Showing posts with label biking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biking. Show all posts
Friday, March 11, 2011
Spring!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Random Musings
1. We had the MOST gorgeous weather at the beach on Tuesday. Joe and I headed out around 9 for a short run. Although we complained to each other the whole way down how hot it was, something happened after we turned for home. The until-then calm was gone, the wind picked up (hello, headwind), and thus cooled we happily trotted back and jumped in the ocean. The water temperature was in the low 70s and perfect. With the wind there were quite a few waves, but the tide was out and you could stand out there in the water forever diving through 2-3 foot waves. Sophie got to ride a few waves too.
2. We got alot done while at the beach house. The outdoor shower now has new plywood, we have new (NICE!) chaises and hammock for the pool deck, my parent's old Mexican sideboard was delivered and stocked with lots of games and puzzles, and Maddy's room was reorganized with new lamps and TV stand. I also was able to get the drapes hemmed and rehang some window treatments and mirrors. Whew. I will leave the cleaning to others before the renters come in this weekend. Unfortunately we don't have the house to ourselves again until late August. Boo.
3. I am hydrating and trying to keep on top of my nutrition this week because....
4. I have a race this weekend! Ack. Eagleman. Maybe if I go into it like I did Rev3 I'll pr...
5. On Saturday, Melissa and I headed out for a ride. Cheeks were on seats at 7:10 and by 7:12 we were sweaty and hot. Heat acclimation for E-man--Check! I was glad to be done and off the bike by 9am.
2. We got alot done while at the beach house. The outdoor shower now has new plywood, we have new (NICE!) chaises and hammock for the pool deck, my parent's old Mexican sideboard was delivered and stocked with lots of games and puzzles, and Maddy's room was reorganized with new lamps and TV stand. I also was able to get the drapes hemmed and rehang some window treatments and mirrors. Whew. I will leave the cleaning to others before the renters come in this weekend. Unfortunately we don't have the house to ourselves again until late August. Boo.
3. I am hydrating and trying to keep on top of my nutrition this week because....
4. I have a race this weekend! Ack. Eagleman. Maybe if I go into it like I did Rev3 I'll pr...
5. On Saturday, Melissa and I headed out for a ride. Cheeks were on seats at 7:10 and by 7:12 we were sweaty and hot. Heat acclimation for E-man--Check! I was glad to be done and off the bike by 9am.
6. On Sunday morning, Joe and I ran the Stratford Hills 10k. It would've been an awesome run in say April or November, but that day at the 8am race start it was already hot and HUMID. Here are Sunday's actual temps (Saturday were almost exactly the same.)
Heat acclimation for E-man--Check Check! No pr, but just a run that was a slog fest and one I was happy to be done with. I must say, I love the race pic of me at mile 5. Check out my quad!
7. We are pretty excited to have new neighbors! Welcome Melissa and Greg.
8. News like this is a grim reminder of how others sacrifice for us. Thank you to all our service members and their families!
9. The next two weekends are busy busy busy with races and weddings. Lots to celebrate. Then it's on to California! 3 weeks in wine country, with a little Yosemite and Vineman thrown in. Can't wait to see friends and drink wine. Yippee!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
Christmas in Pictures
My apologies to Jen for plagarizing the title to this post...
The week before Christmas break, my dear friend Lynn came over to help decorate cookies the kids give to their teachers. It was a nice evening drinking wine, chatting, and playing with icing.
The kids and I loaded up the car on Monday and came down to the beach. I had a crazy couple of days trying to get everything ready for Christmas--buying a tree and decorating it, laying in food, and a some last minute shopping. I also was desperately tracking a package that was supposed to get to coach Jen, but was delayed by bad weather. Several of her athletes all went in on this. What a riot!
The week before Christmas break, my dear friend Lynn came over to help decorate cookies the kids give to their teachers. It was a nice evening drinking wine, chatting, and playing with icing.
That Friday evening it started snowing! We had a total of over 11" in our neighborhood, so the kids spent a fun weekend sledding with friends. Joey was quite the entrepreneur with the snow shovel, and cleared many a walk and driveway earning over $50!
The kids and I loaded up the car on Monday and came down to the beach. I had a crazy couple of days trying to get everything ready for Christmas--buying a tree and decorating it, laying in food, and a some last minute shopping. I also was desperately tracking a package that was supposed to get to coach Jen, but was delayed by bad weather. Several of her athletes all went in on this. What a riot!Joey came in to wake me up about 6:30 Christmas morning. He wasn't too interesting in snuggling with Mom, and instead was ready to start in on the present opening!
Joey's haul
One of two new bike jerseys for Mom--this one from DeLoach Winery
Sophie and her bone!
#1 Son and his Kindle
After opening gifts and playtime, we had a nice brunch--french toast and eggs Jefferson (like eggs benedict but with spinach and crab)--and went for a walk on the beach before it started POURING rain.
The finished 2000 piece puzzle
Maddy in her new "fur" coat
That night we had a quiet dinner and ended up watching the Nutcracker. The following day the rain had stopped so Joe and I went for a run together. That night was my friend Ginny's wedding in Norfolk--a very small, pleasant affair. The Bride looked smashing!
VCU friends Ginny and Caroline
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Smacznego! Bon Apetit! Buen Provecho! Ith gu leòir!
Turns out today is National Cupcake Day! I know how I'm celebrating--thanks to Molly.
Goodness knows after today's 42 mile bike ride, I need some little reward. I got my butt kicked by a bunch of older men, one of whom has over a total of 11,000 RECORDED miles for this year alone. Another guy was wearing bike shorts (no tights) and sandals (no socks--and it was 50 degrees), and riding on flat pedals--like the ones on kids' bikes. Now I totally understand why the first guy could ride me under the table, but SANDALS?! Damn, that's hard core.
Goodness knows after today's 42 mile bike ride, I need some little reward. I got my butt kicked by a bunch of older men, one of whom has over a total of 11,000 RECORDED miles for this year alone. Another guy was wearing bike shorts (no tights) and sandals (no socks--and it was 50 degrees), and riding on flat pedals--like the ones on kids' bikes. Now I totally understand why the first guy could ride me under the table, but SANDALS?! Damn, that's hard core.
Monday, November 30, 2009
It's December already?!?
Today I had to go to the mall to exchange some things. Wow. Christmas season is full on. Ack. I was just getting used to the idea that Thanksgiving was here.
I must give a shout out to my friends who all crossed that finish line and became Ironmen at IMFL and IMAZ. They all had awesome races and I had such fun watching all of them come across online. I only wish I could have been there in person! Congratulations Molly, Fave, Jill, Trish, Molly W, Mary, Lynne, Annie, Jackie, Kelly, Lisa, Liz, Sarah! So very proud of all of you! Here's the video of Molly crossing the line:
The weekend before Thanksgiving was my third time back on my bike since July. (How scary is that!) Deanna, Jill, SanDee, and I rode on Saturday. I didn't get the memo about someone dropping the hammer, and toward the end of the 30 mile ride I was sucking wind trying to keep up with their 24mph pace. Ooooph. The following day I ran the Turkey Trot course with some IMFL peeps. The weather was gorgeous and warm, and it was nice to spend a Sunday morning running with friends, even running hills.
We had a very nice Thanksgiving weekend. #1 son Jim was able to come home a day early on Wednesday, so we first celebrated his 25th birthday (am I really that old?!) before getting down to the serious eating on Thursday. We love our now-traditional Turkey Trot followed by a tailgate at my car. Very low key race (even if Joe wanted me to try and beat him), and fun gathering of friends before trundling off for family to-dos.
I did not beat Joe (he almost got a PR on the course) but was able to break an hour. SanDee's garmin said that the course had almost 1200 feet in elevation gain. No wonder we needed a nap afterwards! This is of me at mile 5:
We then cooked dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Williamsburg. My aunt is battling uterine cancer and is house bound, so dinner came to her. It was very quiet, just the 5 Olivers and them, but very pleasant. We had great discussions about the future of the middle east, given Jim's impending deployment, and especially Iran (my uncle was stationed there during the fall of the Shah) and we watched football.
Sunday I again went riding with SanDee, her husband Gregg and another friend of theirs. 40 miles and 5 counties! The route we took had a little bit of everything: farmland, barking dogs, friendly dogs, lakes, bridges, hills, tailwind and headwind. The weather again was very cooperative, sunny and gorgeous and about 70 degrees. I was a little over-dressed, but better to be taking layers off than freezing. Post ride we all hit the Hanover Tavern for brunch.
I've had my off season, and now the base training is back on. Which means it's time to get back in the pool. I thought I had it well planned when, 3 Mondays ago I showed up at 7:29 for Masters at the Y. John, the coach on deck, said I had a minute to get it done. I thought he meant to get in and warm up, but no. He meant a minute to do the whole workout. Masters, it seems, starts at 6:30, not 7:30, and has since forever. Ooops. Now that Jen also knows that, my Monday workouts in TP say something like "Masters--AT 6:30PM!!" so I can't show up late anymore. I have now made it on time for the past two weeks, and absolutely got my a$$ kicked this week when John put 600m in of both back and breast stroke drills. I really suck at breast stroke, and don't even ask about butterfly. That is NOT in my repertoire. I think I have forgotten how to swim properly regardless of the stroke I'm doing. My shoulder hurts.
I am also trying to figure out how to get in the strength training. I see everyone is enjoying that! I might take Michelle's challenge to heart and see if I can build up to more than 1 pull up (frankly, I don't even think I can do one...that should be fun.)
This coming year I want to nail down my nutrition, both for racing and in general. Joe is in the midst of reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food (we've both read The Omnivore's Dilemma) and so he's asking questions about how we can change where/how we get our meat. We are shopping at Whole Paycheck much more and trying to cut down the processed foods that come into the house. It is a challenge with kids--what do you send for snacks other than fruit or pita chips? Joey in particular likes things that are full of unpronounceable stuff, especially the premade frozen waffles, the kind that are chock full of HFCS.
We are looking forward to a quiet Christmas, post party of course. We'll head up to Northern Virginia to see my neice and nephew in the Nutcracker the weekend of the 19th, and then drive to the beach. It'll be our first Christmas holiday actually there for present opening and whatnot. We'll be bringing bikes and games and running gear, and there are always lots of house projects to keep us busy. Sophie will have a great time chasing the birds!
I must give a shout out to my friends who all crossed that finish line and became Ironmen at IMFL and IMAZ. They all had awesome races and I had such fun watching all of them come across online. I only wish I could have been there in person! Congratulations Molly, Fave, Jill, Trish, Molly W, Mary, Lynne, Annie, Jackie, Kelly, Lisa, Liz, Sarah! So very proud of all of you! Here's the video of Molly crossing the line:
The weekend before Thanksgiving was my third time back on my bike since July. (How scary is that!) Deanna, Jill, SanDee, and I rode on Saturday. I didn't get the memo about someone dropping the hammer, and toward the end of the 30 mile ride I was sucking wind trying to keep up with their 24mph pace. Ooooph. The following day I ran the Turkey Trot course with some IMFL peeps. The weather was gorgeous and warm, and it was nice to spend a Sunday morning running with friends, even running hills.
We had a very nice Thanksgiving weekend. #1 son Jim was able to come home a day early on Wednesday, so we first celebrated his 25th birthday (am I really that old?!) before getting down to the serious eating on Thursday. We love our now-traditional Turkey Trot followed by a tailgate at my car. Very low key race (even if Joe wanted me to try and beat him), and fun gathering of friends before trundling off for family to-dos.
I did not beat Joe (he almost got a PR on the course) but was able to break an hour. SanDee's garmin said that the course had almost 1200 feet in elevation gain. No wonder we needed a nap afterwards! This is of me at mile 5:
We then cooked dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Williamsburg. My aunt is battling uterine cancer and is house bound, so dinner came to her. It was very quiet, just the 5 Olivers and them, but very pleasant. We had great discussions about the future of the middle east, given Jim's impending deployment, and especially Iran (my uncle was stationed there during the fall of the Shah) and we watched football.
Sunday I again went riding with SanDee, her husband Gregg and another friend of theirs. 40 miles and 5 counties! The route we took had a little bit of everything: farmland, barking dogs, friendly dogs, lakes, bridges, hills, tailwind and headwind. The weather again was very cooperative, sunny and gorgeous and about 70 degrees. I was a little over-dressed, but better to be taking layers off than freezing. Post ride we all hit the Hanover Tavern for brunch.
