Relativity and Reality

Recently, I checked out a few of my old blog entries, including one where I predicted an upcoming tough workout would seem less so a few weeks (months) out. I am not sure how much I believed it at the time, but yes, that workout would be a little less daunting now.

And sometimes I'll be hanging out with friends or neighbors who'll be asking me questions about my training - as if it is something special or as if I know what I am doing. Which I find so funny, because I am still such a fumbling back-packer most of the time - one who has, thankfully, learned a few tricks along the way.

But Eagleman is quickly approaching. I told myself, don't really worry until it is a month away. OK, so the counter shows a zero in the month slot, no biggie until the race is two weeks away. My latest rationalization is convincing myself that the race won't be close until we hit single digits in the days column (which will be, oh, tomorrow). I've got my back-up plan ready - one week will be the next procrastination marker before panicking.

My body is trained to do the distances. My mental outlook concerns me more. My competitive spirit will not carry me through this race, as I really don't have much of one. More likely, sheer determination will be the emotion that gets me through the tough moments. And remembering to breathe.

I'm focusing on the positive during these last two weeks of workouts. Like forcing myself to run 6 miles in the heat of the day Monday. While I can't say I enjoyed it - I wasn't quite as miserable as I normally would be. Today's Masters swim had a few encouraging moments. Longest distance completed to date in the hour class - 2600 meters. A few fastest 100s - somewhere between 1:45 and 1:47. I am still the slowest in my lane, but sometimes I am almost keeping up (until we go distances beyond 100s).

Relatively, I am still slow and not quite aggressive enough.
Reality, I will never place in my age group (unless I am doing triathlons at 90).

No wait, focus on the positives...

Relatively, I am going further, sometimes even faster, than I ever have in my life.
Reality, finishing Eagleman, hopefully with a few minutes to spare, is really my goal.

The Great Eight (5 Amigos, Big Dog and the 2 Speedy Ones) Ride 75!

A new bicycle distance PR! TRIgirl SD posted the following to our Eagleman forum - which sums up the day perfectly:

"Yippee!! We successfully completed the 75 mile adventure and it was certainly a test of our fortitude, endurance, and tires. The first 37.5 miles were a breeze and we should have known we would not get off that easy. For the first half our biggest issues were a couple of dropped water bottles and direction questions. And then there was the second half . . . at somewhere around mile 50 the "Big Dog" (TRIgirl CD's husband) had a flat tire and the five amigos (TRIgirls DL, DB, MW, AM, and myself) waited for him to change it and get back on the road. The 2 speedy ones (TRIgirls CD and LS, of course) were well down the road. Unfortunately, Big Dog had another flat and the 5 amigos were ahead of him and at our next scheduled stop - we realized we were a man down and made phone contact with him. Big Dog didn't have another spare and had done some walking and was picked up by the kindest gentleman who brought him to the 5 amigos. After determining Big Dog had a hole in his tire and fixing it with his flashy $20 bill (We were all impressed that he and TRIgirl CD had sooo much money!!) and we were on the road again. Well, TRIgirl DL was not going to be out done by Big Dog so she had a flat at mile 65. Luckily, TRIgirl CD had tired of waiting for the 5 amigos and Big Dog so she arrived during the changing of the tube to deliver cold (YES, cold) water. Last 10 miles completed with out any further flats and the "Great Eight" finished our long ride!"

Just a few extra details to add to TRIgirl SD's great account of our ride - we made an appearance at Indian Fields Tavern again and probably freaked out a few diners who were trying to have a quiet Sunday brunch when we paraded in to use the bathroom in all our bike gear. We also found out later TRIgirl JH had thoughtfully protected us from afar by warning tourists to the visitor center where she works about the bicyclists on Route 5. And I have found a solution to my drinking while biking dilemma - a SipAway bottle (not to be mistaken for a sippee cup, though I do look a bit "special" when using it)!

Fezzy also was excited when I got home - as I was a human salt stick. He licked and licked as we began celebrating my hubby's birthday.

The Crackhead Invitational and the Chesdin Classic

What? You’ve never heard of these events?

