It's not all about me all the time (just some of the time).

This weekend was not all about me. I got to wear the spectator shoes as I switched gears to become the supporter. Along with this role, you get sore feet, sunburnt, and the privilege bearing the burden of worry. I had double worry this weekend because my 12 year old son was on his first trip out of state without us and was spending the day in Disneyland and my husband was doing his first 50 mile off road bike race. When I signed up for Ironman it lit a fire under my husband to get a piece of the action. He is already a natural cyclist, but is no longer running due to a patellar tendon tear and is not a swimmer, nor does he have the desire to find a way to paddle through the water as many triathletes do in order to gain the title of Ironman. So he chose a 50 mile off road mountain bike race called the Whiskey Off Road Race in Prescott, AZ. He had done a 20 mile race earlier in the year where he learned that mountain biking is not as easy as it looks. Then he found a race put on by Epic Rides and he sent a link to me. I thought great, a 25 mile ride through the pines, but he was not going to settle for 25, he insisted that he was going to do the 50 miler. We had watched a few videos like the Leadville 100 and Ride the Divide. I thought we agreed that you had to be certified INSANE to ride in these events. I guess he felt that he had a piece of that inside of him. So he got in rides on the road and trail whenever he could. His job is demanding and he would fit his training in early in the morning before conference calls, at lunch, in the evening and mostly after I got my training in. Chivalry is not dead ladies.....a husband that is willing to ride first when it is too cold or last when it is too hot is way better than having the door held open for you or your groceries carried in. The big weekend finally arrived and we went to the Expo at Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott to pick up his packet, watch the PRO criterion races, and go to the pre-race meeting. Prescott, AZ is a historical town in Arizona famous for its Whiskey Row which back in the days of the wild wild west and still today is lined with taverns. The town has a big courthouse in the center with a beautiful lawn and is surrounded by cute little shops and pubs. They really know how to host an event and the whole town gets involved. This was the 9th year for the Whiskey Off Road and they were able to grow the event and attract a big pro playing field by offering 30K in prize money! The criterion race was something else watching pro men and women loop around a track placed on a steep hill in downtown Prescott for 20 minutes. They would blow a whistle and the winner of that lap would win an extra 100 dollars and at 20 minutes they got to ride 3 more laps and the first place rider won 1000 dollars. We found some dinner and hurried back to the big stage for the pre-race meeting. The event director gave a detailed description of the course. I mostly hear him say, you are going to go UP, UP, UP and then UP, UP, UP, and then UP, UP, UP with a few curves, drops, water crossings and even waterfalls. I heard stay on your bike and I heard get off and walk. My husband kept his fears inside, but I was wondering frankly how he was going to survive this type of terrain. So with a picture of the course in our heads we headed back to my parents house where we were camping out and got a good nights sleep. Then we were back downtown and got a parking spot close to the start line and watch everyone slowly show up with their bikes. The seriously mountain bikes were wearing their fancy team jerseys or sponsored shirts and bike pants and bikes of all caliber and color. The races were categorized by proof in lieu of miles. The 50 proof ride started at 7:30 and the riders filled an entire block and the race organizers kept having to ask the riders to move back as they were allowing the single speed bikes to line up in the front (which I wondered how a single speed would even keep up with the others, but in the end you'll see why). They had funny signs with speed related themes on them for you to pick a start spot. 3 guns and the riders were off. In the meantime, I am training for an Ironman you know, so I got a nice 90 minute run in on part of the Whiskey Row Marathon course and by the time I returned, the 25 proofers were lining up. They probably took up 2 blocks but I decided to watch them start up on top of the first hill at the start. Just as I started to relax and found a cute little bakery for a morning snack, I hear the announcers saying to expect the first finisher of the 50 proof ride in about 40 minutes....so I headed back to the finish area and there I stood for over 3 hours watching both races finish and wondering how my brave husband was faring. I was hanging out with my favorite bike shop High Gear in Prescott and planning for a ride with a few of them when I return at the end of May. The first finisher of the 50 proof came in on a single speed in 3 hours and 19 minutes. INSANE. A single speed. HOW? Many riders were coming in on flat tires, broken chains, cramping muscles, and maybe a few broken hearts....but each crossed with a lot of soul, gusto, and fortitude. I was able to see one of my coaches finish and one of my teammates. I started to listen for sirens and accident reports, but I knew Dennis was a good cyclist, so part of me had faith that he was going to surprise me and the other part of me was waiting for a phone call. Sure enough right around 6 hours, Dennis raced in to the finish line in his plain red jersey and his big bulky Camelback. I ran to him and he had tears in his eyes. I looked at him and I knew he had faced something big and that he got it. He now knew what it was like to set your sights so far, so high that he had to dig very very very deep into his soul to muster up the human strength to complete such a grueling task. I felt like he now had an idea about what child birth was like and what Ironman would be like for me, though I really don't think Ironman will be as grueling because I will only need to move forward and he had to move UP, UP, UP! Congratulations to Dennis for being made of Iron. He finished with relief, pride, a Whiskey Off Road 50 proof PINT glass, and probably a new addiction for the adrenaline rush that you get when you push far past your limits. May I have a little bit of that for Ironman and be that tough! Once again, I found myself very sore and tired from spectating and wishing that I were the one moving instead of standing still. I do think spectating is a hard job, grueling in fact....so I think I have earned my 17 hours that my husband will be standing, pacing, and worrying for me in November.