I've had my off season, and now the base training is back on. Which means it's time to get back in the pool. I thought I had it well planned when, 3 Mondays ago I showed up at 7:29 for Masters at the Y. John, the coach on deck, said I had a minute to get it done. I thought he meant to get in and warm up, but no. He meant a minute to do the whole workout. Masters, it seems, starts at 6:30, not 7:30, and has since forever. Ooops. Now that Jen also knows that, my Monday workouts in TP say something like "Masters--AT 6:30PM!!" so I can't show up late anymore. I have now made it on time for the past two weeks, and absolutely got my a$$ kicked this week when John put 600m in of both back and breast stroke drills. I really suck at breast stroke, and don't even ask about butterfly. That is NOT in my repertoire. I think I have forgotten how to swim properly regardless of the stroke I'm doing. My shoulder hurts.
I am also trying to figure out how to get in the strength training. I see everyone is enjoying that! I might take Michelle's challenge to heart and see if I can build up to more than 1 pull up (frankly, I don't even think I can do one...that should be fun.)
This coming year I want to nail down my nutrition, both for racing and in general. Joe is in the midst of reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food (we've both read The Omnivore's Dilemma) and so he's asking questions about how we can change where/how we get our meat. We are shopping at Whole Paycheck much more and trying to cut down the processed foods that come into the house. It is a challenge with kids--what do you send for snacks other than fruit or pita chips? Joey in particular likes things that are full of unpronounceable stuff, especially the premade frozen waffles, the kind that are chock full of HFCS.
We are looking forward to a quiet Christmas, post party of course. We'll head up to Northern Virginia to see my neice and nephew in the Nutcracker the weekend of the 19th, and then drive to the beach. It'll be our first Christmas holiday actually there for present opening and whatnot. We'll be bringing bikes and games and running gear, and there are always lots of house projects to keep us busy. Sophie will have a great time chasing the birds!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Up (Seeing, Grinding, and Driving)
For this past Friday's "Family Game and Movie Night" I took the kids to see "Up." Our new favorite joke is to yell "Squirrel!" when we want to distract someone. I might also seriously contemplate putting the kids in a "cone of shame" for punishment when they don't clean up their mess in the basement... After the kids went to bed, I stayed up chatting with Marit. Saturday was an early morning with another ride in the Blue Ridge on tap. Since my downhills are like her ocean swims--very fear inducing, but a necessary evil--it was nice to commisserate with her. We talked alot about our respective upcoming IMs, training, and vacations. I hope Marit someday considers coaching--for someone so young (just a few years older than my son) she knows just the right things to say that motivate, inspire, and make people believe that "YES, they can!" She lives that attitude and it really comes across. Thank you, Marit!
The following morning, we got Lynn, bike, and stuff loaded in the car and headed out by 6am. I ate all my various breakfasts, so I was well fueled for the bike ride. I was determined to work at those downhills, to not ride the brakes as much, and to just "let it go." We met up with our fellow crazy-IMPLers at the Reeds Gap exit off the Blue Ridge Parkway, just up the road from the Wintergreen resort. The weather was still cool, and quite foggy, but with the promise of blue skies and 80 degrees to come. Among this group, I am the least-strongest biker, and my current dislike of downhills contributed to my slowness. Yet something was working for me that day. I was cranking on the uphills, just relatively comfortably spinning in my lowest gear (if grinding away at 3,5, and 8 mile uphills can be comfortable), and then talking my way down going the other way. I feel like I've gotten my nutrition nailed--the combination of a heavy carbo-pro sippy bottle and gu--which takes so much guess work out of the ride. And I don't have to chew!
Most of the morning I didn't have much company, since the majority of the first 14 miles is downhill. I was the last to get to the turn around, but was able to keep up with Lynn and Shawn on the way back--managing to catch up to them on an uphill after a potty break. The next 10 miles were more grinding uphill. At one point Ed went screaming by in the other direction, probably pushing way over 50mph. Those next 10 miles back to our cars was another chance to try and let the bike have it's lead and pick up my average mph for the day. Another quick stop at the cars and it was time to head back to mile marker 0. That descent went much better than the first time, the sun had come out, there was some breeze so I was mentally talking myself through that, and trying to keep up with Lynn and Shawn (to no avail). After tinkling in the bushes at the major intersection, it was time for the last uphill grind of the day.
So, miles 1-3 weren't so bad. Then comes a little reprieve around the visitor's center where you can catch a little downhill. I gave the 4 foot long black snake in the road a wide berth. Miles 4-5 are nice and shady. Then Mile 6 hits you. Crap 8 more to go. Grind grind grind. Where is mile 7? 8? By mile marker 9 I am grumbling to myself (since I'm all alone)...this really sucks...Placid isn't this hard...can I go downhill now? I won't complain, I promise... Finally you get to mile marker 9, but then it's ALL uphill with no rest until mile 11. Just please, Lord, get me to mile 11. From mile 11 to 14 you don't have to pedal at all. Just coast, catch a nice breeze, and hold on till the end. I did manage to snap a few pictures on the way--of myself, of the deer at mile 8, and the view. Very nice, now get me off this damn bike. Where's my cupcake and beer?
I did it. I was very proud of how hard I worked on the uphills. But I was toast. Lynn and Shawn came in just a few minutes behind me and headed out for their transition run. We had an impromptu picnic by the cars, congratulated fellow IMLPers Tyler and Greg on their impressive 100 miler (who were headed UP to the top of Wintergreen, OUCH!), and cheered on Mark, Karen, and Rick as they tackled the 644 hill up to Reeds Gap (a NASTY 15% grade). Karen, Shawn, Lynn and I had a most satisfying lunch at the bbq/sandwich place in the valley before heading home.
The weekend wasn't over yet. Sunday, Joe joined me for a rare run sans ipod! It actually felt pretty good to run, and we made it out early enough to beat the worst of the heat. A quick packing of the car with overnight bags and dog, and we were off on our drive up to Gettysburg. Joe got a bugaboo about taking the kids up there. Maddy had learned about the Civil War in her Social Studies class, and they were all done with their benchmark testing at school, so it seemed like a good time to go. We hit some weekend traffic, and ended up pulling into our hotel close to 5pm. We left Sophie to get acquainted with the down comforters on our beds, and headed into town to explore and find dinner. The tavern we ate in is the oldest building in town, which was fun, and the kids enjoyed the miliary collectibles shop. We headed back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool before bed.
The next day started with a great diner breakfast, the new museum, gift shop and cyclorama. Then we started our walking/driving tour of the battlefields and monuments. I should've looked up family names from Michigan to see if there were any listed among the dead. I'm pretty sure my father's family came to the US after the Civil War.
Soon it was time to head home, and begin the taper! Kids are out of school this friday, I have Eagleman on Sunday, and we leave for Europe on Monday. It will be a busy week.
The following morning, we got Lynn, bike, and stuff loaded in the car and headed out by 6am. I ate all my various breakfasts, so I was well fueled for the bike ride. I was determined to work at those downhills, to not ride the brakes as much, and to just "let it go." We met up with our fellow crazy-IMPLers at the Reeds Gap exit off the Blue Ridge Parkway, just up the road from the Wintergreen resort. The weather was still cool, and quite foggy, but with the promise of blue skies and 80 degrees to come. Among this group, I am the least-strongest biker, and my current dislike of downhills contributed to my slowness. Yet something was working for me that day. I was cranking on the uphills, just relatively comfortably spinning in my lowest gear (if grinding away at 3,5, and 8 mile uphills can be comfortable), and then talking my way down going the other way. I feel like I've gotten my nutrition nailed--the combination of a heavy carbo-pro sippy bottle and gu--which takes so much guess work out of the ride. And I don't have to chew!
Most of the morning I didn't have much company, since the majority of the first 14 miles is downhill. I was the last to get to the turn around, but was able to keep up with Lynn and Shawn on the way back--managing to catch up to them on an uphill after a potty break. The next 10 miles were more grinding uphill. At one point Ed went screaming by in the other direction, probably pushing way over 50mph. Those next 10 miles back to our cars was another chance to try and let the bike have it's lead and pick up my average mph for the day. Another quick stop at the cars and it was time to head back to mile marker 0. That descent went much better than the first time, the sun had come out, there was some breeze so I was mentally talking myself through that, and trying to keep up with Lynn and Shawn (to no avail). After tinkling in the bushes at the major intersection, it was time for the last uphill grind of the day.
So, miles 1-3 weren't so bad. Then comes a little reprieve around the visitor's center where you can catch a little downhill. I gave the 4 foot long black snake in the road a wide berth. Miles 4-5 are nice and shady. Then Mile 6 hits you. Crap 8 more to go. Grind grind grind. Where is mile 7? 8? By mile marker 9 I am grumbling to myself (since I'm all alone)...this really sucks...Placid isn't this hard...can I go downhill now? I won't complain, I promise... Finally you get to mile marker 9, but then it's ALL uphill with no rest until mile 11. Just please, Lord, get me to mile 11. From mile 11 to 14 you don't have to pedal at all. Just coast, catch a nice breeze, and hold on till the end. I did manage to snap a few pictures on the way--of myself, of the deer at mile 8, and the view. Very nice, now get me off this damn bike. Where's my cupcake and beer?
I did it. I was very proud of how hard I worked on the uphills. But I was toast. Lynn and Shawn came in just a few minutes behind me and headed out for their transition run. We had an impromptu picnic by the cars, congratulated fellow IMLPers Tyler and Greg on their impressive 100 miler (who were headed UP to the top of Wintergreen, OUCH!), and cheered on Mark, Karen, and Rick as they tackled the 644 hill up to Reeds Gap (a NASTY 15% grade). Karen, Shawn, Lynn and I had a most satisfying lunch at the bbq/sandwich place in the valley before heading home.
The weekend wasn't over yet. Sunday, Joe joined me for a rare run sans ipod! It actually felt pretty good to run, and we made it out early enough to beat the worst of the heat. A quick packing of the car with overnight bags and dog, and we were off on our drive up to Gettysburg. Joe got a bugaboo about taking the kids up there. Maddy had learned about the Civil War in her Social Studies class, and they were all done with their benchmark testing at school, so it seemed like a good time to go. We hit some weekend traffic, and ended up pulling into our hotel close to 5pm. We left Sophie to get acquainted with the down comforters on our beds, and headed into town to explore and find dinner. The tavern we ate in is the oldest building in town, which was fun, and the kids enjoyed the miliary collectibles shop. We headed back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool before bed.
The next day started with a great diner breakfast, the new museum, gift shop and cyclorama. Then we started our walking/driving tour of the battlefields and monuments. I should've looked up family names from Michigan to see if there were any listed among the dead. I'm pretty sure my father's family came to the US after the Civil War.
Soon it was time to head home, and begin the taper! Kids are out of school this friday, I have Eagleman on Sunday, and we leave for Europe on Monday. It will be a busy week.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Torturefest
I've been having a hard time figuring out what to say about Torturefest, our training camp up in Lake Placid. It was a good experience--getting to know the course, and the hills. It was a bad experience--my total freak out on a descent in bad weather has robbed me of my confidence. What do those two things total when combined? No idea. So let's just recap the weekend here and see what happens.
Lynn and I drove up with Bart and Bethany, overnighting in Scranton PA. I don't think I've ever seen fog as thick, and driving through the hills/mountains of central PA at midnight was scary. The following morning was much better weather wise, and we made it into Placid close to 2pm. The first order of business was a bike ride! I think we were all happy to stretch our legs and preview the run course. Down down down out of town, past the ski jumps, and a left onto River Road to follow the river. I was thinking it wasn't so bad...up to the part where we had to climb those hills back into town. Coach Karen made sure we got to know those hills very well while we were there!
Our first dinner in town was good--and we got to help Bethany celebrate her birthday with yummy carrot cake. That was a pretty early night since we had a monster bike the following day. 2 loops of the bike course, minus the out and back section on Haselton Road. Karen let me try Carbo Pro for the first time, so I mixed up two heavy bottles (one for each loop) with about 900 calories per bottle. I planned on supplementing that with a couple of Gu's too. Kim was our SAG wagon sherpa extraordinaire and met us at multiple points along the way to refill bottles, collect and disperse clothing, and take pictures. We all loaded up our bottles and bikes, and headed out of town. There were quite a few other groups out, training and doing the same thing, and some were nicer than others. The hills just out of town didn't seem too horrible on the first loop, and soon we hit the big 9 mile descent into Keene.
