so, depending on wtf actually happened, i either won 1st or 2nd in the athena class with my time of 1:27:55 (scroll down to the end for details on that).
i currently have a 1st place medal staring me in the face, but i may not actually deserve that, so...
let's focus on what i do know for sure: how the race went for me, personally.
Pre-race
This time I didn’t make the mistake of going out late the night before, drinking, and eating the wrong things. My ideal day pre-race would consist of sleeping in, having a nutritious breakfast, packing all my gear neatly and with plenty of time, staying really hydrated, stretching out for an hour, and relaxing both body and mind in the a/c during the day (while watching something inspirational like ‘the right stuff’) before having a really balanced dinner full of good carbs before retiring early for a restful night’s sleep.
I think this will probably never happen.
I did do better this time though. Sure, I rushed to school in the morning to split some cells. And rushed home to scarf some food before rushing up north with my husband to go do some mountain biking, which we squeezed in before heading to a friend’s housewarming. So I spent the entire day running around, outdoors in the humid heat, on my feet (including my bad foot) and being active. I only had a few ounces of delicious sangria, and one beer, and steered clear of the cookies and cake. I stuck to a burger, veggies, tons of water, and some cheese. So you see? I really tried.
Then I packed last-minute, and managed to hurry to bed by 11 pm. With the alarm set for 4.30, I thought I could get semi-decent sleep. I was wrong. My IT band and hip were lit up all night, making me so uncomfortable I couldn’t sleep. I think I clocked about 3 hours of total sleep, none of which was consecutive. My throat hurt. I had a really stuffy nose. My foot hurt. Alarm goes off. What a great start to a race of a distance I’d never done before, in 90 degree humid weather.
Mind over matter, they say. Half of me said it was probably stupid to race on Sunday. The other half said, shut up you, I paid $120 and got way too excited to bail out now. Why don’t we just try to kick some ass anyway and see how far we get? So that’s what I did.
The swim (0.5 mi; 18:52, includes 0.2 mi run to T1)
First off, we had to walk about a mile down the sidewalk to get to the swim start from transition. Barefoot, no less, and avoiding glass as best we could. I waited as long as I dared before suiting up and getting acclimatized to the water. Just after I got out, it was announced that there was a 30 min delay to the start. As I was in wave 6, I had about an hour before I’d be in the water. And I felt like I had to use the bathroom again. The only toilets were back in transition. Great. So I did the smartest thing – hydrated with whatever water I could find and lay down in the shade, as the temp was already climbing.
I figured the swim would feel really quick and only take me about 15 min. Wrong! I had chuckled at how 2 of the elites in the first wave swam way off course and didn’t notice the kayaker trying to redirect them, so they lost several minutes on the leader. Hubris must have prevailed, because I wound up doing the same thing, at the same place on the dog-leg course. The water was fine, but I was just not in my rhythm; I was swum over and into a lot, and just kept on going. I did catch up to the back of the wave that started 4 min in front of us, but those poor kids were struggling and I did the best I could to not run into them and freak them out. Not all of my wave compatriots were as thoughtful. I think my congestion made it hard to put my usual amount of effort into the swim. That, and I hadn’t done any swimming since mass states 3 weeks prior, thinking I didn’t need to; I stand corrected.
T1 (2:00)
Went well, except for the race design necessitating a 2/10 mile run across the beach and parking lot from swim finish back to transition. Again, barefoot and in a wetsuit – not ideal; I was praying I wouldn’t hurt myself on any of the glass and gravel. I was not excited to run barefoot with my tendonitis, but I discovered I was at least able to run. That was a pleasant surprise.
The bike (10 mi; 28:35, 21 mph average!)
I was excited to bike. A flat course, for the first time ever; and a short one, too. I wanted to see how fast I could crank this one out. Despite my complaints about the run to T1, that really seemed to warm up my legs post-swim and I had no cramps on the bike this time. Maybe next tri, I’ll have to run a little harder going into T1 just to get the blood pumping.
I struggled to drink even 1/3 of my electrolyte water, and didn’t even touch my endurox, while on the bike. I was in aero pretty much the whole time, except for the tight turnaround and part of the course that looped through the transition parking lot, where I was on the drops. That parking lot bit was rough and unpleasant; no way to jockey for position there. On the whole bike, only 2 guys passed me, and I did a lot of overtaking. I saw speeds of 18-26 mph most of the times I looked down, and kept my cadence in the high 90’s for the majority of the ride. I rode exclusively in my middle gear working through 4-8 in the back; I was good about downshifting before the tight turns to be in a good accelerating position on the way out. I was working hard, actually breathing harder than I usually do on flats. It felt good.
T2 (1:21)
Also went well, pretty quick.
The run (4 mi; 37:10, 9:55 min/mi pace)
Actually went better than I anticipated, all things considered. It was a poor ~5k time for me under normal circumstances, but considering the lack of sleep, my cold, the incredible heat and burning sun, and my tendonitis, it went quite well. I think I picked up speed in the middle for a bit, and feel like I could have gone faster had I been feeling better and had I not wanted to make my foot worse. I took in 1 clif shot gel in the first few minutes, and didn’t know I would have to wait a mile to get to a water stop to wash it down – blargh. There were only 2 water stops and it was so hot, I took 2 waters at each – one to drink and one to dump over my head. At about the 2.5 mi mark, I felt a slight rubbing at my heel that increased into pain pretty quickly. I looked down and realized my wicking thin sock had rolled down into my shoe, and the back of my sneaker had rubbed all the skin off my heel and was now soaking with blood. Awesome. I figured if I ran a little faster, the discomfort would be over sooner, so I tried that tactic. The last 200 meters I tried to pick it up some, but then the finish was on the sand, which is not my forte. I gritted my teeth against the sand getting into my shredded heel and tried to just make it across.
