I’m All That – Day 1

This morning at 4am the Skinnyman weekend began for me. I am competing in the I’m All That category which means a sprint tri today and then a mile swim tomorrow at 8am (Escape from the Judge), followed by a 2mi bike climb called the Coon Hill Grind at noon and then the 4mile road race at 4pm. The racer with the fastest total time of the four events combined wins.

The race didn’t start until 7:30 but I wanted to get an early start because it was a good 45 minute drive to the race site and I wanted to drive the bike course before the race. Got all that done and got set up in transition…then hung out chatting with fellow racers. I met a girl named Kelly and we agreed to try the flying mount in the race with our shoes on the bike. We got that all set up and then I spotted Mike…my nemesis (jk Mike) from Cicero – he wasn’t supposed to be here! Turns out he signed up last minute because of the tough competition this race brings out. On the women’s side, Heather Leiggi, a pro that grew up in the area, was here as well as local faves Julie Rosa, MB Romagnoli, Jen Petersen, Danielle Ohlsen… This was going to be a good race!! In addition to the locals, I met up with some fellow Wegmans teammates and chatted a bit.

The women’s group was the 3rd wave to start. As soon as the gun went off I was hoping I would be able to find my groove and relax. Unfortunately it was like salmon swimming upstream as everyone sprinted out. I got knocked all around but managed to keep moving forward. About halfway into the swim, I finally settled in and also started catching slower swimmers from the previous waves. It was hard to tell what position I was in because the 1st wave had green caps also. I exited the swim at 11:25 and sprinted into transition (this is the part of the race I was most freaked about!!)

OK – I got my wetsuit off, helmet on and grabbed the bike…I got to the mount area and it was packed with riders mounting their bikes. I didn’t plan for this when I was practicing…I pictured a nice clear, open road. Not so. I kind of maneuvered around until I found a spot, did the flying mount and then could not get my feet in the shoes. Fortunately this was designated a “no pass” zone by the race committee so I had plenty of time to work my feet in. By the first turn I was in and ready to make back some time!

The bike felt great, although it was very windy. Some have said that this is the 2nd toughest sprint course behind Caz in the area even without the wind. There are a lot of rolling hills and false flats. Nothing too remarkable about my bike effort. I pushed hard but ended up with only a 39:20 (21.5mph). I rode my stock wheels and have been told time and again that if I were to switch to performance wheels I could easily increase my speed. I’m not sure why I am so resistant to use them. Maybe because they cost so much. I think I just hate that you can “buy” speed. It just doesn’t seem fair.

Anyway, I had not seen another female since the beginning of the bike. I headed into transition and had a little trouble getting the run shoes on again. I think I need to experiment with some powder or just wear the damn socks! I then heard the announcer state that I was the 2nd female heading out on the run.

I felt GREAT on the run. My time was not spectacular but I felt strong the whole way. It was quite hilly with an out and back section. That was nice because I could finally confirm my place and see if I had a chance to catch first and also to see how far back my pursuers were. Even with feeling as strong as I did, I was not able to catch Heather. She finished about 50 seconds ahead of me. I did hold off third place, however and finished second in 1:12:26 (with a run time of 19:38). My nemesis had a great day and finished almost a minute ahead of me – great job Mike!!

All in all, I am pleased with how I raced. I am excited to see how I do at the 70.3. This is more the distance I am training for! As for right now, I better get some sleep so I am ready for a full day of racing tomorrow!!

I still need to report a bit more, however, because I was not the only family member to race today. Phoebe competed in her first ever multi-sport event…the Skinny Mini. She competed against 8-10 year olds in a 50 yard swim in the pool transitioning into an 800 meter run outside. She was a nervous wreck but also excited. I was not even sure she could swim 50 yards but she was awesome!! She swam the whole way without stopping and then headed out for transition. The apple does not fall far from the tree as Phoebe had trouble getting her shoes on also (we better continue our transition work together ). But she took off like a gazelle and finished the run with a strong kick. She said she had a blast except for how cold she was coming out of the pool (by now the temp was in the low 60s with a blustery wind). I am so proud of her for following through and doing the race. All of the kids were amazing! Her last comment to me was to ask me to get her some more swim lessons because she enjoyed it so much! (YAY)

“Rest” Week

August was a long, tough month of training but I finally made it to the “rest” week. (FYI – I did manage to complete the 3 hour run Sunday at 7:44 pace which was the last workout of the block). I put rest in quotes because none of Karen’s workouts are all that easy! I love it though…this is what is going to make me a better athlete.

