So, St. George is a mere 2 days away - less, actually, if you count the hours - and I'm pretty calm. Sort of! I did freak out yesterday afternoon, realizing that there was NO WAY that we could leave this afternoon (our scheduled departure day). Fortunately, we are driving to St. George, so we had some flexibility, and it won't screw things up too much to leave early tomorrow morning. The other change in the weekend schedule/coordination is that Gus will be traveling with us! We had planned on boarding him with this great woman (from www.dogvacay.com - I'm a huge fan of this site), but his sleep issues continue, so he's coming with us.
As for the race? We'll see how things go on Saturday. I don't have huge expectations, but I might be a little crushed if it's a terrible day for me. And, I'm worried that it might be terrible. Signing up for St. George, I was well aware of the fact that conditions would probably be less-than-ideal, and when I started to stalk the weather.com app, the temperatures steadily rose . Last week, I think that the high was supposed to be 81 degrees on Saturday, and now, it's supposed to be 90 degrees. As I checked the weather daily (obsessive?), I told myself that the heat would be okay, I'd raced in hot weather before, and I could cope, as long as it wasn't windy. And it now looks as though it'll be a windy day. Dammnit!
But the dreaming bit? I don't have frequent dreams about races, but I've had a few - and they always make me laugh. A few years ago, I dreamt that I had forgotten my bike and went straight from the swim to the run. That was probably wish fulfillment. Last year, then, I dreamt that I had the wrong Ironman date, a dream that freaked me out so much I was nervous to confirm the date. And this year? Apparently I missed my wave start and didn't have my ID at St. George!
Keeping that dream in mind, I guess it will be a successful race if I start with my wave, so no complaining about a slower-than-desirable day!
Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
A first and a last - LA TriEvents 2
TriEvents marked one of the 'firsts' of the year - a race! In other ways, it also began what will probably be a long litany of lasts as we prepare to move to Colorado and say our good-byes to people, places and experiences. So, TriEvents was my last "hometown", Southern CA race, which made the experience rather bittersweet.
As for this race... I usually don't go on and on about my pre-race days for a smaller local event, but I think that I followed a good list of what NOT to do. First of all, I've felt somewhat unmotivated training-wise. Also, we have kept up an unusually busy social calendar as we're trying to get together with friends as much as possible (which may impact the first point). So, not only did I eat some really rich Mexican food Friday night at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses (yes, that is the "Mole of the Gods" restaurant - if you like mole, which not everyone does, this place is for you!), but we spent part of Saturday at a toddler's birthday party, at which I ate several cookies and 2 pieces of cake, and then we had Middle Eastern Saturday night. To top it all off, Gus, our dog, has been getting up in the middle of the night - at least once, but sometimes twice - to go outside. On Saturday night, he got up, and subsequently woke us up, at 12:00 and then again at 3:00. So, not very auspicious circumstances for the race.
However, I reminded myself when I woke up at 5:00 am (after not sleeping much between 3-5) that this was NOT my "A" race but more of the 'ripping-the-bandaid-off' type of a race. With St. George very much on the horizon (next Saturday!), it was nice to locate all of my shit, some of which I hadn't seen since last summer. I was about 100% sure that I would forget an essential item, but I somehow managed to make it to Bonelli with all the necessities. That was the first surprise and relief, but it still didn't exactly calm my nerves which were a bit on edge.
Arriving at the park early Sunday am, I was initially excited to see all of the athletes and take in the energy. Yay, a triathlon! But once I checked in and started to REALLY prepare for the race, I just wanted to leave. Part of this was nerves, plain and simple, but it also stemmed from the fact that Michael had opted to stay in bed after a rough night's sleep. As much as I wanted him to be at the race as my sherpa and photographer, I also understood his choice. Plus, he'll be there at St. George and Boulder, which are far more important to me. But I still missed him, as weird/dependent as that sounds. The other aspect of the race that made me nervous, strangely, was the fact that I knew so many people racing, spectating and volunteering. Signing up, this was one of the bonuses, but as I started to get ready to race, I just wanted to be alone, to zone out and be with my thoughts. Also, I felt a weird pressure because I knew so many people and, thanks to my awesome self-confidence, I was sure that they would give me the side-eye as a "triathlete".
Despite my nerves, it was fun to see so many people I knew. With that in mind, I tried to breath (just breath!), focus on my race and enjoy the experience, no matter the outcome and repeated to myself, time and again, that this was NOT my A-race. Lining up for the swim, I felt okay - the water temperature was a great and it was a nice morning, despite haze from a nearby fire. It was so exciting to see the first waves start, and then it was the pinked-capped ladies' turn! My first thought starting out was "Holy crap, this is so much harder than I expected!". There was a lot of contact initially, but then we spread out and I felt more comfortable. The swim ended up being slower than I had hoped/expected - I exited at 20:56 for 1000 meters, for a 2:05 pace. Coming out of the water, I grimaced at someone who was cheering for me. Such good sportsmanship!
As for this race... I usually don't go on and on about my pre-race days for a smaller local event, but I think that I followed a good list of what NOT to do. First of all, I've felt somewhat unmotivated training-wise. Also, we have kept up an unusually busy social calendar as we're trying to get together with friends as much as possible (which may impact the first point). So, not only did I eat some really rich Mexican food Friday night at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses (yes, that is the "Mole of the Gods" restaurant - if you like mole, which not everyone does, this place is for you!), but we spent part of Saturday at a toddler's birthday party, at which I ate several cookies and 2 pieces of cake, and then we had Middle Eastern Saturday night. To top it all off, Gus, our dog, has been getting up in the middle of the night - at least once, but sometimes twice - to go outside. On Saturday night, he got up, and subsequently woke us up, at 12:00 and then again at 3:00. So, not very auspicious circumstances for the race.
However, I reminded myself when I woke up at 5:00 am (after not sleeping much between 3-5) that this was NOT my "A" race but more of the 'ripping-the-bandaid-off' type of a race. With St. George very much on the horizon (next Saturday!), it was nice to locate all of my shit, some of which I hadn't seen since last summer. I was about 100% sure that I would forget an essential item, but I somehow managed to make it to Bonelli with all the necessities. That was the first surprise and relief, but it still didn't exactly calm my nerves which were a bit on edge.
Arriving at the park early Sunday am, I was initially excited to see all of the athletes and take in the energy. Yay, a triathlon! But once I checked in and started to REALLY prepare for the race, I just wanted to leave. Part of this was nerves, plain and simple, but it also stemmed from the fact that Michael had opted to stay in bed after a rough night's sleep. As much as I wanted him to be at the race as my sherpa and photographer, I also understood his choice. Plus, he'll be there at St. George and Boulder, which are far more important to me. But I still missed him, as weird/dependent as that sounds. The other aspect of the race that made me nervous, strangely, was the fact that I knew so many people racing, spectating and volunteering. Signing up, this was one of the bonuses, but as I started to get ready to race, I just wanted to be alone, to zone out and be with my thoughts. Also, I felt a weird pressure because I knew so many people and, thanks to my awesome self-confidence, I was sure that they would give me the side-eye as a "triathlete".
Thanks to Harrison Shao of CalTri who took this photo - I somehow wiped my race number on my face, that is not a beard!
Despite my nerves, it was fun to see so many people I knew. With that in mind, I tried to breath (just breath!), focus on my race and enjoy the experience, no matter the outcome and repeated to myself, time and again, that this was NOT my A-race. Lining up for the swim, I felt okay - the water temperature was a great and it was a nice morning, despite haze from a nearby fire. It was so exciting to see the first waves start, and then it was the pinked-capped ladies' turn! My first thought starting out was "Holy crap, this is so much harder than I expected!". There was a lot of contact initially, but then we spread out and I felt more comfortable. The swim ended up being slower than I had hoped/expected - I exited at 20:56 for 1000 meters, for a 2:05 pace. Coming out of the water, I grimaced at someone who was cheering for me. Such good sportsmanship!
The ladies, lining up for the swim. Photo courtesy of TriEvents.
Beth's only advice to me for the day was "Go as HARD as you can on the bike :)" - she included a smiley face on that 'suggestion'! Not really what I wanted to hear, but after a quick-for-me transition (sub 4:00!!!), I was on the bike course, trying to pass slower people and also leave room for the faster people to pass me and attempting to push myself on the bike. I've raced this course once - 3 years ago, although that was a full Olympic distance (today's race was just a bit short), and while it isn't Wildflower hard, it isn't easy. Lots of hills, some tricky turns and some portions of crappy road. Plus, it's a 3-loop course, and I get bored by that third lap. Anyway, I tried to push hard and was happy with the split on the first lap, less excited about the 2nd lap split, and a bit disheartened by the third, but what could I do? I finished the 33km course in 1:12:33 for 17.4 mph ride. While it wasn't the ride I wanted, I looked back at my 2012 race, and my time definitely improved! So, progress is progress.
After a quick transition (would have been faster than 1:24 except that I stopped to talk to a student from work in transition - he actually won the sprint division!), it was time for the run. Recently, I've felt great running off the bike, so I was hoping for a strong run, but you never know. I did try something different this time. I usually switch from the Garmin Edge on the bike to the Garmin 110 to track my run. Yesterday, I opted to stick with the Edge which gives me overall pace rather than specific mile splits, so I ended up running very much by feel.
My one complaint - my race bib kept riding high which made me feel like I was wearing high-waist pants or something.
The run-by-feel strategy is one that I might implement in future races because, holy crap, I ran a fast 8km (for me!), holding a 7:30 pace. I wonder if I would have backed off had I seen the pace, and, at the same time, I wonder if I had something left in the tank at the end?
At any rate, I crossed the finish line a very happy camper - relieved that the race had gone better than expected, despite a rough swim and slightly disappointing bike, and I remembered why I keep pushing along. These experiences challenge me time and again, and while I often question myself and my enthusiasm wanes at times, there are those moments when things click. My strong run probably helped my attitude, but even with my less-than-great performance on the swim and the bike, I remembered to cheer on other people and felt energized by the support that was out there on the course and it was just fun to be out there!
Finally, the second "first" (a true first for me!) - a podium! Before my training/attitude/eating went to total shit, I had harbored a secret hope to place at this race as a nice way to end my triathlon experience here in Southern CA. As I headed into the race, I lowered any and all expectations, so it was a very pleasant surprise when I ended up 3rd in my AG! I understand that it's a small local race, so it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I was excited enough to wait around for the awards ceremony. Triathlon has been a challenging road for me - the swim and bike do not come easily, and I know that I didn't execute a perfect pre-race or race plan, but the accumulation of years of somewhat hard work is beginning to reap benefits. While I have zero photos (at this point) of my podium, it was fun to get a cheer from the crazy CalTri folks as pictured below:
It's definitely a motley crew and I'm not the most dedicated member, but triathlon has become a somewhat significant part of my life, and, in one way or another, I've shared that with many of these people.
So, the final take-aways from the race? Transitions matter (for the first time ever, I tried to hurry and it might have made the difference between a podium spot or 4th place); I'm still a better runner than swimmer/biker, but I can improve, slowly! And, the most important note - the camaraderie and energy on the course make the race experience. Keeping that last point in mind, I finally feel excitement about St. George, rather than dread, and I can't believe that it's next week! As I said in my last post, racing season is upon us!
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
It's April! And racing season! And other odds and ends...
Happy tax day (tomorrow - and how is 'happy' a part of it, even if you do get a tax return?!).
Starting soon, I think that I need to have some sort of a 'regular' blog session, just so that I can post about my oh-so-exciting life. I realize that many people in the digital age have moved on to Instagram and/or Twitter, but I'm not there yet. In my defense, I still remember when I didn't even use email 20 years ago.
