Last race for 2010......report

Not really a race report, just an affirmation of my pleasure to be healed, healthy and racing! I missed some things more than others during my injury hiatus from August '09 thru September '10. One thing, biggest thing I missed is racing. I'm not one of those people that loves training and hates racing. I love racing, measuring myself against the other girls and, most of all, pushing myself to the limit. I love it. I also really missed the long runs. Not the 2.5 hour, ironman slow-mo runs, but the 10-13 mile runs where you can push the pace and still walk afterwards. I have crammed in as much racing as possible since late September (three triathlons, four road races) and I am happy to say, I've come out the other side in better shape, happier and healthy. Whew! The last race on Saturday was the Say No To Drugs 10K. No pressure, much harder course than the Turkey Trot 10K on Thanksgiving morning. I had a huge, for me, run mileage week after Key West Tri (44 run miles - normal Ironman run mileage for me) and had to take a couple days off as I just wasn't recovering well. One more 10K, just get through it. The course was quite difficult and I didn't have time goals, just wanted to be competitive. Turns out, I wasn't very competitive, the top 4 girls were way ahead of me so I had to race the guys around me. I ended up fifth overall, on the podium with really good pure runners, no shame. Ran nearly the exact same time as Turkey Trot on a harder course so I feel that the fitness is coming around. I need some general base mileage and will focus on that until the next planned race, St Pete Beach Classic 10K in mid January and Clearwater Halfathon (half marathon) one week later. We will get back into multisport training in January with guns blazing and full motivation. Make up year, lots of racing ahead. Merry Christmas to all and Happy 2011, looking forward!
Cheers

Key West Tri report

Our little beachside home in KW


Masterminds figuring out the bikes!


Guess what place we ended up in the household standings?


Where better to have a triathlon in December? I cannot think of anywhere (outside of Hawaii, of course). I had never been to KW even though I've called Florida home for 13.5 years. Crazy, I know. This was my excuse to go. Why I needed a race, who knows, that's just me. I gathered a few close friends for the occasion and had them sign up and the road trip was getting planned. Training, however, was not. It's December after all! My tri bike was collecting dust and we were lucky to average 2-3 swims per week. It's running season in FL so, luckily, we were doing some running. I had done two 5K's and a 10K leading up to this. I did, however, forget how bloody hard an Olympic distance tri was, as I hadn't done one since St Anthony's in '09. Peg the meter to the red line and beyond and hold on! Yeah, in my head that's how to race it, in my heart and body on this occasion, no go! So, road trip mates changed in the days leading up to the race as L&L had to stay home which was a bummer but we joined Mary D and made the long drive to KW. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's really a beautiful drive once you hit the Keys. The weather was perfect and we were eager for warm temps and good times. Got to KW around 4pm or so and settled in, cooked dinner and enjoyed our little home for the weekend. We came pretty prepared for the kitchen with the Dane as our chef. Saturday am got up early did a bike ride to Mallory Square and a run along the swim course (which, from the sea wall, didn't look nearly deep enough to swim in!). Got through registration and the expo, a little pool time then off to Duval Street to check out KW proper. Our condo/hotel was next to race site which was at the north end of KW. We spent a little time walking around then landed in a proper watering hole next to Sloppy Joes and enjoyed a few beers. Hit fish monger on the way home then great meal from chef Dane and hit bed kind of early. Up early on race morning to rack bikes and get situated. Nice morning with cool but not cold temps and some breeze, perfect. Took trolley the mile over to swim start which was easy as pie. The swim was a straight shot, point to point along the sea wall in a very narrow channel. If you got over too far left or right, you were fighting with sea grass and rocks. Didn't need bouys (though I would have liked a few), just follow the "deepest" water. Water was surprisingly cold, thank goodness for my rocking Orca wettie! I was in the first wave of females who went after the last wave of men and there weren't a lot of us. It was great, no beating, hitting, swallowing water! My kind of swim! I lacked a bit of fitness towards the end (which was all of 1.5K or MORE) but got out of the water first. Longish run around to T1 which was situated in parking garage of the host hotel, different but it worked. I was into T1 first but out in second (from a girl in the wave behind me, ouch). Onto the bike, I knew this was going to be ugly as we haven't done anything but tool around since Augusta 70.3. The wind was definitely picking up and I felt it. The bike was uneventful and I tried to keep pushing and knew this was going to kill my run! Got passed by another gal late on the ride and tried like Hell to hang on but she got a good gap on me going into T2. Out of T2 my legs were total spaghetti! Just tried to hold position and not have anyone else pass me! The run was an out and back on wide sidewalk along the Atlantic Ocean, beautiful. Breezy run but not too hot at all. Felt a little better at the turn around so tried to up the pace which I dearly paid for in the last mile! I did pretty much even split the run which was a little goal of mine. I was racing ghosts as the younger gals went off in a different wave. Was hoping for third overall but ended up fourth but won Masters so that was very gratifying. Had no expectations other than having fun and one more multisport race as I started the season so late. The great thing is, no injuries, no niggles, just a little soreness in my calves which is normal. Our group had a great day as the Dane won his AG and was third Masters (they haven't corrected the official results) and Mary D was third in her AG. We hung around afterwards, collected our hardware and had some well deserved beers. Unfortunately, we were so tired, we ended up hitting the sack before 8pm. Oh well, we're old after all! Long drive home and now planning 2011 with realistic expectations! I won't really hit the bike before Jan as I plan to hit it hard and want to work on my run for December. Will swim throughout as I cannot afford not to! We have a 10K 12/18 then no racing until Jan unless something pops up. Feel very motivated and happy to be healthy. We will be back to this race for sure! Well done and super fun and very low key, KW style! Cheers.

Busy run race week

I had some lofty goals coming into this week, running wise. Considering that I have taken most of the past year off running due to injury, it was moderately lofty. I do, however, have a zero tolerance policy now for aches and pains that don't seem to just go away on their own. So, other than a couple bridge repeats, the run training has been just running, no real structure. Just trying to build back a base that I managed to lose throughout the past year. Feeling healthy enough to toe the starting line now makes me very happy. Knowing that I haven't done any real speed training, well, so what. I usually consider these races my speed work. So, did the Women's Magazine 5K on Sunday, Turkey Trot 10K on Thursday and the Autumn Fest 5K on Saturday evening. Sounded like a lot and ended up being quite fun. I did better than I expected last in last Sunday's 5K but was most proud that I competed well. I did have quite a bit of soreness afterwards so was real careful about running leading up to Turkey Trot. My left (good) hammy soreness lingered the most but it wasn't a factor come Thursday morning. It was quite warm the morning of the 10K, probably the warmest I've done on that day. I like warm! I did suffer a bit and felt the lack of specific training and tempo runs but still finished top 10 for the women and won Masters. Total shock and not expected because I didn't run all that fast (41:50). I ran much faster the last time (2 yrs ago) I won Masters but then again, it was quite warm. All the times were a little slower, I thought. Going into Autumn Fest on Saturday night, I expected to feel horrible. I wasn't sore after the 10K which is surprising so that was a huge positive. Saturday morning, we swam for an hour then biked for nearly two hours which was a bit tiring. Sitting on the couch for most of the day was the key! The weather was perfect for a race, nice and cool but not cold like last year (spectated, sucked). Only goal going into this last race of the week was to finish! The finish line reward was beer, a great reason to do this race! Free mug/beer for the first 50 males/females! It was dark too with a start at 6PM which was weird. I had a great run, had the Dane just ahead of me the entire way which really helped me keep pushing. Couldn't catch him though, he paced it well! I came through in 19:17 and second place female. Take my mug and get some beer, good beer too. Great day. Haven't gone that fast in several years and proof that racing frequently can replace speed work! The best part is that nothing hurts. My hammy has survived this week of racing and I really don't even think about it any longer. We have the Key West Tri next weekend which is really just a fun race and I can't wait. Then two weeks until the next race, will be nice! Many pics and memories to come out of Key West, I'm sure!
Cheers!

