Category Archives: Triathlons

Ironman Makes Swim Starts More Safe

Ironman CdA Swim Start 2012

In breaking, non-running related news, the Ironman just announced that they will be making several significant changes to the swim portion of the Ironman race. Statistically, the swim is the portion of the swim that most fatal incidents occur and it is typically the leg of the race that gives participants the most anxiety. I’d say at least half of the people who I tell that I was training for or have complete an Ironman tell me that they could never do it because of the swim. There are a variety of reasons that they proclaim they “can’t” do it – some physically don’t know how to swim, some just don’t like to swim, and some have a deep fear of the open water. These fears mixed with race day nerves can unfortunately lead even the most experienced athletes to avoid triathlon or the Ironman distance all together.

Last year when I raced CdA, there was a man who unfortunately did not make it out of the swim. This was the first swim death at IMCdA in over 10 years but it definitely startled the triathlon community. I found a study that analyzed USAT sanctioned events from 2003-2011 and found that out of the 43 athlete fatalities during a race, 30 occurred during the swim. The most plausible cause of the deaths were “sudden, fatal arrhythmia — a primary cardiac problem” and the cause of death is not related to factors such as length of swim, swimming ability of the participant, or type of swim start.

There are probably several reasons why these sudden fatalities tend to occur in the swim, but they are probably aggravated by the anxiety and nerves the participants feel leading up to the race start. Once an attack begins, if a participant is swimming it is much more difficult to signal for help or stop exercising completely to get help than if they are running or biking.

Luckily, Ironman is addressing some of the reasons that athletes may feel anxiety going into the race by adjusting it’s swim starts at several of its North America events.

First, the following changes will be made:

1) Some races will have modified swim starts rather than a mass swim start (IMCdA, IM Lake Placid, IM Mont Trenblant). This will help reduce pre-race anxiety and fear of being hit, punched, kicked or swam over during the race. Also, since there will be less roughness in the water, this will also prevent swimmers for panicking while being swum over or kicked (not to say it will prevent these things all together but it will reduce them).

2) Whenever possible, athletes will be allowed to get in the water for a pre-race warm-up (this helps soothe nerves and creates less shock when the athlete enters the water for the first time).

3) Swims with temperatures under 52 degrees and over 88 degrees will either be shortened or canceled. Swimming in water not within this range can be dangerous and should be avoided.

4) The swim course will be easier to navigate with numbered buoys. Even better, there will be swim rafts positioned on the course that athletes may rest on without penalty.There will also be additional personnel and rescue watercraft on the course to assist those that need it (there were already way more personnel at IM events than the requirement).

I really like these changes and I definitely think that Ironman is doing the right thing in adding them to the race. I personally had extreme anxiety going into IM CdA, mostly as a result of my fear of being pummeled during the mass swim start. As a woman, it was very intimidating to think about running down a beach into a lake with 2,000 people, most of which are big, strong men. IM CdA’s modified start will basically be a self-seeded wave start. As soon as an athlete crosses through a threshold, then can run down the beach and begin the swim. This will begin at 6:30 a.m. with the intent of all athletes being in the water by 7 a.m. to allow the full 17 hours to complete the course. Athletes will have 2 hours 20 minutes to complete the swim course after the final swimmer enters the water.

At the same time, I do feel like that experience of “Ironman” is slightly altered with the non-mass swim start. That is part of the excitement and also part of the pride you feel when you tell people you did an Ironman. Is that worth safety? Probably not, but I do see why many will be disappointed in these changes.

Although I’m not sure that these modifications can prevent sudden cardiac arrest in some individuals, I do think that it will reduce some anxiety and stress which could in turn help prevent some episodes. The new safety measures will also put many triathletes fears at ease and provide a much safer environment for racing.

For the complete article from Ironman, click here.

What do you think of these new standards? Does the Ironman swim start scare you?

Coming Out of Triathlon Retirement?

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As you’ve noticed, there hasn’t been much swim/bike talk lately – it’s all run. I announced my semi-retirement from triathlon last September after completing one Sprint triathlon post-Ironman. I was burnt out and the thought of getting back on my bike made me cringe – almost as much as the thought of getting in the pool for any scenario other than sipping a cocktail and sunbathing.

My big goals for this year are to qualify for the Boston Marathon and to complete P90X2. Triathlon doesn’t fit nicely into either of those goals so I went into 2013 with the possibility of not completing any triathlons. Then I got engaged and gave myself 7 months to plan a wedding. Less time for fitness, let alone triathlon. However, as of late (i.e. the last 3 days?) I’ve been kind of missing triathlon. I read quite a few triathlon blogs and follow even more triathletes on Twitter and triathlon seasons is ramping up and I’m reading tweets and race reports and starting to get quite the twinge to get back into it. Watching our friend Stephen (as well as getting to see the pros like Rinny!) at Oceanside 70.3 a few weeks ago also fueled the fire.

