Made It!
I believe I was way more stressed about this morning’s run than I care to admit! Let me back up a minute. Yesterday, I was supposed to meet bike shop guy to go for a 90 minute tempo ride. The alarm went off at 5am and I swear it felt like I had only been in bed for about an hour! I am not sure what possessed me to check my email on my phone before rolling out of bed but, boy was I glad I did. Bike shop guy had emailed saying something on his bike was broken and he was going to have to miss the ride. YAY…more sleep!!!! was all I could think. I immediately reset the alarm for an hour later and fell back asleep. Well, one more hour didn’t really do it but I got out of bed anyway. My plan was to swim this morning and then bike after work. So I went to the Y and started my swim workout which was basically a disaster. I was doing a ladder and all of my times were 10-20 secs slower than normal. I finished the 4300 yard workout anyway and headed to work. After basically sleepwalking through the first few hours, I finally got smart and had a cup of coffee. THAT WOKE ME UP! I felt really good and managed to stay awake until closing time at 6pm. So now it was time to bike. It was getting late so I figured I should get home right away and go. As I drove past my neighbor’s house, I saw she was out. After 3 minutes of chatting I decided it was way too late to go for a bike ride so I pushed it to today. At the moment it seemed like a great idea!
After hanging out and then tossing and turning for a few hours, I finally got a little sleep. At 4am the alarm went off and I thought “this is it”. Time to get this crazy 3 hour run over with. I was really dreading running this long when I knew how exhausted I had been all week. I was also a little annoyed (OK, a lot) at Karen for making me do this. But, the OCD kicked in, I got on my running shoes and headed out into the dark. I had planned to run an 8 mile loop three times. The first loop was so slow, I think I was sleepwalking again! The second loop was a much more reasonable pace. As I started the last loop, I knew I was going to be able to finish strong so I picked up the pace a little more. I ran the last loop 8 minutes faster than the first and ended up at 7:49 pace for 24 miles. Not bad considering the last 3 weeks! I finished at 7:45am, jumped in the shower and pulled into the Wegmans parking lot at 8:10am – only 10 minutes late…not bad for me…I consider that almost on time 
. I must have got some decent sleep last night because I was much more awake today. So when 4pm rolled around, doing a bike workout didn’t seem as objectionable as it did the day before. I was headed out to a movie (Eclipse) at 6pm so I had to race out the door as soon as I got home. The ride was supposed to be a tempo but just ended up being a 90 minute easy pace ride. As always, I did not factor in time to eat so my friend brought a slice of leftover cold pizza for me and I got popcorn at the movies (because they were out of soft pretzels)…again – great post workout food (yes – this is sarcasm) !
My friends and I made it to the movie on time and then headed out to Chili’s for a margarita and sliders after. Finally I was able to get some real protein in! I finally collapsed into bed around 11pm and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
FOOD
Nutella on a multi-grain english muffin. That is my newest food obsession. I go through these phases of food obsessions every once in awhile. Previous to nutella it was Panera’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. I had to get one at least once a week. Just last week, however I had one and it just wasn’t the same. Time to move on…
Whatever the latest fad is, my co-workers tease me relentlessly. This is, of course, because I stand at the computer snacking all day. I try to explain to them that after riding 90+ miles, I just can’t seem to get enough to eat! The combos are always a little crazy. For a long time it was pretzel rods dipped in raspberry jelly. Then I went with Wegmans pistachio blend with sourdough pretzels. For about a year I would drink a peach smoothie with whipped cream (actually, extra whipped cream) every time I worked. They know me well at the coffee bar at Dewitt! For another few months, at least, it was macaroni and cheese with applesauce. I got a lot of strange looks at work with that one. Peanut butter and honey on english muffins worked for me for all of last year as a post workout food…along with chocolate milk. The chocolate milk actually is still a part of my daily routine. In college I went a whole year eating boiled Mrs. T’s pierogies with applesauce every night for dinner. My senior year of HS it was apples and cheese with unsalted matzoh for lunch and rice with raisins for dinner (my parents were thrilled ). Before the girls were born it was a homemade strawberry smoothie every day…made with strawberries, plain fat free yogurt, orange juice and LOTS of sugar!