Women's Running Mag 5K race report

Decided to give this race a go earlier in the week as a "warm up" for Turkey Trot. We actually worked the Mad Dog Triathlon Club water stop for this race last year and it was a hoot! I was injured then and on a long journey to healthy running that would be a lot longer than I thought! I was inspired none the less. This year, we have had Turkey Trot 10K on the calendar for a while, it's an annual ritual here (unless injured or out of town) but wanted to blow out the pipes ahead of time, if possible. The Women's Running Half Marathon was a bit much for me but the 5K was just the ticket. Decided mid-week to jump in and take the pain that only an open 5K race can give! And, most of all, I feel healthy enough to just let it all hang and run as hard as I can. Granted, there hasn't been any specific training for this, just running. No interval training, a little bridge work and some longer, slower runs but no track work to speak of. I did do a few 800's this week just for a little turnover work but felt it was too soon to do this even. Got down to St Pete early this morning (after Mad Dog party yesterday where I likely consumed too many beers) and it was a beautiful morning. There were a reported 7000 women (mostly) in the half marathon and 1,200 in the 5K, so, a lot of people roaming around. I had no time goals as this was my first 5k in nearly two years. I wanted to give it to myself and just go hard. Spotted a couple ringers and knew my race was for scraps and training. The Dane was out scouting and being support crew and was awesome on his job! We stood around in the corral forever it seemed so we were all faced with starting a 5K from a resting heart rate......not fun! Got out hard and it sorted out a bit before the first mile with Jackie W killing the field and the rest of us racing for second. I felt like a runner again though, not just a triathlete! The rest of the way until less than a mile to go was myself and two other athletes. I pushed really hard and made a move with less than a mile to go and got a gap on the other two ladies and it HURT! I haven't done this for nearly two years and the pain and suffering is immense! It's easy to talk about what you think you can do but to get into the competitive situation and HAVE to go, another subject! I'm happy that I haven't lost my competitive edge. The finish is a long, straight stretch that can be seen for about 200 meters. I was in a death match and was leading (for second) and didn't want to lose. I had a bit of kick at the end and held on for second when I could have easily been fourth! I'm much happier being second! The time was secondary to the effort as far as I'm concerned although I'm not ashamed with a 20:22 with no real training! I am most happy that I'm back, healthy and can give my all in these sort of races. I want to thank Val from Outspokin who is my awesome sponsor!
Cheers

IM 70.3 World Championships spectator report

Another beautiful day in paradise!



This cat can run!!



Well......after party with Movember


Last year's winner and great gal, Julie D


(The Dane is in full Movember swing....http://us.movember.com/get-involved/)
I wish we had this race here for the rest of my life! It is so much fun to have the eyes of the triathlon world on Clearwater Beach. We've been blessed with this race here at home for the past five years and the weather has never been an issue. Ok, they moved the swim to the intracoastal last year but it could have been done in the Gulf. The race moves on to a new venue and time of year in '11 and I, for one, am no longer interested. Yeah, I am not a factor in the overall race or AG for that matter (though, I have been top 10), so my opinion is a sampling of one and likely nobody really cares. But, thankfully for us, a new race will blossom here next year on this same sacred weekend, 5i50! Yippee! In '11 the race plan is short and fast anyway so 5i50 will be great way to top off the racing year. (I am not misspelling, this, the "i" is included in the marketing material I've seen). So, if you want to go 70.3 World Championships in the summer, in the desert, miles from any real water, good for you. It's not for me. I know the folks from Ironman have needed to change some things with the 70.3 World Championship race so I understand it all but I don't think that the scenery can get much better than Clearwater Beach. I am speaking from a spectator's standpoint. We, as locals, even booked a room in the hotel by the finish line just to be near the action. We are likely to do the same for the 5i50 next year.
So, onto race weekend. Our great friend, Linda, was defending her title in her AG this year. We did some of her key long run sessions with her and she nailed them just like last year. She didn't have the day she wanted and ended up second this year but I thought she showed a great deal of grit to stick in there when she knew she wasn't going well on the day. We aren't pro's and nobody but us cares if we finish, do well, or quit on the day so sticking in there and making the best of the day is tough. We were a bit sad not to be racing but we didn't qualify and that's life. I was so happy to cheer on folks I know (and some I don't) and not be injured! I missed this race last year due to torn hammy and really felt down about it. I feel good now and am motivated to move on with getting fit for next season. There really is no off-season here, we are just starting running season so I plan to run myself into shape a bit! Turkey Trot, Autumn Fest 5k, Key West Tri, Say No To Drugs 10K is plan for the next 5 weeks. Whew! Tired just typing all of that. We will miss "our" 70.3 race here next year but will start a new tradition in "our" beautiful part of the globe. Come join us!
Cheers

No half marathon

Last week was really good training with most run mileage since August of '09 so we felt the half marathon was definitely going to be good. That is, until my right calf decided to be so incredibly sore that I couldn't run all this week. My cut-off for a Sunday race is being able to run by Friday prior and I couldn't, leg still too sore. Not really sure where it came from but the Dane was being very sweet and "massaged" my calves on Tuesday and woke up with super sore leg on Wednesday. Who knows. Sometimes you can go to bed healthy and wake up injured (thanks, Linda). So, no racing this weekend but we did get out for an 8 mile run Sunday morning in the unusually cool weather which was nice. Plan is to get some good runs in this week and be healthy for Turkey Trot 10K then Autumn Fest 5K the Saturday after. Built in speed work! I'm loving being healthy! Was tempted to sign up for IM Florida 2011 today but then I wised up and decided it wouldn't be the smartest decision. Plan for 2011 racing is short, fast and build speed. Long in 2012 is more likely. Staying healthy is the key to it all!
Cheers.

"Fall" paddle festival

My turn!

Big start of costume relay


My team!


