We Interupt This Torturefest Program...

for a little Blue Ridge Parkway update.

Last year, I rode the Blue Ridge Parkway three times. At best, my rides were tolerable. At worst, I was a miserable, grumpy...

Even at the better end of the spectrum, I was huffing and puffing it up the climbs and anxious during the downhills.

Saturday, TRIgirls KO, SK and I headed up to the BRP. We each had our own reasons for wanting to deal with the BRP on our own terms, before the more formal group training workouts planned over the next few weeks.


The day was picture perfect. The sun was strong, though the air was cool. The plan was to start at milepost 14, head down to 0, then back up. Take a break at the car. Up to 25 and back down.

I did not remember the first stretch very accurately in terms of what happened where, but we hit a good downhill pretty early on. By singing in my head and focusing on relaxing, I did much better than any time on the BRP last year. As we neared the bottom, two familiar faces called out to us - and we realized it was the Sponsored Athlete and his Should be Sponsored Wife. They did a u-turn to meet us, take pictures and chat - before we would all start the uphill stretch to MP 14.

The climbing was hard - but not nearly as awful as last year. And I'll give a big shout-out to Patriot Sangria's new compact crank for allowing me to finally understand what it means to "spin" up a hill. It wasn't fast - but I hardly ever felt like my lungs were going to explode.

We regrouped at MP 14 - saying goodbye to the Should be Sponsored Wife. We had 11 more miles of mostly climbing before our next turn around. TRIgirl SK (who is injured and still kicks-a**) and the Sponsored Athlete took off together and dominated those hills. TRIgirl KO and I followed at a slower, but consistent and comfortable pace. While there were times I wished the hills were over, I still wasn't experiencing the "I am going to die" feeling. And because of that, I really was able to enjoy the breathtaking BRP views so much more than any ride I've ever done up there. Finally, I could understand why people actually WANT to ride the Blue Ridge!

The Sponsored Athlete and TRIgirl SK were practically napping when we arrived at MP 25. Now it was just 11 miles, mostly downhill, before our first BRP ride of the season would be completed. TRIgirl KO and I finished the stretch together, braving some switch-back downhills that were pretty tough.

At the car, we discussed where to start the circle of happiness (food and drink) and decided we were all hungry enough for lunch. We stopped at the Ambrosia Bakery and Deli (which is a smorgasbord of Mediterranean delights) for great wraps, grape leaves and a few amazing looking sweet treats.

And from what I can tell, I think we all headed home feeling pretty good about a needed confidence building training ride.

Torturefest 2009 - Day 3 - The Looong Run

(These Torturefest posts are taking me so long to write, I am forgetting details - and it may be race day before I finish.)

Sunday started off chillier than Saturday. The cool, brisk - and clean feeling - air - was a welcome surprise for our long run.

The goal was to run for about three hours. For some of us, that meant 20 miles, though for most of us it turned out to be around 16-17.

Our same group from yesterday's bike started the run together by looping around Mirror Lake. As we made a quick pit-stop in Starbucks, I checked with TRIgirl SS. The group pace seemed a bit ambitious for me. Thankfully, she was open to the idea of dropping back a bit. We headed out again and stayed within fairly close sight of the other girls for a good chunk of the rest of the lake loop, even briefly catching up before the run out and back to take a few photos in front of an "Athletes Training" street sign.

This may be shocking to a few of you - but I enjoyed the run. My legs felt good the whole time and the pace was comfortable. TRIgirl SS was great company. Sometimes we'd talk; other times we'd just run quietly together. There were a few rollers on the out and back, but nothing too daunting. It was perfect running temperature. And the prettiest run course I've ever done - from babbling brooks to great mountain views.

Sherpa Extra K met us on the run a few times - which was wonderful for removing a few layers and grabbing more gus and water.

The tough part of the course - the crazy hills into and in town - were waiting for us during the last couple of miles. They were hard - but not too, too long. My guess is I'll be walking up parts of them on race day.

But as we finished the run - and I still felt pretty darn good - I briefly wondered if this might become the first race where I will actually look forward to getting of the bike. Then I remembered, it wasn't likely to be in the 50-60s in July. Then again, maybe it will be by the time I start running!

Back at the house, eating and massages were on the rest of the afternoon's schedule. Then dinner at The View - including celebrating TRIgirl SS' upcoming 50th birthday. My dinner was yummy, but the 4-5 tiny scallops barely took up a third of the plate - not a recommended meal choice for "Athletes Training."

