Jacksonville Marathon rant

To begin with, if you want to run a marathon, especially a first marathon, this one is ideal. I've been racing for most of my life and have seen a lot of shows. This is top shelf. Sort of small but really well run and enjoyable on all levels.....well, until about mile 18 but that's my story.

So, I did put my "if everything goes well" goal out there in my last report. It was 3:10 which I felt I had to have a great day for. I was healthy going in which is quite a feat for this old gal with all the injuries I've had just the past few years (just torn hammy, calf and broken ribs in 24 months). The morning dawned quite cool, for us, and breezy. Wind was evident and we were aware it was going to be in our face on the return trip (out and back course). I didn't commit enough to my early pacing (I was warned this would be my downfall. Hate when people who know me are so right!). I felt like I needed to make good tracks early on in the tailwind to make up for the headwind we were sure to face coming back. I felt great. It felt easy. Got through the 1/2 marathon in like 1:31:xx. Ok, I thought. I was catching people pretty steadily. I started being pretty aware of my quads and calves around mile 15-17. My wonderful college roomie and family were at mile 16 cheering loudly and I was re-inspired. That lasted awhile mentally, less so physically. My legs were not holding up to the distance at all. I really started to crack around 17-18. Tried to pick it up between 19-20 as people (gals) started catching and passing me (was 5th female overall for a while, ended up 9th). Eventually, everyone began passing me. This was extremely humbling. I had to walk just to prevent falling in a heap on the road several times the last 5K. I stumbled onto the track for a 3:13 finish. Got passed in the last 1/2 mile for Masters title, that stings when there is no response from the legs. Won the age group as did the Dane so we were super happy with that. He had a super race in 3:09 - didn't collapse quite like me!

The early pacing mistake was not ego. It was fitness. I've studied the Garmin file, contained for your entertainment (no posers here) and I think if I would've held back a bit earlier, I would not have had to walk later. I guess. My first marathon, I have a lot of questions and lessons. I will say this was harder than any of the six Ironman's I have completed. A way different being, racing a marathon. I respect this distance on a different level now. We will plan to register for Boston 2013 and I will plan my training differently for Boston. Jacksonville Marathon was conceptualized sitting on the beach with the Dane and Linda M while I was injured during the summer (torn calf). Linda ignited something within me to do this distance because, I am a runner after all (?posing as a triathlete?;)). She inspired me to want to experience Boston. So, onto Boston we will go, 2013. We are very glad that we don't have to do this again until 4/13. Totally crippled!

The good: (in no order)

-I can run and train for a marathon and not get injured (few close calls!)

-The more I look at my Garmin file, the tougher I knew I was - should've walked in the last couple miles, ouch!

-Stayed healthy through the training (most miles run post-college)

-Hey, I won my AG in my first marathon!

-Got to spend quality time with my all time BFF from college and her killer 2-year old twins/family

-I was tough, see above

The bad (lessons learned): (also, in no order)

-Eager early kills!

-Missed a couple aid stations early, likely not a factor but one never knows

-Maybe peek at the heart rate now and then to see how HIGH it was

-Need to build high-end aerobic engine more

-The household marathon trophy goes to the Dane......until 4/13 :)

-I cannot walk today and may, in fact, tear the towel rack off the wall in front of the toilet...think amongst yourselves

-Walking is NEVER acceptable when race number is attached to one's attire

The ugly:

See bad, above

The offy is in full effect. Bring on the holidays........and getting back on the bike and back in the pool. But, I digress.

Cheers!

Marathon week

I've never uttered those words in my life.....weird! I'm excited......and scared! It's gonna hurt, I know it. I'm good at hurting. We'll see. Goal is BQ (Boston qualifier, Mother). I think on a perfect day I can go 3:10. Gives me a LOT of wiggle room for BQ. My first open (non-Ironman) marathon should be interesting! I'll let you know!

Cheers.

Turkey Trot and Autumn Fest fun!

Oh boy, did I have a couple of races I didn't train for! And they hurt a ton. I got my hurt box well prepped for Jax Marathon in two weeks and glad for it. Great

Turkey Trot 10K pain

Autumn Fest 5K pain...(2 days after the above pain)

Oh boy, did I have a couple of races I didn't train for! And they hurt a ton. Won Masters for Turkey Trot which was big goal (and 4th overall with winner being Oly Trials Marathon qualifier). I got my hurt box well prepped for Jax Marathon in two weeks and glad for it. I am healthy and ready to hurt for 26.2 which I am expecting. Don't want to jinx anything so no race plan or pacing gonna be seen here but let's just say I plan for 20 miles of patient and 10k of PAIN! Wish me the best, I'll need it!! Burgers and beers afterwards, for sure!

Cheers.

