July 2006 Bike Odyssey: Virtual Race to Traverse City, Michigan--26.5 miles down (I can't seem to add the map so I can't show how far this is)
Day 1: I couldn't wait for this day to start. I had been planning this first day since I first heard about our work "virtual race" to Traverse City contest. I had decided early on that the easiest and fastest way for me to reach the goal of 175 miles was to ride my bike--every day until I got there.
Five a.m. Monday morning came early, especially after doing the tri over the weekend and being at the beach late Sunday night. I knew I couldn't actually get on the road until at least 6:30 a.m., but nonetheless I woke up before the alarm. A quick check of the weather indicated it was likely we would have showers sometime that day, and my plan was to break my daily increments into two rides--one before work, the other after. I figured I could handle 25-40 miles a day that way, taking other aspects of my life into account as well. Today would be at least 25 miles.
Packed up the day's breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and added to that all the clothes I would need for 2 rides and work clothes. Its amazing all the stuff you have to bring on these early morning workouts when you know you won't be home for at least 12 hours!
It was darker this morning longer, a sure sign we were creeping slowly to the "darker" side of mornings. It wouldn't be much longer and morning rides before work would be out. :( But it was calm and the temperature was cool, calling for long sleeves.
I arrived at the park at 6:30 a.m. and quickly went about setting up my bike. Just like a transition sort of. I'm getting faster. Tires were okay, no need to pump today. Remember to do that at night when you have more time though! was a reminder I needed. Got on the bike and noticed my computer had not reset itself as it usuallt did. Probably because of all the rolling at the tri, it was still on that distance and time. So I was fiddling with that, already clipped in with one foot and wouldn't you know it! Toppled over and ended up with the bike on top of me! Great way to start this trip! Also first "crash" of the season and it had to be a stupid bike trick. Skinned up knee and elbow but nothing bleeding. Good reason to have long sleeves.
I decided to just take the river route since it was flat and fast and I knew how far to go before turning back. My computer is forever trashed and no one can seem to calibrate it properly, so I have to guesstimate on distance and keep track of time. That is something I will be getting new soon when the bike shop has its sale next week!
It has gotten fairly predictable whom I will see riding in the morning. I suspect some people are riding to work because of their backpacks, and I think that is great. Naturally they are all guys. I have thought of doing it, but you know, with the helmet hair and all. .. :) The others are the trash pickers, the ones with the fairly decent bikes (go figure) who scour the trash bins for returnable cans and who knows what other treasures that catch their fancy. There's also this old guy, I think someone said in his 80s, who rides 25-30 miles a day every day. That got me thinking, if he can do that, I can do this bike journey too.
The path was littered with lots of sticks, twigs, and sand, the aftermath of last week's storm. You have to be watching the whole way to not run over the stuff or wipe out in the sand traps. But at least no traffic. No one fishing today either.
Lots of thoughts go through my mind as I pedal away. Keep it easy, don't try pushing the pace. You've got a lot of distance to cover, no need to hurry that much. Here's the workout time where I question whether or if I will ever do an Ironman race. This is just the type of schedule I would need to keep. Is this something I can and be willing to do for probably 5-6 months?? Then of course today I'm doing the math on this bike thing. If I do 25 today...I could do 15 this morning, less than an hour...that would only mean 10 tonight (when I have all this other stuff to do). Maybe I could run tomorrow. No, stick with the bike for now. Use running as a Plan B....On and on it went.
Fifteen miles, 53 min. Okay, not bad. Hurry to get to gym and get dressed for work.
As the morning unfolds, I have told a couple of people about my ride and fall this morning and they are very encouraging. Then the e-mail chatter starts about Lake Placid. I had totally forgotten it was IMUSA this past weekend! So the e-mails begin with Frank saying he is signing up. Then Dan, then Libby, Mike, Melissa, Deb, Pat and of course our own Shelley. I knew she would jump on this. So it looks like another party next July! It was unbelievable how fast it sold out. And it was pretty obvious how addicting IM is to all these people. They just can't keep their fingers off that "Send" button!
