Yup, you've read it correctly. I am officially a fat ass. Whoever said that titanium has the strongest strength to weight ratio is just simply incorrect!
On Saturday morning at 5:05am I was riding the bike when all of a sudden the left side of my bike seat dropped down slightly. I reached down and pulled it up. I thought to myself, "that was weird maybe the seat is loose." About a minute later it dropped down again, so I reached down again and fixed it. This went on for about three miles until I got really frustrated. I was meeting a friend at 5:45am to ride so I made the decision to sprint home and tighten the seat before I met her. Luckily I was about four miles from my house.
When I got into my apartment and turned on the light I realized that the seat wasn't loose. I broke one of the rails on the seat. The seat has titanium rails for goodness sake. Titanium is suppose to be one of the lightest and strongest metals. I know I've gained a pound or two this week, I tipped the scale at 154 on Saturday, but seriously I don't think that I should be breaking bike seats. This is just more proof that I am covering distances that bikes aren't designed for. Man 1 Machine 0. Man beats machine!
Since I had to meet Shenna in about 10 minutes I had to switch bikes. I took all the bottles, the lights and the food off of my triathlon bike and put it on my road bike. Sometimes it is nice to have more than one bike. People need options! Here's the catch though- about a month ago I cracked the rear rim on my road bike. Not because I am a fat ass but because the Bontrager wheels on it are crap. Sorry Bontrager...they are crap! So when I was swapping all of the stuff from bike to bike I also had to swap the rear wheel. Because Bontrager uses a "special" spacer on the rear cassette the spacing is slightly different. What does that mean you ask??? It means that when I am in 5 of the 10 gears in the back and stand up to pedal the bike shifts on it's own. Since the spacing is slightly off the bike rides in between gears and shifts automatically. So now I have a bike with a broken seat and a bike that shifts at the most inopportune time. What a way to start off a Saturday huh!
This actually worked to my benefit though. I had two options at this point. I could be stressed out and upset that things weren't going according to plan or just adapt and roll with the punches. It is no surprise that I am a planner and have a schedule so I am not one to adapt to change well. I used this as an opportunity to work on my patience and ability to adapt in these types of situations. If something were to happen in my race I would need to adapt so this was good practice. I took some deep breaths and back out the door I went...
Each weekend I learn and discover something new about myself. Training for this race truly has been a great experience. Once the race is over and I can get back to a more normal existence I will have more than just the satisfaction of completing my goal. I will have a deeper and more clear understanding of myself.
48 days and 281.2 miles until that moment though...
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Hoping for a "Faster Tomorrow"
It has been six hours and I don't feel any different.
I wouldn't expect to yet but I needed a good starting sentence for my blog today.
Last Thursday I had a few hours where I had a complete lack of confidence in my ability to do this race. During this time I started doubting myself and my willingness to continue training. I know it sounds a tad dramatic but I wasn't feeling well at all. If I wasn't being held accountable by my coach and my increasing number of supporters I might have just thrown away the last few months of training. I know that backing out now would probably be one of the worst decisions I have made in life, one that I would always regret, so I started looking for help.
My focus was on supplementation. I take a multi-vitamin every day but started looking into my other options. Since EPO and HGH are out of the question I started looking at other products. Some of you may have heard of Optygen- I have friends who use this product and give it great reviews but I wanted to try something different and, to be honest, a little cheaper. I stumbled on a review of a product by Healthy Directions called ARX. It is an all natural product which satisfied one of my criteria and their opening line on the website grabbed my attention as well:
"ARX’s unique combination of ingredients helps to clear lactate from the bloodstream faster and circulate it to the rest of the body so that it can be used as an additional fuel source for exercise and other energy demands, improving your performance and reducing muscle recovery time."
Here is a link to their site: http://www.fastertomorrow.com/
It was important to me that whatever I decided to take was made only from natural ingredients. Since I am cutting out highly processed and chemically enhanced foods from my diet (as best I can) it didn't make sense to purchase a product that was nothing but chemicals. I need to be able to pronounce all the ingredients in the product! ARX is a blend of mushroom extracts, eleuthero root extract, tangerine peel extract, and Asian ginseng root extract. No chemicals, no fillers, nothing that I normally wouldn't eat (though I am not sure what eleuthero root is). My mind was made up- I would try ARX. If it works for Terenzo Bozzone maybe it would work for Kevin Johnson!
I ordered a two month supply and it arrived in the mail yesterday. I took the first dose of it this morning when I woke up. All of the product documentation states that it typically takes a few weeks to feel the products benefits so only time will tell if I will feel any performance improvement with this product or if my recovery time will decrease. I don't really care about the performance improvement but am really hoping that I notice a decrease in recovery time. With my training about to be at it's longest and most intense any additional help I can get will be welcomed. If it doesn't make a noticeable difference that is OK too. Since it is an all natural product and I will not feel guilty about taking it.
I also solicited some additional help from Sarah Neumann, a fantastic nutritionist and superb athlete, and with her help I will be looking for new multi-vitamin and mineral supplements as well. This will probably have to wait until after my race since I don't want to make to many changes at once with less then two months to go. Perhaps with Sarah's advice I will find the right products for me for the 2010 season...provided I don't retire after this race.
My confidence sways back and forth like the wind but I still have some time to get in the right frame of mind. I am so fortunate to have the support of so many different people. People from all over the country, and now all over the world! Who would have thought people from other countries would stumble on to my blog. Thanks everyone!
Happy training!!!
I wouldn't expect to yet but I needed a good starting sentence for my blog today.
Last Thursday I had a few hours where I had a complete lack of confidence in my ability to do this race. During this time I started doubting myself and my willingness to continue training. I know it sounds a tad dramatic but I wasn't feeling well at all. If I wasn't being held accountable by my coach and my increasing number of supporters I might have just thrown away the last few months of training. I know that backing out now would probably be one of the worst decisions I have made in life, one that I would always regret, so I started looking for help.
My focus was on supplementation. I take a multi-vitamin every day but started looking into my other options. Since EPO and HGH are out of the question I started looking at other products. Some of you may have heard of Optygen- I have friends who use this product and give it great reviews but I wanted to try something different and, to be honest, a little cheaper. I stumbled on a review of a product by Healthy Directions called ARX. It is an all natural product which satisfied one of my criteria and their opening line on the website grabbed my attention as well:
"ARX’s unique combination of ingredients helps to clear lactate from the bloodstream faster and circulate it to the rest of the body so that it can be used as an additional fuel source for exercise and other energy demands, improving your performance and reducing muscle recovery time."
Here is a link to their site: http://www.fastertomorrow.com/
It was important to me that whatever I decided to take was made only from natural ingredients. Since I am cutting out highly processed and chemically enhanced foods from my diet (as best I can) it didn't make sense to purchase a product that was nothing but chemicals. I need to be able to pronounce all the ingredients in the product! ARX is a blend of mushroom extracts, eleuthero root extract, tangerine peel extract, and Asian ginseng root extract. No chemicals, no fillers, nothing that I normally wouldn't eat (though I am not sure what eleuthero root is). My mind was made up- I would try ARX. If it works for Terenzo Bozzone maybe it would work for Kevin Johnson!
I ordered a two month supply and it arrived in the mail yesterday. I took the first dose of it this morning when I woke up. All of the product documentation states that it typically takes a few weeks to feel the products benefits so only time will tell if I will feel any performance improvement with this product or if my recovery time will decrease. I don't really care about the performance improvement but am really hoping that I notice a decrease in recovery time. With my training about to be at it's longest and most intense any additional help I can get will be welcomed. If it doesn't make a noticeable difference that is OK too. Since it is an all natural product and I will not feel guilty about taking it.
I also solicited some additional help from Sarah Neumann, a fantastic nutritionist and superb athlete, and with her help I will be looking for new multi-vitamin and mineral supplements as well. This will probably have to wait until after my race since I don't want to make to many changes at once with less then two months to go. Perhaps with Sarah's advice I will find the right products for me for the 2010 season...provided I don't retire after this race.
My confidence sways back and forth like the wind but I still have some time to get in the right frame of mind. I am so fortunate to have the support of so many different people. People from all over the country, and now all over the world! Who would have thought people from other countries would stumble on to my blog. Thanks everyone!
Happy training!!!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
56 days but who's counting???
As I sit here tonight, enjoying the last few days of a recovery week, I can't help but dwell on the fact that 8 weeks from today I will be competing in the longest and most ridiculous race of my life. It has been a long road getting here but the time is drawing near. What once seemed to be an eternity away is now less than 60 days. Where does the time go? I am considering this to be "crunch time". I need to make some changes to my training, my nutrition and to my life to get me to the start line on Oct 10 feeling confident and ready.
The changes to my training are easy- swim, swim and swim. I have missed less than five workouts in the past few months but four of them have been swims. It would appear that I am not taking the swim portion of this race seriously. Over the next few weeks I need to hit all my swim workouts and feel good about them. 4.8 miles of lake swimming before biking and running will surely tire me out so I need to get into the water in Oct and feel ready to efficiently tackle that distance. So far I am not feeling the swim confidence that I need. Thank goodness for wetsuits...
The changes to my nutrition will make or break me on race day. The last few weekends have been tough and I am having a hard time determining whether or not it was a faulty nutrition plan or if it was the heat and humidity. More than likely it was a combination of both but here is what I am thinking. Alcohol = NO!!! I will not consume any alcohol in the next 8 weeks. I am certainly not a "one and done" drinker so there is no need to try to learn restraint now. It's all or nothing and unfortunately I have to choose the nothing. Secondly, I am cutting out the majority of the highly processed sugary foods from my nutrition plan. Today was the first step in that direction. Today I did not eat any Pop Tarts, Zebra Cakes or Oatmeal Creme Pies. I focused solely on liquid nutrition (I will reveal my new concoction once I refine the measurements a few more times) and solid foods. I have a few more things to try next week so more details will follow about this as training continues. There are a few supplements that I am considering trying as well so I will post about them when I make up my mind.
Lastly, some changes in my life will help me reduce unnecessary stress and allow me to focus on my goal of completing this race. Don't get any crazy ideas about what I am implying though. I am referring to my decision not to pursue full time employment until Oct. Last week I made the decision to move some money around to be able to stay out of corporate America for two more months and allow me to train as my coach recommends. Honestly I want to not only finish this race but finish it strong and feeling good. This will make more sense to you if you knew a little about my coach- google Peter Kotland and you'll see why he trains me the way he does! I think he's crazy but I am doing things I never thought I'd be able to do! (Thanks Peter!) I am still applying for jobs and interviewing but I will not consider a start date until at least Oct 13. Whew...that decision lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to step outside of the corporate America mold for a year and try some new things but come Oct I am ready and willing to return. I have learned so many things in the past year and am ready to make a comeback and apply these life lessons to the corporate world.
So there you have it- crunch time. 56 days will fly by quickly so I need to be smart and focused.
Thanks to everyone for all your encouragement and support. I truly mean it when I say I would not be able to do this without you. Swim, bike, run, eat, sleep.....
The changes to my training are easy- swim, swim and swim. I have missed less than five workouts in the past few months but four of them have been swims. It would appear that I am not taking the swim portion of this race seriously. Over the next few weeks I need to hit all my swim workouts and feel good about them. 4.8 miles of lake swimming before biking and running will surely tire me out so I need to get into the water in Oct and feel ready to efficiently tackle that distance. So far I am not feeling the swim confidence that I need. Thank goodness for wetsuits...
The changes to my nutrition will make or break me on race day. The last few weekends have been tough and I am having a hard time determining whether or not it was a faulty nutrition plan or if it was the heat and humidity. More than likely it was a combination of both but here is what I am thinking. Alcohol = NO!!! I will not consume any alcohol in the next 8 weeks. I am certainly not a "one and done" drinker so there is no need to try to learn restraint now. It's all or nothing and unfortunately I have to choose the nothing. Secondly, I am cutting out the majority of the highly processed sugary foods from my nutrition plan. Today was the first step in that direction. Today I did not eat any Pop Tarts, Zebra Cakes or Oatmeal Creme Pies. I focused solely on liquid nutrition (I will reveal my new concoction once I refine the measurements a few more times) and solid foods. I have a few more things to try next week so more details will follow about this as training continues. There are a few supplements that I am considering trying as well so I will post about them when I make up my mind.