Big Sigh! Ahhhhhhhhhh.

I can only imagine how good the end of an Ironman will taste.  I am always so happy when the week is over.  Most people look forward to relaxing and kicking back when the weekend rolls around...that is unless you are a triathlete.  There is no partying late at night and no sleeping in.  There is usually a 4 am wake up.  Friday consists of a team swim and then breakfast to rev up the team spirit and reflect on the past week and plan for the weekend ahead.  Saturday is usually the long bike ride and by Sunday you actually could sleep in if you had the time, but up again for a long run and a swim.  This weekend we substituted Splash and Dash for our Sunday run and swim, but the trick was somehow you needed to get your long mileage in.....so a group of us met at 5 am and did 8.5 miles (we were a half mile short, but who's counting and we needed time to get to Spash and Dash).  Next we did a 2000 meter swim in Tempe Town Lake followed by a 5K run.  My swim time was about 1:40 slower than my last 2000 meter OWS, but I cut myself some slack after biking 3 hours the day before and running 8.5 miles right before the event.  Eventhough my legs were crying out ENOUGH ENOUGH, I smiled inside and thought this is great practice for running on those tired legs (Ironman is always lurking in the back of my mind...it never leaves me).  It is all about rehearsal...practice, practice, practice.

Now the best part of the weekend is being done.  Time for a nap and a day off.  Mondays are no longer something to dread, but a day to relax and recover.  I live for Mondays now.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

My New Ride: I'm in Love!

My new bike finally arrived!  I am calling the new Scott Foil 20: "Scottie".   I picked him up on Thursday and rode home 3 miles from the shop.  It is like being born again as I took my first pedals.  I took one look at Scottie and you would think I would have just embraced him right away.  I was more relieved I did not have to climb up a ladder to get on.  I felt a little bit shy and a little worried that his handlebars appeared so far away.  I measured the reach and it was exactly the same as Chamele's.  The most telling thing was when I went to lift him over my head and he almost flew out of my arms.  I looked him over from bar to wheel like a teenage boy checks out his first love be it a car or a girl.  After visiting Jeff my personal bicyclologist (fitter), he rotated the bars, lowered the stem by taking out 2 rings, moved the seat forward, adjusted my cleats, and gave me a few more tips for pedaling, position, riding the drops and standing.  Then we put Scottie on the scale and he weighed in at 16.6 lbs with pedals and 2 water sidecage water bottle holders.  The wheels weighed over 6 lbs. and we talked about the potential for getting even lighter with race wheels.  Then Jeff sent me on my way to get acquainted with Scott for a month and then we will revisit seat, aerobar options, and wheels as my fitness improves. 

