Sorry for the lack of race report, gang. It was a disappointing race for me in many ways but a fantastic education in athletic potential and development. Oh yeah, and the course is hillier than I remembered. More on that later.
What better to help you overcome disappointment than an attack of cold viruses. I came down with a fantastic chest cold on Monday. Congested cough, fatigue, Lauren Bacall voice. The viruses are sparing no expense really. Coach Debi said no workouts for at least two days.
My immune system seems have turned the tide today with the help of over the counter drugs but we'll see how I feel tomorrow.
The panicked ironman wanna-be is certain that all my IMFL efforts are totally derailed by a week of even though my brain knows better. But I really was ready for that 18 mile run and century brick this week.
Cough. Hack.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Headed to H.O.T
This weekend is the great Hammerhead Olympic Triathlon. Who else is going? It would be great to meet fellow bloggers. Look for me in my standard race kit which you can see here. I'm the one with the pink/navy top.
Everyone have a safe weekend.
Everyone have a safe weekend.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Long run trial and error
You know you're bonking when you start fantasizing about that cold can of Pepsi in the 'fridge at home. People, I don't even like Pepsi. I'm a Coke girl.
Lessons learned:
Cliff blocks do not sit well in my stomach during runs.
Rasberry Cliff Shots are ok.
Mocha Cliff Shots make me want to vomit right away and make other food seem unpalatable for a long time after I eat them.
The combination of nausea and GI distress is extremely unpleasant.
If you don't eat for the last hour of your long run, you will end the run in a pretty big calorie deficit. You will begin to fantasize about Pepsi.
The other major problem I've been having is foot cramping. It only happens on runs longer than 12 miles. I tried buying a new pair of tried-and-true Asics. They are even last years model on sale so it should be the same shoe. It's mostly my right foot but both feet cramped after my last 16 mile run. Apparently my sweetie thought my hobbling around the house was kinda comical. I'm sure it is but it HURTS LIKE A MO-FO. M'KAY? It starts about 3 minutes after I take my shoes off. My feet cramp on and off for 30 minutes. Any suggestions? And, yes, I take plenty of electrolytes.
Lessons learned:
Cliff blocks do not sit well in my stomach during runs.
Rasberry Cliff Shots are ok.
Mocha Cliff Shots make me want to vomit right away and make other food seem unpalatable for a long time after I eat them.
The combination of nausea and GI distress is extremely unpleasant.
If you don't eat for the last hour of your long run, you will end the run in a pretty big calorie deficit. You will begin to fantasize about Pepsi.
The other major problem I've been having is foot cramping. It only happens on runs longer than 12 miles. I tried buying a new pair of tried-and-true Asics. They are even last years model on sale so it should be the same shoe. It's mostly my right foot but both feet cramped after my last 16 mile run. Apparently my sweetie thought my hobbling around the house was kinda comical. I'm sure it is but it HURTS LIKE A MO-FO. M'KAY? It starts about 3 minutes after I take my shoes off. My feet cramp on and off for 30 minutes. Any suggestions? And, yes, I take plenty of electrolytes.
Mental training
If you've ever wanted to explore the mental aspects of athletic performance, you might want to visit SportsMinded. This is one of my favorite blogs. The author provides research based summaries on different aspects of training, both mental (perceptions of pain) and physical (how does lack of sleep impact performance). Professional athletes get advice on this type of stuff all the time but those of us at the lower rungs of the triathlon ladder often miss out.
So why not give it a read and offer some comment love. This blog is already a great resource. The more comments the blog gets, the better it will be come.
So why not give it a read and offer some comment love. This blog is already a great resource. The more comments the blog gets, the better it will be come.
Monday, August 20, 2007
The best mile swim
Sunday gave me a rare opportunity to lounge on Florida's sunny beaches with my nephew. While I love him to death, his early life was a little tumultuous. Let's just say visiting Auntie Linae meant he wasn't going to see grandma or grandpa or dad. This made me very unpopular. In fact, he never asks to come to my house. He asks to see Nikki, R2D2 or Uncle Joe.But on Sunday we floated together in the Gulf of Mexico, as his father and I had done a generation before. He on his noodle, me with my personal flotation reserves. He told me that he could swim 300 miles. I smiled. Really? That's awesome because 300 miles is pretty far. Still, my Little Star Wars Fan was certain that he could swim at least 50.