Last year the Ironman website touted the bike course as having "impeccably smooth roads." Maybe this past winter was a bad one, because those first downhills were BUMPY. Here you are, screaming down the hill at over 30mph on unfamiliar roads, trying to dodge both traffic and bumps. I just kept singing "la la la la la" to myself as I alternated squeezing my breaks. There are some pretty steep sections, where it seemed that no amount of braking really slowed me down, and then comes the really curvy 2 miles just before Keene. Traffic on the opposite side has two lanes, but we were sharing one with trucks and cars. Whew. I made it down, and rendezvous'ed with the rest of the gang at the van. Not the most fun I've had on a downhill, but manageable. The next 10 miles made it all worthwhile though--rolling along at a good clip through Jay and Upper Jay with beautiful river views, smooth roads, and wide shoulders. Then came the bitch hill--a 3 mile climb up and over into Wilmington. Very much like Mt Lemmon--just put it in your easy gear and spin spin spin. The road here is narrow, with one lane in each direction, but traffic wasn't bad and drivers seemed used to bikers and gave us a wide berth.
After Wilmington, you turn uphill again to head back into Placid. The course rolls, with some small chainring climbs mixed in with some flatter sections where you can pick up your speed a little more. Twice we went past some waterfalls, and then caught up with a section of river. Right about then it started to rain. Yuck. All along the river there were fly fishermen, looking at us like we were weirdos for being out there. I kind of liked this part of the course--there were beautiful views, cool forests, and challenging climbs. Then came the Cherries, which lead to the Three Bears, just before coming back into Placid. They weren't all THAT bad, but then I was expecting a little break to cruise into town. Not. Another hill, harder it seemed than Papa Bear. Ouch. We pulled into our makeshift rest stop behind the van just alongside Mirror Lake, where the special needs bags will be, and it starts pouring rain and the winds picked up. Karen and Bethany pulled out for loop #2 first. Lynn, Shawn, Deanna and I put another layer back on and waited a little while for the weather to let up. I think we were all thinking how FUN this next part would be....
Through town, down the hill, and then back up it wasn't bad. We passed a group on the uphill climb that seemed to be poking along and then came the descent. I was in the lead, and started the bomb. With the rain and wind, I stayed pretty far out into the road, and got screamed at by Shawn as she passed me. I couldn't stay any farther to the right, since seeing the road for all the rain was hard, and the wind was really blowing me to the left. Just past the two lakes I was able to move over, but then trucks were going past and the wind started gusting. At some point, it seemed that I couldn't slow down at all, and I was having a hard time controlling my bike. I was fighting wind gusts, and my front tire seemed to be jumping all over the place. I almost crashed, and kept thinking that I didn't want to end up splattered all over the road. I was finally able to come to a complete stop, just 3 miles outside Keene. I was shaking and so scared, and wasn't sure if I wanted to finish the second loop. Lynn had been behind me the whole time, thank God, and stopped to and just hugged me, telling me I was safe. After a few minutes, she talked me into trying to make it the rest of the way (we didn't have any cell phone coverage) but I didn't make it far before giving up and wanting the SAG wagon. Lynn took off to find Kim in Keene and not a minute after she left it started to pour rain again. At that point though, Deanna and Scott pulled up in their car. Having only done one loop of the course, they were headed down for coffee in Keene and to act as another SAG. We passed Lynn on that curvy part, and quickly stopped to ask if she wanted a ride. Unlike me, she had worn her big girl pants, and was determined to make it all the way down.
Once at the van in Keene, we all agreed that was the scariest damn thing we'd ever experienced on a bike. I don't know if I was actually cold or coming down from the adrenaline, but I was still shaky. At this point, I knew I needed to get back on the bike and finish the loop. My confidence was totally shot and I doubted that I had any strength to deal with anything resembling a downhill. I thought alot about my friends from the Florida and Tucson camps, and what they would advise me to do. "HTFU and get back on the bike," is what they'd say. So I did. I didn't like it, and it took me all of the rest of the ride to feel any semblance of control. In the end, I'm glad I did. Death before DNF. When it was over, we did a 20 minute T run down the hill into town and back. Ouch.
That afternoon, many lucky housemates had massages. I think I took a nap. Then we ate a great steak dinner, played some cards, and ATE CUPCAKES! Yum. We all then fell into bed before 10pm. On tap the following day: a 16 mile run. Around the lake, down the hill, and out the run course to the turn around and back. The first 5 miles were tough, and I just felt slow, tired, and sluggish. (Could've been the almost 90 mile ride we did the day before...) Then we caught our groove, aided by Kim at strategic stops with water and gu. The run course is just as beautiful as the bike, winding along a river with the sound of babbling brook for company. Before I knew it, we were back at the ski jumps getting ready to climb the two hills back into town. Lynn is always good about pushing at the end, finishing strong. She ran all the way up with Bethany and me struggling behind until we reached the lake. Finally we were done! We stripped off our shoes and socks and waded into the water. Cold has never felt so good. Walkers, bikers, and runners went past yelling that we were crazy. But man, did that feel good. Another dinner out at the Mirror Lake Inn, in which many bottles of wine were consumed, and early bedtime.
Our third day there was another bike day. This time just one loop of the entire course. The weather was cold, but good--no rain and not much wind. I was still pretty nervous, and Karen took off with me 10 minutes ahead of the rest of the group to help talk me down the hill. All the way there I was going through mental negotiations with myself, telling myself that I had done Mt Lemmon and quite a few Blue Ridge rides, this shouldn't be any different. Karen stayed at my side pretty much the whole way, counseling me to "let it go," or "pedal through this part." We had a headwind, which really helped slow me down, but I still rode the brakes quite a bit and at the last steep, curvy part into Keene, slowed myself to about 17-18mph. Embarrassingly slow. Don't do this during IM or you'll miss the bike cut off slow. But I made it down the hill, without a major freak out or peeing my pants. Everything after that was gravy--I could relax knowing the hard part was over. On the downside of the hill into Wilmington, I used my new "free speed" mantra, interspersed with some "let it go's" and "breathe." Karen and I hit the turnoff to Haselton and I knew I was home free.
The rest of the ride went well. Karen left me to ride with Deanna, so I finished the last 12 miles through Wilmington and back up into Placid by myself. I was glad for it--the time alone with my own head was good, and I felt strong going up the Three Bears. At this point I was trying to visualize what it would be like on race day, for both the first and second loops. How will it feel with people at the top of that hill, knowing I am either heading back out for another loop, or coming in to start the run. I think either way it'll be good--being that much closer to finishing, knowing I can catch sight of my family, and hopefully be that much closer to becoming an ironman again. Yet one more T run off the bike, down and back up the damned hill in town and it was time for a massage!
I helped Bethany make dinner that evening, and then we piled in the cars to go swim. We were all butt tired and just a little whiney. We tried to figure out how to bag the swim, but the pool was reserved, and Karen had stuck around that evening to coach us. Very reluctantly we all got in the pool (which felt cold) and started our warm up set. The pool didn't have their lane lines up, making for some pretty choppy water. After about 800 yds, Karen had us all circle swim around the pool, first clock wise and then counter clock wise. Queasy. A final 500 yds and we all threw in the towel. Pop goes the timer, we are DONE.
The next morning was yet another run, this time just 45 minutes. Again we went down the hill through town, and turned around just shy of the horse show area. Bethany and Deanna started complaining that I had picked up the pace, but I knew this was it for workouts for the weekend, and I wanted to be finished for good. I don't know where I found it, but I had the strength to run up the hills, past the oval circle, and all the way back to the house. Man, it felt good to be done! On tap for the afternoon was shopping, lunch, some packing, and dinner. I was ready to head home and see the family, and have at least one or two days off completely. Lynn had flown to a conference a few days earlier, so Deanna joined Bart and Bethany and me for the ride home. We took a different route home, stopping for lunch in Bucks County, PA. We hit some traffic around Baltimore, but otherwise had a pretty good run back.
I had been scheduled that weekend to do a hilly olympic distance race in Columbia, MD. I am so glad I opted instead for the torture of Placid. Getting to ride the course, even in the bad weather, is good prep for whatever race day holds in store for us. I pray, of course, that it is not raining and blustery on July 26th. I have been working to regain my confidence on the downhills, and every ride out into Goochland that we do, I try to "let it go" just a little more each time. This weekend and next we're back in the Blue Ridge. Practice makes perfect right? And when all else fails, I try to remember "free speed" is what will get me to that finish line.
Lynn and I drove up with Bart and Bethany, overnighting in Scranton PA. I don't think I've ever seen fog as thick, and driving through the hills/mountains of central PA at midnight was scary. The following morning was much better weather wise, and we made it into Placid close to 2pm. The first order of business was a bike ride! I think we were all happy to stretch our legs and preview the run course. Down down down out of town, past the ski jumps, and a left onto River Road to follow the river. I was thinking it wasn't so bad...up to the part where we had to climb those hills back into town. Coach Karen made sure we got to know those hills very well while we were there!
Our first dinner in town was good--and we got to help Bethany celebrate her birthday with yummy carrot cake. That was a pretty early night since we had a monster bike the following day. 2 loops of the bike course, minus the out and back section on Haselton Road. Karen let me try Carbo Pro for the first time, so I mixed up two heavy bottles (one for each loop) with about 900 calories per bottle. I planned on supplementing that with a couple of Gu's too. Kim was our SAG wagon sherpa extraordinaire and met us at multiple points along the way to refill bottles, collect and disperse clothing, and take pictures. We all loaded up our bottles and bikes, and headed out of town. There were quite a few other groups out, training and doing the same thing, and some were nicer than others. The hills just out of town didn't seem too horrible on the first loop, and soon we hit the big 9 mile descent into Keene.
Last year the Ironman website touted the bike course as having "impeccably smooth roads." Maybe this past winter was a bad one, because those first downhills were BUMPY. Here you are, screaming down the hill at over 30mph on unfamiliar roads, trying to dodge both traffic and bumps. I just kept singing "la la la la la" to myself as I alternated squeezing my breaks. There are some pretty steep sections, where it seemed that no amount of braking really slowed me down, and then comes the really curvy 2 miles just before Keene. Traffic on the opposite side has two lanes, but we were sharing one with trucks and cars. Whew. I made it down, and rendezvous'ed with the rest of the gang at the van. Not the most fun I've had on a downhill, but manageable. The next 10 miles made it all worthwhile though--rolling along at a good clip through Jay and Upper Jay with beautiful river views, smooth roads, and wide shoulders. Then came the bitch hill--a 3 mile climb up and over into Wilmington. Very much like Mt Lemmon--just put it in your easy gear and spin spin spin. The road here is narrow, with one lane in each direction, but traffic wasn't bad and drivers seemed used to bikers and gave us a wide berth.
After Wilmington, you turn uphill again to head back into Placid. The course rolls, with some small chainring climbs mixed in with some flatter sections where you can pick up your speed a little more. Twice we went past some waterfalls, and then caught up with a section of river. Right about then it started to rain. Yuck. All along the river there were fly fishermen, looking at us like we were weirdos for being out there. I kind of liked this part of the course--there were beautiful views, cool forests, and challenging climbs. Then came the Cherries, which lead to the Three Bears, just before coming back into Placid. They weren't all THAT bad, but then I was expecting a little break to cruise into town. Not. Another hill, harder it seemed than Papa Bear. Ouch. We pulled into our makeshift rest stop behind the van just alongside Mirror Lake, where the special needs bags will be, and it starts pouring rain and the winds picked up. Karen and Bethany pulled out for loop #2 first. Lynn, Shawn, Deanna and I put another layer back on and waited a little while for the weather to let up. I think we were all thinking how FUN this next part would be....
Through town, down the hill, and then back up it wasn't bad. We passed a group on the uphill climb that seemed to be poking along and then came the descent. I was in the lead, and started the bomb. With the rain and wind, I stayed pretty far out into the road, and got screamed at by Shawn as she passed me. I couldn't stay any farther to the right, since seeing the road for all the rain was hard, and the wind was really blowing me to the left. Just past the two lakes I was able to move over, but then trucks were going past and the wind started gusting. At some point, it seemed that I couldn't slow down at all, and I was having a hard time controlling my bike. I was fighting wind gusts, and my front tire seemed to be jumping all over the place. I almost crashed, and kept thinking that I didn't want to end up splattered all over the road. I was finally able to come to a complete stop, just 3 miles outside Keene. I was shaking and so scared, and wasn't sure if I wanted to finish the second loop. Lynn had been behind me the whole time, thank God, and stopped to and just hugged me, telling me I was safe. After a few minutes, she talked me into trying to make it the rest of the way (we didn't have any cell phone coverage) but I didn't make it far before giving up and wanting the SAG wagon. Lynn took off to find Kim in Keene and not a minute after she left it started to pour rain again. At that point though, Deanna and Scott pulled up in their car. Having only done one loop of the course, they were headed down for coffee in Keene and to act as another SAG. We passed Lynn on that curvy part, and quickly stopped to ask if she wanted a ride. Unlike me, she had worn her big girl pants, and was determined to make it all the way down.