Our Friend Stephen Crushing Oceanside 70.3!

In the winter, triathlon reminded me of the February mornings that Team WODS would go to Del Mar and swim in frigid water that caused my face to freeze up and I would slur my words. It reminded me of 5:30 a.m. wake-up calls for Master’s Swimming at the YMCA and all day Saturday bike rides with freezing wind whipping at my neck. it reminded me of the time Mike and I spent 3.5 hours on the trainer and then ran 4 miles in a rain storm with 20+ mph winds.

But now, spring is here. The days are longer, the mornings are warmer (I now only wear 2 layers each morning for my run instead of 3), and people are racing triathlons, not just sitting on their trainers working toward a goal that is months away. I’ve started relating triathlon to weekday morning rides down the coast where there is relatively no traffic and I can ride fast and hard along the gorgeous Pacific. I think about group swims at the Cove or the Shores with friends, old and new. I think about our old Pizza Port loop (45 miles through Rancho Santa Fe to Rancho Bernardo and back) and the Monday night group runs at Moving Shoes. I want in on that!

Asia and I After Completing Our First Triathlon 2 Years Ago at Solana Beach!

My mind isn’t made up yet but as long as things go as planned at Eugene, I will likely be racing the Solana Beach Sprint Triathlon at the end of July. This was my first triathlon 2 years ago and I went out and watched Mike, Jeremy and Asia race it last year. It’s a fun, close to home and a super short sprint triathlon and I think it will be the perfect way to get my triathlon fix without overdoing it this year. And, since the swim is only 1/4 a mile, I probably can get away with only swimming 3-4 times before the race. This is a competitive sprint triathlon in San Diego so I don’t expect to podium or anything like that – I just want to go out there and have fun and enjoy the day. Of course when I’m on the course I’ll be working my ass off because that is my nature, but I don’t plan to put a lot of pressure on myself to train well for it. I still want to tone up and strength train with P90X as well as continue to run so I do well at the AFC Half in August so I’ll likely just add 2 bike rides and 1 swim to my routine each week.

Sooo we’ll see. I am already finding myself wondering what is next after Eugene and it’s not even here. I know I need to just put my head down and focus on these next 2.5 weeks of training before Eugene but I also like to think about the future and get excited about things like this. I haven’t ridden my bike in 7 months…. so if anything, at least this will give me an excuse to get it out and dust it off and lube the chain so it doesn’t rust to itself.

Ready to Get Back on Rory!

What is your favorite part about triathlon training in the summer?

Wedding Planning = Ironman Training?

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My lack of blog posts lately can largely be attributed to something that is taking over all my free time. Something that requires lots of preparation all for one big day. Something that causes you to lose sleep, get into work late, takes up your entire Saturday each weekend, and that you research every day while you eat your lunch. Wedding planning!

Last year I raced an Ironman and this year, on September 28, I will get married. Although the actual event is just one day – the year leading up to both of these events is arguably more all consuming than the one day. Although it’s only been a month, I’ve already noticed some serious similarities among Ironman Training and Wedding Planning.

All Day Saturday Wedding Dress Shopping

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All Day Saturday Riding My Bike

1) It takes over your life. Ironman was a eat, breath, sleep training regime at times and right now I feel like I’m living wedding planning. I get in to work a bit later some mornings because I have to stop at the grocery store to get stamps for a deposit I’m mailing, just like I would be late to work because my training session ran long. As soon as work is over I often have to rush to a tasting or vendor meeting, just like I used to rush home to get in my 2nd workout of the day.

2) People are always asking how it’s going. Just like everyone would ask “How is Ironman training,” people are always wondering how wedding planning is going. I certainly loved to talk about training and I love to talk about wedding planning so I enjoy this question. Just like Ironman, however, I know most people are usually asking it to be polite.

3) Both require extra food. Ironman training left me ravenous – I ate big meals and tons of snacks to satisfy my never ending hunger. Wedding planning involves lots of dinners and drinks with friends and family to celebrate your engagement, celebrate finding a gown, or tasting reception food.

Ironman Feasting

Wedding Celebrations!

4) Both cause nightmares. I had several horrible Ironman dreams during training and now I’ve already started having wedding nightmares!

5) Internet research and blog reading increases. During Ironman training I was online constantly reading blogs of fellow triathletes and Ironmen as well as researching nutrition, gear, and anything else triathlon related. Now I’m online researching weddings and honeymoons instead!

6) Both cost a lot of money. No further explanation needed.

7) Both are totally worth it! Crossing the finish line at Ironman CdA was certainly the highlight of that year and I know that my wedding day will be one of the best days of my life. I can’t wait to vow to love Mike for the rest of my life!!!

Where we’ll say I do on September 28 (thanks to www.wedding.com for photo)

If you’ve done an Ironman and planned a wedding, which was harder!? Which do you prefer?