That's when I mentioned "See that pier down there? If we swam down and back, it would be about a mile".
To which he replied with all the resolute honesty of a first grader "Then we should swim a mile".
And so we set out on a great expedition that would last about an hour. Little Star Wars Fan kicked, drifted, and floated his away along the sand bar next to me. We discussed many topics. He asked me about hibernation sickness. He was worried he could catch it. Then he asked me what inner thoughts were. Topics you don't expect but these things come up during a mile swim with a first grader.
About half way to the pier, he declared that we would have to "walk for it." Of course, no first grade boy is going to walk to the pier. Because he is a spider and has to crawl along "the wall" (this is the wet sand for us boring adults). Unless his hand landed in dry sand in which case he "fell" into the surf. Such a great journey. Fortunately, Auntie Linae was not qualified to be a spider. I was the noodle carrier.
We touched the pier and headed back down the beach. Crawling, walking, swimming and sand castle building.
The best swim of the year.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Weekend workouts
So, yeah, I hit a spider web on my ride Saturday. Completely freaked me out. It was the first ride that I have done in the dark as riding in the dark around the most populated county in the state seems dangerous to me. However, the Suncoast Trail is closed to vehicle traffic and paved so I was willing to give it a try. Saturday's torture brick called for 30 miles of riding, 30 minutes of running, 30 miles of riding, 30 minutes of running and a final 30 miles of riding. It's a hard workout under the best of conditions. My coach said to find some place shady for the workout. Sure, the Sunshine State is overflowing with shady run routes next to 30 mile ride locations.
At least with a 5AM start time, I could knock out 1/3 of the workout before the heat index hit 90. The local cop thought I was crazy but he had no problem with letting me, the crazy cyclist, head down the trail before sunrise. He was kind enough to hang around until I was safely on my way. I had a headlight, tail light, and an ironman attitude to get me going.
Other than the near death spider encounter where I almost hit a tree next to the trail, screaming like the brave marine biologist that I am, the pre-dawn section of the ride was pleasant. Nice and quiet. I had the pleasure of heading back to the parking lot as many of the hard core guys headed out for the morning. They seemed surprised to see another rider in the darkness, especially a small chick rider. The only issue was some GI cramping. I've been trying to find a carb&protein sports drink to use for long workouts because of all the hype about the 4:1 ratio being better for fluid absorption and endurance events. Perpetuem was a complete disaster. This weekend I tried Accelerade with better results but GI issues had me visiting the porto potty before I ran.
My loyal car, Shake, served as my transition area. After each ride I had to take off the front wheel, stash the bike in the back seat, then head to my trunk for a few more salt tablets and the cooler filled with cold Accelerade. The first run was almost cool but very very sweaty. My feet made squish squish squish noises from all sweat in my shoes. Gross. Back to the car to reassemble the Relentless.
The second 30 miles tired me out. Each run in the brick combo adds 15 miles to my riding legs. The temps had risen into the mid 80s but the omnipresent 80%+ humidity resulted in a heat index that I forced myself to ignore. At least the bike generated some type of breeze. Instead the focus was on maintaining a steady "easy" pace. The Ipod Shuffle tunes helped a little but upon reaching the turn around point, I knew the last run/ride combo would be torture.
At least I wasn't disappointed. :) No more GI issues which was a plus. The run was brutally hot with no shade and minimal cloud cover. During the tough times on my workouts I remind myself that the tough miles are the ironman miles. Miles that will carry me across the Ironman Florida finish line, even if they seem impossible right now.
The last transition at the car was very disheartening because even the long ride people were packing up to head home. And here I am saddling up for another ride. The extra sweat from the running seemed to exacerbate my normal saddle chafing to the point that simply sitting on the bike was a challenge. As I headed out my body felt out of sync. Oddly cool on my arms but a little too warm on my head. When I started to get a headache, I immediately dropped my speed to 12 mph and hit the lap counter on my watch. Heat exhaustion does not enhance ironman training. If I didn't feel better in 5 minutes, I was going home. There is little shade on the trail and, because there was no breeze, it was cooler to ride slowly than standing around on the side of the road.