But, to at least give a monthly update... Last year, I remember that February was such a challenging month, and this year, March certainly filled February's shoes, and more. Now that April is upon us, and we have some certainty/clarity about life as we move forward, I feel lighter and much less stressed. As I look back at March, I can't believe how much we weathered - figuring out job stuff for the short-term, dealing with a slight physical malaise (my back), and coming to terms with a death in the family. It always amazes me, when I'm in the midst of a stressful situation, I tend to put blinders on and just push through, but once I have some distance, I can see how hard it was. So, yes, March was a difficult month.
April, training-wise, has felt more focused, and I am looking forward to my first 2015 race this weekend! TriEvents #2 is a local event in which I've participated without great success and, recently, I've come to know the race better as a volunteer. This Sunday, however, I'll be donning my wetsuit for the first time since last summer and will force myself to remember how to transition. I don't have high expectations - this race falls two weeks before St. George 70.3, which IS a 'big deal'. Instead of racing, a part of me would rather have a big training weekend as a last-ditch effort to boost my strength/speed/endurance, but maybe this will boost my race confidence? After all, I'm not sure how much "hay in the barn" I'd actually harvest at this point. I do find it ironic that the more I train, the less I seem to race these days...
I don't have high hopes for TriEvents, but I'd love to put down a solid performance for me, swimming, biking (ha!) and running. This is a tougher course than people give it credit, especially the bike, but I'd love to push HARD on the bike and see what that leaves me for the run. I'm still not fast on the bike, even with the Bat, but I've felt so good transitioning bike-to-run, that I'm interested in seeing what my run will be.
And, despite my typical lackluster bike performance, I've had some good rides recently. Well, some that left me scratching my head, like when I flatted BOTH tires at once. It was the very end of a hilly ride and I just wasn't paying attention. Fortunately, I was about 2 houses down from our house, so I just walked the bike home. On the positive side, this past weekend, I rode what I remember from last year as a killer ride - GMR (Glendora Mountain Road loop), and while it was difficult, I enjoyed the ride SO MUCH! I've been nervous about the St. George bike course, especially on the tri bike, but this gave me a sense that "Sí se puede".
(If I were a better blogger, I would actually have some photos, but I don't. It was a gorgeous day to be out biking though and it's a great road to ride!)
Now, to end on a 'down' note. While my back woes are definitely on the mend, to my immense relief, I feel that injury is something of a hydra for me. Once I deal with a specific issue, another one (or two) raises its head. I'm currently dealing with a bit of plantar fasciitis in my left foot/calf. Ah, my old foe from 2012/13! What is even more frustrating is that in other ways I feel that my running game is pretty strong right now, so I'd love to ignore this little niggle, but I know that I can't/shouldn't. Last week, I pushed hard on the bike and then transitioned to a really fast run (this was probably the workout that tipped the scale to a full-blown flare-up of PF). I'd love to see what I can do this weekend on the run, but I also don't want to sabotage St. George or, especially, Boulder.
There are a lot of 'lasts' that we are facing over the next two months. Moving still feels a bit abstract, but I also know that this is the last local CA race that I'll do. So, I want to have fun, enjoy the camaraderie on the course, and appreciate the overall experience. It's also great to have a season 'launch' - to feel that I've built a solid base, worked towards this moment, and now I can take it in and see how I do. Hopefully I'll have a bit of luck working in my favor too!
Starting soon, I think that I need to have some sort of a 'regular' blog session, just so that I can post about my oh-so-exciting life. I realize that many people in the digital age have moved on to Instagram and/or Twitter, but I'm not there yet. In my defense, I still remember when I didn't even use email 20 years ago.
But, to at least give a monthly update... Last year, I remember that February was such a challenging month, and this year, March certainly filled February's shoes, and more. Now that April is upon us, and we have some certainty/clarity about life as we move forward, I feel lighter and much less stressed. As I look back at March, I can't believe how much we weathered - figuring out job stuff for the short-term, dealing with a slight physical malaise (my back), and coming to terms with a death in the family. It always amazes me, when I'm in the midst of a stressful situation, I tend to put blinders on and just push through, but once I have some distance, I can see how hard it was. So, yes, March was a difficult month.
April, training-wise, has felt more focused, and I am looking forward to my first 2015 race this weekend! TriEvents #2 is a local event in which I've participated without great success and, recently, I've come to know the race better as a volunteer. This Sunday, however, I'll be donning my wetsuit for the first time since last summer and will force myself to remember how to transition. I don't have high expectations - this race falls two weeks before St. George 70.3, which IS a 'big deal'. Instead of racing, a part of me would rather have a big training weekend as a last-ditch effort to boost my strength/speed/endurance, but maybe this will boost my race confidence? After all, I'm not sure how much "hay in the barn" I'd actually harvest at this point. I do find it ironic that the more I train, the less I seem to race these days...
I don't have high hopes for TriEvents, but I'd love to put down a solid performance for me, swimming, biking (ha!) and running. This is a tougher course than people give it credit, especially the bike, but I'd love to push HARD on the bike and see what that leaves me for the run. I'm still not fast on the bike, even with the Bat, but I've felt so good transitioning bike-to-run, that I'm interested in seeing what my run will be.
And, despite my typical lackluster bike performance, I've had some good rides recently. Well, some that left me scratching my head, like when I flatted BOTH tires at once. It was the very end of a hilly ride and I just wasn't paying attention. Fortunately, I was about 2 houses down from our house, so I just walked the bike home. On the positive side, this past weekend, I rode what I remember from last year as a killer ride - GMR (Glendora Mountain Road loop), and while it was difficult, I enjoyed the ride SO MUCH! I've been nervous about the St. George bike course, especially on the tri bike, but this gave me a sense that "Sí se puede".
(If I were a better blogger, I would actually have some photos, but I don't. It was a gorgeous day to be out biking though and it's a great road to ride!)
Now, to end on a 'down' note. While my back woes are definitely on the mend, to my immense relief, I feel that injury is something of a hydra for me. Once I deal with a specific issue, another one (or two) raises its head. I'm currently dealing with a bit of plantar fasciitis in my left foot/calf. Ah, my old foe from 2012/13! What is even more frustrating is that in other ways I feel that my running game is pretty strong right now, so I'd love to ignore this little niggle, but I know that I can't/shouldn't. Last week, I pushed hard on the bike and then transitioned to a really fast run (this was probably the workout that tipped the scale to a full-blown flare-up of PF). I'd love to see what I can do this weekend on the run, but I also don't want to sabotage St. George or, especially, Boulder.
There are a lot of 'lasts' that we are facing over the next two months. Moving still feels a bit abstract, but I also know that this is the last local CA race that I'll do. So, I want to have fun, enjoy the camaraderie on the course, and appreciate the overall experience. It's also great to have a season 'launch' - to feel that I've built a solid base, worked towards this moment, and now I can take it in and see how I do. Hopefully I'll have a bit of luck working in my favor too!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Countdown to Wildflower!
It seems like I signed up for Wildflower a while back as a race in the very "distant" future. Yet, here it is, almost upon us! Thinking about the fact that there are officially less than 2 weeks until May 3, race day for me, does not freak me out. Seeing this is a lead-up to CdA, however, DOES make that event feel much closer which is a bit panic-inducing!
This is my fourth year going to Wildflower, and clearly I never learn that April, school-wise, is just kind of crazy, and I'm completely stressed out about a million different things. Well, here I am again, stressed about school issues and also trying to focus on solid training swims, runs and rides. At this point, I've learned that every month, every week, maybe even every day, presents a different challenge in terms of training. I was a bit of a stress case in February with the running situation which had me sidelined; March was a pretty glorious month - I had a few great experiences with organized rides, a nice 'triathlon-season opener' at the Desert Triathlon, returned to running and also felt strong in the pool as began to get in more yardage.
I have not felt that training in April has gone "as well", whatever that means. My running game is back - not quite 100% but definitely 90% - as I've started to incorporate tempo runs, hill repeats and even have a few long (for me) runs under the belt. So, that is a huge plus. But, swimming has been a mixed bag, and biking, where I saw progress in February and March, has felt like a huge step backwards. I really struggled with what should have been a pretty 'easy' longish ride last weekend, whichleft me feeling completely frustrated. Not to mention that I wanted to throw my bike into the ocean or, better yet, run over it with the car. Looking back, I think that there were some mechanical issues that may have caused a slower pace - my bike wasn't shifting well and there seemed to be other problems. Not to look for a scapegoat, but all of those small issues may have contributed to my sense of frustration.
Fortunately, I felt much more focused this week and on top of my so-called game in the pool and also in the saddle. Despite the strong urge to stay in bed to sleep a bit more both yesterday and today, I managed to motivate myself. The source of said motivation: FEAR. Seriously, I told myself that with Wildflower 2 weeks away, I *had* to get in these workouts (which is somewhat true). So, yesterday, I headed off for a solo ride and hit just over 50 miles with 4400 elevation gain (more or less). I opted for the Lower Big Tujunga loop (should have gone Upper, but that's a ride for another day), which seems to be my pre-70.3 ride. I've done this ride with variations for both Boulder 70.3 and last year for Vineman, and it's a good prep ride. I should compare my stats from this year and last year. Or maybe not - without looking at data, I felt that I was pretty strong out there yesterday and hit the ranger station on the 2 much earlier than I expected. It wasn't a fast ride, but I did feel good during my 5-mile post-ride-run.
Today was much the same - did not want to run, did not want to run... But ended up with a 14.4 mile run, my longest run in a very long time and longer, obviously, than the 13.1 miles at Wildflower (hopefully only 13.1 - who knows with the course!). I felt good for the first 6-7 miles, my legs could actually move, to my great surprise, but things were way harder the second half. Still, I finished, pushing hard for those final miles. And now, with those two bigger workouts under my belt, I think that I might, just maybe, be ready for Wildflower! They were not exactly key to my fitness prep, but they did serve to bolster my confidence, which is always good.
As for Wildflower, who knows how that will go! So much depends on the weather and race conditions at that race, as I've experienced personally, even at the Olympic distance. My main goal for the event is not based on time but on the hope that it will give me a sense of where I am for CdA in June. It IS exciting to take on a bigger challenge with the Long Course, and Wildflower will always have a nostalgic place in my heart as the first tri I ever did.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Good or bad, racing is upon us!
With February ending on a very sad note in our household, I wanted to cancel any and all plans that we (or I) had already made for the next few weeks, which included the first triathlon of the season and also an organized bike ride. Michael, however, convinced me that I should go to Palm Springs for the Desert Tri for a number of reasons. Some of these included: a. I had already paid for it; b. my coach would be there. I still had my doubts, partly because I was still feeling so sad about Milo, but also because of the weather (stormy) and because of my shitty running over the past month.
When Saturday morning rolled around, we had already committed to heading east, and so we did, driving through plenty of rain. The negative thoughts continued to roll around in my head, even as we pulled away from the storms. By the time we reached the desert, it was actually gorgeous - dramatic clouds and light, but not raining. It seemed that all of my doom and gloom and worry about the weather was for naught! I met my coach there and we ended up riding one loop of the course, which is extremely flat. Then I traded bike shoes for running kicks and took it slow and easy for about 10 minutes. I was not feeling confident about the run at all and even broached the subject of how to prepare to walk the marathon in an Ironman with my coach (I'd been reading up on it, and there is plenty about a run/walk strategy but not much about a walk strategy; no doubt she was thrilled to be working with someone who just broke down physically so easily - sigh. Add to that, the fact that I fell right in front of her on my bike because I couldn't unclip. Seriously, it's been YEARS since that has happened - how embarrassing!).
Despite the slow run, I felt good about having a practice ride/run, and we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in Palm Springs, which is kind of a weird place. Maybe CA is just full of strange places? I'm not sure, but it ranks up there in terms of a strange combination of people. Plus, who would have come up with the idea of the desert as a great place to build a town/city? And populate it with golf courses that need tons of water?
