Nutrition spot ON Equals lovely weekend of training!

I have had the most enjoyable weekend, just in time for my Disney Trip! It has boosted my spirits tremendously going into my full Iron distance race!

Believe me, I have had doubts in the back of my mind. Thoughts like..what the hell did I sign up for? why am I doing this? I must be crazy! I cannot do this! Today, I set my mind at ease. I know I can do this.

I had to re-examine why I chose to do an Ironman. I was asked the question yesterday by my friend as we were out riding the Syracuse 70.3 course. I chose to do it for all the hard times I have faced in the last 5 years, to show my daughter with perserverance anything is possibe, to believe in something, to have a goal, Im doing it for me. I really thought about this long and hard this weekend and it has put me back in the game!

I had an enjoyable ride with my new Friend GP, who with the time Flew by on the 70.3 course. This is a very hilly course with some steeper parts as much as 12% grade. I finished this ride in 3:04. I was so proud of this time as it has shown how much I have improved. I couldve managed under 3 probably if one of the roads was not full of new gravel and at a high down hill pace! We were braking alot! Next, I headed back around my house for the last 2 hours. there is a beautiful stretch that I just love to ride by my house. My nutrition was spot on as we ate/drank every 15 min. I had a total of 5 bottles of Perpetuem, 11 gels, 2 powerbars, 3 salt tabs. It worked. 90.5miles in 5 hours. Then off the bike for 20+min at a 9:30 pace! Ill take it! My legs felt great! I always get concerned when they do as I know I have to run long the next day and don't want to push it!

Today I joined up with our local Fleet Feet store who has FREE training runs every week at Green Lakes State Park in Fayetteville, NY with Water stops! I bring my own fuel of course because the water stops are less than I would like. I ended up doing more mileage today, and was pleased with the outcome! 12.5 miles on tired legs...but after a few miles in, I just focused on form and my breathing which got me to the end smiling!  It was hot, humid, then rainy. I was soaked! I took in a total of 48 oz of fluid, HEED, then 6 shot blocks. Perfect! I have been having trouble with my runs, feeling like I am to vomit, so I backed off on the Heed just a bit and it seemed to help today.

Im so happy this weekend went well. It solidified all the reasons I want to do B2B more than ever.

I am still up in the air about Syracuse 70.3. I am going to ponder over it while Im in Florida for 10 days!!!! Woo hoo!!!

2 months and counting!

I have a little over 2 months left until my Full Ironman Distance Race!! Woo hoo!!

I am scared....I am excited that its almost here....Im nervous...Im glad...You know how it goes!

My job is up and booming already. My schedule is full with patients! I cannot believe how busy this practice is! Its like a mini ER/Urgent care! While Im glad I am busy, today was one of those days I felt like I knew S*it. I had some of the weirdest complaints today. But I guess it wasn't just me today, it was everyone in the practice having a weird day. Is it a full moon??

With work in full swing again, it definately has taken my training in a different direction. Yes, I loved my 3 months of training, eating, sleeping, Only. Now I have to plan to get up at 4 am, Make sure Im eating healthy (Which hasn't been too good with Drug reps bringing you Lunch EVERY DAY! Willpower anyone?!) Make sure my daughter is safe and taken care of, plan a late night workout if needed. Phew...

Im wondering what I will do when my life isnt so chaotic for a few months after B2B??

For now, Im focusing on our amazing vacation trip for 11 days starting next Tuesday to Orlando, FL!!! I will be bringing my wetsuit, bathing suit and running shoes with me!! Of course there is no where for me to bike but coach has me doing what I can for the next 2 weeks. Im nervous Ill lose some of my fitness!!! OMG! why did I plan this RIGHT before B2B?!!

Then, when I get back, its big rides, then taper for Syracuse 70.3!!!

69 days until I step foot in North Carolina!!!! 

A little bit of this and that...

I've been a little lame in my posting lately and not because I choose to be. I've just had so much going on that this has taken a back burner to it all.