A little cooldown time and extra hydration was just what I needed. My body recovered but the ride did not get any easier. The Shuffle started to short out from the sweat/heat combo and the chafing did not get any better. At all. My brain was totally over this uber brick workout and wanted to be home. My quads felt like overcooked spaghetti with a side of acid on top. Good t hing the route was an out and back. :)
The best feeling of the day was heading back to the parking lot for the final time. I treated myself to some ice on head and cold milk for recovery beverage. The ice felt so good that I didn't try to kill the guy who was hitting on all the female cyclists in the parking lot, not even when he started talking to me.
My dearest was nice enough to have lunch and cold beer waiting at the house. I love this man! Tasty stuff, that chicken and black bean burrito. Oddly, I wasn't too hungry for the rest of the day as if I were too tired to be hungry. Wonder if that's how the Tour de France riders feel? Especially when they have another 150K the next day?
Because I'm not a Le Tour rider, we scheduled a ride/champagne brunch with friends on Sunday. I headed out for an hour recovery ride (14-15mph) followed by an hour fun ride (10-12 mph) with my DH and another couple. The fun ride gave me a chance to ride my old Schwinn 10 speed again, complete with big cushy bike seat. The seat is too padded for long rides but it sure felt good Sunday morning! And there is something to be said for enjoying champagne and quiche after a ride.
At least with a 5AM start time, I could knock out 1/3 of the workout before the heat index hit 90. The local cop thought I was crazy but he had no problem with letting me, the crazy cyclist, head down the trail before sunrise. He was kind enough to hang around until I was safely on my way. I had a headlight, tail light, and an ironman attitude to get me going.
Other than the near death spider encounter where I almost hit a tree next to the trail, screaming like the brave marine biologist that I am, the pre-dawn section of the ride was pleasant. Nice and quiet. I had the pleasure of heading back to the parking lot as many of the hard core guys headed out for the morning. They seemed surprised to see another rider in the darkness, especially a small chick rider. The only issue was some GI cramping. I've been trying to find a carb&protein sports drink to use for long workouts because of all the hype about the 4:1 ratio being better for fluid absorption and endurance events. Perpetuem was a complete disaster. This weekend I tried Accelerade with better results but GI issues had me visiting the porto potty before I ran.
My loyal car, Shake, served as my transition area. After each ride I had to take off the front wheel, stash the bike in the back seat, then head to my trunk for a few more salt tablets and the cooler filled with cold Accelerade. The first run was almost cool but very very sweaty. My feet made squish squish squish noises from all sweat in my shoes. Gross. Back to the car to reassemble the Relentless.
The second 30 miles tired me out. Each run in the brick combo adds 15 miles to my riding legs. The temps had risen into the mid 80s but the omnipresent 80%+ humidity resulted in a heat index that I forced myself to ignore. At least the bike generated some type of breeze. Instead the focus was on maintaining a steady "easy" pace. The Ipod Shuffle tunes helped a little but upon reaching the turn around point, I knew the last run/ride combo would be torture.
At least I wasn't disappointed. :) No more GI issues which was a plus. The run was brutally hot with no shade and minimal cloud cover. During the tough times on my workouts I remind myself that the tough miles are the ironman miles. Miles that will carry me across the Ironman Florida finish line, even if they seem impossible right now.
The last transition at the car was very disheartening because even the long ride people were packing up to head home. And here I am saddling up for another ride. The extra sweat from the running seemed to exacerbate my normal saddle chafing to the point that simply sitting on the bike was a challenge. As I headed out my body felt out of sync. Oddly cool on my arms but a little too warm on my head. When I started to get a headache, I immediately dropped my speed to 12 mph and hit the lap counter on my watch. Heat exhaustion does not enhance ironman training. If I didn't feel better in 5 minutes, I was going home. There is little shade on the trail and, because there was no breeze, it was cooler to ride slowly than standing around on the side of the road.
