperatures in the 80s rather than 90s. The volunteers at the aide stations were amazing. How to run 13 miles when you are very very tired and your body is dreaming of sleep? You tell yourself that you are supposed to be an Ironman in 4 weeks and you have to be able to run or you will have the added stress of making cut offs! You count, forward, backwards, add numbers, subtract, pretend you just woke up and are going for a 13 mile run, a 10 mile run, a 6 mile run, a 4 mile workout, or just a 2 mile cool down. You know if you can make it one more mile, you can get a cup of ice to pour down your shirt to help you cool down. You chant people's names that you are thinking about who have faced hardships and you do it cause they have endured discomfort or just to honor them. You try to stay in the moment and tell yourself how great you feel when you just let your mind wander on a run. Whatever you need to tell yourself, you say to get to the finish line. 13 miles of SELF TALK and working through the ROUGH PATCHES.
I was satisfied with my swim and bike today. I wish I could improve my run, but at this point, I am happy to be able to find a way to stay running and realize the challenge of running on a tired body after completing a swim and run. I made it to the finish pushing through the discomforts of the day so happy to be done. A wave of emotion hit me at the end for enduring the discomfort and for improving my time. I felt better at Deuces, but I performed a little better at SOMA, though the Deuces course was a little bit long. My biggest improvement seems to be happening on the bike.
It was happy day for me and many of my teammates who finished strong. So proud of everyone who had the courage to start and for those who had a successful race and made it to the finish. Even the best athletes don't cross the finish every time, but being a triathlete is about never giving up and learning from each race.
The best part about our team is the spirit, support and comradery. We even won an award today for best team QUANTITY over QUALITY for having the best racer turnout and spirit! It really helps to have our families and friends present and even strangers cheer you on. I can't really get used to people telling me that I, the TURTLE, am an inspiration to them. That is pretty cool if you can have some positive effect on someone else just for your efforts and accomplishments. We all get our strength from somewhere and if you can't find it, then just DIG DEEP, it is inside of ALL of US!
I am so happy that Ironman is almost here, but I am also happy that there are 4 more weeks cause I am really really tired at the moment! Now to just relax in my compression armor and hopefully get some extra sleep tonight!
Preview: TAKE THREE: AZ IRONMAN on November 18th. It will be TWICE as FAR as today's race. I will just sleep on that thought for now!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Seven Hour Bike Ride
In my last post, I wrote about the remedy for IRONMAN OVERTRAINING SYNDROME or IMOTS being 7 HOUR BIKE RIDE (instead of the 5 HOUR ENERGY SHOT) and that is the theme for this weekend.
The big day finally arrived for the Longest Bike Ride on the IM training schedule. It was scheduled on the same day of the World IM Championships in Kona, HI where one of our team mates was competing. Our coach scheduled a 7 hour bike ride followed by a KONA IM celebration to watch the world championships at her home.
We met before the sun came up, threw our bags stocked with extra clothes, food, and water into the sag wagon, and gathered for quick instruction. We were faced with something that has been missing all summer, COOL AIR. We had to decide if we needed extra layers because the coolness was probably only temporary. I opted for long sleeve under my jersey for warmth and sun protection.
I realized I forget my bike socks so I asked my coach if she could loan me a pair and she handed me a pair of IM socks. I was hesitant about taking them from her because legend has it that it is bad luck to own any IM logo gear until you are crowned an IM. I am hoping that is not true if you are just borrowing the item.
As soon as the sun started rising, we were off. There is usually a lot of chatter and catching up that goes on at the beginning of a ride. I have gotten into the habit of taking a slow start to get warmed up and not trying to keep up with everyone who sprints out of the chute. I like to start slow and pick up speed as the muscles get warm. 9 miles into the bike ride, we were faced with a 3 mile hill. When we reached the top, many teammates pulled off at a gas station to use the facilities. I was just getting warmed up and decided I did not want to stop and the rest of the group would catch back up and pass me up anyway.
I raced down 9 mile hill on my own. It seemed like it took a long time and I know I was going to be faced with going back up this long steady steep hill in a short while. At the bottom of this hills lies a small town named Rio Verde. My favorite part was just around the corner, 8 miles of roller coaster hills adjacent to the McDowell Mountains with spectacular panoramic views. This leads into the hilly community called Fountain Hills which has a fountain in the center of its rolling and steep hills. We were given another challenging route to climb out of the town with one very steep climb and my mind wondered why we were being subjected to this extra treat when 9 mile hill would be waiting for us on the trek back. When I got to the main road called Shea Boulevard, many of my team mates had taken an easier route and ended up in front of me. I think that was an evil trick after I followed the coach's directions, but I was happy to see my teammates. Eventually I caught up and passed a few riders as we road up the Beeline (north of where the Ironman course is located and a more scenic portion of the road) to Bush Highway. It was a bit windy and at times, I felt like I was riding through chocolate pudding and just pedaling in place, but I am always trying to simulate possible race conditions to help put my mind at ease and remain calm.
We reached the turn around and it was all down hill....well that was until we returned to 9 mile hill and it is exactly that a very long long long long, well you get the picture, long hill! I actually felt pretty good. The weather was cooler and my stomach was happy. The time was going by quickly because of having my teammates around me, the sag wagon, and trying to eat and drink 200 plus calories an hour. My picnic for the day consisted of 1/2 Bonk Bar (the official IM bar), a pack of mini fig newtons, 1 PB&J lunchable, 1 pack of GU Chomps, 1/2 Bonk Bar, 3/4 banana, and potluck of leftovers along with 1/2 bottle Ironman Perform and 1/2 bottle water and 1 salt stick every hour.
At the top of 9 mile hill which I conquered on my own slow and steady, I refueled and then had 1 1/2 hours left to get 7 hours in. Anything was easy after that so I rode until the clock struck 7 hours of moving time. Everyone went their own way to get the extra miles in as the route was 100 mile long. I ended up completed 116 miles in 7 hours. The actual time on my clock was 7:10 and I hit the IM distance 112 around 6:45 which helps me with my overall goal of finishing the Ironman.
This ride was different than the rest. I felt decent. I started off slow and I worked on the things I had learned in my last session with Jeff on cadence and shifting. The weather was perfect and I did not suffer from nausea or cramping. I even felt like I could have run after the ride (at least part of a marathon).
LONGEST BIKE RIDE COMPLETE: CHECK. Is it time to TAPER.....NOT YET! But the longest ride is now behind us and the next time I will do this distance will be on November 18th. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and watching the Ironman World Championships with my coaches and teammates.
I went home that night and put Dr. Hoy all over my tired muscles and squeezed into my full body compression gear and went to sleep. My alarm rang at 4:15 this morning. Woken up by an external alarm clock and not the one in my head is rare for me. It was a morning that I felt like I could have finally slept in. No rest for the weary Ironman. Today was my husband's day. He was riding in the Tour de Scottsdale, a 70 mile bike ride that goes around the beautiful mountain preserve near our home. I dropped him off the start and parked the car and then I took off on my training run where I planned to spectate the tour. I made it out 9 miles before the bikes finally caught up to me. The leader was out in front of the first pack and then several large packs passed by and I was unable to spot my husband. I wondered how long I should wait since I was not certain if he was in one of the front packs and within a few minutes he was leading his own little pack. Then I headed east 2 miles to try and catch them again on a different part of the course. I could see some bikes go by so I tried to hurry because I knew he would be in one of the early groups, but I tired IMIT can only run a 12 minute mile so fast. I did make it in time to get one more view and he had moved up to the back of a larger pack. I needed to get back to my car so I could go pick up my son before my husband finished, but I had what I thought were 6 more miles to go which turned into 7, doing 2 extra miles than was on my schedule. I got to watch the short course cyclists for the last 5 miles of my run.
Today I mastered the 12 minute mile. Every time I have a long run, I manage to get slower and slower running on tired legs. I am not proud of the time, but I am proud and I would be totally satisfied if I can RUN the Ironman course and am not forced to walk or crawl! I can cut myself some slack knowing that I rode 116 miles the day before and still able to get up and get the run done. More importantly we made it back to the finish to see my husband finish in 3:07. He is awesome. I only wish I had a little of his speed. I had hopes of being able to actually ride with him when I got my new faster bike, but he got motivated and got faster too and he is still on his 20 year old Italian Steel Frame. For being an IT guy, he really needs to get with modern technology and then watch out!
To top the day off, my brother picked me up and took me to SWIM practice for an hour of slow easy laps to cool down and help the sore muscles.
So if you are wondering how to recover from IMOTS, take a 7 hour bike ride and then follow it up the next day with an 18 mile run. YOU WILL FEEL GREAT!
The big day finally arrived for the Longest Bike Ride on the IM training schedule. It was scheduled on the same day of the World IM Championships in Kona, HI where one of our team mates was competing. Our coach scheduled a 7 hour bike ride followed by a KONA IM celebration to watch the world championships at her home.
We met before the sun came up, threw our bags stocked with extra clothes, food, and water into the sag wagon, and gathered for quick instruction. We were faced with something that has been missing all summer, COOL AIR. We had to decide if we needed extra layers because the coolness was probably only temporary. I opted for long sleeve under my jersey for warmth and sun protection.
I realized I forget my bike socks so I asked my coach if she could loan me a pair and she handed me a pair of IM socks. I was hesitant about taking them from her because legend has it that it is bad luck to own any IM logo gear until you are crowned an IM. I am hoping that is not true if you are just borrowing the item.
As soon as the sun started rising, we were off. There is usually a lot of chatter and catching up that goes on at the beginning of a ride. I have gotten into the habit of taking a slow start to get warmed up and not trying to keep up with everyone who sprints out of the chute. I like to start slow and pick up speed as the muscles get warm. 9 miles into the bike ride, we were faced with a 3 mile hill. When we reached the top, many teammates pulled off at a gas station to use the facilities. I was just getting warmed up and decided I did not want to stop and the rest of the group would catch back up and pass me up anyway.
I raced down 9 mile hill on my own. It seemed like it took a long time and I know I was going to be faced with going back up this long steady steep hill in a short while. At the bottom of this hills lies a small town named Rio Verde. My favorite part was just around the corner, 8 miles of roller coaster hills adjacent to the McDowell Mountains with spectacular panoramic views. This leads into the hilly community called Fountain Hills which has a fountain in the center of its rolling and steep hills. We were given another challenging route to climb out of the town with one very steep climb and my mind wondered why we were being subjected to this extra treat when 9 mile hill would be waiting for us on the trek back. When I got to the main road called Shea Boulevard, many of my team mates had taken an easier route and ended up in front of me. I think that was an evil trick after I followed the coach's directions, but I was happy to see my teammates. Eventually I caught up and passed a few riders as we road up the Beeline (north of where the Ironman course is located and a more scenic portion of the road) to Bush Highway. It was a bit windy and at times, I felt like I was riding through chocolate pudding and just pedaling in place, but I am always trying to simulate possible race conditions to help put my mind at ease and remain calm.
We reached the turn around and it was all down hill....well that was until we returned to 9 mile hill and it is exactly that a very long long long long, well you get the picture, long hill! I actually felt pretty good. The weather was cooler and my stomach was happy. The time was going by quickly because of having my teammates around me, the sag wagon, and trying to eat and drink 200 plus calories an hour. My picnic for the day consisted of 1/2 Bonk Bar (the official IM bar), a pack of mini fig newtons, 1 PB&J lunchable, 1 pack of GU Chomps, 1/2 Bonk Bar, 3/4 banana, and potluck of leftovers along with 1/2 bottle Ironman Perform and 1/2 bottle water and 1 salt stick every hour.