Obviously, I find myself thinking about food a lot lately! And it’s not that “hey what new recipe can I try” thinking. It is the “how fast can I get something with lots of salt and calories into my system” thinking. I know some athletes out there follow a prescribed diet…counting carbs and proteins…sticking to whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables. Not me – I like sugar and fat WAY too much! Fortunately, I can basically eat what I want, not gain weight and still perform. I am sure riding 80-90 mile rides each week contributes to this situation. I remember when I did the Team in Training century ride and they told us to make sure we ate while we rode because we would be burning 5000 calories over 100 miles. (This was before I started tris or even knew anything about biking. I did the whole ride on 2 power bars and 2 bottles of Gatorade…dumb!!). When I did the Vermont Marathon, their athlete’s guide said that you burn 2500 calories running 26.2 miles.
I think I have mentioned this before but it floats back into my mind once in awhile…would I be that much better if I was more scientific about my diet? I don’t even weigh myself to see how much fluid I have lost. Sometimes I don’t eat until a few hours after working out (drives Karen crazy)…depending on what my schedule is like. Eating does not usually fall at the top of my priority list. Picking the girls up on time, not being late to work, taking care of Phoebe’s and Maggie’s needs, showering, etc …. these come first. I am always asked how I fit it all in. Well, I prioritize and some things don’t get done or get done later. Yesterday after riding 97 miles and running 4.5 miles, I did not have time to eat because I had to go get the girls. After getting them, we ended up at Sno Top for ice cream. It was the best I could do to please them and get some post workout food. (Hey – I got the turtle sundae…ice cream (carbs) and pecans (protein) and chocolate syrup (antioxidants??))!
So back to my obsession…for now, it’s nutella on an english muffin. Give it a try!
Another week down
WOW – I forgot how tiring training for an Ironman can be! I just finished week 2 of Karen’s “Road to Kona” training plan. This week involved a 3 hour brick, a 5 hour brick, some 3 mile swims and a 20 mile run, as well as some easier workouts. My plan was to get most of teh workouts done during the week because I was taking the girls down to visit Scott on the weekend. I knew I would have limited workout time once we got to Virginia. I was fortunate that this was cheerleading camp week so the girls were at camp 3 hours in the morning and then another 2.5 hours in the afternoon. Monday, I did the 3 hour brick in the morning and a 3 mile swim in the afternoon. I don’t even think I ate anything solid until about 4pm! The brick was crazy – I headed out for the 2 hour bike ride into the wind. At the halfway point I was averaging about 17mph. I hate averaging anything under 20mph (even though I know it doesn’t matter) so I planned to haul ass on the way back. I couldn’t believe I finished up at exactly 20mph. Karen has me working on negative splitting on the runs now (because of my dying at BSLT and Chesapeakeman) so that was the main focus of the hour run.
I finished the swim in time to watch some of the cheerleading and I have to brag that my girls are so damn cute! Phoebe really loved doing the cheers and I couldn’t get Maggie to stop cartwheeling. This is the 4th year we have done this camp and Tami, the FMHS cheer coach, does an amazing job with the girls. On Friday they showed off their stuff – they did lifts, cheers and a dance.
Wednesday night I got out of work and headed to the Y for a 4800 yard workout and then raced home to bed because Thursday was the 5 hour brick. I rode 94miles and was reminded of what a beautiful area we live in. I was able to ride by 3 lakes – Oneida, Cazenovia and Deruyter as well as Chittenango Falls. The ride from Canastota into Chittenango has some of the best views of the rolling hillsides. LOTS of time to think when I am out there alone. It amazes me the people that listen to ipods when they workout. Aside from being unsafe if you are outside, when do these people ponder life??
After the ride Thursday, I got to work for 9 hours. It is so funny how my co-workers are unable to grasp the concept of riding 94 miles on a bicycle! Friday morning, I was so excited to do the 2.5 hour run Karen had scheduled (yes…this is sarcasm). I was so exhausted and calorie deficient from the day before that I was dreading every minute of the run. But, being OCD, I knew I had to get out there. I headed out with a water bottle (a first for me!) and started the run. By the end, I had covered 19.6 mi at 7:42 pace. Not bad considering the week so far!
