Coming Days....

Since I got a lot of comments about the last post I thought I would share some thoughts...Its Monday. I slept like garbage all weekend. I got my training in and it went really well. I was home all last week. Which as usual equates to me running around like a chicken with my head cut off to get everything done I didn't do the week before and in anticipation of being gone again. I try to squeeze in every appointment and errand I can think of but inevitably I end up coming up short.

I ended up having a long day at work Friday- missing out on dinner with friends. But D and I did get to the Hunger Games on Saturday, I got in a good training run and Sunday we got in some long training miles. I did a 1:50 ride on the bike inside and then a short run. Somehow in there I did get in a nail appointment so that is off the list for the next couple weeks.

I packed a bag this morning for the next few days in DC. I had a plan to run this morning but I couldn't get out of bed. So I'll do it down there tonight. The nice thing is I know the area well. I have a decent gym and pool at the hotel. I have a run, swim, bike and swim planned. I hope I might get to see my Uncle and Aunt while in town. So I'll work Mon thru Thurs in DC. Hop an evening flight home and head home to unpack, do laundry, and pack up again.

Friday morning I catch a flight to California for a training event with a lil vacation tacked on. As a part of the Boston Luna Chix I get to head to attend their summit in CA. Saturday I will be doing running clinics and Sunday I get to go for a 1.5+hr ride. Should be fun. The great chaser is the fact that the girls and I are heading to Wine country for a bit as a lil vacation. I know it will be a good trip once I am in the midst of it but right now it just all seems a bit daunting.

I hope I got all my errands done! I hope I will have clothes to wear! I hope I actually packed the right clothes for this week! I hope I turned off the coffee maker!

The kicker to all of it is the one night I am home- D is gone- he is traveling. Gonna be a whirlwind. Ladies and Gentlemen be sure your seat belt is secure and tray tables are in the upright position.


** Note: I'm getting my notes together for the training on travel and fueling on travel posts but I think the next week or so will help shape those posts a bit more ***

Triathlete, Fulltime Career Woman, Friend, Girlfriend, Daughter.... URGH so many titles!

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I somehow manage to keep 10,000 glass balls in the air. As all of you know I train and race. I am a daughter, I am a friend, and sometimes I am a half decent girlfriend. I am also a full time career woman with a career that lately has me on the fast track. I love what I do for my full-time job. I work hard and I am starting to get the punishment (sorry reward) for my hard work.

My job lately has me on the road at least every other week. Looking at my calendar the total days I am home in the month of March is 12! YES folks 12! That includes work trips and then weekend trips of being the half decent girlfriend and trying to be a good friend. This life can be a little hectic to say the least! A friend of mine beyond limitations put it very well in a blog post- the grass is always greener. She suggested I explain my situation since it might help some others.

Honestly do you think I want to be a diamond member at the hotel and have 40K plus miles on 3 airlines under 30? I will be on the west coast not once but TWICE this month. I spend enough time in the DC area for most people in my life to believe I live there. I joke I should just get a hotel when I get home whats the point of paying a mortgage. It is hard to eat healthy when you are rushing through an airport to catch a plane much less fuel your body for training and even harder when you are Gluten Free. I have quite a few pointers if anyone is interested!

All this being said I feel like my life of travel and training and all my other million titles is something VERY few understand. I have a few friends that travel like I do and even less that travel with the last minute schedule I have. I am lucky if I know on Monday where I will be till Friday. Sometimes trips come up with less than 24 hour notice. There have been many things I have missed out on in my personal life thanks to my travel schedule- some of them I am still trying to forgive myself for.

But I keep doing it. Like I said my career lately has been on a fast track and I can't be more thankful- I really truly love what I do. And I am currently staring a season in the face where I plan to tackle not 1 but 2 half iron distance races. Somehow training has become the sanity to get me through all of this. It is the steady thing that no matter what I know there is a plan because lets be honest the rest of my life has little to no plan. I have become pretty adapt at training on the road (another post for another time of pointers). I have done many a swim in a hotel pool getting dizzy with the zillion flip turns, attempted zone 2 rides on recumbent bikes, and mapped run routes starting and ending at my hotel.

The other thing no one really can account for on the road is the "on factor". How utterly exhausting it is to be "on" all day long. Whether you are giving a presentation or intently participating in a meeting the "on factor" takes its toll. And there is the lovely lack of sleep when you aren't in your own bed. I tell ya it gets old trying to get used to a new bed, pillows, temperature, and of course the changing schedule while on the road. Needless to say somedays I am exhausted and a workout is tough to drag myself through but sometimes its just the pickup I need.

