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"!