2012 Goals Recap

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I love setting goals and working toward achieving them. It’s a big reason why I love running and endurance sports so much. In January I set 5 goals for myself to accomplish in 2012 – let’s see how I did!

1) Finish Ironman Couer D’Alene. Since this was my most important goal, it was the focus of most of my year and I did accomplish it. I don’t take it for granted that I was able to get to the start line injury free and was able to complete the entire race. I have more respect for the Ironman distance now than I did when I signed up for the race and more than when I wrote this goal last year. So many things could have gone wrong but luckily, nothing major did and I became an Ironman on June 24, 2012. I have never worked so hard for a goal in my life and it was a wonderful feeling to run down the finisher’s chute knowing that my hard work paid off.

2) Run a Sub 1:45 Half Marathon. I definitely failed at this one! I didn’t set the half marathon distance as a priority this year and only ran 2 of them – one shortly after the Ironman and another shortly after I finally began to gain some of my lost fitness back after recovering from the Ironman (and barely PRed with a 1:51). Despite that, this goal was pretty lofty and I actually don’t think I realized how hard it would be to accomplish when I set it. Nonetheless, it will remain a goal of mine, hopefully to be achieved in 2013!

A Barely New PR at Long Beach Half

3) Complete P90X2. I didn’t even try this one. I had the idea that post Ironman I would have so much energy and excitement to continue double workout days and I could somehow manage to do P90X2 while also training for half marathons and attending all my friend’s weddings. Instead, I got into Dailey Method and slept in more days. I don’t regret it- I deserved it after a year of intense training for the Ironman!

4) Run a Sub 3:50 Marathon. When I originally set this goal, I wasn’t sure I was going to even attempt it at Surf City 2012. However, once I was able to do my 10 Yasso 800′s at 3:50, I decided to just go for it at that race. The worst that could happen would be that I blew up but at least I tried! Surf City was a great race – although it was quite warm for February (70s and sunny!), Asia and I both had a great race and were shocked at how easy the 8:45 pace felt for the majority of the race. At the end, Asia and I cheered each other on during our times of doubt and we both achieved our goal of sub 3:50! I’m not sure I could have done it without her (or with Jeremy who ran me in the last 1/2 mile when I was exhausted). I’m also glad we went for this goal at Surf City because I didn’t run another marathon this year.

My Race Goal on Macaroni Grill Paper Table Cloth

Sub 3:50 Glory at Surf City Marathon!

5) Podium at a Triathlon. I knew there was no chance of a podium at either Oceanside 70.3 or IM CdA, but I figured if I entered a sprint or Olympic I’d have a shot since I ended up 3rd in my age group at my first Olympic triathlon in 2011. I entered the San Diego Classic in September without much motivation to train but luckily my residual Ironman fitness carried me to the finish line 2nd in my age group!

On the Podium!

Considering the weight of my primary goal of completing IM CdA, three out of five goals isn’t bad! I am a bit disappointed that I didn’t come closer to the half marathon goal mostly because my big goal for 2013 is to qualify for Boston and I surely need to have the fitness to run a sub 1:45 half to do it. However, I actually feel fairly confident that if I were to run a half marathon today (with some taper, of course) that I’d be pretty close to my goal. But I guess we’ll have to wait until 2013 to find out!

The theme of this year was some serious strength and growth in my fitness in the first half of the year followed by some disappointments in the second half. I had naively expected to come out of the Ironman a much faster and stronger runner, whereas the reality was that I just really needed a break. I was mentally and physically exhausted and I needed to focus on recovery as well as spending time with friends and family. The result of which was a few disappointing races, but I’m ok with sacrificing a PR or two for mental health and relationships! Because I took the time to rest and mentally recharge, I am excited going into 2013 and ready to achieve some new goals!

What was your #1 goal for 2012 and did you achieve it? Did you also get excited and set too many goals like me!?

2012 in Photos

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There are a few common blog posts among bloggers this time of year and I’m not going to be one of those people who doesn’t do them just because everyone else is. So here it is – 2012 in photos! Enjoy

I started off the year with my new bike – a shiny new 2012 P2!

Getting Fitted on My New Bike!

In February, Mike, Asia and I ran the Surf City Marathon and each of us achieved our goals (sub 3:50 for Asia and me, Sub 3:20 for Mike). After that, we set our focus 100% on triathlon. The photo below is one of a few of us on a training ride through Camp Pendleton to practice the Oceanside 70.3 bike course.

Practicing the Oceanside 70.3 Course

Meeting Chrissie Wellington!

On March 31, I crossed the finish line of my first half Ironman in just under 6 hours! April-June was basically eat, sleep, breath Ironman training.

One of Many Group Open Water Swims

Halfway Through Our 91 Mile Ride!

Mike and Me After a TCSD Aquathon

Running Skirts Zoot Pro Triathlete Run!

Then the big day came – June 24 I finished my first Ironman!

Ironman CdA Swim Start

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but worth every second of pain.