The weekend was my longest bike ride yet!! 88 miles in 5 Hours. Then I hoped off the bike and managed to keep a 9:30 min/mile ave for my run. This was such a confidence booster for me as I was thinking I didn't have it in me to run a marathon after my IM bike. I felt like jello but felt like I could just run on auto pilot. It felt that good to run after my bike! I kept up with my nutrition which I think had a major factor in that nice run.

Yesterday I volunteered at Our local tri clubs featured event, Caz Tri in Cazenovia, NY. What a blast I had. I body marked. Even my daughter helped. I knew a few that she marked because she put a few S's (for sprint) backwards on some calves. Also she made a mistake with a number on a womens calf, scratched it off and then started underneath it!! Oh my god it was hysterical. Thank god the women thought it was funny, and cute too!! I then led the bikers in and out of transition. So much fun to see the action up front!

I have been frustrated lately. My coach has recently told us that she will no longer be coaching with Train-this and she will be moving onto bigger and better things with QT2 systems. While Im happy for her, I am stumped at where I go from here. I now know what I am truely looking for in a coach and would like to pursue other avenues. Not that my coach wasn't good to me, but feel I need more. I have been looking into a few coaches in the area. Its hard to choose as its about personality as well as how my coach can help me with my training. I don't know what my plans are after my Full Iron Distance race. But I know I want to keep doing tris in the future. This is definately one of the toughest decisions for me.

I have been really internalizing my races this year and have cried a few times as I feel like the spark and fun that I used to feel has somewhat dwindled. I still get excited dont get me wrong but its not like it used to be. I had fun on my 10 +mile run yest, I had fun on my bike ride, but when Im racing, Im losing my spark. This is where I need to find it again.

Is this normal when training for an Ironman?

I hope it can come before October....

2011 Athleta Iron Girl Race Report

I never know where to start with these race reports so I am going to start with my feelings on the race..

Every year I've raced this race, there is something that has changed...whether it be the swim, the transition, the Expo, Something has changed...

Just to give you background, this race is at Oneida Lake State Park in Brewerton, NY. It is a first timer race for many of the local newbies as it is a ALL women race. It is a race to Empower women and give them a sense of accomplishment....

I woke up at 4:30AM this morning, had my usual pre race breakfast, settled down for a chat with my honey, Grabbed my NEW Blue Seventy transition bag ( I got for a STEAL of a price through the expo!! They had them marked wrong! WIN for me!) and was out the door by 5AM.

My honey and I were taking different cars because he needed to leave early for work and had to park off site. Come to find out they weren't even checking wrist bands and letting everyone in!

I arrived around 5:30 to the body marking tent and almost got dizzy from the fumes! I settled in with my bag, got all my stuff in position, helped a women change her tire, helped my speedy swim friend pump her tires up and was out of transition at 6:30. I even met a person I went to high school with in Transition!! Wow! Time flies!

My friend G and I had a pep talk about who we were gunning for and then got into the water for a quick swim out to test the water.

I finally met up with my honey right before my wave went off at 7:35Am, kissed him and got into the water. I was singing crazily...fist pumping as the music was rolling..then the Gun went off!!It was a mass chaotic mess to the first buoy!! I was fighting for my position with these girls!! All I kept thinking was keep at it and it will disperse soon as these girls will get tired. I had a girl to my left who kept hitting me and putting her palm in my face, I finally stopped swimming for a minute and grabbed the top of her shoulder and pulled her back...I was not happy...After we rounded the first buoy I swam over 2 girls in the wave before me who didnt have wetsuits that were right in the middle of all of us. HEY, I had no where to go but there!! As I rounded the next buoy to come to shore, I had a lot of weaving in and out to do!!! The wave before us, there was a bunch of girls waliking, breast stroking, back stroking, that I had to weave in and out of...I ended up way off course and had to swim under a buoy line to get back on track.

