Ironman Florida Eve...

It's Friday and things are heating up. Yesterday Stuart got in a good swim session, giving the real Navy swimmer in the family a run for his money!

We spent the day checking out the bike course, letting him ride various parts of it. It's as flat and fast as they promised. But boy does it look boring!!! Then the two of us snuck out for a run. Being around the Ironman aura must have been motivated since Stuart clocked me running at a 9min/mile pace. For me, that's smokin'! I also ran into Lee Zohlman, founder and elite coach with BodyZen who was one of the instructors at my USAT coaching clinic last weekend. It was great to get a few minutes of his time one-on-one. If I could afford him, would so want him to be my coach.

Last night Stuart, Mom and I met up with the rest of the Endurance Nation crew for a very yummy dinner, but not before pausing for a few sunset pictures on the balcony overlooking the Gulf. We met some great folks - newlyweds David and Lee who are both taking on the Ironman tomorrow morning, and got to catch up with Coach Patrick as well.

Today's been a busy day so we hope to be in bed by 10pm. Mom and I volunteered all day in the Transition area, handling bike check-in for nearly 2600 athletes. We saw them all -- the pros, the cool calm folks, the excited, and the terrified. In honor of Halloween, I even got some weird S&M, gladiator type dude checking in his swim-to-bike bag. On the flip side, I also got to see and escort Heather Fuhr, although she was a bit busy working as the pro liaison doing some trouble shooting. So, no fan photos. :-(

Stuart and my dad arrived at about noon, and I was lucky enough to be able to escort him personally through the whole process. Heck, even the pros didn't get that treatment!! Compared to many of the athletes who had come through, I was so proud of his calm demeanor. He looked prepared, ready, and confident while at the same time respectful of tomorrow's challenge.

He loaded his bike on the rack, and then we stopped for a few quick photos with Mom and Dad. The rest of the support crew has arrived, so it's time for dinner and then tomorrow is RACE DAY!

Ironman Florida, Day 1

The next few entries will be less about me, and more about my better half. This weekend Stuart will be taking on his first Ironman. We arrived safely in Panama City Beach yesterday morning, having picked up my mom at the teeny tiny Fort Walton Beach airport on the way from Pensacola. The first think you need to know is, it's freakin' FREEZING down here! Seriously, it was 37 degrees yesterday morning and the high was only a windy low 60s. We might be shopping at Wal-Mart for some sweatshirts. Sunshine State, my a$$!

We checked into our condo and wandered down to get him registered and check out the Expo. Apparently, registering for an IM is serious business, they check his ID twice, stamped his hand and then barred my mom and I from even peeking into the magic tent. So, Stuart disappeared into the shadows while we waited.

Luckily, though, he emerged safely on the other side smiling broadly with his bag of race numbers in hand and an athlete's bracelet on his wrist.

We wandered around a bit, collected his bike from the shipping company and had the super-hot Zipp 808s put on. Apparently, we couldn't escape politics even at Ironman -- I got a 5min massage from "Joe the Massage Therapist"! We also checked out the TriggerPoint tent, interesting but painful in a physical therapy kind of way.

Stuart took his bike for a ride, while mom and I relaxed at the condo. I think I'm still trying to overcome the exhaustion from the weekend, an all-nighter getting packed on Monday and traveling.

A good dinner thanks to my mom at a yummy seafood restaurant (fresh caught grouper, anyone?) and we were in bed before 11. Not the most exciting post, but I think the days are building.

Run Like A Girl

This morning I ran the Nike+ Virtual Women's Half Marathon down in Old Town Alexandria with my friend Erin. Julie was supposed to join us, but crashed her bike at 10:30pm last night riding home from our house. She showed up at the starting line with some wicked road rash on her face and a very swollen hand. Needless to say, she definitely wasn't in any shape to run, but she wished us luck. Erin, on the other hand, was attempting her first half marathon and was totally ready for action.

This was a small race with a cool concept -- the actual Nike Women's Half took place in San Francisco with the slogan "Run Like A Girl". If you ran "virtually" today and had the distance documented, you got the finisher's schwag (a Tiffany's keychain). Our local running store Pacers did a great job. There was only one water stop, no closed streets and less than 200 women out there, but lots of positive energy -- and a finish line loaded with smoothies, water, donuts and free massages. Needless to say, that was all incentive to haul my sorry, slow self to the finish line!

Erin had gone into this saying she was going to stay with me for as long as I was able to run. The morning was cold as we set out - mid40's and I was glad I'd worn long sleeves, but my legs were cold. I was holding a decent pace, a touch faster than I was truly comfortable with, but since I knew I'd be walking the back half most likely, there was no reason to keep it totally slow. But it was still too slow for Erin....before the 5k mark she had surged ahead. I didn't mind though. First, it was stunning out. We ran most of the distance along the Mount Vernon Trail, which crossed the Potomac and was flush with red and golden leaves. Second, being a Nike/iPod event, music was legal! It's amazing what a difference it makes in diverting you from the pain and helping the miles to slip by.

