As I stated in the previous post, I am currently focussed on losing weight as my primary goal during these winter months. Now that it is the 'off season' I can reduce the number of calories I take in and not worry about the impact it would have on my training. You can't focus on building up speed or strength for a race while at the same time losing weight.
Of the three activities, swimming, biking and running; I am only going to be doing my spin class for the bicycling during these winter months. I did set up the trainer in the living room on the off chance that I may get on it, but I am not especially thrilled about this. My main goals for this winter are to improve my swim technique/speed and improve my run. To this end, I am doing strength training - weights, and a 'body sculpting -core workout' class at the gym.
Having a good core is the foundation for remaining injury free and being able to have good form in each of the three activities.
Swimming:
Tuesday morning: swimming 1/2 hour - drills: this link talks of various drills that are good to do on a regular basis.
http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_swim/tno_swimarticle_16.asp
Saturday: long swim
PLEASE check out this video (link below)- I had never seen anything like this up until a few days ago. I tried it for the first time today, and it is quite hard, but it acutely shows you what angle your arm should be in during the recovery phase. A running analogy may help visualize what I mean: - in running, the general consensus is that as a 'heel striker', you are braking on your momentum forward and thus creating a higher risk for injury, and slowing yourself down.
Swimming a freestyle stroke completely underwater lets you feel the resistance with the water in the recovery part of your stroke, and enables you to shift the hand re-entry to reduce the 'braking' action that would occur with a different angle. It's hard to explain, but watch this video, and then try it the next time you swim, and you'll see what I mean.
http://www.goswim.tv/entries/6325/freestyle---underwater-free.html
Biking:
Friday morning: bicycle spin class
If I can get my act together, I will commute to work.
Running:
Tuesday evening: speed work - alternating weeks
week 1: intervals : run at a fast pace for 5 minutes, then recovery pace for 1 minute. Alternate for 3.35 miles, which is 1 loop of the park that I run in.
week 2: hill repeats - run up the same hill, approximately 1/2 mile long 4-6 times
Thursday morning: 4-6 mile run
Sat/Sun runs 5-7 miles
every other weekend: long run: 10 miles on Saturday or Sunday.
Strength Training:
Monday evening - weights
Thursday evening: body sculpt/core building class at the gym
So, what is your exercise routine? - I would love links to training tips that you have found informative - they always help. Happy exercising!
Pat.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Nutrition Pt. 1
Now that I have finished the Poconos Half Ironman, 69.1, I 've been focusing on losing weight over the next 6 months. Ideally 10 lbs, but I'd be happy with anything. I had lost 40 lbs and have been able to maintain it for about 1 1/2 years now. I have not wavered more than 1-2 lbs up or down - so this makes it the most successful weight loss I have ever had. All other times I lost weight, I quickly regained it back once I stopped 'dieting'. I am grateful for having been able to stay at this weight and not regain the weight lost, but I am also frustrated that I have plateaued at this weight and have not been able to move further down.
Since my last post, I have wanted to write about nutrition for women; for women in triathlons. I found various sources of information and although there were some consistent bits of information, there was also varied opinions about nutrition/weight/loss. Some are very detailed and scientific looking, but it is hard for me to translate talk of grams and ratios and know how that translates to what I should eat. I am not a nutritionist, but I wanted to write down what I have gleaned from everything that I have read as well as from my own experience.
In order to lose weight, you have to eat less. Eat less, but not so much that you are starving. Eating from 250 up to 500 calories less than what is needed daily is the general guideline. This is a guideline I saw often for people that are training for races as it is not extremely painful to do, especially if you are exercising.
Guessing at your calorie consumption is impossible. Using a handy log helps raise consiousness of exactly what you are eating. I use the LoseIt app on my iphone. It is excellent, and handy since I usually always have my phone with me.
The only day you have is today, and the only meal you have is the one that is just about to happen. You can't lose weight on the meal you will have tomorrow, nor will you get anywhere berating yourself for what already has been eaten. I have used all sorts of mental tricks and excuses to justify eating what I shouldn't, putting the healthy eating off until tomorrow. That never works.
Eating well is a lifestyle change. Included in this lifestyle change is all the food you love to eat, just less often and/or less of it. Getting to know your body, and what it says to you -you can enjoy your food and lose weight too. While in weight loss mode (as opposed to maintenance) you may have to be more strict with yourself regarding your favorite foods. The bottom line though, is the number calories you consume.