The finish
I hung around in the stifling heat to see the times posted. I was so pumped to find out I won the Athena class again (once again, only 4 people in it…). I was determined to get a medal this time, so I stayed for 2 hours waiting for the awards. I wasn’t disappointed – I got a huge medal of a bike gear sprocket. And I got to stand on a podium (alone, but whatever. Still cool!). I decided that I have an answer to all those online tri snobs who ask why any woman would self-class herself as over 150 lbs and race Athena. I’ll tell you guys what: I’ll start racing in my age group instead – when I get sick of medals. Har!!
Post-race
Even though I was extremely tired and overheated, I swung by my friends’ house in east boston, took a shower, and fell asleep waiting for my husband to come in and hang out. Since we are all crazy, we rode our bikes another 10 mi around the city, in the 90 deg heat, to get food and drinks in Cambridge. It was an awesome evening and a great way to wrap up the day.
One thing that really sucked was that when the tentative results were posted, I was shown to be 5th OVERALL on the bike. That made my day; I was so excited I was happy to share that news. Including on facebook. And then the official results came up, and it turned out that was wrong – I was 60-somethingith overall, but at least the 3rd fastest female bike out of 90 women. So fine, I had to retract some of my self-congratulatory sentiment, but I figured I should still be proud.
And now when I look at the results to get my splits, something online changed a few days post-race and I’m suddenly shown as 2nd and not 1st Athena; I guess some other woman may have changed her class or something, or a timing error occurred. While it’s pretty embarrassing to me now, on race day I was excited based on the information I had – including being given the 1st place medal. So I’m going to try really hard and still be happy rather than look back and find something to fret about. I almost didn’t race that race, and certainly didn’t expect to do well, so all this is gravy. I’ll mail that poor woman my medal if I need to.
Next time I think I will wait about a solid week before I get too excited about any day-of racing results. Lessons learned!
20 August 2009
10 August 2009
week of 7/3: starting the half-marathon plan
so i had this past week, and this coming week, to train before what may be my last tri of the season (urban epic on 8/16). i say "may" because i'd kind of like to do a sprint or two in sept/oct, but i haven't found any that work for me timing-wise with our upcoming trip to tuscany. so we'll have to see.
i was pumped to start the 10-week half-marathon plan i decided to use from active.com. i picked this plan because it's the only one i found that's based on running only 3x a week, and not 4-6x. i think i can't take running that often yet without getting a definite injury.
it wasn't the best week; my SI joint issues are bugging me more than ever. i have flaming pain in my butt around my piriformis, on both sides but worst on the left. my right IT band is still tight but not terrible, though it began hurting me more this week. my left hamstring is still (seemingly always) pissed. and now, as of the end of this week, my left foot hurts on the outside, underneath the ankle with a weird tight rubbing sensation spreading to the sole of my foot. i think it may be peroneal tendonitis.
i also had another blood sugar crash on wedesday, after a relaxed 30 min jog. i must have waited too long after lunch to go do it. i had ACTH challenge bloodwork scheduled for the next day, to rule out adrenal fatigue in these issues. that was no fun; between the way the cortrosyn made me feel, on top of the headache and fatigue from the crash, on top of finally getting my period after it was 10 days late (another issue altogether, which i think is related to high-protein diets), i felt so crappy i spent the entire day in bed.
i still managed to do some exercising this week, and have a good time during most of it. i'm remarkably nonplussed about my foot pain. it's definitely going to impact the half-marathon training, for at least a week or two. ordinarily i'd be furious, scared, upset, frustrated, and just plain unpleasant. now i'm kind of "enh, who's surprised, i've had a long season and been training without rest for nearly 7 months now, with relatively few injuries and issues. it could be worse, and i'm sure this will get better." how's that for a change?
8/3: speedwork at the track. 4.5 mi total. 4x200 at 8:37 min/mi pace target (2:07 per 200m).
1.5 mi warmup
4x200 with 200 jog between each
1) 1:50 (pukingly quick)
2) 2:09
3) 2:07
4) 2:06
1 mi cooldown
8/4: bike, ~30 mi total.
to school: 15.9 mph average (quicker up those hills this time!)
from school: 18.2 mph (that's right!!)
then a leisurely 6 mi bike to the local ice cream stand with my husband, the return trip marking my first experience riding in the dark. kind of scary; i want my own headlamp.
8/5: intended to do 3 mi tempo run. had to use old and unfamiliar treadmills due to bad weather. pace was totally off (machine said 5.2 mph, felt more like 6.2), so ran for 30 min, figuring that was close enough. immediately after, had hypoglycemic symptoms and had to correct with ginger ale and a protein shake.
8/6: off; ACTH challenge test. spent the day in bed, blah.
8/7: weights. 1 mi warmup jog on treadmill, in old north face shoes (the culprit for footpain?). increased most weights and dropped to 2x10 reps.
8/8: long, slow run: 6 mi. after a fun day at the beach (yay!), did a 6-and change mile run on the local bike trail. pace was just over 10 min/mi. steady downhill for the first half, which was an uphill on the way home...foot began hurting after i changed into flipflops and went to dinner.