The swim was supposed to be 600m but think it was a little longer-

Swim time: 13:57 (I did this for a 800m a month ago!!!)
(49/1047 Overall swim time)

T1- This was a long transition up the beach to the parking lot. I ran the whole thing, Should've ran a little harder!!  Time: 2:21

Bike- I wanted to try keeping my shoes on the bike and getting them on while biking. The pavement was so full of gravel, I cut my foot. I got on my bike and tried to put my shoes on. I took me a good 1/2 mile to put them on. I think my time was slower in these few min because I was fumbling!! I finally got them in and started biking really well. I averaged about a 22-23mph for the first 5 miles. I was passing people, really enjoying my bike. Until, the railroad tracks came!! I tried to hop them and when my bike landed my aero bottle flipped out of the front of my aerobars. I screeched to a halt, went down in a ditch and grabbed my bottle, trying to put it back on my bike. I finally said screw it, and threw it at the volunteer across the road, hitting her in the leg. I felt bad. I asked her to take it and then threw it!!! So I wasn't being mean as everyone who has heard my story thinks!! ha ha!!

I then proceeded on the bike, saw a guy hand water to a lady, but then as I went by, I saw he had a Whole case and was handing them out!!! Crap! I should've grabbed one!! (But isn't that getting outside assistance??) I saw a girl pass the yellow line..a few people with I Pods on. Man this bike was just crazy! at some points I was biking really well, averaging close to a 22 mph speed. Some parts I was up to 27mph..I felt like my biking was much better than the time I had. I will have to see about that when I plug my garmin in. I Know it was 19.3 miles and not 18.8 like they said! I had a gel only on my bike and took it around mile 10. So glad I had these at least!

The bike dismount went great. Got my feet out on the bike, and then we rounded the last bend I had to screech on my brakes!! Bike jam! I was screaming come on!!! I wasted timeat the bike mount because people were everywhere!

Bike time: 51:20/21 mph ave speed even with stopping and fumbling!!!
(12/1047 OA)

T2- Same thing, big transition- Time: 1:09. I stumbled a little getting my shoes on but pretty good there

Run: Now, this is where I am the weakest. I have been working on this with my coach but there still is so much need for improvement. I was off the bike feeling pretty good despite my lack of nutrition. I am so glad my pre race nutrition was spot on and I think this is what carried me throughout the race. And, I had my head in the game for the most part!!
Not too much to say about the run except on the last mile a lady with the bst triathlon body came out of no where and was in my age group and I tried to gun her down but she was just so much faster than me I had to let her go. I was running out of steam quickly. I took some perform and 1 gel on the run.

As I was out running, so many people I knew were cheering me on, I was cheering them on...Such a great great race!!!

Run time: 27:06/8:45min/mi pace
(161/1047 OA)

Total Time: 1:35:53.
20th OA!!

Not a PR, but I have come to terms with this race finally. I knew I had done alot over the last few weeks. After 2 weeks of racing, training, no rest. I guess I know what a Ironman will feel like....Slightly!!!


IronGirl.com

Athleta Iron Girl 2011 Pre Race thoughts

Tomorrow I am settling in on doing a hometown race. Im so glad I get to sleep in my own bed! Although I will be waking up at 4:30 in the morning to be out the door by 5 as parking seems to be a big factor this year.

I have raced this Sprint triathlon the last 2 years and it is so inspiring to watch all the people that I have trained with week by week in the same venue through our Local Triathlon Club, CNY Tri. (Which has made USAT rankings as one of the clubs with highest members, 1,000+) We cheer each other on, we hoot and holler at each other, its just a fun race. This year it grew to 1,200 participants and sold out within 3 weeks time. Talk about a hot triathlon!! (If you are a single male this is a race you dont want to miss!! ;P )

Anyways, I racked my bike today and the transition area has been moved from previous years where it was a grassy transition to the parking lot pavement. Transition was long last year, but its even longer this year from the swim. Last year the swim course was off about a 100 meters and I made it back to shore in 8 min. This year it is going to be well calculated and I know that time will go up to around 10-11 minutes.