Thankful

Thanksgiving week is always a big week for runners around these parts. When in the midst of marathon training with tired legs and all, it's even bigger. We have the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning then the now 3rd annual Autumn Fest 5K on Saturday evening. Turkey Trot is likely one of the biggest running races around and brings in really good runners. I was defending Masters winner for the 10K and really wanted to have a good race. In the middle of marathon training, one never knows which legs are going to show up. But, I knew I was in pretty good shape and wanted to have a good, hard effort to push the fitness just a little more if nothing else. The morning was warm and sunny but fairly windy as well, not unusual for this time of year. Turkey Trot is always fun because we get to see friends that we may not have seen for a while. Yada, yada, I go out way to fast which seems to be my MO lately (better fix that before Jax Marathon) then settle in to a pace which I feel I can handle. My goal was to try and get into a pack for the return trip North to have some wind blockers, this did not happen. I was sitting in 4th overall through the 5K (ended up it was 3rd because one of the top females failed to finish) but got passed shortly thereafter by a young gal I didn't recognize (out of towner). I tried to push on with her and have her drag me up to the Dane who was running just up the road from me, but I was paying for my early pacing woes! Ended up pushing through the long headwind section all by my lonesome which killed my pace. Still, finished up 4th overall and won Masters again which I was really happy about! Broke 40 minutes as well which was icing and a good indicator of my current fitness level. Ended up not being very sore so had a good vibe about Autumn Fest on Saturday. I got up Saturday morning and ran 4 miles easy just to shake out the old body (and add more mileage). We started warming up for the 5K and boy was I dead-legged! I knew was going to suffer in this race. Darkness descended upon Safety Harbor which meant it was go time! Got out pretty fast (again, a bit too fast) but it's only a 5K and I only had to suffer for a little while. I was second here overall (females) last year so I was really eager to get the win. Got through just shy of 2 miles and was sitting right behind the Dane and a younger gal passed me. Oh crap, now I have to race for it. I tried to relax and not let her get too far in front, just hung on. I knew the course and knew we were going to have a pretty stiff headwind the last 3/4 mile. We got around the last turn around, young gal - me - Dane, in that order. Anders went right to the front and surged. I waited, sat right on young gal, let her break the wind then decided, if I'm going to win this, I'm going to have to take a risk and go. Off I went and, lukily, she didn't go with me. I bridged back up to Anders and tried to stay with him. In the end, he had a better kick! Got just under 19 minutes which I was ecstatic about since I cannot recall the last time I broke 19 for a 5K! On dead legs no less. So, it was a good weekend of racing and we have on more week to push the mileage then start peak phase for Jax. I'm thankful that my body has held up as well as it has and that there's still some fight in this old gal! Cheers!

5 weeks to go

Well, things are still moving in the right direction which is good. Had a bit of a scare a couple of weeks ago with a majorly sore calf (not the same calf I hurt this summer). Did it wearing a new pair of shoes, yada yada, it hurt for a couple of weeks and I didn't get nearly the mileage planned. But, back on track now and haven't missed the long runs which is important. We had planned to race a 1/2 marathon last weekend but due to the calf issues, we didn't. The Dane is nursing his own niggles as well so wasn't too upset about not racing. Did our second 20-miler today and other than what I like to call the "rotating bucket of pain", no major issues. I hope to get some speed work in this week as I had to miss the speed session last week. Hoping to hold it together and get to the start healthy. We have upcoming, Turkey Trot 10K and Autumn Fest 5K to blow out the cobwebs and I'm looking very forward to racing - I haven't raced since the end of June! The Dane said something so true today about marathon training, 'simple but not easy'. I cannot even underestimate how true that is! We certainly picked the right time of year to train for a marathon as the weather has been really nice. I had a trial on an Alter-G treadmill this week which was really interesting/cool. I don't think I'm going to try and tie it into this marathon push but I can see the possibilities of this great training tool down the road! We'll keep pushing the envelope of health and injury to race fast in 5 weeks!

Cheers

Keeping it together

Yup, still going. 9 weeks to go and still holding up. I have finally hit a 50+ mile run week which I haven't done since I was 22, if memory serves me. I suspect people think I run a lot of miles.....I don't! During most of the past 20 years of mostly doing triathlons, a 20-30 mile run week was solid for me! I have, luckily, been able to get by on this sort of mileage. During big run focus week for the seven Ironmans I've started, 40 miles was a big run week. But, when you add in all the cycling and swimming, that was about all I could handle! Also, now being a Masters athlete makes the game change as well. Training to race a marathon is not easy. It's fun and challenging but not easy. I have never done this. Training to survive a marathon in an Ironman is a completely different beast! It's much less fun and downright torture at times! I am actually liking this! I have niggles that pop up here and there but I have been running for so long that I usually know what the cause is and how to nip it in the bud. So far! One skill I've honed racing Ironmans is mental toughness. I think I will need all of that for the marathon. Since the run comes last in an Ironman and you have had to deal with so many challenges physically and mentally before the run, it is a real mind fuck out there! I'm not the most talented runner but I know I am very mentally tough. I think this will be very helpful to me in December. We'll see. The goal is to toe the line healthy which is a sure challenge in itself. The next goal is to get a Boston qualifier with a 20 minute buffer for first day registration. So far, so good.

Cheers

11 weeks to go

Decided to run a marathon (my first non-Ironman marathon) during the last injury and, so far, it's been really enjoyable.  I have, in about four weeks time, gotten back to a really good aerobic run base.  I have had to escalate the long run rather quickly so that I can later do more specific work within the long run.  The goal is to not only get Boston qualifier but to do so with 20+ minutes to spare for early registration rights.  I have been within minutes of doing the goal time in an Ironman marathon (Hawaii, no less) so don't think it'll be impossible by any stretch.  I just want to stay healthy and run as well as possible on 12/18.  I'm thinking now I have enough time to get in some good mileage.  Got over 40 miles this week and won't generally go much over 50 per week as my injury risk is too high going over.  For me, quality miles makes all the difference so that is what I'm committing to.  How it turns out, we'll see.  Good thing is I'm healthy and getting fit.  Still swimming and lifting weights but haven't cycled in a few weeks.  Unfortunately, I am signed up for a sprint triathlon in three weeks and hope I don't totally forget HOW to ride a bike!  It's just for fun but will be seriously painful, I'm sure.  So, all good and loving running in the fall weather (yes, sometimes we get fall weather in FL)!  Will sit back and watch the drama roll out in Kona next Saturday and, no doubt, gain even more motivation!  That's good because long run goes to 15-16 miles next weekend!
Cheers.