8/9: ~2 hours of mountain biking (10-ish miles) with husband and friends up in the trails in nashua. tons of fun!
i was pumped to start the 10-week half-marathon plan i decided to use from active.com. i picked this plan because it's the only one i found that's based on running only 3x a week, and not 4-6x. i think i can't take running that often yet without getting a definite injury.
it wasn't the best week; my SI joint issues are bugging me more than ever. i have flaming pain in my butt around my piriformis, on both sides but worst on the left. my right IT band is still tight but not terrible, though it began hurting me more this week. my left hamstring is still (seemingly always) pissed. and now, as of the end of this week, my left foot hurts on the outside, underneath the ankle with a weird tight rubbing sensation spreading to the sole of my foot. i think it may be peroneal tendonitis.
i also had another blood sugar crash on wedesday, after a relaxed 30 min jog. i must have waited too long after lunch to go do it. i had ACTH challenge bloodwork scheduled for the next day, to rule out adrenal fatigue in these issues. that was no fun; between the way the cortrosyn made me feel, on top of the headache and fatigue from the crash, on top of finally getting my period after it was 10 days late (another issue altogether, which i think is related to high-protein diets), i felt so crappy i spent the entire day in bed.
i still managed to do some exercising this week, and have a good time during most of it. i'm remarkably nonplussed about my foot pain. it's definitely going to impact the half-marathon training, for at least a week or two. ordinarily i'd be furious, scared, upset, frustrated, and just plain unpleasant. now i'm kind of "enh, who's surprised, i've had a long season and been training without rest for nearly 7 months now, with relatively few injuries and issues. it could be worse, and i'm sure this will get better." how's that for a change?
8/3: speedwork at the track. 4.5 mi total. 4x200 at 8:37 min/mi pace target (2:07 per 200m).
1.5 mi warmup
4x200 with 200 jog between each
1) 1:50 (pukingly quick)
2) 2:09
3) 2:07
4) 2:06
1 mi cooldown
8/4: bike, ~30 mi total.
to school: 15.9 mph average (quicker up those hills this time!)
from school: 18.2 mph (that's right!!)
then a leisurely 6 mi bike to the local ice cream stand with my husband, the return trip marking my first experience riding in the dark. kind of scary; i want my own headlamp.
8/5: intended to do 3 mi tempo run. had to use old and unfamiliar treadmills due to bad weather. pace was totally off (machine said 5.2 mph, felt more like 6.2), so ran for 30 min, figuring that was close enough. immediately after, had hypoglycemic symptoms and had to correct with ginger ale and a protein shake.
8/6: off; ACTH challenge test. spent the day in bed, blah.
8/7: weights. 1 mi warmup jog on treadmill, in old north face shoes (the culprit for footpain?). increased most weights and dropped to 2x10 reps.
8/8: long, slow run: 6 mi. after a fun day at the beach (yay!), did a 6-and change mile run on the local bike trail. pace was just over 10 min/mi. steady downhill for the first half, which was an uphill on the way home...foot began hurting after i changed into flipflops and went to dinner.
8/9: ~2 hours of mountain biking (10-ish miles) with husband and friends up in the trails in nashua. tons of fun!
04 August 2009
week of 7/27: post-race recovery
it still amazes me that after all the crazy activity of an international-distance race, i feel normal the next day. like i said, my left hamstring was bugging me for several hours post-race. but that's no different than any time i do an hour at the track during a training week. on monday my glutes and piriformis were tight, but not hurting me. a trip to the chiropractor and some foam rolling worked pretty well. i tried to get a massage, but i guess these guys book up early; i wanted to get one from an actual massage therapist and not some random person at a cheap pedicure strip-mall spa. to avoid this problem next time, i booked one for 2 days after the urban epic tri. unfortunately the guy is booked up after my half-marathon; i'll have to investigate other options.
i took it pretty easy this week, knowing that i only had 2 more weeks after it before urban epic, and would be starting my half-marathon training on 8/3. i went through the same 9-pound fluctuation with my post-race ibuprofen for a day or two; magically landed back where i need to be about a week later. i am about a week late for aunt flo, which is highly unusual; i'm worrying that the last month of zone eating (which has been sporadic but definitely more often than not) has upset my cycle. it makes me wonder if high-protein diets don't mesh with my hormones; this happened to me on atkins several years ago, and the suzanne somers diet and south beach maybe 2 years ago. i used to think it was the lo-carb or high fat that did it; now it seems like the only common denominator is high protein. i'm no yo-yo dieter, but i have tried most major plans out there for at least a couple of months each in a quest to find the right balance of caloric intake, healthy foods, and weight loss or maintenance. i always felt great on pretty much all these diets - placebo or better control of blood sugar, who can say? and i will be pretty upset if the zone wreaks the same kind of estrogen havoc that everything but pure calorie restriction (weight watchers) has done. because simple 1200-1500 calorie/day eating just isn't an option anymore. ah well, time will tell. and further bloodwork done by my endocrinologist; maybe something will turn up, after all.
i had this great experience while riding my bike to school on wedesday. a few great experiences, actually. first off, there were chances of storms in the afternoon and i went anyway - have to learn to ride in the wet sometime, i decided. i managed to get out between storms, and rode flooding streets in a drizzle with motorists who were not expecting to see any bikers out there...it was quite wet and dirty but strangely euphoric. except for the extreme gut distress i had; i will never eat a large greek yogurt 15 min before hill climbing again.
the great experience, though, was actually on the way to work. i'd been to yoga the day before and they always bring some sort of new-agey stuff to focus on, and some of it is really trite and some of it is quite deep, or at least it seems that way when you've wrung buckets of sweat out of yourself for over an hour and are nearly deliriously mellow and supple. either way, the dude leading class was describing the 3 arcs of the 'om' symbol and how each represents a level of unconsciousness. i don't remember everything he said, but one was asleep and dreaming, one was something else, and one was your everyday life and how you move through it on autopilot. when i was climbing the first long, long hill and knew how much of it lay ahead of me, and how much it had always hurt in the past, i thought about how hill climbing, like any other form of physical exertion, was just another state of (un)consciousness. and how i could plug into that state and let my body and bike frame work together to do the work, and set my mind into that state to help my body do its job, and return to a different state back at the top. it sounds ridiculous now, but at the time it made perfect sense and it really helped me relax my way up that hill, faster and with much less effort than i'd anticipated. i think there are times for winding yourself up for an upcoming obstacle, and times for relaxing and embracing the state of conquering it.
and i also think some crazy thoughts are induced by endorphins, but i'm ok with it.
