Ready To Begin

Got a call yesterday from Karen.  She is working on the 2010 program and I couldn’t be more excited!!  She said she was looking at the past year’s results from Buffalo Springs and thinks I have a good chance to qualify for Kona.  It is going to be tough, though – I have to win my age group to get the spot.  There is no consolation trip for 2nd place.  I am anxious and not sure if I am good enough.  These doubts are what help me to push myself, however.  So sometimes a little doubt (for me, at least) is a good thing.

We are planning on starting the program January 4th (Monday!!).  I will be happy to be back on a schedule instead of waking up and deciding what to do that day.  Having a coach keeps me so much more focused.  She also is planning on getting me in to a friend of hers to test my fitness levels in all 3 sports (although according to the Wii my fitness age is 44!!).  I will definitely blog about that experience!  She wants me to get a heart rate monitor to help keep my workouts easy on easy days and hard on hard days.  She says I go too hard all days – oops.  I should be getting my workouts for the month this weekend .

On another note, Christmas Day, Scott and I took my new bike out for a spin on the roads.  Note to all – make sure all screw and bolts and whatever are tight before you head out.  We got about 4 miles in and my seat sank down.  I had to do the ride with my knees coming up to my chest.  (By the way, if you want a good quad workout…).  Other than that obvious discomfort, the bike was AWESOME!!!!  It rode so smoothly and I felt so much power going uphill.  I was a little shaky at first because the geometry is a bit different but by the end I felt much more comfortable on it and cannot wait for spring to take it out again!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

A Look Back

Just the other day I got back in touch with a friend from my high school days on facebook.  He sent me message that said what have you been up to?  I thought about it a minute and realized that would be a good blog for my website.  I thought it would be fun to give a little background to let everyone know how I ended up a triathlete at the ripe old age of 38.

A quick summary of the early years…gymnastics from age 6-13…gold medal at Empire State Games on vault.  A brief stint diving in 9th grade that ended when I did a reverse dive, landed on the diving board and broke my foot.  Track and field (sprints and long jump) and one uninspiring season of XC in high school.  In college I took up bodybuilding for 1 year and even competed in a contest placing 3rd in the All Natural Eastern Classic in 1990. Then…I got fat.  The Freshman 15 turned into the Sophomore 20 and I knew I had to do something.  I laced up the running shoes and started walking and running.  I did this for nearly 3 years and then entered a road race.  I placed well and was inspired to continue.  My final year of pharmacy school I decided to train for and run the Buffalo Marathon.  A dismal debut (3:30 something) led me to Owen Anderson…an exercise physiologist writing for Runner’s World at the time and author of Lactate Lift-off (great read).  He provided personal coaching services online.  I signed up in 1998 and took my running to the next level.  He coached me for just over a year and taught me so much about training.  To this day, I still incorporate many of his workouts and strength training into my daily routines.  His marathon pace long run is the backbone of my marathon training.

When I moved to Syracuse in 1999, I could not afford Owen anymore so struck out on my own.  Continuing to use his techniques led me to numerous PR’s on the track, XC and the roads.  Between 1999 and 2002 I PR’d in every distance.  I qualified for and ran in the 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials, traveled to Korea to compete in an Ekiden Relay Race on the US National team and participated in many National Championship races.

Then I got pregnant and had Phoebe in 2002 and then Maggie in 2005.  During that time, I had many problems with the SI joint in my back.  At times during the pregnancies I could not even walk without pain.  After about the 1st trimester, I had to stop running because the pain was just so bad.  I turned to biking on a trainer (something Owen had had me do when I was injured)and swimming.  The morning of the day Maggie was born I had swam 3000 yards!  The idea of triathlon had planted itself in my mind even then, I think.