Vegan lunch!

After the Ironman, Mike and I started our mostly vegan diet. We’ve eaten a lot of vegetables in the last six months!

Also after Ironman, wedding season began. From June – early November I attended five bridal showers, three bachelorette parties and seven weddings!

Celebrating friends, not race finishes as Maid of Honor in a good friend’s wedding

Wine tasting as an Olympic sport? We might win!

Wine Tasting Bachelorette in Santa Barbara

I didn’t give up racing completely! In August I ran the AFC Half Marathon “for fun” and in September I took 2nd place in my age group at the San Diego Classic Triathlon!

AFC Pre-Race Photo!

Awesome Trophy at the Classic

In September I started my 2nd season of coaching for Girls on the Run, this time coaching slightly older girls in Girls on Track!

So Proud of My Team!

In October, I started to get back into the swing of training and pulled off a slight PR at the Long Beach Half Marathon.

Later in October Mike and I took two weekend trips – one to Vegas for a trip I won through work and one four day weekend to San Francisco for a wedding. While in San Francisco, I met up Page and some other fellow runner/bloggers for a gorgeous 18 mile run.

VEGAS!

Ferry Building to Golden Gate Long Run

In November, we took a break from marathon training and went to Belize for a relaxing 8 night vacation!

In December, we continued to marathon train while attending Christmas parties and celebrating my birthday!

My Dad’s Birthday is Christmas Eve, Mine is Christmas Day!

My highlight of 2012 was undoubtedly crossing the finish line of my first Ironman but even despite the Ironman, 2012 was a great year! I’m looking forward to achieving some new goals and making more memories in 2013.

What was your highlight of 2012?

Life and Death

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This week one of my very best friends is having a baby. Bringing new life into the world is an undeniably incredible act. It reminds you that we have more purpose in life than obtaining our desired heart rate during a tempo run or getting on the podium at a sprint triathlon. Those are the moments that we step outside of our normal routine and celebrate life – a heart beat, a healthy pulse, and the sound of a loud cry. Things that we may take for granted at times, but when a baby is first born, these little things mean the world.

Unfortunately in the past week, two of my good friends lost loved ones whose time on earth was far from over. They each had long, healthy lives of ahead of them and they were taken much too soon. Another friend was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Hearing the news of each of these events shocked me to the core. One moment you think you have everything figured out, and the next you’re lost.

My priorities are changing and the tragedies as of late have encouraged me to re-evaluate some things. I probably won’t ever train for another Ironman. Although I enjoyed training and I am so glad that I did it, training for that many hours a week doesn’t give me the joy that it does for others. It was certainly an incredible journey and a life changing event, but I really need more time in my life to spend with friends and family. I don’t want to skip any more family parties, miss family camping weekends, or pass up opportunities to share a glass of wine with a friend because I can’t miss a workout. The events as of late have solidified my decision to not race long distance triathlon even more. There is certainly a balance when it comes to training and for me personally, I couldn’t maintain that balance while training. I was fortunate enough that my race didn’t overlap many key events in my friends and families lives (all 7 weddings and the related bachelorette parties and bridal showers were post Ironman!), but I certainly put those relationships on the back burner. Even Mike and I put our relationship with one another to the side a bit during training. As we trained for hours on end, side by side, our relationship as friends and training partners was strengthened, but our romantic relationship dwindled a bit.

I still intend to qualify for Boston because running gives me joy. If it were to stop or interfere too much with other aspects of my life, I will give the goal up. Health and fitness are surely one of the most important things in my life but I know that I can live a healthy and balanced life by following a conscious diet and getting a moderate amount of exercise. Ironman and running marathons (or even halves) are not a requirement for good health. Running marathons and competing in short distance triathlons do make my happy and give me a sense of purpose and a goal to work toward and as long as they it makes sense for me, I will keep racing.

In addition to spending plenty of time with friends and family, I want to travel the world before I leave this earth and I’ve been reminded lately that that day could come earlier than I think. There will be no more delaying of trips for “the right time”. The recent events have also solidified my decision to leave my prior accounting firm that would have been a super fast track to upper management but required me to work hundreds of hours of overtime each year. Spending my life eating dinner at my desk instead of with loved ones is not worth a hefty paycheck to me. Time is the ultimate equalizer. No one has more minutes in a day than anyone else. No amount of cash in your bank account is going to change that.

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln

San Diego Triathlon Classic Race Report

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Despite my recent announcement that Triathlon and I are on a break, we had one last rendezvous this weekend. I busted out my wetsuit, stiff from non-use since Ironman Coeur D’Alene, pumped up Rory’s tires and packed my tri-bag full of all the necessities to swim 750 meters, bike 12 miles (which turned out to actually be close to 14), and run a 5k in succession.