You need to find out about how food is made. What are you really eating? Read Michael Pollan's books: The Omnivore's Dilemma. If the food you are eating did not exist 100 years ago, it probably has less nutritional impact than more 'modern', processed foods. If there is less nutritional impact, your body will continue to crave until you give it what it wants.
Cravings are your body's way of telling you what it needs. If you feed it junk, low quality food, or very processed food, it will continue to request what it needs until it is satisfied. If you were able to season and cook styrofoam to make it taste extroardinarily delicious - your body would not feel satisfied and crave more, despite also feeling very full.
Processed food is the crack of all food - a brief burst of good feelings followed by depression. Find the coca leaves version of your food, and you'll be ok. The more organic, natural it is, the more satisfying it will be without the highs and lows and less hunger overall.
You are not only what you eat, but what you eat, eats. It's difficult to learn about all of this but there is no alternative if you want to eat consciously.
Avoid liquid calories, they are the easiest to eliminate from your diet. From the obvious unhealthy sodas to the 'healthy ' juices unless you make them yourself.
Avoid high fructose corn syrup. Look for it on all labels -both sweet and non-sweet items. If you focused just on this one diet change, you would probably lose weight.
Exercise does not give you a get out of jail free card, but it helps. On two separate occasions, a few years ago, I tried commuting to work on a regular basis. On the mornings I'd bike to work, I'd treat myself to a 'Morir Soñando' - a mix of orange juice and milk. I would slowly and steadily start gaining weight. It took a long time to figure out that the amount of calories in my after exercise treat, was way more than the calories lost during exercise.
Eat breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. ( and this does not include the $1 menu!)
to be continued...
Since my last post, I have wanted to write about nutrition for women; for women in triathlons. I found various sources of information and although there were some consistent bits of information, there was also varied opinions about nutrition/weight/loss. Some are very detailed and scientific looking, but it is hard for me to translate talk of grams and ratios and know how that translates to what I should eat. I am not a nutritionist, but I wanted to write down what I have gleaned from everything that I have read as well as from my own experience.
In order to lose weight, you have to eat less. Eat less, but not so much that you are starving. Eating from 250 up to 500 calories less than what is needed daily is the general guideline. This is a guideline I saw often for people that are training for races as it is not extremely painful to do, especially if you are exercising.
Guessing at your calorie consumption is impossible. Using a handy log helps raise consiousness of exactly what you are eating. I use the LoseIt app on my iphone. It is excellent, and handy since I usually always have my phone with me.
The only day you have is today, and the only meal you have is the one that is just about to happen. You can't lose weight on the meal you will have tomorrow, nor will you get anywhere berating yourself for what already has been eaten. I have used all sorts of mental tricks and excuses to justify eating what I shouldn't, putting the healthy eating off until tomorrow. That never works.
Eating well is a lifestyle change. Included in this lifestyle change is all the food you love to eat, just less often and/or less of it. Getting to know your body, and what it says to you -you can enjoy your food and lose weight too. While in weight loss mode (as opposed to maintenance) you may have to be more strict with yourself regarding your favorite foods. The bottom line though, is the number calories you consume.
You need to find out about how food is made. What are you really eating? Read Michael Pollan's books: The Omnivore's Dilemma. If the food you are eating did not exist 100 years ago, it probably has less nutritional impact than more 'modern', processed foods. If there is less nutritional impact, your body will continue to crave until you give it what it wants.
Cravings are your body's way of telling you what it needs. If you feed it junk, low quality food, or very processed food, it will continue to request what it needs until it is satisfied. If you were able to season and cook styrofoam to make it taste extroardinarily delicious - your body would not feel satisfied and crave more, despite also feeling very full.
Processed food is the crack of all food - a brief burst of good feelings followed by depression. Find the coca leaves version of your food, and you'll be ok. The more organic, natural it is, the more satisfying it will be without the highs and lows and less hunger overall.
You are not only what you eat, but what you eat, eats. It's difficult to learn about all of this but there is no alternative if you want to eat consciously.
Avoid liquid calories, they are the easiest to eliminate from your diet. From the obvious unhealthy sodas to the 'healthy ' juices unless you make them yourself.
Avoid high fructose corn syrup. Look for it on all labels -both sweet and non-sweet items. If you focused just on this one diet change, you would probably lose weight.