At noon I had to take my car in for a paint job, to fix the lovely scratched up mess someone bestowed upon my vehicle while I was away at IMCDA--$1200 worth! I was going to need a loaner and of course I had to make sure it would hold my bike! I arrived at the place and the woman there was very accommodating about the bike thing. I explained about the contest and the triathlon thing, and she made sure the car they loaned would hold my bike. Yes, it did, wheel off, stuffed in the back seat, but that's what I used to do with my old car, so not a big deal. As luck would have it, the only pop-up storm on the radar had to hit at that exact moment in time while we were doing all this, so would have gotten soaked had she not held an umbrella over me the whole time! Thanks!
Get back to work, and the IMUSA e-mails continued. I wasn't going to get much work done today! Missed my chance to really eat my lunch, not just the salad and yogurt I had packed. I wasn't that hungry right then, but I was thinking of the second workout later.
Five o'clock couldn't come soon enough and I was out the door in a flash, change, and hurry to the park. My phone rings just as I am pulling up. Dang! My daughter. I don't talk to her very often so quickly talked, told her I would call later. I was on a hurry-up-and-get-this-ride-done mission because I still had to shop for dinner and stop at the cemetery. It was hot (91 degrees), and I was hungry and crabby. Lesson learned: don't skip lunch! Snacks don't cut it.
I started my second bike ride of the day, grumbling. :) Man, was I crabby! I know I only got about 5 hrs. sleep the night before, so that would have to change tonight, but I was already contemplating the delay getting home and to bed. Meeting up with my sister later so we could go to the cemetery was an exercise in patience, because she was never ready for anything when she was supposed to.
I pedaled on and my legs felt surprisingly good. I was actually pedaling at 17 mph without any effort. Flat and fast, I think I will keep with that again today! But then for some reason, half-way into my short ride I decided to take another part of the path, away from the river. Too late I spotted a tree down across the road, apparently from last week's storm still. It was very windy out, but I don't think that had just happened. So, turn back and head over the river after all. Ah, the wind. Yet another factor in this ride. It was easy going out; so much for the 17mph returning! Going back was not going to be as quick, and I soon tired of having the wind in my face. I really wanted to get this over with now. Then my phone rings yet again! Aaagh! I was tired enough I just decided to stop and answer and it was Don. Yeah, I'm on the bike. Yes, again! Talk to you later! Grumble some more and get going.
Heading back, I was going to have to cross the bridge over the river. As I approached, I could see a rider coming from the opposite direction. I would be making a right turn, he a left turn. I had the right of way, and I was there first, but guess who was rude and cut me off?? "I thought I could make it before you did" was his lame excuse, causing me to veer over and into a branch that had fallen and I hadn't seen in time, but avoiding another crash. "Yeah, thanks. I know your ride is more important." Like I said, I was really, really grumpy. I do not like these after work workouts, especially when I already had done one that day!
Was I going to make this journey? I was negotiating and renegotiating the whole distance, how to do it, etc. and before I knew it I missed another turn to go back! Rats! I need to get done. I have at least 2 hrs. ahead of me before I can get home! So I gladly turned in the middle of the road and went back. Hurried back to the gym for a quick shower and discovered my lower back was very tight! Very tight. Great. Nothing hurt on the bike. Nothing feels pulled. Then I realized it might be the loaner car. The seats were quite a bit different, and I am extremely sensitive to any change in my car seat. Stretch some and I am able to stretch but the soreness is there. Shower and realize how good that feels. But I was drained. It was creeping up on me.
In that moment, I decided I was not going to wait for my sister to go to the cemetery. I was going to shop for groceries and then go by myself. That way I wouldn't have to be waiting around for who knew how long for her. I was really miserable my back hurt so much. Shopping was a chore, and I had to stand around for more than 10 min. to get something I needed when no store personnel was anywhere near to help out. I paged 5 times before someone showed up! (Reminder: file a complaint on their on-line survey!) So then I am running later and later. It is after 8 pm! Its dark out too, with black stormy clouds moving in. Storm warnings were for other areas, but it was obvious we could get hit too. Hurry to the cemetery and decide I can't feel guilty for hurrying this along. The basket of flowers we put there earlier in the spring still looked nice. The flowers I brought that day I realized when I arrived were wilted and falling apart, and with the wind, they were pretty much almost done for by the time I got them arranged. Sorry mom. I'll have to come back later this week. I kept telling myself not to feel guilty. There really was no need to bring anything, but again my sense of obligation got the best of me.