At the top of 9 mile hill which I conquered on my own slow and steady, I refueled and then had 1 1/2 hours left to get 7 hours in. Anything was easy after that so I rode until the clock struck 7 hours of moving time. Everyone went their own way to get the extra miles in as the route was 100 mile long. I ended up completed 116 miles in 7 hours. The actual time on my clock was 7:10 and I hit the IM distance 112 around 6:45 which helps me with my overall goal of finishing the Ironman.
This ride was different than the rest. I felt decent. I started off slow and I worked on the things I had learned in my last session with Jeff on cadence and shifting. The weather was perfect and I did not suffer from nausea or cramping. I even felt like I could have run after the ride (at least part of a marathon).
LONGEST BIKE RIDE COMPLETE: CHECK. Is it time to TAPER.....NOT YET! But the longest ride is now behind us and the next time I will do this distance will be on November 18th. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and watching the Ironman World Championships with my coaches and teammates.
I went home that night and put Dr. Hoy all over my tired muscles and squeezed into my full body compression gear and went to sleep. My alarm rang at 4:15 this morning. Woken up by an external alarm clock and not the one in my head is rare for me. It was a morning that I felt like I could have finally slept in. No rest for the weary Ironman. Today was my husband's day. He was riding in the Tour de Scottsdale, a 70 mile bike ride that goes around the beautiful mountain preserve near our home. I dropped him off the start and parked the car and then I took off on my training run where I planned to spectate the tour. I made it out 9 miles before the bikes finally caught up to me. The leader was out in front of the first pack and then several large packs passed by and I was unable to spot my husband. I wondered how long I should wait since I was not certain if he was in one of the front packs and within a few minutes he was leading his own little pack. Then I headed east 2 miles to try and catch them again on a different part of the course. I could see some bikes go by so I tried to hurry because I knew he would be in one of the early groups, but I tired IMIT can only run a 12 minute mile so fast. I did make it in time to get one more view and he had moved up to the back of a larger pack. I needed to get back to my car so I could go pick up my son before my husband finished, but I had what I thought were 6 more miles to go which turned into 7, doing 2 extra miles than was on my schedule. I got to watch the short course cyclists for the last 5 miles of my run.
Today I mastered the 12 minute mile. Every time I have a long run, I manage to get slower and slower running on tired legs. I am not proud of the time, but I am proud and I would be totally satisfied if I can RUN the Ironman course and am not forced to walk or crawl! I can cut myself some slack knowing that I rode 116 miles the day before and still able to get up and get the run done. More importantly we made it back to the finish to see my husband finish in 3:07. He is awesome. I only wish I had a little of his speed. I had hopes of being able to actually ride with him when I got my new faster bike, but he got motivated and got faster too and he is still on his 20 year old Italian Steel Frame. For being an IT guy, he really needs to get with modern technology and then watch out!
To top the day off, my brother picked me up and took me to SWIM practice for an hour of slow easy laps to cool down and help the sore muscles.
So if you are wondering how to recover from IMOTS, take a 7 hour bike ride and then follow it up the next day with an 18 mile run. YOU WILL FEEL GREAT!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
LIFESAVERS
IMIT (IRONMEN IN TRAINING):
Do you feel tired all the time? Do your muscles ache before, during and after your workouts? Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you suffer from pain in one or all of your joints? Are your muscles so tight they feel like a leather belt? When you move, do your muscles go into spasm?
You may be suffering from IMOTS (IRONMAN OVER TRAINING SYNDROME). Some athletes go into a IMMD (IRONMAN MELTDOWN), while others take sleeping aides, magic rubbing ointments, or whatever over the counter cocktails they can safely mix together. Your coach might recommend a shot of 7 HOUR BIKE RIDE to cure you of your IMOTS!
We all have experienced one or more of these symptoms and we each have to find a way to get our weary bodies through the last 6 weeks of training and to the start line with a strong healthy body. I wanted to take the time to recognize how I am getting through these ROUGH PATCHES (as one of my VIPs likes to call them) and talk about my LIFESAVERS.
My LIFESAVERS are the people who make a difference in giving me the physical and mental capacity to keep training. Lately, my massage therapist (Cory), has been the lifesaver who has helped relieve the tension in my entire body and especially get mobility back in my arm and shoulder and deal with the pain I have been having in my arm and shoulder and every other part of my body. My stick helps to roll out my screaming muscles, my 400 SKINS full body compression gear aides in muscle recovery, and Dr. Hoy's miracle cream alleviates some soreness and provides some temporary relief. But, nothing works like the healing touch of the hands. Cory does an amazing job molding my muscles back into the shape they are supposed to take around my skeleton. He is able to release the tension that builds up over miles of training and restore my range of motion and abolish trigger points. His knowledge of how the body is connected and his passion for healing along with being an IM himself, he takes the extra time to keep this IMIT moving forward. I thought I was going to be able to make it through this journey on my own, but I am most grateful to have someone that can keep me in the game as what I thought was an individual sport really requires a full team of players.
My next LIFESAVER is Jeff, who I call my bicyclologist, because he knows everything BIKES and not only did he create a bike to fit my short stature, but he has been there through the entire journey providing me with individualized instruction and endless tips about the bike and how to ride it. Most people think riding a bike is second nature, but it is really not something that we are born with and though some might be natural at pedaling, there are optimal ways to pedal to produce power and conserve energy. In fact, we had a training session where the focus was about energy management and working on the best strategies for pedaling and changing gears. Jeff taught me a way to remember key principles for riding with an acronym he created that he uses when training cyclist at all levels called C.A.L.M which stands for cadence, air, leverage, and momentum. Using these principles, he taught me ways to work on cadence and shifting to manage my energy for endurance riding, specifically for Ironman. He is the most passionate teacher and has so much knowledge to share. He has an amazing way of teaching the basics I was missing to try and fill in the gaps from the simplest skills to stopping, starting, cornering, pedal technique, changing gears, using your upper body as an anchor and engaging all 4 limbs, and standing, along with nutritional tips, bike accessories, and how to get through a "rough patch" when your mind does a 180 and you have to get your head back in the game to move forward. He always shares the latest and greatest research on riding a bike and is an eternal learner who seeks data from his clients and then develops individualized strategies for them based on their learning style. Jeff knows what I need and he has been there to help me achieve my goal of finishing an Ironman. He talks for the entire time I am with him and I have spent countless hours captivated by his knowledge which will come in handy on race day as I repeat the words he has put into my head. I have to give Jeff a lot of the credit for helping me find the "right" bike and teaching me to ride it. Don't assume just because you can pedal that you can ride! His voice will be by my side during the 112 mile bike ride.
Other LIFESAVERS on this journey are my ANGELS. One day at a team meeting, my friends Al and Dee and I called ourselves the ANGELS for Charlie's Angels, but we were playing a game with our friend and our team name was Paul's Angels. Everyone is lucky if they have one angel watching over them, but I have been lucky to have 2 angels watching over me from the beginning when I jointed the racelab team. We send daily texts, do some of our extra workouts together, and take girls nights out when in crisis or not. They are my life line when the chips are down or up. We laugh together and we cry together and we hang tough together. When one angel is down, we find a way to turn things around.
Besides my angels, I have an entire team of support between all the racelab coaches and athletes. If one person is struggling or excelling, the SEA OF YELLOW is always close by at group workouts, races, meetings, emails, or on facebook to energize, encourage, lend a hand, give a pat on the back, a hug, or a "I know how you feel" nod. The coaches serve as our guides leading us through the workouts day after day and week after week. The IM team makes it easier to get up at 3:30 in the morning as I look forward to sharing the journey with them. The sag vehicle is always a source of comfort to remind you that you are not alone on this journey along with filling up your water bottle!
And last but not least again is my husband and my son who are tolerating this crazy schedule and enduring my absence like true IM fans. Without them to come home to, I might not survive. They are my favorite flavor in my pack of LIFESAVERS and I am thankful for their support in encouraging me every step of the way.
We are a step closer to the START Line. I completed a brick workout with a 71 mile ride/3 mile run on Saturday and our longest run today of 20 miles followed by an hour swim. No athlete can achieve this without a pack of LIFESAVERS. I am thankful that my IM budget has been extended to include everything I need (even if we are in deficit spending). We will balance the budget at the FINISH LINE. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little. I know I will be rich at the END!
Do you feel tired all the time? Do your muscles ache before, during and after your workouts? Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you suffer from pain in one or all of your joints? Are your muscles so tight they feel like a leather belt? When you move, do your muscles go into spasm?
You may be suffering from IMOTS (IRONMAN OVER TRAINING SYNDROME). Some athletes go into a IMMD (IRONMAN MELTDOWN), while others take sleeping aides, magic rubbing ointments, or whatever over the counter cocktails they can safely mix together. Your coach might recommend a shot of 7 HOUR BIKE RIDE to cure you of your IMOTS!
We all have experienced one or more of these symptoms and we each have to find a way to get our weary bodies through the last 6 weeks of training and to the start line with a strong healthy body. I wanted to take the time to recognize how I am getting through these ROUGH PATCHES (as one of my VIPs likes to call them) and talk about my LIFESAVERS.
My LIFESAVERS are the people who make a difference in giving me the physical and mental capacity to keep training. Lately, my massage therapist (Cory), has been the lifesaver who has helped relieve the tension in my entire body and especially get mobility back in my arm and shoulder and deal with the pain I have been having in my arm and shoulder and every other part of my body. My stick helps to roll out my screaming muscles, my 400 SKINS full body compression gear aides in muscle recovery, and Dr. Hoy's miracle cream alleviates some soreness and provides some temporary relief. But, nothing works like the healing touch of the hands. Cory does an amazing job molding my muscles back into the shape they are supposed to take around my skeleton. He is able to release the tension that builds up over miles of training and restore my range of motion and abolish trigger points. His knowledge of how the body is connected and his passion for healing along with being an IM himself, he takes the extra time to keep this IMIT moving forward. I thought I was going to be able to make it through this journey on my own, but I am most grateful to have someone that can keep me in the game as what I thought was an individual sport really requires a full team of players.
My next LIFESAVER is Jeff, who I call my bicyclologist, because he knows everything BIKES and not only did he create a bike to fit my short stature, but he has been there through the entire journey providing me with individualized instruction and endless tips about the bike and how to ride it. Most people think riding a bike is second nature, but it is really not something that we are born with and though some might be natural at pedaling, there are optimal ways to pedal to produce power and conserve energy. In fact, we had a training session where the focus was about energy management and working on the best strategies for pedaling and changing gears. Jeff taught me a way to remember key principles for riding with an acronym he created that he uses when training cyclist at all levels called C.A.L.M which stands for cadence, air, leverage, and momentum. Using these principles, he taught me ways to work on cadence and shifting to manage my energy for endurance riding, specifically for Ironman. He is the most passionate teacher and has so much knowledge to share. He has an amazing way of teaching the basics I was missing to try and fill in the gaps from the simplest skills to stopping, starting, cornering, pedal technique, changing gears, using your upper body as an anchor and engaging all 4 limbs, and standing, along with nutritional tips, bike accessories, and how to get through a "rough patch" when your mind does a 180 and you have to get your head back in the game to move forward. He always shares the latest and greatest research on riding a bike and is an eternal learner who seeks data from his clients and then develops individualized strategies for them based on their learning style. Jeff knows what I need and he has been there to help me achieve my goal of finishing an Ironman. He talks for the entire time I am with him and I have spent countless hours captivated by his knowledge which will come in handy on race day as I repeat the words he has put into my head. I have to give Jeff a lot of the credit for helping me find the "right" bike and teaching me to ride it. Don't assume just because you can pedal that you can ride! His voice will be by my side during the 112 mile bike ride.