"Fall" in quotes because we've had near-record heat here in the Tampa Bay area....and I love it! The paddle festival was in the calendar for me as my second attempt at an SUP race. That is, until we got up and did a bike ride earlier in the morning on Saturday. Woke up to 10-20mph winds which made riding a chore and I promptly pulled the pin on the "fun" race for the weekend. Mostly because I can't afford to miss a week of swimming for a "fun" race. We went to cheer on friends who were doing their first SUP race. Ended up, they modified the course and didn't go off-shore but, it was fun to spectate. I still remember how sore I was after the last (only) SUP race and felt I couldn't afford a week out of the pool! After all, we have one more triathlon left this season, Key West Tri in December. I did, however, get "recruited" to do the costume relay with guys I've never met. This, my friends, was FUN! Imagine......10 or so teams of SUP riders going 100meters out and back. Teams were 3-4 people (ours was 3). One comes in, runs around a flag on the beach, hands off the paddle to the next paddler and off they go (assuming the other teammate turned the board around in time). Total mayhem but maximum fun! I'll let the photos tell the story. FUN.
We have trail half marathon next weekend, part of the Xterra trail series. Should be fun, I luv running trails!
Cheers.

Suncoast Sprint Tri 2010

I will preface this by noting that this is, for stupid reasons, my first sprint tri in over 2 years! Yeah, I have bashed myself enough about why I haven't done a sprint in so long, so hold your opinions.
Onward. So, Augusta 70.3 took me at least 10 days to recover from.....formerly, unheard of! Either my age or my lack of fitness. Probably both. Wow. But, I'm a triathlete again and that is the best thing. We signed up for Suncoast prior to Augusta because it's local and I've never actually done this race. Duh. (usually doing some Ironman somewhere). These races are so fun because, first of all, we have the best, truly, race director locally and you can always count on a high quality product. It didn't go unnoticed that there are two other races going on in the state this weekend but Suncoast got the biggest field. Most competitive too, if you ask me. But, I digress. So, no specific workouts for this, just keep running, swimming and some cycling. I had no goals for this race. A sprint for me is just a good, quality workout and whatever the results show in the end is pretty much where you are at the time. I have been swimming but not nearly where I was prior to breaking the ribs. I have been running but just trying to get some weekly mileage in, nothing fast for sure. I have been riding but only with more motivation since getting spanked at Augusta on the bike. The beauty of a sprint tri is, if you go ALL OUT, you can get a good fitness boost. That's MY goal.
To the race. We had a beautiful day to race. Windy but warm, heck, it's always windy at the Fort! Swim (600M) was wetsuit legal, thank God! My Orca wettie is the bomb and I was happy to wear it again! Didn't have a great start but with the sand bar half way to the first bouy, didn't want to gas myself in running over that and be done. Once around the turn buoy, got into rhythm and tried to hammer best I could. Got around Jen H, who had an awesome start, and tried to just go all out. Got a bit tired towards the end but tried to keep the arm turnover going and out of the water I ran like Hell! I love that I can actually run like Hell again! After a year off, it means the world to me. On the bike (10 miles), the wind killed me and my power was weak but I tried as hard as I could. Jen passed me half way through but I tried to stay focused not to let her get too far away. She is a very strong rider and I had to try and keep her in sight at least. Into T2, the Dane (who started in the wave behind me) is yelling at me to keep going. Nice motivation for me! I didn't have the best transitions, never do, but tried to get out ahead of the Dane! I did and off I went like I stole something! The first half of the 5K run is in the sand which is not fun on the legs! Had a lot of traffic to run through on the beach trails but felt like I was flying! I was not in any shape to run the pace I was going but that's what a sprint is all about. Go all out! My legs were total spaghetti once I hit the pavement but I wasn't going to slow down unless I collapsed! I still had the Dane behind me too but I was so deep into the pain cave, I forgot about him! I finished without anyone passing my on the run and no niggles or pains. To me, right now, this is huge. I've been injured for so long I almost expect something to hurt at the end of the day but I didn't have that. Happy! More happiness is winning Masters and, I think, 4th or 5th overall. I'm not great at grazing race results, so, if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me!
We had a great post-race with friends at the annual Stone Crab fest and that was super fun.
I'm proud of the Dane who "redeemed" himself from a cramping bad day at Augusta with winning the AG and was second Masters (at 50....hellooo). And the crazy thing is, we both pretty much won it in the swim. Hmmmmm. Guess I won't take a swim break this winter! Bring on Key West Tri in 6 weeks!
Cheers!

IM Kona weekend, always an inspiration!

Kona has come and gone, never without inspiration. I am inspired about my friend Lisbeth Kenyon who not only ruled the 45-49 AG (aged up, thank God), but did it in record time! She is truly a great athlete and nice gal! Good on ya!!
With Chrissie Wellington out of the race, Mirinda C. won in style with a great run - inspiration for all us "runner" triathletes! Most inspired by her swim though, gotta say. Guess I'll be swimming all winter!
We have finally recovered from Augusta 70.3 (don't think it's ever taken me so long)! So, back to running, biking, swimming and some SUP with the great weather. The plan from here is as follows (but can be changed at a moments notice):
10/23: suncoast tri
10/30: fall festival SUP race
11/7: wildhorse trail run 1/2 marathon (Xterra run series qualifier)
11/25: turkey trot (prob 10K)
11/27: autumnfest 5K
12/5: best of all.....Key West Triathlon
Key West is a new race and, since I've never been there, seemed like the right thing to do since my "season" is just beginning! The Xterra race is the first in a series of three races to qualify for nationals in Bend, OR then Worlds in Maui (you know I love me some Maui). This is not in ink, just in pencil provided the body holds up.
Cheers.