Then there is the joy of being home. It is great to be back home- but me- I take a day or 2 to get settled back into life. I also spend the days when I am home (12 this month) doing all the crap everyone else gets to do when they get home from work everyday. The haircuts, nail appointments, paying bills, cleaning my house, and all the other glamorous tasks come rushing in and fill up my time home. I would love to spend my days when I get home just lounging and getting caught back up with friends- but sadly this doesn't happen. Actually a friend of mine who I recently talked to about this was like- "and that's why I don't really have friends. They just don't get it!"

I luckily have found a coach that is very understanding of my schedule and is supportive. She goes with the quality over quantity principle. I have a very supportive partner in D, who is pretty willing to just go I get it its our job! My friends understand I think as much as they can... to be honest I don't blame them. You don't get it if you don't do it.

I guess I just wanted to get some of my thoughts on this out. It has been a brewing idea for a while. I know my schedule isn't going to change in the coming months. I will continue to travel and continue to train, try to be a decent friend, a half decent daughter, and make my sorry attempt at being a good girlfriend. As I said I will continue to keep the 10000 balls in the air- because that is my life!

*note: Like I said I have some pointers on food and training while traveling. I also think this subject won't be going away- so please let me know what you think.

My 2012 Plans and Goals

After a talk with my coach I finally have my Annual Training Plan. An actual plan that lays out over the year about how many hours I will be training each week and all my races. So as for the race plan TWO 70.3 are on tap for this season. The rest of the season is planned out nicely .... Race Plan 2012 I just signed up for Rev3 Quassy for 3 June Half Rev! So one registration down :) A few more to go. I hope I get into the BAA Medley to do the 5k, 10k and Half Marathon. We will see next week.... For now this is the plan and I am off to start training!

Other than races my other goals are:
1. Swim/Bike/Run my way to 2000 miles+ again this year
2. Stay healthy- read: Injury Free
3. Get weight issues checked by an endocrinologist
4. Have a sub 7 hour 70.3- 2 chances this year!
5. Be Happy and Positive!

Taking Control with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

I have gone to an acupuncturist for close to a year now. I originally went in with hopes of acupuncture helping with stress and then my hip and shoulders. It has helped immensely with my stress and I am shocked how much it has done for my hip and shoulders. I actually don't even have to have her do anything for my shoulder anymore and the hip is just when it bugs me. I find the hour of relaxation helps with stress and mood overall.

Many people who know me know I have a constant struggle with my weight. Though I feel silly saying that. I feel like I am being vein since there are so many people in the country that are morbidly obese and I just need to lose 20 or 30 lbs. I am not sure what it is but I workout a lot and eat right and I can't seem to drop any more weight! I have been to a doctor to have regular blood work done and "your fine" was the result. I need to get to an endocrinologist to have some more tests done.

Since it is something that has really been eating my lunch this off season I have decided to do something till I can get to an endocrinologist. This is where we come full circle to the acupuncture- I asked my acupuncturist if she could help following my last appointment. She said actually you are a perfect candidate, someone who doesn't medically have something wrong, who is already doing things to help the weight loss- ie working out and eating right. Ive been to a nutritionist and know how to eat well and I have to say I am pretty good about it. The only thing I am bad about is making sure I eat enough. And you all know I work out!

She offered a tradition Chinese Medicine to start the process- Free and Easy Wanderer Plus- Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan. She said it would help with mood and overall function. In reading it looks like it helps Liver function mostly. She said it is something she often gives to women for many issues and it helps a lot. I am taking 8 of these TINY little pills 3 times a day on an empty stomach. I started last Wednesday morning with the pills and the other thing will be acupuncture once a week focused on weight loss- first appointment is tomorrow.

After my talk with my acupuncturist I looked into some research on acupuncture and weight loss. I found some great articles everything from how it works to Dr. Oz to the truth that it can't be all you do to lose weight. Essentially it appears the acupuncture is used to help your body's function, with digestion and metabolism, and help with stress to help aid weight loss. Acupuncture releases endorphins which help with weight loss also. The truth is it is like anything else it isn't the magic cure all you have to do work yourself- eat right, exercise etc. These were some of the articles I found online:
https://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/DetailThe+Acupuncture+Weight+Loss+Solution
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/acupuncture-and-weight-loss
http://www.naturalnews.com/019552.html
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/acupunctur1/a/acupuncture_weight_loss.htm

This was my favorite http://www.acupunctureforweightlossblog.com/ with one of its article concluding in " So if you are getting tired and frustrated that your weight loss efforts do not seem to give you any favorable results, you should definitely try using acupuncture for weight loss; when combined with a proper diet and exercise, you will be amazed at how much improvement you will get from this ancient medical treatment."