Other LIFESAVERS on this journey are my ANGELS. One day at a team meeting, my friends Al and Dee and I called ourselves the ANGELS for Charlie's Angels, but we were playing a game with our friend and our team name was Paul's Angels. Everyone is lucky if they have one angel watching over them, but I have been lucky to have 2 angels watching over me from the beginning when I jointed the racelab team. We send daily texts, do some of our extra workouts together, and take girls nights out when in crisis or not. They are my life line when the chips are down or up. We laugh together and we cry together and we hang tough together. When one angel is down, we find a way to turn things around.
Besides my angels, I have an entire team of support between all the racelab coaches and athletes. If one person is struggling or excelling, the SEA OF YELLOW is always close by at group workouts, races, meetings, emails, or on facebook to energize, encourage, lend a hand, give a pat on the back, a hug, or a "I know how you feel" nod. The coaches serve as our guides leading us through the workouts day after day and week after week. The IM team makes it easier to get up at 3:30 in the morning as I look forward to sharing the journey with them. The sag vehicle is always a source of comfort to remind you that you are not alone on this journey along with filling up your water bottle!
And last but not least again is my husband and my son who are tolerating this crazy schedule and enduring my absence like true IM fans. Without them to come home to, I might not survive. They are my favorite flavor in my pack of LIFESAVERS and I am thankful for their support in encouraging me every step of the way.
We are a step closer to the START Line. I completed a brick workout with a 71 mile ride/3 mile run on Saturday and our longest run today of 20 miles followed by an hour swim. No athlete can achieve this without a pack of LIFESAVERS. I am thankful that my IM budget has been extended to include everything I need (even if we are in deficit spending). We will balance the budget at the FINISH LINE. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little. I know I will be rich at the END!
Monday, October 1, 2012
"DOWN" in the Valley
This past week has been the toughest week both physically and mentally since signing up for Ironman. We are getting so close to the start line yet the stakes are getting higher as the days melt away. I had a flashback to the book I received and devoured last Christmas called YOU ARE AN IRONMAN by Jacques Steinberg as each athlete that was followed in the book faced roadblocks along their journey and especially closer to the start. The suspense of whether each athlete was going to make it to the start kept you turning the pages. As most IMITs have learned by now, signing up a year in advance does not come with insurance or any guarantees that you will make it to the start line (though I highly recommend that IRONMAN corporation start selling insurance for their races so their athletes can recoup some of their losses...although I have learned that the steep entry fee is the least of your costs for the year).
I am at the point where the training is taking a toll on my body which can be contagious like a rapidly spreading virus that tries to spread to your mind. I have been dealing with arm and shoulder pain and just really sore and tired muscles that do not seem to be rebounding. For the most part, it does not stop me from putting the miles in, but you can get caught up into a vicious cycle. I suppose I would not be human if I did not get stuck "down" in one of the Valleys. This weekend was an example of testing limits. A six hour bike ride could not get me down. I am strong and I have done the mileage before. Add a little heat to the mix with IM cocktails and snacks and you can get a violent reaction in your stomach, your personal cooling system and then your mind. I had an enjoyable 4 hours of riding through some rural AZ roads. We were fortunate not to be amongst the group that got chased by a pack of dogs. We had good sag support during that time. Then we were heading back to the park where we started on some rolling hills. My stomach was overstocked and I was waiting for that moment where I would upchuck cliff bars, Gu chomps, salt sticks and my secret formula on my bike Scottie. I have read about athletes getting sick on their bike, but have never experienced it first hand. In the meantime, it was getting hot and I was having back pain, burning in my feet, tightness in my adductors and empty legs in addition to the growing nausea. When we got back to the parking lot we still had 90 minutes to go and the sag vehicle was not there and so we continued to the rolling hill section. I was suffering and my face could not hide it. On the uphill return ride, I was pedaling on empty legs with no gas and worried about my overheated body. I had a moment where I let out a cry (as much as an IMIT could release with dried up tears due to dehydration) and the thought of unclipping and pulling over on the side of the road took over my mind. I knew I needed to cool down somehow and I was hopeful sag vehicle would be in the parking lot so I could get some cold fluid and so somehow I had to leave my body (separation of body and mind) and just continue. The yellow truck was now in sight and I was able to pull out my cold water bottle and dump part of it on my body and drink the rest. I was revived enough to find a flatter section to try and complete the 6 hours. I had a short surge of energy and then some cramping in the adductors (nothing like being kicked when you are already down...the Ironman Gods were certainly testing me). When my clock hit 90 miles, I decided to call it a day. Most of my other team mates got 95 to 100 miles in but my official BONK the last hour fried my body and mind. During that time the questions pop into your mind of WHY and HOW and WHAT IF. I was all set to go on the 2 mile run that was on our schedule to work on transition and my coach asked me how the ride went and I replied, everything that could go wrong today, did and she benched me from the run even though I said I could do it. She decided that I had enough that day and it was time to stop. That came as a surprise because Ironman is about overcoming those moments, but I guess we are saving that for the day when it really counts.
I spent the rest of the day nursing an upset stomach and trying to refuel because the next morning I had a 16 mile run. I decided to do another run with just me, myself and I because I really did not want to bring anyone else down with me. I took it slow because that was the only speed in my body that was working. My muscles were still empty and my stomach had settled but was still reliving some of the day before. It was more an exercise in strengthening the mind so it can overcome or ignore fatigue and keep going. I felt really low at the end, because most IMITs do what they do because they have enough moments where they love the feeling of moving their bodies through the water and air with speed and wind...this just was not one of those days. I felt a bit discouraged because when I look around at my teammates who are doing the same training, they look strong and they seem to have gained a lot of speed. In looking inward, I find that I am returning to my routes of being a TURTLE and that my wing buds are damaged and not growing into the wings that will make me fly.
If I work hard enough, I can get out of this valley. I have made it this far, how hard could 49 more days of training be. GIVING UP is NOT an OPTION here. I decided to finish my weekend with our group swim at ASU because my shoulders seemed to be moving better and were painfree for the moment, so after debating with myself, I drove the 30 minutes to go swim. Our coach just had us swim 100s and work on form. My arms felt looser after having a very aggressive massage on Friday and using compression wear, Dr. Hoys, and stretching. It was just what I needed to put out the fire that had been burning in me and quiet my mind (if only for an hour). All was good. I got to spend a little time with my family and went to movie and dinner later that night. It is so hard not to have energy to be 100% present and feel like you are missing out, but I am lucky that we are a tough bunch and we will make it to the start. For my less fortunate friends who's injuries have sidelined them, I will take your spirit and strength with me and try to make it to the start for all of us and your time will come later. I guess I have slacked off on mental training and this was just a little reminder that you your body and mind have to work together or be strong enough to take over when one is depleted.
Today is REST and tomorrow is back to training. I thought I was ready but this was just a wake up call that there is more work to do. Time to start climbing out of the valley and reach the peak on November 18th.
I am at the point where the training is taking a toll on my body which can be contagious like a rapidly spreading virus that tries to spread to your mind. I have been dealing with arm and shoulder pain and just really sore and tired muscles that do not seem to be rebounding. For the most part, it does not stop me from putting the miles in, but you can get caught up into a vicious cycle. I suppose I would not be human if I did not get stuck "down" in one of the Valleys. This weekend was an example of testing limits. A six hour bike ride could not get me down. I am strong and I have done the mileage before. Add a little heat to the mix with IM cocktails and snacks and you can get a violent reaction in your stomach, your personal cooling system and then your mind. I had an enjoyable 4 hours of riding through some rural AZ roads. We were fortunate not to be amongst the group that got chased by a pack of dogs. We had good sag support during that time. Then we were heading back to the park where we started on some rolling hills. My stomach was overstocked and I was waiting for that moment where I would upchuck cliff bars, Gu chomps, salt sticks and my secret formula on my bike Scottie. I have read about athletes getting sick on their bike, but have never experienced it first hand. In the meantime, it was getting hot and I was having back pain, burning in my feet, tightness in my adductors and empty legs in addition to the growing nausea. When we got back to the parking lot we still had 90 minutes to go and the sag vehicle was not there and so we continued to the rolling hill section. I was suffering and my face could not hide it. On the uphill return ride, I was pedaling on empty legs with no gas and worried about my overheated body. I had a moment where I let out a cry (as much as an IMIT could release with dried up tears due to dehydration) and the thought of unclipping and pulling over on the side of the road took over my mind. I knew I needed to cool down somehow and I was hopeful sag vehicle would be in the parking lot so I could get some cold fluid and so somehow I had to leave my body (separation of body and mind) and just continue. The yellow truck was now in sight and I was able to pull out my cold water bottle and dump part of it on my body and drink the rest. I was revived enough to find a flatter section to try and complete the 6 hours. I had a short surge of energy and then some cramping in the adductors (nothing like being kicked when you are already down...the Ironman Gods were certainly testing me). When my clock hit 90 miles, I decided to call it a day. Most of my other team mates got 95 to 100 miles in but my official BONK the last hour fried my body and mind. During that time the questions pop into your mind of WHY and HOW and WHAT IF. I was all set to go on the 2 mile run that was on our schedule to work on transition and my coach asked me how the ride went and I replied, everything that could go wrong today, did and she benched me from the run even though I said I could do it. She decided that I had enough that day and it was time to stop. That came as a surprise because Ironman is about overcoming those moments, but I guess we are saving that for the day when it really counts.
I spent the rest of the day nursing an upset stomach and trying to refuel because the next morning I had a 16 mile run. I decided to do another run with just me, myself and I because I really did not want to bring anyone else down with me. I took it slow because that was the only speed in my body that was working. My muscles were still empty and my stomach had settled but was still reliving some of the day before. It was more an exercise in strengthening the mind so it can overcome or ignore fatigue and keep going. I felt really low at the end, because most IMITs do what they do because they have enough moments where they love the feeling of moving their bodies through the water and air with speed and wind...this just was not one of those days. I felt a bit discouraged because when I look around at my teammates who are doing the same training, they look strong and they seem to have gained a lot of speed. In looking inward, I find that I am returning to my routes of being a TURTLE and that my wing buds are damaged and not growing into the wings that will make me fly.
If I work hard enough, I can get out of this valley. I have made it this far, how hard could 49 more days of training be. GIVING UP is NOT an OPTION here. I decided to finish my weekend with our group swim at ASU because my shoulders seemed to be moving better and were painfree for the moment, so after debating with myself, I drove the 30 minutes to go swim. Our coach just had us swim 100s and work on form. My arms felt looser after having a very aggressive massage on Friday and using compression wear, Dr. Hoys, and stretching. It was just what I needed to put out the fire that had been burning in me and quiet my mind (if only for an hour). All was good. I got to spend a little time with my family and went to movie and dinner later that night. It is so hard not to have energy to be 100% present and feel like you are missing out, but I am lucky that we are a tough bunch and we will make it to the start. For my less fortunate friends who's injuries have sidelined them, I will take your spirit and strength with me and try to make it to the start for all of us and your time will come later. I guess I have slacked off on mental training and this was just a little reminder that you your body and mind have to work together or be strong enough to take over when one is depleted.
Today is REST and tomorrow is back to training. I thought I was ready but this was just a wake up call that there is more work to do. Time to start climbing out of the valley and reach the peak on November 18th.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
PRs and PWs and PBs and More
It is interesting how the same person can do the same race or the same distance at the same location/or a different location and have a different race. It is ironic that a personal record can be achieved on the most challenging course and a personal worst can actually be a personal best.
This week was a little rough in that my body is not completely happy. IRONMANITIS is going around. Ironmanitis=inflammation of an Ironman or one of their attached body parts. The effects of Ironman training are setting in and between myself and my teammates it appears that everyone is experiencing some rebelling from their body. There is a price you pay when you are increasing your distance and so there has been increased stretching, ice, motrin, topical creams, rollers, and massage this week. My primary area of discomfort involves my arms. My shoulder girdle and upper arms are tight and achy. The pain travels around and is mostly in my right arm, but is starting on my left side as well. I am not certain if this pain is from my aero bars or from swimming or a combination. Sometimes I feel better when I am moving and other times I reach a point during a workout where the pain gets worse. My coach decided I should swim and stop when/if I am having pain. It is so hard to get an IMIT to stop until they complete a workout. It is a fine balancing act between getting your training in and not aggravating your symptoms or causing a more severe injury.