Lastly, some changes in my life will help me reduce unnecessary stress and allow me to focus on my goal of completing this race. Don't get any crazy ideas about what I am implying though. I am referring to my decision not to pursue full time employment until Oct. Last week I made the decision to move some money around to be able to stay out of corporate America for two more months and allow me to train as my coach recommends. Honestly I want to not only finish this race but finish it strong and feeling good. This will make more sense to you if you knew a little about my coach- google Peter Kotland and you'll see why he trains me the way he does! I think he's crazy but I am doing things I never thought I'd be able to do! (Thanks Peter!) I am still applying for jobs and interviewing but I will not consider a start date until at least Oct 13. Whew...that decision lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to step outside of the corporate America mold for a year and try some new things but come Oct I am ready and willing to return. I have learned so many things in the past year and am ready to make a comeback and apply these life lessons to the corporate world.
So there you have it- crunch time. 56 days will fly by quickly so I need to be smart and focused.
Thanks to everyone for all your encouragement and support. I truly mean it when I say I would not be able to do this without you. Swim, bike, run, eat, sleep.....
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
MRS 2000+ Trial
Two weeks ago I was introduced to Rick Burger. Rick is a therapist with a company who works with a product called the MRS 2000+. He was meeting with Melissa at Inside Out Sports and she called me over and introduced me to him. He was intrigued with my training and the goal I had set for myself. He explained the device to me and let me take it home for a five day trial. So what is the MRS 2000+ you ask?
The magnetic-resonance-stimulation-system (MRS 2000+) uses weak pulsating electromagnetic fields to activate a number of the body’s different physiological processes. These processes are activated using magnetic field impulses, the measurable strength of which, even at the highest intensity level, is not higher than the magnetic field of the Earth. The MRS 2000+ is a white mat about six feet long that you lie on and contains three sets of two pairs of coils. Additionally there is a smaller mat (for the arm or knees) and a probe (for treating the hand) used for treating different parts of the body. For the purpose of my trial I only used the larger mat.
One of the primary areas of application is to generally increase performance and energy by activating metabolism, circulation, regeneration, and immune system functions. One of the secondary applications is to increase the general feeling of well being by promoting sleep, relaxation and reducing stress. That said I used the mat before and after several of my long, and short but intense, workouts.
There are several settings on the machine including time of day (as different bodily process are stimulated at different times of the day), duration and intensity. For me what would be important is the intensity setting. Rick recommended that I use the intensity setting of 400 for eight minutes prior to my workouts to warm up and energize my cells. He also recommended the intensity setting of 25 for 16 minutes after my workouts to maximize cell recovery. While I was demoing the system at home Rick was speaking with the doctor who helped create the device and they agreed that the 400 setting was no where near intense enough for someone with my endurance ability. I found that humorous since in the system's owners manual I read this statement, "It is recommended that you do not exceed an intensity level of 100 for full body application unless it has been recommended by a therapist." If the average person should not exceed an intensity setting of 100 and the machine's maximum intensity setting is 400 what would the setting need to be for someone training the way I am? That question still has remained unanswered.
Unfortunately I didn't notice any performance improvement or speed of recovery while using the MRS 2000+ system. While the machine certainly did not impede my ability I didn't notice any appreciable difference. While I was a little skeptical I really was hoping for some performance edge while using this product. If there is anyone reading this who would like to try the MRS 2000+ I would suggest it and can get you in touch with Rick. Rick and I would be interested to see how someone whose training isn't as intense as mine would feel while using this device. I am glad I was given the opportunity to try something different. You never know who you'll meet in life.
Monday, August 10, 2009
I get by with a little help from my friends
Almost daily someone asks me "How Do You Do It?" How do I cover these long distances and how do I train for so many hours. I usually shy away from answering that question because I try not to talk to much about myself. I am not doing anything that anyone else can't do. It is a matter of internal motivation and the willingness to put in a lot of time. I set a goal and I am doing what my coach thinks is necessary to accomplish that goal.
Last week while I was dropping Luna off at doggie daycare I realized that there is no way I could do what I am doing without the help and support of my friends. Training for this race is much bigger then just me. There is a whole group of people who have done so much for me along the way. It is this help and support that has made it possible for me to do this. The more I think about it the more I realize that I have the easy part. All I have to do is move forward. So the answer to the question, "How do you do it?" is this- I can do it because I have the help and support of so many people willing to help me achieve my goal. I am so fortunate to be able to call these people my friends.
It is comforting to know that I have the support of so many different people. It sets my mind at ease and allows me to focus more on my training. I have had help with taking care of Luna while I train, I have had many different people to train with, I have had advice and suggestions along the way, but most importantly I have had nothing but positive encouragement from pretty much everyone. Most people think I'm crazy and constantly remind me how nuts they think I am but these same people have also supported me from the beginning. I really am a lucky person.
These realizations came at a good time because this past Saturday I had a mental breakdown while on the bike. Unlike last weekend where I felt my body was completely breaking down this weekend I felt that my mind was falling apart. I'm not going to lie and tell you I wasn't crying. As the day went on there were more and more tears being shed. I was starting to tell myself that I could not do this anymore and that I would not be able to finish this race. What is worse is that in my heat induced exhaustion I was starting to believe that I wouldn't be able to do this. I just wanted to give up and throw in the towel. Once my mind started to falter my body started to follow it. I started thinking that I could not turn the pedals anymore and that there was no way I could get off the bike and run. I didn't want to finish my workout. Sitting down and quitting seemed so much easier of an option. In endurance racing you have highs and lows. I can now say that I have seen the bottom. I did get off the bike on Saturday and ran...I finished my workout and then collapsed.
Two weekends in a row I have seen how much more powerful the body is than the mind. It is an extremely important lesson and I'll need to remember this on race day. When my mind starts to tell my body to stop I must convince my mind that I can go further. I know my body will be ready so I have a little over eight weeks to get my mind ready. I know how to train my body but am not really sure how to train my mind. I still have some more work cut out for me.
This weekend was a huge training weekend and looking back I have a great sense of accomplishment. A big thanks to Christy at Carolina Doggie Playland for picking up Luna and letting her play all morning. Another big thanks to Sarah for meeting me at 5:45am on a weekend to join me for part of my ride. Thanks to Melissa and Jason for helping me through my workout on Sunday morning and most importantly a big thank you to anyone who is reading this blog. It is your constant support and encouragement that has helped me get to where I am now. I am so lucky and so thankful.
Recovery week here I come!!!
Last week while I was dropping Luna off at doggie daycare I realized that there is no way I could do what I am doing without the help and support of my friends. Training for this race is much bigger then just me. There is a whole group of people who have done so much for me along the way. It is this help and support that has made it possible for me to do this. The more I think about it the more I realize that I have the easy part. All I have to do is move forward. So the answer to the question, "How do you do it?" is this- I can do it because I have the help and support of so many people willing to help me achieve my goal. I am so fortunate to be able to call these people my friends.
It is comforting to know that I have the support of so many different people. It sets my mind at ease and allows me to focus more on my training. I have had help with taking care of Luna while I train, I have had many different people to train with, I have had advice and suggestions along the way, but most importantly I have had nothing but positive encouragement from pretty much everyone. Most people think I'm crazy and constantly remind me how nuts they think I am but these same people have also supported me from the beginning. I really am a lucky person.
These realizations came at a good time because this past Saturday I had a mental breakdown while on the bike. Unlike last weekend where I felt my body was completely breaking down this weekend I felt that my mind was falling apart. I'm not going to lie and tell you I wasn't crying. As the day went on there were more and more tears being shed. I was starting to tell myself that I could not do this anymore and that I would not be able to finish this race. What is worse is that in my heat induced exhaustion I was starting to believe that I wouldn't be able to do this. I just wanted to give up and throw in the towel. Once my mind started to falter my body started to follow it. I started thinking that I could not turn the pedals anymore and that there was no way I could get off the bike and run. I didn't want to finish my workout. Sitting down and quitting seemed so much easier of an option. In endurance racing you have highs and lows. I can now say that I have seen the bottom. I did get off the bike on Saturday and ran...I finished my workout and then collapsed.
Two weekends in a row I have seen how much more powerful the body is than the mind. It is an extremely important lesson and I'll need to remember this on race day. When my mind starts to tell my body to stop I must convince my mind that I can go further. I know my body will be ready so I have a little over eight weeks to get my mind ready. I know how to train my body but am not really sure how to train my mind. I still have some more work cut out for me.
This weekend was a huge training weekend and looking back I have a great sense of accomplishment. A big thanks to Christy at Carolina Doggie Playland for picking up Luna and letting her play all morning. Another big thanks to Sarah for meeting me at 5:45am on a weekend to join me for part of my ride. Thanks to Melissa and Jason for helping me through my workout on Sunday morning and most importantly a big thank you to anyone who is reading this blog. It is your constant support and encouragement that has helped me get to where I am now. I am so lucky and so thankful.
Recovery week here I come!!!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
My first bonk session...aka Bonkfest 2009!
An effect of bonking while cycling - exhaustion can reach the point where a person is unable to stand without the support provided by the bicycle.
I can attest to this effect. That pretty much sums up part of my workout last Saturday. Just a few days prior I was telling someone that I had never bonked before and as the saying goes, "there is a first time for everything."
For the first time since I have been blogging I am going to share what my workout was since it will help set up the story and the important lessons that I learned. I have been hesitant to share this type of information so far because I don't want my blog to be focused on times, distances, speeds or paces. For me it is about what I am learning about myself and my body along the way.
Saturday's workout, as designed by Peter, was 210 miles on the bike followed by a 5 mile transition run. 210 miles was the going to be the furthest I had ridden so far in my training (and only 14 miles less than the bike leg of my race). I expected the ride to take me about 12 hours and 40 minutes to complete so as usual I started in the wee wee hours of the morning. When the alarm went off Saturday morning (well Friday night really!) I didn't want to get up. I only had 10 hours of sleep in the past two days. I should have listened to my body and slept a little longer but I decided to get up and start moving. Within the first 20 miles I knew that I was going to be in trouble. I felt heavy and sluggish and my mood was far from ideal going into a 13+ hour workout.
The first 110 miles did go by pretty quickly and I felt better with each dose of caffeine I ingested. My intention for the second half of the ride was to stop using Perpetuem and stop at a Subway and get a 6" turkey sandwich. Melinda suggested it as an alternative to all the highly processed sugar foods I typically eat. I thought it sounded like a good idea. More filling, lower glycemic index and quality protein/carbs. My workout was going to be named "Eat Fresh"! Lets just say that things didn't go according to plan. I did have food on me for the second half of the ride but the sandwich was figured into my nutrition plan for the day. There was no Subway along my route. Who knew??? I thought there was one but when I got to the plaza it was a Chinese buffet. I didn't think that would have been a good option so I just rolled by.
Lets skip ahead 50 miles of headwinds and sunny skies- after a few more hours of riding at about mile 160 I completely cracked. I had officially bonked! I hit the wall and hit it hard. The temp was in the mid 80's and sunny yet I was freezing cold with goosebumps and simultaneously sweating out of every pore in my body. I was so irrationally angry and started to get really light headed. Luckily I knew there was a store close by. I bought 2 packages of Soft Batch cookies (620 calories), some Poptarts (400 calories), Gatorade and some water. I staggered over to a random picnic table in the shade and laid myself out on it. After about 30 minutes the calories started pulling me back to awareness and I started to feel better. Nothing like a skinny kid in spandex laying on a picnic table outside of a bait and tackle shop / gas station / short order grill.
I got back on the bike and slowly made my way back to Charlotte while continuing to eat and drink along the way. I got back to Inside Out Sports at mile 188. I use the store as my aid station on my long rides since all my loops start and end there. I sat down for a few minutes, ate some more and felt started to feel even better. I got up, did a few loops around the Booty Loop, and rode back home ending up with 206 miles on the day. Close enough to 210 if you ask me! I got off the bike and started my run...