The course was an out and back, and as I hit the 5.5mile mark I started feeling the tendon acting up. I kept urging myself to hang tough and at least run until I hit that turnaround point at mile 6.55. It was so frustrating -- I was feeling good, in my zone, everything was working except the damn lower leg. I passed Erin on her return trip about 1/4mile from the turnaround and told her that my running time was now measured in minutes before I disintegrated into a walk. She admitted later that she could see the pain in my face. But something happened as I approached the turnaround and the pain subsided a bit. The course wasn't hilly, but the few rolling sections allowed me to bound up on my toes, letting the tendon stay contracted for a bit. And a wicked blister on my instep had me trying to land more on the outer edge of my foot. The combination seemed to take the immediate pain away and the threat of spasms subsided. The mix I had on my iPod was a good one that let me settle into a groove and just go. Twice I pulled up and stretched alongside the trail, begging my leg to hang in there. My goal of hitting 2:30 was in sight if I could keep running just a touch longer. At the Zooma half marathon in June, I had to stop running at about mile 8. Today as I passed mile 8 I held my breath, nervous that the pain would return but something, maybe the music, was holding it at bay.

When I hit the ten mile mark I breathed a sigh of relief, at this point even if I had to walk, 2:30 was doable. I did the math...if I kept running, I could possibly break 2:20. I hadn't done that since first contracting tendonitis two years ago! Time to dig deep. It seemed as if most of the women that day had chosen to do the 8mile route, since I spent most of the morning running alone. I pushed hard, stopping twice more to stretch and before I knew it I was within half a dozen blocks of the finish! I could see Erin waving wildly at me as I kicked towards a strong finish. 2:20 on the nose for an average of 10:43min/mile. For me, an outstanding result! Erin too had a great day, with a 2:04 and the knowledge that she really didn't even push that hard and could easily have gone sub-2.

I have been so bummed for the last month or two that my tri season was so short. So today I feel happy. This was a good race for me - there's no championchip to "prove" my time, but I know it. And despite my desire to continue to get faster, stronger, lighter, fitter, apparently I've had a good year. My new keychain is now holding my keys, and will be a reminder to me each time I fire up the Jeep this winter that my hard work is paying off slowly but surely.

80 degrees in October!?!?

My friend and neighbor Brodie has convinced me yet again to try and get up in the middle of the night to run with her. Ok, so maybe it's technically not the middle of the night. But when the sun isn't rising for another 2hrs it sure feels like it! You see, Brodie's one of those super dedicated moms who can both get up at 5am to get her workout in, and be corporate woman/supermom during daylight hours. So, rather than over-committing and failing, I've agreed to try it once a week. 5:30am.

Yesterday was day one. Mid-October. Leaves are changing. It's 5:30am. And I'm in shorts and a t-shirt because it's 68 degrees out two hours before sunrise. I grab Nick's leash and we're out the door. Just a short, easy run - 30min of chatting. It was amazing to me how many people were out. I wondered how many were just taking advantage of the crazily warm weather, and how many are always out there before 6am getting in their miles before the rest of the world wakes up.

I wish I were one of them. Really, I do. I love the idea of watching the sunrise while I run. Being one of those dedicated souls who arrives at the pool before it opens at 5:15. Or doing sun salutations and warrior poses in the peacefulness of a quiet house while Stuart and the dogs are still asleep.

And when I have a one-off opportunity to do such a thing, I love it. It's a moving and motivating experience. But the reality is, that no matter how hard I try, I haven't been able to make it a habit. My sleep is precious. The bed is warm. Stuart and the dogs are all snuggly. Giving all of that up is hard when you're still in the throes of sleep making the decision to "rise and shine". And, to be honest, I believe in the bogeyman and I'm scared of the bad guys who lurk under cover of darkness. Every now and then, Stuart and I go for a nighttime run. and it's fabulous. But, when it's just me, I do my best to be home safe and sound by the time the sun sets.

Maybe if I had to... If, like Brodie, I knew that if I didn't get that workout in first thing, it wouldn't happen that evening. Or when the day comes that I do actually sign up for an Ironman and have to get in those 2 or 3-a-day workouts. But there isn't that compelling reason to not hit snooze or at least wait until daylight. For now though, I'll enjoy the challenge of getting up early just one morning a week to spend time with a friend.

Holding Myself Accountable

For someone who claims to love this sport as much as I do, it's amazing how many different ways I find to waste time that could be put to more productive uses -- whether it's training, sleeping, or just important stuff like reading or getting laundry done. Instead, I get trapped by mindless things like this and end up losing an hour of my day. Or I laze about saying I'm tired, but don't actually just take a nap and get it over with.