7/27: off
7/28: 90 min of hot flow yoga, in lieu of a massage. worked wonders.
7/29: rode my bike to and from school; ~12 mi each way. average ~15.5 mph; some crazy hill climbing! if i keep doing this regularly, hills will be no threat any longer.
7/30: off
7/31: 1 mi jog on treadmill, 45 min weights
8/1: 1.5-2 hours mountain biking with my great husband; did like 8 or 10 miles, can't remember.
i took it pretty easy this week, knowing that i only had 2 more weeks after it before urban epic, and would be starting my half-marathon training on 8/3. i went through the same 9-pound fluctuation with my post-race ibuprofen for a day or two; magically landed back where i need to be about a week later. i am about a week late for aunt flo, which is highly unusual; i'm worrying that the last month of zone eating (which has been sporadic but definitely more often than not) has upset my cycle. it makes me wonder if high-protein diets don't mesh with my hormones; this happened to me on atkins several years ago, and the suzanne somers diet and south beach maybe 2 years ago. i used to think it was the lo-carb or high fat that did it; now it seems like the only common denominator is high protein. i'm no yo-yo dieter, but i have tried most major plans out there for at least a couple of months each in a quest to find the right balance of caloric intake, healthy foods, and weight loss or maintenance. i always felt great on pretty much all these diets - placebo or better control of blood sugar, who can say? and i will be pretty upset if the zone wreaks the same kind of estrogen havoc that everything but pure calorie restriction (weight watchers) has done. because simple 1200-1500 calorie/day eating just isn't an option anymore. ah well, time will tell. and further bloodwork done by my endocrinologist; maybe something will turn up, after all.
i had this great experience while riding my bike to school on wedesday. a few great experiences, actually. first off, there were chances of storms in the afternoon and i went anyway - have to learn to ride in the wet sometime, i decided. i managed to get out between storms, and rode flooding streets in a drizzle with motorists who were not expecting to see any bikers out there...it was quite wet and dirty but strangely euphoric. except for the extreme gut distress i had; i will never eat a large greek yogurt 15 min before hill climbing again.
the great experience, though, was actually on the way to work. i'd been to yoga the day before and they always bring some sort of new-agey stuff to focus on, and some of it is really trite and some of it is quite deep, or at least it seems that way when you've wrung buckets of sweat out of yourself for over an hour and are nearly deliriously mellow and supple. either way, the dude leading class was describing the 3 arcs of the 'om' symbol and how each represents a level of unconsciousness. i don't remember everything he said, but one was asleep and dreaming, one was something else, and one was your everyday life and how you move through it on autopilot. when i was climbing the first long, long hill and knew how much of it lay ahead of me, and how much it had always hurt in the past, i thought about how hill climbing, like any other form of physical exertion, was just another state of (un)consciousness. and how i could plug into that state and let my body and bike frame work together to do the work, and set my mind into that state to help my body do its job, and return to a different state back at the top. it sounds ridiculous now, but at the time it made perfect sense and it really helped me relax my way up that hill, faster and with much less effort than i'd anticipated. i think there are times for winding yourself up for an upcoming obstacle, and times for relaxing and embracing the state of conquering it.
and i also think some crazy thoughts are induced by endorphins, but i'm ok with it.
7/27: off
7/28: 90 min of hot flow yoga, in lieu of a massage. worked wonders.
7/29: rode my bike to and from school; ~12 mi each way. average ~15.5 mph; some crazy hill climbing! if i keep doing this regularly, hills will be no threat any longer.
7/30: off
7/31: 1 mi jog on treadmill, 45 min weights
8/1: 1.5-2 hours mountain biking with my great husband; did like 8 or 10 miles, can't remember.
30 July 2009
mass state tri: race report
now that we've done that, i can actually describe the race.
total time: 2:35:33
my splits are in parentheses; the percentages there are what percentile my time was according to that split's rank out of 253 total racers.
THE SWIM/ 0.9 mi (26:26; top 21%)
i didn't have much time to get acclimatized to the water; they called 'athletes out' before i was suited up and i thought, crap i better run in there! i got wet quickly and then stood around with my wetsuit top down, trying to avoid overheating since we had a good half hour before our wave. then i decided i needed to pee, but had no time to go to the portapotties. so i waded to my knees, figuring i could get away with that, and peed in my wetsuit (yes we all do it). unfortunately, i forgot i wouldn't be able to rinse it out by submerging myself and letting water in the suit. so i walked out and pulled the suit away from my skin at the ankles, letting loose a flood of fluorescent greenish vitamin B-tinged pee. it was pretty obvious.
i'd had a whole wheat peanut butter sandwich and a banana with 1% milk and espresso between 4:30 am and 6:30. i decided to have a lara bar and a sugar-free redbull at 7:45 (wave start: 8:20). never again! no more redbull! i think that's part to blame for my iffy stomach.