Saturday, the girls and I drove down and visited Scott. They had not seen him since before the accident and both were a little nervous about what he would be like. Maggie was especially interested in all of his injuries. She wanted to know if she would get to see the holes in his “lumbs” (lungs!). I am happy to report that he is progressing very well and the girls responded as if they were visiting an old friend – a little shy at first and then as if nothing had happened. It has been 3 months since the accident and Scott is now eating regular food (and hoping to have the GTube out this week), practicing walking with a walker, going up and down stairs, writing poems, reading, playing UNO (much to Maggie and Phoebe’s delight) and having more moments of clarity than not. Although this sounds great, there is still so much further for him to go. He still requires 24 hour care, he cannot get out of bed on his own or go anywhere alone, forgets people’s names, has trouble remembering what day it is and gets tired often. It’s encouraging, frustrating and sad all at the same time (for him and me). There are moments when we look each other in the eye and I know “Scott” is in there and then there are other times when he is like a young child that I recognize but don’t really know. Continue your prayers for him!
To end the week, Karen had me doing a 90 minute run with 5 miles at 6:45 pace within the run. Saturday night, I hung out with a friend and drank WAY too much vino! Another friend kept me on the phone until super late so when the alarm went off Sunday it was a definite struggle to drag myself out of bed and out the door. The first few steps were awful (headache, nausea, sluggish) but by the time I hit the first mile repeat, I was kicking some major ass! I hit all of the repeats in 6:30 and then finished off the run with a 15 minute cool down around 7:30 pace. It is really strange but consistently I run better after drinking wine the night before!
So now, back in town (after a nightmarish ride through the hell they call dowtown Baltimore after my Garmin died) I am ready to start the final hard week before I get a rest week. I just have to hold on for 9 more workouts! Hopefully the heat and humidity will go away soon. I don’t know how people live and especially train in places like Florida where the weather is always like this! I think they are nuts 
phoebe
maggie
SUMMER
We are now 2 weeks into summer vacation and I have been having a blast hanging out with Phoebe and Maggie. They started playground camp this week at the elementary school they attend. Maggie was SUPER nervous the first day. The day before she whined endlessly about how she didn’t want to go to camp. Phoebe has been going for years but this is Maggie’s first year. She will eneter Kindergarten at this school in the fall so I thought it would be a good experience to get to know the school ahead of time. Plus, ALL of her friends are there, too. It’s kind of the “in” place to be around here. Their dad dropped them off the first day and texted me that Maggie was having a really hard time, sucking her thumb, hiding her head, not speaking. He felt awful because he had to leave for work. Well, I picked them up 3 hours later and Maggie would not stop talking about it. She was sooo excited because her counselor’s name is “Maggie.” She chattered away so excited. I am glad I went with my instinct and signed her up! She has happily gone every day since. Phoebe, of course, loves it too because all of her friends from school are there. Next week they will both attend a week of cheerleading camp. Again, Phoebe is a veteran but it will be Maggie’s first time. I expect she will be just as shy the first day and then love it just as much by the end!
Because of the heat wave, our pool has been getting a ton of use. I am so proud of how well the girls have been swimming. I stopped their swim lessons at the Y for the summer because I figured they would get a ton of practice in their backyard and that is just how it has been going. Just last week, Maggie would not enter the deep end without a life jacket on. Now, she jumps off the diving board doing tricks and then swims to the shallow end. She also goes down the big slide without hesitation. Phoebe has started doing her own tricks off the diving board…cartwheels and spinning jumps. She also basically taught herself how to dive after watching a friend. She even runs up, bounces and dives right in…no belly flopping!
Phoebe has really gotten into reading this summer. One day we just relaxed on the swing outisde and read our books while lying next to each other. Maggie was inside watching Grease. This, by the way, has become their new obsession (after, of course, the first time when I suggested watching it and they insisted it was a terrible movie and they wanted nothing to do with it). I have now seen Grease so many times I could recite the whole movie! Fortunately, it is due back at the library Monday. This weekend they are with their dad camping in Hammondsport. I am so fortunate that he is such a good father and that they love to be with him. It makes it a little easier when it is their time with him…knowing they are enjoying themselves and in a loving, caring environment. I am looking forward to Sunday night when they are back home with me, though!!