Once at the van in Keene, we all agreed that was the scariest damn thing we'd ever experienced on a bike. I don't know if I was actually cold or coming down from the adrenaline, but I was still shaky. At this point, I knew I needed to get back on the bike and finish the loop. My confidence was totally shot and I doubted that I had any strength to deal with anything resembling a downhill. I thought alot about my friends from the Florida and Tucson camps, and what they would advise me to do. "HTFU and get back on the bike," is what they'd say. So I did. I didn't like it, and it took me all of the rest of the ride to feel any semblance of control. In the end, I'm glad I did. Death before DNF. When it was over, we did a 20 minute T run down the hill into town and back. Ouch.
That afternoon, many lucky housemates had massages. I think I took a nap. Then we ate a great steak dinner, played some cards, and ATE CUPCAKES! Yum. We all then fell into bed before 10pm. On tap the following day: a 16 mile run. Around the lake, down the hill, and out the run course to the turn around and back. The first 5 miles were tough, and I just felt slow, tired, and sluggish. (Could've been the almost 90 mile ride we did the day before...) Then we caught our groove, aided by Kim at strategic stops with water and gu. The run course is just as beautiful as the bike, winding along a river with the sound of babbling brook for company. Before I knew it, we were back at the ski jumps getting ready to climb the two hills back into town. Lynn is always good about pushing at the end, finishing strong. She ran all the way up with Bethany and me struggling behind until we reached the lake. Finally we were done! We stripped off our shoes and socks and waded into the water. Cold has never felt so good. Walkers, bikers, and runners went past yelling that we were crazy. But man, did that feel good. Another dinner out at the Mirror Lake Inn, in which many bottles of wine were consumed, and early bedtime.
Our third day there was another bike day. This time just one loop of the entire course. The weather was cold, but good--no rain and not much wind. I was still pretty nervous, and Karen took off with me 10 minutes ahead of the rest of the group to help talk me down the hill. All the way there I was going through mental negotiations with myself, telling myself that I had done Mt Lemmon and quite a few Blue Ridge rides, this shouldn't be any different. Karen stayed at my side pretty much the whole way, counseling me to "let it go," or "pedal through this part." We had a headwind, which really helped slow me down, but I still rode the brakes quite a bit and at the last steep, curvy part into Keene, slowed myself to about 17-18mph. Embarrassingly slow. Don't do this during IM or you'll miss the bike cut off slow. But I made it down the hill, without a major freak out or peeing my pants. Everything after that was gravy--I could relax knowing the hard part was over. On the downside of the hill into Wilmington, I used my new "free speed" mantra, interspersed with some "let it go's" and "breathe." Karen and I hit the turnoff to Haselton and I knew I was home free.
The rest of the ride went well. Karen left me to ride with Deanna, so I finished the last 12 miles through Wilmington and back up into Placid by myself. I was glad for it--the time alone with my own head was good, and I felt strong going up the Three Bears. At this point I was trying to visualize what it would be like on race day, for both the first and second loops. How will it feel with people at the top of that hill, knowing I am either heading back out for another loop, or coming in to start the run. I think either way it'll be good--being that much closer to finishing, knowing I can catch sight of my family, and hopefully be that much closer to becoming an ironman again. Yet one more T run off the bike, down and back up the damned hill in town and it was time for a massage!
I helped Bethany make dinner that evening, and then we piled in the cars to go swim. We were all butt tired and just a little whiney. We tried to figure out how to bag the swim, but the pool was reserved, and Karen had stuck around that evening to coach us. Very reluctantly we all got in the pool (which felt cold) and started our warm up set. The pool didn't have their lane lines up, making for some pretty choppy water. After about 800 yds, Karen had us all circle swim around the pool, first clock wise and then counter clock wise. Queasy. A final 500 yds and we all threw in the towel. Pop goes the timer, we are DONE.
The next morning was yet another run, this time just 45 minutes. Again we went down the hill through town, and turned around just shy of the horse show area. Bethany and Deanna started complaining that I had picked up the pace, but I knew this was it for workouts for the weekend, and I wanted to be finished for good. I don't know where I found it, but I had the strength to run up the hills, past the oval circle, and all the way back to the house. Man, it felt good to be done! On tap for the afternoon was shopping, lunch, some packing, and dinner. I was ready to head home and see the family, and have at least one or two days off completely. Lynn had flown to a conference a few days earlier, so Deanna joined Bart and Bethany and me for the ride home. We took a different route home, stopping for lunch in Bucks County, PA. We hit some traffic around Baltimore, but otherwise had a pretty good run back.
I had been scheduled that weekend to do a hilly olympic distance race in Columbia, MD. I am so glad I opted instead for the torture of Placid. Getting to ride the course, even in the bad weather, is good prep for whatever race day holds in store for us. I pray, of course, that it is not raining and blustery on July 26th. I have been working to regain my confidence on the downhills, and every ride out into Goochland that we do, I try to "let it go" just a little more each time. This weekend and next we're back in the Blue Ridge. Practice makes perfect right? And when all else fails, I try to remember "free speed" is what will get me to that finish line.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Cap2Cap Century Ride
This past weekend TriGirls Deanna, Bethany, Jill and I rode the Cap2Cap 100 miler--my first century ride of the season, and Bethany and Jill's first ever. Going into the weekend, my goal was to focus on nutrition and maintaining a steady pace. Previous long rides have proven tough--I inevitably start out too fast and have shorted myself on calories. By the end I am dying, and transition runs afterward have really suffered.
I should've done more prep work the night before to give myself more time to focus on breakfast. As it was, I was a little late getting out of the house that morning (surprise surprise), but collected Jill and we headed downtown to the ride start. At check in, we ran into my painter/drywaller Tim (who I had talked into signing up). The morning went quickly as we loaded up our food and waterbottles, and applied sunscreen. The on site bike guys got my tires all pumped up and soon it was time to go.
Many fellow triathletes were not riding that morning, instead they were racing the Kinetic Half Iron race up in Lake Anna. IronGreg, Tyler, and Bart (all signed up for Placid), ProKaren, and a few others were riding Cap2Cap, but I didn't think I'd be able to hang on their wheels. They're crazy fast! The start was quite crowded, and the first 5-6 miles of the bike Jill and I lost Bethany and Deanna. We were toodling along at a good clip though, and figured we might catch them at a food stop. At 8am it was already pretty steamy--I tried not to think about how hot it was going to be.
The first food/water stop came early--at mile 9 or 10. We were good on everything, so just sailed past. The early part of the course was familiar and pleasant; most of it we had used for our 70 and 80 mile routes last year and wound through the Richmond Battlefields park. At one point riding along Route 5, we saw a fox darting through the woods! We made it to mile 27 in about an hour and a half and there found Bethany and Deanna. They had tried valiantly to hang on to Karen's wheel but wisely decided to go their own pace. By this point it was already pretty sweltering, so we loaded up on water, salt tabs, and bananas, took potty breaks, and headed back out.
There was another stop before the halfway point, and we used it to fill our water bottles since they had icewater. Nothing beats a quick squirt of really cold water on the face when it's 90 degrees. We were working hard, keeping a pretty good pace and looking forward to mile 50 at Chickahominy State Park, just outside Williamsburg. The riders who had started from there for shorter rides were starting to filter back in for lunch. Their food looked so good, but we were relegated to a smaller tent with not-so-interesting bananas, granola bars, and gatorade. Grabbing water bottles from a cooler of ice was great and I was sorely tempted to just climb in it myself. Whew.
Heading out of Chickahominy, we ended up following a good portion of the Patriot Half Iron course. "I peed in those woods...", "I remember this hill...." were familiar refrains. Too soon we lost all the glorious shade, and were riding along fields in the blazing sun. Deanna, looking strong, took a big lead on Patriot Sangria, while I was just trying hard to keep up with Bethany. Jill and Tim were doing great. Mile 75 at the Courthouse was a welcome potty, ice water, and sit-in-the-shade spot. Those last 25 miles are always the worst, not just physically but mentally. Somehow we missed the turn just outside the rest stop area and ended up taking the wrong way home. Luckily however the mileage was the same, and the route had much more shade than the official course. Tim ended up taking the pull for the last 10 miles into Rockett's landing. We pulled in, snapped a quick "Thank God we survived that" picture, and headed to the beer tent.
Century #1 for the season in the bank. Bethany and Jill did great on their very first century ride, and that will serve them well as they both prepare for their first IMs later this year. Deanna and I were scheduled to do a short transition run, but it was so darn hot we put it off for the following day. I'm glad I did. It was Mother's Day, the weather was gorgeous, and I got to run the last 2 miles with my daughter. A great end to a great weekend!
I should've done more prep work the night before to give myself more time to focus on breakfast. As it was, I was a little late getting out of the house that morning (surprise surprise), but collected Jill and we headed downtown to the ride start. At check in, we ran into my painter/drywaller Tim (who I had talked into signing up). The morning went quickly as we loaded up our food and waterbottles, and applied sunscreen. The on site bike guys got my tires all pumped up and soon it was time to go.
Many fellow triathletes were not riding that morning, instead they were racing the Kinetic Half Iron race up in Lake Anna. IronGreg, Tyler, and Bart (all signed up for Placid), ProKaren, and a few others were riding Cap2Cap, but I didn't think I'd be able to hang on their wheels. They're crazy fast! The start was quite crowded, and the first 5-6 miles of the bike Jill and I lost Bethany and Deanna. We were toodling along at a good clip though, and figured we might catch them at a food stop. At 8am it was already pretty steamy--I tried not to think about how hot it was going to be.
The first food/water stop came early--at mile 9 or 10. We were good on everything, so just sailed past. The early part of the course was familiar and pleasant; most of it we had used for our 70 and 80 mile routes last year and wound through the Richmond Battlefields park. At one point riding along Route 5, we saw a fox darting through the woods! We made it to mile 27 in about an hour and a half and there found Bethany and Deanna. They had tried valiantly to hang on to Karen's wheel but wisely decided to go their own pace. By this point it was already pretty sweltering, so we loaded up on water, salt tabs, and bananas, took potty breaks, and headed back out.
There was another stop before the halfway point, and we used it to fill our water bottles since they had icewater. Nothing beats a quick squirt of really cold water on the face when it's 90 degrees. We were working hard, keeping a pretty good pace and looking forward to mile 50 at Chickahominy State Park, just outside Williamsburg. The riders who had started from there for shorter rides were starting to filter back in for lunch. Their food looked so good, but we were relegated to a smaller tent with not-so-interesting bananas, granola bars, and gatorade. Grabbing water bottles from a cooler of ice was great and I was sorely tempted to just climb in it myself. Whew.
Heading out of Chickahominy, we ended up following a good portion of the Patriot Half Iron course. "I peed in those woods...", "I remember this hill...." were familiar refrains. Too soon we lost all the glorious shade, and were riding along fields in the blazing sun. Deanna, looking strong, took a big lead on Patriot Sangria, while I was just trying hard to keep up with Bethany. Jill and Tim were doing great. Mile 75 at the Courthouse was a welcome potty, ice water, and sit-in-the-shade spot. Those last 25 miles are always the worst, not just physically but mentally. Somehow we missed the turn just outside the rest stop area and ended up taking the wrong way home. Luckily however the mileage was the same, and the route had much more shade than the official course. Tim ended up taking the pull for the last 10 miles into Rockett's landing. We pulled in, snapped a quick "Thank God we survived that" picture, and headed to the beer tent.
Century #1 for the season in the bank. Bethany and Jill did great on their very first century ride, and that will serve them well as they both prepare for their first IMs later this year. Deanna and I were scheduled to do a short transition run, but it was so darn hot we put it off for the following day. I'm glad I did. It was Mother's Day, the weather was gorgeous, and I got to run the last 2 miles with my daughter. A great end to a great weekend!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tucson!
The Confessions/Adventures of a Member of the Pink Sock Brigade (thanks, Kari!)
the pink sock brigade at Sabino Canyon
the pink sock brigade at Sabino Canyon
I just went back and reread my post from the Florida camp. Did that camp really kick my ass? No, that was just a friendly butt slap for the true ass kicking that happened in Tucson!
I arrived into Tucson on Wednesday evening and cabbed out to the hotel, getting to the "meet and greet" just in time to grab a little dinner and meet most of the other campers. Too soon it was time to put the bike together before hitting the hay in anticipation of the Mt Lemmon climb in the morning. Roomie Julia was a dear for not complaining too much about my recently-acquired snoring habit. After a quick breakfast of oatmeal, bananas, bagels, and peanut butter we mounted up and headed out of town. We rode an easy 13 miles to the base of the mountain, where we stripped down (it was warming up) and loaded up (time to eat).
Spencer and John climbing Lemmon!