Runnin'

So, the calf has seemed to heal and marathon base training is in full swing.  I'm actually cramming in my base training hoping that the fitness I had going into the last injury break will count for something!  Twelve weeks now to the marathon which seems a bit short to me but is probably appropriate considering my overtraining tendencies!  This week, I had lofty goals (for one who just started jogging four weeks ago).  Six runs in six days ending with "long" run on Sunday.  Got through it and feel, surprisingly, good.  The thing that sings to me about the marathon is that I love the long run and I love a challenge.  Once I get into a good rhythm, I can sit there forever.  I hope I can sit there at the right pace on 12/18!!  We'll see.  Looking up though!
Cheers

Progress...

Yada, yada, yada.  Another injury when I was really winding into some decent fitness and six weeks later, I'm back running now.  It has been very frustrating, as all injuries are.  We had to let go of our big goals at Hy-Vee which was yesterday and that was also frustrating.  I seem to be able to get through the early season multisport races fine and then crack during the summer.  Oh well, I'll figure it out one day.  The good thing is, I've run all week now with no problems except lost fitness, of course.  So, things are looking up and goals have changed.......drastically.  New goal now, after tri season ends in November locally, run a marathon.  I've not done an open marathon ever, just several Ironman marathons which are true torture.  Big goal is Boston.  Plan now is to get prepped for Jacksonville marathon in December and go from there.  The best thing is that nothing hurts and I'm feeling motivated.  Stay tuned.
Cheers

Top Gun non-race report

Note the speedo....old school racing this year for the boys!


Sonny and Pops pre-race


Insert my voice..."go honey!!!!!" Anders killing it!


The Dane getting it done. Note the pelvic tilt, we have work to do!


So, Top Gun was to be my next race but I managed to get injured in the week leading up to it which was very depressing for me. Plus, I love, love, love Top Gun Tri because the best race director/sponsor ever is at the helm, but, I digress. My fitness was coming along quite nicely after the hard training break after Florida 70.3. Actually, I think my aerobic run fitness is better than I've ever had it - super low heart rates even in the heat. I likely overdid it in the preceeding week with the running. We ran the Pier 60 5K on 7/22 and I felt absolutely horrible and ran super slow (but ended up as second overall female); I knew I needed to start doing some more specific run training as opposed to 'just running' which was all I had been doing. So, tempo run, long run, speed work ensued. Unfortunately, I did too much all at once, I guess. We did an easy day the day before (the injury) so hoped we were recovered from the Dane's Sunday workout of long-ish (for us, no ironman stuff here for now) bike then 8 x 800M (Oly 10K run pace) run repeats. Went out to Fort Desoto to conquer a solid time trial bike workout and run/swim. Did the bike workout (main set 2 x 20min) but felt tired. Onto the run and after 5 minutes of slow running, felt like someone shot me in the back of the right calf. Damn. Worst fear, torn muscle. Best case, strained muscle. (I've actually had this happen before about 11 years ago (Gulf Coast tri...dnf)). Damn. I did not have any signal of any problem and would have stopped if I did. I am in the 'zero tolerance to injury' portion of my athletic career. So, I have really laid low since this incident and the leg is feeling much better. No tear, for sure. I am hoping I'll be running (jogging) again this week but will take it day by day. Just have to be smarter about planning the weeks. We are our own coaches so, when motivation is high, we go with it! Not necessarily the ideal/emotion-free scenario but it's what we have. When I say we, I mean the Dane and me. The Dane won his AG at Top Gun and damn near (at 51) won Masters. I'm super proud of him! Onto the next set of races. Love Florida, there are plenty of races!! Suncoast tri for sure with the best RD and sponsor, Outspokin of course! I'll be back....
Cheers

Morton Plant Sprint Tri report

Ok, for the record, I'm over the inclimate weather for races! I'm the gal who, if it's raining, I don't ride outdoors (unless I get caught out in it). I went into Florida 70.3 on May 15th 100% healthy and came out of it banged up and totally psyched out by the early morning bad weather. I managed to reinjure the bad hammy a bit so had to lay low for several weeks to get over this. I swam mostly, ran a little bit and bike very little going into today's race. I knew it was going to be torture and a great workout for sure! We planned this mini summer break to recover from a ton of early year racing but I took it to the extreme! Anyhow, figured I was about 90% healthy now so decided to give it a go in my unprepared state! The forecast was typical for Florida's west coast, 50% chance of rain...........which usually comes later in the day. Got up early and it was dry but the radar was not as optimistic. Rode the bikes the 10K to the race (one of the WONDERFUL bonuses of this race) for a little extra warm up (or training, I thought!) which was dry but lot's of lightning in the sky! Racked the bikes, got transition set up and waited......in multiple downpours! We were shepherded out to the beach in the rain and lightning and waited. And waited. The race officials were totally top shelf here in keeping us totally updated on conditions and ultimately had to decide the bike course wasn't safe enough to ride. It was totally the right call on the day. The race became a swim/run competition and I, not so secretly, was very happy! I felt good about my recent swim training so it became a bigger weapon for me. We finally got going, the gun went off and I went out very hard. Too hard! Got around the first turn buoy and dropped the hammer and got into the lead of my wave (women 40 and over and athenas). I decided even if I was coming off a break and jumping in this race that I was going to go full gas! Out of the warm Gulf, onto the longish run to T1 and getting to put on run shoes was fun! I did have to dump the rain water out of them but this is part of the adventure of the day! I had an uneventful run, just tried to press the pace as much as I could. I was just catching some of the athletes from the previous wave and encouraging them in the ongoing downpour! First part of the run was in the sand and the latter part on pavement so not a fast course. Ended up winning Masters which I was very happy about! The Dane won his age group as well so good result all around. Our friend Linda, who rode to the race with us, won her age group....again. Val represented in the Athena group without her strength, the bike, so great result for her! All around, fun time. I am very happy that we got to race despite the horrid conditions, lots of credit to the superb race directors!! Thanks! Our next triathlon is likely going to be Top Gun Sprint tri which is a super fun race and great prep for Hy-Vee in Sept. Hoping for better weather in the late season races! I will, for sure, be in better shape!
KAMAU

Oldsmar Taphouse 5K "report"

Das Boot....aka Fruits of our labor (empty)!


