Greetings from Times Square!
I blogged from NYC last year, also in July. Instead of being at 57th and 6th, I'm at 51st and 7th. This isn't some sort of anniversary thing, mind you; I just finally decided I have the time to catch up on a lot of thoughts and reflections.
So, we're two weeks out from the biggest race of our lives. Two weeks out from, as I've put it in the past few weeks, achieving infinity. Two weeks from truly digging deep within our souls, our hearts, and our minds, to figure out what we're made of, and eventually carrying the title of 1/2 Ironman.
The main thing that I think TeamBabyDino has achieved this year is growth. We've grown, both physically stronger and mentally stronger. We're both very mentally focused (most of the time) and although we're obviously a little apprehensive about doing our first 1/2 Ironman, we're both ready for it, even though we need to remind each other of that from time to time.
One of the biggest things I've noticed with me this year compared to last year is I don't make excuses. Last year, it would have been too easy to bag many of my workouts due to various reasons. This year, I've done what I call "risen up" to the occasion numerous times when it would have been easy to bag it. Perfect example: a couple weeks ago I had a 60 minute ride scheduled, and was planning on doing it when I got home from commuting. Problem is, our flight was delayed thanks to numerous thunderstorms in the Denver area. So naturally, I got home late and was exhausted. Due to the thunderstorms still floating around, I made the decision to Coach Troy it rather then ride. I didn't quite ride for 60 minutes, but the fact I still got a difficult ride in and still learned something shows how much we've changed and grown.
Diet has also helped immensely. I am at the point where everything I eat or drink, I wonder "what benefit am I getting from this?" This is something I should have been doing for years now but am only finally figuring out. Things like not just ingesting gels or Gatorade on the bike "just because". I have figured out through trial and error that on any ride under 60:00, I really don't need much nutrition; just water and some Gatorade. I also learned that Clif Shot Bloks, while tasty, are basically worthless and give me nothing. On long rides, I'll snarf a Snickers bar for energy and it works. Trial and error, like I said.
I turned this 1/2 Ironman not into one race to prepare for, but a way to change my lifestyle. Obviously I'm not perfect (I still have that damn sweet tooth!) and can still learn a lot from my mistakes, but I think that's one of the great things about triathlon; you can learn, grow, change, and ultimately, achieve infinity.
The fitness adventures of two Ironman triathletes
Monday, July 25, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Race #6 of the Season: Boulder Peak Triathlon
Since Brandon moved out here, we've pretty much done every race together. The first he missed that was gender-legal (he didn't do Tri for the Cure '08 because that was women's only) was the Turkey Trot last year. But, with the exception of the aforementioned Tri for the Cure, we had done all our tris together ... and he was with me for TftC08 anyway and helped me get through that race.
For Boulder Peak, the second of three in the Boulder Tri Series we signed up for last October, Brandon didn't come with me. It was pretty much the only thing he asked off for in his July bids ... and didn't get it off and he COULD NOT get out of it. Sad day. So, it was only me heading up to Boulder that morning ...
Like 5430, I went up to Boulder the day before (so Saturday) for the pre-race expo and packet pick-up. Heard about the nasty hill (Olde Stage) ... and not much else. The only cool thing about packet pick-up was the tent of Ironman-branded stuff they had on SUPER CLEARANCE. While none of it gets cracked until August 8th, I picked up two IM Boulder 70.3 cycling jerseys, two visors, one hat, one pint glass, one coffee mug and two stickers for ... $40, I want to say? Each jersey was $5 and they're normally $80. Yeah. No-brainer. Unfortunately, the stuff's all sitting in a bag hidden behind the futon, but y'know.
After shopping, I drove back down to Denver, had sushi for lunch, breakfast for dinner (becoming our pre-race standard) and went to sleep.
Race Day
Like for 5430, I woke up butt-ass early for the long-ass drive to Boulder. Transition had already opened by the time I arrived and had to park a bit further away than we did for 5430. Still, I got in and set up just fine.
Sun rising over transition.
Transition! Ivan and Nelson are in the trans bag (post concerning that later), there's the crappy sunscreen I bought that didn't work and left me slightly fried ...
Now customary smiley. Thanks, Steve - a couple of Coloradoans now do this regularly.
Unlike 5430, I didn't take Bob for a spin; I just set up trans and basically hung out. I was telling myself not to be nervous so as not to poop the multiple times I usually do race morning ... but then I couldn't at all and that made me nervous instead so finally I just plopped in the port-o-potty line and forced myself to go.
Quick note here: AWESOME that they had someone pitching most of the line extra rolls of TP to make sure EVERY port-o-potty had enough. There's not much worse than using a port-o-potty after an event and having NO toilet paper.
Soon enough, though, it was time to leave transition and head down to the water (after popping a salt tab).
The Swim
After getting down to the beach, I popped in the water and swam a bit, but not too much as my wave was one of the earlier ones and I didn't want to miss my start.
Which ended up being good, as it was VERY hard to hear waves announced. I did ask the powers that be about it and they couldn't use the soundsystem because it was before 7am (noise violation codes or whatnot). But still, I can't help but wonder how many people missed their wave as a result.
In any case, after chit-chatting with a few people, it was time to go.
I let pretty much the entire wave go ahead of me before I started swimming so I could attempt to crawl with no distractions. Unfortunately, like 5430, I ended up breast-stroking most of it ... which I found out has the unintended consequence of killing my watch. ARGH. This should hopefully be the last race of that (more later). In any case, I survived and exited the water happily not last in my division (though close).
Time: 42:47 (1224th overall)
T1:
Transition in this race took a bit longer than it did in 5430, but I put on an extra pair of bike shorts to help out the lady bits and I popped a salt tab. Time well worth it, in my opinion.
Time: 3:46
The Bike:
As I had heard many nightmares about this course from many different sources, I made sure to take in some nutrition (mmm, no-bake cookies) within the first few miles. Legs felt kind of crappy, but that is to be expected, after all.
I saw a woman in front of me as I turned onto one of the main roads and eventually caught up with her, knowing I made some progress (because I knew I was definitely one of the last out of the water in my division). We ended up passing each other back and forth for pretty much the entire ride, which helped a lot, actually. Lightened up the course.
Much too soon (okay, like five miles in), we made the turn that would take us to Olde Stage Road.
It. Was. As. Bad. As. Advertised.