I decided to forgo our group ride and took Scottie out for 3 hours this morning. 

Chamele, YOU'RE FIRED!  Scottie is the new CBE (chief bike executive) of my IM training.  Well, I won't let my purple pal go so easily.  She has brought me to this point and has been a reliable training partner, so I am giving her a new job as trainer buddy and back up bike.

I set out at the crack of dawn.  All I can say is BETTER, BETTER, BETTER....better shifters, better brakes, better handling on turns, and lighter and faster on the hills both up and down where I noticed it the most.  I was able to keep a more consistent cadence up hill and the turtle felt like she was flying on the down.  It seemed to handle well in the wind.

Areas of need:  Still had some issues with foot pain, but Jeff adjusted my left cleat and talked about how I was distributing my weight through the cycle and I was able to shift the weight more posterior in my foot on the upswing which seemed to resolve the problem.  I was trying to find my sweetspot on the extra firm seat that came with Scottie and in the end I think it provided more proprioceptive input to keep my core active.  The verdict is still out there on the seat and will take some time.  I felt more comfortable being a little lower on the bars and definitely in the drops (yeah!) and did better with standing for short periods.  I was having a little back pain at times, but I had that on my other bike as well and I think everything left to fix is related to my form and getting a better motor program hard wired in my brain.

I AM IN LOVE with SCOTTIE.

Race Report: Beginning of the 2012 Spring Season

It has been a busy and exciting week at the Turtle's Den (not sure where turtles live...will have to look that one up).  This week began with a VO2max test on my bike where I learned that I am not an efficient fuel burner and I am waiting for my coach to determine my heart rate zones to begin training to help my body learn to burn fat!  (what is left to find out about that I am NOT efficient in...oh, I have a treadmill test this week).  I got to test out the water one more time at our local Spash and Dash event on Thursday and did a 1500 meter swim in Tempe Town Lake and a 5K run along the lake.  It was a nice dress rehearsal for today's triathlon.  I have definitely had my good and bad workouts this week.  Seems that early in the week, I am having a little more fatigue from the previous weekend, but I am bouncing back by the middle of the week.

Today was our opening race of the season, The Marquee Triathlon.  I competed in the Olympic Distance.  It was my first test run of 2012 to prepare for the Ironman Course.  As I was driving down to Tempe this morning, I thought about how relieved I was to be doing the IM on my local turf and not have to add in the anxiety of being in a strange city and finding out how to get to the event and where to park.  It can be exciting to travel, but I think taking on the task of IM is grand enough in itself.  So for any of my new friends that will be traveling to AZ, please let me know if I can do anything to make your travel any easier.  The race course itself is pretty easy to follow....just go in circles.  They did change the transition area around a little bit to make more room for the Expo and to decrease congestion, but I am not certain how IM will arrange the transition.  Each triathlon that takes place at our lake changes up the course a little bit.

(This was an amazing picture that one of my teammates took of the lake early this morning.  I hope it was ok to borrow this Luis.)  It makes TTL look inviting.

Triathlons at TTL are a big to do.  You have to drop your bikes off the day before and this was my first time doing a triathlon as part of a team.  Racelab had a first timers meeting and eventhough I am not exactly a first timer, I love to learn new tips from the more experienced triathlete.  The three most important things I took away from the meeting were NO WHINING, NO QUITTING unless you face a life threatening situation and SMILE at the finish.  I think I will always feel like a novice.  Maybe once I earn my Ironman status, I will hold a higher position!

Yesterday was very windy with a chance of rain.  Racing bikes were swaying and a few falling off the racks.  Today we woke up to perfect race day conditions.  It was in the 50s at the start with 65 degree water temps and warmed into the 60s.  The swim went off without a hitch.  We started in waves and if you are over 40 and female you start in the last wave (except this time they had a wave behind us for first timers).  I had a successful swim though not as fast at Thursday night and a little cramping at the end, but I actually finished 1st out of the water in my age group.  But that was not enough to maintain the lead as I fell further behind relatively speaking on the bike and run.  Every athlete has their strong event, but the triathlon is definitely not won in the swim.