The reason I hit the wall was because I was in some serious calorie deficiency. I felt it coming on but yet I didn't stop to get more food. I wasn't thinking clearly which should have been my first indication that something was wrong. I will not let that happen again. Every weekend when I ride my stomach starts to shut down between miles 100 and 120. I have done a good job of forcing myself to eat when this happens and until this past weekend have stayed in the clear. Add to that the fact I wasn't well rested and there you have it- Bonkfest 2009! What is truly amazing to me is that once the food I ate started to be digested I went from barely being able to move to riding again and ready to run off the bike. I've always heard that the body is capable of doing so much more than the brain thinks it can and now I have witnessed that. My brain was saying that I couldn't go on anymore but my body was ready for more once it was refueled. As much as I would have rather not gone through that experience I am so glad that I did.
With my race less than 10 weeks away I now know that my body can handle the distances and I will be physically ready. The harder part will be convincing myself that I can continue to move forward when my brain is screaming to stop! Constant fueling along the way will be crucial.
I can attest to this effect. That pretty much sums up part of my workout last Saturday. Just a few days prior I was telling someone that I had never bonked before and as the saying goes, "there is a first time for everything."
For the first time since I have been blogging I am going to share what my workout was since it will help set up the story and the important lessons that I learned. I have been hesitant to share this type of information so far because I don't want my blog to be focused on times, distances, speeds or paces. For me it is about what I am learning about myself and my body along the way.
Saturday's workout, as designed by Peter, was 210 miles on the bike followed by a 5 mile transition run. 210 miles was the going to be the furthest I had ridden so far in my training (and only 14 miles less than the bike leg of my race). I expected the ride to take me about 12 hours and 40 minutes to complete so as usual I started in the wee wee hours of the morning. When the alarm went off Saturday morning (well Friday night really!) I didn't want to get up. I only had 10 hours of sleep in the past two days. I should have listened to my body and slept a little longer but I decided to get up and start moving. Within the first 20 miles I knew that I was going to be in trouble. I felt heavy and sluggish and my mood was far from ideal going into a 13+ hour workout.
The first 110 miles did go by pretty quickly and I felt better with each dose of caffeine I ingested. My intention for the second half of the ride was to stop using Perpetuem and stop at a Subway and get a 6" turkey sandwich. Melinda suggested it as an alternative to all the highly processed sugar foods I typically eat. I thought it sounded like a good idea. More filling, lower glycemic index and quality protein/carbs. My workout was going to be named "Eat Fresh"! Lets just say that things didn't go according to plan. I did have food on me for the second half of the ride but the sandwich was figured into my nutrition plan for the day. There was no Subway along my route. Who knew??? I thought there was one but when I got to the plaza it was a Chinese buffet. I didn't think that would have been a good option so I just rolled by.
Lets skip ahead 50 miles of headwinds and sunny skies- after a few more hours of riding at about mile 160 I completely cracked. I had officially bonked! I hit the wall and hit it hard. The temp was in the mid 80's and sunny yet I was freezing cold with goosebumps and simultaneously sweating out of every pore in my body. I was so irrationally angry and started to get really light headed. Luckily I knew there was a store close by. I bought 2 packages of Soft Batch cookies (620 calories), some Poptarts (400 calories), Gatorade and some water. I staggered over to a random picnic table in the shade and laid myself out on it. After about 30 minutes the calories started pulling me back to awareness and I started to feel better. Nothing like a skinny kid in spandex laying on a picnic table outside of a bait and tackle shop / gas station / short order grill.
I got back on the bike and slowly made my way back to Charlotte while continuing to eat and drink along the way. I got back to Inside Out Sports at mile 188. I use the store as my aid station on my long rides since all my loops start and end there. I sat down for a few minutes, ate some more and felt started to feel even better. I got up, did a few loops around the Booty Loop, and rode back home ending up with 206 miles on the day. Close enough to 210 if you ask me! I got off the bike and started my run...
The reason I hit the wall was because I was in some serious calorie deficiency. I felt it coming on but yet I didn't stop to get more food. I wasn't thinking clearly which should have been my first indication that something was wrong. I will not let that happen again. Every weekend when I ride my stomach starts to shut down between miles 100 and 120. I have done a good job of forcing myself to eat when this happens and until this past weekend have stayed in the clear. Add to that the fact I wasn't well rested and there you have it- Bonkfest 2009! What is truly amazing to me is that once the food I ate started to be digested I went from barely being able to move to riding again and ready to run off the bike. I've always heard that the body is capable of doing so much more than the brain thinks it can and now I have witnessed that. My brain was saying that I couldn't go on anymore but my body was ready for more once it was refueled. As much as I would have rather not gone through that experience I am so glad that I did.
With my race less than 10 weeks away I now know that my body can handle the distances and I will be physically ready. The harder part will be convincing myself that I can continue to move forward when my brain is screaming to stop! Constant fueling along the way will be crucial.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
When the fun is gone
When the fun is gone what is left? I think most people would agree that they train and race for fun. That said, most people would probably tell you that most of what they do in life is for fun. Why would you do something that isn't fun?
I've recently met someone who is training for her first half marathon. She's having fun while doing it and has commented she will only run for as long as running remains fun. That makes sense to me and I can understand where she is coming from. Again, why would you do something that isn't fun?
I still enjoy swimming (sometimes), biking and running but more and more lately I am not having fun training for this race. Training has totally consumed every aspect of my life. It is all I do and all I have time to do. Some weeks near 40 hours of training and my Saturday's are completely spent working out. I knew this race would be a big commitment but I didn't think it would be to this extent. It is just as draining mentally as it is physically. The ability for me to stay motivated is becoming a little harder each week. I am still excited about this race but a little more each week I am just wishing it was already over. I start thinking about life post-race when I can have my time back. Those thoughts are not good ones to have going into a race that will take all that I have physically and mentally to finish. Training with Peter is preparing my body for this race. What I am worried about now is that my mind won't be ready.
So what happens when the fun is gone...I think the answer for me is that negativity sets in. I don't want to be negative but it is getting harder to find the fun in all this training. Yesterday I had company for a good part of my long run and we talked briefly about a similar topic. A comment was made about how lucky we are to see the world through a much slower pace, running, and how much more we are able to notice as compared to speeding around in cars. Anyone who has run or biked will attest to being able to see a lot more of the world this way. I used to have fun noticing little things that I've never seen before but lately my mind is in other places. I'm not looking around and seeing the beauty in the little things. There is so much beauty out there and I am not taking advantage of the opportunities to see it.
As I sit here writing this blog this morning I am making a promise to myself that I will make more of an effort to have fun these last 10 weeks of training. I will try harder to find the beauty in the things that I once noticed but lately seem long forgotten. I need to shift my mindset from thinking of my training as a chore to reminding myself that I do this for fun. It is a hobby and I am the one that made the choice to do this. When the fun is gone...one must work towards getting it back.
I've recently met someone who is training for her first half marathon. She's having fun while doing it and has commented she will only run for as long as running remains fun. That makes sense to me and I can understand where she is coming from. Again, why would you do something that isn't fun?
I still enjoy swimming (sometimes), biking and running but more and more lately I am not having fun training for this race. Training has totally consumed every aspect of my life. It is all I do and all I have time to do. Some weeks near 40 hours of training and my Saturday's are completely spent working out. I knew this race would be a big commitment but I didn't think it would be to this extent. It is just as draining mentally as it is physically. The ability for me to stay motivated is becoming a little harder each week. I am still excited about this race but a little more each week I am just wishing it was already over. I start thinking about life post-race when I can have my time back. Those thoughts are not good ones to have going into a race that will take all that I have physically and mentally to finish. Training with Peter is preparing my body for this race. What I am worried about now is that my mind won't be ready.
So what happens when the fun is gone...I think the answer for me is that negativity sets in. I don't want to be negative but it is getting harder to find the fun in all this training. Yesterday I had company for a good part of my long run and we talked briefly about a similar topic. A comment was made about how lucky we are to see the world through a much slower pace, running, and how much more we are able to notice as compared to speeding around in cars. Anyone who has run or biked will attest to being able to see a lot more of the world this way. I used to have fun noticing little things that I've never seen before but lately my mind is in other places. I'm not looking around and seeing the beauty in the little things. There is so much beauty out there and I am not taking advantage of the opportunities to see it.
As I sit here writing this blog this morning I am making a promise to myself that I will make more of an effort to have fun these last 10 weeks of training. I will try harder to find the beauty in the things that I once noticed but lately seem long forgotten. I need to shift my mindset from thinking of my training as a chore to reminding myself that I do this for fun. It is a hobby and I am the one that made the choice to do this. When the fun is gone...one must work towards getting it back.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Improper nutrition + lack of sleep = poor recovery week
A little improper nutrition and a week of staying up later then usual, not sleeping well, resulted in a pretty poor recovery week for me. For the second time in the few months that I have been training with Peter I had a recovery week. Unlike the last time, this was an entire week of reduced volume. So how do I handle a week of moderate training??? Very poorly!
The week started out OK and I did all of my workouts but as the week went on I wasn't eating appropriately and wasn't sleeping well. On Saturday and Sunday I certainly felt the effects. My workouts this past weekend were litteraly half as long as the weekend before but really did feel about twice as hard. Part of it was the weather but I think a lot of it had to do with not being well rested and not being propely fueled. One of the best things about training is that you learn things about your body and how different stimuli effect your body in different ways. What I learned this past weekend is that I need to keep my calorie intake up and make sure I sleep as much as possible going into the weekend.
My last blog was about my issues with food. These issues still continue so this week one of my goals is to reach out to a few nutritionists and find someone to work with. I need some new ideas, some new foods to try, and a solid plan for pre and post workout meals. The lack of sleep part is easy to resolve- I simply need to sleep more. Since I am semi-unemployed at the moment I have no excuse not to sleep in. Today I slept until 6:30am. It feels like the day is almost half over already but I do feel well rested.
With a recovery week behind me and 11 weeks until race day I am still feeling good. I am a little afraid of what Peter has in store for me over the coming weeks but I am ready to continue building up my training volume. So far so good...
The week started out OK and I did all of my workouts but as the week went on I wasn't eating appropriately and wasn't sleeping well. On Saturday and Sunday I certainly felt the effects. My workouts this past weekend were litteraly half as long as the weekend before but really did feel about twice as hard. Part of it was the weather but I think a lot of it had to do with not being well rested and not being propely fueled. One of the best things about training is that you learn things about your body and how different stimuli effect your body in different ways. What I learned this past weekend is that I need to keep my calorie intake up and make sure I sleep as much as possible going into the weekend.
My last blog was about my issues with food. These issues still continue so this week one of my goals is to reach out to a few nutritionists and find someone to work with. I need some new ideas, some new foods to try, and a solid plan for pre and post workout meals. The lack of sleep part is easy to resolve- I simply need to sleep more. Since I am semi-unemployed at the moment I have no excuse not to sleep in. Today I slept until 6:30am. It feels like the day is almost half over already but I do feel well rested.
With a recovery week behind me and 11 weeks until race day I am still feeling good. I am a little afraid of what Peter has in store for me over the coming weeks but I am ready to continue building up my training volume. So far so good...
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Food- the hardest part about training
Who would have thought that eating would be difficult? You'd think that the more you train the more you'd want to eat. Actually the opposite is happening to me. Over the past few weeks the more I train the hungrier I become but at the same time- the less I want to eat.
More often than not I find myself staring into the fridge and pantry, my stomach turning, and nothing looks good to me. It is frustrating to say the least. My body is starving for calories but it takes all that I have to be able to eat. What makes it worse is that these feelings are inconsistent throughout the day. One minute I can be sick to my stomach when I think about food and the next minute I get so hungry there isn't enough food in front of me to satisfy my appetite.