Two to three miles of straight up CLIMBING. According to some Google research, the first mile is an 11% grade and the rest of it averages an 8% grade. It was MISERABLE. There were several people off their bikes and walking. I never got off and walked, though I did have to stop three times just to catch my breath to ward off a potential asthma attack. I was in baby gear all around ... and going anywhere from 2-5mph up the hill. Averaging probably 3.5 mph.
What's more cruel is there's a water station near the top ... if you haven't done the ride, and all you have to go on is the costumed volunteers (in devil costumes, mostly; probably because you feel like hell at that point) is saying, "Wee, you're done!" ... you don't expect more climbing. But there WAS. And it felt like a cruel, cruel joke.
Teaches me right to not 100% scout the course out ahead of time.
Anyway, after the end of the horrible hill, you get to go blessedly downhill. The first section has a speed limit of 35 mph - a strictly enforced speed limit of 35 mph (you go over, you dq'ed). Doing the ride, you see why; riding my brakes and not pedaling, I stayed around 31, 32 mph. At the bottom of the hill, there's a nice turn that if you're not careful, you could take one hell of a tumble. Which people have done and to avoid such further incidents, they implemented the speed limit. Makes sense to me.
I did hit 40ish later on the course though, so yay. :)
Another falsehood was that after Stage, the course was flat and fast. It was ... for probably until mile 15. After that? Rollers. Rollers that burned. Rollers that sucked. I commented to someone at some point that I thought it was supposed to be flat and fast after Stage. I got a nod and a grunt in response.
The woman from the first few miles and I were really going back and forth at this point, though she eventually passed me for good within the last five miles ... where my legs just started giving up.
Other points of mention:
- The guys in daisy dukes, fake pigtail wigs and knotted up plaid shirts at the second aid station? AWESOME. I hooted and hollered at them (which they loved).
- There was a suicidal rabbit at one point; dashed across the road in front of the girl in front of me; almost got killed; dashed back in front of me; almost killed both of us. Saw it dash back again ... don't know what happened. I presume it made it, as I didn't hear sounds of crashing. I think if a cyclist hit a rabbit said cyclist would probably crash ...
And though I said my legs started to give up, I still tried to finish the bike (a non-Oly distance 42K) strong. Some really old guy passed me at one point and I said to myself, "Really? You have GOT to start moving here." And I did. And it was good.
Time: 1:41:49 (1173rd overall)
T2
Peeled off the bike shorts, tossed on the race skirt (with number), changed shoes, Body Glided feet again (10K, figured I should), tossed another salt tab.
Time: 2:44
The Run
I wasn't so sure on how the run was going to go. All I was hoping for at that point was to do better than I did at Rattlesnake. I wasn't expecting a HUGE PR or anything - I was training through the race and all - but I did want to improve if anything.
The first mile didn't seem like that would be accomplished. I had to walk quite a bit starting out and I just couldn't get into any sort of groove.
Then, just into the second mile, I fell. I was actually noticing all these big ol' rocks in the path and thinking, "Hmm, someone might trip on these" and down I went. Left palm, left leg. Palm, ankle and butt all got road rash. I popped up quickly and ran a bit afterward, but the stinging of the gravel (and, let's be honest here, my pride) forced me to walk shortly thereafter. Luckily, the aid station was soon and I got water to clean my hand out as best as possible, drank a ton myself and kept on going.
From a week later. It's almost healed now, but it took over a week and a freaking half to do so.
Mile three was fairly uneventful ... except that it had a few hills. I stopped at all the aid stations and took in the Hammer gel right at the halfway point to give myself a little extra boost.
I knew my miles were pretty slow at that point, but given the time on my now blurry watch, I knew I could walk the rest of the way and still essentially PR. Obviously I tried to run a bit more and I did, but unfortunately not much.
Still, I managed to run it in the chute and sprint to the finish ... chicking one guy pretty badly and almost passing another right at the finish line.
Time: 1:10:41 (1141st overall, 11:17/mile)
Overall Time:
3:41:07
1188/1279 overall
400/461 female
65/73 division (F2529)
My swim was almost at the bottom of the division; I caught quite a few people on the bike; a few of those caught me back on the run.
This was a race that if you look at the numbers alone, I was slow and crappy. However, that's still a five minute PR for a race that I didn't feel ready for. I was training through this; I didn't feel like I had put in the miles. In some senses yes, that showed. However, I was still able to PR, tripping a mile into the run and all. I'll take it.
For Boulder Peak, the second of three in the Boulder Tri Series we signed up for last October, Brandon didn't come with me. It was pretty much the only thing he asked off for in his July bids ... and didn't get it off and he COULD NOT get out of it. Sad day. So, it was only me heading up to Boulder that morning ...
Like 5430, I went up to Boulder the day before (so Saturday) for the pre-race expo and packet pick-up. Heard about the nasty hill (Olde Stage) ... and not much else. The only cool thing about packet pick-up was the tent of Ironman-branded stuff they had on SUPER CLEARANCE. While none of it gets cracked until August 8th, I picked up two IM Boulder 70.3 cycling jerseys, two visors, one hat, one pint glass, one coffee mug and two stickers for ... $40, I want to say? Each jersey was $5 and they're normally $80. Yeah. No-brainer. Unfortunately, the stuff's all sitting in a bag hidden behind the futon, but y'know.
After shopping, I drove back down to Denver, had sushi for lunch, breakfast for dinner (becoming our pre-race standard) and went to sleep.
Race Day
Like for 5430, I woke up butt-ass early for the long-ass drive to Boulder. Transition had already opened by the time I arrived and had to park a bit further away than we did for 5430. Still, I got in and set up just fine.
Sun rising over transition.
Transition! Ivan and Nelson are in the trans bag (post concerning that later), there's the crappy sunscreen I bought that didn't work and left me slightly fried ...
Now customary smiley. Thanks, Steve - a couple of Coloradoans now do this regularly.
Unlike 5430, I didn't take Bob for a spin; I just set up trans and basically hung out. I was telling myself not to be nervous so as not to poop the multiple times I usually do race morning ... but then I couldn't at all and that made me nervous instead so finally I just plopped in the port-o-potty line and forced myself to go.
Quick note here: AWESOME that they had someone pitching most of the line extra rolls of TP to make sure EVERY port-o-potty had enough. There's not much worse than using a port-o-potty after an event and having NO toilet paper.