my friends john and erin surprised me around the swim start before my wave lined up, and it was awesome!! i was so excited that they came. our wave was second to last. i picked the same 2nd row inside line positioning as i did at mooseman for the in-water start. these chicks were more aggressive, though. i knocked a lot of limbs at the start and had serious mowing-over traffic for about the first 5 minutes. i got kicked in the left arm and felt the girl's foot knock apart the velcro of my road ID, which drifted off my wrist. the water was murky and tea-colored, so i couldn't even see it; but i made a lucky grab into the dark depths and just managed to save it and stuff it into my bra under my wetsuit. that cost me a little time. we thinned out a bunch, and i did pretty well out through the first 1/3 of the course. i was ahead of maybe 80% of my wave. then the course got weird; it was kind of diamond-shaped and hard to figure out what the line was. then i began to feel like my timing chip was loosening on my left ankle; i was thinking jeez, if that falls off i'm done for, could i even just keep racing and time myself? would i? so i stopped about 3 different times and floated, reaching down and trying to smooth the velcro together and make sure it was holding. that cost some time too. i veered off course a bunch in the last half of the swim, though i didn't realize it much; i think i sight less when i get into a rhythm. my swim was not as strong as it was at mooseman; i think something about the extremely cold water there made me swim faster because it was so painful. this was easier but felt more relaxed. the time was similar (i think 27ish minutes as opposed to 26?) but i felt like i could have, and should have, gone out harder and found a better rhythm. i swam breathing on my right side every other stroke, so i should work on my other side in practice. i caught up with a bunch of the male wave ahead of me, which made me feel pretty good.
i exited the swim ready for the noise and crazy scene, and had to get my suit off myself since there was no stripping station. i managed just fine and ran into T1 with more wits about me than last time.
T1: (2:26; huge improvement!)
felt quicker; i was way less confused because i began thinking about it as i ran from the beach to the transtion area, and i had rehearsed it in my head the night before.
THE BIKE/ 20mi (1:03:00; 19mph; top 38%)
i'd hoped that the warmer water would mean no leg cramps on the beginning of the bike leg. wrong: i still felt like i head leaden limbs. nothing as bad as mooseman, but this tells me that i really need to do some swim/bike bricks in practice. i kept the cadence high for the first couple of miles and tried to figure out when to eat a gel. i knew we had some false flats and small quick climbs until the big hill at mile 4.5, so i decided to wait till after making it up that climb before eating. nothing worse than doing a hard climb with a fresh gel sitting in your belly. especially when you already feel like you kind of need to use the potty. the hill was a decent one; the grade wasn't as rough as mooseman, but it was a 3/4 mi long climb that seemed endless. luckily, i'd been up it the day before on my course preview, so i wasn't afraid of it. i also knew i'd be doing it a second time when we came through on the second loop, so that made me determined to greet it the first time with a mix of enthusiasm and respect (kind of like dealing with a hotel receptionist when you're going to a be a guest for the whole week. no sense in starting off on the wrong foot; it'll only make your life miserable later). i also knew that my husband would be waiting at the top, so that helped. i settled in and just accepted that plenty of people who were lighter, fitter, and had better hill-climbing experience would pass me. i kept my cadence higher than i would have in the last tri, and wound up climbing between 8-10 mph. i waved at my husband, and took off to make the most of the downhill. i didn't spend quite as much time in aero as i might have, both because this course was rolling and required a bit of shifting, so i made more use of the drops than i used to; and also because the road was wet and i wasn't sure how slick it would feel. i ate a hammer gel and worked my way through half of my endurox just before the start of the second loop. my guts were beginning to bug me even more; i really felt like i could use about 5 minutes in a portapotty with a good magazine. i was noticing that i wasn't enjoying this race nearly as much as mooseman; i was thinking about my splits, about my average speed, about whether i could win my class or not. i couldn't get my focus; i just felt uncomfortable. i still had fun trying to crank out on the bike, and trading spots with a friendly middle-aged gent who was one of the few other racers who seemed willing to interact with human beings. he'd pass me on the hill, i'd pass him on the descents and flats. we cracked occasional jokes, and eventually he settled in somewhere behind me. the climb was easier on the second go; i knew what to expect and although i feared my legs would be more tired, i ran into the same thing i notice in my training: i always do better when i'm warmed up. i can't seem to crank out solid bike speeds until i've already got 5 or so miles under my belt. i can't hit the same min/mile averages early in a track session as i can after a few sprints. the only place this isn't true is swimming; my early 1500m sets are always the fastest. anyway, i decided the climb was the perfect place to rehydrate with my nuun electrolyte-laden water, since i was pretty sweaty from the humidity. i nursed more endurox up to the top of the hill, where i got another wave from my husband. my intestines were really grumbling now, so i tried to just turn out some speed on the last couple of miles back to transition, thinking maybe i could let some gas loose on the run to help me feel better or something.
T2: (1:49)
went fine; took extra time to spray some OFF to prevent bugs from being a factor in the run, since they were out and vicious.
THE RUN/ 6.2 mi (1:01:55; 9:59 min/mi; top 77%, haha)
ok, i won't wax poetic here: this really sucked. i had been thinking that i would be significantly quicker in this 10k than the last, since i'd done all this great speedwork at the track and been torturing myself on neighborhood hills since mooseman. my pace had definitely improved and i had intended to let that shine in this race. but it wasn't to be; my stomach and guts were so unhappy, it was all i could do to keep my rear clenched and legs moving foward. every patch of woods looked like a great place to go let yesterday's dinner loose behind a quiet shrub. i was running with the same friendly chap i'd traded places with on the bike, and we began to chat. we were both in a state of discomfort, me with my abdomen screaming in protest and he with his new run shoes causing foot pain. talking about kids and grandkids, triathlons and distances, how much we hate running, the summertime and heat, etc. made the whole run go way faster. did i run slower because i was keeping pace with someone and chatting with them? absolutely. do i wish i hadn't? no. if you'd asked me going into the race if i would sacrifice a quicker run time to have a more pleasant experience, i would have said no way. but i made a conscious choice during the run that as long as i kept to a 10 min/mi pace, i was going to hit my 2:40 time goal and could afford to share this man's company. when he asked me if he was holding me up and if i wanted to go ahead, i heard myself saying, "no, there are more important things in triathlon and in life than a time goal." was this me talking? yeah, and i'm glad it's who i am deep down. i might have these external goals, but i'm glad i can see what really matters when i'm faced with it. we stopped at nearly all of the water stops and i alternated with water and gatorade. i had taken a second hammer gel at mile 2, but couldn't bear the thought of having any more; i already felt like i might unleash digested food out both ends at any moment. the last mile took forever; but in the final few hundred meters i picked up the pace a little and crossed, as planned, around 2:35. my run pal was just behind me, and we hugged after the finish line. he told me i made his run, and that he would have stopped to walk long ago if it hadn't been for my company. hearing that made me so glad i had decided to put my time goal secondary to other, more important things. at that moment i thought to myself, even if i don't win my stupid class, this was more important.