IM Augusta 70.3 report, the comeback

Out in Augusta

Goofing off pre-race


Well, it wasn't pretty, but I got it done. My first race since May '09. I'm relieved and healthy, most importantly. The past year has been a real test for me. The hamstring tear took extra long to heal because I can't sit, do nothing and just heal. I managed to re-injure it in February which was a setback. I think we signed up for Augusta in April or so, feeling this would be enough time for me to get some run miles in so I could actually run 13.1 miles. This was going pretty well until I broke the ribs the end of June at which point, I thought there was no way I would be able to participate in this race so I just wrote it off mentally. Obviously, I rallied and got to race Sunday. Drove up with L&L (great travel mates) which was uneventful. The entire trip was uneventful basically which made things stress-free. The stress began when we saw on Weather Channel 90% chance of rain on Sunday. I hate riding my bike in the rain and have basically avoided riding in the rain the past year because I didn't see the point. But, 90% turned into 100% on race morning so had to deal with that (on top of being significantly undertrained). The organization of the race was superb, I thought. They shortened the time between wave starts to get folks out on course due to chance for thunderstorms. The swim was great, down river + wetsuit = swim PR! I was 6th out of the water which was a shocker due to all the swimming I missed with the ribs! My Orca wettie rocked! Steep, longish run from the river to T1 got the old heart going then off onto the bike. Wet, wet, wet is how I will describe the bike. I actually liked the course but the narrow country roads combined with compressed wave starts made it extremely crowded. I had a lot of issues with being very nervous on the wet pavement with a lot of newbies. My handlebars were quite slick too so I had the death grip much of the time, especially on long downhills. I didn't ride hard which was my goal as I wanted to be able to run 13.1 miles which I haven't done in over a year! I had a ton of gals in my AG pass me on the bike but I kept to my plan. I have not been riding very much and it surely showed with a new personal worst bike split! No worries, this is a comeback effort with the only goal being to get through it healthy. I was very glad to get off the wet bike and on to the flat 2-loop run course. Felt quite good starting out the run but really had to pace it if I was going to finish this running vs walking. The run went very smoothly and I kept the pace pretty steady until the wheels started to fall off (or my fitness ran out as Lynn said) around mile 8. Whew, 5 more miles pretty deep in the suffer cave was not exactly fun but there were tons of spectators and that really helped. Even suffering as much as I did those last miles, I relished being back out there and getting every last bit of energy out of my body - it's why I love to race, after all. I really didn't have any other issues other than lack of fitness. My stomach held up, equipment was fine, Splish suit was comfy (and cute). I didn't forget anything which is a shocker being out for so long. It certainly helped having Linda and the Dane along to cue off of! The Dane had a great race until he cramped on the run but he finished anyway and I'm proud of him. We are trying to figure out this cramping issue he is having. Linda, what can I say, she is truly a legend and wins her AG again. She has had her share if problems the past 6+ months as well with a hamstring injury and this was her first race since Clearwater 70.3 Worlds but she didn't miss a beat. The positives I take out are decent swim and run and that I remained healthy. I certainly need to ride more and I can be back at the pointy end of the AG for next season. Thanks for all the positive vibes from my friends and family, it certainly helped me along the way!
Cheers

one week to go

So, the "6 weeks to 70.3" is coming to crunch time. We have a nice taper week planned, other than work, of course. I've turned a bit of a corner in the pool but am not back to where I was by any stretch. The ribs still hurt but I've learned to tune that out for the most part. The bike, well, I suck pretty much. I just have not put in the miles and I know it. I will pace myself as such in Augusta. That's life. The run. Well, this is the thing I've been wanting most in the past year since the hammy tear. I am running. I am running moderately slowly, by my standards. But, it's running. I'll take it. Did a "tempo" run early last week and got the hammy sore so I'm being very careful with it and not tapering/sharpening for the run the way I'd like but I refuse to go into a race with this kind of niggle. One thing I can be sure of is that if you want to find me on the starting "line" in Augusta, look for the 'ole gal with the wide smile! I am very happy to pin on a number and get going. Beginning again!
Cheers

Labor Day/week vacation

I was overdue for vacation (from work) and my siblings didn't disappoint! We decided to have a get together only weeks prior in South Florida (Aventura, to be exact). Rooms were booked and we made the drive down. We haven't all gotten together since 2007 so this was going to be fun! We did, indeed, have fun. A lot of sun, brews, laughs, relaxing and nobody ended up in tears! Always a bonus! The Dane and I got in some good running while there so training wasn't totally on the back burner. I took this week off from work and we spent every day on the beach, for a little while at least. Got some solid training in as well, cramming for me! I feel like I'll get through the 70.3 in two weeks though I'm not sure at what level. One thing, I'm healthy and not overtrained which was my main goal. Back to reality and work tomorrow but have the road trip and journey to Augusta upcoming the end of next week. I'm really looking forward to "pinning on the numbers" as it were, can't even explain it! Also looking forward to blogging a race report - it's been a long time! Stay tuned....
Cheers

From 0 to 70.3

In six weeks....
Well, that's the plan anyway. We signed up for Augusta 70.3 several months ago when I felt my hammy was healing sufficiently and I felt I had time to make a nice, long build for a 70.3 race. And race it. I mean, race it. Then, I broke the ribs and had two full weeks of no training, no anything except dragging my sorry, suffering ass to work every day to pay for all these entry fees that I have wasted over the past year. No swimming for a couple of months, too painful. No cycling for almost the same time span for the same reason. So, I have been able to run some which makes me happy. And then, I started to see how much I could extend the run before I started having problems. Well, I could extend the run with the usual 40-something problems but no injury problems. So, I decided, literally last weekend, to make a push for 70.3. Why not? I am tolerating the running but not banking a lot of miles but, then, I never do or typically require that. I'm a minimalist runner (thanks, Lisbeth K., for the nomenclature). So the goal now is to extend the long run to 11 or so, I can fake 2 measly miles at the end of a half ironman for God's sake! But the bike fitness is sorry now and I have been out of the pool forever it seems. Luckily, the race is a down-river swim (unless this changes, please don't) with a wetsuit, hopefully, so I will survive anyway. Got a new Orca wettie that I have yet to put on but it is a beaut (thanks, Val)! The bike.....well, that's the big question now. Trying to get TITS (no, actually, time in the saddle) but I won't be fast, that is for sure. Just not enough time to gain power/fitness and I recognize this. I mostly want to be absolutely sure I won't re-injure myself on the run. So, I keep running. Slow but sure. Enough to cross the finish line on 9/26, that's all I need to feel that I'm "back", for real. No goals for time or placing. My goals are much later than this. Half mary in November. Thinking going back to home and doing Pikes Peak Ascent next summer. We'll see. Being able to make plans and goals for me is huge. I'm less depressed already! Moving forward.
Cheers

The Big Five-O

Carrot cake, mmmmm.

Sharing 50th with my wonderful hubby

So, this weekend was the Dane's 50th b-day. Big occasion, I would imagine. We had lots of plans for going away and things we would like to do but none of these things were timely for us, things to do in the future. We did a nice bike ride then spent a lovely afternoon on the beach with our bff's - couldn't have a more perfect day, I say. And, we are dog-sitting this month for a friend for a well-behaved chocolate lab. Training-wise, I've gotten back to the pool which has been painful - injured ribs don't like swimming and they like flip turns even less! I'm going to keep going and do as much as I can with as little pain as I can inflict. Running is still progressing which I'm very happy about. Thinking half marathon in November. We'll see. Like even thinking about a race, that is progress.
Cheers.

I'm back.....I think (hope)

My beloved shepherd


I'm bad at blogging, deal with it! Life gets in the way. No other excuses. On side note, my bro did his first tri with an open water swim and didn't quit and I am very proud (wishing we had some swim genes!!!)
I have had a good two weeks.....in run mileage. I don't know what happened with getting over the rib thing but, suddenly, my hammy is good. So good, in fact, I've put in the biggest run mileage I've done in over a year. Now, keep in mind, I've not been swimming or riding, but, I'll take it. Yesterday was Top Gun Tri and the Dane felt out of shape (all relative) and fat (also, all relative) but won his age group by a bit (more, really. I'm being nice). He's been doing these dreaded slow runs with me and building base and I guess, it's all money in the bank for him. For me, priceless. I did a "long" run yesterday (while he was racing ->bad wife) of 8 miles which is not anything to some but was another huge obstacle for me having not done such distance in over a year. Tore the hammy 8/15/09 but, who's counting---->me. Then, the goal today (for me) was to ride 2 hours and run off that. Wasn't sure I could do it but rode the tri bike for the first time outside since the rib thing and felt completely out of shape. Ugh, I have a lot of bike training to do! The run wasn't pretty but got done. It was hot. I followed the feet of my beloved and didn't have any hammy issues, just bad fitness issues (and it was 90 degrees)! He guided me through like a shepherd and I did it (at 8min pace but better than I've done). The longest multisport workout in a year. I know, I keep mentioning that. It means a lot. I want to race more than anything, even if it's not "fast". We are signed up for Augusta 70.3 but that's in 8 weeks. Not sure it's enough time for me to get into reasonable shape and be healthy but I have it in my sights. I'll try....cuz that's what I do and will never stop doing.
Cheers. Onward.