Exercise does not give you a get out of jail free card, but it helps. On two separate occasions, a few years ago, I tried commuting to work on a regular basis. On the mornings I'd bike to work, I'd treat myself to a 'Morir Soñando' - a mix of orange juice and milk. I would slowly and steadily start gaining weight. It took a long time to figure out that the amount of calories in my after exercise treat, was way more than the calories lost during exercise.
Eat breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. ( and this does not include the $1 menu!)
to be continued...
Sunday, October 9, 2011
learning - Nutrition
So far, this is the weakest link. I have drank/eaten too fast/too much in the Black Bear, the NYC tri, and the Poconos HIM; leaving me feeling bloated on the run. I have read how you can lose 600-800 calories per hour in a triathlon, but your body cannot take in more than 200-300 calories per hour. I was trying to adjust my nutrition plan to that calorie count but I never even come close to eating everything that I put in my bento box and still feel full/bloated.
I have felt satisfied with my pre-race hydration plan - I have drunk just Gatorade in previous races, and during the HIM, I also took in some Nuun tablets in my water. I wonder if that is why I look like I am 20 lbs heavier in the HIM photos. As soon as the race was over, by the next day, I lost that bloated, fat feeling I had been having....maybe too much sodium?
I like to eat my usual oatmeal with strawberries and blueberries, approximately 3-4 hours before the race start, then a piece of toast with butter and jelly a couple of hours later.
I have generally used Cliff bars; Cliff shot blox; more recently, I have tried the honey waffles. During this last race, I did not feel much improvement in energy except when I ate 1/2 a banana at a couple of different points in the run.
I have to find out if the calorie counts cited above apply to a woman who is 5'2". Most triathlon data assumes the reader is a young male; so maybe the caloric needs are less...
I have felt satisfied with my pre-race hydration plan - I have drunk just Gatorade in previous races, and during the HIM, I also took in some Nuun tablets in my water. I wonder if that is why I look like I am 20 lbs heavier in the HIM photos. As soon as the race was over, by the next day, I lost that bloated, fat feeling I had been having....maybe too much sodium?
I like to eat my usual oatmeal with strawberries and blueberries, approximately 3-4 hours before the race start, then a piece of toast with butter and jelly a couple of hours later.
I have generally used Cliff bars; Cliff shot blox; more recently, I have tried the honey waffles. During this last race, I did not feel much improvement in energy except when I ate 1/2 a banana at a couple of different points in the run.
I have to find out if the calorie counts cited above apply to a woman who is 5'2". Most triathlon data assumes the reader is a young male; so maybe the caloric needs are less...
Journey Review Year 1
So, this year's journey has come to a close. What did I learn? What did I get out of it? Is there any valid purpose to this blog?
I started to reread my earliest posts. They were surprising to me, partly due to their honesty; partly due to seeing that I have progressed somewhat in fitness and basically remembering where I was this time last year.
I had started out the year obsessing over training schedules, both handwritten ones as well as online. I was using Ontri, Runkeeper, and a log book. I started and quickly stopped the log book; I used Runkeeper fairly diligently through my Iphone until I bought my Garmin 310xt. I no longer use Runkeeper. I was quite obsessive, reading all the posts on the Ontri website; reading the race reports trying to glean any sort of information that I could. I have not been doing that these past few months - I found myself reading more than exercising...
I started training fairly early, and happily remember the races that I entered in January, February - including the cold weather half-marathons, which I biked to, unbelieveably so. This ended up helping me in this HIM because I knew to wear toe warmers (like the kind used in skiing) in order to keep my feet warm.
Another change that I noticed is that in the early months, I posted my thoughts/feelings fairly unselfconsciously, I believe that I have been a lot more self-conscious in these past months which has made it more difficult to post what is going on. I also believe that the negative comment at the NYC tri impacted me more than I would have it liked to.
omg, reading these old posts makes me feel like I am getting to know myself in a different way. sometimes, I find myself funny and wonder if anybody else does. I don't really have any feedback about this blog except for a couple of people that are closest to me; otherwise I don't really know if anybody is out there - oh of course, except for my stats. The stats show that people are reading, are there people that come back, or people that accidentally fall on this site and move on.
There are so many things that I didn't write about as well....Anyway, there has been some movement forward this year. Imperfect movement forward, AND, I did complete the Poconos Half Ironman, sans swim segment. There are so many things that have changed, I think I will focus on each area in separate posts.
I started to reread my earliest posts. They were surprising to me, partly due to their honesty; partly due to seeing that I have progressed somewhat in fitness and basically remembering where I was this time last year.