This is a fun beer run, plain and simple. Friday night run after a full work day/week and full swim 5AM in the morning so there are no goals here. Finish the race and have a few beers with friends. Sounds fun to me! I, personally, had zero goals. In fact, I couldn't even run the week prior due to tweeking my stupid hammy at Florida 70.3. I have been able to jog a bit but nothing with any stride or pace, hurt too much. This is our month "off" technically before we start to train for HyVee so it's important to be healthy and it's ok to lose some fitness, which I have certainly done! I started in the middle of the masses which is a different feel, a bit crowded for sure! I didn't want to start fast as this seems to be what nags my hammy the most. So, jog across the start line and weave through the masses and the leg held up well. I was able to hold pace the entire run and ended up 7th which was a huge surprise as I had only hoped to get top 50! Top 50 men and women in this race get a giant boot from which you consume the beer reward, best swag for sure! Got my boot, ran much better than I expected and the hammy held up well which is good. The Dane snuck under 20 minutes and got a boot as well! It gets harder and harder every year to go top 50 here as the field grows and gets faster! If you haven't done this race, definitely put it on your calendar for next year! The next race in our "off" month will be Morton Plant sprint tri at the end of June. I did the first edition of this race in '06 but haven't been back for various reasons and am looking forward to racing in our backyard again! I won't be in great form but it will certainly be a great workout and a super fun challenge! So, until then just looking to getting/stay healthy to train for HyVee 5150 US Champs in Sept (my new Kona, as I call it!). Cheers!

Still alive

Yup, still here, just on a mid-year training/racing break which was planned after Florida 70.3. Didn't expect it but I my old body got a bit torn up from that race. I went in to it 100% healthy and came out of it with an issue with my left leg too close to my hamstring. I have done my own evaluation and don't think it is my hammy but it's too close for comfort. I did do some slow running two weeks out from the race and it wasn't bad but last week it really kicked up so stopped and now just swimming and riding (which, let's face it, is what I need to be doing anyway). So, I don't think it's major but I'm mindful and doing home PT stuff. Otherwise, swimming is good and just really started back on the bike which is never easy for me! We went mountain bike riding for the first time yesterday in Flatwoods and that was a complete blast! I, thanks to Val at Outspokin, got my hands/legs on a sweet Giant XTC 29'r and it's like riding a bulldozer! Sand, what sand! There is actually method to the madness here. We are considering an Xterra race in July in Jacksonville so guess we should see if we can even ride the damn bike first! Just want to do something different and that would definitely be different! I don't ride so well but it is a lot of fun. To be continued. I have some video from our ride that I'm trying to edit for viewing, stay tuned.
Cheers.

Florida 70.3 RR

Little cabin in the woods


Awards


Some of W40-44 podium

The hardware for Queen Linda and me


I love this race. Well, it's really a love-hate relationship. I've done all but two editions of this race and they are fairly consistent. I manage to end up with the same time nearly every year, just the swim/bike/run splits change. This year, the goal was to have a solid outing. I felt I would run well, based on recent performances. I knew I wouldn't swim fast because I never do in this slow, warm lake. The bike, well, that's always a question mark for me. I felt my bike training had gone well all spring but it hasn't panned out in any races as of yet. I'm like goldilocks on a bike, don't want it wet, stormy or windy, just hot, still and sultry. Didn't get my wish. We racked the bikes Saturday afternoon after a solid thunderstorm blew through - a sure sign of the next day! AM thunderstorms are a rarity in FL so I wasn't concerned that this would return in the morning and tried not to stress over things I cannot control, like the weather. Got up early Sunday as per the usual routine and saw the radar......another bad track of storms to blow through! I was done, mentally. Done. I swore after riding in the rain at Augusta 70.3 the previous September that I'm not doing another slow, sedentary slog through the rain! I hate riding in the rain and avoid it at all cost unless caught out in it unexpectedly. After breaking my ribs last June, I'm really weary of going through any sort of thing that may land me in the same disarray! Enough of the weather report part and on to the rest. The Dane, in his perpetual optimism, is the only reason I didn't pack up my shit and leave. I didn't eat anything because my stomach was in knots, not part of my plan. We had to finish our transition prep with lightening, thunder and rain. I was mentally done. Amazing how one can come in so charged and end up so drained.....that was me. Amazingly, the sky cleared and, after only a 20 minute delay, the pro wave was off and racing, which meant 16 minutes later, so would I. Great, try and warm up and wrap the head around the race again. On to the beach and into the water we go. I had a good start and was engaged for a while but after swimming around and through the prior wave of swimmers I was just ready to be out of the water. I didn't wear a watch this time because I always get pissed about my slow swim times here. Onto the bike and the wet. The bike course was quite wet for quite awhile and in true Florida fashion, with morning storms come wind! Not my strong suit! So, the bike course is ideal for me, lots of open roadways and not a lot of hills until you factor in the wind! I am not good in strong winds! At about 100 pounds, I do not produce enough power to feel comfortable enough to power through cheeky crosswinds. I did what I could and finally got into a rhythm and pissed enough about 45 miles into the bike that I got going a bit. I channeled my inner Queen K and just tried to salvage my horrid spectacle of a bike split (my slowest at this race). Into T2 and off onto the run I had some weird hamstring twinges but tried to ignore this and go. I knew then and there, my only chance to make the podium was to run. A new thing I did this year was to wear my Garmin on the run. The Truth meter, we call it....it never lies! Some races you go through the marked mile splits wondering if they are accurate. With the Truth meter, a runner like me never has to wonder. It sync'd up nicely prior to hitting the timing mat out of T2 and off I went. And I went. I went as fast as my legs would take me. I knew a good chunk of the three loops was on uneven grass so I tried to make time up on the paved sections. We had more pavement this year than what I remember so that helped for sure. I picked off several gals in my AG and encouraged them along the way, hoping I wouldn't totally bonk and see them again! I ran like I didn't spend the past 3+ hours being totally out of my element and stressed to the max! Truth be told, I soft pedaled the bike which I saw once I saw my SRM numbers but I had faith in some part of my day, the run. I didn't give up, I gave all I had on the run. It got quite difficult on the third loop with all the other participants on course running around, between and through them (sorry guys). I ran with all I had, I didn't give up. I had hoped for a better finishing position in the end but I knew with the slow swim and bike I had, it wasn't likely to finish on the top step. So be it, I finished third in the AG and bravo to these super competitive women who braved the conditions a lot better than I! It was also my birthday which was a special feeling. I kept saying to myself on the run, what a crazy way to spend one's 44th birthday but, honestly, I wound't have it any other way! The Dane had a great day until he cramped later on the run. I ran past him and offered help but he was pretty despondent at that time. He still ended up in 8th which isn't bad, I think. Linda M, what can I say. She is the Queen and despite needing three liters of fluid in medical after the race, still won her AG by 35 minutes (which, of course, she is not happy with :). I had a very special birthday and one that I will always remember fondly, for the most part! I learned a lot about myself which is a gift! I also had a run PR for half IM run, never bad at 44! Thanks to all my family and FB friends for the well wishes, it really does mean a lot to me! The next race.....well...if I can go, may be this weekend! Stay tuned!
Cheers!