I headed home, feeling so tired and achy and was glad to get dinner, clean up and go to bed! I could barely keep my eyes open by the time it was almost 10 pm. Tomorrow would be another day.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Monday, July 24, 2006
Five Years.
Its been 5 years today since my mom died. That was the day I stopped being who I was and suddenly became what everyone else needed me to be. For five years I put things aside that I wanted to or should have done. I still have to do things I don't want to do, but I am again doing things I want or need to do.
Life does go on for the living, and sometimes it takes a while to spring back from hurts and heartaches. I am honoring my mom today, but also am taking the time to be me again. I don't think she would have wanted it any other way. And I also don't think others in the family expect me to be there for them all the time either, even though I probably am. I finally had to put an end to never putting myself first, and that's how I made a comeback to trathlon and living.
Its been 5 years today since my mom died. That was the day I stopped being who I was and suddenly became what everyone else needed me to be. For five years I put things aside that I wanted to or should have done. I still have to do things I don't want to do, but I am again doing things I want or need to do.
Life does go on for the living, and sometimes it takes a while to spring back from hurts and heartaches. I am honoring my mom today, but also am taking the time to be me again. I don't think she would have wanted it any other way. And I also don't think others in the family expect me to be there for them all the time either, even though I probably am. I finally had to put an end to never putting myself first, and that's how I made a comeback to trathlon and living.
BEACH WEEKEND.
After the tri on Saturday, Don and I headed out to Lake Michigan. My daughter and her kids and my sister and two of her kids joined us. It was a gloriously beautiful day. One of our favorite spots is at Duck Lake State Park in North Muskegon. On one side of the road is Duck Lake, on the other is Lake Michigan. Take your pick--if the winds are out of the north, as they were that day, the Lake Michigan waters can be frigid, so you can head over to Duck Lake for a quick swim, but still enjoy the scenery of Lake Michigan.
Don headed right into the cold Lake Michigan waters for his legs, as he often does in any cold body of water. After biking 75 that day (to and from my race), he was looking forward to a swim in the icy lake. I say icy because anytime the winds shift out of the north, the water temps plummet. They had been at a high of 78 earlier in the week, practically bath water warm for the big lake! Today, probably closer to 70, if that. After the warm temps at Barlow Lake, where the tri was held, it was a little shocking to me even walking in. But you can't go to Lake Michigan without going in. That's the rule. With the short beach season we have, you don't want to waste a day at the beach just sunning yourself. Still, I was not willing to fully immerse myself that day. Brrr. We did go over to Duck Lake for a swim, however.
Sunday we repeated ourselves and headed for the lake again, this time to Grand Haven State Park, south of where we were the day before. The weather report had shown the water temps that morning, with Muskegon where we were Saturday at a high of 70 and Benton Harbor and South Haven to the far south at a chilly 53! Yikes! The water in Grand Haven was supposed to be around 70 as well, but my body told me otherwise when we finally got up the courage to dive in. OMG! It is not 70! I wished I had brought my wetsuit, but even then I doubt I could have lasted long. I couldn't catch my breath, and with the waves and cold, it got to be too much trying to get a swim in, so I headed back to my chair on the beach. Don went on a ways but quickly returned as well. So I wasn't surprised at all when they showed water temps on the nightly news as being 54! Yes, I can certainly tell the difference between 60 (at Lake Coeur D'Alene) and 54. Its a matter of breathing--or not. It was funny though that my body was not cold after getting out. From experience, I realized what had happened: once my body became exposed to the cold waters, the heat element immediately kicked in and warmed me. I'm not sure how long something like that lasts when you are stranded in cold water, but it works for short term anyway. It wasn't until later that the delayed cold set in and we decided it was time to pack up. A relaxing day, nonetheless. Water has that effect on me, and I suspect on many others. Just being near water and I relax. So I propose moving our office to the beach! Not sure if anyone would get any work done, but we'd all be so mellow! Imagine that for a group of lawyers!