but i did win it. and i felt good about it, but i definitely hated having to stick around in the heat and with the annoyingly loud and terrible DJ until i could get my award. i had choked down 1 clif shot just after finishing, and drank some water; while my stomach was still killing me, i found i couldn't even use the bathroom until hours later. i don't know what those cramps were, but they cast a shadow of discomfort over the entire race.
in the end, i'm glad i did it, i learned a lot, and i think i proved what i needed to myself. i'm kind of bummed they didn't have medals, since i like to have something tangible to remind myself that i'm halfway decent at things when i start getting down on myself.
my hamstring held out, which made me so happy; and perhaps if i had pushed harder during the run, it wouldn't have. it was hellaciously sore and tight for the rest of the day, but i iced the whole drive home and stretched, and it felt pretty great the next day.
for next time:
-i will never eat so much for dinner the night before again. nor will i drink beer for at least 2 days prior.
-i will eat a bigger breakfast earlier before the race.
-i will never drink sugar-free redbull 20 min before a start again.
-i will stretch the day before. rather than go out drinking. it'll pay off in the end.
26 July 2009
7/26: mass state olympic tri
so hey guys.
i took first in the athena class, like i said i wanted.
i also beat my time goal, which was 2:40; coming in 2:35 and change.
i don't have any splits yet or anything. and i doubt there were more than 5 people in my class but you know what? had i registered as "newbie" with the other triathletes in their first year of competition, i would have gotten 4th. either way, i was happy to do well and go faster than my goal. i've been reflecting on whether entering a weight class (athena/clydesdale) is some kind of cop-out. i've decided the only reason i'm wondering that is because i was to deny myself any feelings of pride or accomplishment, and that's a nasty habit i'm working on defeating. i've also decided that other non-hefty athletes who complain about the weight class athletes are just jealous. and slow.
so here's my decision: i'm proud.
granted. this was not the best race; i'd say mooseman was way better, both for me personally and also as a race. i'll get into more detail when i get my splits and finish writing my race report. for now, a preview.
what was awesome:
-my husband coming when i didn't think he would
-my good friends showing up and surprising me. they never get up early!
-feeling nervous but not petrified. not worrying i would die or fail
-my hamstring holding out without too much protest
-much warmer water (74 deg)
-not thinking about sharks once!
-the new transition bike racks that were simple
-no running on sand or dirt
-less hilly run course
-having a bike course with 2 loops so you knew the terrain
-it not raining, even though it was supposed to
-meeting a nice person on the run and passing time chatting
what sucked:
-getting only 4-ish hours of sleep
-my stomach. the entire time. i had discomfort starting just before the swim that slowly became gut-wrenching cramps at the start of the run, and continued till the bitter end. i wasn't sure if i was going to lose my breakfast out one end, or both. thankfully neither
-swimming extra distance because i found the course confusing
-almost losing my road id and timing chip during the swim
-the humid weather
-the 3/4 mile long hill that i had to ride up. twice
-not breaking 20 mph on the bike (or even 19, for that matter! poo!)
-crappy pavement
-a horrible DJ with terrible deafening music that i made my friends suffer through till the end of the awards
-no podium, and not getting a medal for my win! come on dude! i'm female, i like baubles! and if i'm going to be proud of myself i need some tangible proof for when i go home and start giving myself a hard time again.
i took first in the athena class, like i said i wanted.
i also beat my time goal, which was 2:40; coming in 2:35 and change.
i don't have any splits yet or anything. and i doubt there were more than 5 people in my class but you know what? had i registered as "newbie" with the other triathletes in their first year of competition, i would have gotten 4th. either way, i was happy to do well and go faster than my goal. i've been reflecting on whether entering a weight class (athena/clydesdale) is some kind of cop-out. i've decided the only reason i'm wondering that is because i was to deny myself any feelings of pride or accomplishment, and that's a nasty habit i'm working on defeating. i've also decided that other non-hefty athletes who complain about the weight class athletes are just jealous. and slow.
so here's my decision: i'm proud.
granted. this was not the best race; i'd say mooseman was way better, both for me personally and also as a race. i'll get into more detail when i get my splits and finish writing my race report. for now, a preview.
what was awesome:
-my husband coming when i didn't think he would
-my good friends showing up and surprising me. they never get up early!
-feeling nervous but not petrified. not worrying i would die or fail
-my hamstring holding out without too much protest
-much warmer water (74 deg)
-not thinking about sharks once!
-the new transition bike racks that were simple
-no running on sand or dirt
-less hilly run course
-having a bike course with 2 loops so you knew the terrain
-it not raining, even though it was supposed to
-meeting a nice person on the run and passing time chatting
what sucked:
-getting only 4-ish hours of sleep
-my stomach. the entire time. i had discomfort starting just before the swim that slowly became gut-wrenching cramps at the start of the run, and continued till the bitter end. i wasn't sure if i was going to lose my breakfast out one end, or both. thankfully neither
-swimming extra distance because i found the course confusing
-almost losing my road id and timing chip during the swim
-the humid weather
-the 3/4 mile long hill that i had to ride up. twice
-not breaking 20 mph on the bike (or even 19, for that matter! poo!)