Torturefest 2009 - Day 2 - The Looong Bike

Saturday morning was an early rise and shine day. Ironwoman Canada formed three groups to make sure everyone would have someone looking out for them.

I had ridden the course last year when signing up for the race - but we had started in Keene vs. Lake Placid, so my orientation was a bit thrown off as to where we would be beginning.

My group, including TRIgirls KO, SS, LD and Barracuda BL headed off. The first mile or so was slow and easy as we made our way through town. But soon, we were huffing it up one rather significant climb. Just like most of the climbs on the course, some parts were steeper than others, but it was mostly uphill for a good 7-8 miles. What a way to start the course - on a long hill that hadn't even earned a name! TRIgirl SS took care of that detail, by christening it the "Bastard" (the "Bastard" would soon become part of the famous trio - the Bastard, the Bitch and the Wench). While these nicknames may never be spray painted on the roads, they'll bring me some comic relief on race day.

After the last few rolls of the Bastard, the first steep hill traffic sign came into view:



I knew what that meant.

The descent.

(Ask Barracuda BN how many of these signs there were on the descent - and he'll tell you 2. I thought there were 6-7 - but turns out there were over 10!).

TRIgirl SS had shown us a few key tips for surviving the 9ish miles. It was time to try those out, plus see if some of the work I'd done since last year would make a difference in my confidence.

TRIgirl SS headed off first. I took a deep breath and tried to keep her in my sights as we flew down the hill. Having her ahead of me helped me gauge how to tackle the downhill. I sang songs in my head, trying to spend time in aero and refrain from using the breaks. Overall, it was a big improvement. I was more relaxed than last year - and even had moments of enjoying the exhilaration of gaining momentum down the mountain.

We gathered at the bottom, for one of the many SAG stops. Sherpa Extra K was waiting for us - and we were able to strip off layers. The day was warming up and we had some serious climbing ahead.

First though, was the lovely, relatively flat stretch. My favorite part of the course, where you can gain a little (non-downhill) speed and enjoy the pretty scenery. Unfortunately, it probably lasts less than 10 miles

I remembered the left turn from last year - the one that signified the start of the climbs. The Bitch is one of the steeper uphills. We climbed the Bitch. For most of the rest of the loop, even when the climbs leveled off, the course was still slightly uphill. We skipped the Haselton out and backs for this ride.

As we finished the first loop of about 43-44 miles, we rode through town again, including a few very short, but very steep downhills. On race day, one of these downhills actually is lined with haystacks to cushion out of control crashing riders.

We started the climb up the Bastard again. My legs felt strong and I was happy with how the first loop had went.

This time, dark clouds, rain and wind decided to meet us just as we were approaching the descent.

Creating one of the scariest bike experiences of my life.

The rain was cold and the wind was unpredictable. I felt my bike being pushed one way or the other across the road. Sometimes the wind gust direction seemed to change within seconds. Needless to say, I braked more this time down - and was much more tense. I still tried to force myself to maintain a fairly fast speed - and felt a sense of comfort when TRIgirl SS passed me and I could focus on her vs. the rest of the hill. It was hard to believe this was the same descent from a few hours ago - it seemed much, much longer.

At the bottom, Sherpa Extra K and TRIgirl SS were there. I got off the bike and was shivering and quivering, not only from the cold and wet conditions, but also from a major surge of adrenalin - a fight AND flight response to make it down the hill. I put layers back on as we waited for the other riders - but I still had goosebumps and was shaking like a leaf.

The downhill seemed to scare most of us to some degree. But we all agreed it, in a way, it was a good experience - we'd be better prepared to deal with tough conditions on race day if needed. We were not thrilled with the rain that was still coming down - and decided we'd check in after the flat stretch to determine if we'd finish the entire ride.

The rest of the second loop seemed much harder - though we did it all. Maybe because it was the second loop, maybe because of the weather and maybe because my energy had been sapped a bit by the descent. We plugged through the rest of the ride, ticking off the climbs.

While I would have happily skipped the 20 minute transition run at the end of the bike - Ironwoman Canada would have none of it. So I put my sneakers on and headed out for about 2 miles of running in the rain.

After the run, it felt awesome to walk about into the house - and smell the delicious aromas of appetizers and dinner awaiting - thanks to the efforts to TRIgirl DL and her BF.