Mt Lemmon boasts a 7000+ foot elevation gain over 28 miles. That's if you go all the way up to the top. I only made it to mile 14, for a total of about 4000 feet of climbing. That 14 miles took me 2 hours. I can't say how long it took everyone else because I was the token slow poke. (I figured the other athletes were fast, but not like ALL "World AG Champion" Renne fast. Duh...stupid me.) The climb started well, and I averaged about 8mph for the first 6 miles. Jerome rode the first few miles with me, encouraging me to "find my tempo." Then he took off, and it got a little depressing. My speed kept decreasing--to a low at one point of a whopping 5.5mph! I felt good though, and was able to keep my cadence at a decent clip in my lowest gear for pretty much the entire time. Mantras helped me focus on the task at hand and not get too discouraged. My favorites were "push and pull," "follow follow follow follow follow the thick white line (sung to the tune of Yellow Brick Road from the Wizard of Oz)," and of course "just keep pedalling just keep pedalling just keep pedalling pedalling pedalling." Coach Spencer was a dear to keep me company for most of the second 7 miles. The last 1.5 miles before Windy Point at mile marker 14 were by far the hardest--with an elevation gain of 1500 feet. Ouch. I was able to make it up the entire way without standing out of the saddle, which I guess is good?
It was interesting to see how the vegetation changed on the way up. What started out as desert, with cactus and scrub, becomes pine forest at about 4-5000 feet. The views were incredible with a few whispy clouds overhead and warm, glorious sunshine. I had taken off arm and leg warmers at the bottom of the mountain, but Spencer wisely cautioned me to dress back up around mile 10. Up at Windy Point, the temperature was noticably COLD and I was glad for the extra gear I had packed for the ride down--wind breaker, ear cover, and full gloves. I didn't debate long about continuing up the mountain. It would've taken me at the very least another hour to make it the last 10-12 miles, and the altitude headache I was developing would've only gotten worse. Fellow camper John and I started the bomb down the mountain. No 40+ mph for me since the roads were unfamiliar and the turns less gradual than those on the Blue Ridge. The total time down was under 20 minutes! We had a nice lunch at a coffee shop while we waited for the rest of group, but the 13 miles back to the hotel were still tough--especially that last climb home. We had that afternoon off and were able to relax by the pool, after dips in first the hot tub and then the cold tub. That Corona was, in my opinion, well earned, and the mexican food and margarita at dinner were excellent!
Julia and me, sporting our signature pre-swim look: hotel robes and compression socks.
Friday was swim/run day. Ah, to swim outside. Glorious. I shared a lane with John, his wife Allie, and Ben. Ben is an amazing athlete so I was stoked to be able to keep up with him in at least one discipline. We banged out 2600 yards and then had fun racing/sprinting 25's as if it was an open water start. I think Mary kicked everyone's butt in the pool!
I arrived into Tucson on Wednesday evening and cabbed out to the hotel, getting to the "meet and greet" just in time to grab a little dinner and meet most of the other campers. Too soon it was time to put the bike together before hitting the hay in anticipation of the Mt Lemmon climb in the morning. Roomie Julia was a dear for not complaining too much about my recently-acquired snoring habit. After a quick breakfast of oatmeal, bananas, bagels, and peanut butter we mounted up and headed out of town. We rode an easy 13 miles to the base of the mountain, where we stripped down (it was warming up) and loaded up (time to eat).
Spencer and John climbing Lemmon!
Mt Lemmon boasts a 7000+ foot elevation gain over 28 miles. That's if you go all the way up to the top. I only made it to mile 14, for a total of about 4000 feet of climbing. That 14 miles took me 2 hours. I can't say how long it took everyone else because I was the token slow poke. (I figured the other athletes were fast, but not like ALL "World AG Champion" Renne fast. Duh...stupid me.) The climb started well, and I averaged about 8mph for the first 6 miles. Jerome rode the first few miles with me, encouraging me to "find my tempo." Then he took off, and it got a little depressing. My speed kept decreasing--to a low at one point of a whopping 5.5mph! I felt good though, and was able to keep my cadence at a decent clip in my lowest gear for pretty much the entire time. Mantras helped me focus on the task at hand and not get too discouraged. My favorites were "push and pull," "follow follow follow follow follow the thick white line (sung to the tune of Yellow Brick Road from the Wizard of Oz)," and of course "just keep pedalling just keep pedalling just keep pedalling pedalling pedalling." Coach Spencer was a dear to keep me company for most of the second 7 miles. The last 1.5 miles before Windy Point at mile marker 14 were by far the hardest--with an elevation gain of 1500 feet. Ouch. I was able to make it up the entire way without standing out of the saddle, which I guess is good?
It was interesting to see how the vegetation changed on the way up. What started out as desert, with cactus and scrub, becomes pine forest at about 4-5000 feet. The views were incredible with a few whispy clouds overhead and warm, glorious sunshine. I had taken off arm and leg warmers at the bottom of the mountain, but Spencer wisely cautioned me to dress back up around mile 10. Up at Windy Point, the temperature was noticably COLD and I was glad for the extra gear I had packed for the ride down--wind breaker, ear cover, and full gloves. I didn't debate long about continuing up the mountain. It would've taken me at the very least another hour to make it the last 10-12 miles, and the altitude headache I was developing would've only gotten worse. Fellow camper John and I started the bomb down the mountain. No 40+ mph for me since the roads were unfamiliar and the turns less gradual than those on the Blue Ridge. The total time down was under 20 minutes! We had a nice lunch at a coffee shop while we waited for the rest of group, but the 13 miles back to the hotel were still tough--especially that last climb home. We had that afternoon off and were able to relax by the pool, after dips in first the hot tub and then the cold tub. That Corona was, in my opinion, well earned, and the mexican food and margarita at dinner were excellent!
Julia and me, sporting our signature pre-swim look: hotel robes and compression socks.
Friday was swim/run day. Ah, to swim outside. Glorious. I shared a lane with John, his wife Allie, and Ben. Ben is an amazing athlete so I was stoked to be able to keep up with him in at least one discipline. We banged out 2600 yards and then had fun racing/sprinting 25's as if it was an open water start. I think Mary kicked everyone's butt in the pool!
Jen and I hamming it up underwater
After a stop at Starbucks for fuel and a quick change at the hotel, Jen and I started our run together up the Sabino Canyon road while the others hit the trails, but she quickly left me behind as it wound gradually uphill. I'm convinced that everything in Tucson is uphill. I thought I had been doing ok with running hills on tired legs here at home. Apparently not. I managed to run for an hour, then met back up with Kelley, Julia, Jen, and Kari for a "cool down" walk for another 20 mins. Our wildlife sightings involved bunnies, quail, and nesting birds but Marit's group got to see a very large snake! We got back to the hotel and blissfully jumped in the cold pool. Molly, a friend from the Florida camp, had driven down to Tucson for the evening. It was great to see her and introduce her to the AZ campers. We all went to a casual sushi place for dinner. Molly had to leave too early--I was sorry she couldn't stay for the rest of the weekend!
Molly and I catching up over Mojitos
On tap for friday was another bike ride. John and I rode with Jen, but picked up a few extra girls for an "easy" warm up. Not 4 miles out, I lost my first water bottle. We followed the same course out to the base of Mt Lemmon, but then turned just before the start of the climb. Traffic was still light, and I was working hard to stay on anyone's wheel. Jerome and Spencer followed with the faster groups, and I wished I could be the one to jump on their train. At the designated turn around, we picked Renne and John back up for the ride home, after a detour to the convenience store for more fluids. Wouldn't you know, I lost another FULL bottle just after that. At this point, Jen was pulling me along at a 21mph pace and I didn't dare get dropped. The whole group rode reconvened at some point for about 5-6 miles, and the pace picked up. Ack! I could've used the calories in those two dropped bottles. I made the mistake of asking Jen if we could stop for a gu. Nope. Luckily she turned around to look for Renne and the great group of girls that pulled my sorry ass home took mercy on me and slowed enough for me to take in my nutrition. I thought the hill up to the hotel hurt after the Lemmon climb...it was harder on Saturday!
The girls that pulled this sorry ass home: Jenny, Julia, and Kelley
A quick t run off the bike--down and back up that damn hill. By the time I hit the turn into the hotel, I was done. Pool, cold tub, lunch, hot tub and a quick swim stroke session were all that were left to do before dinner. I think Jen had prepped Spencer on what to say about my swimming since his first comment was how much better I'd be in the water if I swam more than once a week.... And I never thought having a "nice stroke" could sound like a criticism. I need to work on grabbing the water more aggressively.
Our last dinner was bitter sweet. Lots of joking about the torture, pain, and fun of our workouts together. But I couldn't help thinking "I'm going to miss this!" As much as I missed my family (that includes you, Lynn!), Joe's reports about dreary weather and going back to riding on a trainer made me want to stay in sunny Tucson. I always feel so much stronger after riding outside--hopefully it'll be just a couple more weeks and we'll be outside. Hopefully the gains I've made in my training will stick around (and pounds I've lost will stay away!)
Sunday morning was rushed with packing and group picture taking. I used my solo run to take in and enjoy the scenery of Sabino Canyon--this time I brought my ipod which helped me tune out thoughts of how tired I was of running uphill. Too soon it was time to say goodbye (Marit almost made me cry), and drive to the airport. The three K's (Kelley, Kari, and I) shared a crazy ride to the airport, and bade farewell. I read the entire Sunday NYT while waiting, and was able to sleep sleep sleep on both flights home.
A friend here in Richmond asked what I learned from the Florida camp, and while I didn't have any new "we've been doing xyz all wrong!" type of lessons to impart from either my Florida or Tucson experiences, I have gained a new appreciation for our sport and fellow athletes. To the person, each camper and coach was encouraging, supportive, sharing, and genuinely very NICE. Even though I was not as fast as most everyone else, I was never made to feel like I didn't belong. I am reminded of those master card commercials:
Tri Camp fees: $1300
Bike shipping: $ 600
Hotels: $1000
Getting your ass kicked while making new friends:
Priceless!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Cold, not too cold, and colds
My daughter Maddy has jumped into training for the Monument Ave 10k (March 28th) this week. She had been going to the 10k training sessions at school on Weds and Fri mornings, which include some strength training and other exercises but little actual "running." Before Monday she had run a total of 5 miles in her training so far. Tuesday morning, she and I ran together, getting out the door at 6:45--which for me is a miracle--into very cold temps (it was below 20). Maddy agreed to try our 3 mile loop from last year's Komen 5k, which winds down to UofR and around the lake, and back. She ran pretty much the whole way in 36 minutes! This morning, she ran again with Joe and did the same loop in about as much time and has even said she'd like to try out for the track team. The best part was, while dropping her at school, she said, "Thanks Mom. I had a good time running with you." I love running with my Moo!
Yesterday I headed out for a 3 hour bike ride with Jen. It was great weather, sunny and not too cold with a high projected of 54 degrees. We hit the roads south of the airport, and tootled along enjoying the sun, minimal traffic, and company. The only issue was the flowing rivers of snot. Here are the pics: of us before the ride, and of my jacket after the ride. Eeeewwww.
Said rivers of snot are now a full blown head cold. Joey has been sniffly of late too, but considering the fun illnesses (read: pukies) several friends have dealt with so far this winter, I think we've done well to have avoided getting sick until now. I am hoping I can skip the part where the cold turns into a sinus infection. With Tucson tri camp just two weeks away I am going to throw everything at it but the kitchen sink (Emergen-C, Muscinex, Zicam, vitamins, soup, sleep...) to preclude that. Any suggestions?
Yesterday I headed out for a 3 hour bike ride with Jen. It was great weather, sunny and not too cold with a high projected of 54 degrees. We hit the roads south of the airport, and tootled along enjoying the sun, minimal traffic, and company. The only issue was the flowing rivers of snot. Here are the pics: of us before the ride, and of my jacket after the ride. Eeeewwww.
Said rivers of snot are now a full blown head cold. Joey has been sniffly of late too, but considering the fun illnesses (read: pukies) several friends have dealt with so far this winter, I think we've done well to have avoided getting sick until now. I am hoping I can skip the part where the cold turns into a sinus infection. With Tucson tri camp just two weeks away I am going to throw everything at it but the kitchen sink (Emergen-C, Muscinex, Zicam, vitamins, soup, sleep...) to preclude that. Any suggestions?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Happy Birthday to me!
Turning 41 isn't so bad, especially with an extended disco-mix week of celebrations. Monday, lunch with my peeps Fave and Lynn. Tuesday, lots of sweet messages from friends on Facebook then dinner with my family at my favorite restaurant, Edo's Squid. Wednesday, the dinner of champions (cupcakes and beer) post spinning at Maramarc. Thursday, off to TriCamp to meet new friends, and get my butt whomped by Heather Gollnick, Elizabeth Waterstraat, and Jennifer Harrison.
