Short Update...

It's been just about 1 month since my last update and Im thinking that the very small number of people that actually read my blog have probably tuned out and given up on logging onto deesullitriathlete.com for the "extremely exciting updates" that I usually give. Two such "readers" are my Sunday co-workers at Runners Edge. After learning that I have let both of these co-workers down (I think they live for my blog updates), I have decided to write a short, possibly non-impressive, "update" with the hopes of getting myself back into the blog writing that I usually enjoy and at the same time cheer up my co-workers. Killing two birds with one stone, you might say. ;-)


The weeks after IM Arizona were great. Lots of downtime and enjoying myself, while keeping up a semi-decent training load. I have been able to pull off training a decent amount post-Arizona after discovering that walking for much of the marathon portion enabled me to bounce back quite quickly as I was certainly not as "beat up" as I have been after past Ironman competitions. In addition to a decent amount of training (up until the ARCTIC days that arrived this past weekend) I have gotten some new coaching clients (which I am very excited about), celebrated my friend Nancy's 60th birthday, went into NYC with George and Mike to watch the NY Velocity-sponsored "roller races" with a guest appearance by Christian VandeVelde (see picture to right...and, no that is not Christian...), had my friend Erin visit from D.C, and started planning my races and training camps for 2009.

So that's it. My first update since November 26th. I hope that my Sunday co-workers can now rest easy knowing that Im back. I can only imagine that they were on the edge of their seats after reading THIS entry! Just wait...there will be more for 2009!

Death march...

This past Sunday was one of the most frustrating Ironman finishes that I have had. It was my eleventh Ironman. Despite my 4th place finish in IM Lake Placid 2008 was a dissapointing season for me. However, my training was going great and I felt ready for Arizona. My friends were there, my parents and George were there and I stayed with my friend Michelle before the race. I was acclimated I was ready and I was psyched! The morning of the race came and I was quite nervous. The water was cold and I wanted to be sure to warm up...I was the first woman to enter the water. Without a warmup, I would definitely lose my breath in the beginning of the race (like I did in Boise 70.3) and I wanted to avoid that. After a long warm up, the pros lined up in the water and waiting for the gun to go off. Next to me was Tyler Stewart. She said hello and Good Luck. We both agreed that the swim was not our favorite part of the race. Soon the gun went off and so were we. It was one of the biggest pro fields to compete: over 60 men and over 20 women! I got into a good pack right away. We stayed together for the whole swim, sometimes I led, sometimes one of the others took over. I noticed that one of the girls in the pack was Tyler. Funny since we started together. I also noticed Haley Copper (fellow ZOOT Teammate). I exited the water and realized that the air was chilly! I quickly got on my bike and was on my way. Haley and Tyler were ahead of me, but in sight.

WINDY! It seemed that we had a good head wind on the way out (by good, I mean STRONG, not “good”). My legs didn’t feel great to begin with. In fact, they ached! Yikes…not a good sign...”just keep pushing” I said to myself. “You will open up soon enough”. I did get somewhat used to the pain, but I can’t say that they felt “great” or “effortless” at any point on the bike. By the end of the bike, I was fading a bit, but trying to keep up my 1:44-1:45 laps for a 5:15!! The last lap was a bit slower, but I still managed a 5:19 at the end of the bike! Woo Hoo! Actually, 5:20 according to the race splits. “Awesome” I thought…”I only have to run a 3:25 and I’ll be well under 10”! If I go sub 3:20 (my goal for the day), I’ll be in the 9:40’s!!!! I can DEFINITELY do that!

I started running and tried to “run how I feel”. Since I didn’t "feel great”, I didn't want to push an unreasonable pace. First mile: sub-7 min. “OK, Keep it steady and comfortable”. Next mile: 7 min. “Nice, Im going to have a great run!”. Next mile (including a bit of an incline) 7:25, next mile: 7:11. I ran by George and my parents after the 3rd mile, told them that I didn’t feel great, but then managed a nice smile…I still assumed I would run well, despite not feeling amazing. “Eventually the feeling will go away and you will feel fine... You will be on autopilot”. Soon after this I got a side-stitch. I didn’t want to stop. It got worse. I ran slower. Eventually, I stopped for a "bathroom break"…”Well this is just GREAT”! I thought. I started running again... It lasted a little while, then I slowed again. I ran past my family again and gave them the thumbs down. Bummer. The remainder of the marathon was running, walking, bathroom stops, walking, chatting with others. In fact, I even thought of the title for this blog during the marathon! I knew my “sure thing” of breaking 10 hours (going WAY under 10 hours) was gone. I wanted to quit, but couldn’t. My parents went out of their way to be there, George went out of his way to be there and I just couldn’t DNF. So, I got through it. I ended up running my slowest marathon since my first Ironman back in 2001: 3:50-something. I finished at 10:21.

I felt disappointment for myselfand for my family who all went out of there way to be there for me. I wanted to have that great race, not another rough day! I finished, disappointed, but soon after crossing the line I looked over and saw Geroge, smile on his face as I posed for a finish picture unenthusiastically...I had to laugh and it made all the dissappointment fade, for a little while anyway!

I do have great frustration with this race because I know that it was there and I only had to do what I normally do, but this is Ironman and it is a tough sport. We all put so much mental energy into what we do and so much physical energy into these races and we want it to go absolutely right on when we race. It just doesn’t happen that way. SO, a friend of mine (Bob Cook) said he thought of a great mantra for me..."Things will be fine in 2009". I like this thought. So I move on and learn from it, plan ahead for a fine race in 2009!

Sunny Arizona

All is good here in Tempe Arizona! I arrived last Wednesday night and am fortunate to do some acclimation to the dry weather as I stay at my friend Michelle's house. Michelle is the best! She always opens up her house to me and I feel like Tempe has become a second home! The temperature is a chilly 50-something in the morning, but once the sun comes up it warms up quickly! High in the 80's (we may hit a record of 86 degrees today) and EVERYDAY is sunny! Last Saturday, I joined the local tri community down at Tempe Town Lake (where the race site is) to do a "Splash and dash". Actually, I only did the "Splash" part of the race which consisted of a 2000 Meter swim. The rest of the race was a 3K run, but I opted out of that, and hopped on my bike instead. OK...the water is COLD!! I figured, Arizona=warm air=warm water...Not the case! The temperature was 64 degrees, and to me, that is COLD!! Im glad I did it though, as I am a HUGE wimp when it comes to cold water, and now I will be "mentally prepared" for race day.

After the swim, I hopped on my bike for a nice 3 hour ride with some Ironman paced intervals mixed in. WOW! The wind was CRAZY!! I felt like I was in Kona on a bad day! The wind was so bad that I was afraid to grab my water bottle for fear that I would get blown into the traffic on the highway! I ended up riding with two cyclists for a few miles and asked them about the wind. "They said it wouldn't be windy this time of year"!, I said to them... "You believed them"? is how they replied! GREAT! ;-) I spoke to another local after the ride and he said that it was the windiest day he had witnessed in a while...OK, so maybe it won't be so bad on race day! If it is, I guess Im prepared for that too! Always prepare for the worst, right?! Hey, at least we won't have torrential rain all day like IM Lake Placid!

I had a "day off" yesterday, so I drove up to Sedona, which is absolutely beautiful! I did some short (and easy) hikes and had a perfect day off doing nothing Ironman related. It was a great break! here are some pics from yesterday. Oh and being a "solo hiker" yesterday, I would carefully prop up my camera on a rock, set the timer, then run into postion and pose for the picture! It was very amusing! Below are pictures of Red Rock State Park, the Chapel near Sedona, and some other rock formations near Sedona:

Inspiration

This past weekend was the NYC marathon and Ironman Florida. I wanted to congratulate a couple of people on both races… Bob Cook, owner of Runners Edge a specialty running shop located in Farmingdale NY (http://www.runnersedgeny.com/), and also a great friend and boss completed Ironman Florida this past weekend. Bob is 63 years old and finished the Ironman in an impressive 12:53!!! Bob also finished 8th place in his age group out of 37 men! Not only did Bob do a fantastic job, but he did so with a “crash course” of training after finding out that he got awarded a slot to the race by Newton Running just this past September! It goes to show the talent that Bob has and the mental toughness to go along with his talents! He was a true inspiration this past weekend. I will think of him while competing in Arizona in 2 ½ weeks!

Another true inspiration is a friend Matt Long who competed in the NYC Marathon this past Sunday. I had first met Matt in Lake Placid in 2005 (Matt competed in the Ironman there in 2005). That same year, Matt came to Hawaii to watch his friend Frank compete in Hawaii. I too was competing in Hawaii that year and I can actually remember seeing Matt cheering on the sidelines. His love of the sport and his enthusiasm and energy was remarkable. I had the feeling that Matt was making a pact with himself to one day qualify and race Kona. I figured that it would be just a matter of time. Unfortunately, that December, Matt was run over by a bus while riding his bike to work during the illegal Mass transit strike in NYC. Matt survived the accident against all odds. He was left with special needs and a body rebuilt with metal.. When I was in Arizona training last April, I ran into Matt at the local bike shop. He was out in Arizona doing physical therapy and he was excited to report that he had just run his first mile post-accident (he had just had his 40th surgery before heading out to Arizona). Running a mile was a HUGE accomplishment! He told me that he wanted to run the NYC Marathon and I thought, “WOW”! I couldn't believe it, but at the same time I knew that Matt would in fact complete the marathon. His will and enthusiasm is contagious, but the amount of work ahead of him seemed unreal. I think I train hard? No way…
Here is his story: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/10/28/2008-10-28_three_years_after_being_hit_by_bus_firef.html
Well, Matt finished the NY Marathon this past Sunday! AMAZING is all I can say… He ran in Zoot shoes and Compression socks too...Go Zoot!
You can also check out the link to his foundation, “The I Will Foundation” at: http://www.iwillfoundation.com/, where you can read more about Matt and his story, as well as his foundation which “helps people overcome adversity and challenges caused by illness or traumatic injury”. Congratulations Matt on a huge accomplishment!!