In terms of scheduling, this week was kind of tough. The YMCA decided to close their pool for a week of maintenance. I freaked a little, trying to figure out where I was going to swim. Fortunately, the CNY Tri club has a link that lists all of the local training opportunities in central NY(including swimming) and I was able to find an open pool out at Caz College for my 1000yard time trial. The only downside is that they are only open 6:30a-7:40a. Fortunately the swim only takes about 30 minutes…plenty of time (or so I thought). Had a lifeguard showed up, it would have been plenty of time. After standing in the locker room with 6 other scantily clad women, it was announced that the pool would not open today because there was no lifeguard. AAAAAHHHHH!!!!! Now what? I suppose I could have just skipped it but instead, I searched for another pool. I had to be at work at 10am and still had a 90minute run to get in so it would have to be something open after 7pm on a Friday night! Luckily, the downtown Y was open until 9pm so after work, I headed down there for the time trial.

Considering that I had run 90 minutes around Caz Lake in the morning and then stood at work for 9 hours, the time trial went fine. I managed a 13:11 which was only 2 seconds slower than last month. A solid effort in my opinion. Next up was a 3 hour ride on the Syracuse 70.3 course in the morning.

This was my first time riding the official approved course for the Sept. 19th race. It was tough. The first 10 miles or so are just climb after climb with no real downhills. Eric let me use a ZIPP 808 wheel on the back to see how I liked it. The wheel had a different cassette on it and I noticed it as soon as we did the first climb…I am still not familiar with the numbers and everything but this cassette was not as easy as mine for the hills. This was supposed to be an easy ride but whenever Eric and I get together, it always ends up being hard. Basically me, pushing to keep up with him since an easy ride for him is 22+mph!! Anyway, by the end, we managed the course in 2:44:51. On the 15 minute run that followed, I felt great. Good and strong!! I’m not thrilled with how I felt on the course, but I guess what matters is how I feel on race day. I am not sure how I feel about the race wheel. Everyone says it makes such a difference compared to the stock wheels I am riding but after one ride it’s hard to form an opinion. Eric said I could hold on to it for now and try it on my rides this week.

After the ride, I went to pick up my girls. We headed out for a trip to Beak and Skiff to pick some apples. It was a beautiful day for it and they were picking Paula Reds…one of my favorite kinds of apples! Both Phoebe and Maggie had a blast climbing the ladders to pick the apples, riding the tractor and checking out the beehive in the store. Next we headed to Target for some back to school shopping, Wegmans for some groceries and then home for a bath and dinner. While dinner was cooking, all three of us devoured some homemade guacamole! A great way to end the rest week.

Almost There!!

I am now one day away from completing this endurance block. This has been an extremely heavy week in terms of training. On top of it all, Karen has been in communicado for the whole week while she vacations in Placid. Nice for her, but stressful for me! I have been relying on others to calm my usual training anxieties (did I go hard enough? should my time have been faster? was that a good avg mph for the ride? … ). Here’s a recap of the week:

Monday: 5.5h ride followed by 1 hr run brick. This went really well until I hit mile 6 of the run. Major bonk. I am still trying to figure out what happened. I felt really strong on the ride, especially early on. I drank regularly and followed my nutrition plan same as always. I did not use any electrolytes and I did not have any UCAN left to drink. I wonder if both of those would have helped me.  On the flip side, I always have one bad workout before a big race and hopefully this was it.

Tuesday: much needed day off!!!!!! YAY!!!!