The Crackhead Invitational was held this Saturday. Earlier this week, our coaches decided to make our toughest workout to date (in my book, anyway) a little more “yummy.” So, our 24 mile bike and 16 mile run was tweaked a bit to be a bike race, followed by an “easy” (LOL) run. Meaning we all were supposed to start at the same time and push hard on the bike. At least we didn’t have to race the run, like the Ironman Coeur d’ Alene folks.

A bunch of us really were not thrilled with this whole racing idea – hence the nickname “Crackhead Invitiational.” Between worrying about being last – or feeling bad if you weren’t because it would mean someone else would be - it seemed like extra pressure when many of us were already stressed out about Eagleman. But, in typical TRIgirl style, we survived the workout through the support and humor of our coaches and teammates. For example, TRIgirl SD coordinated “race packets” with our own race numbers, water and Band-Aids.

Thankfully, we had great weather. I decided early on, I would not focus on racing my teammates – instead I would concentrate on racing my pace. I tend to push the uphills (to get them over with quickly) – but don’t work the downhills. So, there were several times between passing or being passed, I would have the chance to ride with some of the TRIgirls for awhile. I haven’t checked Garmin for the official pace – but I think it was somewhere around 17.7 miles per hour – pretty good for me. The “racing” did put an extra drain on my thighs, which still had 16 long miles of running ahead of them. I can’t thank TRIgirls MW and SD enough for their company and encouragement during the longest run I’ve ever completed. We didn’t set any speed records, but we made it through and didn’t feel half bad when all was said and done. We paced ourselves well, taking turns giving warnings if we were going over 6 miles per hour, trying to stay around an 11 minute mile. One amusing moment happened as we jogged the last few miles around the nub at West Creek. We were finishing 3 of the 4 loops to hit 16 miles, when we heard Coach M cheering us in – and we had to yell back – “Nope, we’ve got another mile or so left!”

We did finally finish – and were awarded with Hawaiian leis by Coach M (the closest we’ll probably get to Kona!). Knowing we were capable of running a very long distance on legs drained from a tough bike ride was reassuring and made the workout worthwhile. Tired, but beaming, we hydrated a bit in the parking lot, before heading home after the mega-long workout. A big meal was calling my name…

Sunday was the Chesdin Classic. TRIgirl MM’s boyfriend’s brother has a gorgeous brick and stone home right on Lake Chesdin and arranged for a 2 mile open water swim practice. We had another beautiful day. On the ride to the lake, I thought to myself it might be a little nutty to attempt my longest open water swim the day after my longest ever run. Not to mention the biking. But the opportunity was too good to miss and a half hour or so later, we were all putting on our wetsuits.

TRIgirl MM’s boyfriend is so great – he rode a jet ski while we swam to make sure we were safe and protected from other boats in the water. We stayed close to the shoreline, the water temperature alternating between chilly and warm pockets. At our halfway point, we wondered if we had swum a full mile as we chatted with a neighbor, who also shared our back leg would be against the current. The way back did seem to take longer and we were able to practice swimming with a little more choppiness as the jet skis created waves for us.

Whether or not is was a full two miles, most of us still had a distance PR in open water. The experience helped give another confidence boost for Eagleman.

And we had the best post race meal ever – lots of fruit, cheese, chips – and wine - on a fabulous deck overlooking the lake. We were even able to take a ride on the jet ski. Much thanks to our wonderful and generous hosts - who may regret extending future invitations to our group! Can we go back tomorrow?

My Jimmy Shoes

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Jimmy “likes Elaine” and hooks Kramer up with the special training sneakers?

Sometimes truth is not so far off from fiction.

About a week ago, I read a post by TriJack where he was reviewing his new Newton sneakers. A glowing evaluation, I might add. I checked out the Newton site to learn all about the shoe's design technology.

Intriguing.

So, fast forward to Monday morning. I was at Guppy swim class and noticed Ironwoman Canada looked to be wearing Newtons. Turns out, they recently sponsored her. She shared that she also thinks they are awesome. She asked me what size shoe I wear – she needed to up a size.