Training Update

With Arizona coming up quickly (4 weeks from this Sunday) I have been completing tough training sessions, which included my best long run ever just yesterday. I’ve come to realize something I have known, but have forgotten at times. I can do pretty much anything that I put my mind to. I remember getting this lesson during my College swim days. My assistant coach at the time, Dave Kalange, told me that our bodies are capable of way more than we realize. He would give me swim sets that I would look at and say, "There is no way I can do this”! He would convince me that I could indeed do the sets that he prescribed. After cursing him in my mind (and complaining out loud) I would come to a realization (right before I would have to push off the wall and begin) that I had a job to do and this was it. My focus would be entirely fixated on completing what was put before me. I would even think of people who have suffered more than I was suffering at that moment (people who have REALLY suffered physically or mentally, or both)…just to get myself through the set! Eventually, I would finish the set that I was convinced I would never be able to pull off. I would praise my coach…even feel a deep appreciation towards him. Sometimes I would thank him for pushing me that far.

Recently, with the type of training that I have been doing, I have had a similar feeling to that feeling I had as a swimmer back in College. Yesterday was a great example of what I just described. I had to complete a long run, all at pace, with the final miles done at a faster pace than I would have guessed I could run at that point. I dreaded this workout from the night before when I read it. Unlike College I do not have my coach there with me waiting to watch me complete the workout and encourage me. It was a long run and I was doing it alone. I had to motivate myself to get there (did it on the Bethpage Bike Path due to the hurricane winds we had yesterday!), and I had to do the run at the prescribed paces…basically I had to dig deep for self-motivation. I was actually nervous to do the run because I knew that this would be one of my last SIGNIFICANT long runs before Arizona. I needed to suceed in this workout so that I would be mentally prepared for the Ironman and more confident that I could indeed run the marathon that my coach feels that I can run. I believe it too, but had the run not gone as well as it did, my confidence might have wavered a bit, despite the great training runs I have been completing prior to this long run.

The pace that I had to run for much of this 18 Mile run felt comfortable! I was pleased. It was going really well! After 1 hour 30 minutes however, I was still able to hold the prescribed pace, but not with the ease that I started out with. In my mind I knew I had to complete the last 2-3 miles at a FAST pace and I thought, “He (my coach) is crazy! I can’t run that fast at the end of an 18 mile run”! Mentally I struggled with this because I wanted to do what was prescribed; I just didn’t believe that I could. Right before I had to “pick up the pace” I did what I did back in College…I thought, “I’ll try my best and see what I can do…this is what it takes to be a step above. This is what Champions have to do. Climb out of that comfort zone and test yourself…see what happens”. I started picking up the pace…I was running fast! I had a mantra in my mind the entire time, and just like those swim sets in College, my entire focus was on completing that workout. I did it and I felt GREAT! It was the best long run I have ever done and I felt that I had a breakthrough, an awakening you might say. I remembered what I had known way back in my swim career…that I can complete anything that I put my mind and my focus on. This morning I went to the pool for a hard swim. Despite feeling groggy, I told myself my goals for each set prior to the swim and I ended up doing EXACTLY what those goals were, despite the pain. Arizona here I come!

Not meant to be...

I just got off the phone with my friend (and fellow professional triathlete) Tara Norton. Tara is Canadian and has been racing pro since 2004. She has come a long way in the sport and is one of the toughest, most consistent Ironman athletes that I know. Last year she had a break-through race finishing 12th in Kona. This year she raced Ironman Arizona, placing 6th; Ironman Lanzorote, placing 3rd and Ironman Switzerland, placing 4th. She has also placed in numerous 70.3 races this year. Tara has survived a horrific crash on her bike back in 2005 and has since become a force to be reckoned with on the bike and out on the course in any race she enters. As I spoke to her on the phone tonight she described her race in Hawaii this year. She felt “like everything was coming together for the first time”. She had a feeling that “this was going to be her day”. She felt 100% unwavering confidence the morning of the race. She started the swim and felt great. She exited the water 25th women, left T1 20th Woman. After the turnaround at Hawi Tara found herself in 4th place on the bike!!! Amazing! Tara’s day ended at an aid station out on the course after a volunteer ran out in front of her. At 24 miles per hour Tara had a head on collision with the volunteer. She flew in the air and landed on her back, cracking her helmet, bruising her shoulders, her back, cracking a rib, badly bruising her leg and knee and breaking her arm. She got back on the bike, just for a mile after the medical staff helped to load her into the ambulance and take her back into Kona. My heart goes out to Tara because I know how hard she works, I know how far she has come and I know what she is capable of. She is a mentor to me and someone that I look up to not only for her athletic accomplishments, but because of her outlook on life and her genuine kindness. She will have her day, no doubt.

A few words for myself…I have neglected my blog and do not plan on letting that happen again. After writing about Tara, I hate to say that I had a DNF in Austin, but I did. There have been many concerned friends that have been in touch and curious to know why I did not have the great race that I had hoped for. To be honest, the day was just “not there” for me. I felt “off” the day before after having to stop and walk during a short run due to shortness of breath and I felt fatigued. I knew this was not a good sign. During the race my swim was horrific, placing me almost last out of the water. The bike was done by perceived exertion, not by watts. I felt like I did back in May in Florida 70.3. DEAD LEGS. I tried to push beyond the feeling that I had no power in my legs and no “energy” in my body. When I looked at my powertap at the end of the ride, I was surprised that I clocked my slowest time on the bike with the HIGHEST WATTS I have ever pushed. I was out of the aero position for much of the ride (due to discomfort on my bike) and felt that I was dragging on the rollers. Physically I did not feel right. I tried running anyway and simply did not have it. I called it a day. I did this back in 2004 at Eagleman, but it was different back then. No one seemed to notice, or seem too interested in my DNF back then. Now I find that there are many more people that “notice”. This is a good thing though…tough to face sometimes, but all good that people do care.

Since the race I have been “re-fit” on my bike as I have been changing things on my own throughout the year and have become more and more uncomfortable. I was told that I look like a “granny” on my bike (quite “un-aero”) so this has quickly been remedied. I feel MUCH MORE aero and compact. I feel GOOD pushing watts aero (I don’t have to sit up!). As for the race, I was bummed. ESPECIALLY because I have been running faster than ever, and am feeling strong in the water and on the bike. I am impatient and want to see the results of my training in a race!

After speaking with Tara, she mentioned that “things happen for a reason” and that Hawaii was simply “not to be”. She told me that she has to take something positive from what happened. She also mentioned that it will be that much sweeter when she does fulfill her long time goals. I feel the same way. I have been offered views or reasons as to what happened with my race, why I didn’t perform “up to par”. Some want to know the reasons for the performance (or lack thereof). I say that it just wasn’t meant to be. I didn't have it. Do I still believe in myself? YES. Without a doubt. I see what I have been doing in training and I know I will have that “day of grace” soon enough. Austin was not it. Was my confidence shaken after the race? YES, but logic soon came into play and I quickly let that "lack of confidence" go. Do I still “enjoy” what I am doing? YES. I love it. I have always loved it and I have always put a certain amount of pressure on myself as well. Doesnt any professional athlete? As an amateur athlete, I always wanted to race great. It was disappointing when I didn’t. As a pro that feeling is even greater, so is the disappointment. As an amateur, I wanted to be the first woman, I wanted to win my age group in Kona, I wanted to beat as many pros as I could so that I can justify turning pro myself. As a pro, I wanted to feel I belonged on that start line with the other pros, and I did. Now I want to race the race that I know I am capable of. Arizona is in 5 ½ weeks and I am training hard. As I see with Tara (or with myself in Austin) you never know what the day brings, but I will be sure to continue to be as prepared as I can possibly be.

If you would like to check out Tara’s story (and read more about her) check out: http://www.taranorton.com/.

Here is a picture from Austin with Rebecca, an athlete that I have the pleasure of coaching (I was also fortunate to coach Rebbeca when she swam in College though I have gotten to know her much better now). Rebecca did the race as well! It was great to have her there!

Lead up to Austin...