So, I just checked the calendar and there's 11 weeks left in the year. It's off-season, and as I slowly put together the 2009 race calendar it looks like the first triathlon of the year will be in early May. With that in mind, I'm using this blog to hold myself accountable. I want to get in another 88hrs of training time by January 1st. That's a measly 8hrs per week. Very easy to do if I stay organized and don't waste time making excuses. I don't like publicly admitting I've failed so here it is, I'm putting this goal out here where others can see it and read it. I'll occasionally post updates to prove to myself and you my readers that I'm achieving this minor goal I'm setting for my off season.

No more using the dogs as an excuse - if I really feel I can't leave them, there's always yoga, some upper body strength and core work in the basement. It's dark - well, the gym is open until 11pm. It's cold - birthday and Christmas are coming, asking for more cold weather riding gear.

8hrs a week. That's less than 5% of the hours in a given week. Why wouldn't I want to spend at least 5% of my time doing the things I say I love doing???? And with that, I'm off for a ride. Later...

Craig Alexander - Ironman World Champion!

Yes, it's true. My not-so-secret triathlon crush is Craig "Crowie" Alexander. Stuart indulges my harmless little fantasy because I tell him it's partly because he reminds me of what Stuart probably looked like twenty years ago. We have his poster hanging in our basement, and I went ga-ga when I got to say "Good luck, Craig" as he walked past me at the start of the 70.3 World Championships last year. And I almost swooned when he smiled and said "thanks". I mean, let's face it, the guy's seriously hot.

So, that in mind, you can imagine how excited I was yesterday evening as I watched him come off the bike in 11th place, and just churn through the miles of the marathon solidly picking off his competition. And in the end he won the Ironman World Championship! He looked stronger at mile 25 than many folks look at mile 1 of that race. My cousin Billy and some of his swim teammates arrived shortly before Crowie crossed the finish line, and so they had no choice but to watch it with me. I was as excited as if my team just won the Super Bowl. Seriously, since this is the Super Bowl of triathlon.

Now I'm off to enjoy my Sunday, motivated by all those awesome athletes out along the Queen K and Ali'i Drive yesterday.

Running, Singing, Running AND Singing

Do you sing? Do you like to sing? More importantly, can you sing and carry a tune? I must admit, I love to sing. But, even I can't stand the sound of my own voice, which is why I usually confine my singing to alone in the car with the radio volume on high. That way, I can experience the joy of singing without having to hear my own voice. In fairness, I also sing during Mass if there's some old person nearby who sings even worse than I do and so can cover my tone deafness. And unfortunately for Stuart, now that we've been married for five years, I'm feeling more comfortable with just belting out lyrics in front of him (the grimaces let me know that my tune-carrying ability still leaves much to be desired).

So there's something about running with my iPod that brings about a challenge. For the record, I'm one of those people who is pretty much categorically opposed to racing with an iPod. First of all, in most races mp-3 players are forbidden, and that law and order part of me feels compelled to obey. I go even further and consider those who do use them to be cheaters since we all know that listening to music makes it easier to run further and faster.

That being said, I'm most definitely not opposed to training with an iPod as long as you don't become addicted to it. Most of the time, I run without it. Either because I'm running with Jill (when she's in-country) or with Nick the dog [NB. see the happy twosome at right], or with other friends, family, etc...

But, when I do bust out the music, I must admit I love it. Here's the problem though, and I welcome input from the whole dozen or so of you who happen to read this blog. How on earth do you run without wanting to sing along!?!?!? I mean songs like Paradise by the Dashboard Lights are 8.5minutes long. Even for me, that's more than 3/4 of a mile's worth of running. But it's an entertaining song and singing along doesn't help my breath pattern. Not to mention the strange looks from the other people on the trail! Break into Madonna, or Eminem or something even more eclectic and bizarre and people really start to stare. I've got my fair share of Midevil Punditz and other world or electronica music that provides a beat without lyrics. However what really seems to get me going are those studly songs you hear on the loudspeaker before a triathlon. Or the soundtrack of "What It Takes". Or even an 80s mix of Madonna, George Michael and Ah-ha. So, what do I do? Run without an iPod even on those days when I need that extra oomph? Or get over myself and not care about the ears of those around me on the trail and ask ya'll for some other song recommendations to add to my list for the listening pleasure of those around me? All opinions are welcome. :-)

Appreciating Real Running

Years ago, long before bad form, extra weight, and simply less-than-ideal physiology began to contribute to my leg problems, I often bemoaned running. I regularly skipped workouts or whined that they were too hard or too long or too wet or too something. But for the last two years, since tendonitis in my left leg has really sidelined me and impacted the quality and quantity of my runs, I miss it.