With that said, I made it to the start line for one last Olympic Triathlon at Tempe Town Lake this morning. The Heat Miser was planning on attending and so I came armed with salt sticks and electrolytes. The race was delayed and being in the last wave that meant having to run in higher temperatures. I really don't buy the reason behind putting the "old ladies" last so we don't get trampled by the men cause I spend a lot of time catching up to the back strokers and doggy paddlers! It was too hot to wear a wetsuit, so I lost a few minutes on my swim, but I felt ok in the water today. I definitely get a lot more fatigued without my superpower suit. I don't have official splits but my watch was at 33plus as I exited the water. I took a long 3plus minutes to get on my bike and my legs felt heavy. I took the first few miles easy, got some fluid and nutrition in me and started to pick up the pace. I was trying to stay hydrated and take in salt to prevent stomach upset and cramping. I started feeling better and was not really keeping track of my time, but when I looked down at my clock near the end of the bike ride, I noticed I was not in PR range unless I had a really strong run. I did the best run I could do for what my legs had left in them and with the temperatures rising. My goal turned from PR to let's run steady and beat the sun. My body is slowly adapting to the heat. I was happy not to have any stomach problems today. I took 2 small cups of water by mouth and over head each mile along with a cup of ice that went down my back, in my hands and in my mouth. It was enough to cool my body down and let me run the whole 10K. Ofcourse the questions pop up in your mind as to how you are going to start running after 112 miles on the bike and keep running. It was good practice on staying in the game. My calves were starting to cramp during the last mile or so and when I tried to pick up the pace, it was a tug o war between muscle groups. I have been able to shorten my stride and slow down to ward off the full spasm, but I need to find away to keep the cramps out of my body so I can run during IM. The last thing I want is cramping before mile 6! In the end, my time was my PW or Personal Worst, but I felt like it was a PB or Personal Best because I was able to run the course today and I was not feeling sick in the heat....so I was satisfied with the progress made under today's conditions. My PR was early this summer in Altitude and much cooler weather, so I am going to happily race more in the PINES. This race is symbolic for me in many ways saying my good-byes to AZ and Tempe Town Lake. I will conquer this lake before we move to CA!
This week was one of the easier training weeks that we have had. I looked at it like it was a gift or a vacation because the real work is about to begin with the longest training days to come with a 6000 swim, 7 hr bike and 20 mile run over the next 8 weeks and the part I look forward to will be the TAPER.
Every day is a new day in training and racing and there are too many factors to consider, but there is always some lesson to learn and improvement to make whether you are chasing after your Personal Record and maybe some days your Personal Worst was actually your Personal Best.
All I know is that I need to go out and buy some DUCT TAPE to hold myself together or maybe in this case SUPER GLUE.
This week was a little rough in that my body is not completely happy. IRONMANITIS is going around. Ironmanitis=inflammation of an Ironman or one of their attached body parts. The effects of Ironman training are setting in and between myself and my teammates it appears that everyone is experiencing some rebelling from their body. There is a price you pay when you are increasing your distance and so there has been increased stretching, ice, motrin, topical creams, rollers, and massage this week. My primary area of discomfort involves my arms. My shoulder girdle and upper arms are tight and achy. The pain travels around and is mostly in my right arm, but is starting on my left side as well. I am not certain if this pain is from my aero bars or from swimming or a combination. Sometimes I feel better when I am moving and other times I reach a point during a workout where the pain gets worse. My coach decided I should swim and stop when/if I am having pain. It is so hard to get an IMIT to stop until they complete a workout. It is a fine balancing act between getting your training in and not aggravating your symptoms or causing a more severe injury.
With that said, I made it to the start line for one last Olympic Triathlon at Tempe Town Lake this morning. The Heat Miser was planning on attending and so I came armed with salt sticks and electrolytes. The race was delayed and being in the last wave that meant having to run in higher temperatures. I really don't buy the reason behind putting the "old ladies" last so we don't get trampled by the men cause I spend a lot of time catching up to the back strokers and doggy paddlers! It was too hot to wear a wetsuit, so I lost a few minutes on my swim, but I felt ok in the water today. I definitely get a lot more fatigued without my superpower suit. I don't have official splits but my watch was at 33plus as I exited the water. I took a long 3plus minutes to get on my bike and my legs felt heavy. I took the first few miles easy, got some fluid and nutrition in me and started to pick up the pace. I was trying to stay hydrated and take in salt to prevent stomach upset and cramping. I started feeling better and was not really keeping track of my time, but when I looked down at my clock near the end of the bike ride, I noticed I was not in PR range unless I had a really strong run. I did the best run I could do for what my legs had left in them and with the temperatures rising. My goal turned from PR to let's run steady and beat the sun. My body is slowly adapting to the heat. I was happy not to have any stomach problems today. I took 2 small cups of water by mouth and over head each mile along with a cup of ice that went down my back, in my hands and in my mouth. It was enough to cool my body down and let me run the whole 10K. Ofcourse the questions pop up in your mind as to how you are going to start running after 112 miles on the bike and keep running. It was good practice on staying in the game. My calves were starting to cramp during the last mile or so and when I tried to pick up the pace, it was a tug o war between muscle groups. I have been able to shorten my stride and slow down to ward off the full spasm, but I need to find away to keep the cramps out of my body so I can run during IM. The last thing I want is cramping before mile 6! In the end, my time was my PW or Personal Worst, but I felt like it was a PB or Personal Best because I was able to run the course today and I was not feeling sick in the heat....so I was satisfied with the progress made under today's conditions. My PR was early this summer in Altitude and much cooler weather, so I am going to happily race more in the PINES. This race is symbolic for me in many ways saying my good-byes to AZ and Tempe Town Lake. I will conquer this lake before we move to CA!
This week was one of the easier training weeks that we have had. I looked at it like it was a gift or a vacation because the real work is about to begin with the longest training days to come with a 6000 swim, 7 hr bike and 20 mile run over the next 8 weeks and the part I look forward to will be the TAPER.
Every day is a new day in training and racing and there are too many factors to consider, but there is always some lesson to learn and improvement to make whether you are chasing after your Personal Record and maybe some days your Personal Worst was actually your Personal Best.
All I know is that I need to go out and buy some DUCT TAPE to hold myself together or maybe in this case SUPER GLUE.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
RECOVERY.....(to recover or not to recover is the question)
How do you recover from your first half Ironman? Take 2 days off and get back to training. We are now entering into the danger zone, a place where you continue to build your strength and endurance while trying to stay healthy as you break your body down to build it up. It seems like a contradiction. Fighting off fatigue, muscle aches, sniffles, sore throat, and a sore shoulder, you still muster up the strength to somehow get your workouts done because you know that cramming the night before is not going to help you pass this test. I had a meeting with my coach this week and we discussed the pain I have been having on and off in my arm and we changed my schedule around a little bit. We also discussed my nutrition and how to take in more calories and water during long distance on the bike. Basically you have to cram a large picnic inside of a tiny little bag on your top tube that will last you 6 to 7 hours. We talked about peaking both physically and mentally at the right time and although I am feeling anxious about getting to race day that there is much more preparation to do. I want race day to arrive because I am finally getting tired of counting and am feeling ready to JUST DO IT!
What can you do for the body that you are beating up several hours a day. Well, drink lots of water, take plenty of electrolytes, get a comprehensive massage, take lots of motrin, give yourself ice massages, and wear compression garments, and sleep and eat every few hours. The other things that help you through are texting and chatting with your teammates about how comfy your couch is, the holes in your running shoes, what to eat, what to wear, your fears and frustrations, and strategies on getting through each day, and funny Ironman jokes to take your mind off of pain or fatigue.
I did skip one workout this week. I hope when I am close to peaking I will go into my race feeling well rested. Right now it seems like we are doing one workout on top of another on tired muscles. I see many of my teammates getting faster and farther ahead of me in the water, on the bike and on land. This is just an observation and not a concern because slow and steady is right where I want to be and that is all I seem to be able to do with the tired muscles. Many of my teammates do not agree with my turtle title, but I am comfortable in my zone and that is where I will stay. I have more hope of finishing the Ironman with a slow steady pace and I can visualize the turtle taking slow steady strides and may look painfully slow, but in the end will get me to the finish on time.
This weekend started with team swim on Friday, 50 mile bike ride with some nice hill climbing and an Open Water Swim on Saturday, and finally a 18 mile run on Sunday. It seems like there is no distance that is too far these days while you are on the move. Once you stop, your body tells you otherwise.
I guess RECOVERY will have to wait!
What can you do for the body that you are beating up several hours a day. Well, drink lots of water, take plenty of electrolytes, get a comprehensive massage, take lots of motrin, give yourself ice massages, and wear compression garments, and sleep and eat every few hours. The other things that help you through are texting and chatting with your teammates about how comfy your couch is, the holes in your running shoes, what to eat, what to wear, your fears and frustrations, and strategies on getting through each day, and funny Ironman jokes to take your mind off of pain or fatigue.
I did skip one workout this week. I hope when I am close to peaking I will go into my race feeling well rested. Right now it seems like we are doing one workout on top of another on tired muscles. I see many of my teammates getting faster and farther ahead of me in the water, on the bike and on land. This is just an observation and not a concern because slow and steady is right where I want to be and that is all I seem to be able to do with the tired muscles. Many of my teammates do not agree with my turtle title, but I am comfortable in my zone and that is where I will stay. I have more hope of finishing the Ironman with a slow steady pace and I can visualize the turtle taking slow steady strides and may look painfully slow, but in the end will get me to the finish on time.
This weekend started with team swim on Friday, 50 mile bike ride with some nice hill climbing and an Open Water Swim on Saturday, and finally a 18 mile run on Sunday. It seems like there is no distance that is too far these days while you are on the move. Once you stop, your body tells you otherwise.
I guess RECOVERY will have to wait!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Deuces Wild Triathlon Festival
Imagine swimming 1.2 miles in a little lake surrounded by pine trees, taking a 57 mile roller coaster ride with your bike, and running 13.1 miles weaving around Fool's Hollow Lake and Campground in Show Low, AZ at 6000 feet, ....when you cross the line, you hear the words...."Beth Kozura, YOU ARE A DEUCEMAN". The fans roar and you are so happy to be done. You did it....you completed your first HALF IRONMAN DISTANCE race. You have completed half the test and half the goal that you set out to do. You might think that half is not nearly enough to test your readiness for the full ironman, but it is a dress rehearsal, the ultimate brick workout, a training race, mental practice and confidence booster. It is like the mid-term exam. You learn (daily training and drills), you do your homework (workouts....practice practice practice), you review, you study, and you take the test (training race) to see how much your body has learned (feedback) and what areas you need to go back and relearn (revise plan).
First of all, if you are looking for a challenging course in a beautiful destination and you enjoy a small town race, I highly recommend Deuceman. It is a triathlon festival that is put on by Trisports.com which is an online triathlon stores that started in AZ and now partners with USAT. They also just opened a store in Tempe right across the street from Ironman AZ....so if you forget anything, you will be sure to find it at their store on race morning! Trisports.com is owned and operated by a triathlete couple who started the concept when they were looking for triathlon gear and their business has boomed along with their mission to give back to the community. They are very generous and I know first hand because when we reached out to them when they were first getting started they sponsored a big charity run that we helped organize. The festival offers olympic distance, long course, and xTerra races and youth triathlon. They also have an amazing raffle to help with their fundraising efforts with awesome triathlete gear including bikes, racing wheels, garmins, helmets, wetsuits, and more. I was the lucky winner of some new bike gloves and a 200 dollar gift certificate for SKINS products which I am a fan of Compression Wear!