After the tri on Saturday, Don and I headed out to Lake Michigan. My daughter and her kids and my sister and two of her kids joined us. It was a gloriously beautiful day. One of our favorite spots is at Duck Lake State Park in North Muskegon. On one side of the road is Duck Lake, on the other is Lake Michigan. Take your pick--if the winds are out of the north, as they were that day, the Lake Michigan waters can be frigid, so you can head over to Duck Lake for a quick swim, but still enjoy the scenery of Lake Michigan.
Don headed right into the cold Lake Michigan waters for his legs, as he often does in any cold body of water. After biking 75 that day (to and from my race), he was looking forward to a swim in the icy lake. I say icy because anytime the winds shift out of the north, the water temps plummet. They had been at a high of 78 earlier in the week, practically bath water warm for the big lake! Today, probably closer to 70, if that. After the warm temps at Barlow Lake, where the tri was held, it was a little shocking to me even walking in. But you can't go to Lake Michigan without going in. That's the rule. With the short beach season we have, you don't want to waste a day at the beach just sunning yourself. Still, I was not willing to fully immerse myself that day. Brrr. We did go over to Duck Lake for a swim, however.
Sunday we repeated ourselves and headed for the lake again, this time to Grand Haven State Park, south of where we were the day before. The weather report had shown the water temps that morning, with Muskegon where we were Saturday at a high of 70 and Benton Harbor and South Haven to the far south at a chilly 53! Yikes! The water in Grand Haven was supposed to be around 70 as well, but my body told me otherwise when we finally got up the courage to dive in. OMG! It is not 70! I wished I had brought my wetsuit, but even then I doubt I could have lasted long. I couldn't catch my breath, and with the waves and cold, it got to be too much trying to get a swim in, so I headed back to my chair on the beach. Don went on a ways but quickly returned as well. So I wasn't surprised at all when they showed water temps on the nightly news as being 54! Yes, I can certainly tell the difference between 60 (at Lake Coeur D'Alene) and 54. Its a matter of breathing--or not. It was funny though that my body was not cold after getting out. From experience, I realized what had happened: once my body became exposed to the cold waters, the heat element immediately kicked in and warmed me. I'm not sure how long something like that lasts when you are stranded in cold water, but it works for short term anyway. It wasn't until later that the delayed cold set in and we decided it was time to pack up. A relaxing day, nonetheless. Water has that effect on me, and I suspect on many others. Just being near water and I relax. So I propose moving our office to the beach! Not sure if anyone would get any work done, but we'd all be so mellow! Imagine that for a group of lawyers!
Saturday, July 22, 2006
GREAT LAKES TRIATHLON--Saturday, July 22, 2006
Third tri of the season done. This one was a 1/2 mile swim, 18 mile bike, 4.5 mile run. I think I improved, I felt like I did anyway. And it was fun, so all in all, a good enough day.
The temps finally cooled off and it was at least 20 degrees cooler at the start than on Sunday. That in itself was a relief. But still no wetsuit swim. Water was 82 degrees. That was okay. I feel I am usually at an advantage when wetsuits aren't worn. Women 35 and over were in the second wave with the young men, 15-34, in the second. That was not appreciated, but it turned out pretty much okay. A few newbies on the scene today, although still from our local area, since this was a "local" race. Lots of familiar faces, and as one woman put it, "us crossover runners." Not that she had to worry. It was pretty much expected that she would win the age group.
I got to the race shortly after 6:30 am and already the main parking area was full, so they sent us to the overflow lot--about 3/4 of a mile away. This wouldn't have been so bad but they routed us through a wooded path to get to transition to avoid traffic on the road, and the path was pretty much beach sand, so pushing the bike and carrying all your stuff was pretty tedious. And once I got to transition, what a mess! There were absolutely no open spaces anywhere on any rack. At least a dozen or more people walked up and down the rows looking to squeeze in somewhere. And people were so ridiculous about all the room they took--there was probably room for 2 bikes between most of those spots. I finally just found a spot that looked not as crowded and asked the people to move some. I don't spread all my stuff out under my bike any more, having had my stuff trampled, kicked around, and even had bikes thrown on my stuff, so I wasn't asking for any more room than for my bike. I was up against the transition fence, which is what I like best anyway. That way I can put my little stool next to the fence with my transition bag on top and all the stuff I need in the bag. Easy enough to get stuff out. The only thing out is the shoes on the ground near the bike. I take up very little room.