Mountains and Molehills
I am now halfway into week 1 of training for Kona and I am exhausted and convinced that I cannot make it through the Ironman there. We have now had 5 days of 90+ degree weather. I feel like I am back in Lubbock! Actually, I think it is worse than Lubbock. Yesterday I was smart and got my workout started at 5am. My new riding buddy (local 20 yo cyclist – funny story…he was listening to an iPod while we road (and yes I yelled at him) and I asked what he was listening to. He said country – mostly the older stuff. I just looked at him and laughed. I was like what is “older stuff” to you??) …anyway, we headed out for a 4hour ride just as the sun was coming up. We had an incredible ride through central NY. We both agreed that we have the absolute best cycling roads and terrain anywhere. But bad news for me – he picked the route..and he likes HILLS. We did a lot of climbing and all that kept going through my mind was …”and you still get to run after this!” As we hit the 3 hour mark, he started complaining of tired legs. I knew if we went long enough I could outlast him! Seriously, he gave me some good tips on climbing hills and riding faster, in general. Hopefully we can ride more this summer so I can be even faster when I get to Kona.
SO, in general, on the bike, I tend to avoid hills. I don’t like slowing down. I hate the way my quads burn by the time I get to the top. I hate that they slow down my overall average mph for the ride. They hurt!!!! Last year, I had Karen’s blessing to ride flat because Chesapeakeman was a flat course. Her opinion is that you should practice the terrain that you will be racing on. I am not sure I agree with this. I could ride flat forever. I love hitting 25-30mph and just going. Karen says that riding flat is tough because you have nothing to break up the monotony. I guess I do agree with the boring part…there’s nothing like flying down a hill at 45mph with the wind blowing through your helmet. But I still think riding hills builds strength that will carry through those boring rides.
Before I moved to Syracuse, I lived in FLAT Buffalo, NY. I tried for years to break 18 minutes for a 5K. I was being coached by Owen Anderson but could just not get my time down. I ran a lot of 18:10′s, though!! I moved to Syracuse in May. After about a month, I went to the doctor to be tested for exercise-induced asthma. I was sure something had to be wrong because I was exhausted on every run. Needless to say, I did NOT have asthma but was just adjusting to the new terrain. I ran my first 5K here in August and shattered my old PR with a 17:24!
Now I am hoping riding the hills will do the same for my bike speed. My goal for this summer is to get a new attitude towards the hills. I am going to embrace them (and let me say there are plenty of them here in CNY to learn to love!). Heading out to ride mountains…not molehills… 
Rest Week?
Now that the race is over, Karen has instructed me to take a week of rest. Unfortunately, I don’t really know how to do that. Around here, I don’t think it is even possible. Monday, I did go out for an easy hour run just to loosen up my quads. They were super tight from the race. Then I spent numerous hours on the plane flying back to Baltimore…and they tightened right back up! Tuesday I drove back to Syracuse. The plan was to arrive around dinner time so taht I could meet Phoebe, Maggie and my mother for dinner. It hit tons of traffic and didn’t make it back until around 7pm. About 10 minutes before I got to Panera (my fave fast food eatery…their Fuji Apple Chicken Salad is the best), my mother calls to tell me that Maggie threw up and has a high fever. Well, so much for dinner.
As soon as I arrived home, I got Maggie out to the car and took her to the Immediate Medical Care in Manlius. A few chest XRays later, the doctor announced that it was probably just a virus on top of the ear infection she already had. We finally got home at 9:30pm and collapsed into bed. Wednesday I had the good fortune of working for 11 hours. By Thursday, I was itching to work out. I was able to sneak an hour in over at the lake and even did a little swimming sans wetsuit (like it will be in Kona). I just love swimming without a wetsuit…it just feels good. Then again at the pharmacy for another 9 hours. Today, I tried to get a little housework in before work. BUT I had the exciting task of booking the Kona trip which took up my whole morning (and all 3 of us slept in past 8am) and then I had to work from 10-7. Then I fit in another easy hour running. I was amazed how much better felt compared to Monday. I was still slowish but my quads were not sore at all.
I talked to Karen and she is going to send me just 1 week of workouts. Then we are going to meet to discuss where my weaknesses are and what races to do and then she will finalize my training plan for Kona. I am feeling very ready to start some hard training. I can’t wait to see what I can do on the course in Hawaii.