Back to the race....the forecast called for scattered thunder storms, but on race morning the conditions were just right. The temperatures started in the 50s and went up to the low 70s. There were 130 athletes in the long course (including the relay teams) which turned out to be a little longer than the actual half IM distance by a mile or two. We were standing at start and all of a sudden the men who were standing in the water were singing the National Anthem so the women in wave 2 on dry land joined in. The triathlete men's choir were pretty good and there were a few silly notes added, but it isn't easy singing in cold water. The water temperature was reported to be around 70. It did not feel hot or cold...can water not have a temperature. Many people have talked about having difficulty breathing in water in high altitude, but in the past I have never noticed this phenomenon. I did feel it a little bit initially at the start, but within a few minutes I was breathing comfortably. The hard part about this swim was that you started in this cove and had to swim out a few hundred feet and turn right, so you had no preview of where the buoys were placed and what other landmarks to spot. There were 2 orange basketball buoys and then there were 2 large red triangle bouys where you made the turns. The course was a triangle, but the bouys were not easy to see. The course did seem long, but I was comfortable and just slowly passing people the entire time. I finished 21st in the swim out of 94 individual long course athletes...right in line with my typical swim. The bad news was to get out of the water, you had to run up a short steep hill. The good news was at the top, you got a team of strippers to take your wetsuit off. T1 went smooth, but slow as usual. I am all about taking my time. Maybe when I return to shorter distances it will be worthwhile to try to move faster, but in Ironman, I think it is more important to make sure you have everything right.
When I took off for the bike, my heart rate was a bit elevated (I think from running up the hill), so I tried to settle down and take the first 10 miles slow per my coach's instruction even if it meant letting people pass. The bike was so much fun because it was like a roller coaster ride. I did not feel like wind was a factor and it seemed much easier than the last time we had rode on this course earlier in the summer. I felt steadier on the uphills and enjoyed to down hills. There were 3 long hills near the end, but they just did not seem as difficult as the last time. I also worked a lot on my nutrition and even though I had some tightness in my right adductor, I did not cramp on the hills like I did previously. I ate every 10 minutes, 1 Gu Chomp every 10 minutes for the first 50 minutes and then 1/4 bonk bar and then repeated that pattern each hour. I also took 1 salt tablet every 30 minutes and 1/4 bottle of CarbPro/EFS mix every hour plus 2 bottles of water. It is part science, part luck, I guess, but I am definitely able to digest the more sugary solids taken every 10 minutes than the drinks, gels, or snacks with too much fiber. After I reached the highest point of the climb, I felt like I was going to be able to run.
I was happy to get off my bike and again I felt relaxed during T2. I grabbed my jelly beans, salt, and my Camelback, so I could snack and drink on demand. I continued taking salt sticks every 30 min and jelly beans every 10 minutes, plus I drank water at every mile and squeezed wet sponges over my head. It was a bit humid by the time I got to the run. My clock indicated that I might even break 6:30, but my main goal was to run the entire 13.1 miles. The course went around the lake and through the campground where people were sitting in lawn chairs cheering the athletes on. I felt like I was a float in a parade smiling and waving to the crowd. I should have thrown jelly beans out to the children. There were a few funny fans including a man and his son who were in costume and playing Rocky Music and an older lady shaky purple pom poms. There were a lot of young volunteers who were enthusiastically manning the aide stations and were thrilled to hand you a wet sponge and some water. There was even a section with cows on the side of the road who were passionately mooing at the runners. The faster I tried to run, the more likely the legs would cramp. I stayed within my comfort zone and held off cramping. I thought about enjoying the run and not counting the miles, but you can't help by track the miles with the big signs on the course and all the aide stations, but they were good reminders when to eat and drink. I tried to enjoy the run and the scenery and not think too much about racing. I knew that the small field was competitive because athletes posted their predicted finish times so I was not expecting to place. My legs progressively became tighter and the only time I thought the cramps were going to win were when I had to stop to tie my shoe around mile 10 and the last mile. I really did not want to walk, so I was able to maintain a steady pace. It was at this point when I wondered how my legs were going to hold out for another 13.1 miles. I do not know the answer to that question, but I do know I have 10 more weeks to get them ready.
Results: Today I finished my first half Ironman distance in 6:33:26. I finished 21/94 in the swim, 78/94 in the bike and 65/94 in the run. I finished 7/10 in my age group, 16/27 out of women, and 67?/94 overall. I was most pleased that if you double this time we are looking at 13 plus hours which gives me 4 extra hours to make the cut off. I am now moving my appointment for my post race IV, to 10 pm instead of 12 midnight. I might even have time to go out for a celebratory drink!
10 weeks left to fine tune the engine. It feels good to be Half Way There!
First of all, if you are looking for a challenging course in a beautiful destination and you enjoy a small town race, I highly recommend Deuceman. It is a triathlon festival that is put on by Trisports.com which is an online triathlon stores that started in AZ and now partners with USAT. They also just opened a store in Tempe right across the street from Ironman AZ....so if you forget anything, you will be sure to find it at their store on race morning! Trisports.com is owned and operated by a triathlete couple who started the concept when they were looking for triathlon gear and their business has boomed along with their mission to give back to the community. They are very generous and I know first hand because when we reached out to them when they were first getting started they sponsored a big charity run that we helped organize. The festival offers olympic distance, long course, and xTerra races and youth triathlon. They also have an amazing raffle to help with their fundraising efforts with awesome triathlete gear including bikes, racing wheels, garmins, helmets, wetsuits, and more. I was the lucky winner of some new bike gloves and a 200 dollar gift certificate for SKINS products which I am a fan of Compression Wear!
Back to the race....the forecast called for scattered thunder storms, but on race morning the conditions were just right. The temperatures started in the 50s and went up to the low 70s. There were 130 athletes in the long course (including the relay teams) which turned out to be a little longer than the actual half IM distance by a mile or two. We were standing at start and all of a sudden the men who were standing in the water were singing the National Anthem so the women in wave 2 on dry land joined in. The triathlete men's choir were pretty good and there were a few silly notes added, but it isn't easy singing in cold water. The water temperature was reported to be around 70. It did not feel hot or cold...can water not have a temperature. Many people have talked about having difficulty breathing in water in high altitude, but in the past I have never noticed this phenomenon. I did feel it a little bit initially at the start, but within a few minutes I was breathing comfortably. The hard part about this swim was that you started in this cove and had to swim out a few hundred feet and turn right, so you had no preview of where the buoys were placed and what other landmarks to spot. There were 2 orange basketball buoys and then there were 2 large red triangle bouys where you made the turns. The course was a triangle, but the bouys were not easy to see. The course did seem long, but I was comfortable and just slowly passing people the entire time. I finished 21st in the swim out of 94 individual long course athletes...right in line with my typical swim. The bad news was to get out of the water, you had to run up a short steep hill. The good news was at the top, you got a team of strippers to take your wetsuit off. T1 went smooth, but slow as usual. I am all about taking my time. Maybe when I return to shorter distances it will be worthwhile to try to move faster, but in Ironman, I think it is more important to make sure you have everything right.
When I took off for the bike, my heart rate was a bit elevated (I think from running up the hill), so I tried to settle down and take the first 10 miles slow per my coach's instruction even if it meant letting people pass. The bike was so much fun because it was like a roller coaster ride. I did not feel like wind was a factor and it seemed much easier than the last time we had rode on this course earlier in the summer. I felt steadier on the uphills and enjoyed to down hills. There were 3 long hills near the end, but they just did not seem as difficult as the last time. I also worked a lot on my nutrition and even though I had some tightness in my right adductor, I did not cramp on the hills like I did previously. I ate every 10 minutes, 1 Gu Chomp every 10 minutes for the first 50 minutes and then 1/4 bonk bar and then repeated that pattern each hour. I also took 1 salt tablet every 30 minutes and 1/4 bottle of CarbPro/EFS mix every hour plus 2 bottles of water. It is part science, part luck, I guess, but I am definitely able to digest the more sugary solids taken every 10 minutes than the drinks, gels, or snacks with too much fiber. After I reached the highest point of the climb, I felt like I was going to be able to run.
I was happy to get off my bike and again I felt relaxed during T2. I grabbed my jelly beans, salt, and my Camelback, so I could snack and drink on demand. I continued taking salt sticks every 30 min and jelly beans every 10 minutes, plus I drank water at every mile and squeezed wet sponges over my head. It was a bit humid by the time I got to the run. My clock indicated that I might even break 6:30, but my main goal was to run the entire 13.1 miles. The course went around the lake and through the campground where people were sitting in lawn chairs cheering the athletes on. I felt like I was a float in a parade smiling and waving to the crowd. I should have thrown jelly beans out to the children. There were a few funny fans including a man and his son who were in costume and playing Rocky Music and an older lady shaky purple pom poms. There were a lot of young volunteers who were enthusiastically manning the aide stations and were thrilled to hand you a wet sponge and some water. There was even a section with cows on the side of the road who were passionately mooing at the runners. The faster I tried to run, the more likely the legs would cramp. I stayed within my comfort zone and held off cramping. I thought about enjoying the run and not counting the miles, but you can't help by track the miles with the big signs on the course and all the aide stations, but they were good reminders when to eat and drink. I tried to enjoy the run and the scenery and not think too much about racing. I knew that the small field was competitive because athletes posted their predicted finish times so I was not expecting to place. My legs progressively became tighter and the only time I thought the cramps were going to win were when I had to stop to tie my shoe around mile 10 and the last mile. I really did not want to walk, so I was able to maintain a steady pace. It was at this point when I wondered how my legs were going to hold out for another 13.1 miles. I do not know the answer to that question, but I do know I have 10 more weeks to get them ready.
Results: Today I finished my first half Ironman distance in 6:33:26. I finished 21/94 in the swim, 78/94 in the bike and 65/94 in the run. I finished 7/10 in my age group, 16/27 out of women, and 67?/94 overall. I was most pleased that if you double this time we are looking at 13 plus hours which gives me 4 extra hours to make the cut off. I am now moving my appointment for my post race IV, to 10 pm instead of 12 midnight. I might even have time to go out for a celebratory drink!
10 weeks left to fine tune the engine. It feels good to be Half Way There!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Ironman Pajama Party...Girls just wanna have fun!
When you finish a 5 hour bike ride and you feel like you just woke up from a dream, you wonder why you are going to swim, bike and run for 17 hours if you are just going to forget what you did right after you cross the finish line. There are some highlights from this journey that stand out more than others. When you look back on this amazing ride, you have flashbacks of the greatest moments.
This weekend was an "Ironman Pajama Party" and was just what the doctor ordered. I think it will be one of the flashbacks I will remember for a very long time. We headed back up to Flagstaff for another training weekend to escape the heat and enjoy the long weekend. The plan was to drive up early that morning, but being the "spoiled IMIT" (ironman in training) that I am, I did not want to sit on my bike after sitting in the car for a few hours before and/or after, so we made a weekend of it. Two of my bestest training buddies came up with me the night before (we call ourselves the Angels, but that is another story) our long bike ride. We decided to make a girls night of it where we could just hang out together, share meals, prepare our gear, and talk shop.
Without any alcohol involved, laughter filled the room. We discussed our concerns, emotions, aches and pains, fears, and hopes for our big day. We decided to turn in early since we had a 5 hour ride in the morning. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I said, I was tired, but I could not sleep. It is what I call "Ironman Insomnia". Sometimes it is hard to fall asleep or stay asleep due to the excessive amounts of training, your body working over time and the anxiety and excitement about the big day. I shared with the other angels that I was feeling on edge and more emotional. When we look at each other now, we don't have to say anything because we know what the other person is going through and you begin to laugh, sometimes until you cry. I can only compare it to PMS, so I renamed it PIS for pre-ironman syndrome. I am sure it is not exclusive to women. I said I have PIS and we laughed until we cried! What a release. It is amazing that your body does what it needs to in order to survive.