Today was the first time I had a wetsuit stripper and that was awesome saving time and effort.  I was slow in my transitions which gives me something to work on, but I felt strong on the bike.  I averaged 16.5 mph which is an improvement since my last bike events where I usually averaged 15 mph.  Maybe those shorter cranks helped, but this was probably the Purple Chameleon's last race as I am hoping to have my new Scottie by next race and maybe will gain another mph.

The next transition went better but was still slow.  I chose to keep my regular laces in cause I don't really like the elastic no tie ones, but might have to try them again.  My feet felt numb after the bike ride and then went to burning, but it was tolerable and I was able to hold a steady pace of 9:40 on my 10K.  This is an area I hope to improve in for my shorter tris, but it would be great if I could hold this pace for an IM.  I just worked on keeping a slow steady pace and was hoping for a kick at the end, but I will settle for getting through the run without any significant problems.

My family was there with me today and that especially helped the last few miles of the run when I was starting to feel the burn. 

So multiple today by 4 and you get an IRONMAN.  I finished in 3:04:56 (10 min faster than previous Olympic Distances) and finished 65/114 women and 7/15 in my age group.  There is hope in making the cut offs for IM, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

Sneak Peak Ahead:  VO2max treadmill test
May 5, Olympic Tri at TTL with goal to break 3 hours and hopefully have the new bike to help me do it.

Congrats to all my teammates and friends that competed today.  Congrats to my friend Adrienne who came in 1st place in women's olympic.  Well wishes to my friend Denise who crashed into a moped that cut across the course.  And most of all thanks to the wonderful team that supports everyone no matter what.  Today's event was dedicated to the cyclists in last weeks accident and to show our support we wrote their names on our bodies.  Everyone rocked!

Ups and Downs of Triathlon

My thoughts are with the families of 3 local cyclists who were seriously injured yesterday by a distracted driver.  One cyclist from my team was out with 2 of his buddies riding single file in the bike lane and were hit by an SUV sustaining life threatening injuries.  This hits us all close to home and reminds us that we can only do our part in staying safe when we are on our bikes and strongly urge your friends and family to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the steering wheel.  It is also a very strong NOTE to self to assess your own driving skills to keep other cyclists safe.  As a cyclist, you see a different perspective of modern day drivers and I was in a bike clinic where we were discussing maintenance and safety right before we learned the news.  Many athletes are contemplating if it is worth the risk to continue what we love, but I don't think backing down is the answer.  Be pro-active in your community, starting with taking responsibility for your own actions when you are behind the wheel and then reach out to drivers even if it is one driver at a time.

Unfortunately this is one DOWN that could be your last.

Now for some UPS!  I had a follow up visit with my bike fitter on Monday.  We did some additional work on my pedal stroke as I was still dropping my heel and losing power.  His video technology really provided good feedback along with some hand over hand guidance of my foot.  It is finding what learning strategies work for you.  Then, he retested my power and I had to race the ghost dummy on the computer again for 4 minutes on a hilly course.  This time with my new set up (shorter cranks) after a month of practice and a little more instruction, I was able to utilize the same amount of power as the dummy (Last time I used 30 Watts more power than the dummy) and my right and left legs produced equal power (last time I was asymmetrical).  The bad news is that I still need a lot of work on my foot position and technique, but the good news is that with the shorter crank I now have the ability to do this.  It is still a matter of undoing the old motor program and getting the new one to stick.  Out with the old and in with the new!

The best news this week is that we came to a decision about a bike and it is a Scott Foil 20 Carbon Road Bike that we are putting shorter cranks on, shorter stem and different bars to give me the proper reach and stack and optimal position for creating power when I pedal.  At this time, Jeff did not feel I have the ability to ride in an aero position and he reassured me that at my speed, I am not losing any power and that I have potential to gain length in my muscles and conditioning with my training and then we will add clip on aero bars if there is any benefit when my body is ready.  Jeff is really a bicyclologist as his methodology is evidence based.  He likes to teach and show me a lot of graphs and data.  It all makes sense when he explains it, but I am not as eloquent in repeating it back to others.  All I can say in the bike world is that everyone has their opinion (very strong opinions).  I am finding out that every person who shares their knowledge with me, has different ideas about what the "right way" to do things is.  As an objective athlete, I chose to take it all in and then find what works for me.