So my thought is I am going to give this a shot. I am also going to keep working on getting in with the endocrinologist. I will continue the medicine and acupuncture appointments once a week for all of November- then at the end of the month re assess if I think it is working. I'll be sure to report back :)

The Challenge is ON!

The Challenge has started!!! As I said in my last blog post I decided to take on a new challenge to help combat my post season blues. I will be doing my DVD- 30 day Shred with Jillian Michaels and heading back to Bikram Yoga. So its ON! Well actually I decided to start it on Wednesday night by taking my "off day" and going to Bikram Yoga. Anyone who has done Bikram knows it is far from an "off day"- 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises in a room that is 105 degrees with 40% humidity. FUN TIMES! Actually I really like it. It helps me a lot mentally and really helps me physically too. So this is part of my month long challenge.

Yesterday before I started Day 1 of my DVD my friend Kissing_frogs read my challenge and decided to join me- virtually. Perfect another motivator! So here's the plan on the virtual challenge DVD portion: We came to the decision we will do the DVD 5 days a week MINIMUM- with the goal of 6 to 7. We will do level 1 for 10 days, level 2 for 10 days, level 3 for 10 days giving the 30 day shred!

I did my run that my coach wanted me to do yesterday then it was time to start the challenge. After much debate (since I am not pleased with what I see) I have decided I will post before (now), progress and after pictures. I guess it is the best way to gauge if the challenge works. So here we go.... please be gentle- try not to judge me too much!





The Challenge Deets:
Do my coach prescribed workouts for swim, bike, and run- generally 6 days a week and races are planned in here too. Do 30 Day Shred DVD- 5 days a week minimum with the hope of 6 or 7. I will also be doing Bikram Yoga as often as I can with my schedule- trying for at least one day a week. I will post progress photos every Friday and weigh myself on Friday mornings- hopefully it really works and the photos get better and the scale shows the hard work! I will also post a day of the week's nutrition- just so people can get a feel for what I am eating too. And of course... my 2cents on the whole thing will come along with the posts :)

The stats:
This week's workouts- Mon- Swim 1400yds, Tues- Bike 7.91mi, Wednes- Yoga, Thurs- Run 1.89mi and DVD Day 1, Fri- Swim 1500yds (still need to do DVD Day 2)

Weight Friday Morning- 185.2lb

Nutrition- Breakfast: 1 apple w 1tbsp honey, spices and 1/3c granola- 247 cals
Lunch: veggie chilli, cornbread, red fat cheese, apple- 383 cals
Dinner: ground beef taco meat on a salad w chips, NF sour cream, and cheese. dessert- GF cookie w strawberries and SF caramel- 605 cals
Snack: tortilla chips and salsa- 152 cals
Total: 1,387 cals <-not enough! need to work on this!

Thoughts- I am not going to lie- Day 1 of that DVD was not easy. I have done it before and my stamina and endurance are way better but there are some muscles I just haven't used in a long time- youch!

Post Season Blues

As you may have noticed from my London blog and my other post season wrap ups the season is over here and I am lacking some motivation. I am not a fast runner- so fall running races aren't super appealing to me. I am not a fast cyclist so put that with my not a fast runner and a duathlon doesn't really sound appealing. Plus- lets be honest a duathlon takes out what I am good at- SWIMMING! So with races right now consisting of mostly 5ks and 10ks and duathlons I am kind of stuck in a rut.

The other big thing that contributes to my lack of motivation and being stuck in a rut is I seem to have some sort of health issue that keeps me from losing weight. I can workout and eat right but it just doesn't come off. So when you aren't racing and you aren't seeing results its hard to go to the gym. At least when I'm racing I have goals to keep me going everyday. This whole lack of weight loss is another whole blog story for another time but anyway- to help myself get out of this I have been trying to come up with ideas.

I started coming up with a race plan for the next couple months of a couple 5ks and a 10k and even a late winter half marathon. Okay working down the right path. But to be honest- I know even if I don't train I can finish all those races. I am stubborn enough and have a decent level of fitness. So let's see I need something else!

Last night while at home I came across my Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD. 3 different levels of 20 min full body workouts. Wheels started turning- I know I need to keep up my swim, bike and run fitness over the off season to be ready for next season but- I could add more right? I need to work in more strength workouts anyway right?




So thoughts for a new challenge are: Continue my regular workouts my coach is giving me right now- so my swim, bike and run- but now let's add doing the 30 Day Shred DVD everyday for a month. I will take some before pictures and blog about the experience to work as a review of the program and see what we get for results.

The other thing I am going to bring back to my routine is Bikram Yoga. For now starting with my "day off" from coach and possibly adding more days as my schedule will allow. So I think I've got it a new challenge, a new motivation, a new goal with any hope this will help get me over these post season blues. Hey who knows maybe if it works out in a month I will pick a new challenge.