BSLT Race Report
OMG!!! What a day! First of all – I DID IT!!!! I placed 1st in my age group, 1st overall female age-grouper, 6th overall female, PR’d and qualified for a Kona slot (which I plan to take)!! Here’s how it went down…
The morning started with a 4am wake-up call. All of us at the house got ready and headed out at 4:30am to the race site. You have to park up in this lot and then walk down the 1st bike hill with all of your gear, in the dark. I said good-bye and good luck to the pros (they were starting at 6:30am), set up in transition and made friends with all of the ladies around me. We chatted, shared stories and generally decided we had the friendliest age group. I checked out bike in and out, run in and out and tried to memorize which row my bike was in. The big news was that the water was cool enough to wear wetsuits. I was a bit disappointed because I felt I had a little better chance without the wetsuit, given my poor transitioning ability!
Once transition closed, we headed down to the lake and splashed around a bit. Lots of people were in the water when the male pros started. It kind of happened with very little fanfare. I was surprised to realize the race had started. Things happened quickly after that. My wave was like the 8th wave or something and we went off at 7am. We lined up on the edge of the water…Marti (the race director) yelled go and I sprinted in a few yards and then dove and started swimming. Something did not seem right, however and I realized my goggles were full of water. I took a few more strokes and then was like “there is no way I can swim 1.2 miles without seeing” so I stopped to fix them, got pushed and swam over and then took off again. I got settled into my stroke and figured I was in about 4th place. There were 2 yello cappers right ahead of me and I ended up following them for most of the swim. The swim flew by and before I knew it I was running up the ramp to transition and volunteers were helping strip off my wetsuit.
SWIM: 25:42
With the wetsuit at my waist, I ran along the carpeting to my bike row and found my bike without a problem. I managed to do everything the way Karen and I practiced and headed out to bike out in a relatively short time. At the end of my row I turned right and ran into 2-3 guys coming with their bikes. They all yelled at me that I was going the wrong way. I yelled back sorry and turned around and ran to bike out. Sometimes I wonder if I need to be checked for early onset alzheimers! Made it to the mount area and was on my way.
T1: 1:42
The bike starts with a steep uphill so i had the bike in a low gear and just spun up the hill. It was not bad at all. There was one 35-39 yo woman ahead of me that I could see so I kept my sights on her but tried not to push too hard too early. I was happy the computer on my bike was working correctly since it was not when we did our short ride yesterday. On the first downhill you hit some pretty good bumps and my handlebars dropped down. I guess I didn’t tighten them enough when I put the bike together. I panicked a little because I was already worried about some of the downhills and could just picture myself flying over the handlebars! Fortunatley they were tight enough that I could yank them back into position and they stayed there unless I hit a big bump. I did have to adjust them throughout the ride but it didn’t affect me very much. I LOVED the bike course. Tons of flats that you could really fly on. I passed that girls and 3 others in my age group and was in the lead for about 5 miles before I was passed. I knew who she was and knew she was a good cyclist so I just tried to keep pushing at my pace. Then, another girl came up on me and we battled back and forth for quite a few miles. She would pass me then slow down. So to not be called for drafting, I either had to slow down or pick it up and pass her back. She was absolutely amazing on the downhills, though. I don’t think she touched her brakes once. I, on the other hand, literally braked the whole way down on both switchbacks. I was able to get her back on the uphills and then we hit the last 15 miles, or so, and they were straight into a pretty strong headwind and I finally broke free. This was also the point when it started getting pretty hot out. I noticed I was sweating A LOT and so drank a ton in addition to pouring water over my head and back. Finally I was on the last uphill and then a nice descent back into transition. From what I could figure, I was in 2nd place at this point but I had no idea how far ahead 1st was.
BIKE: 2:36:14
Amazingly enough, I went the right way into transition and had no trouble finding my spot. I threw the bike on the rack, switched shoes and exchanged helmet for hat and I was on my way. As I was running out of transition, I heard Chuck announce Maggie’s name (the girl in 1st) and figured she couldn’t be that far ahead. I waved to the timing guy as I passed the finish line, smiled and headed out onto the course. One event to go!!