On the weekends when I do my longest bike rides I wake up in the middle of the night and eat. Last weekend I ate all 960 calories of a Trader Joe's spinach pizza at 2:15am. I woke up to use the bathroom and was ravaged by hunger so I thought I'd eat something...I didn't expect to destroy a whole pizza before going back to bed. I suppose my body needed it though. I eat a fairly healthy diet but the further I go into training for this race the more junk food I pump into my body. When I am sick to my stomach and nothing in my house looks good to me I turn to highly processed sugary foods and they always seem to go down easy. Of course after I eat it I feel guilty because it is not what I normally would eat and is far from natural and whole. Food used to be fun and I loved trying new things. Now food has turned into a challenge and what I end up eating half of the time is far from nutritionally balanced. I think I may need to turn to another nutritionist to help me in my last few months of training. I need some new ideas of new foods to try and I need to be eating the most nutritionally dense foods out there to make sure I am giving my body what it needs.
Do you remember the Michael Phelps diet skit on Saturday Night Live? They joked about him eating 10,000 calories a day? Well that sometimes feels like my reality...except that I can't stomach it. I get so hungry sometimes I feel sick, then I eat and feel even more sick, until it is digested and I feel normal again. Training is slowly turning me against food which was once one of the best things about training. I used to train so I could eat without guilt...now I eat, with guilt, just to have the fuel to be able to train. Who would have thought.
Today I need to thank Melinda Yelton. Last season's coach, a good friend, and an amazing athlete. For the past two Wednesday's she has run part of my long runs with me. Sometimes I feel that I am out there by myself and doing this alone so it is nice to have someones company for parts of my runs. She has helped to keep me motivated, kept me on pace, and has given me so much good advice. Thanks Melinda for all of your help, your company, and your friendship.
This may come as a shock but...off to the pool I go!
More often than not I find myself staring into the fridge and pantry, my stomach turning, and nothing looks good to me. It is frustrating to say the least. My body is starving for calories but it takes all that I have to be able to eat. What makes it worse is that these feelings are inconsistent throughout the day. One minute I can be sick to my stomach when I think about food and the next minute I get so hungry there isn't enough food in front of me to satisfy my appetite.
On the weekends when I do my longest bike rides I wake up in the middle of the night and eat. Last weekend I ate all 960 calories of a Trader Joe's spinach pizza at 2:15am. I woke up to use the bathroom and was ravaged by hunger so I thought I'd eat something...I didn't expect to destroy a whole pizza before going back to bed. I suppose my body needed it though. I eat a fairly healthy diet but the further I go into training for this race the more junk food I pump into my body. When I am sick to my stomach and nothing in my house looks good to me I turn to highly processed sugary foods and they always seem to go down easy. Of course after I eat it I feel guilty because it is not what I normally would eat and is far from natural and whole. Food used to be fun and I loved trying new things. Now food has turned into a challenge and what I end up eating half of the time is far from nutritionally balanced. I think I may need to turn to another nutritionist to help me in my last few months of training. I need some new ideas of new foods to try and I need to be eating the most nutritionally dense foods out there to make sure I am giving my body what it needs.
Do you remember the Michael Phelps diet skit on Saturday Night Live? They joked about him eating 10,000 calories a day? Well that sometimes feels like my reality...except that I can't stomach it. I get so hungry sometimes I feel sick, then I eat and feel even more sick, until it is digested and I feel normal again. Training is slowly turning me against food which was once one of the best things about training. I used to train so I could eat without guilt...now I eat, with guilt, just to have the fuel to be able to train. Who would have thought.
Today I need to thank Melinda Yelton. Last season's coach, a good friend, and an amazing athlete. For the past two Wednesday's she has run part of my long runs with me. Sometimes I feel that I am out there by myself and doing this alone so it is nice to have someones company for parts of my runs. She has helped to keep me motivated, kept me on pace, and has given me so much good advice. Thanks Melinda for all of your help, your company, and your friendship.
This may come as a shock but...off to the pool I go!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Changes...
Training for this race is changing me in ways I hadn't imagined. The changes sometimes seem too many to list. I knew there would be some physical changes associated with an increase in my training load but the mental and physical changes that I seem to be going through are totally unexpected.
This past week I looked in the mirror and for the first time in the four years since I've lost all my weight I noticed my body changing again. For those who didn't know me a few years ago I used to weigh a little over 200 pounds. Through a combination of diet and exercise I lost about 50 pounds (as much at 65 at one point) in a few month period and have been fortunate to keep it off. This week I also realized that my shorts don't fit right anymore. I haven't lost any more weight but have lost at least another inch off my waist. If I didn't know better I'd say my waist is down to 30". No 6'1" grown man should have a 30" waist!!! The good news is that my weight is being maintained. Any body fat I had is being used as fuel and in it's place muscles seem to be growing. Through the combination of swimming, biking and running my body is changing yet again.
I pretty much feel completely exhausted most of the time. As a result I seem to be crankier, grumpier, and more forgetfull. I've come close to letting some bills slip through the cracks and sometimes catch myself being irrationally upset for no reason. Sometimes the littlest of things upset me. I would consider myself a pretty happy go lucky person who smiles and laughs at most things. Lately I feel like a completely different person. Smiling seems to be further and far between and almost daily I seem to forget something that moments earlier I had told myself not to.
Today when I finished my workout Luna and I went to the grocery store. I walked out to the car and opened the door to get in and I realized that my car is filthy. I thought to myself, "what have I become?" My car is never dirty! I have been training so much that I've let that slip too. What's next??? What else am I forgetting to do these days?
Don't get me wrong- I am still excited about my race. I have no regrets with regards to the sacrifices that I've had to make to train for it but I dream of what my life will be like after the race is over. I can't wait to sleep in both during the week and on the weekends. I can't wait to have a social life again. Three different people have asked me this week what my social life is like these days and I've had to respond to them that I don't have one. In the last few weeks I have made more of an effort to get out of the house, do some things, and meet some new people and am so glad I did. I can't keep hiding behind my training as an excuse not to move forward in certain areas of my life. I am working on finding a happy medium- a balance between training and living.
Come October I will be ready to have my life back, to smile more and to do the things that I haven't been able to do lately.
This past week I looked in the mirror and for the first time in the four years since I've lost all my weight I noticed my body changing again. For those who didn't know me a few years ago I used to weigh a little over 200 pounds. Through a combination of diet and exercise I lost about 50 pounds (as much at 65 at one point) in a few month period and have been fortunate to keep it off. This week I also realized that my shorts don't fit right anymore. I haven't lost any more weight but have lost at least another inch off my waist. If I didn't know better I'd say my waist is down to 30". No 6'1" grown man should have a 30" waist!!! The good news is that my weight is being maintained. Any body fat I had is being used as fuel and in it's place muscles seem to be growing. Through the combination of swimming, biking and running my body is changing yet again.
I pretty much feel completely exhausted most of the time. As a result I seem to be crankier, grumpier, and more forgetfull. I've come close to letting some bills slip through the cracks and sometimes catch myself being irrationally upset for no reason. Sometimes the littlest of things upset me. I would consider myself a pretty happy go lucky person who smiles and laughs at most things. Lately I feel like a completely different person. Smiling seems to be further and far between and almost daily I seem to forget something that moments earlier I had told myself not to.
Today when I finished my workout Luna and I went to the grocery store. I walked out to the car and opened the door to get in and I realized that my car is filthy. I thought to myself, "what have I become?" My car is never dirty! I have been training so much that I've let that slip too. What's next??? What else am I forgetting to do these days?
Don't get me wrong- I am still excited about my race. I have no regrets with regards to the sacrifices that I've had to make to train for it but I dream of what my life will be like after the race is over. I can't wait to sleep in both during the week and on the weekends. I can't wait to have a social life again. Three different people have asked me this week what my social life is like these days and I've had to respond to them that I don't have one. In the last few weeks I have made more of an effort to get out of the house, do some things, and meet some new people and am so glad I did. I can't keep hiding behind my training as an excuse not to move forward in certain areas of my life. I am working on finding a happy medium- a balance between training and living.
Come October I will be ready to have my life back, to smile more and to do the things that I haven't been able to do lately.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Strip clubs and McDonalds
Yup, you read it correctly- I said strip club! Exciting blog title isn't it?
For the past five weeks my alarm has been set for 2:47am on Saturday morning. My goal has been to get out on the bike by 3:45am to start my workout. I have done this because I think it is good training considering my race will take more than 24 hours to complete and because for me to get in the mileage that Peter wants me to do I need to start that early. The hardest thing about getting up this early is trying to eat breakfast at 3:00am. Drinking coffee at this time is easy but forcing yourself to eat a bagel, peanut butter, a banana and yogurt that early is quite a task. It honestly hasn't gotten any easier over the past few weeks. My stomach just isn't ready to eat that early but I know I have to. However, I have honed my routine and can get out the door a little earlier each week! By the time the race comes I expect to be out the door riding before 3:00am.
So you may be asking yourself where do strip clubs and McDonalds come into play? I assure you that strip clubs are not a part of training nor is McDonalds part of my diet! When I leave my apartment to ride my bike at 3:45ish in the morning the only people I see are those at a nearby strip club and those waiting in line at a McDonalds drive thru. By leaving my house at the time I do I ride past the Topless Carousel (aka The Big Top apparently) just about the time they are closing. I typically see about 20-30 men standing around in the parking lot, cars running (backed into their parking spots of course) with the systems kicking, and if I'm lucky someone will yell something at me snapping me out of my trance-like state. I am awake and riding my bike while people are still up drinking and staring at women they have absolutely no chance with. It cracks me up. I feel like I should know the security guards that I wave to. I'm sure I'm the only person dumb enough to be riding their bike that early on a Saturday morning.
About a mile later I pass by a McDonalds. I find this even more amusing. Each week the line for the drive thru is wrapped completely around the building. How many people really want to eat McDonalds at this time of the night (or morning as I call it)? You wonder why there is a fattening of America. While I am thinking about it- I wonder if they are serving lunch\dinner at this time of night or do they switch over to breakfast at a certain time? I could go for some pancakes if they would serve them to a skinny kid on a bike.
What does all this have to do with my training you ask? Well, these are the people who are out on the road driving towards me. I'm sure we would all agree that they are drunk at this point and most of them distracted with shoving greasy fast food into their faces. If there ever is a time that I am terrified and feel completely vulnerable...it is at this time. My bike is lit up like a Christmas tree but that can only do so much. I hope so hard that people see me. Each car that passes me without knocking me down or running me over is a small personal victory. Its like I am gambling and sometimes I wonder when my luck will run out. Each week as the training gets longer and I have to get out on the road a little earlier I wonder if I'll make it home safely at the end of the day. When I committed myself to this race I never thought I'd be waking up this early to ride my bike.
I'm tired, I'm scared and am still wondering if I have what it takes to complete this race. With 13 weeks until race day I question if I have what it takes both physically and mentally to cross the finish line before the 36 hour cutoff time. I know all about the highs and lows that come with endurance racing and am putting in my time with regards to training but I am not sure if it will be enough. The mind is a powerful thing and I hope, when necessary, I can muster the strength to control it and convince my body to continue to move forward. Only time will tell...
If you know me then you have more than likely met my dog Luna. She is my pride and joy. She is my world and one of my most favorite things. I would not be able to take care of her while training the way I do without the help of Craig, Christy and Susan from Carolina Doggie Playland (http://carolinadoggieplayland.com/). They have been so helpful and have helped to set my mind at ease when I am out all day on the weekends to train. I couldn't even come close to thanking them enough for all of their help. Not only do they support me in what I have set out to do but they love my dog and take such good care of her. If you have a pet then you know how important this is. Thank you Craig, Christy and Susan (and all the other staff of course!) for being such amazing people and taking such good care of all the dogs that come your way. Luna says, "Woof!"
For the past five weeks my alarm has been set for 2:47am on Saturday morning. My goal has been to get out on the bike by 3:45am to start my workout. I have done this because I think it is good training considering my race will take more than 24 hours to complete and because for me to get in the mileage that Peter wants me to do I need to start that early. The hardest thing about getting up this early is trying to eat breakfast at 3:00am. Drinking coffee at this time is easy but forcing yourself to eat a bagel, peanut butter, a banana and yogurt that early is quite a task. It honestly hasn't gotten any easier over the past few weeks. My stomach just isn't ready to eat that early but I know I have to. However, I have honed my routine and can get out the door a little earlier each week! By the time the race comes I expect to be out the door riding before 3:00am.