I miss the sweat. I miss the mind over matter decision of whether to walk or to push harder. So when I do go out for a run these days, I make sure I enjoy it and aim to have a smile on my face as I did last year finishing my first half Ironman.

Which is why tonite's sunset run with Nick was so much fun. We walked Joe and Ally first and took care of his 'business' first, so both of us were plenty warmed up and ran from the moment we left the house. It's the first run of the season in long sleeves. And we just ran. Real running, not a half hearted 12min/mile shuffle. Up the hill onto the Bluemont trail, the hill we normally walk, this time we ran strong. By the time we hit the last 1/4mile near the house, the part where I'm usually struggling and pushing myself to just get to the turnoff, it was nearly dark. So I couldn't see clearly how far I had left and therefore could just run. No heart rate monitor, no sense of distance. Just the happiness of running based on my own breath and the smile on Nick's silly little face beside me.

I don't know if there will ever again be a time where I run free from injury and that nagging worry that it could get even worse. But in the interim, I'll remember not to take these moments for granted and to enjoy the strength I do have to run with my faithful little goofball beside me.

Sea Gull Century

My first century is done and in the books - and other than some pain walking downstairs and being incredibly tired, I feel surprisingly good. This was a goal I'd set in 2007, and didn't get around to, so I was excited to have beautiful weather to try and hit the distance this year. The last 7 or 8wks of slacking on training meant that I was pretty nervous going into this. The longest ride I've ever done was 64miles, and that was this past July before Rhode Island 70.3, so this was going to be a huge jump in terms of distance and challenge. I warned Stuart that we might be creeping along at a snail's pace, but after last week's AquaVelo he said he was ready for a long easy pre-Ironman ride and so promised to stay with me.

We got a much later start than planned - it was a long drive to Salisbury so we didn't actually mount our bikes until 8:45 (last riders had to be on the road by 9am). On the advice of some friends, I chose to bring Coraggio - my red Giant road bike. I felt strong the first 22miles to the first rest stop but realized I'd had little to drink during that hour +. So we took the time to drink some gatorade, grab some orange sections, and then refill the water bottles for the second leg. The rest stop was pretty, off the main road at a state park along the water.

It really was a social occasion! Miles 20-40 we ended up chatting with some guys down from New Jersey, and the group of them pulled me along at 18+mph until I finally admitted that I was pushing too hard so we let them ride off. We hit that second rest stop in a little over an hour and Stuart commented on how hard I was riding. He was saying it as if impressed, but it made me worried that I was going to blow up with thirty or forty miles to go, and vowed to back it off on the next leg until the "lunch stop" at mile 60-ish. We left that stop along with a guy in a Booz Allen jersey riding a fixie! It was his birthday so he also had a birthday hat on top of his helmet and a mp3 player with speakers in a pannier on his bike. He, his dad (the BAH employee) and his girlfriend were making a day of it. We rode together for a while, but then surged ahead.

As we hit the one "hill" on this incredibly flat ride - the bridge to Assateague Island - we ran into a DC Tri clubmate and rode with him for a while. This was the most beautiful part of the day, and we stopped on the bridge to take a few photos.

Turns out the lunch stop was a bit of a bust. Oranges, cookies, and some bread in addition to water and gatorade. I'd been imagining a ham sandwich or something. Oh well, I consoled myself with the thought that I was feeling amazingly good. My girly-bits weren't hurting, and I was just a few miles shy of my longest ride ever. I knew I was going to do it.

After the disappointment of "lunch", we looked forward to the rest stop at mile 83 (where they served some yummy pie and ice cream!). From there we knew it was less than 20miles to the finish, but I told Stuart that the day was getting to me and we needed to take it easy so I didn't die during this last hour. But then with about 8miles to go we hooked on the back end of a pace line and just let it rip. It was fun to red-line it, and see if I could hang on with these guys, and even more fun to succeed at it!

I know it wasn't a race, but still figured that my average speed would be a good indicator of how well I was doing, so I was very pleased to see that we did the entire ride in sub-6, averaging 17mph. Considering I was hoping to average 15 over that distance - I'm excited by how strong I felt out there.

The one bummer of the day was that we didn't get to meet up with Trifueler extraordinaire Anton- who apparently left his mobile phone at home so we couldn't hook up at the finish line. A fun day, but not sure I'd do this ride again. Long day's drive, and other than the one bridge, it wasn't as beautiful of a ride as I'd expected. Nice riding, but the scenery was nothing special. On the up side, it was a wonderful experience to share with Stuart. To ride easily and just talk for hours with nowhere else to be.

It Can Be Tough

It can be tough to be the coolest dog in the neighborhood! Ally might be the princess, and Nick the neurotic goofball, but Joe is just plain cool...

Take Me Home, Country Road

Back in Ohio for a long weekend with our parents and wonderful friends. Besides the great time with Karin, Todd, their sons and our families, it also gave me the chance to get off the W&OD trail and run beyond the normal chaos of DC's inner suburbs.