I had started out the year obsessing over training schedules, both handwritten ones as well as online. I was using Ontri, Runkeeper, and a log book. I started and quickly stopped the log book; I used Runkeeper fairly diligently through my Iphone until I bought my Garmin 310xt. I no longer use Runkeeper. I was quite obsessive, reading all the posts on the Ontri website; reading the race reports trying to glean any sort of information that I could. I have not been doing that these past few months - I found myself reading more than exercising...
I started training fairly early, and happily remember the races that I entered in January, February - including the cold weather half-marathons, which I biked to, unbelieveably so. This ended up helping me in this HIM because I knew to wear toe warmers (like the kind used in skiing) in order to keep my feet warm.
Another change that I noticed is that in the early months, I posted my thoughts/feelings fairly unselfconsciously, I believe that I have been a lot more self-conscious in these past months which has made it more difficult to post what is going on. I also believe that the negative comment at the NYC tri impacted me more than I would have it liked to.
omg, reading these old posts makes me feel like I am getting to know myself in a different way. sometimes, I find myself funny and wonder if anybody else does. I don't really have any feedback about this blog except for a couple of people that are closest to me; otherwise I don't really know if anybody is out there - oh of course, except for my stats. The stats show that people are reading, are there people that come back, or people that accidentally fall on this site and move on.
There are so many things that I didn't write about as well....Anyway, there has been some movement forward this year. Imperfect movement forward, AND, I did complete the Poconos Half Ironman, sans swim segment. There are so many things that have changed, I think I will focus on each area in separate posts.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Poconos HIM Race Report - Run Segment
I got into T2, planning to go to a medical tent and get the diagnosis of broken toe and then released from the need to do the run. I did not see a medical tent; got to my spot, racked my bike and took my bike shoe off expecting to see a purple, swollen toe. There was a slight swelling, a little red mark, but no broken skin. I carefully stood on my foot....no pain! It was kind of disconcerting that I had so much pain earlier, and it was no longer there. Nothing. Now I had no excuse to avoid running, but could not imagine doing so. So I changed my socks, put my sneakers on, took my jacket and t-shirt off (turns out in my nervousness before the race, I had forgotten to take off a t-shirt that I had worn just to keep warm before the race).
I put one foot in front of the other and essentially count down 13 miles to go; 12 miles to go; 11 miles to go. Around the 3 mile mark I fantasized about turning around and going back. But no, I couldn't do that. 'Let me try just one more mile'. The first half of the run was basically uphill. Everyone was in their own zone at this point, just trying to finish. Saw Scott - fellow Brooklyn Tri Group member - sweating it out on the final leg of the run.
On the return, a couple of people passed me - turns out that the woman had been helping the guy pace himself, and now he was encouraging me. So we ran together for a few miles, his name was Angel (no surprise I suppose) and I was able to finish the second half of the run a whole lot faster. After we went our separate ways, I went back to running slow / walking. I have to figure out how I can push myself to go faster on my own without someone else running with me.
Around the 12 mile mark I saw Janna, from Brooklyn, her excitement gave me the final adrenaline push to finish the last mile. Turns out she texted Theresa and Jennifer and told them where I was so when I made the approach to Main Street, there they were!
Time:
Bike: 3:50:38 avg speed: 14.6mph
T2: 6:24
Run: 2:56:28 avg pace: 13:29
Total Time:
6:53:30
I was 43 out of 49 women in my age group; 283 out of 316 women overall;
1245 out of 1331 on the bike
1282 out of 1331 on the run. So I guess, I was in the 96th percentile - 96 percent of the people were faster than me; but that only includes people that were in the race. In terms of health, fitness, fun I am way ahead of what I would have ever imagined for myself at this point in time in my life (or at any point in time for that matter). Woo hoo!
I put one foot in front of the other and essentially count down 13 miles to go; 12 miles to go; 11 miles to go. Around the 3 mile mark I fantasized about turning around and going back. But no, I couldn't do that. 'Let me try just one more mile'. The first half of the run was basically uphill. Everyone was in their own zone at this point, just trying to finish. Saw Scott - fellow Brooklyn Tri Group member - sweating it out on the final leg of the run.
On the return, a couple of people passed me - turns out that the woman had been helping the guy pace himself, and now he was encouraging me. So we ran together for a few miles, his name was Angel (no surprise I suppose) and I was able to finish the second half of the run a whole lot faster. After we went our separate ways, I went back to running slow / walking. I have to figure out how I can push myself to go faster on my own without someone else running with me.