A little cooldown time and extra hydration was just what I needed. My body recovered but the ride did not get any easier. The Shuffle started to short out from the sweat/heat combo and the chafing did not get any better. At all. My brain was totally over this uber brick workout and wanted to be home. My quads felt like overcooked spaghetti with a side of acid on top. Good t hing the route was an out and back. :)
The best feeling of the day was heading back to the parking lot for the final time. I treated myself to some ice on head and cold milk for recovery beverage. The ice felt so good that I didn't try to kill the guy who was hitting on all the female cyclists in the parking lot, not even when he started talking to me.
My dearest was nice enough to have lunch and cold beer waiting at the house. I love this man! Tasty stuff, that chicken and black bean burrito. Oddly, I wasn't too hungry for the rest of the day as if I were too tired to be hungry. Wonder if that's how the Tour de France riders feel? Especially when they have another 150K the next day?
Because I'm not a Le Tour rider, we scheduled a ride/champagne brunch with friends on Sunday. I headed out for an hour recovery ride (14-15mph) followed by an hour fun ride (10-12 mph) with my DH and another couple. The fun ride gave me a chance to ride my old Schwinn 10 speed again, complete with big cushy bike seat. The seat is too padded for long rides but it sure felt good Sunday morning! And there is something to be said for enjoying champagne and quiche after a ride.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Formal Apology
Dear Ms. Golden Silk Spider,
Please accept my most sincere apology for destroying your carefully woven web this morning. I'm also very very sorry if you landed against a hard tree trunk instead of soft leaves or bushes when I frantically flung you off my right hand. I'm not used to riding in the dark and your web took me by surprise, especially when it enveloped my face and aerobars. I wish you and your kin all the best as you pursue your life feeding on bees, wasps, and other insects.
Dr. TriFeist
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
An easy 8 mile run
Did I just write that? When did the words easy, eight miles, and run start hanging out together?
Apparently, sometime about 6Am this morning. What was easy about it? It was only 8 miles. I did not have to start running at 5AM to avoid the heat. Sixty prescious extra minutes of sleep. Loved it. Not that 83F (86% humidity) was a joyride but it sure beats the temps at 10AM.
The other "easy" part about it was that there was energy at the end to push the pace. This distance has popped up so many times on the training schedule that my body can hold its own. Even though the heat has pulled my pace down about a minute per mile, it didn't totally kill me.
But 8 miles is still further than this city girl would drive for groceries. Heck, it's just a long way to run. Lots of time to think about life the universe and everything. Powerade vs Accelerade. Waking up early on Saturday to ride/run 90miles/6miles on the Suncoast trail or doing the local routes. Random things.
As I said, it was a great relief to have an extra hours sleep and be able to walk when I returned to the house. Gotta savor these days.
Apparently, sometime about 6Am this morning. What was easy about it? It was only 8 miles. I did not have to start running at 5AM to avoid the heat. Sixty prescious extra minutes of sleep. Loved it. Not that 83F (86% humidity) was a joyride but it sure beats the temps at 10AM.
The other "easy" part about it was that there was energy at the end to push the pace. This distance has popped up so many times on the training schedule that my body can hold its own. Even though the heat has pulled my pace down about a minute per mile, it didn't totally kill me.
But 8 miles is still further than this city girl would drive for groceries. Heck, it's just a long way to run. Lots of time to think about life the universe and everything. Powerade vs Accelerade. Waking up early on Saturday to ride/run 90miles/6miles on the Suncoast trail or doing the local routes. Random things.
As I said, it was a great relief to have an extra hours sleep and be able to walk when I returned to the house. Gotta savor these days.
Monday, August 06, 2007
5000.....oops
Reminder to self: read your workout schedule AFTER coffee because sometimes the swim workout is supposed to be shorter than the general workout your coach sent to the larger training group.
It didn't help that they changed the pool from 50m to 25yd lanes in the middle of the workout. I didn't know that the pool was 50m long and there's no way I can convert from meters to yards 2400m into a workout.
So, 4800yds accidentally became 5000-something yds.