St Anthony's Tri report

Oh, the suffering!!


The Dane looks like he's won!


With Linda M, perennial St A's winner!


Happy moments at awards!! Yay!

(thanks to Laura Glover for the action photos!)
Seems it's taking me forever to get to this one, must be a reason. I raced in the Elite Amateur wave because it always leaves really early and the road (bike) isn't crowded which is usually nice. I did qualify ligit for it as well, so not a stretch. I didn't expect to light the world on fire in the overall in this division the young and fast typically dominate here! This year it was not as big a field so felt I might, on paper, be able to get a better result than in past years. That didn't happen. I had super tired legs in the days leading in and my workouts leading in were indicative of this but, as usual, I tried to ignore that. The wind really kicked up in the couple days leading up to the race, which, at this time of year, isn't that unusual. It does, unfortunately, make the water on the original swim course terribly rough. The decision was made to move and cut the swim course. Not ideal for me as, although I'm not a great swimmer, I can usually distance myself from some others in the overall course of the event. I, somehow, never really got into any sort of aggressive race mode. Not sure why but feel I must have still been quite tired. Who knows but it was the beginning of the end of my race. I also decided, stupidly, that since the swim was cut to 1000meters, I wouldn't bother with a skin suit (swim was not wetsuit legal). My swim suit is just that, a plain, lycra suit with no technical fibers or other hydro-dynamic magic. I was one of few without a swim skin, hmmmm, must be a reason. Anyway, got out of the still rough swim and was all alone, not good. The barefoot, concrete path run to T1 was fairly long which I didn't mind. Onto the bike and it took several miles until I felt safe in the aero bars with the wind whipping off the water! Once I got comfy, I did catch a couple gals and then another. Then, I was all by my lonesome for miles and miles. At times, wondered if I was still on the bike course or just riding aimlessly around St Pete! Really easy to flake out in that situation especially when the legs are disagreeing with the pain! This is the result of a bad swim - the pack has left! Still tried to push and had a little company over the last 3-4 miles so got motivated again. Off the bike, on the run, got into my goal pace right away. That lasted about a mile! Just didn't have the legs to continue the pace I wanted. In survival mode, just tried to keep pushing and not lose too much time. I did pass a few gals on the run but was so far out of it, I was just trying to stay positive. I did push as hard as my legs would allow! I think some of the cold I had previously settled into my lungs a bit and found breathing a bit tough during the run but no excuses here! Overall, good workout and I definitely need to be sure to recover for Florida 70.3 on 5/15! The Dane did win his age group which he has been chasing for years so all was not lost on the day! We had a blast during the weekend! Great to catch up with so many people! Onward.
Cheers

Racing coming fast and furious!

New look for old race bike (Di2)