-crappy pavement
-a horrible DJ with terrible deafening music that i made my friends suffer through till the end of the awards
-no podium, and not getting a medal for my win! come on dude! i'm female, i like baubles! and if i'm going to be proud of myself i need some tangible proof for when i go home and start giving myself a hard time again.
week of 7/20: race prep
monday: off
tuesday: off
wednesday: 45 min quick bike (18.4 mph average), weights (light, hamstring still kicking up)
thursday: 30 min swim (50 some-odd lengths)
friday: off
saturday: course preview (10 mi ride, leisurely)
how did i prepare for the race? pretty badly.
i carb-loaded again from thursday pm to sunday. nothing crazy; not as egregious as last time. but i scrapped being on the zone since i haven't figured out how to do zone-friendly race food, and wanted to ramp my system up to consuming carbs so i didn't freak out with all those gels on sunday. so i added in oatmeal with my breakfast eggs, a bun with my hamburger, etc.
note to self: NEVER AGAIN. i feel bloated and gross today; my stomach is a warzone. last night's pre-race fueling wasn't too wise; i had 2 stout beers and a flatbread pizza with goat cheese and carmelized onions, and quinoa salad. it was great to get out with the guys and relax the night before the race, rather than be at home stressing out and getting amped up. but i could have used more sleep.
tuesday: off
wednesday: 45 min quick bike (18.4 mph average), weights (light, hamstring still kicking up)
thursday: 30 min swim (50 some-odd lengths)
friday: off
saturday: course preview (10 mi ride, leisurely)
how did i prepare for the race? pretty badly.
i carb-loaded again from thursday pm to sunday. nothing crazy; not as egregious as last time. but i scrapped being on the zone since i haven't figured out how to do zone-friendly race food, and wanted to ramp my system up to consuming carbs so i didn't freak out with all those gels on sunday. so i added in oatmeal with my breakfast eggs, a bun with my hamburger, etc.
note to self: NEVER AGAIN. i feel bloated and gross today; my stomach is a warzone. last night's pre-race fueling wasn't too wise; i had 2 stout beers and a flatbread pizza with goat cheese and carmelized onions, and quinoa salad. it was great to get out with the guys and relax the night before the race, rather than be at home stressing out and getting amped up. but i could have used more sleep.
23 July 2009
week of 7/13: begin the infamous taper
i had been thinking to myself how fortuitous it was that my tapering for the mass state tri began the same week i was going home for 5 days to surprise my mom for her birthday. it's always so hard to stick to training routines when you're traveling, and don't have your bike, or a gym membership. i find ways around it - the lake where my parents live is surrounded by butt-kicking hilly roads perfect for serious running, or for riding my brother's too-big mountain bike. if i had the balls i'd be swimming in the 3 mi-long lake, but i fear poisonous southern snakes and the dreaded snapping turtle. the nearest Y, while about 30 min away, will let me come for free with my out-of-state Y membership up to 5 times in one month. so i find ways to keep up with bare minimum training, but it's difficult when you want to spend time with the family you only see twice a year and the menu is packed with your dad's awesome cooking (bacon-wrapped filet mignon cooked in cognac, shrimp and scallop stir fry, broiled lobster tails and white wine, scrambled eggs with mom's fresh chives and local carolina pork sausage, grilled brie, turkey, olive, and sun-dried tomato panini... not to mention birthday cake and champagne...). and to think i only gained 3 pounds! (which are gone again, don't worry - i didn't want to have to cart any extra weight on the 10k this weekend).
when i wasn't roughing it during my vacation - lounging on my brother's boat, learning from him how to knee-board, cracking beers or diving off the side - i squeezed in 2 adequate runs during my trip. i would have added in a swim and maybe a bike, but one of the days i was leaning forward in the bow of the boat to catch the dock and i experienced a searing pain in my left hamstring - the very one that's been bugging me on and off since mooseman. it's still sore, 5 days later, despite some judicious ice, ibuprofen, and stretching. so i took it easy most of the rest of the time.
i was ok with taking it easy and eating some less wise foods - i was tapering, i was on vacation, and all the hard work that i needed to push hard during mass states had been accomplished already in previous hard weeks of training, right? right. no sense in worrying about it.
till i got home and began to freak out. i hadn't been swimming much. i hadn't broken 19 mph average on a bike ride since mooseman. yes my running had been getting faster but...what about this tweaky hamstring. i'm on the zone so i'm not carbloading. how badly might that affect me? i hadn't been doing any bricks, since it's the last thing my hamstring needs and honestly, the bike to run wasn't bad at mooseman. but still...oh man. i had to resist the urge to go out and punish myself with some long, heinous training session this week. for mooseman, i felt totally ready. for mass states, i question if i'm ready. how retarded is that? i have a successful race under my belt, i'm getting quicker at running, and i have a better attitude (e.g. i don't feel like throwing up and running away every time i think about racing this weekend). i'm ready, kids.
that doesn't mean i'm not spending some time covertly, and guiltily, looking at race times from last year's results, estimating how long the course will take me based on my performance at mooseman, and trying to figure out if i think i can medal in the athena class. i don't even like to admit to thinking these things - much less that i actually worry about this stuff!! but hey. i'm competitive. a lot of us are. i'm not so competitive that it keeps me from enjoying my endeavors. if anything, i think if you took competition out of it all, i might not enjoy it so much. i read an article in the back of 'triathlete' mag this past month, by melanie mcquaid, an off-road tri champ. she basically said everyone out there racing ought to race to win. i was thinking, come on, how disappointed will you always be if you think that way? there's no way i will ever outright win one of these things, not in my age group. but you know, there's that little childish part of you inside, a tiny kernel that gives voice to your unreasonable fears, hopes, dreams, and desires. and yeah, that little voice does say "hey i don't know, maybe if you try harder you'll win!" - whether it's win, or average 22 mph on a ride, or run a mile in the 8's... and that keeps me pushing through each practice session. i almost never hit those goals, if ever; but the sheer possibility, no matter how remote, is enough to make me give it my all. i don't finish disappointed; i finish pleased with any modicum of progress from one day to the next. so maybe melanie mcquaid is right; maybe you have to be in it to win it, regardless of whether you do or not.