After dreaming on Saturday night about only completing one lap of the run because I was so slow (nice anxiety dream), I managed to get up and get all of my gear and other crap together, making it to transition with plenty of time to spare, or so I thought. There would have been plenty of space on the rack except that some people were taking up a luxurious and ridiculous amount of room. What the hell?! Also, a bunch of port-o-potties ran out of TP, which was kind of funny because then it was obvious who just needed to pee and who had other "business" to take care of.
Fortunately, I did take care of everything and by 7:30, I was down at the start, waiting with the other pink-capped ladies for my 7:42 wave to go off.
Photo - Thanks to Beth Walsh
And we were off! I actually enjoyed the swim - the water felt great, there wasn't tons of contact, and when I popped my head out of the water, I could take in the desert - it was a pretty course! I wasn't very fast but made reasonable time, and, after struggling a bit to get my wetsuit unzipped, I was soon on the bike!
I knew, from the day before, that it was a flat, flat, flat course, which does not favor me (I kind of like hills to push up and then cruise down). Since my running was shot anyway, the plan was to really push it on the bike, something that I have NEVER done or tried to do. Armed with my handy-dandy heart rate monitor, I focused not on MPH but on heart rate. I can't say that I enjoyed the ride all that much, especially considering the packs of people drafting off each other, but I felt good about the fact that I stayed focused!
Finally, the run - never have I dreaded a run so much! I hadn't thought about it too much on the bike, but managed to at least start out running. And then I hit mile 2 and then mile 3, rounding out the first lap while slowly chugging along. On almost any other occasion, my splits would have sent me into a frustrated state, but I was just happy that I was still running (or jogging) and that the miles were actually sub-10. Amazing! I started the second lap, fully expecting to slow down and walk, but somehow, my leg tightened up but never to the point of pain. I even picked up the pace on my last mile and cruised over the finish line, a far happier camper than I had expected.
Photo also thanks to Beth Walsh
My overall age group ranking is nothing to write home about, but this race bolstered my confidence way more than I had anticipated, and I was grateful to be outside, swim, bike, running in a really beautiful place. There wasn't much more that I could have asked for, at the end of the day!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Fast times in the Southland
I kind of love it when a trip that you loosely "planned" months ago sneaks up on you and suddenly you're off! We (or maybe I) had planned a trip to the Carlsbad/Encinitas area back in October, but after the initial planning, which consisted of registering for a half-marathon and reserving a hotel room, I sort of forgot to think about the details of the trip. But Saturday morning rolled around and we managed to pack up our bags and the dogs, head out the door and direct ourselves south!
The original purpose of the trip was, for me, to chase a PR at the Carlsbad Half-Marathon, about which I'd heard great things. The idea of a half-marathon PR became a distant memory once I started to run using heart rate and rarely saw anything below a 10:-- mile, so I readjusted my expectations and decided that it would just be a fun way to spend the weekend. It also turned out that my parents had made separate plans that included a trip to Southern CA this past weekend, so our plans morphed again to include time with them. At any rate, my half-marathon hopes/goals quickly diminished as the "main event" of the weekend, which took the pressure off me on Saturday. While I still hoped to run a solid race that would be a good training run, I did not expect a particularly speedy-for-me 13.1 miles on Sunday. I did meet up with my triathlon coach on Saturday afternoon - which was a really nice bonus for the weekend - and she urged me to really *race* on Sunday and instructed me to start and stick with the 1:45 pace group. Considering that my recent race pace intervals (during slow runs) felt impossible to hold on to for more than the interval, I seriously questioned this plan.
By Sunday morning, my expectations had probably sunk even lower - I don't know when I've ever slept so poorly the night before a race. Maybe I really was nervous?! Fortunately, the half-marathon start was at the luxurious time of 7:45, so I tried to catch a few more zzzz's. Michael dropped me off somewhat close to the race expo around 7:15 which gave me time to get to the start, do my business (you know...), warm up, and then line up in my corral. I have to admit that I am a huge fan of waved/corralled starts, but even with the different waves, there were tons of people to weave around and through during that first mile. I can't say where my thoughts were during the first few miles - I think that I kept checking in with my pace and with how I felt. The 1:45 pace group was within sight but going faster than a 1:45 pace, according to the Garmin and also according to the time elapsed. So, I hung back at what felt like a comfortable but still fast pace, enjoying the course, especially around mile 3 or so, when we hit the coast which was just beautiful! I also saw my coach around mile 5 and she yelled at me to catch up to the 1:45 pace group - I thought to myself "As if!". And then, just after the course turn-around, I saw my parents, Michael and our dogs for a quick shout out and wave. At that point, I was pushing up to the 1:45 group which I finally caught, stayed with for a while, and then I decided that I needed to move on. The second half of the course was a negative split, and it felt hard but comfortable until around mile 10 at which point I tried to push even harder. While I still enjoyed the run and the pace felt doable, it no longer felt comfortable! During the second half of the race, I couldn't believe that I would finish up with a nice PR, as long as I didn't bonk. By the time, I got to the last half mile, I still couldn't quite get over my time but kept pushing, and even passed a few more people at the end, which made me very happy!
I ended the race with a very surprising 9 minute PR! I use that adjective because speed work has not been a major part of my training, as I said earlier, and if it hadn't been for my coach instructing me to start with the pace group, I would have held back, no doubt. I guess she knows what she is talking about! Also, this race did live up to its reputation of being a really great experience - it was very well organized, the course was nice and varied with plenty of rolling hills but nothing crazy, fantastic crowd support, great fluid and nutrition and plenty of portopotties scattered through the course (which was nice because I did have to make a pit stop and it was a quick in-and-out b/c there were no lines). Needless to say, I am a fan of this race! I'm not sure how the marathon would be - maybe too much out and back, but the half felt just right.
After my race, we were able to get down to other, more serious business - eating, drinking and watching football! My parents were catching an afternoon flight, so the first item up was for me to clean up, and then we headed to Union Tap House in Encinitas. That was a lucky choice for brunch - they served really good food and excellent bloody marys! After that, Michael and I hunted down a bar, and again we felt that we lucked out with the Encinitas Ale House where we scored good seats at the bar. I tried to switch between water and small beer tasters to stay somewhat hydrated while we watched the game. To make a good day even better, the Broncos beat New England and are headed to the Super Bowl! While I was still riding high from my PR, someone else was over the moon for the rest of the day!
Finally we peeled ourselves off the barstools and headed out to enjoy the late afternoon. We don't often to get to that area of Southern CA, usually staying along the LA/Orange County coast or going north, but this trip made me love the Encinitas area. There is a hippie feel to it, and it also seemed that 'normal' people lived and worked there. I realize that I have the outsider/visitor's perspective, so who knows what it is REALLY like. One thing that you can't argue with - the long beaches that just stretch on and on. We took a great beach walk with our dogs both yesterday and today, and I felt that I could have stayed there forever, watching the waves and the surfers.
The perfect day cannot end without a great margarita, which we found at El Callejón in Encinitas. We each had one and split another - they were excellent! At that point, we were totally done for the day, but already plotting a return trip at some point soon!
(Sorry for the complete lack of photos - I know, I'm talking about how awesome it was but showing you nothing!)
Saturday, January 4, 2014
2014 plans and decisions
I admit, I'm bringing in the ubiquitous New Year's post a bit late, and I totally failed on the yearly recap, which is fine because 2013 wasn't a year of monumental change. I can't believe that I'm making that statement since buying a house did take up tons of mental energy, but really, our lives seemed only to shift into different patterns. We frequent another farmers' market, have discovered a wonderful pizza place, but mainly we just learned new routes to get to our mainstays. I would say the same thing about work - nothing major there even though there have been changes. Some of these shifts have been rather difficult, I can't deny that, perhaps the result of growing pains or of a friendship that has grown distant, but with change, there seems to be both gain and loss.
The lack of dramatic ups and downs and crazy changes did have one effect - it pushed me to think about making a long-term, sometime-in-the-future goal more immediate. For a while, I had been thinking of 2015 as the year that I would try to take on the full iron distance. But then the summer came around and the Ironman Corporation announced that there would be a full iron distance in Boulder in 2015 and I was tempted. That announcement came right before Vineman, and I asked Michael that, if I went sub-6, could I register for a full? Well, I came close to a sub-6 but not close enough, however the idea had certainly taken root. And, so, in August, after many conversations and much back and forth with myself and with him, I finally registered for Ironman Coeur d'Alene! My first reaction after receiving my "Congratulations, you've signed up for..." email was to throw up, due both to the amount of money that I had just spent with the click of that button and to the reality that holy crap, I had signed up for an full iron distance tri!
For a few months, I mainly sat with the idea of taking on such a distance and tried to maintain a decent level of fitness but I didn't do too much (great motto - "don't do too much with your life"). Finally, I recommitted to a more 'rigorous' schedule in November, and then in December I started to work with a coach. The decision to work with someone came hand-in-hand with the decision to register for a longer distance tri. While I've had good experiences at the shorter and slightly longer distance courses, this is a different beast. Also, I figured that I would dump way too many anxieties, frustrations and stress on my better half if I attempted this solo. Finally, it's a long, hard haul even to the start line, let alone the finish line, and I decided that it would be a benefit to have all the help I could. So, last month was a base month - get back to training.
Now that January has arrived, the reality of lining up for my first ironman is still an idea that's in the future, but the more immediate one, especially after I counted the weeks between now and then (about 26) and realized that June will be here before I know it! I'm still nervous about this process but also curious to see what the training will be like, how will I deal with it, will I stay healthy, when will I have a major melt-down, and those thoughts don't even include the actual race!
Needless to say, it should be an interesting year for me and I'm looking forward to it!
The lack of dramatic ups and downs and crazy changes did have one effect - it pushed me to think about making a long-term, sometime-in-the-future goal more immediate. For a while, I had been thinking of 2015 as the year that I would try to take on the full iron distance. But then the summer came around and the Ironman Corporation announced that there would be a full iron distance in Boulder in 2015 and I was tempted. That announcement came right before Vineman, and I asked Michael that, if I went sub-6, could I register for a full? Well, I came close to a sub-6 but not close enough, however the idea had certainly taken root. And, so, in August, after many conversations and much back and forth with myself and with him, I finally registered for Ironman Coeur d'Alene! My first reaction after receiving my "Congratulations, you've signed up for..." email was to throw up, due both to the amount of money that I had just spent with the click of that button and to the reality that holy crap, I had signed up for an full iron distance tri!
For a few months, I mainly sat with the idea of taking on such a distance and tried to maintain a decent level of fitness but I didn't do too much (great motto - "don't do too much with your life"). Finally, I recommitted to a more 'rigorous' schedule in November, and then in December I started to work with a coach. The decision to work with someone came hand-in-hand with the decision to register for a longer distance tri. While I've had good experiences at the shorter and slightly longer distance courses, this is a different beast. Also, I figured that I would dump way too many anxieties, frustrations and stress on my better half if I attempted this solo. Finally, it's a long, hard haul even to the start line, let alone the finish line, and I decided that it would be a benefit to have all the help I could. So, last month was a base month - get back to training.
Now that January has arrived, the reality of lining up for my first ironman is still an idea that's in the future, but the more immediate one, especially after I counted the weeks between now and then (about 26) and realized that June will be here before I know it! I'm still nervous about this process but also curious to see what the training will be like, how will I deal with it, will I stay healthy, when will I have a major melt-down, and those thoughts don't even include the actual race!
Needless to say, it should be an interesting year for me and I'm looking forward to it!
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Training with a focus?
Although we are still in 2013, my thoughts have already started to turn to 2014. It's natural, I think, as a teacher to do this, after all, it is the 2013-2014 school year and so much of what I'm doing now, I hope, will lay the groundwork for students in 2014 - the second semester. The same can be said for the swim-bike-run thing. It's still 2013, but I've made plans for 2014!
