Ironman Week Begins...

It’s Friday and I’ve had a busy week. Erin arrived Tuesday evening and I went to the airport with Brigitte to pick her up. No luggage for her, of course! Luckily, she got the luggage the next morning, which was a nice surprise! We headed to the lake Wednesday and both went for a run. I did some “intervals” to wake my body up! It was tough to mix in the fast stuff, but necessary, as I know. Once we were finished we “iced” our legs in the lake and chilled out. Nothing else for me to do that day, so we headed into Klagenfurt and had some lunch, checked out the city (took pictures with the Lindwurm, which is the turn around on the run course) and visited the bike shop “Mountainbiker”.

Thursday was a full day. I woke up early and headed out for a bike as Erin headed out on her run. The bike paths all over the city here are awesome and everyone seems to bike to work. On my way out I passed a woman dressed up in a beautiful dress and high heels, pocket book strapped onto the back of the bike, biking to work! Once I found some open road I did a hard effort to open the legs up a bit. Tough in the beginning, but it felt better as the effort went on which is what I was looking for! We headed to the lake after that and I got a massage at the expo. After the much needed massage I registered for the race! I love doing a race in a different country. Things are just a bit different and it feels like a new experience, which adds to the excitement! After checking out the Expo Erin and I headed out to the lake for a swim. Erin does a lot of open water swimming (including being part of a relay for a double crossing of the English Channel!), so it was great practice for me to try and stay on her feet! We swam for 25 min, then laid out on the dock (or “bridge” as they call it here) and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Thursday was the last day that I wanted to head out for any “sightseeing”, so we decided to visit a castle nearby. Burg Hochorsterwitz is a castle perched upon a hill that overlooks the valley below. The castle was apparently the inspiration to the castle in Walt Disney’s “Snow White” and you can see why. It’s pretty remarkable looking and incredible to think that people actually lived there! Since I am resting for the race, Erin and I opted for the lift up instead of the walk up to the castle. Bad decision! I’m not afraid of heights, but this lift didn’t seem like the sturdiest piece of machinery. As we were lifted up almost vertically I checked out the chain that was holding us up. It didn’t look nearly as thick as it should have! I imagined us plummeting down. I thought, “if we fall, we probably won’t die from the impact because we are in this compartment…instead we’ll just be badly injured and stuck inside this HOT small elevator...Yikes!) Needless to say, we were grateful when the trip up was over! The castle was impressive, but as you can see in the picture probably more so from far away. We took the lift down after walking the grounds and some of the rooms and headed back to Klagenfurt.

Last night the family that has taken such good care of me had us over for dinner. It was spectacular! An aperitif to start, then Pumpkin and Zucchini soup, pork Wellington (Brigitte made Erin a special vegetarian wellington), vegetables and for dessert a fruit salad with a bit of white chocolate mousse on the side. We had a wonderful dinner filled with laughs. The family will be headed down to the race on Sunday and Michael, the son, will be volunteering for the race! They have been so generous to us and I can’t say enough of how wonderful they all are.

So, today I head to the Pro meeting, which always gets me a bit nervous. I will take the day off from training today, except for a possible “swim” in the lake sans wetsuit, mostly to “ice” down the body and chill out. The lake is 20 degrees Celsius, which is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so I say “ice the body”, but it isn’t cold enough to really ice it! It feels chilly without a wetsuit, though and perfect with a wetsuit! Tonight is the pasta party, which I don’t always attend, but will definitely be attending here. Like I said, being in a different country racing almost feels like doing my first Ironman again and I’m trying to experience everything that is here! Two days to go till race day and I’m psyched and ready!

I just wanted to thank everyone who has been so kind sending me e-mails of good luck, and messages wishing me well. It is so wonderful to have such great support from home and from the many other places that I have met wonderful people through triathlon. Thanks so much! it really means a lot to me!