Wednesday: swam at the Y – 2 sets of a ladder. I only had 15 seconds rest between reps but did manage to negative split the 2 sets. I was basically very consistent although a little slower than Karen had wanted.

Thursday: big day! I swam 3×1000 at the Y pool in the morning. I was really good with my nutrition having a chocolate milk and english muffin with nutella after the swim and then some pomegranate-blueberry UCAN before the ride. My mom came to hang out with the girls while Eric and I headed out for a 3 hour brick mid-morning.

My mother was a little late arriving so Eric, Phoebe and I went outside to practice transitions. Maggie just rode around the cul-de-sac on her bike watching us. Let me just say that if you have read my blog you know I stink at transitions. Well, I did not perform any better in practice than in the race! Eric wants me to learn the “flying mount” with my shoes rubber-banded to the bike frame. This means I run barefoot pushing the bike and then leap on (without damaging any integral body parts) and get my shoes on and start riding off into the sunset. Eric demonstrated a few times and then it was my turn. Little did I know that Phoebe was watching Eric, also. My first attempt ended with me not even getting my leg over the bike. Next thing I know, Phoebe is showing off doing the flying mount with no trouble. She laughed at me and loved the fact that she could do something I couldn’t. I acted annoyed but secretly I was thrilled at her bravery to try something new and succeed … especially at something mommy couldn’t do.

After a few more tries, I was able to perform the task passably. So then we went to the dismount. Again Phoebe performed it like she was born to be a triathlete. This time, though, I managed to almost look graceful. It will still take a lot of practice but at least I have my own personal live-in expert to help me out!!

Finally, Eric and were geared up and ready to ride. We started at the Nice n Easy and did the Truxton loop (my absolute favorite ride). I finally had a good day and was able to stay close to Eric the whole way. Near the end of the ride, there is a nice downhill stretch where I have always tried to break 50mph. I glanced at my computer and hit 51.1mph!! Then a bee flew into my jogbra, couldn’t get out, got mad and stung me…**OUCH**!!!

We finished 56 miles in 2:39. Both of us ran out of fluids about 6 miles out so transition took a little longer as we downed water before running. I felt super strong on the run and (smile, smile) pulled away from Eric after the last hill. We actually held 7:05 pace for the run …a good solid effort after Monday’s workout.

Friday: a nice swim out at deruyter…peaceful and serene. After a bottle of UCAN, I managed to do my 90 minute ride with tempo intervals. Nothing exciting to report there.

Saturday: and finally…today. I felt terrible starting out as I ran to the track. A 90 minute run with 6x1mi at 6:45 pace with 5 min zone 2 running in between intervals was on the schedule. I didn’t think I’d make it through the first lap but I actually hit every interval spot on. I felt great on the run home as my thoughts turned towards the only workout not crossed off the schedule yet – the 3 hour run at 4:15am tomorrow.

Cazenovia Sprint Tri

 

Sunday I raced the Elite Sprint Division of the Cazenovia Triathlon. This being their 10th anniversary, they decided to host an “elite” start for some top local age groupers. It was a lot of fun racing and knowing where you were place-wise since everyone in the group all started together. Eric Prager was doing the elite race also so we met up in the parking lot and did a short warm-up on our bikes after setting up our transition area. The one thing that stood out was the WIND! 

The race went well and I finished 1st female, 5th overall in 1:14:45. My ex-husband’s brother was racing also so he brought Phoebe and Maggie to watch. They had a blast playing games and climbing on the playground. Lots of other kids there for them to make friends with also!

Swim

Two words…SUPER CHOPPY. My plan all along was to do the swim without a wetsuit. Kona is not wetsuit legal so I thought I should do at least one race without the wetsuit. The 60 degree temp and gusty cold winds had me second guessing this decision. Once I started swimming, though I was plenty warm. The water was so choppy and I had someone hitting my feet the first 100 yards at least. Then I managed to glide in behind someone (thanks mike ) and drafted most of the rest of the swim. The turn after the 3rd buoy was where the water got incredibly choppy and I lost my draft. I just tried to kick it in without swallowing too much water! As I ran up the ramp out of the water, I could hear my girls cheering for me…put a huge smile on my face!