After Vineman, I planned to relax and not follow any sort of a training plan, and I did just that! I did not try out new classes or do anything new and different, but I also managed to stay somewhat active, even during the heat of September (which is now a distant memory, especially today, which is grey, rainy and quite cold for southern CA). I chose, somewhat arbitrarily, November as the "get in gear" month. Shocking myself, I managed to focus a bit more and put in more yards and miles for the month. But I wanted to put some pressure on myself so that I wouldn't hit December 1st feeling that I would have to undertake a 180 degree turn regarding my 'training'. Because I am officially training for 2014!
And WOW is it different!
First of all, I should say that I've always taken a flexible attitude towards training and "racing". I consider myself fortunate to have finally found something that really clicked. For a while, Michael would joke with me about finding a hobby, a bit like the character Winston in Avenue Q who was looking for a purpose to his post-college life. I wasn't in the life after college phase, but I was still trying to find that other piece. Trying to add the swim and bike to the run challenged me in a different way, and I loved that! Plus, working towards definitive goals - yes, please!
And I've trained somewhat seriously at times, but I've also taken the view that this really is a hobby, something that adds to my life and I shouldn't be too serious about it. I still agree with that attitude because, as a middle-aged mid-pack age grouper, I don't foresee any podium wins in my future, unless there's a small field (which does happen at times!).
However, I also decided that I'd like to approach things with a somewhat more serious attitude - and greater focus, just to see. Out of curiosity, perhaps? So, I started to attend more group runs and rides and realized that I had a LOT to learn! Ditto for masters swimming, where I stay in the slowest lane, although I've happily become a wee bit faster and I push myself a bit more each time (okay, almost every time). The other major decision was to actually work with a coach. A part of me is still rolling my eyes at myself and I think "What's going on here?!" but then another part of me feels quite excited about this process. I contacted a few people and ended up connecting with someone who is not local but is in Southern CA and seems like a good fit for me. To be honest, I've never worked with anyone, so I can't say that I know what I'm doing here.
And we'll see how this process goes. I'm set up on TrainingPeaks which makes me feel like a "real" athlete as I can track myself and my data with a bit more accuracy than I'm used to - quite a difference from jotting down workouts and tallying totals for the end of the week in a date book (yes, I'm old school and still use a gradebook). This past week was the first week that she gave me my workouts, and it hasn't been crazy hard or difficult. After all, I'm just supposed to be building up my base, not doing anything too crazy.
But what HAS challenged me this week with the workouts is the fact that I am not the one choosing what to do for the day. It's both a positive and negative. Positive, because I don't have to think about it, I see what the workout is and I try to complete it and usually do. I shouldn't use the term "negative" when reviewing the first week of working with a coach, but it has been different. First of all, I feel quite responsible to report to my coach and to try my best at these workouts. And I suppose that latter point is what I find so challenging. I don't think that I half-assed my workouts in the past, but I often used the time in the pool, in the saddle, or pounding the pavement or trails as a time to lose myself in thoughts, let my mind wander and to relax. I now find that I cannot or should not let my thoughts wander. Today, I ran 10 hill repeats, or so I thought. I found out that I actually only ran 9 because I didn't keep track! It's not a huge issue, but it highlights the need for me to focus! Also, running by heart rate rather than running by feel or by garmin is a completely new experience. I am not opposed to new experiences, but it seems that I am a bit set in my ways and I find it very difficult to be so aware of my body when I run. Or aware in a different sense - paying attention to a device that tells me what is going on with my body. It feels so foreign to me!
It's early days yet, but it's already been a new experience, and I feel a bit like an old nag who is being told to run a different way. I suppose that it's also like eating spinach as a kid - it will be good for me in the long run. And by that, I don't know if I'll suddenly get faster or develop amazing endurance, but the awareness and the focus challenge me and force me to approach running (and biking, somewhat at this point) with a different view.
Finally, I definitely would NOT have set out for a run this morning without that external motivation. It was a bit wet and rather cold, and my bed was nice and warm and inviting, but a run was on the schedule, so run I did! Begrudgingly, at first, but then I found my pace, warmed up, did my hills - or most of them - and felt quite accomplished for the rest of the day.
And if this translates into a faster or better race, then I'll take it! And even if it doesn't, I think that I will learn from the experience.
After Vineman, I planned to relax and not follow any sort of a training plan, and I did just that! I did not try out new classes or do anything new and different, but I also managed to stay somewhat active, even during the heat of September (which is now a distant memory, especially today, which is grey, rainy and quite cold for southern CA). I chose, somewhat arbitrarily, November as the "get in gear" month. Shocking myself, I managed to focus a bit more and put in more yards and miles for the month. But I wanted to put some pressure on myself so that I wouldn't hit December 1st feeling that I would have to undertake a 180 degree turn regarding my 'training'. Because I am officially training for 2014!
And WOW is it different!
First of all, I should say that I've always taken a flexible attitude towards training and "racing". I consider myself fortunate to have finally found something that really clicked. For a while, Michael would joke with me about finding a hobby, a bit like the character Winston in Avenue Q who was looking for a purpose to his post-college life. I wasn't in the life after college phase, but I was still trying to find that other piece. Trying to add the swim and bike to the run challenged me in a different way, and I loved that! Plus, working towards definitive goals - yes, please!
And I've trained somewhat seriously at times, but I've also taken the view that this really is a hobby, something that adds to my life and I shouldn't be too serious about it. I still agree with that attitude because, as a middle-aged mid-pack age grouper, I don't foresee any podium wins in my future, unless there's a small field (which does happen at times!).
However, I also decided that I'd like to approach things with a somewhat more serious attitude - and greater focus, just to see. Out of curiosity, perhaps? So, I started to attend more group runs and rides and realized that I had a LOT to learn! Ditto for masters swimming, where I stay in the slowest lane, although I've happily become a wee bit faster and I push myself a bit more each time (okay, almost every time). The other major decision was to actually work with a coach. A part of me is still rolling my eyes at myself and I think "What's going on here?!" but then another part of me feels quite excited about this process. I contacted a few people and ended up connecting with someone who is not local but is in Southern CA and seems like a good fit for me. To be honest, I've never worked with anyone, so I can't say that I know what I'm doing here.
And we'll see how this process goes. I'm set up on TrainingPeaks which makes me feel like a "real" athlete as I can track myself and my data with a bit more accuracy than I'm used to - quite a difference from jotting down workouts and tallying totals for the end of the week in a date book (yes, I'm old school and still use a gradebook). This past week was the first week that she gave me my workouts, and it hasn't been crazy hard or difficult. After all, I'm just supposed to be building up my base, not doing anything too crazy.
But what HAS challenged me this week with the workouts is the fact that I am not the one choosing what to do for the day. It's both a positive and negative. Positive, because I don't have to think about it, I see what the workout is and I try to complete it and usually do. I shouldn't use the term "negative" when reviewing the first week of working with a coach, but it has been different. First of all, I feel quite responsible to report to my coach and to try my best at these workouts. And I suppose that latter point is what I find so challenging. I don't think that I half-assed my workouts in the past, but I often used the time in the pool, in the saddle, or pounding the pavement or trails as a time to lose myself in thoughts, let my mind wander and to relax. I now find that I cannot or should not let my thoughts wander. Today, I ran 10 hill repeats, or so I thought. I found out that I actually only ran 9 because I didn't keep track! It's not a huge issue, but it highlights the need for me to focus! Also, running by heart rate rather than running by feel or by garmin is a completely new experience. I am not opposed to new experiences, but it seems that I am a bit set in my ways and I find it very difficult to be so aware of my body when I run. Or aware in a different sense - paying attention to a device that tells me what is going on with my body. It feels so foreign to me!
It's early days yet, but it's already been a new experience, and I feel a bit like an old nag who is being told to run a different way. I suppose that it's also like eating spinach as a kid - it will be good for me in the long run. And by that, I don't know if I'll suddenly get faster or develop amazing endurance, but the awareness and the focus challenge me and force me to approach running (and biking, somewhat at this point) with a different view.
Finally, I definitely would NOT have set out for a run this morning without that external motivation. It was a bit wet and rather cold, and my bed was nice and warm and inviting, but a run was on the schedule, so run I did! Begrudgingly, at first, but then I found my pace, warmed up, did my hills - or most of them - and felt quite accomplished for the rest of the day.
And if this translates into a faster or better race, then I'll take it! And even if it doesn't, I think that I will learn from the experience.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Swimming, biking, and running in Sonoma - Vineman 70.3 Race Recap
So, I can't really believe that Vineman is over (almost a week ago!) - after hunkering down in June and trying to focus on what was to me a 'big event', I'm on the other side, thinking that it wasn't THAT big of a deal. Easier to say that now than a week ago!
Pre-Race:
We arrived in Sonoma on Saturday, and all the nervous excitement that I hadn't felt throughout the week suddenly spilled over, especially when we arrived in Guerneville and I saw all these intense athletes biking and looking much more competent than I on their much nicer bikes. At that point, I decided to focus on my breathing and on not throwing up for the rest of the day! Since I was coming to the race totally cold - no prior knowledge of anything - it seemed like a good idea to drive the bike course, at the very least, before checking in and all of that fun stuff. We slowly made our way from Guerneville to Windsor High School, winding through vineyards and up and down hills, feeling the bumps and turns in the road along the way. I kept thinking "Hmm, this seems like a long way to bike!" and finally Michael just came out and said it. I refused to freak out, reminding myself that I had survived this distance last year and obviously I enjoyed the experience enough since I signed up for a race of the same distance again. Or I was just crazy and a glutton for punishment (also possible).
And the race:
Despite a less-than-stellar night's sleep and some pre-race anxiety, I was excited for the day to start, and while I kept thinking about what I *should* have done to better prepare, I also felt hopeful that I would have a solid (for me) performance out there. The early start time for my age group definitely favored a good outcome or, at the very least, survival, and so did the weather, which looked to be chilly throughout the morning but warm by the time I got to the run. It seemed to be just a quick moment, really, between the time that I set up my gear and the time that I needed to be on the beach, heading into the water. As my wave was allowed in the water, I reached down and realized that I didn't have my timing chip - HOLY CRAP! I almost started to freak out and to cry. Instead, I went to the official table right by the start line, told them that I forgot my chip, and they had a new one for me within a minute - so I was in the water with my wave. Shew - that could have been a total clusterfuck if I hadn't realized that I had forgotten the chip. Fortunately, the waves were 6 minutes apart, so even with that little snafu, I had plenty of time to get comfortable in the water before my wave was officially off and swimming! And despite a serious lack of open-water swims this 'season', it went well. I was relaxed throughout the swim, even after my timing chip issue, probably because there seemed to be very little body contact. I felt like I was in the second half of my wave, but I decided that I couldn't worry about that too much - I just wanted to have a fairly strong and even swim which seemed to be the case, breathing easily and moving well through the water. Swimming in the Russian River was awesome!
Exiting the swim, finding my stuff in transition, taking note that my bike wasn't the last one there, and getting ready for the next leg seemed to take forever. I didn't look at the time when I made it to my bike, so I wasn't sure how long my swim or transition took. It was still really chilly and I longed to put on my arm-warmers, but I didn't want to waste any more time in transition than I had to (it still took me FOREVER). I stuffed all my crap into the official plastic bag that they had given us and then I stuffed that bag into my transition backpack to give to Michael as I exited the transition area. I opted for the hand-off so that I wouldn't have to worry about all of my stuff making it to T2 - obviously I didn't have much faith in myself or in the Vineman organization. This cost me some time, but I could live with it. After handing Michael my pack, I walked my bike up the small hill and mounted then - that was a race-day decision, based on a conversation I overheard between these two guys, one of whom said to the other 'No way would I try to mount at the base of the hill'. Maybe I could have managed the hill, but I'm usually so awkward as I try to mount the bike, that I probably would have fallen just getting ON the damn bike. Therefore, walk the hill it was. And then I was off to enjoy 56 miles of biking!