Day 1 started early: a 4am wake up call to make a 6am flight. Loooong story short, a stupid Delta ticket agent made me miss that early flight, and so I ended up getting into Sarasota two hours later than planned. Heather's wonderful husband Todd found me and my bike at the airport and shuttled me back to the hotel. Just as I was checking in, fellow blogger Jennifer and her friend Holly pulled in. Yey! I had no huge problems putting my bike back together (but a big thanks to the guys at Village Bikes for double checking its road-worthiness), grabbed some lunch, and it was time to meet everyone. We had an amazing mix of women, all very accomplished and dedicated athletes. That evening over dinner, we talked about nutrition and mental fitness--it was interesting to hear how pros like Heather and Elizabeth focus during races. Lots to learn!
Day 2 of camp started early with a quick 3 mile run followed by a gait analysis at Fit2Run. I had never had my gait videotaped. First, they put me in a neutral shoe and taped me for a couple of minutes on the treadmill. Ugly. High arches = pronation! Then we looked at my gait in my own shoes. Better, but still not pretty. That's probably why I kept having ITB issues last year. Finally, they put new orthotic liners in my shoe and popped me back on the treadmill. What a difference! After lunch it was time to hop on our bikes for a 27 mile loop. Trainer riding makes me feel like I should be in great shape for outdoor riding. Apparently not. We worked on pace line riding and Heather and Elizabeth were dears for pulling my sorry ass. Lesson learned: I need to start working to keep up more with faster riders otherwise I'll be stuck at my 15mph pace.
After a well-deserved lunch (and 1/2 hour nap for me!) it was time to hop in the pool. I think the coaches could tell we were a little tired from the ride, and I'm not sure anyone did the entire workout on the board, but I used the time to work on my flip turns. I must say I was surprised that after about 6 or 7 of them, I stopped having issues of water up my nose which is why I hate them. I didn't get to a point where they were flawless by any stretch, most times I didn't judge the distance to the wall well enough and had nothing to push off from. I'm planning to have it all down by March though! Todd and Monica also video taped our swimming. I haven't looked at the video yet, but Jen commented that I need to work on "attacking" the water and being more aggressive with my pull. I forsee alot of pulling only workouts in my future. We did have some fun goofing off in the water--oh to have an 80 degree outdoor pool for swimming year round!
Time flies when you're having fun. Day 3 dawned too early (thanks Jennifer for the wake up call!) and after a quick breakfast it was off to a state park for some trail running. Heather is such a rock star, she started even earlier than the rest of us and banged out a 5k race (in which she won her age group) before meeting up with us and running some more. Pace buddy Molly and I had a pleasant 4 mi run together. Soon it was off to the beach for some fun in the 56 degree water. All the snow birds on the beach were looking at us like we were crazy for donning our "rubber suits" and getting in the water. There were a couple other wackos in the water, one old lady in a bikini got in up to her shoulders! My hands and feet were ok after the first few minutes, but putting my face in was hard since it took my breath away. We did two loops around the bouy and called the workout done!
I'm starting to think I'm lazy, but I'm not used to 3 workouts a day or biking after running. After lunch it was time to head out for our 54 mile bike. Time to HTFU and push it. The first loop was paceline riding, with Heather encouraging, pulling, and pushing me to keep up with the fast chicks for the second half of the loop. I lost them at a light 4 miles from the bike shop but was able to hook up with Melissa and Molly and we cruised on into the bike shop. The second lap loomed, and my legs aready were fried. Molly was gutting it out too so she and I rode together and worked hard to keep a good 17-18mph pace while trading off the lead. That post-ride hot tub and beer never felt/tasted so good!
Our last day in Florida included a long run (8 miles) on very tired legs and strength training. I had to do a quick shower and change before leaving at noon to catch my flights home and was sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to everyone. Husband, kids and dog were so glad to see me. I learned some things about myself this weekend. Balance is important to me--I might not be the fastest out there, but that's ok. I can work harder and not blow up. Now it's back to reality and it'll be a tough week. Bring it--I'm strong.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
A crash course in breaking in a new bike
This past week, the kids had both Thursday and Friday off from school as a combo Yom Kippur/Columbus Day long weekend. Off to the beach we went, with Joey's friend Zan in tow. The weather was supposed to be iffy--calling for rain late Thurs/Fri, but clearing up and windier on Saturday. It worked pretty well that the kids had those days off since the Ironman Florida and Arizona girls had a fun century ride/brick planned on the Eastern Shore on Saturday.
I was super excited to find my new bike had been delivered to the beach house on Wednesday, but I couldn't get it put together at the local bike shop until the compact crank came the following day. Thursday turned out quite nice, with the kids spending most of the day on the beach. They even swam in the ocean and pool. This is Zan and Sophie:
Around 2pm the crank was there! I loaded my Kestrel, new crank and bike in the car and took off to the local Conte's--only for the mechanic/bike fit guy to say he couldn't have it put together until 5pm. So much for that Thursday bike ride....but then I spent 2 hours on the trainer with him later that evening during the fit. While warming up, the gears on the new bike kept slipping. Turns out the brand new Dura Ace chain was broken! Argh. On with a new chain, and of course I needed to pay for it. He tweaked quite a few things from my fit and I was wondering how Saturday was going to feel--luckily I had Friday to give it a go.
The weather Friday had turned overcast, with some intermittent drizzle, and much more wind. Joe took the boys to the Go-Carts, Maddy had developed a fever and was lounging/reading in bed, so off I went for an hour and a half ride around the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I'm glad I only rode that long. The new saddle that came with the bike was PAINFUL! At just 10 minutes into the ride, my pubic bone was screaming, and I knew something had to change if I was going to ride 100 miles on Saturday. Back to Conte's I went after my ride. Luckily they had a saddle that would do the trick and SCORE! it matches the bike beautifully! (If anyone out there wants a white Fi'zi:k Arione Wing Flex saddle, let me know!) That evening, my poor Maddy was feeling lousy and was running a fever, so we put all the kids to bed pretty early. Before I hit the sack, I tested Joey's blood sugar, since he was at the lower end of his target range before bed. He was dangerously low (35!) so I stayed up pumping him full of juice to get his blood sugar back up before hitting the sack. I was due to get up at 5am for the drive up to the Eastern Shore to meet up with my TriGirl peeps.
I forgot to set the alarm on the cell phone to ring on the weekend. Ooops. I glanced at the clock around 5:10 and, thinking it was probably just a few minutes off, thought I may as well get up. Nope, the clock was right. After scrambling around getting dog and crap and bikes together, I kiss sleeping kids and husband goodbye and drive off with breakfast in my lap. I don't recommend driving across the bay bridge/tunnel at 6:30 am when it's windy while trying to eating yogurt and granola. I got to the cabin at Kiptopeke State Park with about 20 minutes to spare before everyone was headed out. Whew!
This was the third TriGirl-organized century ride from Kiptopeke, but my first visit there. The cabins--built in 2007--are great! Ours slept 16 people in 6 bedrooms, with a comfortably furnished main room with full kitchen and 3 bathrooms. They even had all the beds made, and towels provided. The park is on the bay side of the peninsula, just 3 miles from the southern most tip of the eastern shore. There is a swimming area, playground, places for campers or RVs, and even yurts! According to the website volunteers capture, examine, weigh, band and release resident and migratory birds each year and observe and band hawks, kestrels, osprey and other birds of prey from September through November.
Our century route took us up the eastern shore on flat, mostly well paved (the first and last 15 miles were pretty BUMPY), and very scenic roads from Kiptopeke to Onley and back. We got to see lots of interesting sights, like turkey vultures picking at a dead deer, tidal marshes, tomato fields, old falling down farm houses, and fields of green and yellow. On the way north, we had some tough head/side winds. We stayed in a pretty tight pace line--tight enough that at mile 48, my front tire got clipped by Heidi riding in front of me in a gust of wind from our right. I over corrected, and ended up lying in the middle of the road. Ouch. Luckily Charlotte riding just behind me was able to avoid me, and there was no traffic coming right behind or ahead of us. I lay in the middle of the road for a while trying to figure out how bad I hurt. After a few cars went by asking if I needed an ambulance, I decided I would be ok and slowly got up. Road rash on my elbow, a contusion on my ankle, and one hip that will surely turn a beautiful shade of black/blue soon. My helmet was ok, and luckily my beautiful new bike was relatively unscathed.
The next 10 miles to our turn around/rest stop were tough. I maintained a good distance behind people in front of me, and staying aero hurt my elbow. At the rest area, I was able to buy some Tylenol and gingerly rinse off my arm. Walking hurt, more than pedalling. I figured that if I crashed during Ironman, I'd want to do my best to finish the race, so I looked at the second half of the ride as a test. If I can get through this, I can get through Ironman. We were happy to be headed with the wind though, and were able to maintain an 18-19 mph pace for most of the way back.
Then Shawn announced we would rotate the lead in a pace line in 5 min increments...
Shawn led first, then Sharon, and Patty. Those three girls kept us right at the 18-19 mph pace. The rest of us thought the purpose was to push hard for those 5 mins up front. Heidi pushed on, and then Kate G. I was working hard to keep up with Kate, not realizing everyone else was falling back. Then it was my turn. I got up front and pushed really hard. After 3 mins it hurt, and I kept checking my watch for my turn to end. I had not moved my bike computer over to the new bike, so I had no idea how fast I was going. At the end of my five mins, I started dropping back. But there was no one behind me. It turns out I apparently was going about 25mph! I had stopped, thinking the other girls had stopped for some reason, then they caught up and flew by me. Now the shoe was on the other foot, and I had to catch back up. But by then my legs were shot. Those last 15 miles were really hard. Heidi, Kate and I stuck together after that. We were so glad to see the green house indicating our final turn back to the cabin. After the ride, we grabbed the Sophie monster and ran for about an hour. This is us before the run:
Those showers afterwards felt great, as did the beer! Karen, who is in her hard-earned "taper" for HalfMax in Las Vegas, made the best dinner of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese. We gorged ourselves on the good food and promptly went to bed at 9pm. We repeated the gorge fest at breakfast...mmmm mmmm!
Home now, I am feeling quite stiff, and tired. I am still in love with my new bike.
So let the taper begin!
Many congratulations to Rachel Ross, who placed 3rd in her age group at Kona this Saturday. Amazing!
I was super excited to find my new bike had been delivered to the beach house on Wednesday, but I couldn't get it put together at the local bike shop until the compact crank came the following day. Thursday turned out quite nice, with the kids spending most of the day on the beach. They even swam in the ocean and pool. This is Zan and Sophie:
Around 2pm the crank was there! I loaded my Kestrel, new crank and bike in the car and took off to the local Conte's--only for the mechanic/bike fit guy to say he couldn't have it put together until 5pm. So much for that Thursday bike ride....but then I spent 2 hours on the trainer with him later that evening during the fit. While warming up, the gears on the new bike kept slipping. Turns out the brand new Dura Ace chain was broken! Argh. On with a new chain, and of course I needed to pay for it. He tweaked quite a few things from my fit and I was wondering how Saturday was going to feel--luckily I had Friday to give it a go.
The weather Friday had turned overcast, with some intermittent drizzle, and much more wind. Joe took the boys to the Go-Carts, Maddy had developed a fever and was lounging/reading in bed, so off I went for an hour and a half ride around the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I'm glad I only rode that long. The new saddle that came with the bike was PAINFUL! At just 10 minutes into the ride, my pubic bone was screaming, and I knew something had to change if I was going to ride 100 miles on Saturday. Back to Conte's I went after my ride. Luckily they had a saddle that would do the trick and SCORE! it matches the bike beautifully! (If anyone out there wants a white Fi'zi:k Arione Wing Flex saddle, let me know!) That evening, my poor Maddy was feeling lousy and was running a fever, so we put all the kids to bed pretty early. Before I hit the sack, I tested Joey's blood sugar, since he was at the lower end of his target range before bed. He was dangerously low (35!) so I stayed up pumping him full of juice to get his blood sugar back up before hitting the sack. I was due to get up at 5am for the drive up to the Eastern Shore to meet up with my TriGirl peeps.
I forgot to set the alarm on the cell phone to ring on the weekend. Ooops. I glanced at the clock around 5:10 and, thinking it was probably just a few minutes off, thought I may as well get up. Nope, the clock was right. After scrambling around getting dog and crap and bikes together, I kiss sleeping kids and husband goodbye and drive off with breakfast in my lap. I don't recommend driving across the bay bridge/tunnel at 6:30 am when it's windy while trying to eating yogurt and granola. I got to the cabin at Kiptopeke State Park with about 20 minutes to spare before everyone was headed out. Whew!