Race Report: Timberman 70.3- My First Half Iron

When this season started I decided to take on the biggest goal I have attempted athletically yet- FINISH a 70.3 Half Ironman. I chose Timberman since it was local. Training became my life outside work and spending time with D. The weekend of my race quickly came and with lots of anxiety, nerves, and excitement we headed to NH. I took Thursday off from work to do final race preparation which included packing and cooking all the food I needed for the weekend. Friday we packed up the truck and headed to NH. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

I checked in at the race expo. I was really surprised how small the expo was- check-in, an ironman store, and probably 5 vendors. Got my wrist band, packet, chip and t-shirt then I hit the ironman store. I wanted to get myself some things. I got an awesome shirt and poster from the race that had the typical ironman M-dot with all of the participants names. I also had to get a coffee mug.

I tried to sleep in Saturday but it didn't work out too well. We got up and watched my friends finish the sprint and headed to the expo again. This time I ran into my USS Swim Coach from High School. He was racing too and introduced me to Pro triathlete Cait Snow. She was really sweet and had some great words of encouragement for my first 70.3. I can't thank either of them enough for their comforting and encouraging words!

After racking my bike on Saturday and having my pre made corn pasta dinner, Saturday night I laid out all my gear one more time to be sure I was ready for Sunday. I sat on the floor of the hotel chatting with my mom, dad and D. It was a perfect relaxing night pre race. Alarm was going to go off early so off to bed.

I actually slept! When the alarm went off I went right to work- made my 2 eggs, GF bagel and packed up the rest of my food and drinks for the day. We headed to the parking lot to get a prime spot for transition to open at 5. I set up my transition area met a new friend or 2 and tried as best as I could to stay calm. I knew I needed to eat 2 PB&Js before the start and get my hammer gel in 15 min before my start time.

As I was pulling on my wetsuit and eating my gel we saw my coach and my friend Kelly. Coach had some pointers for the wet suit strippers and just like that I was giving D a kiss and heading for the water.

Now let me tell you... a race plan for just wanting to finish a race is pretty cool. There are no existing marks on the wall its just FINISH being the goal! My plan for the water was to save some energy and not try to have an insane swim split. The bike was to keep in aero as much as I could and to EAT and drink. The run was to just keep a steady pace and keep fueling.

Swim- 36:52 (official split- D said I was outta the water at 32)- I had a good swim. I felt good in the water. It was nice to pass some other colored caps and know I was keeping a good pace.

T1- 3:16- one of my slower T1's- but I wanted to take my time no need to race through it. They had wetsuit strippers this was a first for me. I did my best version of the Night at the Roxbury- you/me- and this guy ripped my wetsuit off pulled me up and sent me flying to the middle of transition area. Let me tell you I LOVE WETSUIT STRIPPERS!

Bike- 3:35 (avg 15.6mph)- I can't complain. I thought I wasn't going to make the bike cut off and I made it by close to 2 hours. The hills were tough but I was so glad I knew the course from riding it with my coach. I stayed in aero as much as I could through the straight a ways and made sure to stay on my fueling plan. I knew when I was getting close to the 1/2 way point and there was a time cut off there of 11:15, I switched my watch to time and realized it was only 10. Holy crap I was 25 miles into this and I was going to make it. I started to cry realizing that swim was done I was going to make the bike cut offs and I was actually going to finish this. Gave myself the pull it together man talk and kept riding. I was starting to have a bit of a sugar rush so I went for a banana at the 3rd aid station and at the 4th I went for a banana and another water bottle. Somehow I had lost one off the back of my bike.

T2- 3:27- yet again slow- the bike from across had fallen off the rack and I couldn't get to my stuff. I worked as best as I could but also didn't want to rush. Somehow I ripped my number- I ALWAYS DO! and headed out on the run high five-ing my family, friends and D as I left.

Run- 2:51:57 (OUCH SO SLOW!) let me just say that little hill coming out of T2 kicked my butt. It took everything I had to get myself running. I gave myself the talk of run and you can walk the aid stations. I grabbed water and coke at the first few and stuck to water or gatorade at the rest. The cold/wet towels and sponges were the best! The run was hilly and to be honest I don't really remember much other than just keep moving. The run was a 2 loop 10k- D had told me to think of it as 4 laps. I was on number 3 when a golf cart pulled up to a girl in front of me to ask what loop she was on- they told her they would let her finish she was on loop 1- SIGH OF RELIEF. I crossed the mat of lap 3 and was heading back to the finish line- I raised my arms and smiled big. The volunteer said "we'll see you next year." I told her we'll see. haha