I don't even remember too many specific details about the bike except that there were scattered moments when I looked up, took in where I was (vineyards, rolling hills, quaint towns, more vineyards), and reminded myself of how fortunate I was. I also prayed to the triathlon gods that the flat tire I had on my last 'training' ride would somehow safeguard me from a flat tire on the course. And there were other moments when I cursed myself and the decision that I had made to participate in this event. By the time I hit some of the landmarks that I remembered from Saturday's drive-thru, I felt pretty confident that I would finish the bike feeling strong, albeit somewhat slow, and when I started to feel negative, I countered those thoughts by saying to myself "Shut up legs" (which I stole from Jens Voigt). Probably the final few miles were the worst, just because they weren't that scenic but still had plenty of bumps and I was at the "I-want-to-be-off-the-bike" point. I was so happy when I saw Michael towards the very end - well, he yelled at me or I probably wouldn't have seen him - and when I hit the final stretch, making the turn that marked the way to the dismount.
Yes! Off the bike and on to the run! Like T1, getting to my pile of stuff seemed to take a very long time. I thanked the person who had tied a pink feather to the part of the rack where I had stashed my run gear because it would have probably taken me an additional 5 minutes to locate it if I hadn't spotted the feather. Bike racked, shoes exchanged, helmet off and hat on, I grabbed nutrition for the run and was off. As I headed towards the run start, I realized that I had not grabbed my salt tablets and decided not to return for them. Maybe a mistake, maybe they wouldn't have made much of a difference, who knows at this point?
At any rate, I started the run with a great pace but I tried to force myself to slow down. My goal for the run was to negative split - hold the first part of the race at around 9:00 minute miles and then speed up at the end. Well, that plan did not work out for me - live and learn. I held a strong pace for first half, some of which I ran with an acquaintance from Cal Tri. It was REALLY nice to see a familiar face out there, and he was super nice to slow down and run with me for a bit. He also warned me about one of the bigger hills along the run which I appreciated. So, a great first half for the run, but then mile 7 came along, and I started to seriously dog it! My body was aching. Also, I took in water, gatorade and 'cola' at the aid stations and tried to eat chips and fruit, but had a hard time with food - could not manage most of the fuel that I had stuffed into my pockets. My pace slowed way down, especially at mile 9, but I kept running along, even though sometimes it seemed like a shuffle. When I hit mile 11, I told myself that I could do anything for two miles and was determined to pick up the pace. And then mile 12 - I was ecstatic! My overall pace had totally dropped from the first half, but I wanted to end with a bit of pep. It helped that I saw Michael and lifted my head up to smile, and then, almost at the end, there was a woman with a 40 (or 41 or 42) on her calf, so I pushed myself to pass her. Finally, I came up on the finish line and saw that I could slip in just before the clock turned over to the next minute. It wasn't a pretty finish nor did it lend itself to a good photo, but I was oh so happy, especially when I looked at the time and knew that I had a PR by almost 10 minutes on a more challenging course than Boulder!
Post-race:
I felt pretty out of it at that point - kind of deliriously happy and exhausted at once - but was able to get some food and sit and eat a few bites of pasta and some chicken and fruit. I should have just had a huge plateful of oranges, they tasted so good! Once I felt a bit less dazed, I met up with Michael, gathered my stuff in transition, and we walked to the car, surrounded by other people who had endured a day of fun and/or suffering, personal triumph or frustration (or some of both) and by the people who supported them. By 2:30 pm, we were sitting in the Bear Republic Brewpub in Healdsburg, splitting a burger, fries and drinking beer (which we did not split!). I think that at that point I was truly happy with and grateful for the entire experience - being in Sonoma, racing in such a beautiful place, having a good race, being lucky that Michael comes along for the ride, and stuffing my face in a blissful post-race stupor. Life couldn't have been much better at that moment!
A few final thoughts and the numbers:
Compared to my first foray into the 70.3 distance when I had zero expectations and knew that just finishing would be a personal accomplishment, I felt a bit more nervous about meeting the expectations that I had set for myself for this race. While my training wasn't perfect by any means, I had worked hard, especially throughout June, and I hoped for a PR. Who doesn't? I thought that a PR would be possible, but I also knew that shit could go wrong, so I tried to keep some of my hopes and expectations in check. I also recognized that there were some key steps that I had omitted - not previewing the course and things like that - which could possibly cost me in a major way.
Ultimately, I raced well for myself, in part because of almost ideal race day conditions. I finally had a sub-40 swim. I would have loved for an even faster leg (duh) but no complaints. I knew that the bike course would be a challenge, not necessarily because of the hills but more because of the less-than-great roads in some parts. My dream goal was sub-3:10, but I knew that I would be happy with something around 3:15. I ended with 3:17 and some change, holding a 17 mph pace for the course (17.2 for the first half; 16.9 for the second - I'm happy with the consistency there; it's still slow, but I'm getting faster incrementally). The run was NOT consistent - I ran an 8:24 pace for the first half, which then slowed to something like a 9:36 pace for the second half. Oops! Talking to other people, that seemed to be the trend, and I still hit my goal, running a sub-2 hour half-marathon on a somewhat hilly course. Overall, I was happy with my swim/bike/run performance!
As I said before, I had some really negative thoughts while I was on the course, especially the bike, and I think that I have a lot to learn about 'racing' this distance. Fortunately, these dark thoughts didn't seem to affect me too much overall, even though I told myself that I was an idiot for being out there and that this whole triathlon thing must be a mid-life crisis and that this would probably be my last race ever (seriously, I said that to myself at one point). I wish I could say that I was positive throughout, but that was not the case! Maybe next time? Also, I think that I could have / should have stayed more on top of my nutrition. Perhaps some of the negative thoughts were a product of hunger? While a slower second-half run was the trend, I think that I could have pushed a bit more if I had felt less depleted out there. Live and learn - fueling and nutrition may be the "fourth leg" of this triathlon business for me, especially on longer courses. At the same time, I also know that I pushed myself a bit more than I did last year, so maybe I need to get used to what that feels like for longer periods of time.
Finally, on a somewhat serious and somewhat silly note, I love my smash kit. It's kind of obnoxious (I think), and I can't believe that I paid the amount of money for it that I did. However, it is really comfortable, doesn't chafe, and lots of people complimented me on it throughout the day, even a young, cute 27-year-old-guy who zoomed past me on the run. I did learn something very important about tri suits - once you are away from the tri community, wearing a tri suit in public is a definite no-no, even if you are just running into McDonalds to change so that you can look more presentable elsewhere. Talk about weird looks and raised eyebrows!
This was a painfully long recap, but so was the race! I am now enjoying some R&R in Boulder, CO and contemplating my next move...
Pre-Race:
We arrived in Sonoma on Saturday, and all the nervous excitement that I hadn't felt throughout the week suddenly spilled over, especially when we arrived in Guerneville and I saw all these intense athletes biking and looking much more competent than I on their much nicer bikes. At that point, I decided to focus on my breathing and on not throwing up for the rest of the day! Since I was coming to the race totally cold - no prior knowledge of anything - it seemed like a good idea to drive the bike course, at the very least, before checking in and all of that fun stuff. We slowly made our way from Guerneville to Windsor High School, winding through vineyards and up and down hills, feeling the bumps and turns in the road along the way. I kept thinking "Hmm, this seems like a long way to bike!" and finally Michael just came out and said it. I refused to freak out, reminding myself that I had survived this distance last year and obviously I enjoyed the experience enough since I signed up for a race of the same distance again. Or I was just crazy and a glutton for punishment (also possible).
Race day preparations and other provisions
My official 'gear' for the day
And the race:
Despite a less-than-stellar night's sleep and some pre-race anxiety, I was excited for the day to start, and while I kept thinking about what I *should* have done to better prepare, I also felt hopeful that I would have a solid (for me) performance out there. The early start time for my age group definitely favored a good outcome or, at the very least, survival, and so did the weather, which looked to be chilly throughout the morning but warm by the time I got to the run. It seemed to be just a quick moment, really, between the time that I set up my gear and the time that I needed to be on the beach, heading into the water. As my wave was allowed in the water, I reached down and realized that I didn't have my timing chip - HOLY CRAP! I almost started to freak out and to cry. Instead, I went to the official table right by the start line, told them that I forgot my chip, and they had a new one for me within a minute - so I was in the water with my wave. Shew - that could have been a total clusterfuck if I hadn't realized that I had forgotten the chip. Fortunately, the waves were 6 minutes apart, so even with that little snafu, I had plenty of time to get comfortable in the water before my wave was officially off and swimming! And despite a serious lack of open-water swims this 'season', it went well. I was relaxed throughout the swim, even after my timing chip issue, probably because there seemed to be very little body contact. I felt like I was in the second half of my wave, but I decided that I couldn't worry about that too much - I just wanted to have a fairly strong and even swim which seemed to be the case, breathing easily and moving well through the water. Swimming in the Russian River was awesome!
Body marked and ready to go!
The swim start!
Exiting the swim, finding my stuff in transition, taking note that my bike wasn't the last one there, and getting ready for the next leg seemed to take forever. I didn't look at the time when I made it to my bike, so I wasn't sure how long my swim or transition took. It was still really chilly and I longed to put on my arm-warmers, but I didn't want to waste any more time in transition than I had to (it still took me FOREVER). I stuffed all my crap into the official plastic bag that they had given us and then I stuffed that bag into my transition backpack to give to Michael as I exited the transition area. I opted for the hand-off so that I wouldn't have to worry about all of my stuff making it to T2 - obviously I didn't have much faith in myself or in the Vineman organization. This cost me some time, but I could live with it. After handing Michael my pack, I walked my bike up the small hill and mounted then - that was a race-day decision, based on a conversation I overheard between these two guys, one of whom said to the other 'No way would I try to mount at the base of the hill'. Maybe I could have managed the hill, but I'm usually so awkward as I try to mount the bike, that I probably would have fallen just getting ON the damn bike. Therefore, walk the hill it was. And then I was off to enjoy 56 miles of biking!
The long walk with the bike...
Still walking uphill!
Biking in and...
Running out - plenty of energy in the legs at this point!
Yes! Off the bike and on to the run! Like T1, getting to my pile of stuff seemed to take a very long time. I thanked the person who had tied a pink feather to the part of the rack where I had stashed my run gear because it would have probably taken me an additional 5 minutes to locate it if I hadn't spotted the feather. Bike racked, shoes exchanged, helmet off and hat on, I grabbed nutrition for the run and was off. As I headed towards the run start, I realized that I had not grabbed my salt tablets and decided not to return for them. Maybe a mistake, maybe they wouldn't have made much of a difference, who knows at this point?
At any rate, I started the run with a great pace but I tried to force myself to slow down. My goal for the run was to negative split - hold the first part of the race at around 9:00 minute miles and then speed up at the end. Well, that plan did not work out for me - live and learn. I held a strong pace for first half, some of which I ran with an acquaintance from Cal Tri. It was REALLY nice to see a familiar face out there, and he was super nice to slow down and run with me for a bit. He also warned me about one of the bigger hills along the run which I appreciated. So, a great first half for the run, but then mile 7 came along, and I started to seriously dog it! My body was aching. Also, I took in water, gatorade and 'cola' at the aid stations and tried to eat chips and fruit, but had a hard time with food - could not manage most of the fuel that I had stuffed into my pockets. My pace slowed way down, especially at mile 9, but I kept running along, even though sometimes it seemed like a shuffle. When I hit mile 11, I told myself that I could do anything for two miles and was determined to pick up the pace. And then mile 12 - I was ecstatic! My overall pace had totally dropped from the first half, but I wanted to end with a bit of pep. It helped that I saw Michael and lifted my head up to smile, and then, almost at the end, there was a woman with a 40 (or 41 or 42) on her calf, so I pushed myself to pass her. Finally, I came up on the finish line and saw that I could slip in just before the clock turned over to the next minute. It wasn't a pretty finish nor did it lend itself to a good photo, but I was oh so happy, especially when I looked at the time and knew that I had a PR by almost 10 minutes on a more challenging course than Boulder!