This was the third TriGirl-organized century ride from Kiptopeke, but my first visit there. The cabins--built in 2007--are great! Ours slept 16 people in 6 bedrooms, with a comfortably furnished main room with full kitchen and 3 bathrooms. They even had all the beds made, and towels provided. The park is on the bay side of the peninsula, just 3 miles from the southern most tip of the eastern shore. There is a swimming area, playground, places for campers or RVs, and even yurts! According to the website volunteers capture, examine, weigh, band and release resident and migratory birds each year and observe and band hawks, kestrels, osprey and other birds of prey from September through November.
Our century route took us up the eastern shore on flat, mostly well paved (the first and last 15 miles were pretty BUMPY), and very scenic roads from Kiptopeke to Onley and back. We got to see lots of interesting sights, like turkey vultures picking at a dead deer, tidal marshes, tomato fields, old falling down farm houses, and fields of green and yellow. On the way north, we had some tough head/side winds. We stayed in a pretty tight pace line--tight enough that at mile 48, my front tire got clipped by Heidi riding in front of me in a gust of wind from our right. I over corrected, and ended up lying in the middle of the road. Ouch. Luckily Charlotte riding just behind me was able to avoid me, and there was no traffic coming right behind or ahead of us. I lay in the middle of the road for a while trying to figure out how bad I hurt. After a few cars went by asking if I needed an ambulance, I decided I would be ok and slowly got up. Road rash on my elbow, a contusion on my ankle, and one hip that will surely turn a beautiful shade of black/blue soon. My helmet was ok, and luckily my beautiful new bike was relatively unscathed.
The next 10 miles to our turn around/rest stop were tough. I maintained a good distance behind people in front of me, and staying aero hurt my elbow. At the rest area, I was able to buy some Tylenol and gingerly rinse off my arm. Walking hurt, more than pedalling. I figured that if I crashed during Ironman, I'd want to do my best to finish the race, so I looked at the second half of the ride as a test. If I can get through this, I can get through Ironman. We were happy to be headed with the wind though, and were able to maintain an 18-19 mph pace for most of the way back.
Then Shawn announced we would rotate the lead in a pace line in 5 min increments...
Shawn led first, then Sharon, and Patty. Those three girls kept us right at the 18-19 mph pace. The rest of us thought the purpose was to push hard for those 5 mins up front. Heidi pushed on, and then Kate G. I was working hard to keep up with Kate, not realizing everyone else was falling back. Then it was my turn. I got up front and pushed really hard. After 3 mins it hurt, and I kept checking my watch for my turn to end. I had not moved my bike computer over to the new bike, so I had no idea how fast I was going. At the end of my five mins, I started dropping back. But there was no one behind me. It turns out I apparently was going about 25mph! I had stopped, thinking the other girls had stopped for some reason, then they caught up and flew by me. Now the shoe was on the other foot, and I had to catch back up. But by then my legs were shot. Those last 15 miles were really hard. Heidi, Kate and I stuck together after that. We were so glad to see the green house indicating our final turn back to the cabin. After the ride, we grabbed the Sophie monster and ran for about an hour. This is us before the run:
Those showers afterwards felt great, as did the beer! Karen, who is in her hard-earned "taper" for HalfMax in Las Vegas, made the best dinner of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese. We gorged ourselves on the good food and promptly went to bed at 9pm. We repeated the gorge fest at breakfast...mmmm mmmm!
Home now, I am feeling quite stiff, and tired. I am still in love with my new bike.
So let the taper begin!
Many congratulations to Rachel Ross, who placed 3rd in her age group at Kona this Saturday. Amazing!
Friday, October 3, 2008
The best laid plans
Yesterday I headed out for a long bike ride. It was gorgeous outside, crisp and a little on the chilly side, but promising to warm up nicely. I planned to warm up with a lap or two at West Creek, then head out to Miller's Lane for a few hills, and then back through Manakin. I had my new arm warmers on, nutrition loaded up, and I was feeling good. Got 20 miles. I should've just kept going, but I thought my rear tire looked a little low, so I stopped at my car to check the pressure. The damn presta valve came clean off the stem in my hand--augh. No more biking. I had not taken the zipps off the bike from last weekend, and I don't have a spare tube for those wheels. After cussing a little, and wondering how long it might take me to drive home, swap wheels, and drive back out, I decided just to throw on the running shoes and do the loop. It was, after all, still a beautiful day for a run. Today I headed back out to West Creek again, with my regular wheels back on the bike, and got in another 2 hour ride. While riding, I got a call from the guys at Guru--my new bike will be in next week! I can't wait!
I love this fall weather. We're sleeping with the windows open, and it gets nice and chilly in the morning. Perfect running weather, but I would prefer sleeping IN weather. On tap for tomorrow is our last long run (22 miles) starting at 7am, but only AFTER an hour on the trainer. Yawn. I better go check to make sure we have coffee.
Happy running!
I love this fall weather. We're sleeping with the windows open, and it gets nice and chilly in the morning. Perfect running weather, but I would prefer sleeping IN weather. On tap for tomorrow is our last long run (22 miles) starting at 7am, but only AFTER an hour on the trainer. Yawn. I better go check to make sure we have coffee.
Happy running!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
ChesapeakeMan Race Report or Lake Placid Redux (Minus the Hills)
That which doesn't kill (or drown) us....makes us stronger, right?
The drive up to the Eastern Shore on Friday midday was great, and the weather cooperated pretty well with just a few smatterings of rain here and there along the way. Coach Grandison came along to cheer and sherpa. She rode up with me while Patty and Heidi caravanned behind. Crossing the Choptank River bridge into Cambridge, we were elated to see calm water and few clouds. It was quite humid, but we still hoped those conditions would hold out through the morning. We breezed through packet pickup, and drove over to the race start to rack bikes and check out the (altered) swim course. It would be a 2 loop swim in the bay to the left of the boat ramp (for those who know the Eagleman course) instead of the point-to-point originally scheduled from the Hyatt upstream. There we met up with everyone doing the race: for the Aquavelo it was me and my IMFL peeps Sharon, Patty, Shawn, Charlotte and husband Fred; IMWI peeps Heidi, Tammy and husband Brad; and brave TriGirl Molly (giving the distance a try before IMFL signups). For the full ironman distance it was Coach Som and Karen. We decided to meet up post race briefing to get dinner and went off to check in to our various hotels.
I had just last week booked a room online--it seemed it was the last room available in the area so I just took what I could. Granted the reservation was for a smoking room, but I added a note asking to please change us should a non-smoking room become available. Given the crappy weather forecast, I was sure they'd have a cancellation that would work. Hopeful, we pulled into the Days Inn just down the street from the Hyatt. Most everyone else was at the Holiday Inn Express. At the desk, I reiterated our request for a non-smoking room to the manager, several times. No dice on changing rooms. Now, I'm no dummy and I have a brother-in-law that works for Marriott. I know that like airline desk agents, those managers can easily (if they so chose) change reservations to accomodate certain requests, especially if they have open seats/rooms. The manager at that Days Inn was NOT budging--even though he admitted to having a non-smoking room available! His excuse was that absolutely NO changes were allowed with a prepaid reservation, not even if I was willing to pay any difference in rate. Ugh. Defeated, Grandison and I headed upstairs. I was hoping the room wouldn't be bad....
Well, if the stairwell and hall were any indications, we were in for a fun night. Oh man! It smelled like a smoker's convention had parked themselves in the halls for a year. They were so bad, the room was a breath of fresh air in comparison. But after 2 minutes, it was awful too. We opened the window and joked about having to burn a bag of popcorn to make it smell better. All I could think about was how the heck I was supposed to get a good night's sleep breathing in that stench. Grandison was trying bravely to make the best of it, and set about getting ready for dinner. I got on the phone and called the Holiday Inn. They had quite a few cancellations and did have a double, non-smoking room available. YEY! I ran downstairs, berated the poor woman who had replaced the manager at the front desk for not switching us, then drove the car around to just below our open window. Grandison threw our stuff out (it was easier than schlepping it all back downstairs), while I loaded it in the car, and we did a drive-by check in at the Holiday Inn before meeting up back at the Hyatt for the pre-race briefing and dinner. We all were able to get order good prerace meals, then trundled off to pack our race bags, watch a little of the debates, and hit the sack. Grandison ordered up a 5am wake up call, for a 7am race start.
We made it to the race start at 6:30, after having dropped our special needs bags and extra cars at the high school finish. We barely had enough time to grab our timing chips, load our nutrition on the bikes, and suit up before it was time to get in the water. Ooops. Note to self--allow at least an hour so I'm not rushing around...I hadn't made it all the way to the white start bouys before the gun went off. It had started raining just as we got to the race start, and it poured for the first 15 mins of the swim, which was pretty much par for the course the entire day. The first half of every swim (no matter what distance) I always have a hard time calming my nerves and settling into a rhythm. Up to the first turn bouy, it was fairly calm and shallow enough to stand almost the whole way. Once around the bouy, the chop picked up quite a bit. I was sighting poorly (only breathing to one side), and needed to swim about 10 yards back to the pack. As usual, I also couldn't find any feet to hang on. Close to the last turn bouy on the first lap, I got stung by jelly fish on my arm and wrist. Ouch. I caught sight of the clock as I rounded the bouy--1st lap 43 mins and change.
The second loop was much better. The outgoing part was blessedly calm, and I felt much more confident and relaxed. That lasted until the chop started again, and I started feeling a little queasy. I definitely wanted to keep whatever nutrition I had eaten that morning firmly in my stomach--I knew I needed every calorie. I finally got to that last turn bouy and felt the current from upstream on the last 20 yards to the boat ramp. It would have been a great swim as a point to point--no chop in the face and a following current! As I crossed the timing mats, I was surprised how quick it seemed to be done and I knew I could go the distance in Florida. One discipline down, one to go. Total time (not confirmed) about 1:35.
After waving at Grandison, I grabbed my gear bag and headed for the change tent. Lo and behold, Shawn, Sharon, and Charlotte were in there! After bitching and griping about the jellyfish, and pulling sports bras on wet torsos (I need to just swim in my bike gear!), we were heading out. I had a few issues getting my bike off the rack since I approached it from the wrong side, but managed to keep it upright and run over the timing mats. Off I went, assuming Shawn, Sharon and Charlotte were just up ahead. Heading out of town, I was coasting down the street, easily maintaining 18mph. Wow, I thought, this was going to be a breeze! As I approached the Gun/Bait/Beer store on the right, there was a lady turning left into the lot in front of the store. It wasn't raining just then, and I knew she saw me, as she had just passed a few bikers in front of me. I figured she'd stop and let me pass before completing her turn. NOT. She almost ran me over. I was able to swerve and go behind her, thank goodness. The next guy that passed me saw it, and commented to me that I did a great job avoiding her. I already had consumed one bottle of my drink, and had to pee. Had I been a guy, I would've turned around and peed on her car! Stupid lady.
As we came up on the turn around, about 10 miles in, I was happily cruising along and had seen Karen, Terry, Som, Brad, and Fred. Then I turned around and slowed down. WAAAAY down. My mph hit about 15, and I couldn't figure out what happened. Then I realized...headwind. Damn. I really am slow as molasses. This is going to be a looong ride, all alone. Headed back toward town, I passed the rest of the girls. I thought I had missed a turn since they left the change tent before me. Turns out they had stopped to use the port a potties before heading out on the bike. Me, I just peed 3xs in my wetsuit during the swim, so I was fine!
The first 40 miles went by pretty quickly. People were pretty chatty, and would ride side by side just for a minute or two to say good morning. Inevitably, people that stopped at the aid stations would catch back up, so many games of leap frog were played. It made it more bearable--you had familiar faces/jerseys to keep you company. I worked hard to eat but this time I had a hard time pedalling and chewing food. Bananas were ok (luckily they weren't hot and mushy), but everything I brought just didn't look appetizing. Another reason to get up extra early for ironman: I can eat much more before race start and hopefully front load alot of calories. It was still raining on and off. Then we hit about mile 55, in the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge. Parts of the road were already under about 2-3 inches of water, and high tide was going to hit during my second loop. It was kind of fun pedalling through the water, and the scenery around us was beautiful marsh land.
Close to the high school, about mile 60, there were 2 ladies tailgating by the side of the road. As I approached, they grabbed their cow bells and cheered me as I went by. The emotional boost that gave me was indescribable--wouldn't it be nice to have the entire 112 mile route lined with cheering crowds? Then I got lapped by the guy who ended up winning...he pulled into the bike finish, and I was just getting done with 64 miles. Ugh. Grandison and another Richmond friend spectating, Monica, were working the special needs station at the high school. They held my bike, helped me sort out what I wanted, found water for one of my bottles, and let me pee in the grass (very discreetly)! It felt so damn good to be off that bike, even if just for a few minutes. But inevitably I had to get back on, and finish what I started. Just 48 miles to go--even at my best pace about a 3 hour ride.