Mike and I drove down to Point Loma on Friday night for the Expo which was held at the hosting cycle shop, Moment Cycle Sport in Liberty Station. We had never been to Liberty Station and the best way for me to describe it is some form of Pleasantville. It’s a mini-community with grass-lined roads dotted with stores, mostly featuring well manicured lawns pressed up against a small strip of San Diego bay. The expo was small and well-organized. I picked up my awesome race number, 1000!

Race morning was typical – we got to transition with about 20 minutes to spare (my wave was last) and I rushed to get my stuff set down, get my body marked and use the restroom. It was a hurry up and wait situation where as soon as I left transition, I had about a 40 minutes until my wave start. It was an absolutely beautiful morning and we enjoyed the gorgeous view from the start!

Sun Rising Over the Start

My expectations for this race varied. I wanted to have fun but also hoped for a spot on the podium. My lack of recent training (total of 3,300 yards swam and 3 outdoor bike rides and a few spin classes in the 2 1/2 months since CdA) didn’t give me a lot of confidence, but I also knew that I had a solid foundation of fitness leftover from 1 year of Ironman training. I also knew that since this was the first year that the race hosted a sprint, that there would be less participants, thereby increasing my odds of being one of the top three finishers in my age group!

Swim 750 Meters

Getting Suited Up!

All participants in the sprint started in the same wave, about 12 minutes after the last Olympic wave. I didn’t realize this and got in the water and swam to the buoy line right after the last Olympic wave left. Then the announcement came that we had a wait. Luckily the water was nice and warm (70 degrees) and I just floated around, chatting with other participants and warming up.

The swim course was 750 meters – a fairly long swim for a sprint triathlon (Solana beach tri is only 400 meters!). The sprinters would turn about halfway down the Olympic swim course and make their way back. I wasn’t really sure how to seed myself at the start, so I just went slightly to the right of dead center between the start buoys and started a couple of rows of people back. When the canon fired, I started swimming a little too hard, and soon I was out of breath.

Swim Course

Pacing yourself in a sprint triathlon is interesting because you don’t want to leave anything out on the course by taking it too easy but you can easily overdo it. I definitely overdid it and by about halfway to the first turn buoy I was wishing the swim was over. My back and shoulders were burning and my breath was heavy so I slowed down a bit. I had been able to draft off someone for a bit but lost them and was on my own for the rest. The turn at the first buoy was a bit rough and I had quite a bit of contact with other swimmers, but nothing compared to the mass swim at IM CdA. Once I rounded the second buoy, now I was joining the Olympic distance swimmers who had started earlier and were making their way back. It was congested and I had to weave around several swimmers. Once I hit the final buoy and made my way to the stairs and climbed out, I was relieved that the swim was over!

After I ran up the stairs, I hit the timing mat and ran down a long aisle of spectators cheering the racers on. Mike was at the end of the aisle and was taking pictures and/or filming me (can’t remember which but he did this throughout the race). It was so nice to have someone there to cheer me on! I had to run all the way to the end of transition, enter transition and then run all the way back down the aisle to my bike. Besides the running, I don’t think I wasted much time in transition. This was the first time I sat down in transition to take my wetsuit off and put on my shoes.

Bike 12 Miles (But really 14)

Once on the bike, I felt great. Since I was finishing with Olympic distance athletes too, the course was quite crowded. Since I had no idea how the course went, I took my time around corners, slowing down to make sure I had enough room to maneuver. Cornering is definitely a skill I still need work on. Once I caught my breath, I got into a rhythm and started to really enjoy the ride. I was passing quite a few people, definitely more than were passing me. I noticed a girl in my age group right away and we started to play leap frog. At this point the course had started weaving up some large hills through Point Loma. I wouldn’t say that hills are my strength, but considering how many I climbed in preparation for Ironman CdA, they also aren’t my weakness. Toward the middle of one of the hills, the girl in my age group came up besides me on my left and said to me, “I keep trying to catch you and I can’t!” I kind of laughed in agreement and pedaled a little harder. I never saw her again!

There was a very long, steep hill at one point that had people climbing out of the saddle and huffing and puffing. Once we got to the top of that, there were more rollers that led to the top of Cabrillo National Monument. The monument is closed to the public but is also the start of the AFC half marathon so I have been there the last three years. It was fun to ride my bike through the empty parking lot that just three weeks ago was filled with anxious runners and hundreds of porto-potties!

The view from the top of the hill was absolutely beautiful, just as it was before AFC a few weeks ago. After the sharp U-turn at the monument, we headed back through lots of rolling hills. At this point most of the men that I had outswam in the sprint has passed me and I was riding among mostly Olympic cyclists who were probably pacing themselves to race much longer than I was. Basically I spent the entire ride back passing people! I rode the downhill portions hard only if I knew there wasn’t a sharp turn coming (I had been warned about a particular set of two sharp turns that cause crashes every year and ambulances are set up there waiting for it!).