Ironwoman Canada kicked off her shoes and told me to try them on. Sweet! Her current sneakers fit my feet perfectly!

I'll try anything that might improve my running - especially if it doesn’t involve physical exertion.

They were like air. So light and comfortable. I ran a few steps and sensed the “actuator lungs” that are supposed to promote a natural running form. Thank you, Ironwoman Canada!

Yesterday was my first chance to test them out. After a nice, relaxed 16 mile bike ride I put the “Jimmy” shoes on for a six mile run. Maybe it’s the power of suggestion, but they seemed to help my body stay focused in more forward motion. While they weren’t quite as cushiony as my other sneakers, the fact that they were so lightweight made it easier to practice the small, fast steps I am supposed to be working on to improve my form. Just like TriJack and the website claim – there is a "barefoot" running sensation, but in a good, supportive way. I thought about stopping after four miles, remembering the shin splints and knee pain I had the last time I tried to switch sneakers, but I felt too good. I did the six miles averaging just under 10 minute miles – and the first three were at an easy pace. Not bad!

No shin splints or leg pain today, either.

Jimmy has got the moves and can jump, but maybe there is hope TRIgirl 40 will figure out this running thing.

Things That Go Bump

Reoccurring themes. A few months ago, I struggled with taking two steps forward, one step back (or sometimes one step forward, two steps back) with training after a bout of stupid little ailments.

Those feelings are skulking back in, though they are more psychological rather than physical this time.

After Smith Mountain Lake, the doubts about Eagleman started to creep in. I was happy with my SML swim time, but was queasy thinking that the Eagleman swim would be about three times longer – a distance I can do easily in the pool, but in the open water with tons of people more aggressive than I am? I pictured myself pulling off to the side to let everyone pass. One step back.

Last Sunday, the Richmond Triathlon Club offered an open water swim clinic. The river was noticeably warmer than SML or the TRIgirl swim practice. The warmer water really made a difference in my comfort level. We practiced drafting, which reassured me about swimming in close proximity to other racers (in most races I look for a space cushion – and will swim away from other racers to stay in it – though drafting can save up to 30% in effort). I also tried out a long john wetsuit – liked the extra freedom around my shoulders. The clinic helped me gain some confidence for Eagleman – I can do this! One step forward.

Yesterday, Triathlonmom shared she’d found great tips on Desiree Flicker’s triathlon site. I dug around for awhile and found her 2006 Eagleman race report.

Jellyfish wrapping themselves around wrists.
A strong voice inside yelling get out of the water.
Punishing waves.
So glad to hit land.

Not exactly the account you want to read – from a pro no less.

As "girly" as it may sound, I'm freaking out more about the jellyfish than the rough conditions. Where I come from, you don’t have to deal with jellyfish until late July or August. Gross! I’m thinking carefully about the wetsuit deal. The full sleeve would protect me more from these blechy creatures.

One big step backward. Until I can find jellyfish repellant.

3 or 60? (and Race for the Cure Race Report)

If you had the choice of a 3 mile run or a 60 mile bike, what would you pick?

Saturday had both, starting around 9:00 am with Race for the Cure. This is a race I signed up to do because of the cause vs. most of the other races I do for fun (?) but feel good that there is usually an associated charity.

I was feeling pretty groggy because of taking allergy medicine the night before. As TRIgirl DL and I walked around the race venue, it seemed to become hotter and more humid by the minute. We met up with our TRIgirl team, took a picture, and sweltered some more in the steam room like conditions while waiting for the 5K to begin. After the first mile (which was a decent 9:20), I gave up the idea of trying to hit a PR – and just focused on completing the run without passing out – dumping water on my sweaty self any chance I could get. Which gave me a chance to reflect more on the other participants – and thinking about the people they were running "in memory of" or "in celebration of". I had a pink little sign on my back for celebrating TRIgirl DL. And maybe that is what I should have been focusing on all along.