Soon enough, though, it was time to leave transition and head down to the water (after popping a salt tab).
The Swim
After getting down to the beach, I popped in the water and swam a bit, but not too much as my wave was one of the earlier ones and I didn't want to miss my start.
Which ended up being good, as it was VERY hard to hear waves announced. I did ask the powers that be about it and they couldn't use the soundsystem because it was before 7am (noise violation codes or whatnot). But still, I can't help but wonder how many people missed their wave as a result.
In any case, after chit-chatting with a few people, it was time to go.
I let pretty much the entire wave go ahead of me before I started swimming so I could attempt to crawl with no distractions. Unfortunately, like 5430, I ended up breast-stroking most of it ... which I found out has the unintended consequence of killing my watch. ARGH. This should hopefully be the last race of that (more later). In any case, I survived and exited the water happily not last in my division (though close).
Time: 42:47 (1224th overall)
T1:
Transition in this race took a bit longer than it did in 5430, but I put on an extra pair of bike shorts to help out the lady bits and I popped a salt tab. Time well worth it, in my opinion.
Time: 3:46
The Bike:
As I had heard many nightmares about this course from many different sources, I made sure to take in some nutrition (mmm, no-bake cookies) within the first few miles. Legs felt kind of crappy, but that is to be expected, after all.
I saw a woman in front of me as I turned onto one of the main roads and eventually caught up with her, knowing I made some progress (because I knew I was definitely one of the last out of the water in my division). We ended up passing each other back and forth for pretty much the entire ride, which helped a lot, actually. Lightened up the course.
Much too soon (okay, like five miles in), we made the turn that would take us to Olde Stage Road.
It. Was. As. Bad. As. Advertised.
Two to three miles of straight up CLIMBING. According to some Google research, the first mile is an 11% grade and the rest of it averages an 8% grade. It was MISERABLE. There were several people off their bikes and walking. I never got off and walked, though I did have to stop three times just to catch my breath to ward off a potential asthma attack. I was in baby gear all around ... and going anywhere from 2-5mph up the hill. Averaging probably 3.5 mph.
What's more cruel is there's a water station near the top ... if you haven't done the ride, and all you have to go on is the costumed volunteers (in devil costumes, mostly; probably because you feel like hell at that point) is saying, "Wee, you're done!" ... you don't expect more climbing. But there WAS. And it felt like a cruel, cruel joke.
Teaches me right to not 100% scout the course out ahead of time.
Anyway, after the end of the horrible hill, you get to go blessedly downhill. The first section has a speed limit of 35 mph - a strictly enforced speed limit of 35 mph (you go over, you dq'ed). Doing the ride, you see why; riding my brakes and not pedaling, I stayed around 31, 32 mph. At the bottom of the hill, there's a nice turn that if you're not careful, you could take one hell of a tumble. Which people have done and to avoid such further incidents, they implemented the speed limit. Makes sense to me.
I did hit 40ish later on the course though, so yay. :)
Another falsehood was that after Stage, the course was flat and fast. It was ... for probably until mile 15. After that? Rollers. Rollers that burned. Rollers that sucked. I commented to someone at some point that I thought it was supposed to be flat and fast after Stage. I got a nod and a grunt in response.
The woman from the first few miles and I were really going back and forth at this point, though she eventually passed me for good within the last five miles ... where my legs just started giving up.
Other points of mention:
- The guys in daisy dukes, fake pigtail wigs and knotted up plaid shirts at the second aid station? AWESOME. I hooted and hollered at them (which they loved).
- There was a suicidal rabbit at one point; dashed across the road in front of the girl in front of me; almost got killed; dashed back in front of me; almost killed both of us. Saw it dash back again ... don't know what happened. I presume it made it, as I didn't hear sounds of crashing. I think if a cyclist hit a rabbit said cyclist would probably crash ...
And though I said my legs started to give up, I still tried to finish the bike (a non-Oly distance 42K) strong. Some really old guy passed me at one point and I said to myself, "Really? You have GOT to start moving here." And I did. And it was good.
Time: 1:41:49 (1173rd overall)
T2
Peeled off the bike shorts, tossed on the race skirt (with number), changed shoes, Body Glided feet again (10K, figured I should), tossed another salt tab.
Time: 2:44
The Run
I wasn't so sure on how the run was going to go. All I was hoping for at that point was to do better than I did at Rattlesnake. I wasn't expecting a HUGE PR or anything - I was training through the race and all - but I did want to improve if anything.
The first mile didn't seem like that would be accomplished. I had to walk quite a bit starting out and I just couldn't get into any sort of groove.
Then, just into the second mile, I fell. I was actually noticing all these big ol' rocks in the path and thinking, "Hmm, someone might trip on these" and down I went. Left palm, left leg. Palm, ankle and butt all got road rash. I popped up quickly and ran a bit afterward, but the stinging of the gravel (and, let's be honest here, my pride) forced me to walk shortly thereafter. Luckily, the aid station was soon and I got water to clean my hand out as best as possible, drank a ton myself and kept on going.
From a week later. It's almost healed now, but it took over a week and a freaking half to do so.
Mile three was fairly uneventful ... except that it had a few hills. I stopped at all the aid stations and took in the Hammer gel right at the halfway point to give myself a little extra boost.
I knew my miles were pretty slow at that point, but given the time on my now blurry watch, I knew I could walk the rest of the way and still essentially PR. Obviously I tried to run a bit more and I did, but unfortunately not much.
Still, I managed to run it in the chute and sprint to the finish ... chicking one guy pretty badly and almost passing another right at the finish line.
Time: 1:10:41 (1141st overall, 11:17/mile)
Overall Time:
3:41:07
1188/1279 overall
400/461 female
65/73 division (F2529)
My swim was almost at the bottom of the division; I caught quite a few people on the bike; a few of those caught me back on the run.
This was a race that if you look at the numbers alone, I was slow and crappy. However, that's still a five minute PR for a race that I didn't feel ready for. I was training through this; I didn't feel like I had put in the miles. In some senses yes, that showed. However, I was still able to PR, tripping a mile into the run and all. I'll take it.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Race #5 of the Season: Lone Tree Liberty Dash 5K
I guess this is now just the Liberty Dash 5K (formerly the Firecracker 5K). Anyway, I've been doing this stupid race since it started way back in 2005. In fact, it was my first ever running race.