Other games we played this weekend include:
Racelab Trivial Pursuit: We discussed the history of our team and its accomplishments and trivia tidbits
Monopoly: IM Edition (patent pending, so don't think about stealing this game): Instead of GO TO JAIL, you had to GO TO THE COACHES CORNER. Watch out, you could not get out of the coaches corner until you did 4 steps of pushups on the wall at swim and vertical kicks or extra drills at track.
What Hurts Today? Stomach, Shoulders, Knees...pick one (or two or three)!
"If I were the Coach...." This game you fill in the blank. When you are wondering why your coach has you doing brick workouts or long workouts day after day or strength training on your day off and you dream of changing your schedule, what would you do!
Name that Acronym:
IMIT: Ironman in Training
PIS: Pre-ironman syndrome
NDFAH: Nice day for a HILL
The 5 hour ride went well. Flagstaff was in full bloom and wild sunflowers lined that roads and the meadows. We rode 80 miles under the fluffy clouds with a nice cool breeze (sometimes a little more than a cyclist hopes for) and even a little drizzle. When it started to rain, my teammate said "what are we going to do now" and I replied, "keep riding until we get to 5 hours". It never poured so we escaped big rains and everything was just right. No stomach upset in the cooler weather. A little back pain and foot pain, which leads one to question whether you can have everything feel right all in one day. This was a great ride to prepare for the Half Ironman we are doing next weekend which will be in similar conditions. All I know is that when I am surrounded by pine trees, everything in my world is right! The ride was followed by a good meal (or two) with friends and I could say family even though my husband and son were not able to make it as my Ironman Teammates have become my family.
We stayed another night in the cool pines to do our ten mile run and open water swim. We ran on the Urban Trail System in Flagstaff which actually wound through neighborhoods in the woods and then to the County Fairgrounds and a few more miles deeper in the woods. Slow and steady we did run on tired and sore legs. The swim was questionable, but we pushed on to fit it in and the water felt great. We finished just in time for THUNDER and a BIG RAIN STORM moved in right when we reached our cars.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS JOURNEY SO FAR: my angels, my long slow distance partner, my caretaker, my rookie, my young irongirls, 4 girls on the side of the road trying to change a tire, giant track workout, Friday mornings roundtable chats before swim, Friday breakfasts at Einsteins, long rides at Canyon Lake, meetings at Macayo's, meals after workouts, Flagstaff rides, dinner at Courtney's with team talent show, hugs from teammates and coaches every time you see them, texts around the clock, facebook friends, encouragement, laughter, pajama party, race day, meals, meals, and more meals, teammates, my brother who got me into this mess, both brothers who supports me through this mess, my husband and son who do just fine without my presence and have been patient, EFS, Carb Pro, sportsbeans, GU chews, bike fittings, Camille to Scottie, Triathlons, Vineman, Wine tasting, writing my blog, turtlescanfly2@blogspot.com and my bestest blog buddies and followers to share the journey with...... and I am sure the best is yet to come!
This weekend was an "Ironman Pajama Party" and was just what the doctor ordered. I think it will be one of the flashbacks I will remember for a very long time. We headed back up to Flagstaff for another training weekend to escape the heat and enjoy the long weekend. The plan was to drive up early that morning, but being the "spoiled IMIT" (ironman in training) that I am, I did not want to sit on my bike after sitting in the car for a few hours before and/or after, so we made a weekend of it. Two of my bestest training buddies came up with me the night before (we call ourselves the Angels, but that is another story) our long bike ride. We decided to make a girls night of it where we could just hang out together, share meals, prepare our gear, and talk shop.
Without any alcohol involved, laughter filled the room. We discussed our concerns, emotions, aches and pains, fears, and hopes for our big day. We decided to turn in early since we had a 5 hour ride in the morning. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I said, I was tired, but I could not sleep. It is what I call "Ironman Insomnia". Sometimes it is hard to fall asleep or stay asleep due to the excessive amounts of training, your body working over time and the anxiety and excitement about the big day. I shared with the other angels that I was feeling on edge and more emotional. When we look at each other now, we don't have to say anything because we know what the other person is going through and you begin to laugh, sometimes until you cry. I can only compare it to PMS, so I renamed it PIS for pre-ironman syndrome. I am sure it is not exclusive to women. I said I have PIS and we laughed until we cried! What a release. It is amazing that your body does what it needs to in order to survive.
Other games we played this weekend include:
Racelab Trivial Pursuit: We discussed the history of our team and its accomplishments and trivia tidbits
Monopoly: IM Edition (patent pending, so don't think about stealing this game): Instead of GO TO JAIL, you had to GO TO THE COACHES CORNER. Watch out, you could not get out of the coaches corner until you did 4 steps of pushups on the wall at swim and vertical kicks or extra drills at track.
What Hurts Today? Stomach, Shoulders, Knees...pick one (or two or three)!
"If I were the Coach...." This game you fill in the blank. When you are wondering why your coach has you doing brick workouts or long workouts day after day or strength training on your day off and you dream of changing your schedule, what would you do!
Name that Acronym:
IMIT: Ironman in Training
PIS: Pre-ironman syndrome
NDFAH: Nice day for a HILL
The 5 hour ride went well. Flagstaff was in full bloom and wild sunflowers lined that roads and the meadows. We rode 80 miles under the fluffy clouds with a nice cool breeze (sometimes a little more than a cyclist hopes for) and even a little drizzle. When it started to rain, my teammate said "what are we going to do now" and I replied, "keep riding until we get to 5 hours". It never poured so we escaped big rains and everything was just right. No stomach upset in the cooler weather. A little back pain and foot pain, which leads one to question whether you can have everything feel right all in one day. This was a great ride to prepare for the Half Ironman we are doing next weekend which will be in similar conditions. All I know is that when I am surrounded by pine trees, everything in my world is right! The ride was followed by a good meal (or two) with friends and I could say family even though my husband and son were not able to make it as my Ironman Teammates have become my family.
We stayed another night in the cool pines to do our ten mile run and open water swim. We ran on the Urban Trail System in Flagstaff which actually wound through neighborhoods in the woods and then to the County Fairgrounds and a few more miles deeper in the woods. Slow and steady we did run on tired and sore legs. The swim was questionable, but we pushed on to fit it in and the water felt great. We finished just in time for THUNDER and a BIG RAIN STORM moved in right when we reached our cars.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS JOURNEY SO FAR: my angels, my long slow distance partner, my caretaker, my rookie, my young irongirls, 4 girls on the side of the road trying to change a tire, giant track workout, Friday mornings roundtable chats before swim, Friday breakfasts at Einsteins, long rides at Canyon Lake, meetings at Macayo's, meals after workouts, Flagstaff rides, dinner at Courtney's with team talent show, hugs from teammates and coaches every time you see them, texts around the clock, facebook friends, encouragement, laughter, pajama party, race day, meals, meals, and more meals, teammates, my brother who got me into this mess, both brothers who supports me through this mess, my husband and son who do just fine without my presence and have been patient, EFS, Carb Pro, sportsbeans, GU chews, bike fittings, Camille to Scottie, Triathlons, Vineman, Wine tasting, writing my blog, turtlescanfly2@blogspot.com and my bestest blog buddies and followers to share the journey with...... and I am sure the best is yet to come!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
When in Doubt, Work it Out: Take the Long Road Home
After a rough week of just not feeling strong, I found out my blood work came out a little out of whack. I went in to the doctors for my annual thyroid check to monitor my medication I take for hypothyroidism. I told my doctor how great I was feeling and he had complimented me on my weight loss this year. I smiled and replied, "IRONMAN TRAINING". Later in the week, my muscles just felt empty. On Friday, I learned my liver enzymes were elevated along with my white blood cell count and my dose of synthroid needed to be increased. My son came home not feeling well and was feverish and by Saturday morning I seemed to share his soar throat and achy body.
He can just chillax, take some allergy and cold medicine and rest for the weekend, but not an IMIT(Ironman in Training)! There are miles to log and heart rate zones to visit. And the question of how hard to push without risking ending up sick in bed all week lingered in my mind. I met a few teammates for a 3.5 hour ride around the McDowell Mountains. The directions we chose took us up some nice steep hills to warm up and up a famous route called 9 mile hill. I knew that I was going to probably return to being a turtle, on this day, but I had no idea that once again, my legs would feel heavy and weak and the open sunshine and higher than usually humidity challenged my mind and body for the entire ride. I had no choice but to finish because I was already half way around the mountain and the only way back was to complete the other half. Turning around would be the same distance. My friends were nice enough to wait for me at the big bike rest stop. I thought about abandoning the mission on several occasions especially when I rode by a turn off to my house. I also don't like holding people back, but I just did not have it in me to keep up today. It quickly went from a "long" ride to a "survival" ride. I had to fight muscle fatigue, sore throat, burning feet, a little discomfort in my back, and another upset stomach despite following my coach's recommendations to add more water and salt to my nutrition.
I made it to the end, but I was not sure what was going to be left for my Sunday run, so I decided to just wake up without an alarm and see what the morning would bring. I checked my watch at 3:19 am as that seems to be when my biological alarm clock has been going off and then I hit the snooze button in my mind for an hour and decided I would take motrin to take the edge off the sore throat and see what my legs had in them.
I left at 5am and enjoyed running the first 30 minutes in the dark. When I passed by a street light and saw a shadow in front of me and one by my side, I realized I was back with me, myself and I and this is exactly where I was supposed to be. The only person that you can rely on in Ironman is yourself and it was good to have this reunion with my self. Even though I was alone, I was surrounded by my mind and body. Would we work together today or would we be battling it out to the finish. I got away from obsessing with what mile I was on and what my heart rate was and just listened to my body and went a comfortable pace that I knew I could sustain. I did snack when my Garmin chimed and sipped on my Camelback the entire way. Today was about running through being under the weather and pushing the wall back. I texted my husband to give him the thumbs up as I knew I could make the 16 miles today and would not need a rescue. As long as I was in the shade, my stomach seemed fine. As soon as the sun came up, my stomach starts acting up. I really think I am allergic to the sun. Maybe I should sign up for a night triathlon. On the other hand, I will likely be running in the night on race day.
My body is now telling me to rest. I think I have pushed the wall back enough for one day and do not want to end up spending the week in bed, so I will stop while I am ahead and skip the swim. Hoping to talk to my coach about making some adjustments to my schedule and looking closer at nutrition.
This week RAISED some serious DOUBT in my mind. I felt like I was being tested over and over again this week on how I could find a way to move, when I had nothing left to give. I suppose that the triathlon gods are looking over me trying to prepare me for what is to come. Training can last forever as long as we are healthy, but there are only 17 hours in an Ironman. The question is how to get to the start line well trained, well nourished, and well rested so the swim, bike and run will all be in harmony on race day. Well my friends, there are 85 days left to figure this out.
He can just chillax, take some allergy and cold medicine and rest for the weekend, but not an IMIT(Ironman in Training)! There are miles to log and heart rate zones to visit. And the question of how hard to push without risking ending up sick in bed all week lingered in my mind. I met a few teammates for a 3.5 hour ride around the McDowell Mountains. The directions we chose took us up some nice steep hills to warm up and up a famous route called 9 mile hill. I knew that I was going to probably return to being a turtle, on this day, but I had no idea that once again, my legs would feel heavy and weak and the open sunshine and higher than usually humidity challenged my mind and body for the entire ride. I had no choice but to finish because I was already half way around the mountain and the only way back was to complete the other half. Turning around would be the same distance. My friends were nice enough to wait for me at the big bike rest stop. I thought about abandoning the mission on several occasions especially when I rode by a turn off to my house. I also don't like holding people back, but I just did not have it in me to keep up today. It quickly went from a "long" ride to a "survival" ride. I had to fight muscle fatigue, sore throat, burning feet, a little discomfort in my back, and another upset stomach despite following my coach's recommendations to add more water and salt to my nutrition.