T2: 1:09
The run did not start out well and it did not end well but I had some good points in the middle! As soon as I started on the course, both quads cramped up. They were really tight and painful. But, seriously, what are you going to do? I just kept running and hoped they wouldn’t get worse. I am not sure why, though because I felt I kept hydrated with enough electrolytes on the bike. I did do my gels every half hour and tons of water and accelerade throughout the ride…much more often then when I ride back home. I also took 3 salt tablets on the ride. After about a mile, they loosened up and didn’t bother me at all. At this point, I could also see Maggie up ahead. I went through the first 2 miles in about 6:40 pace and tried to force myself to slow down. I knew that was going to be too fast but I felt like I was just jogging. I paid for this later!!! Just before 3 miles, I passed Maggie and was in the lead. I headed up the 2 steep hills, passing lots of guys on the way. That’s always a good mental boost! I saw Michelle and Lisa as they headed back in and we cheered for each other. They were so lucky they were finishing! I felt good out to the turn around. As I headed back I saw Maggie was not too far behind so I decided I better start picking it up. I felt really good through 8 miles. I was glad to have a water stop every mile, though. I grabbed as much ice as I could and shoved it down my top…it felt awesome ! The gatorade and water were iced down and tasted amazing! At 9 miles the last hill began and I was hurting. I refused to walk so shuffled up the hill along with an older guy who was encouraging me. We hit the downhill and I felt a little bit better but then at 10 miles, you turn back along the lake and there is a REALLY small uphill that felt like a mountain! I looked back as I rounded that corner and did not see another female anywhere (relief!!). After that, it was just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. If anyone had passed me I would have smiled and said it’s yours because I had nothing left. I got to 11 miles and convinced myself that anyone can run for 15 minutes and that I would make it. When I hit 13 miles, I finally saw the finish line and did my little finishing kick so that I didn’t look like death as I crossed the line. The clock read 5:14 which I figured meant I had done a 4:44. Not bad…same as Musselman last year though. I was disappointed that I didn’t PR. Later, I found out that the official time was 4:41:37 and you couldn’t get the smile off of my face!
RUN: 1:36:49
I still wasn’t sure if I had officially won my age group until we made it back to the car and to my phone. I had TONS of texts and voicemails congratulating me on my win and my Kona slot. It was an absolutely amazing experience and an amazing trip. Next stop…KONA!
One day to go…
Today, Michelle, Lisa and I headed over to the course to do one last workout before the big day tomorrow. We all decided to bike a little and, although our workouts were all a bit different, we were able to start out together. We rode up the first big hill – a 7.6% grade – not too bad. Definitely nothing as bad as many of the hills on route 80! The downhill was steep and quick and a little curvy. I came out of aero position to be on the safe side. We climbed the second hill – a 6.7% grade – and again was able to stay seated and spin up. At the top we came upon some mountain bikers. As we approached, one of them decided to do a U-turn right as we started to pass. Michelle and I yelled out and the guy tried to swerve out of our way. I was fortunate enough to stay upright but when I turned back, Michelle was on the ground. I rode back to see how she was. She was fine but her aerobars were askew and she was a bit shaken.
After that we each took off on our own. I rode 15 minutes hard and felt very good. My computer was acting up so I’m not sure what pace I was going. I got back to the car, threw my bike in and headed out on a 10 minute run. I felt great and am excited for the run portion tomorrow. I’m a little nervous for the bike because there are some steep downhills and lots of gravel on the road.
When we returned, Paul (a pro from Australia) and his girlfriend had arrived. We went to the pro meeting at 3pm and found out that the water temp read 81 degrees today. If it does not cool off a ton, tomorrow will be a NO wetsuit race. At fist I was bummed but that may actually be in my favor (especially with how I stink at T1!!). They will do a final reading at 3:30am and we will find out at the race in the morning. Michelle and I did a little more shopping at the expo and I found myself a pair of sweet tri bike shoes at half price. I couldn’t resist! Hopefully using them tomorrow will not backfire on me… Michelle got a pair too.
Rght now, we are all just hanging out, getting bikes ready, numbers on helmets, etc. All of us are gong to cook dinner together tonight and then off to bed. At 4:30, we will head over together to race! Paul, Michelle, and Lisa will go off at 6:30am and then me at 7:00am. Tune in to www.ironman.com to follow our progress here at Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3!!!
TEXAS HEAT
Well, I have arrived here in Texas. Yesterday my flights went smoothly. I had to pay $100 for the bike to get here but it arrived right with me so it was worth it! After the accident, I contacted the race director with Scott’s story and in addition to donating Scott’s race entry toward his medical bills he offered to help me out with a home-stay. That means that I am staying with someone local along with a few other athletes. The cool thing about all of this is the other athletes are all pros so I have been having a blast!