Anyway, we all know I'm marginally sentimental toward this race for some ungodly reason and once again, decided to do it this year. Although that almost didn't come to fruition; didn't get it off at work and had to beg and plead and pick up another shift for it to get mostly covered enough so I could run.
Like last year, we walked down to the park early for packet pick-up and then walked back home to eat breakfast and everything. In park visit numero uno, it seemed quiet. The quietness was magnified by the time we started the race - it seemed like no one was there (even though the race results have 22 more people participating this year than last).
In any case, they kept the race the good route, but it just sucked this year. I knew it was going to be a LOT hotter than last year and even though I would have loved to keep my sub-30 5K streak alive this year, I figured if I could hit around 31:00, I'd be happy.
Mile 1: sucky. Up the hill, squeezing past rocks, only one water station, what now?
Mile 2: still sucky. Wound around through one of the subdivisions, started to get some downhill, never really felt like getting going.
Mile 3.1: Decided for the first time ever in my racing career to not sprint across the finish line (to make it the second time ever; couldn't physically run across the finish line at turkey trot '08) so Brandon and I could cross together chanting, "USA! USA!" No one was amused. Sad day.
Final Numbers:
Gun Time: 31:21
Chip Time: 30:59
Overall Place/Total: 136/306
Pace: 9:58.35/mile
Sex Place/Total: 48/153
Division Place/Total: 11/25
No pictures taken, but I will include some of the happy fireworks we had ... until the city decided to set the park on fire for the second time in four years. *sigh*
Off to the right, you can see the flames from the actual fire. Fun, eh?
Anyway, we all know I'm marginally sentimental toward this race for some ungodly reason and once again, decided to do it this year. Although that almost didn't come to fruition; didn't get it off at work and had to beg and plead and pick up another shift for it to get mostly covered enough so I could run.
Like last year, we walked down to the park early for packet pick-up and then walked back home to eat breakfast and everything. In park visit numero uno, it seemed quiet. The quietness was magnified by the time we started the race - it seemed like no one was there (even though the race results have 22 more people participating this year than last).
In any case, they kept the race the good route, but it just sucked this year. I knew it was going to be a LOT hotter than last year and even though I would have loved to keep my sub-30 5K streak alive this year, I figured if I could hit around 31:00, I'd be happy.
Mile 1: sucky. Up the hill, squeezing past rocks, only one water station, what now?
Mile 2: still sucky. Wound around through one of the subdivisions, started to get some downhill, never really felt like getting going.
Mile 3.1: Decided for the first time ever in my racing career to not sprint across the finish line (to make it the second time ever; couldn't physically run across the finish line at turkey trot '08) so Brandon and I could cross together chanting, "USA! USA!" No one was amused. Sad day.
Final Numbers:
Gun Time: 31:21
Chip Time: 30:59
Overall Place/Total: 136/306
Pace: 9:58.35/mile
Sex Place/Total: 48/153
Division Place/Total: 11/25
No pictures taken, but I will include some of the happy fireworks we had ... until the city decided to set the park on fire for the second time in four years. *sigh*
Off to the right, you can see the flames from the actual fire. Fun, eh?
Monday, July 11, 2011
Less is More
My best friend, Tim, told me that in training for the TC Marathon, he missed two days of training in his entire plan. I was very impressed by this and admired his dedication, but wondered to myself how a fellow airline pilot could subject himself to this sort of schedule.
As a pilot, my schedule can be extremely erratic. Assuming everything goes according to plan, I often get into a hotel late at night, forcing a few hours of sleep in a strange bed with strange pillows. More often then not, the area I stay in is not good to run in. Very few hotels have adequate swimming facilities or weights.
How do I deal with this, you ask?
By realizing that in triathlon training, less is more.
And dealing. (Not drugs)
I will research the hotels I'm staying in prior to leaving on my trip, figuring out if a swim/lift is possible. I'll plan on doing all my riding at home because getting a bike on the road just isn't going to happen (unless I'm in Santa Barbara). The key is, adaptation.
But what happens when a wrench is thrown into the cog? What happens if I plan on doing a run when I get to the hotel only to be massively delayed and can't get it safely in that night?
I deal.
Unless you're a professional triathlete and can dedicate 24/7 of your life to training, things happen. Hell, even for them, things probably happen! You have to be willing to adapt and sometimes, realize that a workout is not going to happen. Don't beat yourself up over this; you didn't cause the situation to happen.
I'm not saying make excuses, of course. If I don't get in a run because I'm too busy watching Netflix and ran out of time, that's on me. If I'm not willing to go run because "it's too hot", that's on me. Now I'm not saying be unsafe, but don't make convenient excuses. That's all I'm getting at.
We were at KompetitiveEdge in Denver getting T a transition bag for her b-day and chatting with the employee at the store. He said that when you can't get a workout in due to external circumstances, realize that less is more and don't beat yourself up. Look at it this way; instead of forcing the workout and risking injury, use the off day to heal up, and go hard the next time you work out.
Simple.
It's just overcoming the mental obstacle at that point.
As a pilot, my schedule can be extremely erratic. Assuming everything goes according to plan, I often get into a hotel late at night, forcing a few hours of sleep in a strange bed with strange pillows. More often then not, the area I stay in is not good to run in. Very few hotels have adequate swimming facilities or weights.
How do I deal with this, you ask?
By realizing that in triathlon training, less is more.
And dealing. (Not drugs)
I will research the hotels I'm staying in prior to leaving on my trip, figuring out if a swim/lift is possible. I'll plan on doing all my riding at home because getting a bike on the road just isn't going to happen (unless I'm in Santa Barbara). The key is, adaptation.
But what happens when a wrench is thrown into the cog? What happens if I plan on doing a run when I get to the hotel only to be massively delayed and can't get it safely in that night?
I deal.
Unless you're a professional triathlete and can dedicate 24/7 of your life to training, things happen. Hell, even for them, things probably happen! You have to be willing to adapt and sometimes, realize that a workout is not going to happen. Don't beat yourself up over this; you didn't cause the situation to happen.
I'm not saying make excuses, of course. If I don't get in a run because I'm too busy watching Netflix and ran out of time, that's on me. If I'm not willing to go run because "it's too hot", that's on me. Now I'm not saying be unsafe, but don't make convenient excuses. That's all I'm getting at.