Another deposit in the Bank of Ironman.
Today's brick passed without incident. 24 steady miles of riding. 2.75 miles of running. 2 hours.
It didn't help that they changed the pool from 50m to 25yd lanes in the middle of the workout. I didn't know that the pool was 50m long and there's no way I can convert from meters to yards 2400m into a workout.
So, 4800yds accidentally became 5000-something yds.
Another deposit in the Bank of Ironman.
Today's brick passed without incident. 24 steady miles of riding. 2.75 miles of running. 2 hours.
Week 31 in Ironman Florida Training
Don't remember which week it is but once I figure it out, I'll update the title. Last week (rainy week) was 31. This week is 32. What the heck happened to January?
There is a bit of whining ahead. I decided during my post defense musings that I wanted to do this Ironman thing to the best of my ability. Focus on nutrition, consistency, and see how far it will get me. Last week was to be the first 16+ hour workout week. They only get longer from here. I'm ready! Let's do this Ironman thing!
Except that someone forgot to talk to the weather gods. It rained every morning, complete with thunder and lightning, Mon-Thurs. Monday it also thundered in the afternoon which effectively canceled my first swim. Tuesday I managed to sneak in an afternoon swim but ended up swimming 3000 of 4000yds in the pouring rain. Wednesday was a complete wash out so I ended up riding 2 hours on the trainer followed by 20 minutes of running during a "break in the weather". Break in the weather means the light rain switched to full on tropical rain downpour about 2 minutes after leaving the house. A driver stopped to asked if I needed a ride home. That's how hard it was raining. My ride during Thursday's "break in the weather" turned out the same way. I got trapped in localized flooding after a brief torrential downpour. Cars were edging me into the deeper water to avoid getting wet. Like you can ride a bike in 2 feet of water. Well, you can, as I learned but it took 2 hours of soap water and lube to fix up the bike upon my return. The poor Relentless was covered in muddy road grime.
So, it was not the mighty Ironman training week I had planned. But the week ended with a great tri relay. Go Vixens! In the end, only one swim and a few minutes of running were missed. Nature reminded me, once again, why you cannot start 16 miles runs at 7:45AM when you live in Florida. My first uber-long brick is on the books (76 mile bike/4 mile run).
And I have another set of weather experiences to bring to IMFL.
Only two months to go before the October taper. What the heck happened to 40+ weeks? Onward!
There is a bit of whining ahead. I decided during my post defense musings that I wanted to do this Ironman thing to the best of my ability. Focus on nutrition, consistency, and see how far it will get me. Last week was to be the first 16+ hour workout week. They only get longer from here. I'm ready! Let's do this Ironman thing!
Except that someone forgot to talk to the weather gods. It rained every morning, complete with thunder and lightning, Mon-Thurs. Monday it also thundered in the afternoon which effectively canceled my first swim. Tuesday I managed to sneak in an afternoon swim but ended up swimming 3000 of 4000yds in the pouring rain. Wednesday was a complete wash out so I ended up riding 2 hours on the trainer followed by 20 minutes of running during a "break in the weather". Break in the weather means the light rain switched to full on tropical rain downpour about 2 minutes after leaving the house. A driver stopped to asked if I needed a ride home. That's how hard it was raining. My ride during Thursday's "break in the weather" turned out the same way. I got trapped in localized flooding after a brief torrential downpour. Cars were edging me into the deeper water to avoid getting wet. Like you can ride a bike in 2 feet of water. Well, you can, as I learned but it took 2 hours of soap water and lube to fix up the bike upon my return. The poor Relentless was covered in muddy road grime.
So, it was not the mighty Ironman training week I had planned. But the week ended with a great tri relay. Go Vixens! In the end, only one swim and a few minutes of running were missed. Nature reminded me, once again, why you cannot start 16 miles runs at 7:45AM when you live in Florida. My first uber-long brick is on the books (76 mile bike/4 mile run).
And I have another set of weather experiences to bring to IMFL.
Only two months to go before the October taper. What the heck happened to 40+ weeks? Onward!