T1

I was ready for this transition. No wetsuit…but I still had a little trouble. I was slow to get the helmet and shoes on and then had a little trouble unhooking the bike. I then had major trouble mounting the bike. The bike mount area is straight uphill and I have never had luck mounting the bike in the 3 times I have done this race. After 3 tries, I managed to clip in and was on my way. Of course, this was after I crossed the mats so it was all a part of my bike time.

Swim + T1 = 15:17 7th fastest overall, 2nd fastest female

Bike

The bike was uneventful except for the incredibly huge headwind on the ride back to the transition area. There is a climb about a mile into the ride that gets timed and a prize is awarded to the fastest climber of the day. (FYI – the timed part of the climb is short – maybe 50 yards?). I did my best but couldn’t outclimb Julie Rosa – she is amazing on hills! The course has a few other big rolling hills and one really nice big downhill. The highlight of the ride was breaking 50mph on that downhill. (That was my first time going over 50!). Eric passed me after the first uphill climb and then was out of sight.

Bike = 38:50 (22.1mph) 7th fastest overall, 1st fastest female
Hill climb = 31sec

T2

Somehow I managed to have trouble getting my run shoes on. They stuck to my feet because I didn’t have socks on. I told Karen and Eric we definitely need to work on my transitions!!

T2 time = 41sec

Run

Once you exit transition, the run begins with the same uphill that you have to mount the bike on. So, I was not feeling that great during the whole climb. It’s short but not a fun way to start a run after a hilly bike course. Once I made the turn, it flattened out. Where was everybody? I could see someone about 400m ahead but they were so far off that I was in no man’s land. The first mile is basically uphill and I was not feeling that great. Once I crested the hill, however, I started to feel stronger and reminded myself that this was still a race and still wasn’t 100% sure that I was in the lead. The out and back course allowed me to see the runners ahead of me. I must have been moving faster than them because more runners started coming into view. At the turn around, I realized I was in first (5th overall). Eric was way ahead…no chance of catching him (he finished up 2nd). My friend Mike was just ahead of me and I thought I might have a chance to catch him. I really pushed the downhill, passed him (then got passed by some guy running a 17min 5K (HS!!) ) and coasted in to the finish.

Run = 19:57

This is a really fun, well organized event. I’ve done both the Olympic distance and the Sprint and love them both. It is a real challenge with the hills and they have tons of great raffle prizes and awards. I was basically satisfied with my day. It was tough being in the middle of the hardest month of training so I don’t feel this was my best effort but I performed solidly in all 3 events. Can’t complain.

Up next…Skinnyman and I’m All That…

One last thing…I got a facebook message from a friend of my dad’s (pretty cool!):

“Hey, we just saw you on TV. YES network (home of the Yankees) has a 1/2 hour running show every week. Usually they show mostly NYC stuff, but tonight they showed the Chase race in Syracuse. Didn’t show the men winner, but did name you by name and show you crossing the tape. GREAT! By great serendipity, they segued right into the swim start in Kona from last year. Coincidence? I don’t think so!”

Testing at Engineered Fitness

 

Well, after about a week of eating more sensibly, I have been feeling AMAZING during my workouts!! I finished the first week feeling strong and started the 2nd week rested and fueled. Yesterday was a 4 hour bike ride followed by a 90 minute brick. This was one of the workouts I was dreading.

Last year when training for Chesapeakeman, I had a similar workout on the schedule. Scott and I started riding and one hour in, I pulled the bike to the side of the road and started to cry. I was completely broken. We s l o w l y rode back to his place and I collapsed for a 3 hour nap. I do NOT want to repeat that experience.