I got maybe a half mile up the street and a fireman told me they were going to close the course in 30 min. There was a horrible storm coming. My brain raced- 30 min on a good day if I hadn't just done a 1.2mi swim and a 56 mi bike the last 3 miles would be a push in 30 min. Then I convinced myself he was lying to me but I was going to keep moving as best I could in case he was right. Soon a golf cart pulled up next to me, he told me as long as I kept going they were going to keep me out as long as they could. So I pushed- I mean for how I felt at that point I was pushing as hard as I could. I stopped eating since that meant I would slow down. My splits for the 3.272mi were 42:28, 42:57, 45:52 (yuck), 40:37. Can you tell they lit a FIRE under my butt?!

I was within a mile from the finish when some old woman on the sideline goes "don't let the bus catch you." I wanted to PUNCH HER! I have never been so angry at a spectator!

I came toward the finish chute and there was D right at the edge of the road. He ran on the other side of the fence with me the whole way. I cried! I cried hard! Hard enough that I had to tell myself outloud to stop so I would be able to breathe and cross the finish. D cleared a thigh high fence and screamed at the people crossing the finish chute that were in my way. He also screamed my name so the announcer would call me out as I crossed. And I did it I crossed the finish line. With tears streaming down my face I got my medal and my hat.

It was pretty amazing to have my parents there when I crossed and my coach and my friends. My friends even made me a half ironman tiara. The best was to hug D when I crossed. He told me "I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!" All I could say was "I DID IT! I actually DID IT!" I cried so hard while I hugged him I couldn't believe that I actually finished what I started months and months ago!

Race Recap: Not so Fun Last Min. Added Fun Sprint

On Friday D mentioned possibly wanting to do a Sprint Tri in Lowell on Sunday. I figured my coach would veto this assuming my next race was Timberman on the schedule so no need to screw with it. But she said go right ahead- no rest just go out and have fun. I already had an OWS/bike brick on the plan so why not just add a short 5k. All sounded like a good idea.

So I registered Friday afternoon. D decided not to race :( but as usual was an amazing sherpa! Race morning I had my scrambled eggs and we got going out of the house. When we got to Lowell I realized I had left my HRM strap at home and my race belt (whoops). I figured oh well the race is for fun anyways.

Pre race the transition area was a mess. They kept it open while the Olypmic distance racers were going. I listened to pre-race announcements- all they told us were the swim course. No info on the transition, bike, and run- which had a horrible map on line and little to no marking (we will get to more on that later). I did my usual PB&J an hour before start time and a few min before the start had a hammer. Put on my wet suit and stood waiting the start count down.

Swim went really well! I was in the top 10 women out of the water. I did the 1/4 mi swim in 6:08- pretty good day in the water if you ask me. I got out felt pretty good. Moved okay though transition but since I wasn't really mentally prepared to race I didn't mentally prepare for transition. I had planned on testing out the theory of pulling on my new tri top in T1. That took forever it was a tangled mess. I will not be doing that for my 70.3- lesson #1 learned.

I headed out on the bike to the messy area of mount- the cops did a horrible job with traffic om the 4 lane road and the mount line wasn't marked. Again could have been a great help for the pre race announcements! Anyway- I was having a decent bike- I knew most of the course from the oly I had just done in Lowell. The bike went off in an area I didn't know and that is where it fell apart.

I came down off a hill in aero and hit a little bump in the road. Then it happen the dreaded PSFSSSSSSSSSSS! Crap I blew out my front tire. First thoughts this can't be happening to me. I am having a great race no effin way. Well I calmed down popped the wheel off and started attempting to pull the tire out of the rim. The kevlar bead just wouldn't let go. I needed tire levers- I didn't have any. A few people rode by and apologized, a couple asked if I was okay and kept riding even though I said NO. Then came along my savior- just as I was about to put the tire back on and hoof the bike back to transition. I just couldn't bear the thought of my DNF being blamed on a flat. My hands were bleeding from trying to pull off the tire but I wasn't ready to give up. This guy stopped and helped- pulled the tire off put the tube in and inflated my tire. He even stayed behind me for a bit to be sure the tire was okay. I don't think I could have said Thank You enough!

My bike took forever- I think it really took about 42 min to do the 11 mi taking out the time to change the tire. Official results 1:11- YOUCH! Lesson #2- I need tire levers and another change a flat class or 2!

I put my head down and just wanted to finish. I took t2 as it came. Did what I could. And headed out for 5k when really I just wanted to stop. My fueling was thrown all off my the tire problem and I just wanted to be done! But- I put my head down and got the task done. The run course had little to no marking and since I was so far in the end I had really no one to follow. I made my guesses on the course based on the little map I had seen on line. Another great pre race announcement where the run course is and where is the turn around.