I met a great woman at the pool one day and it turned out she was a triathlete and had a friend that coaches triathletes.  Over the next couple of years we got to be closer.  She became my confidante during the rough times in my marriage and divorce.  She also continued to encourage me to try triathlon.  Last summer I signed on with Team in Training to do a century ride.  At the time, I thought riding 100 miles was even harder than running a marathon.  I had just run Vermont City (2:57) in May and was ready for a new challenge.  My 5Ks were stagnating at 18:45 and my marathons at just under 3 hours.  This was my opportunity!  I hopped on the old bike and started putting in the miles and although I never fell in love with biking I did make it to the century ride in New Hampshire and completed it in about 6 hours.

When I got back from that trip I called Lynn and said I think I am ready now to attempt this triathlon thing.  She hooked me up with Karen and the rest, as they say,  is history.  Karen’s rigorous workouts started giving me the courage to attempt an ironman distance tri.  Each ride, each race gave me the confidence that this sport was something I could do.  Now a year in and with a new bike,  I am ready to tackle more challenges, tougher races and stiffer competition.

The Holiday Storm

Well, it’s been a while since I have blogged.  The craziness of the holidays definitely caught up with me!  The week before Christmas I took my girls down to Virginia to celebrate Christmas with Scott.  They got a big surprise when Santa came early and delivered half of their presents on Saturday morning!  Another surprise we all got was the 2 feet of snow that fell while we were down in VA.  I couldn’t believe that I left Syracuse to go somewhere and get more snow than we had seen all season so far up north. It was unbelievable how a typical CNY snowfall made headlines down in DC.

On Saturday our plan was to visit the Washington Monument.  So, we all trekked out to Scott’s Jeep and headed out…I mean snow does not stop anything where I live.  When we pulled out onto the main roads, my jaw just dropped.  The plows had not even been out yet (mind you, this was at 1pm) nor had any salt been put down.  We slipped and slided our way into DC and headed over to the Mall (even the metro had stopped running trains).  I got out to see if the monument was open and a fellow visitor said he heard that all of the museums were closed.  It was so funny to me that everything shut down. Even the schools closed for the rest of the week!  Fortunately it was a day off from exercise so I didn’t have to worry about where, when or what I was going to do!

Sunday was to be our big trip to the White House for a special tour given by Scott’s brother-in-law.  All I could do was keep my fingers crossed that it would still go on as planned.  I thought it might be fun to go for a run in the fresh snow.  So I headed out for a 12mi run Sunday morning.  The snow had stopped but the roads were still an arctic mess.  I ran down Herndon Parkway…a busy thoroughfare on any normal day.  I was able to run right down the middle of the road.  It was interesting to see lots of people out walking because they couldn’t get their cars dug out – not a usual sight in Syracuse.  Everyone smiled and said hi…it was as if the storm brought everyone a common purpose..a common struggle.  My run was very slow.  My footing was, at best, slippery – like running on soft sand.  But I enjoyed this run – the crisp, cold air, the beauty of fresh snow, the friendly waves, the joy of running in car territory.

When I returned, I found out the tour was still on.  Phoebe was especially excited.  She really was hoping we would get to meet the president.  Although this did not happen, we did still get to see some amazing sights inside and out.  We saw the White House Mess, the doors to the Situation Room, the Waiting Room, The Oval Office (gave me goosebumps), the room where the President gives press conferences.  Phoebe even got to sit in Helen Thomas’ seat.  At the end of the tour, the girls were given Presidential M&M’s (a highlight for Maggie!).  It was an incredible experience – thanks Drew!

Monday we were going to go home but my car was so snowed in that we extended our stay for an extra day.  Tuesday we arrived back in Syracuse to find snow in the forecast.  When we awoke Wednesday, it had snowed, the roads had been cleared and salted and I was almost glad to be living in Central New York.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

My New Bike!!!