Austin 70.3 is less than 3 weeks away. I am anxious to race, which is a good sign. The new training has been really tough, but excellent. I am doing intervals on the track (something I have rarely done in the past) and am running faster than I ever have. My body has had to “learn” how to move faster than my usual “tempo”-type of pace that I have been running for so long. I am hoping that it will translate into a FAST run at Austin! I am confident that it will. On the bike, I am doing a lot more “high-end” work than I am used to as well. Lots of big gear work, as well as intervals at high wattage AND high RPM. In the water, I am swimming intervals that are reminiscent of my College days (although not quite as fast as my College days, I am afraid). Threshold work, which includes endless sets done on little rest, as well as work with paddles to help develop strength and work on stroke efficiency. My “work days” (as far as “hard training” is concerned) are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. On these days I have to really focus and get psyched up for hard sessions in the swim bike and run. Monday and Friday are my “off” days, in which the focus is on recovery, however these days are very important as well. I have to be sure than I make the most out of my rest days, so that I am ready to hit the hard workouts that follow. I usually do some sort of “easy” workout, such as an easy spin on the bike, or an easy swim, as well as core work.


Speaking of core, at least twice a week, I have been doing a routine that my friend Jamie Fishlow taught to me in his “core class” out of Runners Edge on Tuesday nights (that along with some of Don Rourke’s core exercises). I had the pleasure of running into Jamie on the bike last week while he was out for a ride up around Huntington on his break from work. It not only broke up a long bike ride for me, but it brightened my day as well. It is always a treat to have company on a workout. Jamie is a Phys. Ed. Teacher for Huntington High School as well as a Multisport Coach (and core instructor), Ironman athlete, father, husband, and all around great guy. He can ride the hills too, which I found out on the hour that I got to ride with him through Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington!



Though I find that I train alone much of the time, I had the opportunity to train with a lot of people last week, which was SO NICE! George and I did a ride on Monday (it was supposed to be a LIGHT easy spin, but I always find that trying to stay on George’s wheel requires much more of an effort on my part…no worries though, I find that the effort ends up “opening up my legs” for the next day much better than my “barely hit any wattage” spin for an hour by myself). Also, as I mentioned my ride with Jamie, as well as a ride with a friend, Jim, that lives up in Rye, NY (Jim is doing Ironman Hawaii this year for the first time!). The ride from Rye ended up being 1:45 longer than I had scheduled (YIKES!). I felt a bit guilty about this and was concerned as I try to stick to the exact plan that is written for me, but it ended up being a good ride with the halfway point being the top of Bear Mtn (see picture). I am hoping that it doesn’t take too much out of me this week…I will soon find out during my track workout today! Of course, being an a "somewhat Type A" triathlete, I ended up opting out of a nice dinner with Jim and his girlfriend Nadine at their house, due to the fact that I would get home late and I had a HARD workout Sunday morning bright and early before heading to work at Runner's Edge. I owe them a nice dinner...maybe when they return from Kona! On Sunday, during my easy spin that preceded a challenging long run, I ran into my friends (and recent IM finishers) Nancy Cattabiani, Bill Romas and Tom & Mary-Frances Horan. I rode with them for about 45 min. SO, all is good. I am “recharged” from my training with friends and I am and ready to rock in Austin October 5th!

One of Those Days...

I hopped on my bike today for a 90 minute ride that included some short hard intervals. It is my recovery week and the short intervals help to keep me recovered, but "open". It was my kind of day today...hot and humid. I love it! I did my swim today outside, in one of my favorite spots, which was gorgeous at 7 AM (see picture to the right of this spot named "George's Bay" by my friends). Then I caught up on some of my coaching and got ready to ride. I was psyched for my ride as I haven't ridden my Scott Plasma since last week (I was visiting friends in Boulder for a wedding and was riding my road bike the past week...see picture of my friend Simon on a ride in Colorado below to the left and of my friend's Jim and Danielle at there wedding below right). I dressed in a sleeveless tri top (Zoot of course) and my Zoot shorts (all pink and black), threw on my pink Rudy Projects and my silver and purple Specialized bike shoes and was ready to rock.

Today, I decided to head to Hecksher park to do my intervals. I was riding solo. As I pulled off of my block and onto the main road, a Landscaping truck filled with landscapers (who else would be in a landscaping truck?!) was stopped at a light. As they passed me, I got blessed with many "cat calls" and looks. Predictable, as this is a common occurrence with men in Landscaping trucks, but not necessarily "enjoyable". I did what I usually do...ignore them and ride on. Sometimes I laugh to myself because it is actually pretty funny... Today I just moved on.

Five minutes later I was heading down the road in my aero position when I got a "shock". As I was riding and minding my business, a car full of guys (high school kids?) drove up next to me and smacked me as they drove by. They didn't smack me with their car, instead they drove up real close and reached out of the window smacking me with their hands! They were going for my ass, no doubt (believe it or not this has happened to me before...getting smacked on the ass by kids in a car), but they missed and hit my back and arm instead. Not knowing what was going on, I jumped up and almost wiped out right there. As soon as I realized what happened I got their license plate.

Once they sped away, I stopped and started crying like a little girl...not quite crying out loud, but a sniffle and a few tears instantly occurred. (Honestly, I am not very "stoic". I cry relatively easily...people who don't know me well would be surprised to hear this...those who know me very well would not be surprised in the least) . I composed myself and called my boyfriend to leave the license plate number with him and ask if he could give it to his cop friend. Of course I called to get some sympathy from him as well (like most any sad/hurt girl would do)! No answer as I suspected (I called his cell...didn't feel like this incident warranted bothering him at work...so I left a message on the cell. It would do the trick...I felt a little better). THEN, I called my mom (like any sad/hurt/upset/lonely on the side of the road little girl would do). I got some real nice sympathy from her (that naturally made me feel better)! Finally, after feeling more pissed off than sad I headed back on my bike for my workout. For some extra motivation on my intervals, I pictured the punks that harassed me being caught and beat up! Childish? I don't care...it got me fired up!

On the way to the park (after getting smacked) I was stopped at a light, when a shady looking car with a man about 50-something pulled up next to me and asked, "Are you training for the Olympics"? "F%$#* YOU and leave me alone you dirty bastard!" is what I wanted to say..."YES, I AM" is what I did say... Would this man pull up next to a guy on his bike and strike up this conversation? Maybe, but I doubt it. I was still not over getting smacked and harassed and my tolerance was gone.

On the way home, I was about to turn back onto my street and who was there? A different group of landscapers that all stopped and stared at me as I went by. After passing them (feeling every single eye on me) I heard the all too familiar creepy giggles from the group that no doubt followed a perverted comment by one of the group members. I don't have anything against landscapers, per Se, it just seems that 90+% of the time that I pass them while riding on my bike alone, I get a response such as the previous responses that I have just described. I could bet money on it and could make more than I do as a Professional Triathlete (not hard to do, I know)!

So, as I think about it, it just makes me angry that this is something that I have to deal with, but deal with it I must. Besides the fact that I could have fallen after being hit and had a "career-ending injury", I could have fallen and broken my neck! ...those kids don't care and don't think that way, I know, but the point is that it is rare to ride around by myself and not come across some sort of incident. There are always incidents, even when I am riding with a guy or group of guys, but they are different incidents... You might hear a, "get the F#%@* out of the road!", or you might get a beep and the finger out the window to follow, but rarely do I react by feeling harassed and sorry for myself and I never react by crying on the side of the road with cell phone in hand. Sometimes I wonder how I will get through my career without any major incidents on the roads around Long Island (I love Long Island, but I find it unfortunate that many of the people around here do not appreciate cyclists in the least). Of course, I cannot dwell on this, and I wont. I love what I do and I love to train. I definitely like company, but I like solo riding too. I won't let it get to me too much, but today was just "one of those days"!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

I just wanted to Congratulate my friend, Nancy Cattabiani, for finishing "The Canadian Triathlon" today, August 30th. The Canadian is an Ironman-distance event held in Ottawa, Canada. Nancy finished the race in 15:34!! After many hard years of training, mixed with ups and downs, injuries, and personal events that have prevented her from competing in or finishing Ironman, she got to the race with fierce determination and she finished in an awesome time!!!!! I'm so proud of her...I wish I could possesss the mental toughness that Nancy does and I just had to share this accomplishment!

Back in the Swing of Things...

I am almost through with my first week of training for “Phase II” of the 2008 season. I just started getting “back in the groove” mentally today. It took me this whole week to transition back into being a professional triathlete. Today I felt really psyched to be training while completing intervals on my long ride. I must say that training was a bit of a shock to the system on Tuesday when I started off with a hard track session. Wednesday was a moderate long ride (3.5 hours) with some big gear work in the hills, followed by a pretty quick run off the bike. Thursday was an interval session in the water, followed by bike intervals. Friday was a short swim followed by core and the remainder of the day was recovery. After “chilling out”, going out on the boat almost every day, eating ice cream almost every day, and having a Corona or a glass of wine here and there (If you know me now, you know I rarely, if ever drink) and completing no more than one work out session per day, you can imagine what a shock it was to get back to work! The “vacation” was the longest and most aggressive break that I have taken in years. I always take 4 weeks of “downtime” at the end of each season, but my downtime in the past, while unstructured, usually included 3+ hour rides on the bike(without a specific workout) and a decent amount of running. My “downtime” in the past was largely the freedom of not having a schedule to adhere to. This time my downtime was “for real”. While I find that many folks who do what I do have a hard time really chilling out (myself included), this time I enjoyed every minute of it!