The bike course has changed too!! We are going out a different way, adding about .5miles onto the course. No big deal there but it will definately change bike times! Last year I was 50:25(? sec) for 18.8 miles. Lets see If I can bring that down to 47-48 min. I am faster on my bike this year, but I am racing this after biking 2+ hours today. (I am all in my compression gear as I am typing away)

The run is a little different as well, but not much. It is having us go down a little path then onto the run course. Still a 5K no matter how we look at it. Last year I was 25:??. This year I am gunning for 24-25:00

I have been PRing all my other races this year, Im hoping to PR this one as well!!!

I asked coach if she thought I could do better than my 11th OA finish last year. She replied " You have PR'd every single race you've done this year! Everyone at that start line has a chance to win the race. Its what you can control that helps you win. Your FOCUS and Your INTENSITY!! Let it Rip!!"

Ok coach!!! GAME ON!!!!!!

Delta Lake Olympic Race Recap

I am still reviewing my results and am grateful I am able to have such a supportive boyfriend that lets me go swim, bike, run when I need/want to. I am grateful to be able to do what I love besides my job! It makes my whole well being better.

I got to race in Rome, NY yesterday at Delta Lake State Park. This lake is very serene. No chop, and really clear!

I did my usual pre race breakfast 2 hours before the race. Loaded up the Jeep and we were off. It was about a hour drive from our house so we left around 6am. We went past the exit in Utica to get to the park, stopped at McDonalds to ask directions and the guy was getting me all confused.

We got back in the car and found the exit. See last year I used my GPS in the car but since our last out of state excursion I haven't been able to find it. I had to use Mapquest which was very confusing.

We finally got to the Lake at 7:20am and I had about 25 min to set up my transition and get my timing chip. I was nervous, but excited to be racing with a ton of people I knew.

My friend Kathy and I in Transition

I was seated in the second wave with all the intermediate female swimmers. 68 of us. It was nice we were all swimming together. The water was about 74 degrees. Perfect conditions. It was a 2 loop course. I had a hard time sighting on the way back in as the sun was directly in front of me swimming in.

Swim time: 28:34                      Compared to same swim last year at 33:08

T1- We had more people racing this year so transition was moved and was a longer run.

T1- 1:08                                 2010 T1- 0:57

Bike- The bike was a 2 loop out and back rolling hill course. I did 2 1/2 hours of biking the day before so I didn't know how my legs were going to tolerate the bike. I did really well on the 1st loop but could tell I was slowing on the 2nd loop. There was a lot of drafting going on and I even yelled at a girl in my AG for passing me on the right!!! Come to find out she was the 1st placer in my AG. She should know the rules!!

Bike time: 1:07:52                 Compared to last years bike at 1:10:11

I was proud of that bike on tired legs..I felt good and my nutrition was spot on!

T2- Took my feet out of my shoes on the bike and hopped off!

T2- 0:51                              Last year 0:39

Run- The run was changed a little as well. Still remained a 3 loop course but we went through some trails where the roots werent very good. I started running and feeling so good I felt like I was flying! The next 2 well, I tripped on a root and slid across the ground a couple feet. I just stood there shocked that I just skidded across the ground. A lady behind me helped me up and said come on you can do it, keep going. My leg hurt and I was limping. I stopped for a minute to gain my composure and said to myself you are having a great race, don't let this get to you and kept running.
Here are the splits:

1st 2.1 miles- 17:16                Last year 18:30
2nd 2.1 miles- 18:28               Last year 19:00
3rd 2.1 miles-  18:05              Last year 19:18

I didn't negative split like I would've liked to but it was a much better run than last year!

Time 2:33:08!!! 
6/16 in AG
15th OA women
Fastest BIKE split in AG!!!

Last year 2:41:41

A 8 MIN PR!!! I now can see that my running is coming along. I have been crying to my coach telling her I suck at running and I need to be faster but I am making small gains which I totally can see now! I need to believe in myself and it all falls into place! I even made the Utica Paper!! http://www.uticaod.com/ click sports Lake Delta and you will see my pic!

Next up this weekend is IRON GIRL and I totally have to bring my game because there are some fast chicks out there now!!!

Happy Training!