This week I found myself waking up with energy and having good workouts, but then dragging in the afternoon and passing out in the early evenings.  Then I would wake up late at night and have trouble sleeping through the night.  My brain is very confused between fatigue and early morning workouts.  I like that I am waking up early, but I need more solid sleep.  I seemed to be better by the end of the week for the hard workouts.

Friday we had a hard swim going all out at different distances.  Saturday we had a 2 hour bike ride on part of Ironman course and the Marquee Triathlon that is on my schedule for next week and there was an  Open Water Swim Event in Tempe Town Lake and I did the 2000 meter.  Lastly, a 6 mile run this morning and once again I finish up the week, so happy to be done....thirsty for rest!

The Swim was great.  I am taking advantage of any opportunity for open water swim practice and especially in Tempe where most of my races including Ironman will be held.  It is really a calm lake on a typical Arizona Day.  The water temp was 63 and the air temp was in the upper 80s.  The water had lots of cool and warm spots.  The swim was very pleasant and I ended up finishing in 36:40 taking 5th place amongst the women and 3rd place in my age group.  I even won a nice glass for a big Smoothie (most people will probably drink beer out of it, but that is not my thing).  It was a pretty small event so just do a small happy dance, but I was very pleased with my performance, though I knew that my left arm was dragging and I did not feel fully conditioned as my distances in practice are short right now.

So those were the UPS and DOWNS of the week and I expect the hilly ride to continue.  I guess I better start thinking of a name for my new bike.  She (or he) should arrive within 2 weeks.  Suggestions for names are welcome.  I may just stick to the name on the bike "Scott" as that is my oldest brother and one of my heros (he is training for his 3rd Ironman).

Preview for upcoming week:
Thursday:  Splash and Dash at Tempe Town Lake 1500 m swim and 3 mile run
Sunday:  Marquee Olympic Distance Tri at Tempe Town Lake

Happy Training and PLEASE BE SAFE whether you are on 2 wheels or 4!

The Turtle is Back on the Run: Confidence Boosters and Reminders

Another week done for the Iron Turtle!  It always feels good to complete another week of training and realize you are getting closer to your goal.  You go through peaks and valleys along the way and sometimes you want the clock to slow down to give you more time to prepare and other times you just want to race to the starting line.  This week had a few bumps in the road, but as my distances increase, so do my cravings for more.  This weekend was full of endorphins and a reminder of what I love about distance.  The more miles you cover comfortably, the more confident you become.  This week the turtle found her running legs!  For the first time in many months, I had a comfortable 10 mile run.  The legs are getting more in sync with my mind.

Ironman is not only about the daily training, but about the continual lessons we learn.

Confidence Boosters
1.  Completed 3.5 hour bike ride (a half a century never felt so good)
2.  Completed 10 mile run (and felt good)
3.  Stronger legs on bike with faster and more consistent cadence

Reminders
1.  Block time to practice changing flat (flatted 3 miles into long ride and though I made progress, still needed to call for help....that is not going to cut it on race day...so need to just add it to my schedule until I can do it in my sleep!)
2.  Little twinges in body are signals....listen to what your body is trying to tell you and be proactive (hydrate, stretch, sleep...yes still need reminders for all of those)
3.  Never give up when the cards are not in your favor.  Just shake it off and move forward.  What's done is done, but you can still change what lies ahead.  (I lost my group and time on my ride with my flat, but I pushed forward after I got my bike running and did what I had to do.  Let go of the bad workouts, they will happen.)

Upcoming Events: 
Session with Bike Fitter and decision on new bike tomorrow! 
Open water events and first Olympic Tri coming up in the next 2 weeks. 
VO2max testing