We were at KompetitiveEdge in Denver getting T a transition bag for her b-day and chatting with the employee at the store. He said that when you can't get a workout in due to external circumstances, realize that less is more and don't beat yourself up. Look at it this way; instead of forcing the workout and risking injury, use the off day to heal up, and go hard the next time you work out.
Simple.
It's just overcoming the mental obstacle at that point.
Mental training
As I said in a blog post earlier, I have a lot on my mind and a lot of thoughts right now. Consuming most of my thinking is the epic race I have coming up: Boulder 70.3.
One of the things that plagues a triathlete is nutrition. Nutrition is important. From fueling your body at breakfast to what to eat on the bike, it's on your mind. Right now, I can tell you that every single thing I consume, from a glass of water to a bowl of cereal, I'm wondering how this is going to benefit me and what is it going to give me? OCD? Perhaps, but it's the way it is right now.
Two days ago, I had a convo with my friend Kris regarding flat Coke. I was perusing the race website and saw this is going to be offered on the run. Curiosity got the best of me, so I started browsing the web about the subject. Surprisingly, there is little offered online about this. Kris summed it up as a shot of energy; mostly sugar and carbs, it will give you the boost you need if you feel like bonking. I followed up with my friend Steve, who in his former life was a triathlete. He told me it's designed to prevent you from bonking. However, you want to do everything possible to prevent bonking, so make 100% sure you are doing everything in your power to properly nutriate (is that a word?) yourself so that you don't have to rely on a can of Coke or whatever to get you through the race.
It's fun to experiment and figure out what works and what doesn't. We recently tried salt tablets and found that on a longer ride, we didn't cramp up. On an 8 mile run recently, I took a gel at 25 minutes and felt great, but bonked by mile 6. I need to probably take in more nutrition, which I will experiment with on a 120 minute run tomorrow.
Any tried and true methods that work for all of you out there? What are they?
One of the things that plagues a triathlete is nutrition. Nutrition is important. From fueling your body at breakfast to what to eat on the bike, it's on your mind. Right now, I can tell you that every single thing I consume, from a glass of water to a bowl of cereal, I'm wondering how this is going to benefit me and what is it going to give me? OCD? Perhaps, but it's the way it is right now.
Two days ago, I had a convo with my friend Kris regarding flat Coke. I was perusing the race website and saw this is going to be offered on the run. Curiosity got the best of me, so I started browsing the web about the subject. Surprisingly, there is little offered online about this. Kris summed it up as a shot of energy; mostly sugar and carbs, it will give you the boost you need if you feel like bonking. I followed up with my friend Steve, who in his former life was a triathlete. He told me it's designed to prevent you from bonking. However, you want to do everything possible to prevent bonking, so make 100% sure you are doing everything in your power to properly nutriate (is that a word?) yourself so that you don't have to rely on a can of Coke or whatever to get you through the race.
It's fun to experiment and figure out what works and what doesn't. We recently tried salt tablets and found that on a longer ride, we didn't cramp up. On an 8 mile run recently, I took a gel at 25 minutes and felt great, but bonked by mile 6. I need to probably take in more nutrition, which I will experiment with on a 120 minute run tomorrow.
Any tried and true methods that work for all of you out there? What are they?
Race Recap #3: Lone Tree Liberty Dash 5K
When I bid for my schedule in July, I asked for one thing off: The weekend of July 9th and 10th. Did I get that off? Not even close. I didn't care about getting July 4th off, but when I discovered I did, I took it as a fine thing, because I could at least do the Lone Tree Firecracker 5K.
You may wonder why I'm calling it the Liberty Dash 5K instead of the Firecracker 5K. The reason is they decided to change the name because there's like 18 trillion Firecracker 5K's out there. Or so I'm guessing. Regardless, I registered and was ready to undertake this run, even though I've done very little run training and really was using this as a workout more then anything.
We did the same thing this year that we did last year; woke up and headed down to the park for packet pick-up. Once that was done, we would head back home, eat, and get prepped for the run. At packet pick-up, there were a surprising few amount of people, which we were slightly surprised about. I figured this race was growing; instead it looked like it was a lot smaller. Also, a lot of the sponsor tents weren't there either.
We got back to the park about 10 minutes before the race started and looked for T's brother and his fiancee. Not seeing them, T, myself, and her dad hopped to the start and waited for the countdown. It came, and off we went.
The race went the same route last year, which is the better way to go. However, unlike last year, this was not an ideal day for a race. It was already hot, and only forecast to get hotter. The high that day was forecast to be in the high 90's, with some weather outlets predicting over 100. By the 1st mile, which is slow anyway since it's all uphill, it was already really hot. It's like the temperature was soaring with each step.
In between mile 1 and 2, I could feel the fatigue in my legs from the weightlifting session I had the night before and slowed it down. My goal of beating last year's time didn't look attainable at this point, so I decided to not push it, since I couldn't risk an injury at this point in my season. At the downhill point, where the race goes downhill the whole way, just before mile 2, we started to pick it up, but I could tell we were slower then last year.
On the downhill, I was unable to muster the strength to go further. Whatever reason it was, I was feeling slightly disappointed and was wondering if cracking 10:00 was even going to be possible. I know not to get frustrated with my time in this race being that it's a giant pain in the ass with massive elevation gain...but still...
When T and I crossed the finish line, we did it together chanting U.S.A.! U.S.A.! No one really seemed amused by this, which was sad. I crossed in 30:58, preserving an under 10:00 per mile, but still, it really wasn't a good 5K.
Regardless, if I get the 4th off next year, I'm sure I'll still be doing this race. :-)
You may wonder why I'm calling it the Liberty Dash 5K instead of the Firecracker 5K. The reason is they decided to change the name because there's like 18 trillion Firecracker 5K's out there. Or so I'm guessing. Regardless, I registered and was ready to undertake this run, even though I've done very little run training and really was using this as a workout more then anything.
We did the same thing this year that we did last year; woke up and headed down to the park for packet pick-up. Once that was done, we would head back home, eat, and get prepped for the run. At packet pick-up, there were a surprising few amount of people, which we were slightly surprised about. I figured this race was growing; instead it looked like it was a lot smaller. Also, a lot of the sponsor tents weren't there either.
