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!