11 months

Good running in Kona


On a theme now, from water under the bridge to 11 months, still, a lot of water. The ribs are very slowly healing and, funny enough, the first exercise I took up has been running. The ribs hurt to run but, almost like a bad side stitch...nothing I can't handle. Just can't run (or do anything else) fast. Running is the thing I love most, growing up as a runner. Triathlon is something that came along later (when I realized that I wasn't a very fast runner). My last good run was literally 11 months ago. We were doing the last long training day in the big push for Ironman Canada. 100+ bike ride in the hills, then 6 mile brick at 7:30 pace. Penciled it into the training log and then prepared for taper. Then, two days later, went to do an easy run and couldn't run up the road from the house because, I didn't know at the time, I tore my hammy. Life has been quite frustrating since then. Mostly, self inflicted because I continued to "train", feeling I would get over this stupid hamstring tear. But, enough about rehashing the worst injury of my athletic life. Oh, by the way, the fractured ribs have been, by far, the most painful injury I've ever had! So, I've been able to run slowly now which is better than nothing. I cannot swim, too painful. I rode outside yesterday, bumps hurt. So, I'll run. The great thing is, I ran yesterday then again today with no hamstring problems. I feel out of the woods with that but cautious anyway. 11 months for an injury is, I think, a long time. Hopefully, I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel. We'll see.
Cheers.

Lotta water under the bridge

I've been out of commission for a bit of time. One, the Dane and I decided to move back to Largo as we had a house that wouldn't sell (who doesn't). Two, during the move (well, after most of it), I managed the bonehead move of the year and slipped in the shower and crashed on my side. The outcome wasn't good, smashed up ribs 8-9-10 on the right side. When the ER doctor is impressed with the x-rays, this is never good! I was in such pain I've never experienced in my life (and never want to again). After being bedridden for a week, I'm now starting to feel better. Sleep is still a bit sketchy as every time I move, I wake up to the pain. Getting used to that though. Must have heard in the ER several times that I have "high pain tolerance", yeah, tell me about it! So, no training for three weeks now and not due to any training injury. This unpredictable break is a nail in the coffin of my wanna come back late season attempt! Damn. I was just starting to get motivated again and the hammy was doing pretty good. Life is strange and throws us some curve balls that we don't expect nor plan for. So, plan now is to start exercising again and let the ribs heal at their pace. When I look back, I cannot believe the way the last 11 months have turned out but, as Lance says, sometimes you're the hammer and sometime you're the nail and I've been the nail for this period! My preparations will be to prepping to being the hammer for '11, we'll see. One thing that is a real bummer is not being physically capable of enjoying the SUP! Such is life and I'm alive without further injury. RIP to my most wonderful aunt, Katie - another victim of cancer. Damn.. May she make Heaven a better place!

Running 5K's....well, jogging

When you've been "out" of action for over 10 months due to injury, it is really something to pin a number on to the running shorts again. If you've not run, been competitive and/or had a major injury in your lifetime, you'll never understand this. I digress. The Taphouse 5K run just started last summer but became immediately famous with the post-race beer, but it is a fun social event as well. So, goal for me was to start in the middle and not run faster than my hammy was ready for. I have been progressing well with the running and feel, for once, like I'm over the hammy injury (but, at this age, one is never "over" a hammy injury). So, the Dane ran well, got a "world famous Boot" and we had fun evening socializing. I, on the other hand, ran a PW ("personal worst" for my Mother) by far but that was actually the goal, to not re-injure! We had a lovely weekend afterwards, SUP'ing and getting others to feel the the stoke of SUP, which is really cool. Watching the World Cup in our favorite watering hole, IRB House of Ale rounded out the weekend! Go USA.
Go Danmark tomorrow!
Cheers!

Early June news

This weekend was really cool. So many races going on but I'm not in any of them! Back-tracking to last weekend, we competed in the first Clearwater Sailing Center open water mile swim. I've never swam in the intracoastal for obvious reasons........shark city. Figured if there were many others out there, I shouldn't be too much at risk. Truth be told, we haven't really been swimming as much as years past for many reasons so no expectations going in to this, just good training effort. So, off we go into the water, my first "race" in a really long time (yeah, I don't count the SUP race.....but should) so was eager to get out on good feet. I knew the feet I wanted but they left me quickly so I was on my own. Yada, yada, yada I ended up 5th overall woman which is good for me in a swim race. Household trophy back to Kathy as the Dane was not feeling that competitive spirit! Hee hee. Got to get results where I can these days!
We were blessed last weekend to stay at L&L beach condo (thanks guys) and SUP our arms off! We did an epic 6.4-miler on Sat and it was hard for sure! I had some sore calves from barefoot beach running so we didn't do much training, just enjoyed our beautiful surroundings! We are blessed to live in such a wonderful place and know the oil is out there and hoping it doesn't come our way. Either way. we want to get out on the water and see all the cool stuff while we can. Last weekend, we saw loggerhead, tarpon, sharks which was amazing.
I'm getting motivated again to start training. The running is coming along but it's slow! Better than nothin! Get out and see the water while you can, folks!!
Cheers

video of 2010 Gulf Coast SUP Championships

Check out my SLOW start!

2010 Gulf Coast SUP Championships from kathy frailing on Vimeo.

Firsts

Total Newbie...again!

Beauties as fan club! Thanks, gals!

Trying to come in with respect, holding off 6th!

Post race, talking story...spent!

First off, I want to send big thanks to my nephew, Marcus, USMC serving a tour in Afghanistan for serving our great country because, if not for warriors like him, we could not be having these fun events.