Around the 12 mile mark I saw Janna, from Brooklyn, her excitement gave me the final adrenaline push to finish the last mile. Turns out she texted Theresa and Jennifer and told them where I was so when I made the approach to Main Street, there they were!
Time:
Bike: 3:50:38 avg speed: 14.6mph
T2: 6:24
Run: 2:56:28 avg pace: 13:29
Total Time:
6:53:30
I was 43 out of 49 women in my age group; 283 out of 316 women overall;
1245 out of 1331 on the bike
1282 out of 1331 on the run. So I guess, I was in the 96th percentile - 96 percent of the people were faster than me; but that only includes people that were in the race. In terms of health, fitness, fun I am way ahead of what I would have ever imagined for myself at this point in time in my life (or at any point in time for that matter). Woo hoo!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Poconos HIM Race Report - Bike Segment
I have to say that I'm proud of myself. I hoped to do a 4 hour bike ride, but thought it would be highly unlikely given the extent of the hills - but I did it! Here is the race report, Pt 1.
Pre Race
I had put the alarm for 3:15am but I was up around 2:30am, fully rested. The day before I had napped in the afternoon, and the previous night I had gotten a good night's sleep. For 2-3 days prior, I drank either Gatorade or used Nuun electrolyte tablets to keep me 'topped off' in my hydration. In terms of food, I generally ate what I usually eat - oatmeal in the morning with fruit; lunch - salad or turkey sandwich; and the night before this race, my friend Jennifer made a delicious vegetable lasagna for my carbo loading.
So, I was feeling relaxed in the morning. Took my time with breakfast; had several cups of coffee; water and another Nuun tablet ( in the water ). It was raining pretty hard, and at some point there was a very loud, deep thunderclap. I wondered if the race organizers would cancel the race if there was a lightening storm. Theresa and Jennifer dropped me off at T2 where the shuttle buses would take the participants to the race start at Smithfield Beach. It was not until arriving at T2 that I started to get nervous. I was worried about missing the shuttle bus. Seeing everyone walking towards the buses made my upcoming endeavor very real and I was now nervous. The shuttle ride was uneventful, people were all chatting about their tri experiences. I met Will from Westchester who sat next to me and we shared what we knew. I saw him 6 hours later on the run and actually remembered his name which is not my forte.
My number was 129. Due to the swim being cancelled; the race was starting in a 'time trial' format. Essentially, the racers were going to start one-by-one in numerical order. First the professional triathletes and then the rest of us. Most triathlons set up their wave starts with the oldest, slowest people going first, so in this case it was women over 45. Our bicycle racks were right next to the pros. It was amazing to see them and their bikes. After they started their race, we all lined up in numerical order and started about 3 seconds apart. Due to flooding from the recent rains, the bike course was changed somewhat, so I was not sure exactly how it would be different. I had the previous bike course practically memorized. My race strategy for the bike segment was to focus on my average speed. In the Black Bear tri, which was also hilly, I averaged between 12 -13 mph. Although my ideal goal was to finish the bike leg in less than 4 hours, I felt a more realistic goal was to get above 13 mph average speed. I figured I would ultimately work that out as I saw what my average was. I knew I was not going to be able to go fast up the hills, so the only way to get a better average speed was to work the flat parts of the course as well as the downhills. This is what I did and it worked. I was so grateful to my local bike shop, Ride Brooklyn, that did a last minute chain and cog wheel change this past week. It was in perfect working order and my chain did not fall off as it had in each of my course rides these past few weeks. I shifted back and forth taking advantage of all the downhills. Pretty scary at times, but fun as well. One of the higher speeds I reached was 32mph.
Right after the start, we came up on one of the steeper hills, but fortunately, due to the course change, instead of heading right into it (as it was in the original course map), we went a few miles out and back in the other direction, and so had a few miles to warm up. As I headed towards it, I saw up ahead that someone had fallen. As I pushed my way up the hill, they cleared out but then I heard someone behind me fall. There were several people already walking and some others wobbling up the hill, which was disconcerting for me as I was barely hanging on myself. (I found out later that either the first or the second person that fell was my new group ride friend, Linda, who ended up breaking her wrist - I feel really bad about that and it highlights how although these races are great, there really is a risk of injury). I was basically very methodical during the uphill climbs. Ususally, my heart rate goes way up during these climbs; which is also exacerbated by my anxiety. Today, I remained calm and did not feel my heart beating faster due to the anxiety. I don't know if others feel a difference, but I can feel two distinct feelings at the same time when my heart is beating fast due to fear/anxiety versus due to exertion.