My parents live on the outskirts of a Columbus suburb, where two lane roads wind past a mixture of houses with a few acres of land, and small farms sporting horses, produce or both. Twice this weekend I set out for a 1-hour run and was amazed by the beauty and the near total quiet. No back drop of Metros or honking traffic. A cyclist or two, but not the congestion that can be the local trails here in DC. Cars came whizzing past but kindly gave me wide berth. Even the occasional stink of fresh roadkill was a pleasant change. We're just on the tipping point of fall...the mornings were cool, but I still managed a t-shirt and running skirt.

I grew up here (at least from 9th grade on) but never totally appreciated the opportunity to be out in nature. Then again, I wasn't exactly physically active when I was 14, either. It reminded me that I need to make the time on the weekends to find a trail outside the Beltway, pack my dog or my bike and get some workouts and spiritual renewal amid the peacefulness of a country road or quiet woods.

Game on!

Great news this week, Stuart's Ironman is a go! He's had shoulder aches and pains for years, but three weeks ago he cut short a swim workout due to intense pain. For my tough husband to call it quits on a workout means the pain must have been excruciating. That Saturday night, he heard a pop. He'd ruptured a tendon and detached his biceps muscle from his shoulder.
A visit to the internist the next week had him coming to grips with the idea that a year's worth of training was for naught. We were disappointed but trying to be philosophical about it. On Monday though, he finally got to see the orthopedist. Amazingly, the sports medicine orthopedist says that physical therapy and not surgery is the answer. His arm will remain somewhat odd-looking, but will regain full functionality and strength. It may affect his swim and therefore finishing time at Ironman Florida, so his goals may need to be adjusted. But, most importantly, he will be at the starting line on November 1st!!! So, no more sadness after two weeks of missed workouts. Instead, he's got work to do. We've got a race to attend in 6 weeks!!!

Things You Don't Even Realize You Miss

Stuart and I were talking this afternoon, and we both acknowledged how much you don't always realize how much you care about something until it's gone. Yes, I know, possibly one of the most trite and overused expressions in the English language. But there's a reason it's overused -- it's true.

I miss running. Now, I've never been fast. It's never been pretty. But the last two years since tendonitis first reared it's ugly head, I haven't been able to suffer through 17mile slogs. I haven't been able to bitch and moan about hill sprints. I haven't been able to just run and not worry about whether my leg or my lungs will give out first. The doctors have assured me the tendon is solid, and it won't give out. But I'm still not convinced, and therefore am not willing to just "push through the pain."

Today wasn't about running, though. I have almost always hated swim training. I feel self-conscious, slow, and easily irritated by others in my lane. Stuart usually has to drag me to the pool, which explains why I haven't been in two weeks since he's been unable to swim himself. But today, I did it. Overcame the inertia and headed to the local high school. It was packed. I mean, 5-in-a-lane packed. And yet I didn't quit. An easy pyramid, 2500 yards. But, it felt good. There was no pressure. I wasn't doing intervals. I just swam. And, I enjoyed it.

I usually put off swimming, convincing myself it's a pain. But maybe I like it more than I realize. Maybe I was missing it these past few weeks....and didn't even realize it.

A Different Crowd

I start with a new client next week, and so yesterday I was there meeting with the client and my predecessor, and generally learning the lay of the land before my official first day. One of the huge benefits of this new assignment is that Stuart and I will once again work in the same building, and therefore commute together many days. And hopefully at least a few times per week one of us will be able to ride a bike home to build a workout into the end of the day.

Yesterday, since Stuart had to leave early for a doctor's appointment, it was my turn. I haven't ridden in a while, so I first have to acknowledge recognizing the fitness I've lost. It felt good, though, to be on my bike again. The first three miles after leaving the office are a gradual incline until turning off the parkway and meeting up with the W&OD trail. So I had a good little aerobic warmup within the first ten minutes on the road. Once I hit the trail though, I noticed something. I was part of a different demographic. The trail wasn't filled with families out on their cruisers and Trek Limes. Neither did I see more than one or two hard core roadies doing 20+ mph. Instead, most of the folks I passed and that passed me were wearing backpacks. They nodded or smiled and I smiled and nodded back. We were commuters. All of us sharing in the joy of avoiding the inevitable congestion on I-66. Saving the gas in our cars for the weekend. Doing our part to decrease carbon emissions and help the environment. Burning a few calories and melting away the day's stress before arriving home.

I couldn't decide whether to push hard or just meander, but I realized that it didn't matter. This wasn't a workout, it was transportation. Fun disguised as a means to an end. As I neared home I added to my mental Christmas list -- more winter bike clothing and a set of lights. The more I can do this, I think the happier I will be.