I made it to the end, but I was not sure what was going to be left for my Sunday run, so I decided to just wake up without an alarm and see what the morning would bring. I checked my watch at 3:19 am as that seems to be when my biological alarm clock has been going off and then I hit the snooze button in my mind for an hour and decided I would take motrin to take the edge off the sore throat and see what my legs had in them.
I left at 5am and enjoyed running the first 30 minutes in the dark. When I passed by a street light and saw a shadow in front of me and one by my side, I realized I was back with me, myself and I and this is exactly where I was supposed to be. The only person that you can rely on in Ironman is yourself and it was good to have this reunion with my self. Even though I was alone, I was surrounded by my mind and body. Would we work together today or would we be battling it out to the finish. I got away from obsessing with what mile I was on and what my heart rate was and just listened to my body and went a comfortable pace that I knew I could sustain. I did snack when my Garmin chimed and sipped on my Camelback the entire way. Today was about running through being under the weather and pushing the wall back. I texted my husband to give him the thumbs up as I knew I could make the 16 miles today and would not need a rescue. As long as I was in the shade, my stomach seemed fine. As soon as the sun came up, my stomach starts acting up. I really think I am allergic to the sun. Maybe I should sign up for a night triathlon. On the other hand, I will likely be running in the night on race day.
My body is now telling me to rest. I think I have pushed the wall back enough for one day and do not want to end up spending the week in bed, so I will stop while I am ahead and skip the swim. Hoping to talk to my coach about making some adjustments to my schedule and looking closer at nutrition.
This week RAISED some serious DOUBT in my mind. I felt like I was being tested over and over again this week on how I could find a way to move, when I had nothing left to give. I suppose that the triathlon gods are looking over me trying to prepare me for what is to come. Training can last forever as long as we are healthy, but there are only 17 hours in an Ironman. The question is how to get to the start line well trained, well nourished, and well rested so the swim, bike and run will all be in harmony on race day. Well my friends, there are 85 days left to figure this out.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Turn that Frown Upside Down: The Highs and Lows of Triathlon
When Sunday morning comes and I open one eye to check the time, I just want to roll over and go back to sleep. I wonder how my legs will support my weight when I try to stand up after another week of training and a 4 hour ride the day before. The week is not over until you finish your long run and final group swim. This is the hardest day of the week to rise and shine. So I manage to rise without the shine, because I know I have a teammate who is depending on me on the other side known as the parking lot. If we do not show up for each other, we would have to muster up super human will to go on. Thank goodness there are a few others like me.
I manage to get up and fill my Camelback with ice, fluid and fuel, reset my Garmin, and stuff a few snacks into my pockets. I tip toe into the garage and try to sneak out without waking the rest of the normal humans in my home who are still having sweet dreams. I head out in the dark trying to remember where I am going and what is on my training schedule. I look down at my car thermometer which reads 86 degrees. Oh, what a treat, we get to run in sub 90 temps this morning. I almost get to our meeting spot and a rabbit runs out from the middle of nowhere and I hear a loud noise. My heart aches for a moment and I roll on. The turtle does not want to beat the rabbit this way as it goes against everything this epic tale is all about. I arrive and exclaim, "I just killed a wabbit" and I was so upset, but knew that the turtle can not stop for anything (the run must go on). We did not see the rabbit as we took off to begin our short 12 mile run, so I was hopeful he miraculously might have escaped death (though later in the light, I observed that was not the case, unless someone else hit the maimed little fellow after me).
This particular Sunday was a reminder of how we come down after the "Highs" of Triathlon and experience the "Lows". The previous day was a 4 hour bike ride in our long zone on part of the Ironman Course. I managed to get 71 miles in with a moving average of 17.6 mph which makes me happy. You pedal until you get into your zone. Yes, your heart rate zone, but I am really speaking about the zone where you are just one with your bike and nothing else matters. You are at peace with yourself and the world and nobody can interfere with your special place...that is until you get a flat tire, have to stop at a traffic light, need to refuel or start to get an upset stomach....but when you are there, it is wonderful. I am sure only a drug user can relate, but this is a natural high that I can get by moving my body through space and time. The effects of this high last for hours even when you have stopped moving. It was not until the next day before the sun comes up and before the alarm chimes, do you question everything you are about and wonder how you are going to refill your tank so you can move forward for one more day.
This is where the Mental Training will come in very handy on Ironman Day. It is beyond where our motor programs can take us. It is the place that we have to store our mental and spiritual fuel to overcome fatigue, pain, mental barriers, free will, negativity, and convert them into determination and motivation to complete the task that we set out to do. It sure helps on the days where you think you cannot go on to have people waiting on the other side who can help you overcome these frown moments and find ways to turn them around. In 91 days, it is just going to be one person with all this stored information and endurance on the long path to the finish line. You will be surrounded by others racing against themselves, a clock and maybe a few others in their age group and the many loved ones, teammates and anonymous spectators cheering on the sidelines. I imagine the roars of the crowds will fall on deaf ears of the fierce and focused athletes, but I will keep my mind and heart open to using this energy to help me find my way to the finish line. One strategy that I will remember from my mental training bible is when in doubt SMILE as it releases tension and helps you get your head back in the game.
So literally turning the frown upside down when you are in the middle of your low will help you get back on top. I guess smiling is not so bad to practice. It is painless, free and contagious and you can throw a splash of laughter in while you are at it. The best moments on this journey are the hugs and laughter. So if your coach forgets to add this to your schedule, you should practice smiling while training in your long zone, when your Garmin beeps every mile, add a smile for 10 seconds to each interval during your track workouts and between swim sets, and don't forget to smile and hold it while you are flying down a hill!
See, don't you feel better already!
I manage to get up and fill my Camelback with ice, fluid and fuel, reset my Garmin, and stuff a few snacks into my pockets. I tip toe into the garage and try to sneak out without waking the rest of the normal humans in my home who are still having sweet dreams. I head out in the dark trying to remember where I am going and what is on my training schedule. I look down at my car thermometer which reads 86 degrees. Oh, what a treat, we get to run in sub 90 temps this morning. I almost get to our meeting spot and a rabbit runs out from the middle of nowhere and I hear a loud noise. My heart aches for a moment and I roll on. The turtle does not want to beat the rabbit this way as it goes against everything this epic tale is all about. I arrive and exclaim, "I just killed a wabbit" and I was so upset, but knew that the turtle can not stop for anything (the run must go on). We did not see the rabbit as we took off to begin our short 12 mile run, so I was hopeful he miraculously might have escaped death (though later in the light, I observed that was not the case, unless someone else hit the maimed little fellow after me).
This particular Sunday was a reminder of how we come down after the "Highs" of Triathlon and experience the "Lows". The previous day was a 4 hour bike ride in our long zone on part of the Ironman Course. I managed to get 71 miles in with a moving average of 17.6 mph which makes me happy. You pedal until you get into your zone. Yes, your heart rate zone, but I am really speaking about the zone where you are just one with your bike and nothing else matters. You are at peace with yourself and the world and nobody can interfere with your special place...that is until you get a flat tire, have to stop at a traffic light, need to refuel or start to get an upset stomach....but when you are there, it is wonderful. I am sure only a drug user can relate, but this is a natural high that I can get by moving my body through space and time. The effects of this high last for hours even when you have stopped moving. It was not until the next day before the sun comes up and before the alarm chimes, do you question everything you are about and wonder how you are going to refill your tank so you can move forward for one more day.
This is where the Mental Training will come in very handy on Ironman Day. It is beyond where our motor programs can take us. It is the place that we have to store our mental and spiritual fuel to overcome fatigue, pain, mental barriers, free will, negativity, and convert them into determination and motivation to complete the task that we set out to do. It sure helps on the days where you think you cannot go on to have people waiting on the other side who can help you overcome these frown moments and find ways to turn them around. In 91 days, it is just going to be one person with all this stored information and endurance on the long path to the finish line. You will be surrounded by others racing against themselves, a clock and maybe a few others in their age group and the many loved ones, teammates and anonymous spectators cheering on the sidelines. I imagine the roars of the crowds will fall on deaf ears of the fierce and focused athletes, but I will keep my mind and heart open to using this energy to help me find my way to the finish line. One strategy that I will remember from my mental training bible is when in doubt SMILE as it releases tension and helps you get your head back in the game.
So literally turning the frown upside down when you are in the middle of your low will help you get back on top. I guess smiling is not so bad to practice. It is painless, free and contagious and you can throw a splash of laughter in while you are at it. The best moments on this journey are the hugs and laughter. So if your coach forgets to add this to your schedule, you should practice smiling while training in your long zone, when your Garmin beeps every mile, add a smile for 10 seconds to each interval during your track workouts and between swim sets, and don't forget to smile and hold it while you are flying down a hill!
See, don't you feel better already!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Racing to Ironman: The Clock is Ticking
This weekend was a big milestone with the passing of 100 days left until IMAZ and the beginning of the fall race season leading up to the event. Friday was an exciting day marking the end of triple digits and a time for reflection on what we have been through since that cold and rainy morning last November when many people stood on line to sign up for this big adventure.
There have been 4 hours in the pool and 3 running and 3 bike workouts of varying speeds and intensity each week. We have layed bricks, done finales, biked up long hills, logged a lot of miles in our long zone, and eaten a lot of bagels, chews, jellybeans, gels, salt tabs, carb and electrolyte mixes...Not to mention all the miles we have driven in a car, just to get to a location to sit on our bikes and ride many more miles.
We have woven a tight knit team that is there to support each other whether it is laughing at 4 am when you are too tired to stand up let alone run, to rubbing out your teammates cramp, to lifting each other up when we are down, to encouraging someone to keep going when it hurts, to praising each other for their progress, to discussing private matters, to sharing life stories, to creating new stories, to sharing a passion between generations, to talking a friend off a cliff, to hugging someone when they cross the line, to enjoying a meal or movie together, and to just quietly being by someone's side when there are no words to be said. Together we stand, but each one of us has to travel to a very personal place to get into their own zone. You must go to a place that only you can reach which requires anchoring down, letting go, and digging deep. You find comfort in a familiar face along side of the road or another yellow jersey on the course and it makes you smile and then you return to that place inside where you contemplate, battle with yourself and find peace with yourself and the world. Sometimes it is like being stuck in a video game where you have to kill off the dragons that pop up along the way to get to the kingdom, but when you are moving fast and the demons stay off your path, riding through the wind brings you into a dream like state where you find your happy!
This weekend was the Mountain Man Olympic Triathlon in Flagstaff. It was another opportunity to escape the heat and assess how our bodies are responding to training. The race happened to be on my son's 13th birthday and my husband had to travel to Russia and could not enjoy the weekend with us. We were fortunate to have friends with a cabin at Morman Lake who hosted us and helped make my son's birthday a memorable one. I highly recommend staying in the pines as a pre-race strategy because I found myself to be extremely relaxed and calm. I picked up my race packet on Friday evening and just separated myself from all the pre-race excitement since we did not have to check our bikes in the day before the event. My son hung out with his friends and was in boy heaven playing in the woods with soft air guns and ATVs and other off road vehicles along with a boating adventure and campfires at night. He was happy and I was happy that he had a chance to really enjoy the outdoors. We just got to chill for the entire day. Well almost the entire day. I had a short brick workout to warm up for the race on Sunday and it was hard to keep it short because being in the pines makes you just want to go. I rode with the cows and ran with a deer and kept it short to save my legs for the race.