So overall the ride was very beautiful with scenic vistas, enhanced by the wetness and clouds in the sky. The whole ride was spent pushing the flats and downhills and enjoying the view, seeing the familiar spots that I had previously taken pictures of. There was one area, that was unfamiliar - I so wanted to stop and take a picture of a beautiful horse on some farm that we passed. During the ride also, a few people that I know passed me and said hello. Fellow Brooklyn Tri club member - Scott and another new group ride friend - Rob. This was very heartening and re-energizing to keep pushing.
Turkey Hill. There were lots of hills that people were walking up instead of riding. I was able to go up all the earlier ones and successfully avoid all the wobbly bicyclists in front of me. Then came Turkey Hill at around mile 40 or 45. I was hoping to be able to go up the hill as I had done the last time I had tried, but I also knew my legs were shot. My thighs had cramped up at different points as had my calf at another point when I was trying to pass someone uphill. Anyway, I approached Turkey Hill and all I saw was a road full of people walking/wobbling and it was not single file, they were all over the road. So I got into my slow, methodical, uphill push behind others that were doing the same. At some point, the guy in front of me wobbled and stopped, and so in order to avoid running into him, I veared to the right as I tried to unclip my right foot. I went to the right onto a gravel road, that unfortunately was going downhill; instead of unclipping my right shoe, I pulled out my foot from the shoe. My hands were not on the brakes, so I used my foot to brake. Mistake. I put my foot down several times as I felt myself increasingly out of control, trying to stay away from the ravine to my right, digging my foot in the gravel. Finally, I was able to adjust myself and put my hands on the brakes and I was able to stop. My foot was killing me. I looked at my sock, there was no hole and no blood which surprised me due to how it felt. I put my shoe on, and I could feel my foot swollen inside. I could barely walk, the pain was so intense. I could only figure one thing, and that was that I had broken my toe. I could not walk. I had gone so far down this gravel road, that no one would have seen me had I fallen into the ravine. Anyway, I pulled myself back onto the course and walked up the hill. I could not put hardly any pressure on my right foot, and was not sure what I was going to do. I got to the top of the hill and texted Theresa: "Hurt my foot, probably won't run, have 14 miles to go". My whole right leg was quite out of sorts so I had to walk until I had no incline at all. I passed an ambulance, but did not think this was ambulance level of injury. Then I figured that I wanted to finish the bike, and then possibly get seen in a med tent to see if I could continue or not. The rest of the ride was uneventful. I went from disappointed /scared that this happened, to relieved that I had a legitimate excuse to not do the run. My legs were totally spent. I started visualizing going to work on crutches and talking about my war story on Turkey Hill. As I rode, although I could feel my foot swollen in the shoe, but fortunately no pain.
I finished those last 14 miles fairly uneventfully. I was nervous about putting pressure on my foot, but as time passed, my foot hurt less and less and was starting getting excited about finishing the bike segment in less than 4 hours, which was definitely beyond my wildest expectation.
Pre Race
I had put the alarm for 3:15am but I was up around 2:30am, fully rested. The day before I had napped in the afternoon, and the previous night I had gotten a good night's sleep. For 2-3 days prior, I drank either Gatorade or used Nuun electrolyte tablets to keep me 'topped off' in my hydration. In terms of food, I generally ate what I usually eat - oatmeal in the morning with fruit; lunch - salad or turkey sandwich; and the night before this race, my friend Jennifer made a delicious vegetable lasagna for my carbo loading.
So, I was feeling relaxed in the morning. Took my time with breakfast; had several cups of coffee; water and another Nuun tablet ( in the water ). It was raining pretty hard, and at some point there was a very loud, deep thunderclap. I wondered if the race organizers would cancel the race if there was a lightening storm. Theresa and Jennifer dropped me off at T2 where the shuttle buses would take the participants to the race start at Smithfield Beach. It was not until arriving at T2 that I started to get nervous. I was worried about missing the shuttle bus. Seeing everyone walking towards the buses made my upcoming endeavor very real and I was now nervous. The shuttle ride was uneventful, people were all chatting about their tri experiences. I met Will from Westchester who sat next to me and we shared what we knew. I saw him 6 hours later on the run and actually remembered his name which is not my forte.