After the race, we met up with TRIgirls SD and LD for our 60 mile ride. We decided to try a route that started on the border of the city and headed out toward Williamsburg taking Osbourne Road and Route 5. The scenery was lovely as we road the mostly flat terrain through rural neighborhoods. The heat and humidity were not nearly so bad on the bike. We all occasionally commented on how great the ride was – most of the cars and trucks were even polite. Our half-way point was at the Indian Fields Tavern – where TRIgirl SD had a fabulous idea to restock our water bottles. The 30 miles home was a bit more exciting – TRIgirl LD got a flat tire - so we all learned firsthand what works – and doesn’t work – when changing a tire (how many TRIgirls does it take to change a flat tire? – Four!). About a half hour later, we were back on the road, cruising along nicely when big raindrops started to plop down. Then little pelting drops. Then back to the big drops. The rain stopped for the last part of our ride. We pulled into the Shiplock Yard parking lot feeling proud of the new distance accomplishment and physically strong – other than saddle sore butts.

So 3 miles or 60? 31ish minutes vs. 270ish (including pit stops and flat tires).

I’ll still take the bike!

Numbers

When I added the Eagleman counter feature to my blog footer, the race was over 2 months away. Lately I’ve been avoiding looking at the happy stars bounding off the pink background. Right now it shows that the race is 1 month, 0 days, 14 hours, 30 minutes and 55 seconds away. Tomorrow the countdown will show a big fat 0 in the month slot.

Maybe I should switch it out for a new counter for Ironman – which is still about 6 months away. But I am not sure how much I want to I think about those numbers just yet. I recently watched a triathlon movie clip where the narrator mentioned that the 112 mile bike would seem long – in a car.

Wow, I’d never thought about that. I am going to be biking a distance that would take almost 2 hours by car.

Training and races involve many numbers - miles, meters, minutes, hours, ranks, averages, paces.

Numbers can be encouraging. The more I’ve thought about my SML swim time, the more I’ve realized I’ve made some gains through all this training. My last 750 open water swim race time was over 4 minutes longer – and that was without a wetsuit and with the timing mat right on the dock when stepping out of the water.

Other times, numbers can be humbling. In my first triathlon I finished dead last in my age group.

And sometimes, numbers can be downright confusing. Up until this weekend, I’ve been timing my mile swim based on 36 laps in the pool. Which is correct for yard pools. But, I’ve been swimming in meter pools – where 32 laps equal a mile. Doh, makes total sense now that I’ve thought through the math. At least I didn’t make that mistake the other way around.

So while I am excited for the Shady Grove Sprint race coming up in a little over 3 weeks, I know when it gets here, Eagleman will be just 7 days away.

And now, not that I am obsessing, there is 1 month, 0 days, 14 hours, 22 minutes and 11 seconds till the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 (thanks Fave!) mile run. Numbers that get scarier by the minute.

Tick, tock, tick tock.

Smith Mountain Lake - Race Report

The first tri of the season is over – with a sigh of relief and a few lessons learned.

TRIgirl DL and I left Friday afternoon, meeting up to caravan with TRIgirl MW. We were supposed to ride with TRIgirl CD, who unfortunately caught a miserable stomach virus. We arrived at Smith Mountain Lake just in time to pick up our race packets and meet up with the Baby and Returning Pinks for a great pre-race meal. Baby Pink TRIgirl JS had generously offered to share her family’s beautiful lake home with the TRIgirl racers – which was within minutes of SML.

The weather predictions leading up to the race had not been promising – but overall we were quite lucky. Not quite as cold as expected and the rain held off.

Now that I am in the 40 age group – I started in the very last wave – about 20 minutes after the first wave took off. Thankfully, this last wave included several other TRIgirls and Guppy KB. TRIgirl KO took a bunch of photos before the race - hope to get a few up when she has a chance to send out.

To try to overcome the jitters of an open water swim – and remind myself of the somewhat successful wetsuit experiences I’ve had this year, I spent a few minutes in the water before the race. The water was cold, but not miserable. I swam a bit and proved to myself – my arms could move and I would not suffocate.