I went to get my packet and body marked and one disappointment was they were out of bike jerseys that was the race shirt. Unlike last week where they pretty much promised everyone a shirt regardless of when they signed up, these people were now saying you had to sign up at least 2 months ago to be guaranteed a jersey. I doubt that was true, since I know many people do not sign up that soon, and they also did not post this on their website. So another t-shirt to add to the collection.
Ran into a couple of friends then, got some pictures, and found a few others. Found out that our local governor candidate Dick DeVos was again at the race--participating. I do like the guy and what he has to say, and he was just going about his business like everyone else. I think people were impressed that he was there, but no one really bothered him. He's an average triathlete. Kim, one of the tri people in our group is such a staunch opposite party fan that we tease her about it, especially since at the last race, they literally had a race for the finish. She was quite proud that she had beat him of course. And of course they were on the same bike rack, so we tease her that he is stalking her.
Go back to my bike to get my stuff organized some and there's this guy weaseling his way between the racks, propping his bike up against the fence, his bike touching mine, and in front of my stuff. I say to him, "you can't leave that there." "Why not, others are doing it." "Well you have to move it away from my space. This is my space where my stuff is and your bike is in the way." "Don't start bitching now." Okay, that's it. "Move your bike or its going to be on the ground!" He did move it, but I was afraid he was going to hit me. What a jerk. I hoped I didn't see him again the rest of the day. I also hoped I beat him.
Swim: It was time to head to the beach, so we all started herding off to the lake. I realized then it was quite a long transition area from the swim to the bike. As usual everyone was making nervous chatter. It was cloudy still, and that meant I would wear my old, clear goggles rather than the new, tinted ones I had gone out of my way the day before to buy, spending more than I should have. I just didn't get down to the water early enough to make sure they were fitted properly and didn't leak, so I just used the old ones. So wouldn't you know it, just before the swim start the sun pops out. Fortunately it was only for a few moments and then back behind the clouds again.
The second women's wave that I was in didn't seem too crowded. I found myself pretty much off to the left--buoys on the right this time--and only a few women there. I would just cut across, since I figured everyone else would be heading to the right also. So we're off and I was immediately in the front for once. I just stayed a little aggressive and kept my spot, but I did find myself unable to make that quick dart to the right as planned. It took a little more work but I finally got next to the buoys. I was always thinking of the young men coming up behind us, but the waves were 5 min. apart, giving me at least a chance to get to the second buoy before they started. The water was nice, warm, soothing. I love to swim in the open water. It is a treat. People pretty much were just making forward progress and not clogging things up or being rude, but then of course, its because its all women at this point! After I made the turn toward shore, it seemed like forever to get to the next buoy. I just kept plugging away, keeping steadily on course. There weren't any people immediately around me, so it came as a total shock when WHAM! Someone swims right over me! He whacks the back of my head so hard it gets pushed down in the water. I swear I have whiplash today! Jerk! I elbow him as hard as I can in that brief moment. I hoped I did some damage. I was angry and a little shaken but calmed myself quickly and kept on. Toward the end there was a woman swimming right next to my face, stroke for stroke. She seemed totally oblivious there was someone within reach of her stroke, as she just kept coming over and over. I pulled ahead and she would be back next to me again. She was pushing me off course, so I had to be stronger and get ahead. Finally, we parted ways and I was able to get to the shallow and stand and run out of the water. 18:14! Wow, must be a short course. Swim time after hitting the mat: 18:28.
T1: Man, what a long way to the bikes, but I ran the whole way. Fortunately this time I had no trouble spotting my stuff. Sit down, put the shoes on, helmet, sunglasses, grab my piece of gum and I'm off. Naturally, with everyone else in my group faster on transitions, even though I beat them all by at least a minute on the swim, they were out of transition at the same time. Oh well, they bike faster, so don't try to hang with them. Just get up to speed. I glanced at my watch as I headed out and it was about 3 min. and something, the usual for me. No results up yet, so I don't have accurate times.