Well, it came! I ordered a new bike last week at Bicycle Alley in Manlius and Eric got it in for me today.  I am so excited to be riding a real tri bike this season.  This past season I was riding a Lemond Chromoly Steel rode bike, tricked out with tri bars, a bento box and lots of water bottle holders.  The bike was really the wrong size for me (too big), too heavy and very bottom of the line.  At ChesapeakeMan, I passed many riders during the bike portion of the tri with all of them doing a double take as my dinosaur and I rode by!

I think it was a good idea for me to ride it for the year, however for a few reasons.  I had no idea how much I would enjoy doing triathlon for one so why invest lots of money in something that may be a 1 season thing.  The second reason is that I really focused on just getting better on the bike…improving the engine (how many times did I hear someone say “it’s not the bike, it’s the engine” when they saw my bike).   Finally, it made me appreciate my new bike even more!!

So I am sure what you are all wondering is how does it feel to ride it?  Is it faster, smoother, lighter??  Well, I can’t answer that because I haven’t ridden it yet!  I don’t want to take it out and get salt in the chain and I don’t want to ride it on the trainer because I don’t want to sweat to get on it.  And then there is the cleaning…I know – I am a total goof.  Eventually the winter will end and I will take it out.  But for now it looks beautiful occupying a wall in my spare bedroom.

Next on the wish list…aero helmet, new trainer and a wetsuit.

Happiness and Peace

This past Saturday, my family buried one of the most wonderful, graceful women to walk this earth.  My grandmother died this past week after 92 years of living and sharing her knowledge, witticisms and life experiences.

As I drove back from the funeral Saturday, I looked up into the night sky and saw a shooting star…my first ever. I knew this was my grandmother speaking to me.  She said to me that 2009 was a tough year for both of us…she struggling to reach a peaceful end and me struggling to find a peaceful beginning.  We both had our own battles to fight.  My grandmother was fighting cancer and I was finding my way through a divorce and becoming a single mom, among other things.

As I headed out on my run this morning, I started thinking about 2010 and wondering what the new year would bring.  I headed down a steep hill and looked up.  A beautiful red-tailed hawk flew right over me.  I believe that  this hawk was my grandmother telling me that we were on the downhill part of the struggle.  She had found happiness and peace.  Now it is my turn for happiness and peace.  I am really looking forward to great things in 2010.  I hope you will follow my journey…

2009 Top 10

I decided to reflect on 2009′s season with a top 10 list. These are just some random moments that stick out in my mind.  Obviously my 5 tri wins and PRs were the standout memories of the year but there were also some little moments that I would like to share.  So with that said, here are my favorite moments of 2009…

1. 14 miles into the run at Chesapeakeman…the moment I knew I would finish the race.
2. Getting a high five in Manyunk from Scott right before 20 miles at the Philadelphia Marathon.
3. Surviving hypothermia the first time we open water swam at Deruyter Lake.
4. Being surprised by the delivery of 5 roses the day before Musselman from Scott…one rose for each hour I would be competing.
5. Winning the first half ironman I ever entered (Musselman) AND smashing the 5 hour mark.
6. Meeting some random guy at the YMCA pool who was bragging about finishing a marathon in 3:16 and then being there 11 months later when he PR’d with a 2:51.
7. A glass of Riesling the night before every race became my most important pre-race ritual.
8. Walking with Phoebe and Maggie through the 100′s of carved pumpkins at Beaver Lake after the Bruegger’s Bagel run.
9. On my last long brick of the year (5 hr ride followed by 90 minute run), I was seriously dehydrated.  The run was a 30 minute loop…near the end of the first loop, as I was seriously bonking, I saw Scott on his bike.  I yelled to him and got him to give me his water bottle…best drink of water ever! even better, as I came around for the 2nd loop, he was out on the course with a bottle of gatorade. Then, on the last loop, he shows up with more gatorade and runs the loop with me. I would not have finished that workout without his help.
10. A 16 mile run in February’s sub freezing weather with a guy who became the best training partner and best friend I have ever known…who gave me the courage to trust my emotions and believe in myself and my abilities so that I was able to achieve the success that I had in my races this year.