That's either a smile at the end or I'm gritting my teeth in pain.
Post-race:
I felt pretty out of it at that point - kind of deliriously happy and exhausted at once - but was able to get some food and sit and eat a few bites of pasta and some chicken and fruit. I should have just had a huge plateful of oranges, they tasted so good! Once I felt a bit less dazed, I met up with Michael, gathered my stuff in transition, and we walked to the car, surrounded by other people who had endured a day of fun and/or suffering, personal triumph or frustration (or some of both) and by the people who supported them. By 2:30 pm, we were sitting in the Bear Republic Brewpub in Healdsburg, splitting a burger, fries and drinking beer (which we did not split!). I think that at that point I was truly happy with and grateful for the entire experience - being in Sonoma, racing in such a beautiful place, having a good race, being lucky that Michael comes along for the ride, and stuffing my face in a blissful post-race stupor. Life couldn't have been much better at that moment!
A few final thoughts and the numbers:
Compared to my first foray into the 70.3 distance when I had zero expectations and knew that just finishing would be a personal accomplishment, I felt a bit more nervous about meeting the expectations that I had set for myself for this race. While my training wasn't perfect by any means, I had worked hard, especially throughout June, and I hoped for a PR. Who doesn't? I thought that a PR would be possible, but I also knew that shit could go wrong, so I tried to keep some of my hopes and expectations in check. I also recognized that there were some key steps that I had omitted - not previewing the course and things like that - which could possibly cost me in a major way.
Ultimately, I raced well for myself, in part because of almost ideal race day conditions. I finally had a sub-40 swim. I would have loved for an even faster leg (duh) but no complaints. I knew that the bike course would be a challenge, not necessarily because of the hills but more because of the less-than-great roads in some parts. My dream goal was sub-3:10, but I knew that I would be happy with something around 3:15. I ended with 3:17 and some change, holding a 17 mph pace for the course (17.2 for the first half; 16.9 for the second - I'm happy with the consistency there; it's still slow, but I'm getting faster incrementally). The run was NOT consistent - I ran an 8:24 pace for the first half, which then slowed to something like a 9:36 pace for the second half. Oops! Talking to other people, that seemed to be the trend, and I still hit my goal, running a sub-2 hour half-marathon on a somewhat hilly course. Overall, I was happy with my swim/bike/run performance!
As I said before, I had some really negative thoughts while I was on the course, especially the bike, and I think that I have a lot to learn about 'racing' this distance. Fortunately, these dark thoughts didn't seem to affect me too much overall, even though I told myself that I was an idiot for being out there and that this whole triathlon thing must be a mid-life crisis and that this would probably be my last race ever (seriously, I said that to myself at one point). I wish I could say that I was positive throughout, but that was not the case! Maybe next time? Also, I think that I could have / should have stayed more on top of my nutrition. Perhaps some of the negative thoughts were a product of hunger? While a slower second-half run was the trend, I think that I could have pushed a bit more if I had felt less depleted out there. Live and learn - fueling and nutrition may be the "fourth leg" of this triathlon business for me, especially on longer courses. At the same time, I also know that I pushed myself a bit more than I did last year, so maybe I need to get used to what that feels like for longer periods of time.
Finally, on a somewhat serious and somewhat silly note, I love my smash kit. It's kind of obnoxious (I think), and I can't believe that I paid the amount of money for it that I did. However, it is really comfortable, doesn't chafe, and lots of people complimented me on it throughout the day, even a young, cute 27-year-old-guy who zoomed past me on the run. I did learn something very important about tri suits - once you are away from the tri community, wearing a tri suit in public is a definite no-no, even if you are just running into McDonalds to change so that you can look more presentable elsewhere. Talk about weird looks and raised eyebrows!
This was a painfully long recap, but so was the race! I am now enjoying some R&R in Boulder, CO and contemplating my next move...
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Finally - A race in 2013!
After a slow start to the year running-wise and then waffling about this race or that race, it seems that I have settled on a schedule, at least until July. After that, I've bounced around a few ideas in my head, but I'm taking the "wait and see" approach for now. I signed up for most of the key races for the year a few months ago, but was waiting to decide about Mt. Wilson. When registration opened and closed within two hours, and I didn't have second thoughts about not registering or feel the slightest pang of regret, I knew that I had made the right decision. Instead of Mt. Wilson on Memorial Day Weekend, I'll be running the Ojai-Ventura half-marathon which is a longer race but should be much easier to train for. It is nice to have a schedule set and be able to focus on it!
Speaking of schedules, I was pretty happy with my training in February, but then March rolled around, and things, as they say, fell apart these past two weeks. This usually happens in March, but particularly this year. I've tried to take it in stride and enjoy the training that I've managed. I was, however, looking forward to my first race of 2013 - the Great Race of Agoura Hills 10K. This is a huge race, mainly because there are actually 4 different races going on: a trail half-marathon, a road half, a 10K and a 5K. Not to mention the kids' race. I'd read good things about the race, and it worked out with my schedule - first day of spring break, first race of the season - why not?
My original plan for the race was to try for a PR. I hadn't run a stand-alone 10K since November of 2011, and it happens to be one of my favorite distances. Luckily I still had my 2011 race time which allowed me to "qualify" for Wave 1. I think that they must have limited the number of people who were allowed to qualify, because I'm certainly no major speedster. Still, I was glad that I ended up in that wave - it was so much smaller and easier to start and to maneuver. But, back to my race plan. At some point this week I decided that no way was I going to shoot for a PR. I looked at the race profile, and it looked fairly hilly. Also, I didn't want to kill my legs and need one or two rest days (yes, I'm old; yes, I need rest days after a hard race). In addition, Michael and I went out on Friday night and I had what must be the worst pre-race meal/s ever. We started out with mussels and french fries and white wine, and then we ended the evening with pizza. So, with all of that in mind, I woke up this morning taking the attitude that this would be a good way to push myself at a strong pace, but I didn't need to try to kill it. Or myself.
Going with that attitude, I was pretty calm at the start - excited to actually be at a starting line after a 4 month hiatus! I did wish for slightly warmer temperatures at the start and didn't shed layers until a few minutes before the race.
Speaking of schedules, I was pretty happy with my training in February, but then March rolled around, and things, as they say, fell apart these past two weeks. This usually happens in March, but particularly this year. I've tried to take it in stride and enjoy the training that I've managed. I was, however, looking forward to my first race of 2013 - the Great Race of Agoura Hills 10K. This is a huge race, mainly because there are actually 4 different races going on: a trail half-marathon, a road half, a 10K and a 5K. Not to mention the kids' race. I'd read good things about the race, and it worked out with my schedule - first day of spring break, first race of the season - why not?
My original plan for the race was to try for a PR. I hadn't run a stand-alone 10K since November of 2011, and it happens to be one of my favorite distances. Luckily I still had my 2011 race time which allowed me to "qualify" for Wave 1. I think that they must have limited the number of people who were allowed to qualify, because I'm certainly no major speedster. Still, I was glad that I ended up in that wave - it was so much smaller and easier to start and to maneuver. But, back to my race plan. At some point this week I decided that no way was I going to shoot for a PR. I looked at the race profile, and it looked fairly hilly. Also, I didn't want to kill my legs and need one or two rest days (yes, I'm old; yes, I need rest days after a hard race). In addition, Michael and I went out on Friday night and I had what must be the worst pre-race meal/s ever. We started out with mussels and french fries and white wine, and then we ended the evening with pizza. So, with all of that in mind, I woke up this morning taking the attitude that this would be a good way to push myself at a strong pace, but I didn't need to try to kill it. Or myself.
Going with that attitude, I was pretty calm at the start - excited to actually be at a starting line after a 4 month hiatus! I did wish for slightly warmer temperatures at the start and didn't shed layers until a few minutes before the race.
I love the yellow pants behind me - such a classy look!
At 7:28 (or thereabouts), we were off! The beginning of the race is a on a descent, and people took off. I looked down at my watch and noticed a faster pace than expected/desired, so I pulled back just a bit. I was at the back of the first wave, but I reminded myself that I wanted to pace the race, not have a great first mile and then fall apart at the end when the hills hit:
The first mile or two were pretty boring - typical suburban neighborhoods, but at some point in mile 2, we began to enjoy rolling hills and nice countryside - lots of wonderful oak trees and even some horsies! Also, I felt great the first few miles and knew that there was a hill at mile 4, but once we were on the hill, I was able to easily keep my pace and pick off other people. It made me quite grateful for the hills that I confront every time I head out on a run from our front door! Finally, at mile 5, I decided to pick it up - there were still some hills remaining, but I was confident that I could keep a faster pace. I almost regretted it when we hit yet another hill - the last one - but I managed to push it and ended just under 49:00.
Michael snapped this awesome shot of me sporting my medal (can you tell that Dole sponsored this race?):
The medal and the t-shirt, by the way, are both pretty heinous. Despite that, I would consider running this race next year because it really is a fun course.
After the race, Michael and I grabbed a 'real' breakfast at Brent's Deli, an old favorite which is in the area, and I inhaled eggs, toast, and hashbrowns. We weren't the only racers/spectators who had this idea - I could tell because a few people were still wearing their awful medals. (Not to offend anyone, but I find it so annoying when people wear race medals after the race if EVERYONE gets a medal. If you won, fine, wear your medal, but if you just want attention, then it's lame! Okay, rant over, and maybe I'm alone in my opinion, but I'm okay with that too. Same with people who don't try to wash off their numbers after a triathlon or cut off their wrist race wrist band for days.)
My run wasn't a PR, but this is definitely a harder course than the flat-as-pancake race from which my current PR hails. However, the course was not as hard as I expected, and a part of me wishes that I had tried for a PR. Especially since I ended at 5th in my age group and maybe I would have ended at 4th or 3rd if I'd pushed myself a bit more. Still, it was a good race, a good finish and a good overall place for me.
Ah well, ifs, maybes and buts. At any rate, it feels good to finally line up at the starting line!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
The current status of my running "game"
After plenty of weeks of gloom and doom in which I didn't run or as I returned to running I found the process painful and slow, I've finally reconnected with running (let me cross my fingers as I write that). Recent weeks have marked a few good milestones: with caution, extending my runs, little by little from 3 to 4 to 5 miles. In recent weeks, I've actually hit double digits in terms of total mileage with a whopping 11-12 miles run in a week! It doesn't seem like much to some people, but it boosted my confidence a bit. Also, I've enjoyed pretty much every run and have prayed to the running gods before and after, happy to be back on the trails and pavement. In addition to lengthier runs, it's also been nice to see my legs get some faster miles under them, and I've enjoyed pushing myself a bit more. Yesterday was huge as I hit seven miles right at a 60 minutes. That seventh mile was all downhill, so it was fun to see a really faster-than-usual time pop up!
As I've been running more and without aches and pains during and after my runs, obviously my mind has turned to the 2013 "race calendar", and I've started to fantasize about new PRs and tons of awesome experiences. At the same time, I've also balanced out the fantasy with the reality of my life this spring - busy and pretty full with other plans and obligations. I did finally satisfy my racing lust by signing up for a 10k in March - it looks like a fun, beautiful and hilly course, so a fast time is doubtful, but I'm excited for it! I realized that my last stand-alone 10K was in November 2011, so why not push myself at that distance this year.