Bike: 18 miles out into the countryside. Last week's course was described as "rolling to flat." I would describe today's course as rolling to hilly. And the first hill messed me up. My bike was acting up for shifting, and I was suddenly feeling very fatigued. I realized this was my second tri the same week! Man, what was I thinking, that I could do two in a week. But then I wasn't thinking that way. I was thinking Clark Lake was one week and Great Lakes was another. No. Sunday and Saturday are the same week. At about 3 miles, things started clicking finally but then 3 more people from the group passed by, and I knew then I didn't have to worry any more about being passed--at least by anyone I knew or that mattered. But I was starting to get over that initial fatigue and started picking up the pace some. I tried to pass one woman on the next hill, but she would not move from the center of the lane, and with all the course marshalls out there and the group of male bikers coming, I was forced to get back behind her. I was pretty irritated with her about that. She was deliberate in her moves and it made me mad I didn't have the power to pass her. I am not a strong biker and never have been. I'm sure its a combination of my bike and the engine, as they say. It seems that no matter how much I bike, I don't make huge progress in any one season. So I decided to just settle in and make this my race and not worry about the others out there. It was pretty much established from the start that last place in the age group was mine, and it was obvious there wasn't anyone out there willing to challenge me for that!
The hills were pretty much the whole way. I could see that it would be a hilly run too, so I was dreading that. One downhill I reached 38 mph coasting, so it was a challenge for me. Despite the hills and 5 miles longer than Clark Lake, my pace averaged at 15.5. I did the best I could, never backing off, so I was happy enough with that. During the last 3 miles I saw a group of other tri friends who had biked to the race to watch some. Have fun going back! Bike time: 109:xx. Compared to Sunday with my 48:xx for 13.25 miles, that averaged out to about 20 min. more for 5 more miles.
T2: Once again, no problem finding my stuff. Got on the shoes and remembered my race belt this time and grabbed my water bottle and headed out. No time for this and I didn't think to look at my watch.
Run: Whoops! Where's the run out? I was heading toward the bike out and there was no one there to tell me otherwise. Good thing I noticed. Turned and ran totally back the other way, down a path, and onto a wooded path. Gatorade sounded good (and for once it was cold!) so I grabbed some and went on, up another trail and onto the road. Again, no one there so I had no idea which way to turn. Fortunately a spectator pointed me in the right direction. We were heading around the other side of the lake and it was very pleasant. My legs weren't too bad, but as is usual for me, I wasn't sprinting. Just pick up the feet and put them down. Keep moving. For once I didn't feel like I had to walk. It was so deliciously cool yet! (Deliciously cool defined as: this cool wave of a breeze floating over you as you moved--that's my definition!) The lake was beautiful and it also had a calming effect. Just pick up the feet. Keep moving. Before I knew it the first mile marker was there and I hadn't even walked! Woo hoo! What an improvement. I did however at this point drink some of my own cold water and continued on--uphill again. Whew. After about another half mile, I did take a minute to get my breath back, as I could see the rest of the second mile was all uphill. Not steep, just steady. Yes, I remember this from the bike. All right, don't fall apart here. Your legs are fine, its not hot, water is cold. Just pace yourself. Mile 2 and more gatorade. Again cold. Just the cool temps and cold drinks alone kept my stomach in good shape. That's all it takes. And today I realized how much the heat does bother my stomach. Just before mile 3, I again felt momentary fatigue and took just a brief break and walked a little, calculating what my finishing time could be. I was thinking here I still had 2.5 miles to go and figured I could finish in 27 min. making a 2:30 finish. But then I was surprised to see the 3 mile mark right in front of me, so that made it all the better! From that point on, I did not stop. I actually passed one woman, and finished in 2:25. All the tri geeks were at the finish, and without knowing I was pretty sure I was the last of our group to finish. But I didn't care because I actually ran 99% of the way and felt good at the end and no death march or stomach queasiness.
Post-race: Yes, everyone was finished and I was surprised at how well everyone did. Pat took first in her age group, 55-59; Kim 2nd, 45-49. It was a fast bunch here today. Fastest swimmer: under 10 min. Fastest biker: 25mph. Fastest runner: 5:46 pace. Unbelievable. The woman in my age group that I now call the Stripper had been warned about stripping in transition. Who needs to change that much anyway? That's not the point with her. So she behaved but didn't waste one minute after to put on her bikini and strut around. Come on here, we're talking about a 52 year old woman. While she is in great shape, things just aren't as perky as they were 25 years ago! Its okay with your family or close friends, but its obvious for her that its exhibitionism.