So you may be asking yourself where do strip clubs and McDonalds come into play? I assure you that strip clubs are not a part of training nor is McDonalds part of my diet! When I leave my apartment to ride my bike at 3:45ish in the morning the only people I see are those at a nearby strip club and those waiting in line at a McDonalds drive thru. By leaving my house at the time I do I ride past the Topless Carousel (aka The Big Top apparently) just about the time they are closing. I typically see about 20-30 men standing around in the parking lot, cars running (backed into their parking spots of course) with the systems kicking, and if I'm lucky someone will yell something at me snapping me out of my trance-like state. I am awake and riding my bike while people are still up drinking and staring at women they have absolutely no chance with. It cracks me up. I feel like I should know the security guards that I wave to. I'm sure I'm the only person dumb enough to be riding their bike that early on a Saturday morning.
About a mile later I pass by a McDonalds. I find this even more amusing. Each week the line for the drive thru is wrapped completely around the building. How many people really want to eat McDonalds at this time of the night (or morning as I call it)? You wonder why there is a fattening of America. While I am thinking about it- I wonder if they are serving lunch\dinner at this time of night or do they switch over to breakfast at a certain time? I could go for some pancakes if they would serve them to a skinny kid on a bike.
What does all this have to do with my training you ask? Well, these are the people who are out on the road driving towards me. I'm sure we would all agree that they are drunk at this point and most of them distracted with shoving greasy fast food into their faces. If there ever is a time that I am terrified and feel completely vulnerable...it is at this time. My bike is lit up like a Christmas tree but that can only do so much. I hope so hard that people see me. Each car that passes me without knocking me down or running me over is a small personal victory. Its like I am gambling and sometimes I wonder when my luck will run out. Each week as the training gets longer and I have to get out on the road a little earlier I wonder if I'll make it home safely at the end of the day. When I committed myself to this race I never thought I'd be waking up this early to ride my bike.
I'm tired, I'm scared and am still wondering if I have what it takes to complete this race. With 13 weeks until race day I question if I have what it takes both physically and mentally to cross the finish line before the 36 hour cutoff time. I know all about the highs and lows that come with endurance racing and am putting in my time with regards to training but I am not sure if it will be enough. The mind is a powerful thing and I hope, when necessary, I can muster the strength to control it and convince my body to continue to move forward. Only time will tell...
If you know me then you have more than likely met my dog Luna. She is my pride and joy. She is my world and one of my most favorite things. I would not be able to take care of her while training the way I do without the help of Craig, Christy and Susan from Carolina Doggie Playland (http://carolinadoggieplayland.com/). They have been so helpful and have helped to set my mind at ease when I am out all day on the weekends to train. I couldn't even come close to thanking them enough for all of their help. Not only do they support me in what I have set out to do but they love my dog and take such good care of her. If you have a pet then you know how important this is. Thank you Craig, Christy and Susan (and all the other staff of course!) for being such amazing people and taking such good care of all the dogs that come your way. Luna says, "Woof!"
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The more I train the slower I become
That statement needs some explanation but unfortunately it is the truth. The more I train for this race the slower I am becoming. As I sit here mid-week thinking ahead to my workouts this weekend I can't help but get frustrated with my speed heading in the opposite direction. This morning was my long run and it was the slowest long run I have done in quite some time. As I watched the miles splits get a little slower with each passing mile and each passing hour I kept getting more and more worked up. By the time the run was over I was in a pretty bad mood and if I ran another mile it would be to soon. That is part of training I suppose. You have highs and lows - good workouts and bad workouts.
Typically, when you train and recover properly improvements are made and you get stronger and faster. Ahh...the big difference between the previous sentence and my training is the word "recovery". Unfortunately for me that word is not part of my training plan. I knew that going into this but it is still frustrating to be moving in the opposite direction. With my training there is a little recovery between workouts but I pretty much train tired and fatigued all the time. I realize the distances I am training for do not allow time for recovery (there simply isn't enough time in a week) and I know that during the race in October there will be no racing- it will purely be a test of my physical and mental endurance. The only speed necessary will be to get from the start line to the finish line in less than 36 hours.
All of this I know but I still get frustrated. There I said it one last time. I feel a little better now. I don't think that being frustrated is a bad thing though. It helps motivate me to do the next workout to the best of my ability and push through. Peter has a plan for me and it is with his experience I will be ready come race day.
Though my speed is not increasing my endurance certainly is heading in the right direction. I am now starting to cover distances I never considered before. Each week is a new milestone, a new personal best. If I wasn't so tired all the time I'd probably be more excited about that fact. A few weeks ago I emailed Peter and told him that I thought I should take it easy as I felt like I hadn't recovered from the American Triple T. He pretty much told me to harden up and that my body will get use to being exhausted. As much as I hate to admit it he is 100% right. I constantly feel fatigued but I keep moving forward. I am always tired but each day I seem a little less tired. I may not be as fast as I would like but speed isn't my goal. Covering 281.2 miles in less than a day and a half is my goal! Whatever it takes to get me to complete this goal is what I will do. Fatigued or not! For the time being I will have to accept the fact, and happily at that, that the more I train the slower I will become.
One last thought- I would not be where I am now without the help, guidance, advice, and most importantly friendship of Bob Nixon and Melissa Bell. In the two years I have been involved in this multi-sport lifestyle Bob and Melissa have been there every step of the way for me. I will never be able to thank them enough for all they have done for me. They truly are some of the nicest and most caring people I have ever met. I am honored to be able to call them friends. They both mean the world to me. Thank you Bob and Melissa for being who you are, everything you have done, and for getting me to where I am today. (I think being fatigued also makes me emotional!)
Typically, when you train and recover properly improvements are made and you get stronger and faster. Ahh...the big difference between the previous sentence and my training is the word "recovery". Unfortunately for me that word is not part of my training plan. I knew that going into this but it is still frustrating to be moving in the opposite direction. With my training there is a little recovery between workouts but I pretty much train tired and fatigued all the time. I realize the distances I am training for do not allow time for recovery (there simply isn't enough time in a week) and I know that during the race in October there will be no racing- it will purely be a test of my physical and mental endurance. The only speed necessary will be to get from the start line to the finish line in less than 36 hours.
All of this I know but I still get frustrated. There I said it one last time. I feel a little better now. I don't think that being frustrated is a bad thing though. It helps motivate me to do the next workout to the best of my ability and push through. Peter has a plan for me and it is with his experience I will be ready come race day.
Though my speed is not increasing my endurance certainly is heading in the right direction. I am now starting to cover distances I never considered before. Each week is a new milestone, a new personal best. If I wasn't so tired all the time I'd probably be more excited about that fact. A few weeks ago I emailed Peter and told him that I thought I should take it easy as I felt like I hadn't recovered from the American Triple T. He pretty much told me to harden up and that my body will get use to being exhausted. As much as I hate to admit it he is 100% right. I constantly feel fatigued but I keep moving forward. I am always tired but each day I seem a little less tired. I may not be as fast as I would like but speed isn't my goal. Covering 281.2 miles in less than a day and a half is my goal! Whatever it takes to get me to complete this goal is what I will do. Fatigued or not! For the time being I will have to accept the fact, and happily at that, that the more I train the slower I will become.
One last thought- I would not be where I am now without the help, guidance, advice, and most importantly friendship of Bob Nixon and Melissa Bell. In the two years I have been involved in this multi-sport lifestyle Bob and Melissa have been there every step of the way for me. I will never be able to thank them enough for all they have done for me. They truly are some of the nicest and most caring people I have ever met. I am honored to be able to call them friends. They both mean the world to me. Thank you Bob and Melissa for being who you are, everything you have done, and for getting me to where I am today. (I think being fatigued also makes me emotional!)
Monday, July 6, 2009
"Thank You!"
Those two words I say a good bit these days but feel I still need to say them more often and to more people. There are so many people in my life that I need to do a better job of thanking on a more regular basis. I am fortunate to have so many people willing to help me with my journey and I wanted to take some additional time to thank them.
In the past few years there is no way I would have been able to accomplish what I have without the help of others. Though triathlon is an individual sport, as opposed to a team sport, the backbone of every triathlete is their support system. Backbone might even be to small of a word- perhaps I should say that the support system is the foundation of every triathlete. I have a great foundation from which to build on top of. I have help from so many different angles. There are to many people to thank in one blog post so I want to thank someone each time I post a blog...
It is Monday morning and I just woke up from almost a 10 hour night's sleep. My body is shot. I think I could lay in bed all day and be content. That can't happen however as I have to go for a quick recovery run, then grocery shop, then go to work until 8pm. Sometimes I dream of the weeks after my race when I don't have anything to do. This past weekend was by far my biggest volume training weekend ever. The workout on Saturday alone was almost 9.5 hours with Sunday's not to far behind. I literally spent most of my waking hours this weekend on my bicycle. Like I've said before, each day I realize a little more what it is going to take to get from the start line to the finish line in October. I knew it would be tough but tough is an understatement at this point. On Sunday as I was riding there were several times that I wanted to burst into tears, jump off my bike and stop. I'm not trying to be dramatic here- I really just wanted to cry. It was during these moments of near crying that made me realize how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life that need to be thanked more often.
The bottom, and most important, building block of my foundation is my support crew. My support crew needs to be thanked first. They are the ones who have helped me through these long days and without them at my races I would not have been able to accomplish what I had set out to do. Initially my support crew was my dad, mom and sister (Tracy). For two years they had flown all over the country to support me at my ironman races. Last fall Tracy and my cousin Becky were my support crew for my ultra marathon. Looking ahead to October my support crew again will be some combination of my family. I could not be happier.
The double ironman is an unsupported race. This means that you have to bring your own support crew and your own nutrition. There are no aid stations other then your table and tent where your support crew has set up. Since this race will be run non-stop throughout the day and night my support crew won't be sleeping either. They will be right there with me every step of the way. THANK YOU! This will be no small task I assure you. They are going to be seeing a side of me that nobody else has, myself included. I don't know what my body is going to do. I don't know how I am going to race throughout the night without sleeping. I do know however that with their help and support I will make it to the finish line. There will be times I want to quit. There will be times of tears. It will be these people who keep me focused on what I am out there to do. THANK YOU!
I am out the door to train now...THANK YOU all for your continued support and encouragement.
In the past few years there is no way I would have been able to accomplish what I have without the help of others. Though triathlon is an individual sport, as opposed to a team sport, the backbone of every triathlete is their support system. Backbone might even be to small of a word- perhaps I should say that the support system is the foundation of every triathlete. I have a great foundation from which to build on top of. I have help from so many different angles. There are to many people to thank in one blog post so I want to thank someone each time I post a blog...
It is Monday morning and I just woke up from almost a 10 hour night's sleep. My body is shot. I think I could lay in bed all day and be content. That can't happen however as I have to go for a quick recovery run, then grocery shop, then go to work until 8pm. Sometimes I dream of the weeks after my race when I don't have anything to do. This past weekend was by far my biggest volume training weekend ever. The workout on Saturday alone was almost 9.5 hours with Sunday's not to far behind. I literally spent most of my waking hours this weekend on my bicycle. Like I've said before, each day I realize a little more what it is going to take to get from the start line to the finish line in October. I knew it would be tough but tough is an understatement at this point. On Sunday as I was riding there were several times that I wanted to burst into tears, jump off my bike and stop. I'm not trying to be dramatic here- I really just wanted to cry. It was during these moments of near crying that made me realize how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life that need to be thanked more often.
The bottom, and most important, building block of my foundation is my support crew. My support crew needs to be thanked first. They are the ones who have helped me through these long days and without them at my races I would not have been able to accomplish what I had set out to do. Initially my support crew was my dad, mom and sister (Tracy). For two years they had flown all over the country to support me at my ironman races. Last fall Tracy and my cousin Becky were my support crew for my ultra marathon. Looking ahead to October my support crew again will be some combination of my family. I could not be happier.