Sunday morning came and I got up before my 3 alarm system at 3:45 am and went quickly and quietly through the rituals because I did not want to wake up anyone else in the cabin. Off to the races in the dark I went. It was pitch black driving through the woods and then all of a sudden there were little spot lights and cars lining up on the side of the road and the pre-race festivities began! I parked a half mile away and stuffed all my gear into a small backpack and held a flashlight in my hand and rode my bike to the start. It was an open rack system and my team set up on 2 racks. It was fun and though the adrenaline was starting to flow, I felt an overwhelming sense of calm this particular morning. I was worried how I would do without butterflies in my stomach. After picking up our timing chips, body marking, donning our wetsuits and taking BEFORE pictures, we headed to the swim start. Ahhh, then my body started feeling a little whoozy, "oh good I am alive", I thought. Now, I am going to be ok if I don't get sick. The water is usually not a source of nerves for me so I decided to take the inside lane and we were off. My coach warned us about starting off too fast in high altitude so I made sure I went at a comfortable pace. The bouys seemed so far away today, but I just felt comfortable and made my way to the first green buoy. I did not deal with much congestion until the first turn and then I stayed on the inside to have a bit of a crash with another swimmer at the next buoy and she flipped out and screamed "WTF". I decided I was getting out of this "road rage" swimmers way and sprinted ahead. Not sure if she was upset with me or who got in who's path, but I was not taking any chances of someone that was falling apart in the water. Finally made it to the last turn and then it was a diagonal path to the finish. I could not see the bouy, so I just followed the other swimmers and hoped they were going toward the finish. The swims always start at sunrise so you always have the sun in your eyes in one direction and this time it was to the finish. I was satisfied with my swim and then fumbled as usual in the transition taking my wetsuit off and getting my bike gear off. I find this to be the most difficult transition trying to get your hands to work and balancing on your feet to get on your bike. My legs felt tired, but I had a lot of things to focus on since having another coaching session with my bicyclologist, Jeff, this month. We road this course 2 weekends ago, so I was familiar with what was to come. My legs came back and I enjoyed the rolling hills. The ups were a little harder this week after the swim and a bit more head wind and after getting passed by a few people on them, I came back stronger on the second half (plus it was a short ride for us being under 25 miles). I settled into my base heart rate zone which is not a place I easily get to. I was really happy to pass teammates in both directions and then a group of teammates screaming at the transition warms your heart. T2 went a lot smoother and I said I was taking my time, practicing a slower transition for IM, using reverse psychology with myself to try and relax. I looked at my watch on the way out and I was at 1:52. That meant I had an hour and 8 minutes to break the 3 hour mark and it was very doable if I could run the entire course so I contained my energy and started off slow. This course is known for its steep hill at mile 1.5. I had run it 2 weeks ago, so no surprises for me, but this time I had swam and bike before running it. I tried to enjoy the scenery, talk to myself to stay standing and say a prayer that my legs would not cramp. I sang happy birthday to my son and thought about some of my little angels that I carry with me on races to help me fly. The top of the hill seemed far away, but I knew at the turn around, it was going to be all down hill and the race would be mine. Only on the way down, I started feeling the pre-cramp twinges. Again, I tell myself all I have to do is stay standing up and moving forward. I shortened my stride. I felt good as though I could start running faster, but I knew I would risk a full blown cramp and I might be forced to walk. I did not want to walk. I realized that I did not take the salt tablets I had packed on my bike which might have prevented the cramping, but it was too late, so I had to just do what it took. I held off the major spasm until the last mile and even to the finish where my toes were curling and stuck together in my left shoe. This is what the Mountain Man race slogan was about "THE TOUGHEST RACE YOU WILL EVER LOVE". I looked down at my watch and I had done it, I had broken 3 hours on the hilly course in higher altitude with 3.5 minutes to spare. A gush of heat filled my face as I held back my tears and my brother ran up to me at the finish and helped me get water and walked me back to our tent so I could cheer the rest of our teammates on.
I ended up improving my time by at-least 5 or 6 minutes. I even ended up placing 3rd in my age group out of 14 which is quite an accomplishment for a HAPPY TURTLE. The first 2 places were quite a bit faster than me, but I was honored to be in the top three for a nice change. You never know what athletes are going to show up on race day. Even better, many of my teammates PRed. It is really cool to see everyone's hard work pay off. Not everyone has a perfect race, we wouldn't be here if we did. It is about overcoming each challenge as it presents itself and finding that happy place within and sharing it with others that seek it out.
We are well on our way. I still can't even imagine what is ahead in these final 14 weeks. The focus has to be on one day at a time, but us triathletes love to count and play with numbers. The clock might have stopped at the end of the race, but it is still ticking away on the count down to Ironman. Have you hugged your Ironman today?
There have been 4 hours in the pool and 3 running and 3 bike workouts of varying speeds and intensity each week. We have layed bricks, done finales, biked up long hills, logged a lot of miles in our long zone, and eaten a lot of bagels, chews, jellybeans, gels, salt tabs, carb and electrolyte mixes...Not to mention all the miles we have driven in a car, just to get to a location to sit on our bikes and ride many more miles.
We have woven a tight knit team that is there to support each other whether it is laughing at 4 am when you are too tired to stand up let alone run, to rubbing out your teammates cramp, to lifting each other up when we are down, to encouraging someone to keep going when it hurts, to praising each other for their progress, to discussing private matters, to sharing life stories, to creating new stories, to sharing a passion between generations, to talking a friend off a cliff, to hugging someone when they cross the line, to enjoying a meal or movie together, and to just quietly being by someone's side when there are no words to be said. Together we stand, but each one of us has to travel to a very personal place to get into their own zone. You must go to a place that only you can reach which requires anchoring down, letting go, and digging deep. You find comfort in a familiar face along side of the road or another yellow jersey on the course and it makes you smile and then you return to that place inside where you contemplate, battle with yourself and find peace with yourself and the world. Sometimes it is like being stuck in a video game where you have to kill off the dragons that pop up along the way to get to the kingdom, but when you are moving fast and the demons stay off your path, riding through the wind brings you into a dream like state where you find your happy!
This weekend was the Mountain Man Olympic Triathlon in Flagstaff. It was another opportunity to escape the heat and assess how our bodies are responding to training. The race happened to be on my son's 13th birthday and my husband had to travel to Russia and could not enjoy the weekend with us. We were fortunate to have friends with a cabin at Morman Lake who hosted us and helped make my son's birthday a memorable one. I highly recommend staying in the pines as a pre-race strategy because I found myself to be extremely relaxed and calm. I picked up my race packet on Friday evening and just separated myself from all the pre-race excitement since we did not have to check our bikes in the day before the event. My son hung out with his friends and was in boy heaven playing in the woods with soft air guns and ATVs and other off road vehicles along with a boating adventure and campfires at night. He was happy and I was happy that he had a chance to really enjoy the outdoors. We just got to chill for the entire day. Well almost the entire day. I had a short brick workout to warm up for the race on Sunday and it was hard to keep it short because being in the pines makes you just want to go. I rode with the cows and ran with a deer and kept it short to save my legs for the race.
Sunday morning came and I got up before my 3 alarm system at 3:45 am and went quickly and quietly through the rituals because I did not want to wake up anyone else in the cabin. Off to the races in the dark I went. It was pitch black driving through the woods and then all of a sudden there were little spot lights and cars lining up on the side of the road and the pre-race festivities began! I parked a half mile away and stuffed all my gear into a small backpack and held a flashlight in my hand and rode my bike to the start. It was an open rack system and my team set up on 2 racks. It was fun and though the adrenaline was starting to flow, I felt an overwhelming sense of calm this particular morning. I was worried how I would do without butterflies in my stomach. After picking up our timing chips, body marking, donning our wetsuits and taking BEFORE pictures, we headed to the swim start. Ahhh, then my body started feeling a little whoozy, "oh good I am alive", I thought. Now, I am going to be ok if I don't get sick. The water is usually not a source of nerves for me so I decided to take the inside lane and we were off. My coach warned us about starting off too fast in high altitude so I made sure I went at a comfortable pace. The bouys seemed so far away today, but I just felt comfortable and made my way to the first green buoy. I did not deal with much congestion until the first turn and then I stayed on the inside to have a bit of a crash with another swimmer at the next buoy and she flipped out and screamed "WTF". I decided I was getting out of this "road rage" swimmers way and sprinted ahead. Not sure if she was upset with me or who got in who's path, but I was not taking any chances of someone that was falling apart in the water. Finally made it to the last turn and then it was a diagonal path to the finish. I could not see the bouy, so I just followed the other swimmers and hoped they were going toward the finish. The swims always start at sunrise so you always have the sun in your eyes in one direction and this time it was to the finish. I was satisfied with my swim and then fumbled as usual in the transition taking my wetsuit off and getting my bike gear off. I find this to be the most difficult transition trying to get your hands to work and balancing on your feet to get on your bike. My legs felt tired, but I had a lot of things to focus on since having another coaching session with my bicyclologist, Jeff, this month. We road this course 2 weekends ago, so I was familiar with what was to come. My legs came back and I enjoyed the rolling hills. The ups were a little harder this week after the swim and a bit more head wind and after getting passed by a few people on them, I came back stronger on the second half (plus it was a short ride for us being under 25 miles). I settled into my base heart rate zone which is not a place I easily get to. I was really happy to pass teammates in both directions and then a group of teammates screaming at the transition warms your heart. T2 went a lot smoother and I said I was taking my time, practicing a slower transition for IM, using reverse psychology with myself to try and relax. I looked at my watch on the way out and I was at 1:52. That meant I had an hour and 8 minutes to break the 3 hour mark and it was very doable if I could run the entire course so I contained my energy and started off slow. This course is known for its steep hill at mile 1.5. I had run it 2 weeks ago, so no surprises for me, but this time I had swam and bike before running it. I tried to enjoy the scenery, talk to myself to stay standing and say a prayer that my legs would not cramp. I sang happy birthday to my son and thought about some of my little angels that I carry with me on races to help me fly. The top of the hill seemed far away, but I knew at the turn around, it was going to be all down hill and the race would be mine. Only on the way down, I started feeling the pre-cramp twinges. Again, I tell myself all I have to do is stay standing up and moving forward. I shortened my stride. I felt good as though I could start running faster, but I knew I would risk a full blown cramp and I might be forced to walk. I did not want to walk. I realized that I did not take the salt tablets I had packed on my bike which might have prevented the cramping, but it was too late, so I had to just do what it took. I held off the major spasm until the last mile and even to the finish where my toes were curling and stuck together in my left shoe. This is what the Mountain Man race slogan was about "THE TOUGHEST RACE YOU WILL EVER LOVE". I looked down at my watch and I had done it, I had broken 3 hours on the hilly course in higher altitude with 3.5 minutes to spare. A gush of heat filled my face as I held back my tears and my brother ran up to me at the finish and helped me get water and walked me back to our tent so I could cheer the rest of our teammates on.
I ended up improving my time by at-least 5 or 6 minutes. I even ended up placing 3rd in my age group out of 14 which is quite an accomplishment for a HAPPY TURTLE. The first 2 places were quite a bit faster than me, but I was honored to be in the top three for a nice change. You never know what athletes are going to show up on race day. Even better, many of my teammates PRed. It is really cool to see everyone's hard work pay off. Not everyone has a perfect race, we wouldn't be here if we did. It is about overcoming each challenge as it presents itself and finding that happy place within and sharing it with others that seek it out.
We are well on our way. I still can't even imagine what is ahead in these final 14 weeks. The focus has to be on one day at a time, but us triathletes love to count and play with numbers. The clock might have stopped at the end of the race, but it is still ticking away on the count down to Ironman. Have you hugged your Ironman today?
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