Monday June 29, 2009

Due to the jet lag, I dragged myself out of bed at 9AM this morning (3 AM back at home). I slept for 10 HOURS, but could have stayed in bed even longer! I got up, had a little breakfast and put my Orbea together! I decided to drive to the start of the race and ride the course today, SO I packed up the Smart car with my bike and run gear and was SOMEHOW able to fit my bike AND me in the car as well!
After making a pit stop at “Mountainbiker”, one of the local bike shops, for CO2, I headed to the lake. I didn’t say that it was easy to get there though! I have found that I take probably 3x the amount of time that it should ACTUALLY take to get to me destinations here in Klagenfurt. I find that I drive in circles for a while till I figure out where I need to be. Once I got to the general vicinity of the race start, I headed out on the course… Woo Hoo! Felt GREAT to be on the bike!!! The course is not only well marked (orange ironman symbols align the entire bike course) but it is absolutely STUNNING! One of the most beautiful spots that I have had the pleasure of biking…and I’ve biked in some stunning areas (France, Girona, Boulder, Arizona, California, Lake Placid, Bear Mtn., the North shore of Long Island…) This course is among the most beautiful that I have seen. The bike course consists of two 56 Mile loops (or should I say 90 Km, since I am not in the US). I rode the “big loop” and omitted the “small loop”. After completing a warm up, I was to go right into a 20 min effort at ½ IM wattage, then 40 min steady at Ironman wattage and one more 20 min at ½ IM wattage before cooling down. I felt better than I thought I would after not being on the bike for 2 days! The course can be FAST at times with sections where you can cruise easily at 24-26 MPH and also some REALLY fast descents as well, but of course descents do not come without climbs, and there are plenty of them as well! The longest and toughest comes towards the end of the loop…it took me about 8 minutes to finish! Didn’t expect that! The pic on the right is one of the many villages that we bike through...each one has a banner like this one!
Once I was done with the bike, I did a short run at my Ironman Perceived effort and felt great! I was pleasantly surprised with the pace! Towards the end of the run a thunderstorm rolled in…perfect timing! I must say, that it’s a good thing I like humidity, because there is PLENTY of it out here! After completing the ride and run today, I am more excited to race than ever! I have a great feeling about this race! It’s 8:39 PM right now. The skies have cleared so I am sitting out on the terrace enjoying the weather. I have just had a visit from my Austrian friends Horst and Brigitte who brought me fresh roses from their garden and I will try to wind down and get to sleep at a normal hour. Tomorrow will be my first swim in the lake and another bike (I will be sure to bring my camera this time) then Erin arrives in the evening!

Austria update #2

I woke up on Sunday morning to the sound of rain on the roof. Did I mention that the rain is following me? I leave NY and its beautiful…I come to southern Austria, where is noted for its “Mediterranean-like Climate” of warmth and sunshine, and it’s rainy! Don’t blame me if it gets cloudy and rainy in New York again after I return from Austria! After doing a little core and stretching in the morning, I called Sylvie and she quickly came over to drop off her Mtn. bike that she will be lending me this week (mostly for Erin during the race) and she also took me to the ONLY supermarket open in town. That’s right…no stores open on Sunday and few on the weekend at all. What a nice concept! I know people talk about a time when Long Island was like that, but not since I can remember!
After buying some food and getting a driving tour of Klagenfurt, courtesy of Sylvie, we headed to Brigitte’s house (Sylvie’s mom) where she prepared a delicious lunch for us! Sylvie, myself, Horst , Michael and Brigitte all sat down to a salmon and potato lunch with a variety of salads, and a little white wine as well. We sat for a while talking and laughing, trying to figure out different words in English, French and German! After lunch, we sat on the terrace for coffee and DELICIOUS chocolate cake (there goes my “no dessert before Ironman”, but hey, it wasn’t ice cream, right?! Plus, it’s just a week out now…it can’t hurt, right?!) Well, it was excellent and Brigitte even packed me up some to bring home!). My bags still did not arrive, so Sylvie was generous to lend me some running clothes and off I went for a light 40 min jog. I ran on the path that runs parallel to the canal that the Ironman finishes in. It was a beautiful run and it felt great to move my body after a long travel day! I returned just in time for Tea Time! We sat down at 4PM for a special English tea with a bit of sugar, rum and milk. It was so good that Brigitte packed me up my very own teapot and loose tea to bring home and make for myself! I’m sure I won’t make it quite as good as she did! We all sat again talking and laughing. I was sitting there thinking about how lucky I was to meet this wonderful family…
When I arrived back at my cottage, I was informed that my bike and luggage just made it to Klagenfurt and would be delivered to my home here! Yippee!!! I had enough time to grab the bag and bike and head out the door to meet Henry (the man who hooked me up with all of these accommodations, etc) and his family. On the way there, Horst and Michael were kind enough to drive with me (I followed along in my Smart car) so I would know the way and could HOPEFULLY make it back on my own! I had a great pleasure of meeting Henry, his wife and his two daughters and their two friends. A couple from the Netherlands was also staying there for the week and the husband is racing Ironman for the first time! We all sat down to a delicious cake (yes, more cake!) and great conversation. Again, I thought…how great is this? I have been in the company of kind and generous people since I landed here!
I finally left Henry’s around 9PM and found my way back to the cottage (thanks to Henry’s directions)! Tomorrow I must put my bike together and go for a ride! I am here, after all, to race an ironman in a week! I am looking forward to the ride, and maybe I’ll have a bit of that chocolate cake that Brigitte sent me home with after my ride!