Cockpit of Di2


What the wind sees of Di2


Into the heat of the early tri season now and happy to be back at it for sure! We ran a local 5K race a couple of weeks ago which was super fun and for a really good cause! Benefitted the local park system and the people really showed up! They hoped for 100 people but ended up getting over 200! This race was run over pavement (very little), grass, crushed shell path, boardwalk and soft mulch. Just the way I like it for sure! Yada, yada, yada I won overall for the women in a super fast time (sub 19 min) for the terrain so really happy about that! We actually made this a "long" run day by running to the race, racing and running home which ended up being a 10 mile day. Good day for sure.
Next up on the calendar was Escape From Fort Desoto sprint tri. This race was yesterday. I love this race! It's traditionally the first tri of the season for the locals so good chance to see where everyone's fitness is with two weeks to go until the big show at St Anthony's (in two weeks). I haven't competed in this race since '08 so was super stoked to toe the line! The Dane and I both managed to get a cold leading into this so preparations, training and sleep were not ideal for sure! Neither was breathing! I had a secret goal of winning overall (before the cold) as I've never done at this race. We all race from age group waves so it's impossible to know how your race is stacking up against the other gals in other waves so the race becomes a bit of a personal time trial swim, bike, run. The swim (1/2 mile) was the roughest conditions I've ever done at this race. It didn't look bad from the beach but it was rocking and rolling out there! Wetsuit legal so wore it for sure! I felt I had an ok swim, didn't swim all out but tried to stay controlled in the conditions. There was a ton of traffic from prior waves, bodies bobbing everywhere like the Titanic aftermath! Felt I dealt with that fairly well and didn't clobber anyone directly. Out of the water with a long run up to T1 (and a gnarly lagoon to swim through) and onto the bike (10 miles). One of my real race mantras was to be aggressive on the bike and not to lose the race on the bike. I have been doing some really hard sessions on the Computrainer so wanted to see how that was going to pan out. There was a lot of traffic again to ride around/through but felt I managed that fairly well also. I got new Shimano Di2 shifting on my P3 and boy, is it sweet!! I cannot believe how sweet the shifting is so if you see me out and about or at St Anthony's expo (in the Outspokin booth), ask me about it for sure! Anyway, the bike ride was windy as it usually is at the Fort and I really pushed the whole way not worrying about the run. I only got passed by one guy so that was pretty good for me! Into T2 and off onto the run (3.4 miles) which is out on pavement and back on beach. Went out really hard knowing I was racing gals in other waves so just tried to push myself out there. Didn't race with a watch so no idea about pace just wanted to keep it at suffer pace! Felt good about my race overall and ended up in 2nd overall for the women, first Masters finisher. Can't complain but would like to race in same wave with some of the other (younger) gals but not sure my result would have changed if I had. I will get a chance to race the stupid fast non-pro gals at St Anthony's as I'm entered in the elite amateur wave. I will get killed but still hope for a fast time and will hang on as best I can! The Dane had a good day and won his AG. Good day and great workout for sure! We did a long run today to end the weekend of training so pretty stoked and looking forward to a good, hot St Anthony's then Florida 70.3 two weeks later. Hopefully, we'll get and stay healthy to finish out the first half of the season.
Cheers

Miami Int'l Tri 5150 race report

Fun dinner with the crew (thanks L&L!)


March moon over Miami Beach, beautiful!


The Dane's new little friend!


Swordfighting the Blakester


Road trip!!


Our hotel room view of Miami, nice!


Very early in the season for a big time Olympic distance triathlon, but this one was within driving distance and potential qualifier for Hy-Vee US 5150 triathlon championship in September. My only goal was to get a qualifying spot for Hy-Vee. Not in the shape I need to be in to have bigger goals at this time of year for sure. Came off a really good running season in the winter and really just started working on the bike in February so not really setting my sights very high for this race. It was also the new 5150 series opener and wanted to be a part of what I thought would be a great event. In short, it was! The event did not disappoint! We didn't get to pre ride, run or swim the course so a lot of unknown. The mantra I always try to go back to to calm myself when I don't know what to expect is to just control the things I can and deal with the rest. Our wonderful hotel room in the host/race hotel looked down on the swim/transition (and the huge full moon) which was cool. Had an idea about the swim but no clue about currents as this was obviously a very busy channel and currents were crazy! Wetsuit legal, a gift at this time of year! Had my nice, new, ill-fitting (my fault, didn't change nose piece, duh), tinted Sable goggles but sun wasn't even up yet. Dark! Great swim start though (in water) once I spotted the first turn bouy and I was off and gone. Had some sighting issues because I had salt water in my left ill-fitting goggle and really was half blind! Had nobody else to draft off so had to just suck it up and deal with it. Current was pretty strong coming back in to the swim finish and I thought it took FOREVER! Didn't expect to be first out of the water for my wave (40+ age group females) but I'll take it! Off on the bike and found the wind was super gusty through the buildings as we rode through the high rises of downtown Miami! It was a lot of wind for me as I haven't been riding much in the past 4-5 months so I didn't feel comfy in the aero bars at all! So, rode most of the bike non-aero (and had to stop and fix a dropped chain) and my bike split showed it! Power numbers weren't bad so it was really an aero/aggressiveness issue - this can be worked on. The run course in my opinion was not a "fast" runners course due to a lot of turns and switchbacks. That said, I ran fast! I got off the bike second in my AG and knew the only way to win was to run for it. You know what they say, bike for show and run for dough! I did and it hurt. I managed to catch one of the pro women (Christine Jeffrey on her second, my first loop) and ran with her for nearly two miles (after seeing she splitted 37:17 for the 10K, I knew why I nearly crawled the last mile!). Caught the age group gal leading me at about mile 5 (can't really remember, I was really hurting) and held on for the AG win. It was extremely gratifying and unexpected to win the AG. The Dane was third which was a great result for him in a killer swim/bike combo and we both gathered our Hy-Vee slots. Very good race, venue and location. We had a blast in downtown Miami and hope to return. Always good to get the first triathlon of the season done and dusted and hopefully work out some of the little mistakes that are made along the way. Still have a lot of work to do tying it all together for St Anthony's and Florida 70.3 but feel we are heading in the right direction. As I told the Dane, last year at this time when I was still down with the hamstring injury, I never would have guessed I'd be running decent, much less faster than pre-injury. I am so grateful to be healthy and loving being back to racing. I'll keep working on the strength and hopefully things will come together in May. We have also the 25th Annual Escape From Ft Desoto sprint tri in mid-April which is always a blast. Haven't done that race in three years so it should hurt accordingly.....there are stairs involved!
And, we did get to enjoy a few days here with my brother, his wife and 2 1/2 year old which was a blast and needed vacation! Thanks for joining us here guys! Miss the Blakester already! Tell him KathyAnders love him! Cheers!

Triathlon training...harder than run training!