We got back to the park about 10 minutes before the race started and looked for T's brother and his fiancee. Not seeing them, T, myself, and her dad hopped to the start and waited for the countdown. It came, and off we went.
The race went the same route last year, which is the better way to go. However, unlike last year, this was not an ideal day for a race. It was already hot, and only forecast to get hotter. The high that day was forecast to be in the high 90's, with some weather outlets predicting over 100. By the 1st mile, which is slow anyway since it's all uphill, it was already really hot. It's like the temperature was soaring with each step.
In between mile 1 and 2, I could feel the fatigue in my legs from the weightlifting session I had the night before and slowed it down. My goal of beating last year's time didn't look attainable at this point, so I decided to not push it, since I couldn't risk an injury at this point in my season. At the downhill point, where the race goes downhill the whole way, just before mile 2, we started to pick it up, but I could tell we were slower then last year.
On the downhill, I was unable to muster the strength to go further. Whatever reason it was, I was feeling slightly disappointed and was wondering if cracking 10:00 was even going to be possible. I know not to get frustrated with my time in this race being that it's a giant pain in the ass with massive elevation gain...but still...
When T and I crossed the finish line, we did it together chanting U.S.A.! U.S.A.! No one really seemed amused by this, which was sad. I crossed in 30:58, preserving an under 10:00 per mile, but still, it really wasn't a good 5K.
Regardless, if I get the 4th off next year, I'm sure I'll still be doing this race. :-)
June Roundup
I'm SO late with this.
I'm going to keep it brief. I have a lot of blog ideas right now.
Swimming - 2.58 miles (less then May, still slacking)
Cycling - 96.05 miles (woohoo!)
Running - 30.34 miles (not as much as May)
Lifting - 7 Mark Allen sessions
One Spin Class
Overall, June was NOT a bad month. It included my first tri of the season, which went very well. However, July will be MUCH more mileage and much more difficult. The true building is about to come.
I'm going to keep it brief. I have a lot of blog ideas right now.
Swimming - 2.58 miles (less then May, still slacking)
Cycling - 96.05 miles (woohoo!)
Running - 30.34 miles (not as much as May)
Lifting - 7 Mark Allen sessions
One Spin Class
Overall, June was NOT a bad month. It included my first tri of the season, which went very well. However, July will be MUCH more mileage and much more difficult. The true building is about to come.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
June Round-Up
Remember, I'm still in catch-up mode! 5430 Sprint Tri and Undy Run 5000 recaps are below!
Yes, I'm SO SO SO late with all of this. Obviously, because I'm catching up on everything. Life has gotten away from me and I need to get back reorganized. It'll make me happy.
Anyway, June was good in some ways and bad in some ways. It held the first tri of the season (that went pretty well, considering we were training through it), another 5K, more swimming, my highest-ever total in cycling ... I'll let the numbers speak for themselves.
Running: 34.53 miles (average went up about 12 seconds/mile)
Swimming: 3.4 miles (average went up about three minutes/mile)
Cycling (outside): 130.34 miles (average went up about 1.5 mph)(woo!)
Cycling (trainer): 0 miles (screw you, skippy)
Lifting: seven sessions. Missed one.
Other: nothing, unless you include an ass-ton of walking when we were in Las Vegas at the end of the month
All in all, not a bad month. I got a lot slower in a lot of ways (not sure what's going on with running and swimming, well, that just sucks right now), but I'm extremely happy I'm getting in the bike miles. That was a huge weak point last year and I'm trying to remedy it; and I'm glad the numbers are showing it.
July is pretty much the peak training month for IM Boulder 70.3, so the numbers should be massive. I can't wait.
Yes, I'm SO SO SO late with all of this. Obviously, because I'm catching up on everything. Life has gotten away from me and I need to get back reorganized. It'll make me happy.
Anyway, June was good in some ways and bad in some ways. It held the first tri of the season (that went pretty well, considering we were training through it), another 5K, more swimming, my highest-ever total in cycling ... I'll let the numbers speak for themselves.
Running: 34.53 miles (average went up about 12 seconds/mile)
Swimming: 3.4 miles (average went up about three minutes/mile)
Cycling (outside): 130.34 miles (average went up about 1.5 mph)(woo!)
Cycling (trainer): 0 miles (screw you, skippy)
Lifting: seven sessions. Missed one.
Other: nothing, unless you include an ass-ton of walking when we were in Las Vegas at the end of the month
All in all, not a bad month. I got a lot slower in a lot of ways (not sure what's going on with running and swimming, well, that just sucks right now), but I'm extremely happy I'm getting in the bike miles. That was a huge weak point last year and I'm trying to remedy it; and I'm glad the numbers are showing it.
July is pretty much the peak training month for IM Boulder 70.3, so the numbers should be massive. I can't wait.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Race #4 of the Season: Undy Run 5000
Remember; I'm catching up on blog posts. If you haven't yet read my 5430 Sprint Tri recap; scroll down! It's just below this one.
A couple years ago, my friend Claire and her mom Sue had a friend of theirs, Parker, die from cancer. Over the years, they've both participated in and organized a few events for him. I've tagged along on a few of these, even though I never met Parker; I did it in support of my friend.
Last year, Claire and Sue organized a team to walk in the Undy Run 5000 (for colorectal cancer). Due to work obligations, I wasn't able to participate. This year, I was. And since I'm not the type to enter to walk a 5K, I joined their team as a runner. (duh.)
In terms of a race, there's really not much to say here. I used it as a tempo run and was freaking out about making the 8:30 start time as Claire and Sue didn't show up to City Park until about 8:15.
Still, all was good and I got to run on time.
Race itself was ... meh. I've done a few races around City Park and I'm really realizing I hate running there. The park itself is flat, but there are some deceptively sucky inclines. That, and every race I've run there has been hot. This one was hot and humid. Peachy.
I was checking my watch at the mile markers for shits and giggles; mile one was a 9:13; mile two read 18:something and since I kinda fell apart in mile three-point-one, I finished probably not as well as I could have, but still under 30:00.
Race Details:
Time: 29:36
Pace: 9:31.64/mi
Overall: 172/875
Sex Place: 68/600
Division Place: 30/134 F2029
A couple years ago, my friend Claire and her mom Sue had a friend of theirs, Parker, die from cancer. Over the years, they've both participated in and organized a few events for him. I've tagged along on a few of these, even though I never met Parker; I did it in support of my friend.