Back on the Trails

It was a GORGEOUS day today! Too perfect, not a cloud in the sky. Zero excuses to not sweat at least a little bit. So, chores and work stuff had to wait.

I was supposed to meet my friend Emily for an open water swim clinic at 7:30 this morning about 20miles south of here. But late last night I saw in my email that due to water conditions after Tropical Storm Hanna, they'd moved the clinic indoors to the AU pool, 6 miles east of here! I emailed her but it was close to midnight so too late to call, and then at 6:45 this morning tried to call and text her, but to no avail. She didn't get the message until the whole family showed up at the original clinic site five minutes before it was due to start. I feel so badly!!!

But, without the clinic, my day shifted a bit. Stuart bought me some yummy fresh berries this week so I made an amazing smoothie for breakfast with cinnamon toast. I'm out of protein powder though, need to remember to stop by Whole Foods this week.

So about 11 or so Stuart, Nick and I headed out the door for an easy 3mile run. Nick was pretty well behaved. We pushed it a touch harder than I would have alone, and then at my turn-around point Stuart kept going. He ended up doing 8miles. I came home, then went out for another mile with Joe and Ally. It felt good, and made me smile. But, if I'm going to actually write a blog, and figure out how to make it interesting, I need to start remembering to take my nifty little pink camera out with me on days like this. Note to self... In the meantime, here's a happy piece of news about my goofy little Nick. He was at the vet yesterday for his shots and stuff, and the vet asked if he was still running because he has an amazingly low resting heart rate. She said it was clear he was an incredibly fit and athletic dog - definitely takes after his Dad!!

Then this afternoon Stuart wanted to test his arm (more on that in another post, but needless to say keep your fingers crossed for him) so we jumped on our bikes for half an hour. Boy can you tell I haven't had a real bike ride in a month! All calluses in the girly regions are gone, and it hurt! It really doesn't take long for hard-earned fitness to slip away, either. So, today might have been the fun kick-in-the-pants I needed to get moving again. Thank goodness.

Wish me luck that my dormant phase is over and I'm ready to face a fun and healthy autumn!

Newton's First Law

The last few weeks have really pushed me around emotionally, and as a result taken a toll on me physically. According to the scale I've lost two pounds, but that's likely two pounds of muscle considering the limited exercise regimen I've been on. And now I have the all clear to resume regularly scheduled programming. And yet I'm still a little sloth-like.


I'm totally full of contradictions right now, and I realize that, but somehow Newton's Laws of Motion are in effect. I need that push to move from being "an object at rest" to "an object in motion". I claim to be sad that my racing season is over. Yet, there's a medium-long distance race in mid-October I could do, the Brierman Triathlon, but it will require some work in the next five weeks since I know the course is hilly and the water will be chilly. So far, I haven't exactly gotten out the door for that. Maybe this weekend? Set a starting line for myself and just say that moving forward from that point on, it's back into a life of physical activity and health?


How have I done this before - overcome the laws of physics? surely it can be done.

I'm so tempted....

This time last year I was planning on doing an Ironman in 2009. Stuart was signing up for IM Florida in November '08, and I wanted that one extra year to prep for my own Ironman experience. Here we are....registration is open and will probably be closed by week's end. Why Louisville? A friend is trying to convince me to do IM Switzerland with her next summer (sorry, Andrea!). And Stuart and Julie have or will have both done Florida - a flat course which plays to my strength...or my weakness the hills. But, Louisville isn't that far from Ohio. Multiple family and friends within a 200mile radius don't guarantee, but definitely up the odds of a goodly-sized cheering crew. It'll be hot, and the bike will be hilly, but it appeals to me.

And yet, there are so many reasons to wait until '10 (or beyond). First and foremost is knowing that my leg is not prepared for the rigors of marathon training. Heck, I can't do more than 5miles or an hour without some serious problems. Second, other stuff that we might have on our plates personally and professionally mean that the timing might not be ideal.

But since nothing has come to fruition, it's hard to sit here and see DC Tri Clubbers and Trifuelers celebrating that they've got their slots. I'm strong though....step away from the "register" button!!!

A little bit sad, Tri season is over

Well, my triathlon season is over for probably the next year. And I'm pretty sad about it. Not since I started doing tris four years ago have I had a season with only two races.

My last race of the season was supposed to be the Annapolis Triathlon on September 6th. I was excited both because I love Annapolis but more importantly because my cousin Billy the USNA swimming stud was going to do it with me. I had also been looking at a longer race in October, but I was going to be satisfied with this one last race before hanging up the tri bike for another season. Well, last week the organizers of the Annapolis Triathlon announced that the city had revoked bike permits, supposedly due to "safety" issues, but more likely due to numerous complaints from local churches that street closures were inconvenient. The organizers are giving our money back, which is good since it was like $150, but I'm still sad. I don't know if I would have pushed myself any harder during that run at Rhode Island if I knew it would be more than a year before I raced again. I felt that I gave the best performance I could give under the circumstances...but would different circumstances have made a difference.