Once we got back near the harbor, the Olympic riders kept right and the sprinters went left. Once the split happened, the roads were seemingly empty! I passed two women right around here, thinking I was headed into transition since my watch said I was close to 12 miles. However, the course kept going and looped through Liberty Station. Once my watch hit 13 miles I started getting worried. I started to think I took a wrong turn! I asked a volunteer on the side of the road if I was going the right way and he said yes. So I got back in aero and kept going. Once I pulled into transition, my watch said I had rode nearly 14 miles.

As soon as I got off my bike and started running through the grassy transition with my cycling shoes on, my heart rate went way up. My transition area was set up the farthest you could get from the dismount line so I had a way to go. I started to realize how hard the 5k was going to be! The sun was out and it was really hot and humid. I remember being glad that I only had to run 3.1 miles instead of the 6.2 that the Olympic racers would have to do!

Run 3.1 Miles

Mike was there cheering me on and filming me again which boosted my spirits. Since the bike racks weren’t set up by age, I had no idea what place I was in when I got my shoes on and headed out of transition. I did know, however, that I was doing well. The run course looped along the park in Liberty Station and as soon as I started running I could tell there weren’t that many athletes off their bikes yet. As soon was I was running, my breathing was labored and my heart rate was high. I was running in the mid to high 7 min/miles which is definitely not a pace that I have practiced as of late. The first half mile was a mental battle. I kept repeating in my mind my favorite mantra “pain is temporary, pride is forever” and reminding myself that if I could do an Ironman, then I could stick out this pace for the next 23 or so minutes. I even thought of Chrissie Wellington and tried to put a smile on my face despite the pain!

The worst part of the course was a little jaunt over a bridge which required us to run up a hill, down a hill and then make a u-turn and do it all over again. As I was coming back over the bridge I saw the woman who was closest behind me. I put on a smile to make it seem like I wasn’t in pain! As I turned off the bridge and was back on the path, I saw Mike who was cheering for me. He yelled “you are the 4th woman overall!” I yelled back “4th woman!?” I was in shock! Later I found out that I was actually the 6th woman overall – apparently Mike missed 2 of the women (he claims they looked like guys and that is why he missed them). I don’t really care if I was 4th or 6th, just hearing that i was so far up in the field made me want to work even harder to keep my position. I also knew that most likely I would make it to the podium since I knew that one of the women ahead of me was older and one was younger (i.e. 12 years old!).

The 12 Year Old TriJunior That Took 4th Woman Overall

Mile 2 was a bit slower. It was hot and I slowed to drink water at the aid station. I poured water on my head and kept going. I saw the woman that was behind me again and was happy to see I increased my lead. I hit the other side of the aid station not too much longer and slowed a bit again to get in water. I was so thirsty and hot! The next portion was an out and back so it was easy to see your competition. As I made my way down I saw the women that were ahead of me and realized I probably wouldn’t be catching them. On my way back on the loop, I first got passed by the lead pro male in the Olympic race and then I saw a woman running really fast on the other side. I could tell she was older and wondered if she was a pro because she was running so fast! I knew she’d catch me. I picked up the pace a bit just in case it helped.

Once I was in the home stretch toward the finish line, the older, speedy woman passed me. Her calf said she was a 48 year old age grouper. She was killing it! I saw Mike shortly after this. I was breathing so hard that I was wheezing. He told me to catch the two women ahead of me – one was the 48 year old speed demon and the other was a woman I had been slowing making progress on the entire time. I decided to try to at least pass the 2nd woman. I picked it up, pushing myself to my limits, and with about 100 yards to go, passed the woman!

Crossing the finish line felt great and as soon as I got my medal, I took a seat on one of the chairs and tried to catch my breath. I left it all out there on the run, that’s for sure!

While we waited for results we cheered on fellow Tri Club and Active racers. Once the results were posted, I found out that I was 2nd in my age group and the 6th woman overall! I was really happy with my race. It was the perfect finale to a long year of triathlon training.

On the Podium!

Awesome Trophy!

The Medal Doubles as a Bottle Opener!

We’re on a Break

7 Replies

My First Practice Triathlon – June 2011

If Triathlon and I were FBO (Facebook Official) our relationship status would have gone through a recent change: from “in a relationship” to “it’s complicated.” People might comment on our status update with things like “what happened!?” “you can make it work!” or “there are other sports out there, you’ll find one.”

While I’m certainly not giving up on Triathlon, I’ve definitely left the honeymoon phase and am starting to question our relationship. Maybe we moved too fast? I mean, it was only last June that I learned to ride a road bike and went for my first open water swim. In less than a year we went from strangers to making the ultimate commitment - the Ironman. Maybe we should have eased into things first and took it slow.

The Ironman was epic. I’m so glad I did it and I don’t regret a single dollar (and it was a lot) that I spent. I don’t regret the sacrifices of free time, sleep, or time with loved ones. Crossing the finish line of the Ironman was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life (although my Dad likes to remind me that getting my CPA made him more proud) and it is a memory I will certainly cherish forever. I plan to tell be the annoying mother that reminds her children that she once crossed 140.6 miles in one day when they complain about walking a few yards to the mailbox or spending an hour on their feet at the mall.