My number was 129. Due to the swim being cancelled; the race was starting in a 'time trial' format. Essentially, the racers were going to start one-by-one in numerical order. First the professional triathletes and then the rest of us. Most triathlons set up their wave starts with the oldest, slowest people going first, so in this case it was women over 45. Our bicycle racks were right next to the pros. It was amazing to see them and their bikes. After they started their race, we all lined up in numerical order and started about 3 seconds apart. Due to flooding from the recent rains, the bike course was changed somewhat, so I was not sure exactly how it would be different. I had the previous bike course practically memorized. My race strategy for the bike segment was to focus on my average speed. In the Black Bear tri, which was also hilly, I averaged between 12 -13 mph. Although my ideal goal was to finish the bike leg in less than 4 hours, I felt a more realistic goal was to get above 13 mph average speed. I figured I would ultimately work that out as I saw what my average was. I knew I was not going to be able to go fast up the hills, so the only way to get a better average speed was to work the flat parts of the course as well as the downhills. This is what I did and it worked. I was so grateful to my local bike shop, Ride Brooklyn, that did a last minute chain and cog wheel change this past week. It was in perfect working order and my chain did not fall off as it had in each of my course rides these past few weeks. I shifted back and forth taking advantage of all the downhills. Pretty scary at times, but fun as well. One of the higher speeds I reached was 32mph.
Right after the start, we came up on one of the steeper hills, but fortunately, due to the course change, instead of heading right into it (as it was in the original course map), we went a few miles out and back in the other direction, and so had a few miles to warm up. As I headed towards it, I saw up ahead that someone had fallen. As I pushed my way up the hill, they cleared out but then I heard someone behind me fall. There were several people already walking and some others wobbling up the hill, which was disconcerting for me as I was barely hanging on myself. (I found out later that either the first or the second person that fell was my new group ride friend, Linda, who ended up breaking her wrist - I feel really bad about that and it highlights how although these races are great, there really is a risk of injury). I was basically very methodical during the uphill climbs. Ususally, my heart rate goes way up during these climbs; which is also exacerbated by my anxiety. Today, I remained calm and did not feel my heart beating faster due to the anxiety. I don't know if others feel a difference, but I can feel two distinct feelings at the same time when my heart is beating fast due to fear/anxiety versus due to exertion.
So overall the ride was very beautiful with scenic vistas, enhanced by the wetness and clouds in the sky. The whole ride was spent pushing the flats and downhills and enjoying the view, seeing the familiar spots that I had previously taken pictures of. There was one area, that was unfamiliar - I so wanted to stop and take a picture of a beautiful horse on some farm that we passed. During the ride also, a few people that I know passed me and said hello. Fellow Brooklyn Tri club member - Scott and another new group ride friend - Rob. This was very heartening and re-energizing to keep pushing.
Turkey Hill. There were lots of hills that people were walking up instead of riding. I was able to go up all the earlier ones and successfully avoid all the wobbly bicyclists in front of me. Then came Turkey Hill at around mile 40 or 45. I was hoping to be able to go up the hill as I had done the last time I had tried, but I also knew my legs were shot. My thighs had cramped up at different points as had my calf at another point when I was trying to pass someone uphill. Anyway, I approached Turkey Hill and all I saw was a road full of people walking/wobbling and it was not single file, they were all over the road. So I got into my slow, methodical, uphill push behind others that were doing the same. At some point, the guy in front of me wobbled and stopped, and so in order to avoid running into him, I veared to the right as I tried to unclip my right foot. I went to the right onto a gravel road, that unfortunately was going downhill; instead of unclipping my right shoe, I pulled out my foot from the shoe. My hands were not on the brakes, so I used my foot to brake. Mistake. I put my foot down several times as I felt myself increasingly out of control, trying to stay away from the ravine to my right, digging my foot in the gravel. Finally, I was able to adjust myself and put my hands on the brakes and I was able to stop. My foot was killing me. I looked at my sock, there was no hole and no blood which surprised me due to how it felt. I put my shoe on, and I could feel my foot swollen inside. I could barely walk, the pain was so intense. I could only figure one thing, and that was that I had broken my toe. I could not walk. I had gone so far down this gravel road, that no one would have seen me had I fallen into the ravine. Anyway, I pulled myself back onto the course and walked up the hill. I could not put hardly any pressure on my right foot, and was not sure what I was going to do. I got to the top of the hill and texted Theresa: "Hurt my foot, probably won't run, have 14 miles to go". My whole right leg was quite out of sorts so I had to walk until I had no incline at all. I passed an ambulance, but did not think this was ambulance level of injury. Then I figured that I wanted to finish the bike, and then possibly get seen in a med tent to see if I could continue or not. The rest of the ride was uneventful. I went from disappointed /scared that this happened, to relieved that I had a legitimate excuse to not do the run. My legs were totally spent. I started visualizing going to work on crutches and talking about my war story on Turkey Hill. As I rode, although I could feel my foot swollen in the shoe, but fortunately no pain.