So, anyway, Chuck, my host as well as the race announcer, picked me up at the airport and drove me to his place. I got unpacked and then he took me over to the local HS track for a run. It was hot! It was 93 degrees when I did my 2×10 minute tempo run. By the end of the second one I was feeling it. The run went well, though – faster than Karen had asked me to do it.
When we got back to his place, I decided to tackle putting the bike back together. Remember, I am not mechanical at all so this was a huge deal for me! Slowly, with only 2 calls to Bicycle Alley, I managed to get all of the pieces in the right place. After dinner, one of the local bike guys (btw, Chuck knows EVERYONE in town!) came by and tightened and tuned up everything.
This morning, Michelle (pro from New Zealand) and I went for a swim in the lake. It was a little murky and very warm but I felt pretty good. After the swim, we drove the bike and run course. On the surface neither look too bad. The hills on the run were nothing worse than in Manlius and same with the bike although there are 8 of them and 2 are VERY curvy when you descend. I’ll have to see how the heat and MINOR elevation factor into everything on race day. We are at 3400 feet here in Lubbock and when I told Karen I thought the elevation was leaving me a little short of breath she laughed at me and basically said “what elevation?”
I took a little nap after that and when I awoke Lisa, a pro from Tuscon, AZ was here. We all headed to the expo and shopped a little and then bought some food for dinner. Tonight we all get to go (yes, even me) to the pro athlete reception. I definitely feel a little out of my element. Being just an age-grouper I am not sure I belong with the big fish. I guess we will find out Sunday…
Corporate Challenge
I figured it was about time I posted a race report for the Corporate Challenge a few nights ago. Every year it is super hot and humid for this race (it was even cancelled one year due to the heat!). Of course the year I need it to be nice and hot to get acclimated for Texas it rains. Not only did it rain but there was thunder and lightning. So bad that the race was postponed 72 minutes.
Here’s how it went down. First of all, I forgot all about the race so I never told Karen to schedule it into the workouts. We decided to replace a tempo run with the race. I did a 10 minute warm-up…got on the line and waited. The race was to start at 6:25pm. At about 6:24pm they announced it would be postponed until 7pm. I was bummed because I was planning on driving down to Virginia after the race. This pretty much screwed up that plan! We all went back to the tent to find the Wegmans chefs cooking up a storm. OMG – the food smelled soooo good! But I knew if I ate anything it wouldn’t be pretty when I started running! Most everyone else started eating – it was so tempting. At 7pm, they announced that the race would be postponed until about 7:30pm. Lindsay (a co-worker) and I milled around the starting line then got caught in a huge downpour under SU’s tent (and we were offered pie ), chatted with another friend and waited some more. At 7:30, they said they would start calling people to the race course in about 5 minutes. Once they called us up, I did a quick jog around and lined up. So finally at precisely 7:37pm (apparently) the gun went off.
After that, the race went by quickly. From the start it was a contest between Eileen and me. I hit the first 1/2 mile in 2:54 and felt good. I was 5:53 at mile 1. I couldn’t really see Eileen and worried I had let her get too far ahead. At the turn around of the out and back course Eileen was 8 seconds ahead of me and I felt like I hadn’t even started pushing it yet. I though I could get her. I hit mile 2 in 5:52. At 2.5 miles, I made my move. I went by pretty strongly but could feel her holding on to me. I was really excited when I got to the 5K mark in 18:19 (fastest in about 7 years!!) – mile 3 was 5:56. I couldn’t believe it – I was finally going to break the 21 minute curse that has haunted me for the past 5 years! I felt Eileen behind me but she didn’t move up so I figured I could hold on to the lead.
I kicked it in to the finish in 20:33 with Eileen on my heels at 20:49. We both had a great race – I think anything under 21 minutes is awesome!!
Afterwards was fun – being interviewed, getting cheers as I walked into the Wegmans tent, getting my award. The delay was annoying but obviously necessary. Dave Oja made the right call holding off on the start. Thanks for keeping us safe, Dave!!
I left feeling extremely confident for Sunday. My running has really improved the last 2 months.
The next afternoon, I called Phoebe from Virginia and she told me how Mrs. Moses brought in the newspaper so everyone could read about Phoebe’s mommy winning the race. She was absolutely ecstatic! She said she was lucky to have a mom that wins races and is in the newspaper and on TV. I am glad I don’t embarrass her…YET!!