The double ironman is an unsupported race. This means that you have to bring your own support crew and your own nutrition. There are no aid stations other then your table and tent where your support crew has set up. Since this race will be run non-stop throughout the day and night my support crew won't be sleeping either. They will be right there with me every step of the way. THANK YOU! This will be no small task I assure you. They are going to be seeing a side of me that nobody else has, myself included. I don't know what my body is going to do. I don't know how I am going to race throughout the night without sleeping. I do know however that with their help and support I will make it to the finish line. There will be times I want to quit. There will be times of tears. It will be these people who keep me focused on what I am out there to do. THANK YOU!
I am out the door to train now...THANK YOU all for your continued support and encouragement.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Compression is the enemy!
That probably will get the attention of my fellow triathletes. Let me clarify that statement though. Compression socks are good (in fact I am wearing some now!) compression in your cervical vertebrae is bad. Perhaps I should have started out with Spinal Compression is the Enemy!
Starting about two weeks ago when I finished my long Saturday bike ride I put the key in the door with my right hand but couldn't turn the deadbolt. I thought that was odd but didn't think to much of it. I changed into my running clothes and headed back out the door for my run. Later that afternoon when I got to work I realized that though I had almost full range of motion in my wrist I had no strength in it. I could open and close my fingers together but not individually and could not, no matter how hard I tried, move my ring finger. I could grab something with my hand but I could not hold on to it. I had no gripping strength. Throughout the week it got a little better each day and I was able to move my fingers more freely by the end of the week. The next weekend the same thing happened after my Saturday bike ride. This time it was a little worse. There was no pain but certainly something was not right. There was a problem and I needed to get this looked at soon.
I made an appointment with Mark Kane (http://www.kanetraining.com/) who has worked wonders on my poor mis-firing left glute. Long story short, I have some restricted mobility in my C2 and C3 vertebrae as well as my C6 and C7. This is causing some neck tension and resticted movement. Though that is not the primary cause of the issue with my hand it certainly is related. Mark also believes that the number of hours that I spend in my aero bars on the triathlon bike, which is not a natural spinal position, is causing the nerve damage in my right hand. If you could picture what the aero position looks like on a bike like this it is essentially like you are looking straight up above you for hours on end. That is the compression being inflicted on my cervical vertebrae.
So what is one suppose to do? Well that is an easy question for most people to answer- "Don't ride your bike so much". Well I am not happy with that answer so I chose a different path. I started riding my road bike more. On that bike my spine is less compressed and so far so good. Since this is me we are talking about though...I am not happy with that answer. I am going to try some new aero bars and a new base bar on my triathlon bike and see if we can make it a little more "natural" and cause a little less nerve damage. Additionally, I have been doing some stretches and foam rolling for my neck and will be seeing Mark again this week to do some more manual traction work on my cervical spine. We'll see what happens after this weekend's rides. If it gets worse then we are on to the neurologist.
I'm training for a double ultra distance triathlon...did you think I'd need to be seeing a neurologist? A psychiatrist perhaps but not a neurologist! With each passing day I am realizing more and more the reality of what I have signed up for. The hours being put into this race are adding up but so far so good. Each week is a new milestone with regards to training and each week I learn something more about myself and this triathlon lifestyle. Swim, bike, run, eat, sleep, and repeat. It's now time for the sleep part. Good night!
Starting about two weeks ago when I finished my long Saturday bike ride I put the key in the door with my right hand but couldn't turn the deadbolt. I thought that was odd but didn't think to much of it. I changed into my running clothes and headed back out the door for my run. Later that afternoon when I got to work I realized that though I had almost full range of motion in my wrist I had no strength in it. I could open and close my fingers together but not individually and could not, no matter how hard I tried, move my ring finger. I could grab something with my hand but I could not hold on to it. I had no gripping strength. Throughout the week it got a little better each day and I was able to move my fingers more freely by the end of the week. The next weekend the same thing happened after my Saturday bike ride. This time it was a little worse. There was no pain but certainly something was not right. There was a problem and I needed to get this looked at soon.
I made an appointment with Mark Kane (http://www.kanetraining.com/) who has worked wonders on my poor mis-firing left glute. Long story short, I have some restricted mobility in my C2 and C3 vertebrae as well as my C6 and C7. This is causing some neck tension and resticted movement. Though that is not the primary cause of the issue with my hand it certainly is related. Mark also believes that the number of hours that I spend in my aero bars on the triathlon bike, which is not a natural spinal position, is causing the nerve damage in my right hand. If you could picture what the aero position looks like on a bike like this it is essentially like you are looking straight up above you for hours on end. That is the compression being inflicted on my cervical vertebrae.
So what is one suppose to do? Well that is an easy question for most people to answer- "Don't ride your bike so much". Well I am not happy with that answer so I chose a different path. I started riding my road bike more. On that bike my spine is less compressed and so far so good. Since this is me we are talking about though...I am not happy with that answer. I am going to try some new aero bars and a new base bar on my triathlon bike and see if we can make it a little more "natural" and cause a little less nerve damage. Additionally, I have been doing some stretches and foam rolling for my neck and will be seeing Mark again this week to do some more manual traction work on my cervical spine. We'll see what happens after this weekend's rides. If it gets worse then we are on to the neurologist.
I'm training for a double ultra distance triathlon...did you think I'd need to be seeing a neurologist? A psychiatrist perhaps but not a neurologist! With each passing day I am realizing more and more the reality of what I have signed up for. The hours being put into this race are adding up but so far so good. Each week is a new milestone with regards to training and each week I learn something more about myself and this triathlon lifestyle. Swim, bike, run, eat, sleep, and repeat. It's now time for the sleep part. Good night!
Monday, June 22, 2009
One workout at a time
One workout at a time is how I am going to approach my training for the next few months. If I look ahead to the entire week or the entire month I start to feel overwhelmed. Everything is becoming a little more real each day. I know the distances I must cover for each leg of the race and I know the cutoff time. When I look at the big picture and put all these pieces together in my mind my heart starts to race and I start sweating (literally). Baby steps...that is how I need to approach my training. By focusing on each individual workout as a "baby step" towards my goal training seems more manageable.
To help me structure my training I started working with a new coach, Peter Kotland, a few weeks ago. He has the task of helping me prepare physically and mentally while at the same time making sure I remain injury free and do not overtrain. The line between being training and overtraining is a thin one and I need his guidance and experience so I remain on the training side of the line. This, I assure you, is no small task. In addition to Peter I am fortunate enough to have many other people willing to help me achieve my goal. From a ready and willing support crew, to friends and training partners willing to swim bike and run with me, I am lucky to be in the company of such good people.
The intention of this blog is not to share all the details and data of my training. I do not want to get into specifics of heart rates, paces, speeds and distances but rather I want to focus on what this training is doing to me physically and mentally. I am doing this race because I don't know if I can. That said, we will all find out together if I can do this and what I learn about myself and others along the way. Ready, set, GO!
To bring you up to speed I am now three complete weeks into training with Peter. Over the past few weeks I have been building up my endurance in all three sports. This past Saturday was the longest workout to date and I now have an idea of what it feels like to be beyond exhausted. Between waking up in the wee hours of the morning, training for almost nine hours, and doing so in hot and humid conditions I certainly felt tested. When I got up to train on Sunday I was already tired, irrationally angry, I couldn't think straight, and I was so hungry that I couldn't eat. That was frustrating to say the least. I woke up famished but nothing sounded good to me. Everything that I thought about eating made my stomach turn. Since I had a long workout ahead of me again on Sunday I knew I had to fuel appropriately or I would be reduced to nothing and be left out on the road for the vultures. I know what Peter is trying to do. I can see the logic behind pushing yourself when you are already exhausted. I am teaching my body to continue to move forward when all it wants to do is shut down and stop moving. It was just as hard mentally to train yesterday as it was physically. I am so thankful for such good friends who are willing to ride all morning with me and keep me motivated when all I really wanted to do was stop and throw my bike at an oncoming car.
Today I rest! The first rest day I have had since May 28. No recovery run, no strength training...complete, much needed rest!
"It is easier to quit then to endure." - This is nothing new and you have heard it before. It applies to so many aspects of one's life. What do you really gain by quitting though? If there is something I have learned this week it is that there will be many times during this race when I will want to quit. Quitting will be the easier option but it will not get me to my desired outcome. That leaves me with only one option...keep moving forward.
To help me structure my training I started working with a new coach, Peter Kotland, a few weeks ago. He has the task of helping me prepare physically and mentally while at the same time making sure I remain injury free and do not overtrain. The line between being training and overtraining is a thin one and I need his guidance and experience so I remain on the training side of the line. This, I assure you, is no small task. In addition to Peter I am fortunate enough to have many other people willing to help me achieve my goal. From a ready and willing support crew, to friends and training partners willing to swim bike and run with me, I am lucky to be in the company of such good people.
The intention of this blog is not to share all the details and data of my training. I do not want to get into specifics of heart rates, paces, speeds and distances but rather I want to focus on what this training is doing to me physically and mentally. I am doing this race because I don't know if I can. That said, we will all find out together if I can do this and what I learn about myself and others along the way. Ready, set, GO!
To bring you up to speed I am now three complete weeks into training with Peter. Over the past few weeks I have been building up my endurance in all three sports. This past Saturday was the longest workout to date and I now have an idea of what it feels like to be beyond exhausted. Between waking up in the wee hours of the morning, training for almost nine hours, and doing so in hot and humid conditions I certainly felt tested. When I got up to train on Sunday I was already tired, irrationally angry, I couldn't think straight, and I was so hungry that I couldn't eat. That was frustrating to say the least. I woke up famished but nothing sounded good to me. Everything that I thought about eating made my stomach turn. Since I had a long workout ahead of me again on Sunday I knew I had to fuel appropriately or I would be reduced to nothing and be left out on the road for the vultures. I know what Peter is trying to do. I can see the logic behind pushing yourself when you are already exhausted. I am teaching my body to continue to move forward when all it wants to do is shut down and stop moving. It was just as hard mentally to train yesterday as it was physically. I am so thankful for such good friends who are willing to ride all morning with me and keep me motivated when all I really wanted to do was stop and throw my bike at an oncoming car.
Today I rest! The first rest day I have had since May 28. No recovery run, no strength training...complete, much needed rest!
"It is easier to quit then to endure." - This is nothing new and you have heard it before. It applies to so many aspects of one's life. What do you really gain by quitting though? If there is something I have learned this week it is that there will be many times during this race when I will want to quit. Quitting will be the easier option but it will not get me to my desired outcome. That leaves me with only one option...keep moving forward.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Here we go again
It has been more than a year and a half since I have felt moved to post on this blog. During that time there were some big changes in my life. Some for the better and some for the worse.
As I sit here thinking ahead to October I have fears and self doubt. On October 10-11 I will be competing in a double iron distance triathlon. The race follows the traditional swim, bike, run format of a triathlon but the distances are double that of an ironman race. The race starts with a 4.8 mile swim, then moves on to 224 miles of cycling and it capped of with a 52.4 mile run. The race will be non-stop throughout the night and there is a 36 hour cut off time. The race will be located at Lake Anna State Park in Virginia and it appropriately named the Virginia Double Iron.
So now you are probably asking, "Why would you do this?" I am attempting this race because I don't know if I can do it. It's that simple. Over the past two years I have built up my endurance and completed two iron distance triathlons and a 50 mile ultra marathon. This race however is a totally different beast. That said, I have a lot to do to get myself ready and to the start line on race day.
Training for this race began on May 28 and am currently almost three full weeks in. Over the next few months I want to use this blog to share with you my thoughts and feelings along the way. The next 16 weeks will go by quickly and with each passing day the reality of what I have set out to do hits home a little more.
As I sit here thinking ahead to October I have fears and self doubt. On October 10-11 I will be competing in a double iron distance triathlon. The race follows the traditional swim, bike, run format of a triathlon but the distances are double that of an ironman race. The race starts with a 4.8 mile swim, then moves on to 224 miles of cycling and it capped of with a 52.4 mile run. The race will be non-stop throughout the night and there is a 36 hour cut off time. The race will be located at Lake Anna State Park in Virginia and it appropriately named the Virginia Double Iron.
So now you are probably asking, "Why would you do this?" I am attempting this race because I don't know if I can do it. It's that simple. Over the past two years I have built up my endurance and completed two iron distance triathlons and a 50 mile ultra marathon. This race however is a totally different beast. That said, I have a lot to do to get myself ready and to the start line on race day.