Ironman Austria update #1

Right now it’s Saturday June 27th and I am typing this up while settling into the little cottage I am staying at in Klagenfurt, Austria. I do not have internet access here, but my plan is to periodically update my trip here in Austria leading up to the race on Sunday July 5th. Before heading over to Austria I had the pleasure of meeting up with Charlotte Johnson (most of you probably know that Charlotte and her husband Paul belong to Team Runners Edge). Charlotte and Paul did the race 2 years ago and Charlotte was SO sweet to take the time and sit down with me to tell me all about the race course, about Klagenfurt and to give me a LIBRARY of books to read all about the area as well. Charlotte is racing Ironman Germany this year and ironically, it takes place on July 5th as well! Good Luck Charlotte!!!
So I’ll quickly run through the details of my travel here. Friday 3:30 PM, George’s mom drives me to the airport. We predict crazy traffic, but luck out! We get to the airport early (unfortunately she is stuck in major traffic on the way home). Im at the airport earlier than I would have liked, but it’s better than being late! I board the plane around 6:15 PM (It’s supposed to take off at 7PM). We FINALLY take off AFTER 10 PM! We sat on the runway for HOURS due to a major thunderstorm. I get to Paris at 11:35 AM…my connecting flight was scheduled for 9:35 AM… Oh well! Missed that! So, I get put onto a different flight and run through the airport to make it on time. I had 20 min to get to the gate and the Terminal seemed like it was MILES away from where I landed (the airport in Paris, by the way is unusually hot! I felt like I was just done with a workout when I finally got to the gate)! We take off from Paris and I arrive in Vienna WITHOUT my bike or my luggage! I have another flight with Austrian Airlines in an hour and a half and I need my luggage, so Im thinking I will have to miss my flight to Klagenfurt, stay in Vienna, get the bags and bike tomorrow and head to Klagenfurt then. Instead, I am reassured that my bike and luggage “should be delivered to where I’m staying in Klagenfurt by tomorrow evening”… Hmmm…we’ll see about that! SO, I check in and head to the gate… Five minutes before we are to board, the airport shuts down (due to a thunderstorm! I can't get away from these things)! FINALLY after a short delay we take off from Vienna and arrive in the quaint little city of Klagenfurt!
Luckily, I am renting a cottage from a local here. This can be a long story, but Henry, a man who lives here and who I was originally going to rent an apartment from, helped arrange my accommodations here at this lovely cottage when his apartment became unavailable. Henry also helped with the rental of a “Smart Car” for the days I will be here alone. He even had the owner of the rental company come in on Saturday and open up the store just for me! In the short time I have been here in Klagenfurt I have had an incredible experience! I was greeted at the airport by Hoerst (Henry’s friend who I am renting the cottage from), his sister Brigitte and her daughter Sylvie (who turned 20 today!) as well as Hoerst’s son Michael (14 years old) who greeted me with a flower. They all brought me to the rental company, then to this beautiful little cottage just 5KM from the race start at the lake. They showed me around the house and the incredible garden where I am welcome to grab all of my lettuce, veggies and fruit that I need while I am here. They also prepared some food for me and Sylvie offered to take me into town tomorrow. Pretty amazing! Their kindness has been so comforting after a much dreaded long travel day. I was most nervous for traveling and arriving here totally alone and they made the experience nothing but a pleasure! My friend Erin with whom I went to College with, arrives Tuesday night. I am looking forward to it, but the days here without her will definitely be more pleasurable and not quite as “lonely” as I thought they might be. Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed for the arrival of my luggage and bike!! Im DYING to get on my bike and check out the course!