Anyway, this was the complete opposite experience. I drank some UCAN before heading out then started  slowly, uphill and into the wind. I rode on a lot of the 70.3 course which had a couple of good, steep climbs. After a while I got into a good groove and just coasted along. The time flew by and before I knew it, I was pulling into the driveway after riding 83.5 miles. I switched shoes for the run – goal was 90 minutes at 7:45 pace. I averaged 7:21. I felt completely strong throughout. Today, I took the day off (Karen would be so proud!).

One concern I have had from the start with changing my eating pattern is gaining weight. After our ride last weekend, Eric suggested I come in and get a baseline measurement of my weight and body fat. So yesterday, Phoebe and I drove down to Engineered Fitness, where Eric (Prager) is the President, and had the test done. By the way, Phoebe had a blast playing in the fitness room on the stationary bike, fitness balls, ab cruncher, etc. Her first question to Eric when he was done was when can mommy have this test done again?? Eric did a 7 site skinfold test and then weighed me.

Here are the results…
Calf – 7.5
Thigh – 9.125
Suprailiac – 10
Abdomen – 8.75
Tricep – 6.125
Scapula – 7
Chest – 2.875

Average body fat – 13.04%
Bodyweight – 132.75
Lean Tissue Weight – 115.49

Women have an essential body fat percentage 10-15% with elite female athletes falling right in that range. Eric said that 13% is EXACTLY where I want to be. Now we will retest in a month and see what, if any, changes occur. For now, I am going to continue with the new eating plan…and am thrilled that I don’t have to give up my cookie cakes or dinners out with wine and dessert … TY TPC

UCAN

My first “freebie” came in the mail yesterday. I got a package of samples from UCAN … a new sports drink that was developed with a modified corn starch to provide long lasting energy. Please visit UCAN to learn more. Basically it comes as a pre-workout drink in lemon and blueberry pomegranate and a post workout protein drink in chocolate and vanilla.

So 20 minutes before my run this morning, I mixed up and drank the lemon drink. My run was to be 90 minutes at an easy pace with 5x1mile repeats at 6:45 pace. (btw, I bagged the run Wednesday after the swim because I was just too tired and hungry. Eventually I will hopefully learn that I need to eat between swimming and running). I was really amazed at how great I felt during the run. It was really gentle on my GI system too. I didn’t get any indigestion or aftertaste which was a nice change from some of the other sports drinks or pre-workout foods I have tried. After the run, I used the chocolate post workout powder mixed into skim milk and drank it on my way to work. So easy and so little time required…perfectly convenient for me!

I spoke with my contact at UCAN after the workout and got some more clarification on how to use the product. Apparently the modified corn starch sustains energy by encouraging fat burning and lasts for over 2 hours. This means that on a long run, no need to carry anything but water. He said Meb Keflezighi drinks it before his marathons and then just drinks water during the race.

After hearing that, I decided to try it out on my 2.5h long run. IT WENT GREAT!!!! I was really excited at how strong I felt during the run today. Sunday I had a 1.5hour long run that ended up very slow because I felt lightheaded by the end. Today, I negative split the 4 loop course. I ran the 1st half at 7:46 pace and the 2nd half at 7:14 pace feeling stronger as I ran further. I drank the blueberry-pomegranate drink right before heading out and was able to go the whole run with no gels, bars or sports drinks. My stomach felt good and my legs felt even better – no “dead weight” feeling like I have been having on runs in the previous weeks. I ran 20.2 miles in 2:31 (7:30 pace). I was psyched!

Tuesday I have my next super long brick workout (4 hour bike, 90 minute run). This will be the next test for UCAN! I am excited to see how it goes…

The PEB Experiment

So I have now completed 3 days of Project Eating Better (PEB). I have to say, so far I feel pretty good. I have a touch more energy (but that could be from getting some good sleep and the recovery week) and I don’t feel fat or bloated. It is still difficult for me to eat when I wake up but I have been trying. Sunday I tried just some watermelon before running my 12 miles but it didn’t really help. I still felt hungry and wiped out during the run. The good news is it didn’t bother my stomach at all. After the ride I had chocoalte milk and Bacon, Leek and Pea Risotto. Later on I had some Wegmans cookie cake (yes… a new obsession ) and then salad and grilled peanut butter and honey at dinner. Monday I tried yogurt with watermelon and raspberries before my swim. After I swam I had a power bar with water and then went to the track for a tempo run. I was slower than usual but not by much. The power bar didn’t feel like enough and I should have brought some sports drink for during the run. I’m learning, at least! After the workout, Phoebe and I had Wegmans sliders (another fave) with roasted green beans. We had ice cream at Sno Top in the afternoon and then salad (with lots of fixin’s) and nutella on an english muffin for dinner.