It was time for refueling. The next day would be another major workout - and my longest run since the stress fracture.

Torturfest 2009 - Day I - Arrival

I've thought about how to start this post series even while in Lake Placid when my brain was fairly delirious from the hardest training I've ever done within a few days.

There is much to write about - so I'm going with the multi-post approach, taking it by the day.

I left Virginia on Thursday night with Ironwoman Canada and Sherpa Extraordinaire K. It was a fun road trip, though I actually had to drive for a good chunk (my traveling companions risked my tendency to fall asleep in the car after even a ten minute ride). We shared many hilarious stories and discovered Ironwoman Canada's penchant for army songs - including those that involved stabbing someone with a knife. We survived the impromptu karaoke, as well as pea soup fog and even boardroom negotiations for a reasonable rate at an Hotel 8.

Friday morning, we pulled up to our base camp, a beautiful home called the Hawthorne, practically on Mirror Lake. TRIgirls KB and SS were already there - we unpacked our bags and headed into town for lunch. Our caravan had survived the previous 20 hours on pretzels, gum and cheerios - we were desperate for some real food.

By the time we walked back to the Hawthorne, everyone else had arrived. We were a little off schedule, but had just enough time to fit in a short bike including a few miles around the lake and one out and back of the run course. It was an easy, fun ride enabling us to make sure our bikes were in order for the next day's workout. We couldn't fit in the short open water swim in Mirror Lake (and as things turned out - this probably would have been the best day to brave the cold waters).



We headed out for a group dinner at the quaint Brown Dog Cafe and Wine Bar. All the dog themed prints left me missing Buttercup and Fezzy, but the food was delicious - and the wine selection was impressive. We celebrated Barricuda BL's birthday with a gluten free and yummy carrot cake. I impressively sucked the creamy icing off every ounce of cake on my plate justifying the calories as carb loading.

After dinner, Ironwoman Canada, Sherpa Extra K and I headed to our room with three squeaky twin beds. They both fell asleep fairly quickly - though it took me a little longer to settle down. The next day's workout had me a bit freaked out. We'd be riding two loops of the IMUSA bike course, minus the Haselton out and backs.

For the first time in almost a year, I was worried about what was in store for Patriot Sangria and me.

The Same, But Different

I've been remembering and rereading blog posts from IMFL training.

So many workouts were wondrous, groundbreaking events.

The first 2, 2.5 and 3 mile swims. The beautiful Chesdin Classic.

The first 60, 75, 80, 100 mile bike rides. The amazing century Eastern Shore Ride.

The first 15, 18 and 20 mile runs. The gruelling BB&T trail fiasco.

And some freakishly long bricks. The memorable Crackhead Invitational.

The uncertainty, anxiety, soreness - as well as the comedy, thrill and sense of accomplishment.

The mega long workouts are just starting for IMUSA. And this time, there is more familiarity.

Like this past Saturday, I knew the Cap to Cap century would be a long day - but I also knew I'd finish it - while enjoying watching two friends achieve (actually, they rocked) a new distance.

But, I am also quivering a bit in the corner; there are still new challenges.

Like this upcoming weekend, when eight training friends and I will be trekking up to Lake Placid for "Torturefest - and you thought Ironman was hard."

I expect to have my butt kicked big time!

And wouldn't mind a little wonderment thrown in for good measure.

White Lake - Race Report

Having the few extra prep days prior to the race was a treat. The Barricudas and I checked out the courses and completed final workouts. I never felt rushed or anxious.

White Lake was a training exercise for me - meaning no taper and using the race as an opportunity to iron out my problem areas. And if you've read my previous race reports, you'll know that includes avoiding unintentional penalties and stupid mistakes.

I slept fairly well before the race. I wasn't terribly nervous. I ate breakfast, drank a good cup of coffee (per Ironwoman Canada's instructions) and left to walk Patriot Sangria over to transition a few minutes before the more coordinated Barricudas biked over in flip-flops/crocs and with large bags draped across their backs.

Setting up for the race went smoothly. The people sharing my rack seemed nice. I tried to notice the run and bike exits. I took note of the surrounding rack markers as mine was decorated with just standard candy-stripe black tape.

Race time was 7:00, with the the old lady wave slated a half-hour later. Since Barricuda BL's age group was combined with mine, we would be able to start together. As the first waves kicked-off, we headed over to the water to warm-up. Barricuda BN was there, too. His wave would start after ours.