Right at mile 70, I hear a familiar voice behind me. It was 3 of my IMFL peeps! Shawn, Sharon, and Patty had just pushed hard from the special needs station to catch me so we could finish the ride together. It was soooo great to have them there--especially since just about then the rain started pelting down but good. Course marshalls be damned, this was a "training ride" for us, and we stayed pretty tightly together. Enough so, that Shawn and Sharon were assessed pentalies for drafting. Ooops. Those miles were the longest, but now much more bearable given the company. This time as we went through the Wildlife Refuge, the water was so deep, my shoe was totally underwater at the bottom of my pedal stroke. We saw a bald eagle drying his (her?) wings in a tree, and many white egrets fishing.
By mile 80 though I could tell that my nutrition was a little off, and I was getting tired. I started in on my Gu's--one for every 10 miles left to go--and that really helped. We picked up speed with the last 8 miles (up to 20ish mph), and the body hurt a lot less. I think that was just knowing that soon I'd be off the damn thing. When we got to the guy who said "2 miles to go" I was ready to be done and cranked it in to the finish, a couple of minutes ahead of Shawn and Sharon. Patty had already pulled away much earlier. My final time: 8:50 (swim+bike). If I can do that in Florida, or even come in at 8:30, I'll be ecstatic. As it was, I was very glad I didn't have to run, and as soon as I saw the massage tables set up in the gym, I was lost. Oh my, that massage felt sooo good. The poor guy got me on the table even before I could shower, and I kept apologizing for the way I smelled.
Everyone finished well. Tammy's husband Brad survived 3 flat tires and an hour and 47 minute wait for the sag wagon, but still came in before the last two bikers. We all got cleaned up as best we could (those high school showers left something to be desired), ate some soup and cookies, and waited for Karen to finish her 2nd lap of the 3 lap run course. Grandison was anxious to get home since while we were away her baby had been running a fever (always the case that when Mom goes away, all heck breaks loose), and I wanted to sleep in my own bed too. We pulled into town about 10:30, said our goodbyes, and made it home. Today I've been tired and loungy all day. I need to eat some more...isn't it all about nutrition?!
I'm very glad to have done the race. I feel much more confident that I can tackle less than ideal swim and weather conditions, and finish the bike with plenty of time to spare. This week I think we jump back into the running part of the equation, and next weekend I get to run one of my favorite races, the Army 10 Miler up in DC. Happy training and, for you Kona folks, happy tapering!
The drive up to the Eastern Shore on Friday midday was great, and the weather cooperated pretty well with just a few smatterings of rain here and there along the way. Coach Grandison came along to cheer and sherpa. She rode up with me while Patty and Heidi caravanned behind. Crossing the Choptank River bridge into Cambridge, we were elated to see calm water and few clouds. It was quite humid, but we still hoped those conditions would hold out through the morning. We breezed through packet pickup, and drove over to the race start to rack bikes and check out the (altered) swim course. It would be a 2 loop swim in the bay to the left of the boat ramp (for those who know the Eagleman course) instead of the point-to-point originally scheduled from the Hyatt upstream. There we met up with everyone doing the race: for the Aquavelo it was me and my IMFL peeps Sharon, Patty, Shawn, Charlotte and husband Fred; IMWI peeps Heidi, Tammy and husband Brad; and brave TriGirl Molly (giving the distance a try before IMFL signups). For the full ironman distance it was Coach Som and Karen. We decided to meet up post race briefing to get dinner and went off to check in to our various hotels.
I had just last week booked a room online--it seemed it was the last room available in the area so I just took what I could. Granted the reservation was for a smoking room, but I added a note asking to please change us should a non-smoking room become available. Given the crappy weather forecast, I was sure they'd have a cancellation that would work. Hopeful, we pulled into the Days Inn just down the street from the Hyatt. Most everyone else was at the Holiday Inn Express. At the desk, I reiterated our request for a non-smoking room to the manager, several times. No dice on changing rooms. Now, I'm no dummy and I have a brother-in-law that works for Marriott. I know that like airline desk agents, those managers can easily (if they so chose) change reservations to accomodate certain requests, especially if they have open seats/rooms. The manager at that Days Inn was NOT budging--even though he admitted to having a non-smoking room available! His excuse was that absolutely NO changes were allowed with a prepaid reservation, not even if I was willing to pay any difference in rate. Ugh. Defeated, Grandison and I headed upstairs. I was hoping the room wouldn't be bad....
Well, if the stairwell and hall were any indications, we were in for a fun night. Oh man! It smelled like a smoker's convention had parked themselves in the halls for a year. They were so bad, the room was a breath of fresh air in comparison. But after 2 minutes, it was awful too. We opened the window and joked about having to burn a bag of popcorn to make it smell better. All I could think about was how the heck I was supposed to get a good night's sleep breathing in that stench. Grandison was trying bravely to make the best of it, and set about getting ready for dinner. I got on the phone and called the Holiday Inn. They had quite a few cancellations and did have a double, non-smoking room available. YEY! I ran downstairs, berated the poor woman who had replaced the manager at the front desk for not switching us, then drove the car around to just below our open window. Grandison threw our stuff out (it was easier than schlepping it all back downstairs), while I loaded it in the car, and we did a drive-by check in at the Holiday Inn before meeting up back at the Hyatt for the pre-race briefing and dinner. We all were able to get order good prerace meals, then trundled off to pack our race bags, watch a little of the debates, and hit the sack. Grandison ordered up a 5am wake up call, for a 7am race start.
We made it to the race start at 6:30, after having dropped our special needs bags and extra cars at the high school finish. We barely had enough time to grab our timing chips, load our nutrition on the bikes, and suit up before it was time to get in the water. Ooops. Note to self--allow at least an hour so I'm not rushing around...I hadn't made it all the way to the white start bouys before the gun went off. It had started raining just as we got to the race start, and it poured for the first 15 mins of the swim, which was pretty much par for the course the entire day. The first half of every swim (no matter what distance) I always have a hard time calming my nerves and settling into a rhythm. Up to the first turn bouy, it was fairly calm and shallow enough to stand almost the whole way. Once around the bouy, the chop picked up quite a bit. I was sighting poorly (only breathing to one side), and needed to swim about 10 yards back to the pack. As usual, I also couldn't find any feet to hang on. Close to the last turn bouy on the first lap, I got stung by jelly fish on my arm and wrist. Ouch. I caught sight of the clock as I rounded the bouy--1st lap 43 mins and change.
The second loop was much better. The outgoing part was blessedly calm, and I felt much more confident and relaxed. That lasted until the chop started again, and I started feeling a little queasy. I definitely wanted to keep whatever nutrition I had eaten that morning firmly in my stomach--I knew I needed every calorie. I finally got to that last turn bouy and felt the current from upstream on the last 20 yards to the boat ramp. It would have been a great swim as a point to point--no chop in the face and a following current! As I crossed the timing mats, I was surprised how quick it seemed to be done and I knew I could go the distance in Florida. One discipline down, one to go. Total time (not confirmed) about 1:35.
After waving at Grandison, I grabbed my gear bag and headed for the change tent. Lo and behold, Shawn, Sharon, and Charlotte were in there! After bitching and griping about the jellyfish, and pulling sports bras on wet torsos (I need to just swim in my bike gear!), we were heading out. I had a few issues getting my bike off the rack since I approached it from the wrong side, but managed to keep it upright and run over the timing mats. Off I went, assuming Shawn, Sharon and Charlotte were just up ahead. Heading out of town, I was coasting down the street, easily maintaining 18mph. Wow, I thought, this was going to be a breeze! As I approached the Gun/Bait/Beer store on the right, there was a lady turning left into the lot in front of the store. It wasn't raining just then, and I knew she saw me, as she had just passed a few bikers in front of me. I figured she'd stop and let me pass before completing her turn. NOT. She almost ran me over. I was able to swerve and go behind her, thank goodness. The next guy that passed me saw it, and commented to me that I did a great job avoiding her. I already had consumed one bottle of my drink, and had to pee. Had I been a guy, I would've turned around and peed on her car! Stupid lady.
As we came up on the turn around, about 10 miles in, I was happily cruising along and had seen Karen, Terry, Som, Brad, and Fred. Then I turned around and slowed down. WAAAAY down. My mph hit about 15, and I couldn't figure out what happened. Then I realized...headwind. Damn. I really am slow as molasses. This is going to be a looong ride, all alone. Headed back toward town, I passed the rest of the girls. I thought I had missed a turn since they left the change tent before me. Turns out they had stopped to use the port a potties before heading out on the bike. Me, I just peed 3xs in my wetsuit during the swim, so I was fine!
The first 40 miles went by pretty quickly. People were pretty chatty, and would ride side by side just for a minute or two to say good morning. Inevitably, people that stopped at the aid stations would catch back up, so many games of leap frog were played. It made it more bearable--you had familiar faces/jerseys to keep you company. I worked hard to eat but this time I had a hard time pedalling and chewing food. Bananas were ok (luckily they weren't hot and mushy), but everything I brought just didn't look appetizing. Another reason to get up extra early for ironman: I can eat much more before race start and hopefully front load alot of calories. It was still raining on and off. Then we hit about mile 55, in the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge. Parts of the road were already under about 2-3 inches of water, and high tide was going to hit during my second loop. It was kind of fun pedalling through the water, and the scenery around us was beautiful marsh land.
Close to the high school, about mile 60, there were 2 ladies tailgating by the side of the road. As I approached, they grabbed their cow bells and cheered me as I went by. The emotional boost that gave me was indescribable--wouldn't it be nice to have the entire 112 mile route lined with cheering crowds? Then I got lapped by the guy who ended up winning...he pulled into the bike finish, and I was just getting done with 64 miles. Ugh. Grandison and another Richmond friend spectating, Monica, were working the special needs station at the high school. They held my bike, helped me sort out what I wanted, found water for one of my bottles, and let me pee in the grass (very discreetly)! It felt so damn good to be off that bike, even if just for a few minutes. But inevitably I had to get back on, and finish what I started. Just 48 miles to go--even at my best pace about a 3 hour ride.
Right at mile 70, I hear a familiar voice behind me. It was 3 of my IMFL peeps! Shawn, Sharon, and Patty had just pushed hard from the special needs station to catch me so we could finish the ride together. It was soooo great to have them there--especially since just about then the rain started pelting down but good. Course marshalls be damned, this was a "training ride" for us, and we stayed pretty tightly together. Enough so, that Shawn and Sharon were assessed pentalies for drafting. Ooops. Those miles were the longest, but now much more bearable given the company. This time as we went through the Wildlife Refuge, the water was so deep, my shoe was totally underwater at the bottom of my pedal stroke. We saw a bald eagle drying his (her?) wings in a tree, and many white egrets fishing.
By mile 80 though I could tell that my nutrition was a little off, and I was getting tired. I started in on my Gu's--one for every 10 miles left to go--and that really helped. We picked up speed with the last 8 miles (up to 20ish mph), and the body hurt a lot less. I think that was just knowing that soon I'd be off the damn thing. When we got to the guy who said "2 miles to go" I was ready to be done and cranked it in to the finish, a couple of minutes ahead of Shawn and Sharon. Patty had already pulled away much earlier. My final time: 8:50 (swim+bike). If I can do that in Florida, or even come in at 8:30, I'll be ecstatic. As it was, I was very glad I didn't have to run, and as soon as I saw the massage tables set up in the gym, I was lost. Oh my, that massage felt sooo good. The poor guy got me on the table even before I could shower, and I kept apologizing for the way I smelled.
Everyone finished well. Tammy's husband Brad survived 3 flat tires and an hour and 47 minute wait for the sag wagon, but still came in before the last two bikers. We all got cleaned up as best we could (those high school showers left something to be desired), ate some soup and cookies, and waited for Karen to finish her 2nd lap of the 3 lap run course. Grandison was anxious to get home since while we were away her baby had been running a fever (always the case that when Mom goes away, all heck breaks loose), and I wanted to sleep in my own bed too. We pulled into town about 10:30, said our goodbyes, and made it home. Today I've been tired and loungy all day. I need to eat some more...isn't it all about nutrition?!
I'm very glad to have done the race. I feel much more confident that I can tackle less than ideal swim and weather conditions, and finish the bike with plenty of time to spare. This week I think we jump back into the running part of the equation, and next weekend I get to run one of my favorite races, the Army 10 Miler up in DC. Happy training and, for you Kona folks, happy tapering!
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