Of course all good things must come to an end. George is back to work and so am I. I should probably put it in perspective though. My “work” is training hard and taking care of myself the best I can…how lucky am I? Now I can’t say that I am bringing home the big bucks (or even much of the little bucks for that matter), but I guess you can say that I am “rich” in all other aspects of my life, so there is something to be said about that, right?! Hopefully the greater financial rewards will come later…Hey, maybe after I win Ironman Arizona! ;-) OK, maybe not then either, but if you follow what you love, the rest will come…I think. ;-) So, back to today: A four hour ride, split up nicely as I rode the first 1:30 of it with some local cyclists on George’s cycling team (Babylon Bike Shop), then the rest of the ride solo with some intervals mixed in (they felt GREAT, by the way), then a 30 minute run off the bike descending to “fast” for the last mile (fast is a relative term, eh?). Now I am relaxing outside on the chaise lounge resting my body for a moderately long, but fairly difficult run tomorrow (oh and some beach time…guess there is still time if you want it badly enough, and with cooler weather on the horizon I’ll take the beach when I can get it!). Oh and how can I forget?! The Olympics is on and I think my favorite girls are on tonight, Beach Volleyball Super Studs: Kerrie Wash and Misty May-Treanor (photo upper right, because I am in awe of the two of them...), and of course we can’t forget Michael Phelp’s last swim for Gold and Dara Torres's 50 freestyle either. The women's marathon is on tonight too! I’ll be staying in tonight to watch it…it only comes around 4 years, so I try not to miss it.

So, I’m back in the swing of things and it feels good! My downtime is over, but I find experiences like the past 3 weeks are most special when you can reflect back on them and realize how great the time spent was. If it wasn’t over, I wouldn’t be reflecting on how great a time it was! Also, if I didn’t take the break post-Placid, I may not be reflecting on how lucky I am to be living the life of a Professional triathlete right now, and I know for sure that my body and mind wouldn’t be feeling as refreshed and ready to go either! So now I look forward to the next few months of hard training and fast racing!

Downtime...

So it is just about 2 weeks out from IM lake Placid and I have been “laying low” as far as training is concerned. Instead of dragging myself to the pool early in the morning, or getting psyched up for a hard ride or a long run, I have been going out on the boat with George; getting together with friends and family; and enjoying some “non structured” riding, open water swimming, and short easy running (when I want to). It’s funny, but something as simple as going on a leisurely group ride (like I did last weekend) or meeting a couple of friends for an open water swim and staying in as long or short as I want to, is liberating to me! I have really been enjoying the lack of a schedule and trying to take in as much of the summer as I can (before I am back to “work”). It’s been really nice…summer on Long Island is so great and I am almost sad to see the end of the “carefree days on the water and at the beach”. By next Monday (August 11th), I will be back to training, starting “Phase II” of my 2008 season. While the weather will still be nice and there will still be some opportunity to get out on the boat or to the beach and enjoy it, my “vacation” as I like to refer to it, will be over.

I have officially decided on my race schedule for the remainder of the season. So far, I will be competing in the new “Austin 70.3” race on October 5th and Ironman Arizona on November 23rd. I have just about four months to really train hard and make some gains in my training before I race my next Ironman. It’s a long time! 2008 has so far been an interesting year for me. It started with a lot of travel in the colder months. I got to meet some fantastic people that have become great friends, while escaping the cold New York weather. I had some injuries that forced me to make many changes in my racing schedule, which was frustrating at times, but in the end worked out OK. I started my 2nd pro season in a non-impressive way, with my first race being a total flop and my second race being “mediocre”. Then I found myself in a situation of being 6 weeks from IM Lake Placid with no runs longer that 14 miles under my belt (due to injury), a lack of enthusiasm and confidence, and the daunting task of coaching myself going into the race!

I see athletes leaving and changing coaches so often in professional sports, but the prospect of it was a bit intimidating…after being coached for almost 4 years by the same person (and being training partners and friends as well), I found that, while it seemed clear that the decision was best for both of us, it left me in a somewhat scary situation. Going into Lake Placid, I decided to coach myself, but quickly realized that I have had a coach for almost 20 years of my life! From 7th grade swimming, throughout high school and college and then into my triathlon career I have always had a coach to turn to for my training. Soon, I recruited help from Bobby McGee for my running and Matt Dixon for overall guidance, but it was more of a “hands off” approach. This ended up being good for me, as it helped provide guidance and feedback, while enabling me to still make a transition from the last few years and keeping myself in control of what I would ultimately be doing. I have been very used to constant communication and feedback with regards to my training. Going into Lake Placid, it was basically up to me…and it went OK!

After Lake Placid, I decided to go ahead and “sign on” with a new official coach. I will be working with Matt Dixon, who is based in San Francisco. I am excited about Part II of the season and feel that I have a lot more in me as an athlete. I want to thank Mike Monastero for working with me for the past 3 and a half years and wish him luck in his new endeavors (a growing coaching business, training camps, etc…) You can check out his blog at: http://mikemonastero.blogspot.com. As for myself, I will be really enjoying this last week “off” hopefully getting out on the boat some more, enjoying the sun and the water, while completing modest “workouts” when I want to. I want to be totally recovered and refreshed to start off the next 4 months of what seems like very focused and hard training before heading to Arizona!

Ironman Lake Placid 2008

For fear of dragging out my 2008 Lake Placid experience way to long, I will stick to my race details. I WILL say that Lake Placid is always a special place for me and the town was so packed with friends and other athletes that it was hard to walk more than 5 minutes without running into someone that I knew. I will also say that I think I will be taking a break from Ironman Lake Placid for a while, as this year proved to be the hardest race that I can remember completing (I thought the course was really tough last year, but given the day we had this year, it was the hardest Ironman that I have raced).
I knew it would rain. I looked at the sky before I got into the water and I told my mom that it was going to rain. She tried to be positive, but I said there was no use in being falsely positive. I had to mentally prepare for the rain. I WAS prepared for rain, but not for what we actually got! If anyone knows me, they know that I hate the cold. I would gladly take a 100 degree day over a chilly rainy one. This is usually my “point of contention” with Lake Placid, but some years the weather can be beautiful! This year was the worst.
I was REALLY excited to race. I felt highly confident and I was psyched. As the pro field waded in the water waiting for the swim to start, I looked around and felt so psyched to be doing what I am doing. There was absolutely nowhere that I would rather be at that moment. “This is going to be a good day”, I thought. I know that when I am “mentally on” like I was the morning of Placid, that I am in for a good day (as long as the body responds). The pros went off 10 minutes earlier than the age groupers and after getting beat up a bit, I quickly found some feet to get on. The great thing about being a pro is the swim start. It is MUCH less hectic and crowded. The BAD thing about it is that is less crowded! Because of the smaller field, the draft is not nearly as good as it was when I was an age grouper. This doesn’t affect the fast swimmers as much (they are in front anyway), but for someone like me the draft is a huge help. Luckily, as I said, I found a small group to latch onto. It was led by two male pros and next to me was my friend Jacqui Gordon! How cool is that! The swim felt EASY (maybe too easy?). When the swim feels this easy, you wonder whether you should try and pass the group you are swimming with. I decided that it would be a waste of energy. I exited the water at 1:01 (I’ve done a: 57 as an age group athlete in Lake Placid) and I was satisfied with this swim and this effort. I was smiling as I got my wetsuit stripped off of me and I was psyched to get onto my bike! Oh, did I mention that it was pouring rain? “Maybe it will stop before I get to the wicked downhill”, I thought. No such luck.
I felt AWESOME on the bike! Watts were coming VERY easily. I DID get passed by Kim Loeffler right away (she was FLYING!) but I decided to stick with my planned effort, as I know that 112 miles of biking and 26.2 miles of running is a LONG WAY to go! It was still pouring as I reached the dreaded downhill. The day before, I went out on the course with another athlete, Josh, that Matt Dixon was coaching (Matt Dixon also helped coach/guide me through Placid). This was to be Josh's first Ironman. Josh was a former adventure racer and just missed making the Olympic team for crew. Matt was expecting great things from Josh and he delivered (he did a sub-10 hour race, qualifying him for Kona). When Josh and I rode the day before we started just before the downhill section and I freaked. My bike started shaking and I hit the brakes. “I cannot do this on race day”, I thought!! I was glad I did this downhill the day before the race as Matt Dixon and George gave me some good tips for descending (Keep pedaling when you can, to keep momentum going and keep your knees on the top tube!) Ironically, Josh passed me at the EXACT same section that we started the bike the day prior…right before the downhill. This is good sign! I talked myself down the hill without touching my brakes (too afraid to touch the brakes in the rain). I did what Matt and George said and it was going smoothly! The rain was pelting my face and my body, but I stayed focused on where I was heading, while talking myself through it. I was THRILLED when I got down safely! I rode solo, not really knowing where I was until the out and back section of the course. I counted the women ahead and realized I was in 7th. At the end of the first loop I passed Catlin Shea and found myself in 6th place. I figured that my pass was for good and that I wouldn’t see Catlin again. Boy was I wrong! By the middle of the second loop I was sick of the rain, but I remained positive. At one point I had to laugh. The rain would give way for a bit (not completely, but down to a light rain) and then a huge downpour would follow. It was insane! I passed Marie Danais on the second loop to see that she was really hurting. Being VERY LEAN, the cold had apparently gotten to her and she eventually had to drop out. I saw my friend Stephan on the last section of the bike and it was nice to see a familiar face. He looked great on the bike and I watched him climb away from me. I always like to “check-in” with myself throughout the race and by the end of the 2nd loop of the bike I had held similar watts to last year, but felt SO MUCH BETTER than I had last year! This is a good sign because last year I felt TERRIBLE by the end of the bike, but still managed to run 3:23! I was ready for a sub-3:20 run!