Yes, I've still got the Annapolis Ten Miler next weekend. And a Turkey Trot in November. But with all the issues still associated with the tendons in my left leg, I know I won't be able to push it the way I'd like. PR's in running races are probably a thing of the past, so it's hard to get psyched.

I'll be okay. There's lots to look forward to in the future. It's just a little disappointing.

Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island

We arrived in Rhode Island on Thursday to spend the night with an old college friend and his family. Having never met me, or probably even heard of me before this trip(!), Shawn’s wife Abby was wonderful and immediately made us feel at home. Heck, she even gave my husband his race-day haircut – how’s that for being a great hostess!?!? We made it to bed at a decent hour, only to have a wake up call before 6am by 3yr old Myles knocking on our door and saying, “Mommy and Daddy are still asleep, will you come and play with me?” And so started Friday!!

We checked into our hotel in Providence on Friday afternoon. Registration was quick and easy, which left us time to begin packing our transition bags before heading out to enjoy Restaurant Week in Providence. Yum! Saturday was a bit crazier. This was a point-to-point race, meaning that we started and finished at different locations. A change of pace from races we’ve done in the past, but it did mean additional steps and pre-planning. Saturday morning we hopped in the car to take our bikes and bike gear down to the starting point at ocean’s edge about forty miles south of Providence in Narragansett. Yeah. Apparently the entire state of Massachusetts descends on this beach on the weekends. What should have been a 45min drive took us over 1-1/2hrs, but at least we made it. It took just a few minutes to rack our bikes and check out the swim course. So far so good.

We planned on using the race cue sheet to drive the circuitous 56mile bike course back to Providence in order to see what we had in store on Sunday. Yeah. Apparently Rhode Island balances its state budget by saving money and not producing street signs. So a cue sheet telling me to “Turn right on Rt 3” means nothing if you NEVER EVER cross a street bearing a Rt 3 sign. And this happened repeatedly. As a result three things happened: 1. we never did see the entire course; 2. we ended up lost in the ‘hood of downtown Providence saying “we must be lost, they’d never have us racing through this neighborhood”; and 3. it took us almost as long to drive as it did for me to bike the entire distance the next day. But back to our hotel eventually no worse for the wear. We felt like old folks ordering the early bird special, however when your alarm is set for 2am, you eat early. So at 4:30 we wandered next door to the Union Station Brewery for some burgers and it was lights out by 7pm. Stuart managed to fall asleep, but I distinctly remember seeing 10pm on the clock. Ugh, nerves!

2am came quickly. Coffee, pb&j’s and some Gatorade, then we were off to catch the shuttle to the starting point. The bus was predictably quiet, but nervous energy and a pounding heart still preventing me from getting another quick nap. Once we arrived at the start line, all weariness vanished. Bright spotlights scared away the darkness, and upbeat music blared from speakers as I assembled my transition area. “Stuart, look, there’s Lisa Bentley!” I was in the same race as one of my favorite pro triathletes! Just one of the many things I love about this sport.

We wandered around, got our wetsuits on, and before we knew it, Stuart was in the starting corral. I stood on the shore cheering until I couldn’t see him anymore and then started chatting with another athlete. All of a sudden I realized it was MY wave in the corral. Shoot! I started running for the start line. Phew, got there in time and decided to seed myself in the very very back. I’ve never had strong swim times but always place myself midpack. This time, I decided to see what would happen if there weren’t any women behind me trying to swim over me. The cannon sounded and we ran towards the water. In the last few days since the race, I’ve been amazed at the number of people who talked about how choppy and difficult the swim was. For me – it was my best swim ever!! I decided to use a different breathing method – every 2 strokes instead of every 3. The result was I felt far calmer, always in control and able to keep moving forward at a steady pace. And, since I seeded myself at the back of my wave, I wasn’t constantly fighting for space in the water. In four years of triathlons, I’ve never before had a swim where I didn’t at least once contemplate quitting because the swim was too hard for me. A back of the pack swim, but still a success. Out of the water in 43:25.

A quick stop at the wetsuit strippers then on to my bike. I can divide the bike ride into two segments. The first hour, and the rest. The first hour was awesome. We biked along the coastline – stunning views of the ocean and some phenomenal seaside mansions. I averaged over 18mph in that first hour of primarily flat roads. And then we turned inland…. When I signed up for this race, I’d been told that RI was flat. Apparently they were referring to the beach. The rest of the race was a series of practically nonstop rolling hills. The one bright spot was mile 28. Shawn and Abby had said they were going to come out to see us. I watched my bike computer anxiously as the miles crept by. And then, there they were shouting out to me, holding up a “Go, Tamara!” sign. They can’t imagine how much I needed that positive energy right then. I was so grateful to see them smiling and cheering! The next two hours were pretty much about just getting the job done. I passed and was passed back by about the same half dozen riders or so over the course of the bike, so we traded encouraging comments as we overtook each other. Not too mention all the comments about my cute pink outfit – socks, skirt, jersey (and eventually my lucky pink running hat). I love how friendly triathletes are!