After watching the other waves head out, it was finally time for my purple cap group. This was the first open water race I’ve been in where not only did we need to be in the water before we started – but we actually swam out to a point where we couldn’t touch bottom before the gun sounded. There was plenty of room to spread out, so the fighting to find a space was not bad at all. Heading to the first buoy was still a mind game. The buoy looked much closer on land than it did in the water. But the lake was clean and without a current. The first buoy came more quickly than I expected. I turned and started on my way to the second buoy, concentrating on regulating my breathing. Suddenly I saw a few caps from the wave ahead of the purple caps. Before I hit the third buoy, I even saw a cap or two from two waves ahead of mine. After making the turn around the third buoy, I completed the homestretch, thinking about my form. Walking out of the water – I checked Garmin – 15:15. I was very happy with my time actually swimming, though a little disappointed that the timing mat was way up by the transition area (which I was a bit disoriented finding), so the time posted by the race was around 17 minutes and change.

Between that extra time - and some poor preparation, (getting out of the wetsuit, thinking about whether or not to wear a windbreaker (yes) and to leave insoles in my bike shoes (no), playing around with what liquid to take on the bike (which I never even drank)), T1 was less than stellar.

TRIgirl SD had checked out the bike start yesterday and gave us a great tip for the race – run up the short but steep entry, pull over, mount the bike and go. Thanks to her, that was probably the smoothest part of my T1.

The bike route was nice – a bit hilly in places. Around mile 7, I think, there was a major decsent. Since it was an out and back, I realized it would also be a nasty uphill toward the end of the ride. Overall, my mile laps on the bike were not bad, most ranging around 3:30-3:40, a couple around 4:00 – 4:30 and the best while coasting down mile 7 was 2:50ish. I was on track for a 45-47 minute bike, until the last mile, when the course met up with runners and I felt like I needed to slow down (for their safety and mine) – and the last couple of hundred yards when I saw a bunch of cones and thought I was entering the transition area and started to dismount, ran a bit around a turn – and then realized it was still a few tenths of a mile away. Fumbled around getting back on the bike to make up a little time into T2 – but still finished at around 48 and a half minutes due to not being as prepared as I should have been.

T2 started OK. A fit looking guy was at the end of my bike rack and told me I looked great and ready for the run. I realized he was done with the race as he was changing clothes. I had forgotten to put the Yanks in my sneakers prior to the race, so dealt with the laces – then realized there was something in the bottom of one shoe, took it off, shook out the debris, retied. And in the meantime, my bike fell over on the rack. Nice guy helped me get it back on the rack, and I was ready to start off on the run. Made it almost to the run start and looked down. AAAGH. Forgot my race belt. Back to my bike rack, nice guy smiled when as I clipped on my number – and headed off once again.

When getting our race packets, we noticed that a good part of the first run mile was uphill. Not too steep, but a long gradual uphill. I was very grateful for our West Creek workouts. While I definitely would have been happier with a flat course, it wasn’t too bad. Since there was talk of some of us completing our required weekend 10 mile run after the race, I remembered Coach G’s (who we greatly missed, but could not join us as her due date is quickly approaching) advice to keep the run fairly easy. I walked the first water stop and took a quick break at the second one. Then it was time for the long downhill to the finish line. That, I liked! Overall run time was just over 32 minutes – and thanks to the downhill, I can claim a negative split.

So overall, I was fairly happy with the actual swim, bike and run portions of the race. I think I could have pushed a little harder here or there, but the biggest lessons I learned from SML – 1) check out the transition areas pre-race and 2) really think through the transition process. And – I was so relieved to survive the swim in the wetsuit!

The Baby Pinks had a great race – awesome times – and really seemed to enjoy it. Returning Pinks impressed as well. And much respect for TRIgirl MJM who came out to do the swim and bike – even though she could not compete in the run, her best event, due to a knee injury. TRIGirl LS finished in the top twenty for overall female (whoo hoo!) – a pretty amazing feat considering this race was a national qualifier.

Post race, the idea of the 10 miler lost appeal to just about everyone, so we headed back to TRIgirl JS’s home for a great cookout prepared by her mom and dad. We were all pretty hungry – and really appreciated their generous home cooked dishes.

Alas, since we made the decision to put off the 10 miles till the next day, staying the night to celebrate Cinco De Mayo, while very tempting, was nicked.