I got off the bike in 5th place, but Catlin Shea (now Snow) was still behind me! I passed her on the first loop of the bike, but she must have rallied and stayed close by! We ran out of transition together and she was quickly in front and making more and more distance on me (she eventually won, running a record-breaking 2:59!). So I was in 6th. I felt great right away. Again, checking in with myself, I remember that last year I felt “mentally cloudy and bonky” by mile six of the run, but gutted it out. This year, I felt coherent and my legs felt light. I was holding between 7 minute and 7:25 pace on the first loop and I said to myself, “I can hold this pace all day long!” I passed my friend Jacqui on the out-and-back section and could tell by looking at her that she was struggling. It was bittersweet passing her. Good to run myself into 5th place, but hard to pass a friend. Coming into town for the end of the first loop was awesome. I saw people I knew on every corner. As I passed the Runner’s Edge tent I saw my mom and gave her a high five! On my way out, I saw Mike Monastero and he said that I was gaining on Desiree. This gave me a jolt of energy and as I ran out of town I cheered as I passed a big group of friends on top of the big hill in town. I ran myself into 4th place! Then the cramping came.
Just to clarify, I do not cramp. It has never happened and it is never an issue, until today. All of a sudden I noticed that my hamstrings were locking up and my calves were just about to completely seize up! “Oh no…this can ruin the whole day!” I did my mental check and I actually felt clear and coherent. I was not bonking! My muscles were just giving out on me/seizing up! I had to run “carefully" for the next 10+ miles for fear that any sudden move would put my legs into wicked cramping and seizing! I forged ahead while being SCARED that my race was going to end with one wrong move. In hindsight, I do not know how I got up those hills without my legs seizing up, but I did it. I did it slowly. My pace per mile was more than a minute slower that the first half, but I managed to stay in 4th place. As I crossed the finish line, I was thrilled to finish 4th place on such a terrible day. I quickly found my mom, gave her a hug, called George and headed to my room. I could barely walk as my legs were cramped. Usually, I cleanup my bike, shower, get dinner and head out to the course. This day, I showered and headed to bed, where I stayed from 6:30PM until 7:30 AM the next morning.
Walking has been very difficult for me as my calves are still in very bad shape, but they are getting better every day. I got a great massage from Bill Romas yesterday and I am starting to walk like a regular person again. I did not get a slot to Kona this year. There were only two slots given to women pros and I was 4th. I’ve been to Kona 5 years now and I’m OK with not going this year. My plan is to race a different Ironman this fall (in warmer weather!) and race for a top podium finish. Reflecting back on the day, it is hard to believe what I (and all the other athletes) endured. The constant torrential rains were something that I hope to never revisit. Congrats to everyone who raced in such terrible conditions and finished. A big congrats to Dave Gatz who has been suffering with hip injuries for the past year and had little run trainnig under his belt. He ended up qualifying for Kona regardless. I'm sure this was due to his extreme mental toughness and also the coaching of his wife, Jen Gatz. Amazing performance. My friend Jacqui Gordon ended up finishing 5th and was taken right to medical after the race. Her core temperature was 91 degrees and she received 3 IV’s. I wish her a speedy recovery and good luck in whatever race she does next. As for myself, I am enjoying my recovery period as it is a much desreved "off time". I know it will be over soon and I will be back to training hard, so I am trying to really enjoy going to the beach, going on the boat, being a little less strict with my eating and working out when I want with no particular structure!

Pre-Placid Thoughts...

Sometimes I get the idea for my blog entries on my long bike or long run workouts. Today, while riding my last "significant ride" before Ironman Lake Placid, I started thinking about how I am mentally for this upcoming race and where I was mentally before Lake Placid last year. (Picture to the right: IM Lake Placid 2007, 7th female overall). That thought led me to the next thought, "I wish I had this blog site then, so I could read my thoughts before the race last year", which led me to the thought, "how funny is it that I have a blog site?" (I never would have guessed this time last year that I would be writing my thoughts down for all to see, or for the few who read it to see). Thinking about that I started reflecting back on why I started this blog. Last November, a guy by the name of Terry Donovan introduced me to the idea of a Blog (sadly, I really didn't know what these "blog sites" were!) Terry is a very successful businessman (entrepreneur) and while I cannot write with complete accuracy all of his successes, lets just say that he is very successful and a "down-to-earth" guy at the same time. Terry invited Mike Monastero and myself to his house last fall to give a "crash-course" on the marketing side of being a pro triathlete (for me, and other advice for Mike). I would imagine that an opportunity like this would ordinarily cost quite a bit of money, but Terry took the time to type out a packet and go over some marketing ideas and the "business side" of being a professional athlete for no cost, just because he is a generous and nice guy. Let's just say that the marketing side of being an athlete is not exactly my strong point...not even a little bit. Trying to get sponsors and get my name "out there", (selling myself) is not something I am good at, and it is something that George also has given me advice on (you don't have to be the best in the world, but you DO have to find a niche, market yourself...basically-GET HELP DONG IT! It is not my strong point!) So, while I am still below average at this aspect of my pro career (I re-visited Terry's "packet of guidance" and realized there is so much more I could be doing!), I am happy that I started this blog. I was MORE than skeptical about writing it, and didn't exactly have faith in my ability to keep it going. NOW, I really enjoy writing in it and I even included the address on my business cards (yes, I got some cards for my coaching business printed up!)

SO, this time next year, when I want to reflect back on what was thinking and feeling before my fantastic race in Lake Placid, I can get on my blog and check it out! Thanks Terry!

So, here it is...the weekend before the big race. Probably my last pre-race entry. I can only assume that last year I was feeling quite nervous that IM Lake Placid was going to be my first Ironman as a pro. This year, I am more comfortable with this. I don't feel as much of an "outsider" as far as racing with the big guns. My training has been coming along (For fear of coaching myself completely before such a huge event-I am skeptical of self-coaching and like to have some outside input as I feel it helps "keep things real", I have recruited some help and guidance from Bobby McGee-run specialist- and Matt Dixon who runs Endurance PTC in California and coaches super triathlete Tyler Stewart amongst others...), my taper is going smooth, I am NERVOUS, but most importantly I am psyched to race! I look at the start list and feel that it will be a GREAT DAY for racing! I know what I have to do out there and I am anxious to see how it plays out. Reading Jaqui Gordan's blog (fellow pro triathlete...will be racing Placid too) gets me psyched and makes me realize how lucky I am to be in the mix with these other great women! So, this week will consist of short efforts, some hard efforts mixed in, getting all my gear together and soaking it all in, as I always try to do before my races. It's such an exciting time for me and I try to really appreciate and take in all the excitement around this event. My next blog entry will most likely be "post-Lake Placid" and while I look forward to writing it, I don't want to rush myself!

Support Crew...