Barricuda BL tried to convince me to start up front with her, but I was leary of my Rumpass experience and placed myself more toward the middle. As our wave took off, I watched the leader group - and swimmers around me burst ahead. I just tried to find my groove and focus on sighting. With a sigh of relief, I rounded the first turn and saw the correct buoy for the next leg. The long straight-away was more choppy than I anticipated, but there really was no current. The swim felt good and I gradually caught up to some of the eager beavers. I sighted well and exited the water feeling strong, though not without being trampled by more aggressive racers when trying to climb up the dock ladder.

The long run to transition and the timing mat was still there. I didn't know my swim split at the time, but it turned out to be 41:29, about two minutes faster than last year and 13/31 in my age group.

Entering the transition, I saw the black tape candy stripe rack. But I did not see Patriot Sangria. I ran back and forth for a bit looking for the nearby rack landmarks, but did not see them either. Was my bike on the right instead of the left? Finally, I realized that the transition area was L shaped and that my bike was on the other side of the L. The rest of my transition must have been fairly quick, as T1 ended up being 3:45, which wasn't too bad for me.

On the bike, I settled in. This would be the one part of the race I wanted to push beyond a training experience. I felt good during the first few miles. I couldn't tell exactly where the wind was coming from, though I quickly realized when making the turn onto the longest stretch of the course that I was also hitting a headwind. I remembered loving the bike course more last year. This year, it seemed like the road was way more bumpy, with the ba-bum cracks covering about 2/3 of the course. It also seemed more boring. Sometime over the past year's training, I've come to enjoy rolling hills more than pancake flat. Nutrition on the bike was going well overall thanks to heavily loaded carbo pro and motortab bottles. I couldn't eat much solids, but knew I was consuming a decent amount of calories. A little over halfway through the race, I stopped and refilled my water bottles at an aid station.

Though I didn't have my exact split as I forgot to start my Garmin, I knew by my bike computer that I was close, but probably over my dream of breaking 3 hours. My bike turned out to be 3:01, 13/31 in my age group - about 5 mintues faster than last year. I was still pretty happy.

The last few miles on the bike were tough for me mentally, though. Not so much because I was phyically beat or sick of the bumpy road conditions, but because I knew the run was coming up soon. My longest run to date since November was 9 miles - those extra 4.2 seemed like a big jump. I thought about how it would be so easy to turn my chip in - and just run what I wanted to without worry about my overall time. It was very, very tempting.

I moved more slowly in T2 as I delayed the final decision. With a big sigh, I tightened up my sneakers and told myself to suck it up. This was a training race, right?

I jogged out of transition, deciding to hit the first aid station for the porta-potty (which I soon learned was not a very original plan). My legs actually felt better than I expected as I ticked off each mile by breaking the 13.2 miles into a long series of 1 mile laps.

While the bike was fairly overcast, the sun decided to pop out more often on the run. It wasn't as hot as 2008 - or even as originally predicted, but it was still in the low 80s. I was a dripping mess of water dumping and cold towel donning - and I spotted a few racers sporting TRIgirl SS' "curtain of cool." As I headed toward the turnaround, I saw Barricuda BN hustling - and then Barricuda BL looking strong and confident.

My legs continued to feel OK - and my breathing wasn't as labored as I expected. I wondered how I would feel at mile 10, but it didn't seem much different than mile 7. The last few miles were fairly consistent with the majority of my run. For a few wonderful seconds, rain began to fall, but it was just a cruel tease.

Crossing the finish line, I had a feeling my run time was close to last year's (Garmin died around mile 7). My overall time was 6:17 - a PR and about 7 minutes faster than last year, leaving me smack in the middle of my age group - 16/31.

And my run? 2:27:29 - 18/31 in my age group and 12 seconds (LOL) faster than 2008. Last year, I was disappointed with my run. This year, I was grateful.

The Barricudas were waiting for me at the finish line. Barricuda BL had an awesome race and a great PR of about 15 minutes. Barricuda BN had earned another first place age group win. We cheered him and a few other RTC age group winners on as they climbed the podium - making Richmond proud. It was exciting to be so close to hard earned success and accomplishment.

Reflecting over the race these past few days - I've recognized that while I was happy for the PR, I was actually more satisfied with the realization that maybe I am not quite as far behind for Placid. I have a way to go on my running, but there could be more base to help me out than I thought.

And to be honest, I think that confidence builder is what I needed most from White Lake.