Today was the first long ride of this month’s schedule. I had a 5.5 hour ride today, next week is a 4 hour and then the week after is a 5 hour. I still felt like I was recovering from last month so I wasn’t sure how this would go today. I woke up at 4:50am and was ready to go by the time it started to get light at about 5:30am. I started off the day by eating a grilled peanut butter and honey sandwich with a little milk before I headed out the door. This is the first time I ever ate anything besides a power bar before a morning ride. I was interested to see how it would effect me.

Karen wanted me to take it easy and also ride mostly flat so I went out to Oneida Lake. It was a beautiful morning for the ride and I felt good for the first 3 hours. Then it started to heat up and I started to run out of water. It got a little tougher but I think it was mostly mental because I was getting bored sitting on the bike for over 5 hours. Plus, my anatomy was just not made to sit on a bike seat for that long! I made it back after 112 miles and finished with a 4mile run. Jumping in the pool and then sitting on the step submerged eating watermelon completed the workout.

I crashed for awhile after and then forced myself to drink some chocolate milk and eat a good lunch – ravioli, meatballs and salad. The girls and I had a nice dinner with my mother who was here visiting. I surprised everyone with dessert (yes – another cookie cake!) and got big grins and thank yous from my ladies. The amazing thing is, I feel pretty good tonight and my legs do not feel trashed. Tomorrow will be the real test when I head out for a 90 minute run with 6 miles at 6:45 pace. Could there really be something to this nutrition thing??

New Look?

Obviously, I am somehow trying to figure out how to give trimom.com a new look. Bear with me over the next week or so as I try out a few new things! I am a bit technology challenged but I am trying .

Today ends my “easy” week which I did not find to be very easy at all! In general, I had a good week. I missed the girls but it was also relaxing to be on my own. Definitely a plus for a week when I am supposed to be recovering. Friday was a time trial on the track. Unfortunately, the only way to fit it in was after the hill workout on the bike. Needless to say, I didn’t really run as fast as I could have. I still negative split each mile and managed to feel strong throughout so I see it as a positive.

Saturday, I slept in until 9:30am – I probably have not done that since college!! I raced over to the Y because I wanted to get my swim time trial in before I went out for a 3 hour ride with Eric. I felt tired still but managed a new 1000yard PR swimming 13:09! After the swim, I met Eric at Jamesville Res so that we could bike one of the many proposed 70.3 courses.

There has been so much controversy and talk regarding what the course will be that I wanted to get a look at it for myself. There is a SUPER steep climb at the beginning that everyone has been arguing about. Some say it’s way too hard and too dangerous for beginners. Others have been saying that it’s not hard if you have the right casette on your bike and that 70.3′s were not meant to be easy. So, Eric and I saddled up and we were on our way to check it all out.

So here is my take on the course (which probably does not matter because it sounds like there will be another change made this week). The hill on Bush Rd is STEEP. It is a short steep climb that is hard but not impossible then it flattens a bit, turns a corner and then you ride up a 2nd steeper climb that is a little longer. My legs definitely hurt by the top. The worst part for me mentally, though was that the next 5 miles or so are still all uphill climbing until you get to route 20 in Pompey. After that the ride is awesome and you can really pick up speed. UNTIL…you hit route 80. There you get another less steep but longer climb. Once you make it up that, the rest is tolerable for a few miles and then crazy fun flying downhill. We managed it at 20.3mph not really pushing it. Eric is a stronger rider than I am so he was often waiting at the top of the hills, all relaxed while I was sucking in wind. That is…until we got to the run portion of the brick! My turn to kick some a**! To his credit he did stay with me for the 15 minute run but I finally got to hear him breathing hard and struggling…felt good . (jk eric!!).