Mooseman 2009 Race Report

My mom and I traveled up to New Hampshire last weekend for the Mooseman 1/2 Ironman. Mooseman is a race that many Long Islanders have done and a race that I have wanted to do for a while, but haven't done mainly due to my racing schedule and conflicts in the past. Doing other 70.3 races such as Florida and Buffalo Springs that are just too close in time to Mooseman have made it difficult to fit in. The other reason (or "hesitation") I have had with Mooseman is the historically cold water! Also, it can be a bit chilly up there as well and I try and steer clear of cold races...that being said, it was 95 degrees last year and PERFECT weather this past weekend, so if you have any of these excuses in your head, forget them! The race is awesome... As you can see in the picture on the left, the lake was gorgeous!

So, quickly re-capping the race, I was happy to have a small contingent of Runner's Edge and TNT athletes there that I knew, so it was nice to run into them the morning of the race (*see the Team Runners Edge Results following the post). I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that my friends Matt Long (I Will Foundation) and Frank Carino (along with their two buddies) were doing the race! Both Frank and Matt are doing Ironman Lake Placid in July, so I am looking forward to cheering them on up there! It was great to have them at Mooseman.

Race morning was quite nice as I headed to the lake to do my "warm-up", but the water was COLD! In fact, much colder than the day before when I went swimming in the shallow section of the lake WITHOUT my wetsuit! (It was also sunny and 82 degrees the day before). I panicked a bit as I headed out of the water for the start when I realized that I would be starting in the first wave which included over 100 men and me! Yikes! While some women may think that the idea of over 100 men and them is some kind of fantasy (he, he, he...), I can promise you that it is more like a nightmare! I definitely panicked in the swim and ended up costing myself a LOT of time! As the gun went off I found myself "running for my life" into the water and "sprinting" as fast as I could so I would not find myself UNDER some of these men (he, he, he). Even the small men seemed monstrous in size to me in that water. They thrashed about, they hit me, they swam over me. Finally I found myself doing the breaststroke and clutching at the neck of my wetsuit as I was having a hard time catching my breath! "Where's a kayaker", I thought..."Im done for the day"! OK...I got a grip. I slowed down and tried to find some space. From there I "wimpily" (is that a word??) swam to the shore. I exited in 31:33... "Oh well" I thought...I still have a bike and a run!

The bike was AWESOME!!! Some great climbs, but also many sections where you can just FLY! It was a two-loop course and I loved every minute of it! Nothing more to say about that. The men that I despised in the water were much nicer on the bike. Words of encouragement if they passed me, and also when I passed them! I felt great, which was the best part...something that hasn't happened in a while in a 70.3 race! I biked a 2:38:29

Starting the run I felt GOOD, but not GREAT...I tried to just move along as best I could. I must say that on this 2-loop course the way out has some tough rolling climbs, but the way back feels FAST! I started feeling better and better as the run went on! I noticed the other girls who started in the waves behind me, so I wanted to be sure to run fast enough that they would not beat me. With the spacing of the waves it was hard to tell EXACTLY where they were in relation to me, but I felt that if I ran hard, I would be OK. Steve Shulman from Runners Edge (also a TNT and LI Tri Coach) was a great source of encouragement for me out on the run...I looked forward to the turn-around where I would see him, so thanks Steve! In addition to Steve there were MANY spectators out on the course that were going crazy for me as I came by...it was awesome!!! My run split: 1:28:40

So I ended up finishing first despite the fact that I swam 5-6 min SLOWER than the 2nd and 3rd place women (Oops!!!!). The finish line was a party, the race director (Keith Jordan) was awesome, the race was amazingly organized, the area was beautiful...I have nothing but positive memories from this race and I HIGHLY recommend it! Total time 4:42.