Last year, Claire and Sue organized a team to walk in the Undy Run 5000 (for colorectal cancer). Due to work obligations, I wasn't able to participate. This year, I was. And since I'm not the type to enter to walk a 5K, I joined their team as a runner. (duh.)
In terms of a race, there's really not much to say here. I used it as a tempo run and was freaking out about making the 8:30 start time as Claire and Sue didn't show up to City Park until about 8:15.
Still, all was good and I got to run on time.
Race itself was ... meh. I've done a few races around City Park and I'm really realizing I hate running there. The park itself is flat, but there are some deceptively sucky inclines. That, and every race I've run there has been hot. This one was hot and humid. Peachy.
I was checking my watch at the mile markers for shits and giggles; mile one was a 9:13; mile two read 18:something and since I kinda fell apart in mile three-point-one, I finished probably not as well as I could have, but still under 30:00.
Race Details:
Time: 29:36
Pace: 9:31.64/mi
Overall: 172/875
Sex Place: 68/600
Division Place: 30/134 F2029
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Race #3 of the Season: 5430 Sprint Triathlon
First of all, I KNOW I'M SO BEHIND IN BLOG POSTS. I'm back three races and a recap AND I have another race this weekend. So I figure I better catch up a bit here ...
When we signed up to do Ironman Boulder 70.3, we learned that you could just sign up for the Boulder Triathlon Series which would include the 5430 Sprint, the Boulder Peak (olympic distance; now part of the 5i50 series) and the 70.3. We wouldn't really train for the first two - we'd just train through them and see how things went.
Leading up to 5430, we were feeling okay. Training had started, we were getting into somewhat of a groove ... and then we tried getting in open water swims. PILE O' FAIL. My swimming has been a struggle this year and the OWS the week before 5430 scared me back into SwimLabs (which really didn't help). Technical form is okay, but my endurance? The suck.
Talking to the ever-awesome Kris helped calm me down and alleviate some of my fears and learning the water in the Boulder Reservoir would be about 10 degrees warmer than that of Aurora didn't hurt, either.
Race Day
We woke up butt-ass early to make the long-ass drive to Boulder, making us even happier we booked a hotel for the night before the half. Yeah, we'll still have a 20 minute drive, but it's better than a 50 minute drive. We got to the Res even before transition opened so we had time to wander around a bit and take care of things (bathroom, sticker application, etc.).
The water.
Brandon looking out over the water.
Soon after, it was time to head into transition. This was our first race we've done together where we couldn't set up next to each other; everything was set up due to waves and we were in different waves. We split up for a few minutes to get set up and to get body-marked.
Brandon's calf marked up with our tribute smiley.
My calf all marked up.
We took the bikes for a spin to make sure they got through the trip okay (Bob can be dumb like that) and soon enough, it was time to get our butts out of transition and down to the water.
Down by the water, waves were going off every few minutes and my wave was a good 25 minutes or so after Brandon's. I got in the water a bit to warm up with him and was in the water right near his wave's start, but my wave was so far back in that I actually saw him get out of the water before I even had a chance to start my race. Which kind of sucks, actually.
The Swim:
This race was a return to the wave start that I did in my first couple tris (the Tri for the Cure years; My Way was a mass start and both Cheyenne and Rattlesnake were time trials). I think I like the wave starts better because you get to hang out in the water and get acclimated before the gun goes off. I like that, especially when the water is a little colder.
I knew that crawling the whole half-mile or whatever this race was was going to be an issue ... and it was. I ended up breaststroking most of it (tricky in a wetsuit due to lack of leg mobility) and had to kayak it to wipe out my goggles.
And I know this is probably going to be too much TMI, but throughout the whole damn swim, I felt as if I could do better and relax if I could just make myself pee. Couldn't do it. Argh.
Time: 21:32 (rate: 2:53; rank: 1007th overall)
T1:
Nothing much special here. I could tell I was new to this whole wetsuit thing as it inadvertantly helped me expand my personal space area ... which the guy next to me kindly pointed out as he tried to get his bike off the rack. Oops. Live and learn ...
Time is also a bit longer as the mat was RIGHT as you got out of the water. Helps for more accurate swim times; sucks for transition times.
Time: 3:10
The Bike:
The sprint bike course was surprisingly sucky for the first few miles. The first mile out of the Res was also the last mile of the bike so you got to see a lot of people coming in and that kind of sucks. I kept my eyes peeled for Brandon, but no dice.
My legs felt super heavy in the first five miles or so ... which were actually kind of uphill ... an uphill so gradual you didn't really realize it until in mile 5 when you started heading downhill. I got passed by a lot of people, passed a couple myself and started feeling really good in the middle miles of the ride.
The end of the course had a couple surprisingly nasty baby hills (just because they're small doesn't mean they don't suck), but I made it through the 17ish miles okay.
Time: 1:00:42 (17.0 mph, 893rd overall)
T2:
T2 went by really quickly. I switched off the race belt (had to wear our race numbers on the bike) for my race skirt and took a chance and didn't BodyGlide my feet for a second time. As a result, I was out pretty fast.
Time: 2:01
The Run:
I knew the run was in the actual Reservoir and I thought I may be marginally familiar with the course from doing KBCO's Race Around the Rez a few years back which took place at the Boulder Res. However, the Res is apparently fairly large and I think we ran in a totally different place.
My legs felt kind of crappy (as to be expected), but the few bricks I've done (even with the ass-long transition times) have apparently helped as the legs didn't feel as dead as they have in past years. So, yay for that.
There was a gradual uphill leading out of transition to the main part of the course (with a photog at the top of the hill; go figure - I made sure to smile) and then it was gently rolling.
I ran as much as I could; walked when I had to and just let the miles tick by ... though it seemed like a long 5K. I think tri runs ALWAYS seem longer since you've done so much before them. On the way back (out-and-back run), I chatted with another girl for a bit (and I wish I remember about what; too long ago). It was obvious it was at a slightly slower pace for her, but the conversation actually was a good pick-me-up and helped me get through the last little bit of the race.
Unlike Rattlesnake, it was also nice seeing people still starting the course and not being one of the last people out there.