Swim Video

2010 Race Schedule

April
11th Skunk Cabbage 1/2 marathon

May
2nd Mountain Goat

June
6th Keuka Intermediate Tri
27th Buffalo Springs Lake (70.3)

July
11th Boilermaker

August
22nd Pigman Tri (70.3)

September
4-6th I’m All That
19th Finger Lakes Tri
25th Chesapeakeman

October
9th KONA!

November
21st Philadelphia Marathon

“I don’t have time to workout”

Phoebe, my 7 year old, and I love to watch the Biggest Loser.  It is our Tuesday night date night!  After I put Maggie in bed I come down and we snuggle on the couch together and watch the trials and tribulations of America’s most overweight people as they struggle to lose the weight they put on during a lifetime of poor eating habits and zero exercise.  I’m still not sure why Phoebe likes it so much (maybe just because it’s alone time with mommy) but I love watching the transformation as people realize that exercise makes you feel good and melts the fat away.  It’s also cool to see how much they change by the last episode! Phoebe and I also enjoy discussing what healthy eating and exercise habits are and how to make sure we are following them in our lives.

In the most recent episode, one of the contestants was back at home and Bob (a trainer ) came to visit him.  He complained of how much of a struggle it was to fit in exercise.  This reminded me of one of my major pet peeves…people who say they don’t have time to exercise.  Phoebe and I had a big talk about it.  How exercise is important and needs to be a part of your life…not an extra that you do if you have extra time.  I asked if she understood why I am always getting up early or bringing them over to the Y while I workout.  She said that she did and that she liked being able to be a part of it with me.  Like hanging out at the pool and counting my laps or timing my laps at the track.  I told her that I want her to see how important exercise is in my life.  I want both Phoebe and Maggie understand this importance so they incorporate it into their lives…so it becomes as much a part of each day as , say brushing your teeth. I want them also to  learn the same love for it and learn that you can fit it in…even when you are busy.

Yesterday was my 11 hour work day (8am until 7pm) so I had to drag myself out of bed at 5:30am.  Being a single mom means I couldn’t just head out the door for my workout so I hopped on the dreaded trainer and rode my bike then ran a bit on the treadmill in my basement. Today I am off to the pool while my youngest has her soccer lesson before I head to work for another 9 hours.  It is not easy fitting in the workouts but I make it a priority and make the most of the short time I have.

Random thoughts on the off-season

Well, now that the marathon is over and my season has officially ended, it is time for me to take it easy. This is hard for me! Karen gave me some general guidelines for December to follow and then the real training for the “road to Kona” begins January 1st. I am finding that especially with triathlon it is really important to take some downtime in the off-season.

In October, I started noticing some aches and pains that had fortunately stayed away throughout the tri training all summer.  My body knew it needed a rest before my mind did.  I’m sure it’s also not a coincidence that these pains started when Karen stopped coaching me for a few months. She is an amazing coach that knows how to structure a program to keep an athlete injury-free.  One of the ways she does this is by designing my workout plan specifically for me…no cookie-cutter formula that she just fits everyone into.

So anyway, her advice was to take downtime and rest and recover from Chesapeakeman. Did I do that? No…I decided to enter a marathon (without telling Karen). Note to self…always let your coach know your plans!! So now I am dealing with some shoulder pain that kept me out of the pool the last month and  knee and foot pain from general wear and tear after my 26.2 journey through the streets of Philadelphia (love you, Bruce ).

So here I am in December, keeping my workouts short and easy.  The knee and foot pain are subsiding and I have been back in the pool twice pain-free.  Karen also has me doing some weight training which I started 2 days ago and left me with that awesome soreness that lets you know where each and every muscle is in your body!  For now, I plan to enjoy the extra time I have hanging out with the girls – baking Christmas cookies, shopping, playing Yahtzee and watching Christmas specials on TV!