Training for this race began on May 28 and am currently almost three full weeks in. Over the next few months I want to use this blog to share with you my thoughts and feelings along the way. The next 16 weeks will go by quickly and with each passing day the reality of what I have set out to do hits home a little more.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Race day...
I'll try not to make this to long but you all know how much I love to talk! I first have to thank a few people. First to my mother, father and sister for coming down from CT and supporting me during this race. It meant the world to me that they were there and shared this experience with me. They were busy on Saturday as they followed me around the course, took all the pics and videos and Tracy was texting people back in Charlotte with my split times and results. Of course I have to thank my coach for getting me to where I was on race day. I started this journey in March of this year as a runner and then decided I wanted to do an ironman in my first season so she had her work cut out for her. Thanks so much Nicole!!! (anyone needing a coach- http://www.one2tri.net/ ) Without you I would never have finished the race and certainly not finished so strongly. As Nicole got me physically ready for the race the next thanks go to Bob and Melissa at Inside Out Sports. They have put up all year with all of my impulsive purchases and my constant need for new toys. They made sure I had everything I needed for the race (and then some!!!), from all my gear to a finely tuned bike with some sweet race wheels. Thanks Bob and Melissa (and of course everyone else there).
Now before I start with race morning lets back up to Friday. On Friday Mom, Dad, Tracy and I drove up to the race site so I could get in a practice swim in the lake. People told me that the water was black, like dark tea, but I didn't really believe it until I was swimming in it. You seriously can't see more then 12 inches in front of your face. It is clean water but is dark from the tannic (sp?) acid from the Cypress trees around the lakes. Once you get past the fact that the water is so dark it really was a beautiful lake. After the swim the family was such good sports and wanted to drive the 112 mile bike course with me. Tracy drove so I could study the course turn by turn and pothole to pothole. It took us 3 1/2 hours to drive the course. I've done my fair share of 100+ mile bike rides this year but to sit in a car and drive it was scary. It seemed like such a long way. What did I sign up for? After we drove the bike course we had a great little picnic lunch under some trees at the race expo and checked in and racked Terry (Terry is my bike, I named her after Terry the pterodactyl from Pee Wee's Playhouse). After we listened to the pre-race meeting we made our way back to the rental house and I started to pack. I packed, re-packed, packed again and then re-packed again. This took hours as I was more anxious and nervous then I ever had been in my life.
Lets just start from the time my eyes shot open on Saturday morning...I woke up about 3:15am and layed in bed for a few minutes on the verge of a nervous breakdown. 7 months of training have all led up to this one day and it was finally here. I got up and had a cup of coffee and some breakfast. After taking a long hot shower I made sure that everything was in the correct bags and loaded up the car. Tracy had accidentially closed the seatbelt in the door on Friday night after she and Mom hit the happy hour at the local Chillis. As a result of buy one get one free margaritas the car lights stayed on all night. I paniced for a second and prayed that the car would start...it did...whew. We left the house at 5:30am and started the 30 minute drive up the race site. It was dark and foggy out and humid beyond belief. We found a good parking spot and walked down so I could get body marked and weighed. My official weight on race morning was 152...I haven't weighed that much in months. I think their scale was off! After I put my bike and run gear bags in the correct locations I geared up the bike. I placed all the water bottles and food on the bike, checked the tires, put on the computer and took the plastic bag off the seat. Then the rain started. We were 30 minutes from the start of the race and it started pouring and the winds were blowing something fierce. We found shelter under a tent and watched as the body marking line kept getting longer and longer and people were getting soaked. I overheard someone say that the official water temp was 77 degrees, the race was wetsuit legal. I don't know where in the lake they found it to be 77 since it was 82 about 18 hours before and was in the low 90's all day on Friday. I know for sure that there is no way the temp had dropped 5 degrees overnight. I wasn't going to wear my wetsuit for fear of overheating but at 7:15am as it was pouring down rain Dad suggested I wear it. Thank goodness I listened to him.
The gun went off at 7:35am, five minutes late, and everyone started into the water. The mass start of all 300+ of us wasn't that bad. I cried as I walked into the water from the beach, partly out of excitement and partly out of anxiety and fear. It took a few hundred meters for me to find my own space and luckily I only got kicked and punched a few times, although I did do my share of kicking and punching in the first few hundred meters as well. After the swim opened up it was great. It was really choppy thanks to the pouring rain and heavy winds but with the wetsuit on I just glided across the chops and was able to find a rhythm. I did the first 1.2 mile loop in 39 minutes and then grabbed some gatorade and headed back into the water for loop #2. I did this loop in about the same time and made it out of the water in 1:22. It was right on the money with what I thought I could do so I was happy and felt great. I ran up the beach, had my wetsuit stripped off of me and then headed into the changing tent with my bike gear bag.
I emerged a few minutes later (T1 time was 8:46) and got the bike to begin the ride. The two pieces of advice that everyone gave me before I left for Florida were to go easy on the bike and to enjoy the whole race experience by living in the moment and not worry what lie ahead. So I did just that. The first 2 hours of the bike I just spun in my little chain ring and conserved my energy (this proved to be a huge asset later in the race so that advice was right on). At mile 24 we come to Sugarloaf Mountain. It honestly was a piece of cake. Now it was a 14% grade but it was only about 1/3 of a mile long. People were walking their bikes up it but thanks to some of the mountain rides I did this summer I made it up the hill easily. I was feeling great as I got to the top and saw the family there cheering for me. Another 2 hours went by and at mile 61 there was the family again and then again at mile 83. It was so great to keep seeing them throughout the day and it made all the difference. At about mile 45 I started to speed up on the bike and from that point until the last mile I only got passed by one person. I went slow enough that I never worked to hard but fast enough to keep increasing my average speed every hour. I got back to the transition area and had finished the bike in 6:13. My average speed was 18mph. Not bad at all but more importantly I felt great and my legs still felt fresh.
I grabbed my run gear bag and headed into the changing tent again. 7 minutes and 22 seconds later I started out on the run course. There was the family cheering me on. I did some high fives with the fam and then started the marathon. My first mile split was 8:01 and I knew I had to slow down as I had more then 25 more miles to go. I quickly found a good tempo and loved the beginning of the run. The first 13 miles went by so quickly and I made it through the first half of the run in 2:01. I still felt good and only walked through the aid stations to get some fluid and the occassional iced oatmeal cookie. At one aid station this cute little girl was handing out Pop-Ice. That was the greatest thing I have ever had in my life. It was full of sugar and cold...it was overcast but it was still hot and humid being that we were in FL. The run was going good and I was keeping a good pace. I started to notice that more people were walking as the sun was sinking lower in the sky. When I finished my first lap around the lake (at mile 11) I could see the finish line and noticed that the clock said 9:41:00, this meant that if I could finish 15 miles in a little over 2 hours I would finish this race around the 12 hour mark. I didn't have a specific time goal in mind since this was my first ironman but I was hoping to finish it between 13 and 14 hours. To be almost 2 hours faster then I thought I would be was so great and I got a second wind. I finished my second lap around the lake and at mile 19 things started to get painful. I had just passed by the family one last time before starting my third and final lap around the lake. I had just over 7 miles to run. I got to mile 20 and was really starting to hurt but I was still on pace to finish around the 12 hour mark, this is what kept me running. I still only walked through the aid stations and the more people I noticed were walking the more I wanted to keep on running. When I got to mile 23 which was the backside of the lake it was dark out. The sun had set and I saw the most beautiful thing. People were walking in unison in the dark and all you could hear was feet and all you could see if the reflection from their sneakers. I kept jogging along (the best I could at this point) and at mile 25 I got to the Mad Dog aid station. This woman dressed as a fairy said, "Will we be seeing you again honey" and I said no and that this was my final lap. She then yelled at the top of her lungs, "Finisher!" and everyone at the aid station went nuts...people started yelling "Go Kevin" and "Finisher". People were clapping and banging cow bells. I grabbed a sponge and cleaned the salt off my face and arms (to look good for the finish line photo!) and picked up my pace. Total exhaustion set in but I got my third wind. All I could hear in my head were people yelling "Finisher". I thought I was going to cry but I didn't and could see the lights just up ahead where the finish line was. I ran that last mile in 8 minutes, it was great and all the pain went away. It was just like people say, I went completely numb and just kicked it into a new gear and ran. I crossed the finish line in 12:06:16. I was shocked. I did it! I was an ironman! There was the family at the finish line to see me cross. It was the best day of my life and I am so glad that mom, dad and Tracy were there to share it with me.
I didn't cry like I thought I would, probably because I was to exhausted to cry. It really is the most bizarre feeling to stop moving after 140.6 miles of racing. You are beyond tired and beyond hungry but the last thing you want to do is to sit down and the thought of food is just the last thing you want. I walked around for a little bit, got all my gear from the transition area, rinsed off in an outdoor shower, almost puked, and then finally could stomach eating an energy bar. Tracy drove us back to the rental house where we realized that I had burned my back (see the photos) severly. Note to self- put sunscreen in both your run and bike gear bags but more importantly- USE IT! I had a beer, a bowl of cereal and some yogurt and couldn't sleep...but I was an ironman and that is all that mattered!
Sunday morning we got up and went to a breakfast buffet at the Golden Corral...I had been dreaming of that all week. I had some breakfast meat and life was good! We soaked in the hot tub and pool and just laid around on Sunday and then I dropped the family off at the airport. As soon as I drove away I had the emotional reaction I thought I would when I finsihed the race...I started to cry. I cried the whole way back to the house. The reality of my accomplishment was starting to set in. Thanks Mom, Dad and Tracy for being there for me. I love you for that and am glad I could share my day with you.
Ok so that was a little longer then I thought it would be put I guess I had a story to tell. I hope you enjoyed it and also the pics. My Dad and sister did such a good job with the photos. I took 2 days off from training but was in the pool swimming again this morning. 8 months to go until Idaho...lets start this all over again!
For those who want the results see below:
Overall place -59th out of 300 finishers
I placed 10th in my age group
Overall time 12:06:16.35
Swim time 1:22:04
T1 8:46
Bike time 6:13:53 avg speed 18.0
T2 7:22
Run time 4:14:14 Avg pace 9:43 (I had the 34th fastest marathon time overall!!!)
Now before I start with race morning lets back up to Friday. On Friday Mom, Dad, Tracy and I drove up to the race site so I could get in a practice swim in the lake. People told me that the water was black, like dark tea, but I didn't really believe it until I was swimming in it. You seriously can't see more then 12 inches in front of your face. It is clean water but is dark from the tannic (sp?) acid from the Cypress trees around the lakes. Once you get past the fact that the water is so dark it really was a beautiful lake. After the swim the family was such good sports and wanted to drive the 112 mile bike course with me. Tracy drove so I could study the course turn by turn and pothole to pothole. It took us 3 1/2 hours to drive the course. I've done my fair share of 100+ mile bike rides this year but to sit in a car and drive it was scary. It seemed like such a long way. What did I sign up for? After we drove the bike course we had a great little picnic lunch under some trees at the race expo and checked in and racked Terry (Terry is my bike, I named her after Terry the pterodactyl from Pee Wee's Playhouse). After we listened to the pre-race meeting we made our way back to the rental house and I started to pack. I packed, re-packed, packed again and then re-packed again. This took hours as I was more anxious and nervous then I ever had been in my life.