Like I said I had a tough time with fueling and t2. I forgot to grab any fuel for the run and of course the run course had no aid station until the turn around. Lesson #3- continue fueling even through hiccups. I made it to the first aid station and grabbed 2 waters. I had no idea it was the turn around until I saw a hand written sign and the volunteer told me. Another good to know from a pre race announcement!

I trudged through the second half of the run. Made sure to try to keep it together for the race photographer. God I can't imagine how bad that pic is!? Surely a put your head down and get through this! I finished the run in 32:24- not great but I just wanted to finish.

According to the race results- I raced Athena for this race- I was the 1st in the Athenas out of the water, 5th out of 5 on the bike (damn flat), and 2nd best run time. Man if I could take that flat back.

I am really just trying to see it all as a learning experience. I am really hoping it took my bad racing juju out of me before Timberman. Though the competitive part of me is crushed! I know it was just a fun last minute add but I had really hoped for decent results. Again- learning experience. I keep telling myself- hoping soon I will fully believe it.

My hands are finally starting to recover from the cuts caused by the flat tire and I definitely learned lesson #4- it is time for a small first aid kit to be kept in my tri bag. I could have used a way to wash them out and bandage them before the hour long ride home. So as for the other lesson's learned #1- I will wear my tri top under my wetsuit for Timberman, #2- already had another flat class and added tire levers to my saddle bag need another lesson or 2 in the coming weeks, #3- FUEL, FUEL, FUEL- I may need to put that on my handlebars!

Mill City Olympic Tri Race Recap

Couple things- this post is more for me to get everything out of my head from this race in prep for Timberman and this was my FIRST Olympic distance race. Saturday did packet pickup and some recon- swam a bit in the river and did a bike on the run course (ended up doing 6.86 mi and avg pace of 15.5mph). Saturday nights dinner was corn pasta w a meat/tomato sauce and peas. I made sure to drink a big gatorade on Saturday knowing Sunday would be hot! Got to bed around 11- alarm set for 4:45.

Got up made breakfast- 3 eggs scrambled GF bagel with cream cheese and started sipping on a gatorade and seltzer water. I had 2 endurolytes. Made a PB and J on GF bread to eat later. Left the house around 5:30- finishing my bagel on the way.

Arrived on site around 6:30. Set my transition area- towel with running shoes and visor on top, cycling shoes with race belt and number, gps on top. Helmet, sunglasses and headband on aero bars. Food in bento box- 1pkg gu chomps, 1pkg margarita blocks, 1 odwalla bar (cut in half). 2 bottles on the bike 1 gatorade, 1 water. 1 sm water bottle on towel and extra fuel (margarita blocks and gu's).

Hour pre race ate PB and J finished my gatorade. After eating I put on my wet suit and got ready to hop in the water for a little- just to get wet. Ate a hammer gel approx 15 min before the race start time. Listen to pre race announcements and I was in the first wave.

.9 mi swim- 31:31- There was a strong current for the first portion then the current pushes you back for the second half. About the same time I had with my last swim at Merrimack River. Not a super fast swim but good pace. Wore my wet suit for another race with it. Made sure to kick and worked on sighting. Had trouble sighting on the way back with the sun in my face- wore my mirrored goggles but it was just super sunny.

t1- it is a long run across a 4 lane road to transition got my wet suit off no problem and was able to toss my goggles and cap to D. Got myself mentally prepared for t1 while in the water- bondi band, sunglasses, helmet, watch, race belt, shoes. I should have turned on my garmin a bit earlier in the transition so it was a bit more accurate. D reminded me to take it slow and catch my breath so I was sure to take a sip of water.

26 mi bike- 1:29:24 w transition- got on and immediately ate 1/2 odwalla bar. I knew I was going to crave fuel soon. Once I got in a rhythm and got my heart rate down a bit I could eat the other half. I worked on the gatorade first. At a half hour on the bike I was sure to have my first half of the margarita block sleeve. I continued to sip on the gatorade and was sure to finish it by an hour into the bike. At an hour on the bike- I had 1/2 the pkg of gu chomps. At an hour in I looked down at my watch and was happy to see over the hour I had avg'd 17.5 mph. Once the gatorade was gone I worked on the water bottle- not sure how much water I got in for the 1/2 hour I had left on the bike- I think about half. I ate the other half of the margarita blocks as I came close to the transition to finish off the pkg. Put the other half chomp package in the pocket in the back of my suit. Coming into transition I dropped into an easy gear to prep my legs for the run.

t2- didn't think about this one as much before (which I need to do). Got everything off okay. Put my visor on and slid on my shoes. Took another sip of water. As I went thru transition I could feel the chafe on the inside of my arms from the long ride in aero and rubbing against me. But nothing I could do now just had to get thru the run. Grabbed the other package of chomps for the run just in case.