The big question for the spring is the Mt. Wilson Trail Race in May. I mean, 8.6 miles, 2,100 elevation gain - it's such a FUN experience! Okay, it is major suffering and a terrifying experience that turns into fun when your brain can no longer process the pain or fear. And only really terrifying on the ascent - the descent is a piece of cake! I am feeling somewhat uninspired to start to train, and if I haven't trained at all, I could still manage the race, but I would suck, and it's too hard a race to just do "for fun" in my opinion. So, I've started to consider not running it, an idea has a certain appeal...
And that has prompted me to think that I'm losing my desire to have a "hard-core" runner's identity (I'm not saying that I actually am a hard-core runner, but I think that I used to really want to be). Mt. Wilson will still be there next year, and if it means that I can can enjoy a weekend elsewhere, maybe along the Central Coast, maybe biking with friends and looking at elephant seals and drinking lots of wine, well I think that I can forgo my attempt to be a bad-ass runner!
Friday, November 23, 2012
Switching things up a bit
This is a happy Thanksgiving week, in more ways than one, and I've definitely felt gratitude towards much in my life. The week has been remarkable for the low-key nature of it, and I've been looking forward to that for a while! We traveled the last two years over Thanksgiving, and as much as I love going elsewhere to see family and friends, staying at home has given us the chance to be pretty lazy and indulge in a few activities that are rare treats. First of all, going out on Tuesday night for four-and-a-half hours! The three of us who ran "together" on Sunday (together is a loose term since one member of our little cohort finished over an hour faster than I did!) met up for celebratory margaritas at Amigo's. Again, not the best Mexican food in Pasadena, but how I love that place! On Wednesday afternoon, we went to the Arclight Movie Theater in Hollywood, always a great movie-going experience, and saw Skyfall. I've been a Daniel Craig as 007 fan, and this movie lived up to the reviews, some of which were rave and others a bit more subdued. While I wouldn't say that it was the best movie ever, it did entertain us, which is really what I expect from a James Bond movie. Also - Javier Bardem as the bad guy? He's so good in that role!
Thanksgiving day was a nice celebration - nothing too crazy, which I definitely enjoyed. We ended up having a friend join us for our meal, and it was good to have the company as we drank champagne and a decent cab. We opted for duck breast rather than turkey, but had a minor moment of panic when we thought that we had not packed the duck breast in the grocery bag. Crisis averted - it was in hiding in one of the drawers in the fridge! However, I had forgotten a bag of fresh cranberries for our dessert, but that was an easy mistake to repair since the store was still open. While I like to tuck into a huge array of typical Thanksgiving food, it was great to have a smaller, more manageable meal. Probably the most traditional aspect of the day was watching on and off some of the football games!
Even though I have yet to test out my legs on pavement or trails, we did go spinning yesterday and today, during which we both felt somewhat out-of-shape as we panted and pushed through intervals and sprints. I am also going to return to the swimming pool this weekend! I originally planned to take a two- to four-week break from running after the trail race, but then I started to fantasize about proving to myself that I really CAN manage a 30K trail race and found one that looks equally parts terrifying and exciting. For starters, the elevation gain is even more than the last one, which then makes me think that I must be crazy to even contemplate this race! But, I do think that my plan to take a major break from running is out the window, unless I go for a run and find it way too painful, which could possibly happen.
As I research different race options, I actually am trying to show some restraint and not sign up for another trail race immediately. Or any race, for that matter. For now, taking a break from any sort of "training" will, I hope, allow me to start 2013 with a sharp focus. So, while I'm back in the pool, sort of back in the saddle, and will certainly continue to run, there is no training and there are no 'events'. A revolutionary concept - to have no plan! It sounds pretty appealing at the moment.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
"Serious fun": Santa Monica Mountains trail race
So, our race bibs had the tagline "Serious fun", reminding us of why a fairly small group of people had arrived on the early side of a Sunday to do something crazy like run a 30K or an even longer distance. Throughout much of this race, I completely forgot the fun part, and even now I would say that a more appropriate description of my experience is "Fun if you love suffering".
Because suffering is what I did today. I certainly don't consider myself a badass, but I can usually hold my own in a race if I've trained. This race humbled me far more than anything that I've done recently - maybe even in all my very limited racing experience (even Wildflower in May and certainly harder than Boulder 70.3). I often say that I'm just happy that I finished, but let's be honest. Really, I'm not happy to "just finish". I like to have a sense satisfaction when I reflect on my performance and know that I ran a good and smart race and finished strong. As for today, I have zero satisfaction about my performance, except that I'm still a bit surprised that I finished the damn race.
To back up, the race for the 50k and 30k participants started at 8:30. The 30k course was made up of two different 'loops', or lollipops, the first one being 12k and the second one 18k. The 12k loop was tough - challenging, rocky uphill and downhill trails. Also, there was one stretch that should have been fast and easy, but because of the rain yesterday it ended up being muddy - and a sticky mud. I kept stopping to scrape the mud off my shoes because it felt as though I was carrying around an extra two pounds per leg!
Once I returned to the start line, I then began the second loop - the 18k. I finished the 12k in over an hour, but I felt good about my pace. We had a long climb for a few miles, but the trail was a lot easier than the 12k loop, so I was confident that I would have a strong 18k. I felt that way until about mile 11.5. At that point, I had hit a nice downhill slope and should have picked it up, but I just could not make my legs go. So, I asked myself "What is going on" - a rhetorical question because I felt clammy, cramping, and weak. I started walking on the downhill (how lame) and even sat down a few times. I knew that the aid station was up ahead and I just had to walk another 1/2 mile or so which, in any other circumstance, wouldn't have bothered me. However, this was the longest half-mile walk of my life. Meanwhile, tons of people were passing me which drove me crazy but there was NOTHING that I could do about it.
Finally, I made it to the aid station.
Ah, the aid station. I hoped that there would be paramedics there or a huge crew, ready to deal with any and all problems. Ahem, this is a trail race, and a tiny one at that. There were two guys managing the aid station, but even then I hoped that one of them would call an ambulance for me - or do something dramatically helpful like drive me back to the start/finish line. I had accepted that this would be my first DNF, and I didn't even care because I wanted the experience to end.
Well, no such luck. Instead, they jumped into action, making me sit in a chair, giving me two salt tablets, a cup of regular coke and some boiled potatoes with salt. I was too fried to say "no, I need a doctor!". When I eventually felt a bit more energetic, I apologized for all the trouble. Again, the volunteers were great and assured me that it happens to everyone, at least once.
After a 15 minute (or longer?) break, I shuffled off, thinking that I must really be crazy to continue, but what choice did I have? Also, I noted that I was feeling better with each step, and eventually I caught up with a few people who had arrived at the aid station and then continued on while I was still 'recharging'. I kept ticking off the miles and feeling a bit stronger and more confident, even on the uphill. Once I turned onto the trail that would lead me down to the finish line, I felt incredibly happy and relieved, despite the fact that I still had a few more miles of downhill to navigate. For a brief moment, I hoped to push it on the descent and try to pick off one or two people, but I then settled into an easy pace and accepted the fact that just finishing would be quite a feat at this point.
So, I crossed the finish line at 4:17. Woo-hoo! I thanked the organizers and told them that the only reason that I made it back was because of the people at the aid station. I also saw those guys - they seemed surprised and happy that I had made it back so "quickly". It was obvious to me that their concoction - salt tablets, coke and potatoes -was some sort of holy trinity of trail running. I think that I was one of the very last people running the 30k to cross the finish line. I won't lie - that hurts my ego a bit, but considering that I didn't even think that I would finish, I'll try to find some satisfaction in that.
So, final thoughts on the day? I'm glad that I ran the 30K, despite the fact that the race shredded me. It was a new distance, and it challenged me more than I could have expected. I learned an important lesson - fuel, fuel, fuel on real food during longer trail races. I'm not sure what happened, but I know that I'll be more careful in the future. Also, I hesitated to wear the Garmin, but I opted for it, and I think that it helped me continue when I was in my meltdown mode. Otherwise, I probably would have sat on the side of the trail and given up completely. A major positive - the race was beautiful, although I wish that I could remember more of the great views and the wonderful trails (especially that 18K loop). I'd love to return and hike some of the trails and actually take in the scenery! Finally, it was a really tough race. I knew that the climbs would be serious, but I trusted my training, perhaps naively, because it was all much harder than I expected.
But, I'm alive and well now and don't feel too terrible after 18.6 miles and 3200 feet of climbing. Looking back, I'm also happy that despite my meltdown today, I remained relatively healthy during the training cycle. I am not, however, about to sign up for a 50K, or even a 5K, at the moment!
*Sorry this was so long!
**Sorry that I have no photos - no energy at the end!
Because suffering is what I did today. I certainly don't consider myself a badass, but I can usually hold my own in a race if I've trained. This race humbled me far more than anything that I've done recently - maybe even in all my very limited racing experience (even Wildflower in May and certainly harder than Boulder 70.3). I often say that I'm just happy that I finished, but let's be honest. Really, I'm not happy to "just finish". I like to have a sense satisfaction when I reflect on my performance and know that I ran a good and smart race and finished strong. As for today, I have zero satisfaction about my performance, except that I'm still a bit surprised that I finished the damn race.
To back up, the race for the 50k and 30k participants started at 8:30. The 30k course was made up of two different 'loops', or lollipops, the first one being 12k and the second one 18k. The 12k loop was tough - challenging, rocky uphill and downhill trails. Also, there was one stretch that should have been fast and easy, but because of the rain yesterday it ended up being muddy - and a sticky mud. I kept stopping to scrape the mud off my shoes because it felt as though I was carrying around an extra two pounds per leg!
Once I returned to the start line, I then began the second loop - the 18k. I finished the 12k in over an hour, but I felt good about my pace. We had a long climb for a few miles, but the trail was a lot easier than the 12k loop, so I was confident that I would have a strong 18k. I felt that way until about mile 11.5. At that point, I had hit a nice downhill slope and should have picked it up, but I just could not make my legs go. So, I asked myself "What is going on" - a rhetorical question because I felt clammy, cramping, and weak. I started walking on the downhill (how lame) and even sat down a few times. I knew that the aid station was up ahead and I just had to walk another 1/2 mile or so which, in any other circumstance, wouldn't have bothered me. However, this was the longest half-mile walk of my life. Meanwhile, tons of people were passing me which drove me crazy but there was NOTHING that I could do about it.
Finally, I made it to the aid station.
Ah, the aid station. I hoped that there would be paramedics there or a huge crew, ready to deal with any and all problems. Ahem, this is a trail race, and a tiny one at that. There were two guys managing the aid station, but even then I hoped that one of them would call an ambulance for me - or do something dramatically helpful like drive me back to the start/finish line. I had accepted that this would be my first DNF, and I didn't even care because I wanted the experience to end.
Well, no such luck. Instead, they jumped into action, making me sit in a chair, giving me two salt tablets, a cup of regular coke and some boiled potatoes with salt. I was too fried to say "no, I need a doctor!". When I eventually felt a bit more energetic, I apologized for all the trouble. Again, the volunteers were great and assured me that it happens to everyone, at least once.
After a 15 minute (or longer?) break, I shuffled off, thinking that I must really be crazy to continue, but what choice did I have? Also, I noted that I was feeling better with each step, and eventually I caught up with a few people who had arrived at the aid station and then continued on while I was still 'recharging'. I kept ticking off the miles and feeling a bit stronger and more confident, even on the uphill. Once I turned onto the trail that would lead me down to the finish line, I felt incredibly happy and relieved, despite the fact that I still had a few more miles of downhill to navigate. For a brief moment, I hoped to push it on the descent and try to pick off one or two people, but I then settled into an easy pace and accepted the fact that just finishing would be quite a feat at this point.