I finished those last 14 miles fairly uneventfully. I was nervous about putting pressure on my foot, but as time passed, my foot hurt less and less and was starting getting excited about finishing the bike segment in less than 4 hours, which was definitely beyond my wildest expectation.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
2:30am musings
It's the morning of the tri; the coffee's brewing and the oatmeal is on the stove. I had been nervous about this triathlon up until a couple of weeks ago. Since that time, I have been surprisingly neutral. The only two times I recall getting agitated was yesterday when I could not find my sunglasses and earlier in the day in the athlete orientation, when I wanted to ask a question, but this guy was going on and on telling the race organizer that 'this was not the way to do a time trial start'. I felt like telling the guy to go on Facebook and join the other negative commentators.
My question? I didn't know the process of bottle exchange. This other guy helped me visualize what this involves so that I can do it smoothly. I had to identify which bottles I was willing to let go of. I found myself suddenly attached to all my bottles. Actually, the only one I really am attached to is this water bottle from the NYC century ride. It occurred on 9/9/2001.
The magazine that came in our 'swag bag' had an article on sports psychology tips. Tip #10 asked individuals to 'recall your mindset when you clicked on the 'register' button for the Pocono race'; and to not let that be overshadowed by splits, chip times, etc. This was a great reminder for me as I had kind of been feeling uncertain if I had done as much as I could in my training. I alternated between gratitude that I don't have any chronic problem/injury and wondering whether this indicates that I didn't push myself as hard as I could have - right to the edge and slightly over.
For the Black Bear tri in June, my bike split pace was between 12 and 13mph. This course is harder (and longer) but I hope to go over 13 mph average. This will be harder if it's still raining or wet. ( just looked out the window and it's not raining ! So this is good!). During the NYC tri, it was harder to keep a race pace because something happened to my odometer. I did not really know how fast I was going.
The name of this blog is, well you know. So, what will I write about? Is this the end? During this past month, I have been saying that I will not do another half ironman - it is too time consuming. But Mother Nature played a joke on us. Maybe it was her way of getting me to return next year and REALLY earn the 70.3 medal, doing all 3 events. I suppose I will see how I feel AFTER this race!
The other part of this journey is realizing, and feeling, cared for by other people. There are the race organizers who have worked very hard. And then there is YOU. Quietly reading this blog. The journey is not over, it's just entering the next phase.
-- lemmefineout - Brooklyn
My question? I didn't know the process of bottle exchange. This other guy helped me visualize what this involves so that I can do it smoothly. I had to identify which bottles I was willing to let go of. I found myself suddenly attached to all my bottles. Actually, the only one I really am attached to is this water bottle from the NYC century ride. It occurred on 9/9/2001.
The magazine that came in our 'swag bag' had an article on sports psychology tips. Tip #10 asked individuals to 'recall your mindset when you clicked on the 'register' button for the Pocono race'; and to not let that be overshadowed by splits, chip times, etc. This was a great reminder for me as I had kind of been feeling uncertain if I had done as much as I could in my training. I alternated between gratitude that I don't have any chronic problem/injury and wondering whether this indicates that I didn't push myself as hard as I could have - right to the edge and slightly over.
For the Black Bear tri in June, my bike split pace was between 12 and 13mph. This course is harder (and longer) but I hope to go over 13 mph average. This will be harder if it's still raining or wet. ( just looked out the window and it's not raining ! So this is good!). During the NYC tri, it was harder to keep a race pace because something happened to my odometer. I did not really know how fast I was going.
The name of this blog is, well you know. So, what will I write about? Is this the end? During this past month, I have been saying that I will not do another half ironman - it is too time consuming. But Mother Nature played a joke on us. Maybe it was her way of getting me to return next year and REALLY earn the 70.3 medal, doing all 3 events. I suppose I will see how I feel AFTER this race!
The other part of this journey is realizing, and feeling, cared for by other people. There are the race organizers who have worked very hard. And then there is YOU. Quietly reading this blog. The journey is not over, it's just entering the next phase.
-- lemmefineout - Brooklyn
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