10k run- 1:09:16 with transition- headed out of transition and my reaction is to usually push hard thru the jelly leg feeling then settle into a pace. I started out with a 8:30 pace then slowed to around 10 for the first mile. At the 1/2 pkg of gu chomps in the first 1/2 mi to continue the fueling. Stashed the other package in the pocket. At the first water stop- 1 mi- grabbed a water skipped the ice. Second water stop was just before 3 mi. Grabbed a water and an ice package. The ice felt great as I stuffed it in the front and lower back of my suit. Next water stop was just after 3 mi. Grabbed a gatorade. Once the ice melted I poured it over my head which helped me cool down. Just before I hit mile 4 I started to feel my feet chafing. Left foot felt like a blister in the arch and right foot was a rub on the heal which already felt cut wide open. I slowed after the water stop around 4 after taking on water and ice again. Slid my shoe off to see if maybe if I put my foot back in it would help. My feet continued to hurt thru mile 4- again I put the ice on my lower back and in the front of my suit and dumped it over my head when it had melted. At the sign for mile 5 I told myself I could tell my body to shut up for a mile. So I grabbed a water and an ice bag again. This time I figured out how to get the ice just over my QL on my R hip. I got it completely numb then dumped the water over my head. The last mile my feet hurt really bad- but I was close to finishing and I just wanted to be done. The heat was pretty bad and the run course was mostly in the sun. The ice bags really helped. And I need to coat both my cycling shoes and my run shoes in anti-chafe everstride. Run splits 10:17, 10:36, 11:17, 11:17, 12:21, 11:45, 8:45. As you can see it was about mi 4 when my feet really started to bother me. When I finished I had D remove my shoes immediately. My feet were so swollen even as loose as they were they were hard to get off. My rings wouldn't pull off my fingers and they are usually so loose they spin around. I am not really sure why I am swelling. I felt pretty good- my nutrition plan seemed to work fine. I really need to figure this out it has plagued me off and on throughout my training.

Overall finish time 3:10. I was happy that my nutrition plan had worked and I wasn't hungry at any point nor did I throw up. I need to consider socks at least on the run if not for both the ride and the run. I think if I hadn't had the issues with my feet the run time would have been a lot better. I had a solid swim- given the current. I am very happy with the improvements to my biking speed- I figure I avg'd just under 18mph (taking out time for transition from my bike/t1 time). My sprint tri in May my avg pace on the bike was 14.73mph so that is a big improvement- due both to aero bars and training. I think my run could have been faster- the chafe really got to me and the heat. The last mile and a half it took a lot mentally to keep running- and to not just walk.

This morning I realized this was the longest (time) race I have done yet. It left me feeling good for Timberman. I know it isn't going to be easy but I still have about 5 wks left to train. I think given the improvements I have been making I will be ready to go. This Friday I am riding the Timberman course with my coach and that will only help me feel more prepared!

Season Opener Recap- Nerves? Fueling?

I was really anxious and nervous getting ready for this race. I knew I could get through it but I wanted to do well. This is the start to a big season and I wanted to get it going on a good note. The fact that I had to wear a wet suit really messed with my head and I didn't like that they changed the start time a week before hand. Packet pickup was on Saturday and my plan was to pick up my packet and do a short ride/run brick at the race site- well thunder and lightning made that a NO GO! After picking up my packet went to the gym- did 25 min on the bike and 5 min on the treadmill. I spent a lot of time stretching. We went home and made dinner- corn pasta and ground turkey in the sauce and lots of veggies. Picked a movie and hung on the couch for a couple hours.

Race Day- I got up at 5:45- tummy growling.D made me some breakfast. I am a big eater before a race- 2 eggs, GF toast, and a bowl of cereal. I had a cup of coffee and lots of water. Finished packing up my race clothes and headed out at 6:45. We got pretty decent parking and got to the transition at around 7:15- got some premo spots!

I laid out my transition area and tried to stay calm with my ipod. Scoping out the field around me I settled into the idea that I wasn't going to be taking home any awards at this race. There were some serious triathletes around! I tried to sit as much as I could to get in the zone but my nerves and my stomach were not getting into the game. I got into my wet suit put on my cap and goggles and got ready for the pre race meeting.

8:30- pre race meeting- They went over how the swim would start and possible pit falls on bumps on the bike course. they talked about how pretty the run was too. That's all I remember.... We were the first wave of women so I moved toward the start.