The hill at mile 45 made me want to puke. That’s all I have to say about that. The last few miles of the ride were a little scary. Remember the day before when we figured we were lost in the ghetto? We weren’t lost – the race actually wound through the less desirable parts of Providence on its way to T2. Whoa. The roads weren’t totally closed off so we were racing at 20+mph on the shoulder of the road with cars backed up for ages and just hoping that they were obeying the police directing traffic. But, I finally hit T2. 3:18:08 for a 16.96mph average. Two legs down, and two good results.

And then came the run. I went into the race knowing I’d likely be walking most of it. Due to ongoing tendonitis issues in my left leg, my running has been almost nothing. I did a half marathon in early June and walked the last 3miles because the tendons in my lower leg kept spasming nonstop in an incredibly painful way. So, I didn’t have high hopes for my performance. Instead, I was focusing on how soon I would see my handsome husband out on the 2 loop run course. The initial mile of the run was downhill to flat, so I was cruising along comfortably. And as I passed that 1mile mark, who did I see coming towards me but Stuart! We stopped to kiss each other and get all teary-eyed, glad that the other had safely survived the bike. (We’re both always convinced the other is going to crash/DNF/something, so it’s always a relief to see each other on the run). Then he headed off to finish his first loop while I turned to see THE HILL. That’s right, THE HILL is this monster climb that we would have to do not once, but twice. Since I was in no hurry anyways, I didn’t even attempt to run it. Settled into a nice walk and cruised up. Ok, wasn’t so bad. Started to jog again at the top. Ran into a few of the same folks I saw on the bike. Ran and chatted with a few different peeps. I hit the far point and started back on my first loop and immediately starting watching for Stuart. He’d be running a lot faster than me. When I finally saw him I did the quick math. If I could keep moving, I could be at the finish line/turnaround point in time to see him finish!!! More than anything that helped me hustle through that first loop. I got back to the timing mat, stepped on it and stopped. Cheering spectators looked at me oddly until I explained that my husband would be finishing any minute and I wanted to see him. Sure enough – he came running towards the finishing chute looking strong as ever. I shouted his name and told him I loved him as he ran past me to the finish.

A little teary-eyed from happiness at getting to see him finish, I started my second loop. This one hurt a lot more. After walking to the top of THE HILL, my legs refused to run. At all. This was the moment I knew was coming. The next five miles comprised about 3/4mile of jogging interspersed with over 4miles of running. Other athletes were so supportive, but it was hot, I hurt, and my spirits were flagging. I just wanted to be done. I’d trained so hard for the last 8 months, and hated that I was moving so slowly. When I hit THE HILL heading down I decided to try and jog a bit. Not too too bad, so I tried to keep a steady shuffle as I neared the finish line. I peeked at my watch…as I finished the first loop I’d actually turned my heart rate monitor and stopwatch off since I knew that wouldn’t be the defining issue in my run time. So now I realized that if I could finish in less than 5min, I’d at least be under 7hrs. Pathetic, but a goal nonetheless.
Turned the final corner, shuffled up the last rise in the road, and there it was just another two hundred yards away. I spilled across the finish line in 6:59:51. I burst into hot, tired, sweaty tears of gratitude that I was done. They put a medal around my neck and wanted to take my picture but I was sobbing too hard. It took a minute or two to calm down and smile for the camera. Still hadn’t seen Stuart. Eventually he found me and more tears ensued. Turns out he’d fallen and scraped up his knee, so was in the medical tent when I finished. He looked fresh as a daisy, since he’d finished over an hour and a half before me. Nice guy had waited – I probably would have left him a note with a volunteer and gone back to the hotel without him!

Too tired to speak, I laid down on the grass for about ten minutes before we began collecting our stuff. Chatted a bit with some DC Tri teammates and thanked as many wonderful volunteers as we could.

Later that afternoon we limped next door to the Union Street Brewery again to make up for the calories burned that morning. Oh so tired!

It’s been a few days since the race ended. And while I’m still not pleased with the final time on the clock, all in all I am proud of my performance. Strong results (for me) on two of the three legs, and a massive test of mental fortitude on the run. I might not be *good* at triathlon comparatively speaking, but despite that, I love this sport.

And so it begins...

I've contemplated a blog for awhile now. I don't know if I'll keep this up, or if I'll even publish it to be viewable to others. But with lots of life changes and plans ahead, it seems like the right time to begin.