Crossing the Finish Line at Ironman CdA – June 2012

After the Ironman I took two full weeks of of training and when I did get back into it, I had absolutely no desire to swim or ride my bike. Running is certainly my true passion and I even struggled with that following the Ironman. My runs were exhausting and the heat added an additional challenge, making most runs very slow and somewhat miserable. Prior to the race I had anticipated signing up for an Olympic distance triathlon in September so that I could get one more race in this year and also test out my new amazing endurance due to hundreds of hours of swim/bike/run. However, when it came down to it, I only signed up for the race because I won an entry, and I ended up downgrading to the sprint.

I gave myself 3 weeks to train for the sprint triathlon and as of now, it’s looking like I will have only gotten in three swims and three outdoor bike rides in that time-frame. My swims have been short and anything but fabulous. The bike rides have been enjoyable but I always start them pissed off at how long it takes to get ready to go for a bike ride (my 33 miler last week essentially took up 5 hours of my time with preparation, commute,etc). The thought of never doing triathlon again crossed my mind during each of these workouts. When I looked up the race info for the sprint this weekend I almost considered not even doing it because I would have to drive so far to the Expo on Friday and wake up so early on Saturday morning to get to transition in time.

This morning I actually had a quite enjoyable ride down the coast before work. The sun was rising and the weather was perfectly cool yet not cold. I enjoyed every moment of this ride and it actually sparked some excitement for the upcoming race. I definitely plan to race this weekend. I’m very interested to see how it feels and if I truly enjoy it. I absolutely love racing triathlon and have never had a race that I didn’t enjoy. I distinctly remember thinking during Oceanside 70.3, I’ve finally found my sport. I know that my relationship with triathlon isn’t over, but I do think that we need some time apart.

So while most of my blogger and Twitter triathlete friends that trained for an Ironman this year have signed up for another 140.6 next year, as of now I have no plans for a long course triathlon. Next year my focus will be to qualify for Boston and based on the way I’ve been running lately, it’s going to take a lot of work to get there. Triathlon is extremely time-consuming since you are constantly trying to get really good at three different sports. Even if you practice each sport three times a week, you will never become excellent at any of them. My plan is to become an excellent runner and then reintroduce triathlon into my life and work on the other two sports.

One thing I do still enjoy is reading other people’s race reports and training stories. By no means do I plan to stop reading my favorite triathlon blogs or having discussions with Asia and Jeremy about their upcoming Ironman. I still love the sport – I’m just not in love right now.

Have you ever had to take a break from a sport or hobby? How long did it take for you to to become interested in it again?

Working Through It

4 Replies

There are two types of sick people in this world. The one who crawls into bed and sleeps for hours at the slightest tickle in his throat and the one that refuses to accept defeat of illness until she is bedridden or coughing up a lung. I am certainly the latter and this week I have refused to accept the truth that I am sick. So far this denial has been working in my favor.

Monday morning I felt really, really exhausted and out of it at work and went home. However, after a long nap and some lounging, I had convinced myself that I actually wasn’t sick. So I went for a run, telling myself I’d turn around if I didn’t feel great. Well I felt great for the first four miles and it wasn’t until I turned around at mile 4.2 that I really started feeling quite bad. So I spent the remaining 4.2 miles trying to stay positive but knowing that an 8.4 mile run probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do when feeling under the weather. Last week I was able to only get one run in and I was trying to make up for lost time.

Tuesday morning I woke up with every intention to go to work and quickly realized that was a bad idea. My throat was protesting and so I decided to work from home. I always complain when people come to work sick, and I didn’t want to be a hypocrite and come in and infect everyone. After more lounging and a 2 hour nap, I decided I would keep my plans with a friend to do a Dailey Method Class and dinner. Besides the slight sore throat I was actually feeling pretty good!

Wednesday I was back at work and feeling better despite the sore throat not really going away. It doesn’t seem to be moving into my chest or into my sinuses which is always the worst part of a cold. I decided again to go to Dailey Method ( I paid a pretty penny for a month unlimited classes and I want to get my money’s worth!) and had a great workout. This morning I headed back to Dailey Method with my co-worker and friend so we could carpool to work together because we have a work event tonight. So that’s 3 days in a row of TDM while under the weather! However, today I’m feeling pretty good so I’m convinced that I did no damage working out while sick.

I’ve been told that as long as you don’t have a fever and the aches/congestion is above the neck, then you are safe to work out. If it’s below the neck (i.e. in your chest) then you should rest. For the last three days I kind of avoided cardio knowing that I wouldn’t feel as great, but as far as strength training goes, I felt pretty good. I’ve still been getting plenty of sleep, with the exception of last night for my early wake-up call.