The other day I had a bike workout to do that included some intervals that were not going to be “killer”, but it was definitely a workout that I wasn’t “Gung Ho” about. In the morning, before the ride, I went to Sunken Meadow Park on the north shore and met up with my friends Bill, Nancy and “Heads-up Mike” for an open water swim. Mike got the nickname “heads up Mike” after the first time he swam with Bill and Nancy 2 years ago. Back then he could only swim with his head out of the water. Now, he was trailing close behind me. What a huge improvement from that day 2 years ago! Mike is training for Lake Placid as well and is one of the most enthusiastic people I have ever met. Guess he has to have a lot of energy…he and his wife just had their 3rd child!
The morning was beautiful. The water was clear and flat as it could possibly be. I love mornings like that and I felt totally recharged after finishing my swim. It was great to meet up with people, as much of my training is done solo. Being that my schedule is “open” (I do much of my biking and running when others are at work) and I live on Long Island, I don’t exactly have much opportunity to meet up with people for a workout mid-day. If I were in San Diego, I may run into Kate Major out on a ride or countless other pros with “open schedules” as well, but here I only get to coordinate with other athletes every now and then. I REALLY look forward to it when I get to train with other people as it is great for a quick mental energy boost! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy training solo as well and I find that it enables me to really appreciate when I can train with others.
After heading home and eating copious amounts of food (heavy training=increased food intake!) I headed out on the bike. There are MANY days that I hop on my bike and feel “giddy” and “free”…excited to be doing what I love (riding my bike and training)…this was NOT one of those days. I headed to Hecksher State Park to do my intervals, and decided to stop and use the bathroom before I started my intervals (procrastinating). Who did I run into, filling up her water bottle? Nancy Cattabiani! Twice in one day! Nancy is one of my dearest friends and hands down one of the most incredibly special people that I have ever met. Nancy is the type of person that you feel lucky knowing. She was at Hecksher with Bill, who was off on the loop doing some intervals. After talking with her for a good 10 minutes (procrastination), we headed out on the road together. After soft pedaling and chatting for about 5 minutes, Nancy finally said, “OK…you should get going now”…did I mention I was procrastinating? We were laughing about it. Then, as I was about to start an interval, Nancy says, “You look incredible… like a real pro”…then she added, “You are going to have a fucking great race!” It caught me off guard, but amused me and got me instantly pumped at the same time! Did I mention that Nancy is going to be 60 years old this year and has finished Ironman as well as countless other races? She is also one of the toughest people I have ever met as well as one of the most selfless. I did the intervals thinking of my friend and her bold statement. My legs felt stuffed, but I hit the numbers I wanted to hit (suffered a bit) and headed home feeling awesome.
So, that got me thinking of my “support crew”. The people that help me do what I do. The four most supportive people that instantly come to mind, the people that I draw upon throughout my races to get me going and stay in the game are: My mom and dad, my boyfriend George and my great friend Nancy. All four of these people possess qualities that make them stand out as extra special. I know what you are thinking reading this, “she’s biased”…but I’m not, really! Each one of these people is amazing in their own right. I don’t have enough room to write about all the incredible qualities that these four share, but I will say that as far as I am concerned, they provide unwavering support for me and what I do, and they always give me advice with my best interest at heart. What more can you ask for?
Recently, I was reading an article written about Olympic swimmer Dara Torrres and the countless people that she employs as her support crew. Now, while I don’t have the sponsorships she has to pay the $100,000 each year in support crew and coaches alone, I was thinking of all the other people that support me on a regular basis. Here are some of these people:
Bill Romas is my massage therapist and friend. He is Nancy’s husband and provides the same type of love and support that Nancy does, as well as gives me wicked-good massages every week for the past 6 years. Bob Cook, the owner of Runner’s Edge is also a great friend and part of the “family” that I belong to (which he created) at the store. I’ve worked for Bob for the past 3 ½-4 years (although he jokes that if you add up all the time I’ve actually worked it is equivalent to 1 year!) Where else can you find a boss that enables you travel when you want, train when you want and fit in working at the store when it works for you? Not many places, I can promise you that. I also spend holidays at Bob’s house, along with his family and the “store family”. Funny thing about the store is that there are SO many people that work there at different times of the week and it is a niche that I feel lucky to have stumbled in on. Aside from Nancy and Bob, I have had the pleasure to work most with Gary and Dave. They too have become friends. I can go on and on about everyone at Runner’s Edge, but I’ll just say that it’s a special place.
Chiropractor and A.R.T therapist, Larry Lembo has also become one of my “support crew”. I go to Larry once a week, always with something that needs to be “worked out” and Larry always has the magic touch. My potential injury is a thing of the past when I walk out the door! My friend, Don Rourke has also been a great help with healing major injuries as well as keeping my core strong! Don has even made “house calls” to go over different stability routines in order to make it more convenient for me. Recently, he caught a cold, so instead of meeting up, he enrolled me in an internet program that showed video of the core exercises I should be completing on different days! Pretty cool…. Mike Monastero has been a friend of mine for about 4 years and up until recently, was my coach for just about 3 and a half years. He is always someone I can go to bounce ideas off of regarding my training as well as a great riding partner. With Mike, I really learned how to train with power and I saw great improvements in my training and racing. Mike is one of the most coveted coaches on Long Island. I also want to mention Rick and Beth Ferriola who run the Masters Team that I have swum on for the past 7 years (Rick is the coach, Beth is his wife), as well as Jen Gatz who is an awesome coach and an incredible source of knowledge as well as a great person.
I could go on and on, but along with these people there are SO many other people that are always “on my side”. From two of my best friends: Erin Miller in Washington D.C and Jess D’Amato in Boulder (as well as Simon, Ingrid, Jim and Danielle in Boulder); to Ray Farrell and Geoff Cassell who dedicated themselves to helping me in my open water swimming last year; to my great friend Michelle in Tempe who said I always have a place to stay in Arizona; to my fellow pros (and great friends) Nic and Wolf Guembel and Tara Norton; to all the people who are on the Runner’s Edge Team that always stop and ask about what I am doing next and how I did in this race, or that race. I know that every athlete has their story of the people who matter most to them, who support the tough quest they are on, but I just wanted to recognize those people in my story and thank everyone for being there.
Top left picture: Nancy and I at the Tobay Triathlon 2007.

Countdown to Lake Placid

I realize it’s been a while since my last entry, so I thought I’d send a quick update. This Sunday marks 4 weeks till Lake Placid and I am feeling AWESOME! I’m psyched and I’m ready. I have made some changes, and have been training hard while trying to be careful not to go over the “razors edge”. Some bigger names have signed up for Placid (Hillary Biscay, Kim Loeffler) but I am really confident and excited to race them. With probably hundreds of people from here either doing the race or spectating, I feel like I have a bit of the “hometown advantage” as well, which is nice. It's an amazing feeling running by the Runner’s Edge tent by the brewery in Placid and hearing your name being screamed out by tons of people on the team. Plus, along with Bob Cook (who is SO great to have out there) my close friends Nancy and Bill will be there! It should be a blast!
I’ve had two monster weeks that have included lots of biking with intervals and IM pace mixed in, I’ve done some long runs (18 and 20 milers) as well as some “paced runs” that were lengthy as well. My swimming has included short hard sets with lots of rest and longer steady swimming, as well as threshold work. When I rest, I rest hard and when I train, I train hard. This weekend, 4 weeks out, will include a 5 hour ride with some intervals mixed in and a steady IM pace home, a run off the bike at IM pace descending down, a long paced run (and possibly an 8+ mile Time Trial on the bike on VERY tired legs Sunday!) as well as an open water swim. After that will be a nice short rest before heading into the taper!!!
So, all is well…I look forward to July 20th, but really I take each day as it comes. I think about the race and what I want to do, what I know I CAN do, but I try not to obsess over the race and the results. I’m REALLY enjoying my training right now and enjoying what I do. I feel STRONG. Ironman is something that I feel I am very good at when my head is on straight and my confidence is unwavering… Both of these things are the best that I can remember them being (focused and confident), now I just have to stay healthy and get to the start line!
For entertainment purposes (and because I like to add pictures in every blog entry) here are some pictures from a race that I watched on Father’s Day. It was called the “Harlem Rock’s Criterium” and it was sponsored by Michael Ball and Rock Racing Team. After running 20 miles in the morning I went in with George and Lou to watch them in their races, and then we all watched the pro race. It was an AWESOME event and a lot of fun! Here are some of the pics: Ivan Dominquez and myself, Rock Racing leading a lap, me and Michael Ball, Lou and Tyler Hamilton and George chasing down a break.

IM Boise 70.3 a day later...

Unacceptable... As I mentioned in my last blog entry, I decided that another bad race was unacceptable in my eyes. So, I didn’t have a “bad race”. I did however, have a “mediocre race” and that doesn’t exactly sit well with me either. Usually I start each season with a new outlook and, as a given, a great race. I have been improving year after year and I am “baffled” this season. I have heard of this happening to people, but never really expected that it would happen to me. Not yet anyway. Not after “training full time” and traveling to escape the cold and not working as much, so that I can rest my legs. So, what’s the deal? (Above left: 2007 awaiting my first triathlon as a pro. I finished 6th Overall...)