Ok, been absent for a bit. Trying to be a multisport athlete again. I loved my run season and had a really good go but now it's time to add the swim and the bike (God, help me here) to the running. We have MIT (Miami Int'l Tri) in two weeks which will be a swift kick in the pants for the start of the season. Usually, Chilly Willy is the benchmark prior to St Anthony's but now we've entered big time and doing MIT. That said, Chilly Willy Duathlon is the biggest duathlon in FL and MIT is only now part of the 5150 series so will likely be competitive as well. I do not like to shy away from competition. I fully expect MIT to have some fast competition but that's why I'm going. My goal is to qualify for Hy-Vee which is the "National Championship" olympic distance race later in the summer. I'm in good run shape, ok swim shape and working on the bike. I'm sure I'll be in a lot better shape than I was for the Key West Tri! Pretty regimented with the training right now. Three to four swims, four bikes and four to five runs. But, I'm mindful that my "peak" race for the first half of the year is Florida 70.3 in middle May. We rode nearly 80 in the hills yesterday which is the longest ride since Aug '09 when I tore my hammy. It was not easy and I got dropped a bunch but I'm happy with the numbers I later found on my SRM. Getting there. We did a 2 hour ride (waited for the rain to stop) followed by a 7 mile run. Ran well on super tired legs and that was the goal. We did the Belleair Sunset 5K run last Sat night which was really hard due to AM swim and ride but I managed second overall female. I wanted to get sub 19 but not quite......but close. Too tired which is why I say multisport training really is so much harder and adds so much more fatigue in general than run training. Having not raced triathlon most of 2010, I'm realizing how hard it really is on the body. You tend to forget after so much time training and racing. Will keep it going then roll into MIT untapered for the most part (I tend to race better that way) and go for that qualifier! We'll see.
Cheers

Chilly Willy Duathlon '11

Love this race! It's become the traditional start to the multisport season here on the Gulf Coast and, in recent years, has brought in a lot of really competitive athletes! This year was no different. I did not get to race last year due to injury and as a previous overall women's winner of this race, I was amped to race again. I know I'm in decent run shape but my bike fitness is really lacking as I really just started back on the bike in the past couple weeks. I've found that having missed the better part of last year with any quality riding, I've lost a lot of strength. Unfortunately, good run strength/fitness doesn't crossover to the bike very well. Oh well, it's only February and a long triathlon season awaits. This morning was chilly as usual and the wind always seems to find us at Fort Desoto! This year, due to a higher number of entrants, the race was split into two waves - under 40 went five minutes ahead of the over-40 year olds. Didn't care for the separate waves as it's hard to race for the overall when you cannot go head to head with everyone but such is life and I don't think it was a factor for me personally. The run is half on pavement, half on sand. Went out really good on the first 5K run, sub-6 minutes through the first mile and getting dropped by another gal in my wave. Whoa! Didn't dare try and speed up for fear of completely blowing up later....and, I couldn't! Just focused on my own race and got to the bike with a pretty quick first 5K in the low 19's. After a pathetically slow transition, I was off on the bike. It was windy and chilly for sure. Had a lot of traffic to ride through from the early wave and was getting passed by a bunch of guys in my wave. Really felt dead in the legs and had a hard time keeping the pace up. Ick. The ride is only 10 miles but deceptively hard after a fast 5K. Finally, off the bike and onto the second 5K and was still running good...until the last mile. I was really dying in the sand! Finished in a respectable third overall (women) and second in my age group! Good note is that I PR'd for this course. Pretty happy about that and with a few weeks of working on the bike, I should get some big improvement. We did sign up for Miami Int'l Triathlon which is 3/20/11, first race of the new 5150 series so gotta HTFU and get in shape! Goal there is just to go hard and qualify for Hy-Vee which is the 5150 US Championship later in the summer (that requires a top 10 finish in the AG). We are running a 5K next Saturday evening just for fun/speed work but I will be on my bike more in the next several weeks. The swimming is coming along - I'm not setting any records but will be where I need to be when the races start. The Dane won his AG in dominating fashion, crushing the bike to get it done. Wish osmosis worked!
Cheers

Clearwater Halfathon 2011

If it seems like we are racing every weekend, it's because, well, we are. Just about. I feel I'm making up for being off all last winter running season. Apparently, taking the better part of a year off has been extremely beneficial for me in a lot of ways. First, I likely needed the rest - apparently, I cannot handle an Ironman every year, at least, not for long. I'm not known as being durable! Second, I now realize what training I can handle and and the need to listen to my body (shouldn't be a revelation but...). I am training by feel now with very little structure. We started focusing on the running for December with this half marathon being the end of the focus and it was really good. Very cold morning (for us) in the mid-30's with wind chill colder than that and I definitely under dressed! Sort of forgot how long you are out there during a half marathon! I haven't run a half since this race three years ago! After last week's sub-40 10K, I knew I was in pretty good run shape. Wasn't really sure about the endurance as we haven't done very many long runs to get in a good 13.1 mile result. That's where I really struggled today. The course is deceptively difficult (for Florida) with 4 x bridge climbs/descents. I really struggled to hang on to the Dane in the headwind section and managed to get a little draft heading north up the beach which was really helpful (I did have to run hard to catch him prior to that section!). I was sitting in forth until heading up the last bridge when I was dying and couldn't follow, just surviving! I finished just after the Dane - he made up the 12 seconds I got on him last weekend! Went sub-1:28 which is closest to my PR (from nearly 20 years ago) than I've been in a really long time! I won Masters and the Dane won Grand Masters. Very happy, very tired and will be very sore! Time to get on the bike and get in multisport shape. As much as I'd like to keep running/racing, pushing the run speed, I am a triathlete and am hoping to be able to run faster this year off the bike. Next race is Chilly Willy duathlon in three weeks. Can I get in bike shape in three weeks? Yikes! Should be interesting.....
Cheers