There are not many times in life at this age where I'm going to have a first time experience, athletically speaking. Ask anyone who really knows me, I'm a bit set in my ways. Stop laughing now. When I first found out about this SUP race, Gulf Coast SUP Championships, I wanted to sign up. I haven't been able to race any tri's for a full year now so, being as competitive as I am, I wanted to do something.....anything! Even if it wasn't a competitive thing that I might excel at, I don't care! I have grown to love SUP'ing and the lifestyle that comes with it..... think, beach bum! I wish I was a beach bum but, unfortunately, I have a stressful day job. Makes this event just more fun! How better to end a stressful week than this! We show up to the beach and I felt like I walked on to one of the many beaches we've been to in Hawaii....really! They had a live band playing really good Island music which was awesome. Anyway, race time came around and I was more nervous than I have been for a really long time, even more than either of the Kona IM races! Crazy and I don't know why I was nervous, this is our teritary, fun sport, after all. Well, it's 3.5 miles of paddling and luckily, we had absolutely perfect conditions! The horn goes off and I go straight to the back - I don't want to ram into anyone with my board and piss anyone off! Having never done this before, I'm not sure of the etiquette involved so I get in the back an mind my manners til the first bouy. The course is a huge triange, basically. The far bouy is way off shore! I got off ok, well in the back and stayed up the whole way, which was one of my goals. Had a pod of dolphins guiding us out the to off shore turn bouy and that calmed me a bit. The sea breeze began to kick in just a touch prior to the off shore turn bouy and the water chopped up a bit there but when we turned that buoy it was hot, hot, hot!! Paddling downwind is a different being altogether! Get around the scary off shore buoy and now we are looking at land, thank God! Balance is tested a bit here but rhythm comes pretty easily. Got word from a boat following the gal in front of me that she was in 5th.....REALLY??? I had no competitive thoughts about this event, I just wanted to do it and finish in one piece. Now, I find out I'm sitting 6th, well, you can just imagine what happens in my head. No more shaking knees, no more worrying about falling off and making an ass of myself, I'm now focusing on top 5! Crazy how that happens. The last mile or so got really hard. I was shocked how tired my legs were! I was even with the gal in 4th for the longest time but she had a better line on the last turn buoy and I couldn't catch her. The finish worked like this - you leave your board on the beach front and run up about 50 meters of soft sand to the finish. Well, being the jogger that I've had to be here lately, I have no sprint at all so but I forgot about being injured and ran up the beach with my trusty paddle in hand for my fifth place female finish - way more than anything I expected or trained for!! I had some great friends there to watch and I appreciate you guys! Thanks so much, it really meant a lot to me to spend this time with ya'll! I'll just let the photos and videos say the rest cuz I'm tired! The Dane has Mad Beach Tri tomorrow so he was my super photog/vidoeg for today. Enjoy!
Cheers

The birthday blog

Great glasses and cards! Thanks to all!!

Gift from birthday bar, IRB House of Ale, check it out!

Ready and waiting for action!

Trying to surf one in! eeeekkkk.

Boy, I never realized how many friends (and fam) I had until the days of Facebook! I am totally overwhelmed with the b-day wishes and truly appreciate them all! Thanks to everyone who took the effort to put fingers to keyboards! Very cool.
So, my fab hubby got me a much needed waterproof camera for my special day and I managed to put it to work this weekend! We were, once again, blessed with beautiful Florida weather and I got to paddle my little heart out! I am planning to participate (read, not compete) in my first ever SUP race next Saturday, weather permitting. I hope to be able to do this event and report great stories!
Birthday weekend, as I've called it as I took Friday off from work, was great! The great thing is that we live in vacation/tourist area (not always good), so a mere day off or weekend turns into a vacation! Beaut! We did a couple tri workouts Friday morning then headed to the beach for some SUP training. Met some friends later on Fri afternoon for a 3-mile paddle which was really fun and meant some cold beers were just around the corner! Met more friends for the beers and a party ensued which was unexpected and really fun! Thanks guys!
Not to bore anyone further, I will just enclose pics of my great weekend which are not very flattering but, hey, I'm 43 years old and have not been training for 9 months now, go easy on me!
On an heavier note, I did sign up for IM Augusta 70.3 which is the end of September. Hopefully, I'll be back in action but if not, I sure know how to walk and am not afraid to do so! The Dane is in great shape to qualify for IM 70.3 World Championships here in Clearwater so I am supporting with no such personal goals. I just want to have a goal and get back into shape which is a along way off! Just wanting to get back in the game and doing everything I can to get back in '11. Fingers crossed!
Cheers!

The come back...part deux

I have avoided blogging about my hammy because I feel the fear of the jinx. When I was back "running" in January, it wasn't meant to be, hard to explain. I was not tuned into "awareness" vs "pain". Problem with me is I can tolerate a lot of pain...like any Ironman top age grouper, I suspect. I had a bunch of awareness but thought I was safe because it wasn't pain. It ended up being bad and I needed another 6-7-8 weeks off running. I quit keeping track, frankly. I am now about 9 months out from tearing my hammy and I think I have finally gotten better. I am progressing slowly with the running, as I should. I am up to 30 minutes of jogging which is pain-free and a dream! Now I want to train for something. Maybe a 70.3 at the late summer or something else. We'll see. The Dane really wants to qualify for IM 70.3 World Championships (and is in top shape to do so) here in Clearwater so that's what we'll do.....well, him not me! 2010 is an off year to get well and possible stronger than pre-injury. We'll see but I'm less depressed anyway and that is good for everyone around me! So......onward!
On a lighter note, we did get to SUP this weekend on some rough water! The water and the weather is finally warm so more fun to get out for sure. I plan to do an SUP race in a couple weeks so I'm sure I'll make a total ass of myself but it won't be the first time!
Cheers

Feels like summer now

Whew, finally feeling like summer in FL! Loving it to the max. We got to SUP on Friday evening with friends and the wind made it super challenging but fun just the same. Great workout for sure! Saturday was my unofficial first triathlon, though order of events was a bit off. Did cruisey ride with The Dane and Mary "Drag-ass" (her term), then open water swim with Val, Ann Marie and her Dane Dad (and my Dane, of course), then barefoot jog on the beach. I always remember why love running so much when I can run on the beach! Feeling blessed for sure. The hammy is coming along really well this time. I'm being extremely mindful and going along very slowly this time. I am completely out of shape because I had to let go totally (of bike fitness) to heal but I'll be back (in my Arnold accent)! Super motivated as usual but on a leash. Letting 2010 season go but don't write me off for the fall - if all goes well, I may surface in a real race, fingers crossed. It is great to watch my friends and compadres compete in the early season races and I feel truly blessed to be associated with this great sport! The other "sport" I am becoming more and more passionate about is, of course, standup paddling. I am planning to enter a race later in May but not the long 9 miler because I don't have the time to get in what I feel would be adequate, real training for this. I respect the sport and conditions too much to just "show up". So, as the depression fades from "no running", I am feeling the angst to get back at it. Hard ride today with the boys in the wind really was a good way to start! Thanks boys! Never quit.....
Cheers

St Anthony's 2010....spectator and bad videographer

Untitled from kathy frailing on Vimeo.

We had a blast this year! The Dane was in top 5 in his AG, best placing ever for him here on a super tough day! Sorry about the shaky picture but I am an amateur!

Where do I start...