"Dull”…that’s how I feel. I’ve felt that for a while now. I feel like I can go all day long at a “moderate pace” but it seems that I have lost my “edge”. I no longer have that “zip” that I usually have. Now, I am realizing in my races, that you cannot expect to perform at the top and put out PR times if you only put out “mediocre” training. I was actually contemplating “throwing in the towel” yesterday. I was frustrated for putting so much into this and finding that I am actually putting out slower times and not being in the mix of things at races. After talking it over with the people that I love most (OK I was probably going on and on and on), I decided (they helped me see the light) that it’s just too early to say “that’s it. So, I thought back to what I have done in the past and what I think I should be doing now.
I have put in a great amount of distance and volume this season. Some weeks I am putting in 18-20 hours alone on the bike! I’m doing all this extra riding, only to find that my bike times are getting slow and non-impressive. So thinking back I have realized (and have thought for a while now) that I am missing that crucial threshold work that Mike has had me do so often in the past. The very workouts that I absolutely hated are the workouts that I am missing now. It had me thinking before the Florida 70.3, after watching George complete 2 types of threshold workouts week after week after week. With these key workouts (torture sessions) I have watched him get stronger than ever without so much volume. In the back of my mind it had me thinking that maybe I should be completing workouts like this in addition to my long steady rides at Ironman and 70.3 pace. Then of course I would think “How could I not ride really fast? I bike ridiculous amounts!” Now, I am training for Ironman distance races, so of course volume is necessary, but (in hindsight, of course) I think it is a mistake to cut out the “bread and butter workouts” for the sake of putting in hours. Secretly I liked not doing those “torture sessions”, but now I wish I could complete them. The run training has been a bit “mediocre” as well, due to some injuries that I had sustained. A Lot of running between 6:45 and 7:25 pace with almost no high end work. So, I ran a 1:32 yesterday. Not terrible, not great…jut mediocre. In a way I feel a bit more positive now that I reassessed what I’ve been doing and what I haven’t been doing. I feel like I have another chance. I have a strong base and am very fit, now I just have to suck it up a bit and get back to the workouts that I would secretly curse Mike for giving me!
So, for a brief Boise 70.3 race report: COLD! That’s the one word that comes to mind. The race wasn’t cold but the morning was. I got to the Lucky Peak Reservoir at 4:45 AM, walked off the bus and looked up to see the trees blowing like crazy! It was windy and cold. I had my wetsuit on to keep my legs warm, a base layer, ½ zip-pullover, sweatshirt, and garbage bag over my body. I also had my Craft hat and my gloves on as well. When the pro women lined up at the water’s edge, I was in disbelief that we were actually doing this! The water was FREEZING!!! The air was cold. I did not want to get in! Every one of us was shivering! The men went off and we were called to get in the water and wade out to the start buoy. It was a shock to the system. I was on autopilot. I just thought about being on the bike. The gun went off and so were we. I found that I was latched onto a nice group, but after a couple of minutes I found that I was gasping for breath and was staring to panic. I felt like I was hyperventilating. I was trying to breathe in but I wasn’t getting any air! I started to panic and I stopped (off went the group). I thought about calling over a kayak to get me out! Finally, I tried to regain my composure by doing breaststroke (and I’m supposed to be a professional?!) I knew that if I didn’t calm myself down mentally, that I would freak out and something bad would happen. Did I mention the chop? The windy morning made for VERY choppy conditions! I tried swimming again, but still I was gasping for breath without getting anything in! Finally I stopped again and loosened the neck on my wetsuit. After doing that I talked to myself to calm down and began swimming at a much slower pace to relax. Soon I got in a groove again and caught up to two women. I knew my swim was basically over. I lost the main pack and a lot of time.
When I got out of the water, I saw that one of the women exiting with me was Desiree Ficker. Great! I thought! I’ve put out similar bike splits to her in the past. I’ll try and get out on the bike with her and keep myself in the race. No chance. Her transition time KILLED mine! She was out of transition WAY before me (something I absolutely have to practice! Again…I’m supposed to be a professional at this, right?) So off I went on the bike. Exiting the reservoir, I dropped my salt tablets. I was worried at first (I never race without them) but it was a chilly, cloudy day. I didn’t think it would make that big of a difference. Then I looked down and realized that my powertap was not reading properly. It was reading MUCH higher than I could ever hold (around 300 watts). “I know how to ride hard”, I said to myself, so off I went. I was completely alone for the rest of the race, except for the second lap of the run when age groupers started entering the run course on their first loop. I knew my bike wasn’t great, I knew I was in tenth. I expected that I would pass some women on the run, but I was basically alone. Sure, I got passed on the bike, and I passed some women on the bike as well. Also, I got passed on the run, but for 90+% of the race, I was solo. This is not exactly easy. In fact, I think that it is the most difficult thing about racing pro: Trying to push as hard as you can with no one in sight, being alone while trying to “race”. Even the top girls are alone. Sure they know who is chasing them, or who they want to chase down and that is definitely more motivating than being where I was (in no-man’s land) but the effort is largely solo. Sure there are races where you will have a pack of women together on the bike, but many times it’s a solo effort. I remember being an amateur, and even if I was out in front by a lot, there were always people around me. Men encouraging me, other women from other waves to pass, excitement, noise. Now it’s silence. It’s myself and my bike and my thoughts. It’s not easy!
The race ended OK. I got passed by a girl in the run and found myself in 11th place up until the very end where I ran down the 10th place girl to finish 10th. I ran like I was trying to win the race, and I passed her with less than a mile to go. “Hey, at least I still have that competitive drive in me”, I thought! In all, Boise is a great place to have a race. The town is really quaint and everything was within walking distance. The bike-to-run transition was located just in front of the Capitol building and the run was on the Greenbelt trail. The city really embraced the race. My two friends Jess and Seth were there as well, and I must say, it was the 3rd race that we all did together and it was really fun having them there! Seth set a PR just missing breaking 5 hours (by 20 seconds) and getting a spot to the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, and Jess finished 10th in her age-group despite having an “OK” race for her. As for me, I am going to rest up (I’m pretty tired) and reassess my training and my race season. I’ll try my best to be positive, and not to let 2 races get to me too much. It’s part of being an athlete, I think, trying to self-motivate after disappointments. It’s very easy to be down and give up. Picking yourself back up and having confidence in your abilities after a disappointment (or two) is definitely the hard part.

*Picture above and to the right: Jess and I at Eagleman 2006.

Pre Boise 70.3 and Reflections of the Past...

As I write this, I am sitting on a plane that is Denver-bound. Once I reach Denver, I will have a 3-hour layover before hopping on a plane to Boise, Idaho. I am traveling to my second race of the season. A new IM 70.3 race held in Boise. It’s hard to believe that IM Florida 70.3 was just 12 days ago! I am more nervous for this race than I have been for a race in a while. I think it’s because of my poor result in Florida. Deep down, I know that I want to do good this weekend (maybe feel a bit of pressure?) so that I can head into my last phase of Lake Placid training with the confidence that I am just as strong (if not stronger?) than I have ever been. I know that I cannot fit in another 70.3 race as it will mess with my last 7 weeks of long training for Placid, so this is it. Another bad result is unacceptable in my mind. This will be a great one. I can feel it.
I am headed to Boise alone this time. I realize that this will be my first race ever (since I started doing local sprint races back in 1998) that I will finish without having any spectators there. Sounds like I am feeling sorry for myself? Yes, I know, but I’m really not all that sad about it. It’ll be different, but really I am just trying to be focused on my race. Plus, two friends of mine, Jess (who now lives in Boulder, CO) and Seth (who now lives in San Diego, CA) will be racing as well, so I won’t really be alone. They arrive tomorrow.

Boise sounds like a great race, but it is the first time they are having the race, so everything is relatively unknown. I don’t even know what pros are racing yet!! I do know that the swim is in the “Lucky Peak Reservoir”, which is supposed to be cold! The bike is supposed to be FAST (hilly, but fast descents mixed in for a fast overall average mph), and the run is on a path around Boise. The run is two loops and flat (yay!!). One minor concern is the slight altitude of Boise, which affects me a bit, but it is similar to Buffalo Springs as far as altitude, and I did pretty well there last year.
Lately, I have been reflecting on my career as a triathlete and not only my short career as a pro, I mean my whole career starting with my first race in 1998 which was a sprint triathlon in Maryland. I did this race as a suggestion from my College swim coach, Kim Lessard. I had just graduated College and I never felt like I had reached my peak in swimming. I still had much more in me as a swimmer as both my coach and I knew. Kim suggested I try a triathlon and I figured, why not? I was 21, I was fit, and I loved to compete. The only thing was I had never really ridden a road bike and I hadn’t really ever run! I gave it a go though. My brother bought me a Cannondale “touring bike” for graduation (sort of like a road bike, but with less gears, I believe…for touring around) and I had started the whole running thing after Nationals in March. My race was in May. I had no idea what I was doing and I didn’t really know anyone who did triathlons! Needless to say, my mom, dad and I headed to Western Maryland, where the race was and I gave it a go. I remember watching people set up their bikes in a “transition area” and copying what they were doing. I didn’t even know “transition areas” existed. I never even thought as far as where I would put my bike, etc. I had run shoes, but no bike shoes. I used my run shoes on the bike! Also, I didn’t know what “tri shorts” were, so I had run shorts there to put over my bathing suit.
Being that I had just come off of my best swim season, I was in pretty good swim shape. I say “pretty good” because, although I still swam on my own after Nationals, it wasn’t nearly the 13-15,000 yards a day that I did during the season! Also, I had a steady diet of beer and alcohol that most seniors survive on during their last months at College. I had put on a little weight (I was no longer 113 lbs.) but I was by no means “heavy”. I was the heaviest that I had ever been though, as I had probably put on anywhere from 7-10 lbs during those months after Nationals. There I was in my first triathlon. Instead of standing on a beach, I felt that I should have been on the blocks on a pool deck, but the gun went off and so did I! I was first woman out of the water. I had probably expected to be first out of the water at that time. Soon I was on the bike, and while my memory is lacking, I can tell you that it was nothing special. The bike was a new thing to me and I was not by any means a “natural”. I do remember the run quite clearly. I remember feeling the worst pain that I had ever felt! I actually felt nauseous and thought that I just wanted the end to come! It took a while, but the end finally came. Believe it or not, I finished first overall! I could not believe it! “This is something I can do after College”, I thought! I was motivated again.
From there it’s been one challenge after another. It’s been a beautiful ride so far and when I reflect back, my worries and doubts seem to disappear. After that first triathlon in 1998 I had some races that I did not win, but soon, after a season or two I found that I could win most local races that I competed in. From there, I decided to compete in the “bigger races”. In Eagleman in 2001, my first Half Ironman, I was 6th overall, including the pro women, with a 4:48. Next up was my first Ironman, Florida in 2001. 1st in my age group with a slot to Kona! As an amateur, I had some great results including 2005 when I finished 2nd place in Kona in the 25-29 age group behind super-stud Tyler Stewart (who is now a pro as well) and 4th amateur overall! (See photos above. I am second from the left-next to Tyler-in Kona 2005 receiving the 2nd place award). Then I made the leap to pro last year. This was a scary one, but it too went well. Sixth in my first pro race (Florida 70.3), 7th in Buffalo Springs and IM lake Placid and a slot to Kona where I finished 23rd Overall. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means a “phenom” like Chrissie Wellington, who turned pro and in her first season won IM Korea and then stunned the triathlon world by winning the Ironman World Championships, but I am “holding my own”. It is so easy to doubt yourself (I do often) and question your abilities (Yup, I do that too), but I am finding that “looking at the big picture” as I have done this week can really put things in perspective and help to build some confidence. So, I go into Boise this weekend ready and focused. I just have to “do what I do” and enjoy what I do without dwelling on my last race, and all should turn out great! By next week I am hoping to be writing about my fantastic race at Boise with anticipation of a super last training block to IM Lake Placid.