After the workout, we jumped into the lake and chatted a bit. It seems my “Food” post has generated a lot of concern over my eating habits! I have even been in contact with UCAN (www.ucanco.com – a new sports drink) asking me if I would try some of their samples. They convinced me that their product could help me out a lot. Eric and I talked a lot about my diet and changes I could make throughout the day. Karen, too, sent me an email basically telling me that I better whip my diet into shape NOW! So today started day 1 of “Project Eating Better”. Hopefully I can stick with it and give some feedback as to how it is going. Stay tuned for that, news on the 70.3 course and possibly an updated look to trimom!!

All Registered!

Registration Confirmation for:

2010 Ford Ironman World Championship

Dear Kristin,

Congratulations! You are now registered for 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship. Please check the event’s official website for updates: http://www.ironman.com

View your complete registration details »
Please notify the Worldchampionship@ironman.com immediately if any of your information changes.

Date & Time: 10/09/10
Location: Kailua Pier (Map)
Purchased at: 07/28/10
Team: Kristin White
Category: CAT 1
Name: Kristin White

Plans…

Over the last few weeks I have come to find out that people are actually reading my blog! It’s kind of exciting and intimidating at the same time. I have even heard that other bloggers are reading my blog and commenting on it! I think it’s great that other athletes are interested in what I am doing but it really upsets me when they feel it is OK to judge me. I am writing this blog and sharing my workouts for fun and for those enjoying reading it. I am not saying what works for me is what everyone should do. This is just a glimpse of my life and how I fit everything in. Maybe it’s different than how others would do it…well viva la difference! I have learned a great deal in my 39 years and one thing I religiously adhere to is not judging others unless I have walked in their shoes. Anyway, I’ll get off my soapbox now…

I had a really nice talk with Karen yesterday regarding the plans for the rest of the year. The main focus is obviously Kona! We discussed some time goals and what she had up her sleeve for my training in these remaining weeks. Finally we planned out the few remaining races for this year and started looking ahead to next year.

Karen is really adamant that I not only have a good chance of winning my age group at Kona but being the first female amateur finisher overall. While I don’t share her confidence, I do have to admit that she has never been wrong about my ability so far. My main goal at Kona is going to be to focus on running the marathon in 3:15-3:30 and making sure I negative split the run. If I go out easy off the bike, I think I have a good chance of doing this. To reach this goal, she has planned a combination endurance/speed focus for the next 4 weeks. After that, the focus will be on long bricks and then of course, the taper. I will be racing in the Cazenovia Sprint Triathlon August 15th, The Skinnyman I’m All That Event Labor Day weekend and the Syracuse 70.3 September 19th. Watch for me in those races and check back here for the race reports.

Next year may end up being a very exciting year for me. My finish at Buffalo Springs Lake qualified me to go Pro next year. Karen and I have been discussing the pros (no pun intended ) and cons of this decision for a month now. I am still not sure what the final decision will be but stay tuned! We are looking to focus on the 70.3 as the full ironman training is more than I am interested in devoting time to next year. I am tentatively looking at St. Anthony’s, Buffalo Springs Lake (really want to go back!!), Quassy Rev 3, Syracuse 70.3, Steelhead, Florida 70.3, maybe a few local ones…obviously these are NOT set in stone. We are just starting to brainstorm a bit!

Finally a friend at work videotaped my stroke at the Y and I sent it out to a coach to have my stroke analyzed. His report basically states that my ankles could use a little more flexibility so they are more like flippers when I kick…my stroke is flat and so I need to work on rolling on my side more and I need to continue to catch water when I get tired instead of letting my hand slip through it. I sent the report to Karen and she is hoping to get me up to her pool so she can watch me swim also. Here’s a video of my stroke and then another of Grant Hackett swimming the 1500.

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