I've been a very lazy blogger, compared to some others. Just haven't had a lot to write about. When the hammy went south, my motivation/drive/determination/mind went with it! Not good. Just work, sleep, some exercise...not what I'm about. Good news is I started jogging a bit a couple weeks ago and feel this is going to stick. We had Escape from Fort Desoto Tri which is fun but not so much if you're injured and spectating. The Dane and I (I started it, I admit) got the coughing crud going around the week before so it wasn't really ideal race week for him. He didn't have the race he wanted but we have broken this down and decided better to lay a rotten one there than St Anthony's! St Anthony's is coming up this Sunday so hoping that he is well and peaked - just so you all know, he is super fit and ready to take on his new AG! I am trying to get to where I can plan some racing at the end of summer, we'll see. I have some open water swims planned for sure. An SUP race may tuck in there also.....if I don't chicken out! Check it out....http://www.gcsupc.com/
Video from Escape is coming..
Cheers.

Spring is finally here!

Not much going on here as I've managed to re-injure my hammy worse than previously thought. But, at least it's finally starting to warm up. If not, I'd be completely depressed! This means the pool is a normal temperature again and we have been able to get in two full weeks of masters swim. It really sucked to get back in but I'm feeling the form (such as it is) return a bit and we're able to keep on the set intervals. I am back to swimming with the pull buoy (which I hate) so as to not aggravate the hammy too much but I'm getting pretty good with the little bit of styofoam holding up my legs! I have been riding but playing with saddle height as the re-fit I had just aint working for me as I'm having foot/IT band and hip issues. I NEED to be able to ride since I cannot run now so I may find my sweet spot. We are back on the SUP's also which is so peaceful. SUP'd mid-week after work and it was pretty awesome and great stress reliever! Again today on the Gulf with some challenging wind and swells but managed it fine. My beloved iphone died so off the the Apple Genius Bar yesterday after work and I am proud owner of a new iphone - gotta love that company! Outspokin had a ladies night last night which we attended and I think that was a success and fun! Thanks, Val.
Oh yeah, my brother survived his first triathlon and I am very proud of him! He did well, finishing in the middle of his age group and, like his little sis, if knew how to swim any he'd be killing it! Way to go Mikey!
So, hoping to get back to some jogging in the next couple weeks, fingers crossed. Until then, it's swim, bike, SUP for me......not at all bad.
Cheers.

As the hammy turns...

The thing that possessed my time and energy this week wasn't training, unfortunately. It was tending to my hamstring. I went running on Tuesday, like any normal day in my life, and came home with a very painful left hamstring. I was convinced I had re-torn the muscle from the pain I was getting. An emotional meltdown soon followed, sorry DCM (new name for the Dane.....Danish Cycling Machine, stealing from Hillary Biscay). I limped for three days at work and at home. I did rest for three days and did some icing, gentle stretching, e-stim, etc. I can say today that it does feel better than Weds. Also had some ART and Graston, thanks Joe local ART guru, which was painful but I think has helped. Rode the bike Sat and today and felt fine. I don't think it will be several months of no running this time, just a couple weeks, thank God. A wee set back. My heel pain, as a result, is getting better as well. So, maybe no racing the end of March (except maybe Aquabike) but certainly April is not out of the question. Hoping I can work on fitness, which is lacking for sure after such a long time off from hard training. Hopefully, it'll get warmer and we can get back in the pool with some consistency. The Sunday ride is growing in numbers and speed for sure! If you live around here and want a super hard ride, join us on Sundays - what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. The DCM ran Belleair Classic 10K yesterday and went faster than last year, good things! My bro Mike has his first triathlon next weekend and we're really excited for him! Go Mikey!
Cheers.

chilly Willy Duathlon...the movie

chilly willy duathlon 2010 from kathy frailing on Vimeo.

February ends in cold

Ahh, wish I was here now

To say I'm sick of the cold weather would be a major understatement. I'm really, actually, tired of bitching about this every week. Got some good indoor rides this week. Got back on the power cranks and the hammy handled that well. My left heel has been the only thing slowing me this week, starting to think it could be related to the new bike fit, timing fits. Either way, I have it and have to deal with it. I had an ART and Graston treatment on Friday and that really helped. Ran Saturday after 90 minutes on the trainer and felt pretty good. I am getting to where I can push the run pace a little now although I am seriously lacking fitness after 6 months + of not running! I want to work on this so need to take care of this stupid heel pain. Good ride outdoors today and the SRM reflected that after the download. I want to start lengthening the long ride a bit now, hoping it'll be warm enough to do so. Still thinking about racing the end of March, 4 weeks away. I haven't raced really since May so I'm chomping! Celia asked me "why race, what's the hurry"......I love to race and have been on such a short leash for so long it's really hard to explain. I know I'll get my ass handed to me but I don't really care as long as I don't re-injure myself. I'm progressing with the hamstring injury so we'll see how the next few weeks go. Watching the US-Canada hockey match now so gotta go. Hoping for warmer climes!
Cheers.
'

SUP, bikes and honu

Great weekend, finally, here in West Florida. Not quite up to our so-called average temperatures but close enough. Ended up on the beach Sat and Sun and have a little sunburn on the face to prove it! Got in five bike rides this week and feel the new position on the tri bike is pretty good. New muscles being used which I'll have to build into but feel comfy overall. Running was going pretty well until Weds when my left heel was hurting. WTF. Well, I always said back in my running days that if something hurts more than your major injury issue then the major injury is probably doing ok. No big deal, just had to dial the running down a bit but the hammy is progressing well. Thinking of racing the end of March....we'll see. Got out the SUP's after many weeks of hibernation and, boy, was it worth it. I did a power paddle run first thing when we got to the beach today then did another paddle with the Dane a little later and the Gulf was glassy. I had a loggerhead turtle swim right by me, it was awesome! The Dane saw one as well then we had another turtle swim between us. The dolphins were out in numbers and I got as close as I've ever been to that, really cool. Also, saw a little sting ray and puffer fish sort of thing. My camera is inoperable so I'm saving my nickels for a new, waterproof camera so I can take photos on the SUP. All in all, great weekend and can't wait for summer! Tired of the cold and will try and get back in the pool this week without getting hypothermia! I'm not very fit now but I am feeling less injured which means the world to me right now. Fitness will come when I can train more consistently. Gonna try an up things a bit this week. Hang on....
Cheers.