Ironman Florida 70.3 Race Report: To Quit or not to Quit? That is the Question...

I have realized a few things this weekend after racing the Ironman Florida 70.3 in Disney, Florida. The few things I have learned are: #1: Traveling to races with my mom is always the best! #2: Not having my dad at the race was a bit of a bummer (yes, I’m 31 years old and I like having both my mom and dad at my races!) however it was nice of my coach Mike to make the trek down to watch. #3: Race weekends are tough on spectators. It’s all about the athlete. Especially as a pro where I do this as a living as opposed to the age grouper that may have trained for a year for this one event and wants his or her whole family there for support. Having my parents come to watch is great, of course (obviously I’m used to my parents going out of their way for me, plus they usually go off and do things on their own to make the time pass) but I realized that if George (or any friend as well) has a chance to watch me in a big race, I want to be sure that it’s a place that he can enjoy too (bring his bike, etc), like Lake Placid or Kona. #4: I have taken for granted my ability to show up on race day time after time, and put out a solid performance , #5: I have now realized just how great my performances have been after having a “sub-par” performance this past weekend, #5: It’s not the end of the world (as long as it doesn’t happen again sometime soon). ;-)
So here goes the race report for the first race of 2008: 3:45 AM Sunday May 18th I wake without my alarm going off yet. I’m nervous as I usually am, but maybe particularly so because it’s the very first race of the season. I feel ready to go and confident in my fitness and my ability though, so I am anxious to just get started. I head to the race sight and set up my bike in transition. Next to me are Lisa Bentley (14-time Ironman champion) and Katia Schumacher (Ironman Champion and past winner of the Florida 70.3). Last year, I would have felt uncomfortable and “not worthy” to be next to these two women in transition. This year I feel at ease. I set up my drinks, my shoes, helmet, power tap, run shoes (Zoot, of course), sunglasses, gels, and endurolytes then I double-check everything and head to the swim where my mom and Mike are waiting. It’s still dark out and it’s HUMID and VERY WARM! Yikes! This could be a tough day, I thought, but then I thought “bring it on! I’m great in the heat and humidity”! I ran into Anne Bolton and her sister before the swim. Anne is a great athlete that I have had the pleasure to coach. She came to me in January with the goal of doing this race. She also told me that she had only completed one triathlon (a sprint on a mtn. bike) and hadn’t swum too much, if at all! I was worried, but after I started working with her, I realized she was a talent. I also ran into my friend Rob from Toronto. Rob was the triathlete that I had the pleasure of climbing Mt. Lemmon with in Tucson. It was good to see him.
I headed to the beach after saying my goodbyes to Mike and my mom and after getting my good luck call from George who was returning from a long night at work back in NY. It always psyches me up to talk to George before a race. I would consider it bad luck not to (I tend to be superstitious about things like this). On the beach are the male and female pros. We heard the national anthem and soon the cannon went off. The water was shallow, so we made a mad dash through the water and then did a series of dolphin dives before starting to swim. I tried to swim HARD in the beginning so I could try and get in a good group. There were some fantastic swim specialists in this race, such as ex-Stanford swimmer Dede Griesbauer, that I knew would be impossible to stay with, but my goal was to stay with the strong swimmers. I didn’t feel great right away, but I thought this might be due to the lack of a warm-up (no swim warm-up allowed). I found a good set of feet to swim on and tried the best I could, but I felt a bit “lethargic”. Soon I got a foot cramp…not a good sign! The last race that I remember getting a foot cramp in was Kona 2006, which happened be a tough year for me as I got sick on the bike and walked a bit on the run. Not to worry, I thought. I’ll feel better on the bike. I exited the bike with an OK time of 30 minutes (not too far off from many of the top women) and headed to my bike.
Pain…that is the one word I can use to describe the bike. Immediately I felt pain in my legs. Every single pedal stroke hurt! The power that usually comes effortless felt like a near all-out effort! OK, I thought, I just need to open up a bit. I thought about turning around right away and calling it a day. I convinced myself to give it 45 minutes. After 45 minutes it still hurt really badly. I was unfocused and when I got passed by other female pros I had zero counter-attack. I simply let them pass me and disappear into the distance. I tried to push, but every muscle in my body ached. I thought about quitting again. I even stopped pedaling and coasted for a bit, but quickly started up again. “How can I quit”? I stayed in the race. Eventually I gave up trying to hold power. I thought, “Maybe I’ll feel great on the run”! After 2 hours and 37 minutes of pure torture, the bike was over. So was my race. I was far behind. I contemplated not running, but thought again that I might have a good run. In fact, for a moment I thought, “Maybe I’ll have the run of my life and catch the leaders”! So I continued on. I felt OK. I shuffled out of transition and felt like I was running decent. Then, after a mile I realized that I did not feel good. I was shuffling at a slow rate on the tough section of grass. I thought I would finish the loop (#1 of 3) and then I would call it a day. At mile 4 I took a gel, drank some coke, and actually felt a burst of positive energy! It was then that I decided that I would simply “cruise” the rest of the race. I would do what I could that day and bring it home. I was OK with this. I knew that I had Boise 70.3 coming up on June 1st, and I figured this would be an excellent day in the bank. My goal was now to try to avoid last place. Funny when I think about it. My goal going in was top 3!
Did I mention the weather? Humid! The bike was OK though. Grey skies for much of it, one downpour for about 4 minutes and slight wind. The run was OK, as far as heat, for the first 4 miles, then the sun came out and wow! The typical 90+ degree, humid Florida weather emerged. We had one downpour of rain out on the run, which was nice to cool off, but then it became similar to a sauna after the rain ended. It was hot and the air was thick! I had to deal for 2 more laps (a little over 8 miles). I felt bad for the athletes just getting off their bikes in the thick of it! The run was interesting. I never felt down about my result. I just forged ahead and I actually felt like I had a good rhythm going for the last 6 miles or so! I thought of some of my friends that have had bad days and gutted it out, like Bob Cook in IM Louisville last year. Despite a bad day in oppressive heat, he finished the race. I thought of what my friend Wolf said to me after IM Arizona this year-that he and Nicole had an understanding that they would never drop out of a race. I thought of my friend Tara Norton, who continued to race IM Lanzorote after getting a dislocated shoulder in the swim and stomach troubles on the run (she still finished 2nd!) I thought of George back home who got into a crash at Bear Mtn. last weekend, then got a flat tire and waited for a new wheel for 10 minutes and continued to get back on his bike and hammer solo with the group way ahead without so much of a thought of dropping out at that minute. These are the things that ran through my mind during the run and I must say they helped me get through the race. I finally finished without even glancing at my time. I finished one spot away from last place. This would have devastated me last year. I was OK with it this year. I thought back to the two weeks before this race, and the days before and realized that I had been unusually tired, but I tried to ignore it. Tried to forge ahead and figured that I would of course be ready to rock on race day. I always am. This is one of the most valuable lessons that I can learn. One that George always tries to drill into me. If I’m tired I should listen to my body. It’s trying to tell me something. Perhaps a nap would be more beneficial than the prescribed workout, maybe it would benefit me more to sleep in and not swim one morning when I am feeling fatigued. It’s a tough thing to do. Probably the toughest lesson because I am constantly pushing myself past a barrier of pain and suffering during my training. Constantly overcoming mental battles and constantly self-motivating myself. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the days feel effortless and easy, but many times it takes a mental push to complete them to the best of my ability. One thing I know for sure, I will rest up before leaving for Boise next Thursday. I am hungrier than ever for a dynamite race and I feel a little more educated as an athlete after Sunday’s race.
As for the rest of the day, my athlete that I was coaching for the event Anne Bolton, finished in 6:07. She had a smile the entire race and she told me yesterday that she felt great! Had she not taken the 15+ minutes in transition she would have gone under 6 hours (she told me that there was so much going on-like a horse eating food out of someone’s bag- that she stayed around in transition longer than she thought)! It was awesome to see her race and finish so strong. What an accomplishment for someone who hadn’t done any formal swim training and hadn’t ridden a road bike before January! It made my day to see her have such a great day. As for me, I will be resting and getting ready for a spectacular race in Boise next weekend. I cannot wait!