Ironman Austria is a mere 3 weeks away! Im happy to have a good result under my belt and I am ready to rock! one more 20-22 mile run is in store for me on Monday and my last 100+ Mile bike is scheduled for Thursday. I am recovering VERY well from Mooseman and am getting more and more psyched to race Austria!

CONGRATS to everyone who raced last weekend in Mooseman and in the Rev 3 Triathlon!

Oh, and Thanks to Brad Smith for actually wanting to read these posts!!! ;-)

*Team Runners Edge Results:

Ken Cunningham - 5:35:37
Mark Eicher - 5:40:46
Nicole Skidmore - 5:59:33
*Michael Guida - 6:05:27
Tim Daly - 6:26:08
Kathy Keilitz - 6:57:19
Louis Ciliberti - 7:07:33
Howard Kohos - 7:20:21
Maria Diglio - 7:32:50
Diane Basso - 8:01:58

Congrats to our 2 Mooseman Olympic Finishers:

*Michael Guida - 2:53:10
Deborah Young - 3:50:06

*Competed in the Bullmoose challenge completing the Olympic Distance race Saturday and the 1/2 IM Sunday...

6 Week Count Down...

It amazes me when I think about it...I have been "counting down" to an Ironman (or two) every year for the past 8 years! This will be my ninth year in a row without a break. This realization comes to me every now and then I and simply cannot believe just how fast time can fly by! I can remember back in 2001, training for my first Ironman. I was 24 years old and I was training for IMLP at the time, but a bike crash 4 weeks before the race quickly changed my plans. With the help of mom and dad, I was signing up for a charity spot in Ironman Florida the day after my bike accident. During that summer after my accident I was forced to ride the trainer due to the 2 metal plates that were (are) inserted on each bone of my forearm. That along with pins that kept my wrist together made for a difficult time training...but train I did! I was back to running a week later with a cast that went from my shoulder to my wrist! So funny to think about it now! It amazed me just how many yells of encouragement I got EVERY TIME I went out for a run! Due to the severe pain that I would get every time I slightly moved my arm or wrist, I would be running down the road trying to hold my left arm up in the air and as still as possible...Ha! What great form! I am laughing just thinking about it! I felt like a complete fool, but this didn't stop me, oh no...I was out there training for my Ironman. The cheers I got from passing cars were a surprise and a relief...I expected much more "heckling" than I got....in fact, I don't think I got any negative comments!

As for the bike...the trainer became my friend. I would sit on that thing for hours on end...5-6 hour "long rides", intervals, you name it. I even brought it up to a friend's house while I was there visiting. Not only did I perch myself on the side of the road for a workout as a break from driving (crazy girl), but I also set it up in his parents backyard for a 6 hour ride! They must have thought I was a complete PSYCHOPATH! They would have been right! The swim wasn't so easy, so I had to take a couple of months off from that and "wing it" as best I could in the race... By race time, my arm wasn't "fully healed", but I had the plates on the bones to protect them, and the bones were "mostly healed"...my biggest fear was getting kicked in the swim, so I stayed FAR to the side during the start and dodged people as best I could! So, all went well...I won my age-group, qualified for Hawaii and was HOOKED for good! Ends up the accident was a blessing in disguise, as I doubt I had the strength to qualify in Placid at the time...funny how things work out!

Well, here I am starting my 6-week count down to IM Austria and I find that I get many of those same pre-race feelings that I got during my 1st Ironman Prep. I think this may be part of the "addiction" of Ironman. How great is it to prep for a huge event, set your goals, try and do everything right (or as "right" as you can) and countdown to a SUPER exciting day, where the outcome may be somewhat predictable due to your prep and your fitness level, but ultimately it is unknown, due to "unforeseen circumstances" on such a long day. They say that you learn the most from your worst performances... I can say that this is very true. It's during these performances that I question what I am doing with my life (during the race), but then it is these performances that get me to carefully evaluate what went wrong and how I can remedy it ( for the NEXT performance, of course)!