I realized yesterday that the Long Beach Half Marathon is just about 5 1/2 weeks away and my sprint triathlon is just over a week away! Besides my short 25 minute spin post TDM this morning, I haven’t gotten any cycling or swimming in this week. I definitely don’t see myself swimming but I do plan to do a ride and run brick on Saturday. This sprint triathlon will definitely be just for fun! As for Long Beach, I really have just 4 weeks to get my ass in gear for that race. I was really hoping to PR there but running hasn’t been my top priority lately so I’m not certain how that will turn out. If it’s another fun run like AFC was, that’s ok too.

Do you work out when you’re sick?

Mini Triathlon Training

2 Replies

After spending essentially a full year swimming, biking and running, I definitely wanted a break from triathlon after the Ironman. My motivation to get back in the pool or on the bike has been low. Running, my favorite of the three sports, hasn’t been coming easily recently either. To be honest, I’ve been in quite a triathlon slump.

However, with a sprint triathlon rapidly approaching, I knew last week after AFC that it was finally time to get back into training, even if it was just for the two and a half weeks until race day. So last Monday, the day after AFC, I headed to the gym to get in some laps. I discovered very quickly that arriving at the pool at 5:30 on a Monday evening was not smart. I had to wait for about 15 minutes for one of the three lanes to open up. Once I was in I figured I better at least get a half hour of swimming in to make up for the wait.

If someone could have listened to my thoughts throughout the 1,500 yard swim, they may have thought I was bi-polar.

First 50 yards – Oh yeah this feels great! I missed this!
2nd 50 yards – Slowing down already!? I’m a wreck!
Next 100 yards – How will I ever make it 1,500 yards?
Next 100 yards – Breaststroke makes everything better.
5 x 100 yards – Ok I can do this. This isn’t so bad.
100 yards of breaststroke – I wish this stroke was as fast as freestyle.
5 x 100 yards – This feels pretty good. Maybe I should go back to Masters swim!
1 x 100 yard cooldown – Thank god it’s over. How did I ever swim 4,000 yards in one workout?!

So, my first pool session was a semi-success. At least I got through it! On Wednesday I got up long before dawn for a 5:45 spin class. This is the 5th time I’ve been to a spin class post Ironman and I’ve actually been enjoying the classes, after I curse the world when my alarm goes off of course. I have a couple of friends that also go to the class and knowing they will be there definitely motivates me to get out of bed. Although I didn’t use spin classes in my training for Ironman, I’m ok spinning instead of riding my bike for the upcoming sprint since I’m taking it less seriously. After spin, I got back in the pool for 1,000 yards of swimming. Once again, I met the self-professed inventor of Masters Swim who told me that my form needs work (although he did tell me that my breaststroke is fantastic and that I should join a Masters program and compete).

The real test was when I actually got back on my tri bike on Saturday! Friday night Mike put the pedals back on my lonely bike, Rory, and Saturday morning I packed him up and met up with Asia and Jeremy in Oceanside. We wanted to avoid a lot of stop lights (and Leucadia where Asia had her bike crash) so we decided to ride on base in Camp Pendleton.

Asia was told to ride 2 hours (or 4 if her foot was feeling ok) and I figured 2 hours was a good amount of time. I rode with Asia for the majority of the first half. After we met up at the bathroom at about the halfway point, I headed out on my own to try out a 12 mile time trial. The upcoming triathlon’s bike portion is 12 miles and since it has been so long since I raced a short race, I wasn’t really sure what kind of pace I could sustain for 12 miles. I pushed it pretty hard for the next 12 miles, keeping my heart rate in Zone 3 for most of the time. I had fun passing some guys out there and laughed when one tried to pass me back but then I dropped him again. Obviously I can’t sustain that pace for very long but it was fun to ride hard for 12 miles. Once I was finished with my mini time trial I happened to run into Asia and we rode the rest of the way together. In total I got in 33 miles of riding and felt pretty good about it. I had planned to run afterward but the adventure to Oceanside took longer than expected and I had to get back home to get ready for a wedding so I skipped it.

Despite a pretty successful first week back into triathlon training, this week isn’t looking so great. I started this week already with a sore throat paired with lethargy so I’m not sure how the rest of the week will turn out. At the end of the day, I plan to go out and do the sprint and have fun with no expectations for time or age group placement. Of course I’d love to do well but I also know that I’m not as prepared as I could be. But that’s ok too!

Here are some fun pictures from the wedding we attended this weekend!

Coronado, CA

Fitness Fatale

Conquering Fitness Goals One at a Time

Category Archives: Triathlons

Ironman Makes Swim Starts More Safe

Coming Out of Triathlon Retirement?

Wedding Planning = Ironman Training?

2012 Goals Recap

2012 in Photos

Life and Death

San Diego Triathlon Classic Race Report

We’re on a Break

Working Through It

Mini Triathlon Training