Hoping to return to SML for future races!

Ahas and Breakthroughs

This past week may have marked a breakthrough or two – or if not quite breakthroughs, maybe at least a few “Aha!” moments.

Earlier this year, I had a gait analysis – remember? For the past few months I’ve been feeling all proud of myself for keeping my elbows behind my waist. Well, until I saw pictures of myself from the Monument 10K where I appeared to be doing a great impersonation of Rocky Balboa – except I looked like I was punching myself in the head.

Hmmm.

So, I decided more intervention was required. I read the Chi Running book TRIgirl CD recommended (she found her chi and has become quite a gazelle). Last Monday, I went to a guppy run – and – of all things – Ironwoman Canada brought her video camera to record our running.

It wasn’t pretty. Well, actually it was kind-of pretty. It was like a super slow motion sprinter. Other than the elbows flying all over the place. I’ve got this “stepping in front of me” thing going on. At one point on the video – a bunch of guppies passed by – and it was so noticeable that my cadence was too slow and my stride was too long.

For the rest of that day – and Tuesday’s brick run – I focused on kicking behind me instead of stepping forward. Yes, different, but the motion seemed to require less effort. And whatever was keeping my legs behind me also made it easier to keep my elbows back. Aha!

Flashback to Wednesday morning – what the heck is wrong with my calves? What is this weird cramping, tight feeling that is painful to the touch?

I could hardly stand when trying to get out of bed. I walked around like Quasimodo until – yep, until today. To put it mildly, the 12 mile run on Saturday was pure misery. I had to stop every few miles to stretch my rebelling calves.

And at the suggestion of several coaches – I’ll be making smaller adjustments between now and Eagleman as obviously my running is so pitiful, it is going to be a bit of a haul to get my form corrected for what comes so naturally to nearly every first grader.

A few less painful ahas…

Before the torturous 12 mile run, I practiced drinking on the bike during the 28 mile ride. A bit wobbly, but I was able to splash enough fluid in my body to get by. Coach B even noticed and gave me a few words of encouragement while riding by. Maybe not quite an aha yet - but progress.

Last Wednesday morning, I had a private lesson with Ironwoman Canada (thanks to a super thoughtful birthday gift!). First, I tried my wetsuit out for the first time in the water. Better than the Big Nut experience. I realized there was hope that I just might be able to swim in this ridiculous contraption. Aha!

Then we worked on my form a bit. For months, I’ve heard Coach S and Ironwoman Canada talk about making a paddle with your forearm and hand. But something clicked after some drills with real swim paddles and a few tips. Aha! And while I don’t think I am faster – I am definitely more comfortable at a “pushing it” pace.

And the big breakthrough…

On Sunday, Coach G and TRIgirl LS coordinated an open water swim practice in the James River. What a beautiful location – from the long drive down to the river to the airy field near the dock. We put on our wetsuits and headed out into the water. Coaches G, M, S and B shared a bunch of great information on what to expect during all aspects of an open water swim. Wading through mud that was seriously like eight inches deep at some points, I was grateful that the wetsuit protected me from the slime, in addition to making it easier to enter into the chilly water. Coach M told us to huddle close to simulate an open water blender start. We swam upstream first for five minutes. I was not happy. My breathing was off – visions of the Big Nut clouded my mind. Finally it was over and we could turn around. Thank goodness, I just wanted to get back to the dock.

A few minutes rest, and then Coach M suggested another attempt at a three minute upstream swim. This time, my breathing started to settle down. There were a few moments where the water smelled like sewage and sticks and debris floated by – but I wasn’t panicking anymore. We turned around – and I started to enjoy the swim. By the time we finished, I wanted to go out again.

A handful of swimmers decided to give it one more go. Early on, I started to feel comfortable. I hit a groove and was even able to begin concentrating on my form. I picked up my head at the landmark where I had stopped at the three minute point during the last attempt, but kept going when I saw others behind me still swimming. A little bit later, a few IM folks passed me and were turning around. I almost didn’t want to stop. The final home stretch felt wonderful – a big relief.

A breakthrough.

I think I CAN swim in a wetsuit.