9:00 Duathlon starts- is that I'm hungry or is that I'm nervous?

9:?? SWIM- we walk into freezing cold water. For the first time I was thankful I was in a wet suit. As I was treading water my arms got cold and I felt my feet get really cold- I got that omg I'm cold headache feeling. I decided my best plan of attack with the swim being a shore line swim was to get to the outside far from the shore. The extra 25/50 yds weren't going to kill me and would give me clean water to work with. The start was messy. There was lots of kicking and bumping. I did finally find some clean water. My stroke felt out of sink. Wet suits make my body float too much and screw with my catch. I had some trouble with sighting. I am not sure if it was the cold or the locations of the bouys but I had a bit of a tough time. My lips were so cold. I could feel my bicep tendon not liking the wet suit across it. I was getting close to the end and I started to feel the OMG I am STARVING! I came out of the water and saw my father. He told me I was in the middle of the pack. That bummed me out- that swim did go as bad as it felt. 9:11- slowest swim I have ever had at this distance

T1- not a bad transition with a wetsuit. Dropped everything grabbed my number water and more chomps. headed out on the bike.

Bike- well lets just say things didn't go so great on the bike. First set of bumps in the road and there were water bottles strewn all across the street and out bump my chomps. Well I am down to one pack. I keep drinking my pure sport and water and try to get chomps in me since I was hungry. The rolling course proved to be pretty challenging at times. It was really hard to tell who was in your age group who was a triathlete and who was a duathlete but I tried to pass folks and had a few women pass me. But at mile 5 I started to feel kinda gross- and there it was I threw up. Just as I look at the half way point sign my body decided we didn't like the way today was going. And from there I knew this was going to be a tough one. I muscled my way through the rest of the ride and came into T2.

T2- knowing the dismount was going to be a mess of folks trying to clip out unprepared I clipped both of my shoes out early- since it was a downhill coast. I yelled to D in t2 that I had puked on the bike and he said he knew something happen. Guess my time wasn't too great. Well no time to think now off for the run. I grabbed my water bottle to sip on for the run and took the blocks I had to hopefully refuel a little.

Run- The run started out up hill. Just what I needed after that bike. I sipped on the water and ate margarita cliff blocks. The salt and sugar were a friend at that point. I had to walk a bit up the hill to drink more water. I knew I needed fluids. And just then my friend passed me and said good job jules! It was a great boost! I just slugged through the run. It wasn't pretty. I had really hoped for the 3 mi I could be around a 9 min mile. I had a PR 5k avg 8:45s so a 9 wouldn't be that big of a stretch. Well every time I pushed myself- I felt like I was going to puke again. I got to the point that it was either this needs to be over and I need to finish or I need to puke again and feel better. Well it happen that I finished. It wasn't the race I had hoped but I crossed the finish line.

I am now on the search to try to figure out what went wrong. What is my new way of fueling? Am I not eating enough? Am I not drinking enough water? Did I just have a bad day? SO many variables but I am going to try my damn'd ist to figure it out- I better or that 70.3 is going to be really hard!

Starting the Season... Tri #1 Sunday!

This week officially kicks off my triathlon racing season. I will be starting with the Hopkinton Season Opener Sprint Triathlon I haven't done a triathlon since 2009, my 2010 season didn't allow me to run with my hip surgery. Tho in 2010 I did 2 aquabikes and did well in both. I am getting anxious about putting all 3 sports together again.

Swim- 1/4 mi- point to point swim- going to be cold. Water temp predicted to be in the low 60s. Even though it is supposed to be cold I don't really see the point in wearing a wet suit. I plan to be in the water about 5 min. I don't think I will get that cold. But the race packet says they are required so I will be wearing one. It is more the stripping out of a wet suit that I am not looking forward to. I will do as I am told since I have to.

Bike-10 mi- bike is described as rolling hills with a couple challenges at 2 and 7. I think with all the biking I have been doing lately this shouldn't be too tough. Though I still feel biking is my weakest of the 3. 10 mi is pretty short given my shortest rides lately have been more than that so hopefully it shouldn't be an issue. I am looking into getting tri shoes but looks like the road shoes will have to work for now.

Run- 5k- looks pretty flat. Contained to inside the state park. I think if my hips will agree with me I can hopefully knock out a fast 5k at the end of this.

The game plan with my coach is to do it all out. Have fun with it and listen to my body. If I feel good go for it. This week is a taper for training to get me ready- 2 weeks ago was about 7hrs of training this week is about 3. I am going to go nuts with taper but I am going to try not to lose it... Trying to stay focused not get anxious and get ready for Sunday! This is the kick off to a big Tri season!