Entering the chute, there was a woman wearing the bike jersey from last year's Boulder 70.3 and I tried to catch her, but as you'll see in the photo collage below, no dice. Sad day. In any case, I managed my traditional sprint across the finish ... somehow. Brandon has a fun video of it; ask to see it sometime.
Time: 31:14 (10:04/mi; 955th overall)
Overall Time:
1:58:39
940/1132 overall
357/496 female
56/80 division (F2529)
While it seemed to be a crappy race compared to other people, I actually had my fastest bike average and fastest run average ever in a tri, so really, I'll take it.
I won't bore you with anything else - I'm behind in posting as it is and I've got to bug out to take Brandon to the airport, but I will leave with a photo collage of the official race photos courtesy of Action Sports International (ASI) and the Windows snip tool.
When we signed up to do Ironman Boulder 70.3, we learned that you could just sign up for the Boulder Triathlon Series which would include the 5430 Sprint, the Boulder Peak (olympic distance; now part of the 5i50 series) and the 70.3. We wouldn't really train for the first two - we'd just train through them and see how things went.
Leading up to 5430, we were feeling okay. Training had started, we were getting into somewhat of a groove ... and then we tried getting in open water swims. PILE O' FAIL. My swimming has been a struggle this year and the OWS the week before 5430 scared me back into SwimLabs (which really didn't help). Technical form is okay, but my endurance? The suck.
Talking to the ever-awesome Kris helped calm me down and alleviate some of my fears and learning the water in the Boulder Reservoir would be about 10 degrees warmer than that of Aurora didn't hurt, either.
Race Day
We woke up butt-ass early to make the long-ass drive to Boulder, making us even happier we booked a hotel for the night before the half. Yeah, we'll still have a 20 minute drive, but it's better than a 50 minute drive. We got to the Res even before transition opened so we had time to wander around a bit and take care of things (bathroom, sticker application, etc.).
The water.
Brandon looking out over the water.
Soon after, it was time to head into transition. This was our first race we've done together where we couldn't set up next to each other; everything was set up due to waves and we were in different waves. We split up for a few minutes to get set up and to get body-marked.
Brandon's calf marked up with our tribute smiley.
My calf all marked up.
We took the bikes for a spin to make sure they got through the trip okay (Bob can be dumb like that) and soon enough, it was time to get our butts out of transition and down to the water.
Down by the water, waves were going off every few minutes and my wave was a good 25 minutes or so after Brandon's. I got in the water a bit to warm up with him and was in the water right near his wave's start, but my wave was so far back in that I actually saw him get out of the water before I even had a chance to start my race. Which kind of sucks, actually.
The Swim:
This race was a return to the wave start that I did in my first couple tris (the Tri for the Cure years; My Way was a mass start and both Cheyenne and Rattlesnake were time trials). I think I like the wave starts better because you get to hang out in the water and get acclimated before the gun goes off. I like that, especially when the water is a little colder.
I knew that crawling the whole half-mile or whatever this race was was going to be an issue ... and it was. I ended up breaststroking most of it (tricky in a wetsuit due to lack of leg mobility) and had to kayak it to wipe out my goggles.
And I know this is probably going to be too much TMI, but throughout the whole damn swim, I felt as if I could do better and relax if I could just make myself pee. Couldn't do it. Argh.
Time: 21:32 (rate: 2:53; rank: 1007th overall)
T1:
Nothing much special here. I could tell I was new to this whole wetsuit thing as it inadvertantly helped me expand my personal space area ... which the guy next to me kindly pointed out as he tried to get his bike off the rack. Oops. Live and learn ...
Time is also a bit longer as the mat was RIGHT as you got out of the water. Helps for more accurate swim times; sucks for transition times.
Time: 3:10
The Bike:
The sprint bike course was surprisingly sucky for the first few miles. The first mile out of the Res was also the last mile of the bike so you got to see a lot of people coming in and that kind of sucks. I kept my eyes peeled for Brandon, but no dice.
My legs felt super heavy in the first five miles or so ... which were actually kind of uphill ... an uphill so gradual you didn't really realize it until in mile 5 when you started heading downhill. I got passed by a lot of people, passed a couple myself and started feeling really good in the middle miles of the ride.
The end of the course had a couple surprisingly nasty baby hills (just because they're small doesn't mean they don't suck), but I made it through the 17ish miles okay.
Time: 1:00:42 (17.0 mph, 893rd overall)
T2:
T2 went by really quickly. I switched off the race belt (had to wear our race numbers on the bike) for my race skirt and took a chance and didn't BodyGlide my feet for a second time. As a result, I was out pretty fast.
Time: 2:01
The Run:
I knew the run was in the actual Reservoir and I thought I may be marginally familiar with the course from doing KBCO's Race Around the Rez a few years back which took place at the Boulder Res. However, the Res is apparently fairly large and I think we ran in a totally different place.
My legs felt kind of crappy (as to be expected), but the few bricks I've done (even with the ass-long transition times) have apparently helped as the legs didn't feel as dead as they have in past years. So, yay for that.
There was a gradual uphill leading out of transition to the main part of the course (with a photog at the top of the hill; go figure - I made sure to smile) and then it was gently rolling.
I ran as much as I could; walked when I had to and just let the miles tick by ... though it seemed like a long 5K. I think tri runs ALWAYS seem longer since you've done so much before them. On the way back (out-and-back run), I chatted with another girl for a bit (and I wish I remember about what; too long ago). It was obvious it was at a slightly slower pace for her, but the conversation actually was a good pick-me-up and helped me get through the last little bit of the race.
Unlike Rattlesnake, it was also nice seeing people still starting the course and not being one of the last people out there.
Entering the chute, there was a woman wearing the bike jersey from last year's Boulder 70.3 and I tried to catch her, but as you'll see in the photo collage below, no dice. Sad day. In any case, I managed my traditional sprint across the finish ... somehow. Brandon has a fun video of it; ask to see it sometime.
Time: 31:14 (10:04/mi; 955th overall)
Overall Time:
1:58:39
940/1132 overall
357/496 female
56/80 division (F2529)
While it seemed to be a crappy race compared to other people, I actually had my fastest bike average and fastest run average ever in a tri, so really, I'll take it.
I won't bore you with anything else - I'm behind in posting as it is and I've got to bug out to take Brandon to the airport, but I will leave with a photo collage of the official race photos courtesy of Action Sports International (ASI) and the Windows snip tool.
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