RR: Top Gun Triathlon Relay
We won! My relay team, the Wine Warehouse Vixens, placed first in the women's relay. We were first of 3 all women relays.
My job was to make sure my runner and swimmer had a great first race. After that, the goal was to ride as fast as possible given I had run 16 miles the day before. Mission accomplished.
Our swimmer is a feisty French woman who swam at the collegiate level in her younger days. She got the wind knocked out of her by trying to swim too close to the first turn buoy but finished strong. Next time she promised to sprint to the front to get away from all the "bullies". Wish that were an option for my swims. :)
For the first time, I knew what it meant to say my legs "weren't there". The muscle burn and fatigue limited me much more than my aerobic capacity. In fact, when I returned to the relay rack, a man dressed in full Ironman kit said "you still look fresh, you should have ridden faster". LOL! Whatever, Mr. Full Ironman Kit Guy.
Our runner almost slapped him but I quickly racked the bike before she could say anything. She took off as fast as possible down the sand. The late morning heat took it's toll on her but she ran tough.
Afterwards we enjoyed a celebratory toast of Pol Roger champagne, of course. We do work at the Wine Warehouse after all. :) They were very excited to check our time. I humored them, thinking there was no way we would place. It was their first race and a less than stellar performance on my part but it was enough. I almost fell over when they told me the news. The age group awards had already started so we had to hurry over to claim our spiffy Women's Relay Winner plaques and free sunglasses from Boston Bill. A plaque and schwag!
The best parts of the day:
1) Both the swimmer and runner are talking about how much better they will do "next time". They even picked out our next relay event. :)
2) The runner wants to do a full sprint by herself next season.
3) The girl who starting riding on my old Schwinn 10 speed finished her first tri that day. Her dedication to the Schwinn convinced her SO to spring for a new bike. Total Bonus!!!
4) My first ever first place finish for a single day event or as an age grouper.
Now if I can just keep going with this ironman training.
---------UPDATE-------------
Seems that yesterday's official results have been updated today. The changes added 3 minutes to our swimmers time. Not sure if they had her in the wrong wave initially or what. She's definitely capable of swimming the time they originally posted. But we're still first place. :)
My job was to make sure my runner and swimmer had a great first race. After that, the goal was to ride as fast as possible given I had run 16 miles the day before. Mission accomplished.
Our swimmer is a feisty French woman who swam at the collegiate level in her younger days. She got the wind knocked out of her by trying to swim too close to the first turn buoy but finished strong. Next time she promised to sprint to the front to get away from all the "bullies". Wish that were an option for my swims. :)
For the first time, I knew what it meant to say my legs "weren't there". The muscle burn and fatigue limited me much more than my aerobic capacity. In fact, when I returned to the relay rack, a man dressed in full Ironman kit said "you still look fresh, you should have ridden faster". LOL! Whatever, Mr. Full Ironman Kit Guy.
Our runner almost slapped him but I quickly racked the bike before she could say anything. She took off as fast as possible down the sand. The late morning heat took it's toll on her but she ran tough.
Afterwards we enjoyed a celebratory toast of Pol Roger champagne, of course. We do work at the Wine Warehouse after all. :) They were very excited to check our time. I humored them, thinking there was no way we would place. It was their first race and a less than stellar performance on my part but it was enough. I almost fell over when they told me the news. The age group awards had already started so we had to hurry over to claim our spiffy Women's Relay Winner plaques and free sunglasses from Boston Bill. A plaque and schwag!
The best parts of the day:
1) Both the swimmer and runner are talking about how much better they will do "next time". They even picked out our next relay event. :)
2) The runner wants to do a full sprint by herself next season.
3) The girl who starting riding on my old Schwinn 10 speed finished her first tri that day. Her dedication to the Schwinn convinced her SO to spring for a new bike. Total Bonus!!!
4) My first ever first place finish for a single day event or as an age grouper.
Now if I can just keep going with this ironman training.
---------UPDATE-------------
Seems that yesterday's official results have been updated today. The changes added 3 minutes to our swimmers time. Not sure if they had her in the wrong wave initially or what. She's definitely capable of swimming the time they originally posted. But we're still first place. :)
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