The Sub-40

Honeymoon Island Adventure Run

Also known as the St Pete Beach Classic 10K race report. This race has a big place in our hearts. I won't go into great detail but Wendy and Al Johnson began this race back in 2004 (I think) and Wendy died from metastatic melanoma and the race went on hiatus last year, for obvious reasons. The race was re-introduced this year and was certain to be on my calendar. I didn't know Wendy as well as most, but what I knew was a women with a lot of vision and a huge heart. She has been missed by a lot of people and still is. We were so grateful that this wonderful event made a comeback! The course is a fast, flat one, suitable for a fast time. The Dane highlighted this race to go sub-40 several weeks ago. He was doing all the workouts needed for a sub-40 finish and was nailing them all. Me, well, I just kept running. I did do the tempo runs (which I think are gold) but didn't do the interval work as this is usually injury bait for me. I like to use races as hard workouts because, well, they are! The race last Sunday was very hard because it was off-road and I was a bit sore but MY goal race to end the winter run block is next weekend's half marathon. I pretty much trained through this past week but did lower mileage to not be totally trashed in the legs. Got up Saturday morning and my legs feel tired and pretty terrible. Oh well, I think, this isn't my goal race, just a good, hard workout. The weather was perfect, a little cool and breezy but nice. Went out way too fast but felt pretty good. The Dane went up the road as he was trying to tack on to the front pack but they proved to be too fast for us so he, and I, ended up in no man's land. Not good. I did get another guy to run with, bridged up to the Dane and decided I could handle this pace. Could I go sub-40? No way, I thought. But, I was going to hang on as long as I can. Nearing the 5K mark, I could feel the pace slacking slightly so went in front and tried to drive it. I did gap the Dane a bit but felt he would catch back up to me. Decided I was gonna go for it. Yada, yada I really suffered the last 2 miles but I came in 39:40 and was 4th overall woman and won Masters. The Dane also broke 40 so it was a really successful day! I tried to look back at the last time I broke 40 minutes for the 10K and I cannot find anything. It is way off my PR but that PR was when I was 22 years old! I realize now that I just don't run a lot of 10K's! They are hard. One more running race to finish the winter run block (except may do Gasparilla 15K end of Feb) which is next Sunday, Clearwater Halfathon (half marathon). Started back swimming and cycling now and hard to fit it all in. I realize that run fitness doesn't cross over to bike or swim fitness!! I am super grateful to be healthy and running full gas right now. Hoping I can translate this to triathlon later in the spring!! We'll see....
Cheers

Honeymoon Island Adventure run

Beautiful sky building for a wonderful day

January is a hot month, not on the thermometer but on the event calendar. Wouldn't have it any other way. Started this morning with the Kiwanis Honeymoon Island adventure run. I've lived here in this area for nearly 14 years but have never been to the rustic, natural Florida park of Honeymoon Island. Beautiful and kicking myself for never having been here before. Oh well, went today for this 5 mile "adventure" run. The adventure was that it was all off-road, trails, deep sand, rocks, roots, wind and cold. I love this stuff! And, the flyer said "no sissies". Right up my alley! We truly trained through this one as the next two races are going to be peak run races for the winter. Started back in the pool this week (not pretty) and back doing hard trainer rides during the week so not exactly tapered for this one. I did skip the tempo run this week, figured this race would fit the bill! It did. It was chilly in the mid 40's (yes, chilly for us) and windy when we arrived. Yada, yada, yada, won overall for the women in a reasonably large field (pure runners stay away from this type of course, it's NOT a fast course) and 8th overall. The Dane was 7th overall and I couldn't catch him in the end but tried anyway. Mostly, it was fun and a great workout and will definitely be on my calendar next year! Saw a bunch of folks that we know and had some post-race hydration thanks to Fred (aka best race director in the world!). So, continue with multisport training, racing 10K next weekend then 1/2 marathon the following week. Solid and, hopefully, will drop us into tri season with good run base. I feel good about it and happy to be healthy again.
Cheers.

New year, new (old) me

I am very thankful for the healing that has occurred in my body in the past 6 months. I have managed a big run focus in training in the last 3-4 months which is remarkable considering the injury I had and the deep mental ditch I was in a year ago from now. Last winter truly sucked and I began to feel I'd never run again, much less without pain. I continued to have hamstring awareness into late spring and really didn't have any momentum going into the summer. Then, I smashed three ribs. And, I stopped......everything physical. Had to, it was the most painful injury I've ever had. Hurt to do anything. So, I did nothing and this really helped my hamstring. I can honestly say that I started jogging with the broken ribs and haven't had to look back since. I ran my first 5K in a couple years in early November then ran more races after that and placed in all of them, crazy! I ran my biggest mileage this week that I have in several years (cannot recall so much in Ironman training even). Granted, I'm not the kind who can tolerate a lot of mileage so high to me is chump change to another but it is all relative. And, no, there is no Ironman in my future for now, not until I'm mentally ready. We went back to ride in the hills yesterday, first time since August '09 and boy, did it feel that way. In letting my hammy heal, I've really had to back off the cycling and I am really out of shape on the bike. But, I'm healthy and can certainly work on this! We have a hot January race schedule with Honeymoon Island adventure run next weekend, St Pete Beach Classic 10K the week after then Clearwater Halfathon (half marathon) to round out the month. Should be interesting and my focus is on the half marathon as I have left some suboptimal races on that course. Will be getting fully into multisport season in February with Chilly Willy duathlon as the focus. Bottom line is I'm healthy and excited that I can plan a season and train accordingly. I have a long way to go but going with a head of steam for sure. So, cheers to a healthy, active and successful 2011! I'm psyched!