So, I crossed the finish line at 4:17. Woo-hoo! I thanked the organizers and told them that the only reason that I made it back was because of the people at the aid station. I also saw those guys - they seemed surprised and happy that I had made it back so "quickly". It was obvious to me that their concoction - salt tablets, coke and potatoes -was some sort of holy trinity of trail running. I think that I was one of the very last people running the 30k to cross the finish line. I won't lie - that hurts my ego a bit, but considering that I didn't even think that I would finish, I'll try to find some satisfaction in that.
So, final thoughts on the day? I'm glad that I ran the 30K, despite the fact that the race shredded me. It was a new distance, and it challenged me more than I could have expected. I learned an important lesson - fuel, fuel, fuel on real food during longer trail races. I'm not sure what happened, but I know that I'll be more careful in the future. Also, I hesitated to wear the Garmin, but I opted for it, and I think that it helped me continue when I was in my meltdown mode. Otherwise, I probably would have sat on the side of the trail and given up completely. A major positive - the race was beautiful, although I wish that I could remember more of the great views and the wonderful trails (especially that 18K loop). I'd love to return and hike some of the trails and actually take in the scenery! Finally, it was a really tough race. I knew that the climbs would be serious, but I trusted my training, perhaps naively, because it was all much harder than I expected.
But, I'm alive and well now and don't feel too terrible after 18.6 miles and 3200 feet of climbing. Looking back, I'm also happy that despite my meltdown today, I remained relatively healthy during the training cycle. I am not, however, about to sign up for a 50K, or even a 5K, at the moment!
*Sorry this was so long!
**Sorry that I have no photos - no energy at the end!
Friday, September 21, 2012
September happenings
So, the month has been a bit of plus/minus so far - fast, plenty of events, both work and fun-related, and I'm feeling optimistic about the school year. Thus far. If nothing else, a student made one of the most hysterical comments that I've ever heard in a class in my life. If/when I'm depressed at any point this year, I will have to remind myself of this moment. (I would share, but it's a student's story, not mine, and sharing it would be so not appropriate; it suffices to say that the entire class was laughing hysterically - not AT their classmate but with her)
The other most exciting moment that has happened to me in a long time was seeing the Space Shuttle Endeavor as it flew to its new home here in LA. I lucked out as it flew over the school where I work at 12:30 or so - during lunch. Perfect time to see it! I could not believe how amazing it was to see the shuttle. I expected to be underwhelmed, but this was one of those moments when the actual event COMPLETELY exceeded my expectations. This is not my photo, but I'm sharing:
The other most exciting moment that has happened to me in a long time was seeing the Space Shuttle Endeavor as it flew to its new home here in LA. I lucked out as it flew over the school where I work at 12:30 or so - during lunch. Perfect time to see it! I could not believe how amazing it was to see the shuttle. I expected to be underwhelmed, but this was one of those moments when the actual event COMPLETELY exceeded my expectations. This is not my photo, but I'm sharing:
Source - LA Times
It did make teaching more challenging for the rest of the day because I just didn't care. Somehow, conjugating verbs paled in comparison to the awesomeness that is/was the Endeavor!
Speaking of teaching and other aspects of my life, I'm giving myself a B (yes, I grade myself). I'm still looking professional, although it's been damn hot with the heat. I can't wait for cooler temperatures to arrive because I seriously lack professional clothes that are suitable for the heat! In other parts of my work life, I'm feeling pretty good about the pace of the year and how 'settled' I feel and that I'm more or less staying on top of grading. That could, of course, change within a day or two, but I'd like to maintain a positive outlook.
The 'other aspects' are up and down. I blame the heat on my lack of motivation in terms of the 'active lifestyle' front. I did manage a run, a spin class and even an early morning swim (yesterday!) this week, but it is 4:00 pm on a Friday afternoon, and I don't think that I'm going to make it out for a run before I meet friends for margaritas. I do think that once I sign up for this race, it will inspire me to pound the trails, but I have yet to sign up, obviously.
Fortunately, the conversation over margaritas tonight should inspire me to commit to what might be my only fall race! Whether I sign up for the 30k or 19k might depend on how much I've had to drink.
Other possible topics over margaritas: how cute a certain baby is; the heat; the Space Shuttle; the election; and Alberto Contador's return to cycling.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Malibu Tri: The race that was!
Well, after all of my grunching, groaning, moaning, hesitation and regret over *having* to swim, bike and run yesterday morning, it ended up being a pretty awesome day, and I couldn't be happier that I ended my 2012 'season' there. It's funny that I felt pretty calm and low-stress about the race on Friday night, sleeping amazingly well at the lovely Motel 6 and feeling energetic when the alarm rang at 4:00 am. Maybe my devil-may-care attitude had something to do with that?
It was a pretty early morning for us, but not as early as if we'd spent the night at home, and I did appreciate the extra hour or so of sleep. All of the race information warned us about parking, so I wanted to arrive early enough to not stress about that. We weren't the last people there by any means, but not the first either! Arriving in the dark and pumping tires and double checking gear under the light of a flashlight was not ideal, but it worked. By 5:30 am, I was headed to packet pick-up (where I learned that I was in the LAST wave) and then on to the transition zone. As I set up my stuff, it did occur to me how complicated my gear and the transition zone used to seem - this time around, I kept thinking "Is this it? What did I forget?!" because it all seemed fairly uncomplicated. Maybe I've developed some comfort with all this tri stuff? But I also had the feeling that something must be amiss!
By the time that we had to be out of the transition zone, I felt pretty relaxed (except for that nagging "what did I forget thought", and Michael and I could take in some of the Malibu scenery:
It was a pretty early morning for us, but not as early as if we'd spent the night at home, and I did appreciate the extra hour or so of sleep. All of the race information warned us about parking, so I wanted to arrive early enough to not stress about that. We weren't the last people there by any means, but not the first either! Arriving in the dark and pumping tires and double checking gear under the light of a flashlight was not ideal, but it worked. By 5:30 am, I was headed to packet pick-up (where I learned that I was in the LAST wave) and then on to the transition zone. As I set up my stuff, it did occur to me how complicated my gear and the transition zone used to seem - this time around, I kept thinking "Is this it? What did I forget?!" because it all seemed fairly uncomplicated. Maybe I've developed some comfort with all this tri stuff? But I also had the feeling that something must be amiss!
By the time that we had to be out of the transition zone, I felt pretty relaxed (except for that nagging "what did I forget thought", and Michael and I could take in some of the Malibu scenery:
"Scenery" being the lifeguard station and the waves breaking!
And then it was time to get started! For the swim, we had to walk down the beach to the start and would swim to the finish. The walk south was great - it was such a beautiful morning and exciting to be in the mix of the crowd!
Michael and I had fun watching the elite wave start out, but as we watched the waves of people go out and battle with the ocean, my confidence eroded a little bit each time. Getting past the first buoy, depending on how the ocean waves were breaking, seemed tricky. Other women in my group were getting in the water, to practice their stroke or to get a feel for the water (Oh, yeah, that's what you're supposed to do...), but I stayed firmly planted on the sand because I was afraid that if I got in the water, I'd panic and not do the swim. Talk about feeling like a rookie! I kept thinking "If I can survive the swim, I can finish this race. I know it!". Great little pep talk. The other thought that popped into my mind as I waited to start was my whole "respect the race" blab from a few months ago. I was seriously feeling like an ass because while I was familiar with the olympic distance, I hadn't done an ocean swim since the beginning of June. What the hell was I thinking?!
Fortunately, the time to think rationally was over as it was time to line up and get ready to go:
Once the cannon went off, we headed into the water and the fun started! Getting around the first buoy wasn't as terrible as I thought that it might be - although I did get a little off course. And then we just headed north, keeping the buoys to our right. I felt like I was swimming in one of those "Endless pools" because I had no sense of my pace or where I was in relation to the beach. I took in a few mouthfuls of water, but I could see pretty clearly and there wasn't tons of contact - it was a relatively calm swim in terms of touching and grabbing. I finally reached what was the last buoy - people were turning right, so I turned right, much to my relief and surprise - almost done! With the swim, at least. I exited the water, happy to be out of there and on to transition. I wasn't wearing a watch for the swim, so I had no idea what my time was. I had estimated that it would probably take me longer than usual, so I was hoping for 34-36 minutes, but, since the course had no clock visible (to me, at least) around the transition zone, I didn't even worry about my swim time. I did note that I was not the very last person in my rack to be out of the water since there were plenty of bikes still racked - that is always a positive sign for me.
At that point, it was on to the bike! I knew that it could possibly be a good bike leg for me, in part because of my comfort with the course. Heading north on PCH from Zuma was a "known known", thanks to our many rides over the summer. I had a dream-like moment on the bike when I thought to myself "Shit, am I wearing my helmet?!?!". Obviously I did, but what a weird thought - it was indicative of the "Am I doing this" feeling that I had at different parts of the day. Other than that mild moment of panic, it ended up being a great ride, although not super fast, in part because I did not push it at the beginning and in part because of two no-pass zones. The no-pass zones totally sucked because they were stretches that would lend themselves to a fast pace except that a group of us got stuck behind a slower person. Ultimately, not the fastest bike leg for me, but it was gorgeous and really pretty fun!
I was so happy to be off the bike - not that I was exhausted or even that tired, but I knew that I had survived the swim and the bike, and that my legs seemed to feel good, so the FLAT run would be a nice way to end the race. Also, I was right in the thick of a group of 40-something-women, and I hoped that I would be able to pass a few on the run. Starting out on the run, I felt great and had a smile for Michael:
For the first mile, I ran at a pace that seemed too good to be true - easily maintaining 8:30, numbers that I hadn't seen in months! I worried about starting out too fast, but the pace felt easy, my breathing was relaxed, and I was enjoying passing people. So, I decided to keep it up if I could. Which I did - and by mile 3, I had picked off the women in my age group that were clumped together on the bike. Success! The last few miles were fun and fast (for me), and even though I was getting tired, I kept pushing myself and even cranked it a bit when I hit mile 6 and knew that the finish line was right around a corner or two and that I would finish the run under 50 minutes! (Did I mention that the course was FLAT?!)
Michael positioned himself for a smile and a wave, right before I crossed the finish line at, what was total shock to me, under 3 hours for a nice, shiny PR! I was so happy that I finally broke that damn 3 hour threshold, and I couldn't believe that I managed to do so at this race, of all of them.
After getting my medal, some water and food, I checked the results to make sure that I really did finish under three hours because it just seemed fairly unreal. What pushed me over the edge? Had I finally mastered the art of the transition? Was my bike leg faster than I thought? Well, it turns out that my transition times still suck. However, my swim time was crazy fast for me - under 30 minutes! Obviously there was a serious current pulling us north on the swim, but when I saw the time, I just started laughing at how ridiculous my estimated time was. Maybe it was a good thing that I had no idea how close I was to pulling off a PR? I'm not sure - I'm just delighted that it was such a fun and, for me, a fast race!
Thinking about yesterday morning, I can't believe that I almost didn't show up to race - literally and also in a more figurative sense. I recognize that I was a bit "off" my mental game going into it and didn't feel that I had much of an edge when I started the swim, but I didn't panic in the water, tried to ride strong on the bike, and I really pushed myself on the run. This was such a pleasant surprise of a race, and, just as important as the overall time, I couldn't stop grinning throughout the race because I was enjoying myself so much. I'll admit that I feel almost guilty about the PR because it felt so 'easy'. I think about how focused I was for Wildflower, how much I wanted to be happy and proud of my performance there, and how that just did not happen, despite training hard and strong and despite improving my time there. This race felt relaxed and serendipitous, and maybe I need(ed) to race just for pleasure in order to feel good about it? I have yet to figure out what the perfect recipe is for me, but this is definitely a nice note on which to end the 2012 tri season!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)