Chilly Willy Duathlon

No racing for me but other multisport athletes in the area got under way this morning in the cold Florida air. The Dane was quite nervous about this race but excited just the same. I was playing spectator......again. I did manage 2 hours on the Computrainer yesterday morning so my legs were pretty toasted. I had only planned for a run today. It was, again, an unseasonable cold day in Florida and many layers had to be piled on the spectate today! I much prefer spectating in the summer. Anyhow, good showing and the Dane won his first age group race in his new age group, the "AARP" age group, as he calls it. He was also 12th overall which is a great showing, I think. We had two youngsters that ride with us, Cody and Shayne, that performed really well and they definitely have a future in the sport! I took some video so will upload that when I get to it. I'm slowly progressing. Big thing was I changed my bike fit this week. The motivation for this was a new saddle, Adamo Breakaway. This saddle, reportedly, allows the rider to sit much further forward on the saddle which, in turn, allows the rider to tap into more power. If it's good enough for Lance Armstrong, it's good enough for me! Anyway, got Retul'd again just to dial it all in and ended up with my saddle height lowered quite a bit. This feels fine when riding but the muscles will take some adjusting. I noticed that on my run today. I did manage 14 miles of running this week so it's going in the right direction. I do have to be careful with pushing the bike intensity before my legs get more accustomed the the new fit. No racing on my short-term horizon though so more spectating will be the theme. Well, at least I can record more video! Happy Valentines to all and mostly my wonderful Dane! I love you!
Cheers

Trying to get in shape is tough

Wow, you can get really out of shape when you take 5+ months off from hard training. Guess I haven't done that in so many years that I forgot how horrid it really feels. Well, making up for it now. I've had some good runs this past week which aren't fast but they are pain-free and that's what it's all about for me right now. No racing goals in the near future so just trying to get back into a routine with swim, bike, run. The winter here has really sucked. For Florida standards, this has been cold, windy and just plain ick. When we get out to ride, we ride hard to keep warm. I'm getting closer to not getting dropped on the Sunday ride which is improvement. What I really lack right now is the explosive jump to stay on the group. I can only do it so many times before I get dropped. I can go a long time at a steady pace just fine, which is all that matters for racing but it's nice to be the only girl hanging on to the group of guys. Not there yet but I will be soon. I'm also really stoked that my brother did his first brick this weekend (run-bike workout, mother) and actually enjoyed it. He has his first triathlon in 5 weeks and he is really excited about it, so am I. He is super pumped and this motivates me as well. He had some knee pain and an MRI found that he has been running around on a torn ACL, medial and lateral meniscus.... guess the mental toughness thing runs in the fam! Nice, bro! Rooting for the Saints today. Who Dat!
cheers.

Spring in January has ended

I know, it's unrealistic to think that the warm weather will last forever but, I can dream can't I! We had another chilly weekend here and, with the cold fronts, come the winds! What we lack in hills here, we make up for in wind. I did get three good runs in this week that felt more like running and less like jogging which is very encouraging. We are really dialing in the diet now that it's getting closer to some early season races (for the Dane, not for me). I thought I was being good with the diet but the scale doesn't lie and now we are getting into portion control during the week. We eat quite healthy but the Dane cooks so good that sometimes I like to eat seconds. Since the training is starting to get more consistent, that should help as well. The hamstring is doing really well now and it's just a matter, I think/hope, of gradually getting the legs in shape to train. May not be able to race for a little while but if I can do some run training, I'm happy! Happy to be entering February with the ability to run (after nearly 6 months of rest/rehabbing) and the temps will be getting better. Hoping to get out and paddle more also.
Cheers.

Spring in January

This pic is my running brother, the pose is a looooong story!

Firstly, want to congratulate my brother, Mike, for doing his second half marathon today in Austin, not an easy place to run! He took a ton of time off of his previous half and beat his goal by ten minutes! I am so stoked for him!

Yeah, yeah, I know. We've been bitching about the cold weather here because, let's face it, we're spoiled. We're used to 70 degree days when it's super cold in other parts of the country. Well, we choose to live here for this reason. But, January has been really cold for FL standards. We got payback this weekend with nice, warm temps. The other payback is, when it's warm, it's windy! Boy did we ride in some wind this weekend! What we lack in hills, we get in wind. We got to get out on the SUP's for the first time in many weeks too and really stoked to try and train for an SUP race in May. I am really sore from the little paddling (and trying to surf, I suck) that we did. Work to be done. On a good note, my jogging is up to 30 minutes at a really slow pace but it's better than NO jogging, so I'll take it. Trying to build some fitness on the bike now also, spent the past three Sundays on the Computrainer doing threshold intervals so it was a pleasant experience to ride outside this weekend. I don't have any racing planned because I don't know when I'll be able to go fast running. I'm so eager but also so afraid to re-injure myself and wind up taking more time off - that wouldn't be good! Keeping it positive and hoping I can race again by June or July. I'd like to go back to Providence 70.3 so if I can handle some run mileage by then, may be so. So, hoping we have more weather conducive to SUP, then I can train for what will likely be my first race of 2010! I smell a racing SUP board.....
Cheers.

Cold in FL

The record cold weather has really thrown off my return to decent "training". I had planned to get consistent in the pool again but when you show up and the water temp is 73 degrees when the air temp is 37 degrees, I aint swimming! I have done many swims in the cold but only when the water is warm. Hell, it is January and I don't even know when I'm going to be able to race a triathlon due the this damn hamstring so I'm not willing to risk hypothermia. I don't much care for riding when it's so cold either, so I've been quite cozy with the Computrainer. Today and last Sunday, I have managed to crank out a couple really hard threshold workouts. This is not something I would have done a year ago. It is such a mentally hard thing to do, especially on the trainer, seems to hurt more. I have gained a bit of confidence that I can sit there and tolerate the pain - something that can go a long way in races later this year, I hope. I did do three walk/jog workouts this week which is improvement, I guess. It's not enough for me when I realize I'm now 5 months out from the last real run before getting injured. Still can't believe I injured myself so thoroughly. I can't think about the past 5 months, I have to just progress at the speed the hamstring will allow me. I am only signed up for New Orleans 70.3 currently, which is in 14 weeks, but I'm not really confident that I'll even be able to race there. May be mid-summer prior to racing, I really don't know. It is definitely different than what I'm used to planning the racing season. Good things are, I've totally recovered from the overtraining. I'm more willing to sit on the trainer and really get into the hurt locker on the bike. I'm super motivated........well, that's not anything I've ever had trouble with. Hopefully, back to swimming this week when we get back to normal temps. Looking forward to that. Keeping positive!
Cheers.

Couple things...

Suffering is an Art!

Couple things eating at me lately. Aside from the usual injury bitching, it has been really cold. Cold for Florida. I hate cold, that's why I'm IN Florida. Hurts my joints and just sucks. But, the cold motivated me enough to sit on the Computrainer today for a workout I've never been able to do indoors - 4 x 15 minutes at/above lactate threshold. I'll translate for my Mother - that means, it really hurts! One thing I hope to get out of this extended injury layoff is stronger bike fitness. A part of better bike fitness for time trailing (read, triathlon) is acceptance for suffering on the bike. I can suffer ALL DAY running but, somehow, cycling suffering is different and, for me, worse. I need to learn this and embrace it. That is my goal this year. I know my running will suck, so, may as well make up my time doing something useful. That is my goal. I may not race until October but when I do, I want to make it count! I also am dealing with USAT rankings. I've been USAT All-American since I can remember but not for 2009. Didn't race enough. Won 2 x 70.3 AG races but didn't do anything else. That stings.........and motivates me. Well, it's a new year and time to change myself. I don't really know what kind of racing I'll even be able to do this year rehabbing this stupid hamstring tear but I plan to be smart about it. I've learned a lot about myself and will try to continue to keep a short leash on my motivation except in certain areas. I've made a step in the right direction. The photo is suffering on the run, something I know/do well. To the future..
Cheers