Lets just start from the time my eyes shot open on Saturday morning...I woke up about 3:15am and layed in bed for a few minutes on the verge of a nervous breakdown. 7 months of training have all led up to this one day and it was finally here. I got up and had a cup of coffee and some breakfast. After taking a long hot shower I made sure that everything was in the correct bags and loaded up the car. Tracy had accidentially closed the seatbelt in the door on Friday night after she and Mom hit the happy hour at the local Chillis. As a result of buy one get one free margaritas the car lights stayed on all night. I paniced for a second and prayed that the car would start...it did...whew. We left the house at 5:30am and started the 30 minute drive up the race site. It was dark and foggy out and humid beyond belief. We found a good parking spot and walked down so I could get body marked and weighed. My official weight on race morning was 152...I haven't weighed that much in months. I think their scale was off! After I put my bike and run gear bags in the correct locations I geared up the bike. I placed all the water bottles and food on the bike, checked the tires, put on the computer and took the plastic bag off the seat. Then the rain started. We were 30 minutes from the start of the race and it started pouring and the winds were blowing something fierce. We found shelter under a tent and watched as the body marking line kept getting longer and longer and people were getting soaked. I overheard someone say that the official water temp was 77 degrees, the race was wetsuit legal. I don't know where in the lake they found it to be 77 since it was 82 about 18 hours before and was in the low 90's all day on Friday. I know for sure that there is no way the temp had dropped 5 degrees overnight. I wasn't going to wear my wetsuit for fear of overheating but at 7:15am as it was pouring down rain Dad suggested I wear it. Thank goodness I listened to him.
The gun went off at 7:35am, five minutes late, and everyone started into the water. The mass start of all 300+ of us wasn't that bad. I cried as I walked into the water from the beach, partly out of excitement and partly out of anxiety and fear. It took a few hundred meters for me to find my own space and luckily I only got kicked and punched a few times, although I did do my share of kicking and punching in the first few hundred meters as well. After the swim opened up it was great. It was really choppy thanks to the pouring rain and heavy winds but with the wetsuit on I just glided across the chops and was able to find a rhythm. I did the first 1.2 mile loop in 39 minutes and then grabbed some gatorade and headed back into the water for loop #2. I did this loop in about the same time and made it out of the water in 1:22. It was right on the money with what I thought I could do so I was happy and felt great. I ran up the beach, had my wetsuit stripped off of me and then headed into the changing tent with my bike gear bag.
I emerged a few minutes later (T1 time was 8:46) and got the bike to begin the ride. The two pieces of advice that everyone gave me before I left for Florida were to go easy on the bike and to enjoy the whole race experience by living in the moment and not worry what lie ahead. So I did just that. The first 2 hours of the bike I just spun in my little chain ring and conserved my energy (this proved to be a huge asset later in the race so that advice was right on). At mile 24 we come to Sugarloaf Mountain. It honestly was a piece of cake. Now it was a 14% grade but it was only about 1/3 of a mile long. People were walking their bikes up it but thanks to some of the mountain rides I did this summer I made it up the hill easily. I was feeling great as I got to the top and saw the family there cheering for me. Another 2 hours went by and at mile 61 there was the family again and then again at mile 83. It was so great to keep seeing them throughout the day and it made all the difference. At about mile 45 I started to speed up on the bike and from that point until the last mile I only got passed by one person. I went slow enough that I never worked to hard but fast enough to keep increasing my average speed every hour. I got back to the transition area and had finished the bike in 6:13. My average speed was 18mph. Not bad at all but more importantly I felt great and my legs still felt fresh.
I grabbed my run gear bag and headed into the changing tent again. 7 minutes and 22 seconds later I started out on the run course. There was the family cheering me on. I did some high fives with the fam and then started the marathon. My first mile split was 8:01 and I knew I had to slow down as I had more then 25 more miles to go. I quickly found a good tempo and loved the beginning of the run. The first 13 miles went by so quickly and I made it through the first half of the run in 2:01. I still felt good and only walked through the aid stations to get some fluid and the occassional iced oatmeal cookie. At one aid station this cute little girl was handing out Pop-Ice. That was the greatest thing I have ever had in my life. It was full of sugar and cold...it was overcast but it was still hot and humid being that we were in FL. The run was going good and I was keeping a good pace. I started to notice that more people were walking as the sun was sinking lower in the sky. When I finished my first lap around the lake (at mile 11) I could see the finish line and noticed that the clock said 9:41:00, this meant that if I could finish 15 miles in a little over 2 hours I would finish this race around the 12 hour mark. I didn't have a specific time goal in mind since this was my first ironman but I was hoping to finish it between 13 and 14 hours. To be almost 2 hours faster then I thought I would be was so great and I got a second wind. I finished my second lap around the lake and at mile 19 things started to get painful. I had just passed by the family one last time before starting my third and final lap around the lake. I had just over 7 miles to run. I got to mile 20 and was really starting to hurt but I was still on pace to finish around the 12 hour mark, this is what kept me running. I still only walked through the aid stations and the more people I noticed were walking the more I wanted to keep on running. When I got to mile 23 which was the backside of the lake it was dark out. The sun had set and I saw the most beautiful thing. People were walking in unison in the dark and all you could hear was feet and all you could see if the reflection from their sneakers. I kept jogging along (the best I could at this point) and at mile 25 I got to the Mad Dog aid station. This woman dressed as a fairy said, "Will we be seeing you again honey" and I said no and that this was my final lap. She then yelled at the top of her lungs, "Finisher!" and everyone at the aid station went nuts...people started yelling "Go Kevin" and "Finisher". People were clapping and banging cow bells. I grabbed a sponge and cleaned the salt off my face and arms (to look good for the finish line photo!) and picked up my pace. Total exhaustion set in but I got my third wind. All I could hear in my head were people yelling "Finisher". I thought I was going to cry but I didn't and could see the lights just up ahead where the finish line was. I ran that last mile in 8 minutes, it was great and all the pain went away. It was just like people say, I went completely numb and just kicked it into a new gear and ran. I crossed the finish line in 12:06:16. I was shocked. I did it! I was an ironman! There was the family at the finish line to see me cross. It was the best day of my life and I am so glad that mom, dad and Tracy were there to share it with me.
I didn't cry like I thought I would, probably because I was to exhausted to cry. It really is the most bizarre feeling to stop moving after 140.6 miles of racing. You are beyond tired and beyond hungry but the last thing you want to do is to sit down and the thought of food is just the last thing you want. I walked around for a little bit, got all my gear from the transition area, rinsed off in an outdoor shower, almost puked, and then finally could stomach eating an energy bar. Tracy drove us back to the rental house where we realized that I had burned my back (see the photos) severly. Note to self- put sunscreen in both your run and bike gear bags but more importantly- USE IT! I had a beer, a bowl of cereal and some yogurt and couldn't sleep...but I was an ironman and that is all that mattered!
Sunday morning we got up and went to a breakfast buffet at the Golden Corral...I had been dreaming of that all week. I had some breakfast meat and life was good! We soaked in the hot tub and pool and just laid around on Sunday and then I dropped the family off at the airport. As soon as I drove away I had the emotional reaction I thought I would when I finsihed the race...I started to cry. I cried the whole way back to the house. The reality of my accomplishment was starting to set in. Thanks Mom, Dad and Tracy for being there for me. I love you for that and am glad I could share my day with you.
Ok so that was a little longer then I thought it would be put I guess I had a story to tell. I hope you enjoyed it and also the pics. My Dad and sister did such a good job with the photos. I took 2 days off from training but was in the pool swimming again this morning. 8 months to go until Idaho...lets start this all over again!
For those who want the results see below:
Overall place -59th out of 300 finishers
I placed 10th in my age group
Overall time 12:06:16.35
Swim time 1:22:04
T1 8:46
Bike time 6:13:53 avg speed 18.0
T2 7:22
Run time 4:14:14 Avg pace 9:43 (I had the 34th fastest marathon time overall!!!)
Thursday, October 18, 2007
2 days and counting
So we are down to 2 days. Exactly 50 hours from this moment I will be in the water waiting for the cannon to go off. I feel ready...finally! I had a good run yesterday morning and a good ride yesterday afternoon. My body feels loose and for the first time in about a month I slept more then 7 hours last night. I forgot what it felt like to sleep so well. Granted I woke up horizontal on the bed but at least I was sleeping. Getting the rental house was probably the best thing to do since it feels like "home" and is actually really relaxing. If we could just get the pool and hot tub temps to work out then it would be great. Yesterday morning the hot tub was about 80 and the pool was about 100. We are hoping for a much cooler pool today and a much warmer hot tub.
My nerves have been calmed a little this week, surprisingly, and I am looking forward to going to Epcot today with the family. It will be nice to get my mind off of the race for a day. I am so glad that my family is here to share this experience with me. Unlike all the other races I've done and traveled to by myself I am happy to have my mom, dad, and sister here to support me during this race. They are in for a long day too on Saturday!
Time for some coffee...
My nerves have been calmed a little this week, surprisingly, and I am looking forward to going to Epcot today with the family. It will be nice to get my mind off of the race for a day. I am so glad that my family is here to share this experience with me. Unlike all the other races I've done and traveled to by myself I am happy to have my mom, dad, and sister here to support me during this race. They are in for a long day too on Saturday!
Time for some coffee...
Sunday, October 14, 2007
6 days out
Ugh...my stomach turns when I think that my race is in six days. What once seemed like an eternity is now under a week. Everyone has been asking me if I feel ready and I think I am starting too, despite the fact that it is suppose to be in the 90's and I will not be wearing a wetsuit for the swim. Truthfully, the only option I really have is to finish the race so there it is...I feel ready, I am ready, I will soon be an ironman. This has been 7 months in the making.
It's Sunday morning 5:45am and it was so nice to wake up this morning knowing all I have to do is an hour and a half run followed by a 45 minute swim. I love tapering! I also love waking up and not being sore and tired from the day before. Who would have thought a few years ago that I would ever attempt something like this? Running a marathon is one thing but running a marathon as the third leg of a race is just plain crazy.
I suppose I should stop for a second and walk through the race for those of you who will get this and are not sure what an iron distance triathlon is. All triathlons involve three things in the same order. First you swim, then you bike, then you run. It's that easy. Triathlons range from the sprint distance to international, olympic, half ironman and then the full iron distance. The full iron distance race consists of a 2.4 mile (4000 meters) swim , a 112 mile bike, and the run is a full marathon (26.2 miles). You have to do all of these distances in less then 17 hours to earn the title of Ironman! You have to cover 140.6 miles in one race.
The race I am doing is in Clermont Florida and is called the Great Floridian. This is the 17th year that this race has been held and it is the largest privately run iron distance race in the country. Past participants say it's a tough one and several people have told me they respect me for trying to "tackle" this course for my first full distance race (that makes me just a tad uneasy). I can't imagine any iron distance race being easy and each race I am sure has its challenges so I am going into next weekend knowing damn well that it isn't going to be easy. They don't call it an "iron"man for nothing I suppose.
Well it's 6:30am now there is something that I must do...time to lace up the Mizuno's and head out for my last long run.
It's Sunday morning 5:45am and it was so nice to wake up this morning knowing all I have to do is an hour and a half run followed by a 45 minute swim. I love tapering! I also love waking up and not being sore and tired from the day before. Who would have thought a few years ago that I would ever attempt something like this? Running a marathon is one thing but running a marathon as the third leg of a race is just plain crazy.
I suppose I should stop for a second and walk through the race for those of you who will get this and are not sure what an iron distance triathlon is. All triathlons involve three things in the same order. First you swim, then you bike, then you run. It's that easy. Triathlons range from the sprint distance to international, olympic, half ironman and then the full iron distance. The full iron distance race consists of a 2.4 mile (4000 meters) swim , a 112 mile bike, and the run is a full marathon (26.2 miles). You have to do all of these distances in less then 17 hours to earn the title of Ironman! You have to cover 140.6 miles in one race.
The race I am doing is in Clermont Florida and is called the Great Floridian. This is the 17th year that this race has been held and it is the largest privately run iron distance race in the country. Past participants say it's a tough one and several people have told me they respect me for trying to "tackle" this course for my first full distance race (that makes me just a tad uneasy). I can't imagine any iron distance race being easy and each race I am sure has its challenges so I am going into next weekend knowing damn well that it isn't going to be easy. They don't call it an "iron"man for nothing I suppose.
Well it's 6:30am now there is something that I must do...time to lace up the Mizuno's and head out for my last long run.
Friday, September 28, 2007
There is a first time for everything
So this is my first official blog. I started this site a few weeks ago because it sounded like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately it has sat here with no content since then. Well it's a Friday night and I have a big day of training tomorrow so I am home about to go to bed at 9pm and thought I would post something on my blog site to see what it will look like. Such an exciting life I lead huh?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