So, I started my "8-weeks of no ice cream/dessert" two weeks ago, a ritual of mine that I started years ago before every Ironman (I regret starting this ritual, by the way, since I usually enjoy SOME kind of dessert on MOST nights and I don't think that omitting it does anything for me really) It has become "ritual", however, and it signifies my "commitment to the race coming up"...or so that's what Ive been told when I was questioning whether I should ditch the ritual or not during a moment of weakness! Ive also had some fantastic workouts and feel quite fit, and I will be racing in two weeks at Mooseman as a type of "tune-up".

All is good in my world and as I was 8 years ago with my prep to IMFL, I am nervous and excited at the same time! The only difference is that I have 11 of these races under my belt now, Im quite a bit stronger from the years of training and it isn't as much of an "unknown" to me now. But I'm sure anyone who does them (even the studs who do 3+ a year!) can agree with me when I say that each Ironman is a bit daunting when you think about it as a whole, but each one is also special in it's own way and the excitement you get during the build-up as well as the thrill of finishing one of these races is worth all the months of training!

Back to Basics...

Wow...Time flies. It's been a while since my last update. Many changes since Oceanside. I took a "turn" after that race and have "revisited" my old training that I found to be so successful for me. The good news: Im not as "de-trained" as I thought I was! Also, after adding some MUCH NEEDED intensity in a short amount of time, I have been on a the fast track back to fitness levels that I reached during my first Pro season back in 2007! :-) I am on track to surpass those levels no doubt...
...isnt that what we all strive for? Getting as strong as possible...finding ways to surpass levels that we once considered to be our best? Because of this "switch", my mental side has also done a "180". I am more confident than I had been in a long time and I realize that I really love doing what I do, which is SO important for success. I try to embrace what I am doing as "it won't last forever"!
Of course, no athlete does it completely solo, everyone has support and I have been lucky to be able to "bounce ideas" off of George in my attempt to regain my power on the bike. Ive learned a lot that I THOUGHT I knew, but didnt fully understand. By looking back at my old training and carefully analyzing what works and what does not work for me in my training, then "picking George's brain", I have been able to really understand what it is that I need to be doing, and the correct way to go about it. It also helps to try and ride side-by-side with him...something I find difficult and frustrating at times, but always rewarding once the ride is over! Also, my coach from 2004/5-2008 offered to help me out again after almost a year hiatus. Having someone who knows my history, my ability and potential, and my goals has been key. Working closely with him again and developing a solid plan for IM Austria has been exciting...especially when I have been seeing the results come so quickly in training! Of course I always have family and friends that support me, like Jen Gatz (amazing triathlon coach, teacher, mother, athlete, etc...) who I can always contact when I need advice on training and who always gives me a solid, well thought out solution to whatever it is I need guidance with. Also, Jamie Fishlow (incredible triathlon coach, teacher, father, athlete, etc...) who has not only developed a strength training regimen for me that helped me to train injury-free throughout this winter (a first for me), but who also became my strength training partner as well as good friend. Like I said, no one can do it alone...
I've been working on my mental preparation quite a bit as well and have been reading, "Fit Soul Fit Body" written by the legendary Triathlete Mark Allen and Healer Brant Secunda. Their website is: www.fitsoul-fitbody.com. Another incredible book that teaches the importance of the mental side of training and racing is Bobby McGee's "Magical Running". I am reading this book for a second time to refresh myself on the lessons that Bobby (legendary running coach) teaches as a fundamental part of any athletes training. Bobby also has some wonderful article's that he has written on his website: www.bobbymcgee.com. Ask any successful athlete and they will tell you the importance of believing in themselves and working on their mental strength and perseverance...something that plays a HUGE role in endurance sports.
So I am finishing up a short rest period after completing a wicked training block and am getting ready to start up again...the next race is Mooseman in June and then Ironman Austria in July. I cant wait to see the payoff from all of this hard work!