7/13: track workout with my running buddy: 5 mi, speedwork
1 mi warmup (~10 min mi)
2 miles 200m repeats:
200m at ~85-90%, 200m slow (walk to jog if necessary)
1: 1:45
2: 1:50
3: 1:50
4: 1:41 yeah negative split!
1 mile tempo: 9:05! that's a first!
1 mile cooldown (3 laps jog, 1 lap walk)
7/14: weights; upped to 2x15, increased some weights but not most.
7/15: 20 mi road ride, 16.8 mph average, i think? i was not pleased with the speed, but i had moved my seat back quite a bit to address that thigh-rubbing issue. it seemed to help, although put too much pressure on frontal tissues.
7/16: off
7/17: road run, 4.5 mi, hills
jogged the first half and sprinted up the many hills on the way back, walking/jogging downhills and flats.
7/18: off; tweaked the left hamstring
7/19: ~3 mi relaxed run in humid 88 deg weather; completed in 34 min, despite some wardrobe malfunctions (the neverending short-bunching saga). hamstring was sore, but felt ok during run. took it easy on hills.
when i wasn't roughing it during my vacation - lounging on my brother's boat, learning from him how to knee-board, cracking beers or diving off the side - i squeezed in 2 adequate runs during my trip. i would have added in a swim and maybe a bike, but one of the days i was leaning forward in the bow of the boat to catch the dock and i experienced a searing pain in my left hamstring - the very one that's been bugging me on and off since mooseman. it's still sore, 5 days later, despite some judicious ice, ibuprofen, and stretching. so i took it easy most of the rest of the time.
i was ok with taking it easy and eating some less wise foods - i was tapering, i was on vacation, and all the hard work that i needed to push hard during mass states had been accomplished already in previous hard weeks of training, right? right. no sense in worrying about it.
till i got home and began to freak out. i hadn't been swimming much. i hadn't broken 19 mph average on a bike ride since mooseman. yes my running had been getting faster but...what about this tweaky hamstring. i'm on the zone so i'm not carbloading. how badly might that affect me? i hadn't been doing any bricks, since it's the last thing my hamstring needs and honestly, the bike to run wasn't bad at mooseman. but still...oh man. i had to resist the urge to go out and punish myself with some long, heinous training session this week. for mooseman, i felt totally ready. for mass states, i question if i'm ready. how retarded is that? i have a successful race under my belt, i'm getting quicker at running, and i have a better attitude (e.g. i don't feel like throwing up and running away every time i think about racing this weekend). i'm ready, kids.
that doesn't mean i'm not spending some time covertly, and guiltily, looking at race times from last year's results, estimating how long the course will take me based on my performance at mooseman, and trying to figure out if i think i can medal in the athena class. i don't even like to admit to thinking these things - much less that i actually worry about this stuff!! but hey. i'm competitive. a lot of us are. i'm not so competitive that it keeps me from enjoying my endeavors. if anything, i think if you took competition out of it all, i might not enjoy it so much. i read an article in the back of 'triathlete' mag this past month, by melanie mcquaid, an off-road tri champ. she basically said everyone out there racing ought to race to win. i was thinking, come on, how disappointed will you always be if you think that way? there's no way i will ever outright win one of these things, not in my age group. but you know, there's that little childish part of you inside, a tiny kernel that gives voice to your unreasonable fears, hopes, dreams, and desires. and yeah, that little voice does say "hey i don't know, maybe if you try harder you'll win!" - whether it's win, or average 22 mph on a ride, or run a mile in the 8's... and that keeps me pushing through each practice session. i almost never hit those goals, if ever; but the sheer possibility, no matter how remote, is enough to make me give it my all. i don't finish disappointed; i finish pleased with any modicum of progress from one day to the next. so maybe melanie mcquaid is right; maybe you have to be in it to win it, regardless of whether you do or not.
7/13: track workout with my running buddy: 5 mi, speedwork
1 mi warmup (~10 min mi)
2 miles 200m repeats:
200m at ~85-90%, 200m slow (walk to jog if necessary)
1: 1:45
2: 1:50
3: 1:50
4: 1:41 yeah negative split!
1 mile tempo: 9:05! that's a first!
1 mile cooldown (3 laps jog, 1 lap walk)
7/14: weights; upped to 2x15, increased some weights but not most.
7/15: 20 mi road ride, 16.8 mph average, i think? i was not pleased with the speed, but i had moved my seat back quite a bit to address that thigh-rubbing issue. it seemed to help, although put too much pressure on frontal tissues.
7/16: off
7/17: road run, 4.5 mi, hills
jogged the first half and sprinted up the many hills on the way back, walking/jogging downhills and flats.
7/18: off; tweaked the left hamstring
7/19: ~3 mi relaxed run in humid 88 deg weather; completed in 34 min, despite some wardrobe malfunctions (the neverending short-bunching saga). hamstring was sore, but felt ok during run. took it easy on hills.
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