Things learned: I need to get better on the bike. I need to get faster on transitions. Its better for me to have cooler temps. I did two tris in one week!
Third tri of the season done. This one was a 1/2 mile swim, 18 mile bike, 4.5 mile run. I think I improved, I felt like I did anyway. And it was fun, so all in all, a good enough day.
The temps finally cooled off and it was at least 20 degrees cooler at the start than on Sunday. That in itself was a relief. But still no wetsuit swim. Water was 82 degrees. That was okay. I feel I am usually at an advantage when wetsuits aren't worn. Women 35 and over were in the second wave with the young men, 15-34, in the second. That was not appreciated, but it turned out pretty much okay. A few newbies on the scene today, although still from our local area, since this was a "local" race. Lots of familiar faces, and as one woman put it, "us crossover runners." Not that she had to worry. It was pretty much expected that she would win the age group.
I got to the race shortly after 6:30 am and already the main parking area was full, so they sent us to the overflow lot--about 3/4 of a mile away. This wouldn't have been so bad but they routed us through a wooded path to get to transition to avoid traffic on the road, and the path was pretty much beach sand, so pushing the bike and carrying all your stuff was pretty tedious. And once I got to transition, what a mess! There were absolutely no open spaces anywhere on any rack. At least a dozen or more people walked up and down the rows looking to squeeze in somewhere. And people were so ridiculous about all the room they took--there was probably room for 2 bikes between most of those spots. I finally just found a spot that looked not as crowded and asked the people to move some. I don't spread all my stuff out under my bike any more, having had my stuff trampled, kicked around, and even had bikes thrown on my stuff, so I wasn't asking for any more room than for my bike. I was up against the transition fence, which is what I like best anyway. That way I can put my little stool next to the fence with my transition bag on top and all the stuff I need in the bag. Easy enough to get stuff out. The only thing out is the shoes on the ground near the bike. I take up very little room.
I went to get my packet and body marked and one disappointment was they were out of bike jerseys that was the race shirt. Unlike last week where they pretty much promised everyone a shirt regardless of when they signed up, these people were now saying you had to sign up at least 2 months ago to be guaranteed a jersey. I doubt that was true, since I know many people do not sign up that soon, and they also did not post this on their website. So another t-shirt to add to the collection.
Ran into a couple of friends then, got some pictures, and found a few others. Found out that our local governor candidate Dick DeVos was again at the race--participating. I do like the guy and what he has to say, and he was just going about his business like everyone else. I think people were impressed that he was there, but no one really bothered him. He's an average triathlete. Kim, one of the tri people in our group is such a staunch opposite party fan that we tease her about it, especially since at the last race, they literally had a race for the finish. She was quite proud that she had beat him of course. And of course they were on the same bike rack, so we tease her that he is stalking her.
Go back to my bike to get my stuff organized some and there's this guy weaseling his way between the racks, propping his bike up against the fence, his bike touching mine, and in front of my stuff. I say to him, "you can't leave that there." "Why not, others are doing it." "Well you have to move it away from my space. This is my space where my stuff is and your bike is in the way." "Don't start bitching now." Okay, that's it. "Move your bike or its going to be on the ground!" He did move it, but I was afraid he was going to hit me. What a jerk. I hoped I didn't see him again the rest of the day. I also hoped I beat him.
Swim: It was time to head to the beach, so we all started herding off to the lake. I realized then it was quite a long transition area from the swim to the bike. As usual everyone was making nervous chatter. It was cloudy still, and that meant I would wear my old, clear goggles rather than the new, tinted ones I had gone out of my way the day before to buy, spending more than I should have. I just didn't get down to the water early enough to make sure they were fitted properly and didn't leak, so I just used the old ones. So wouldn't you know it, just before the swim start the sun pops out. Fortunately it was only for a few moments and then back behind the clouds again.
The second women's wave that I was in didn't seem too crowded. I found myself pretty much off to the left--buoys on the right this time--and only a few women there. I would just cut across, since I figured everyone else would be heading to the right also. So we're off and I was immediately in the front for once. I just stayed a little aggressive and kept my spot, but I did find myself unable to make that quick dart to the right as planned. It took a little more work but I finally got next to the buoys. I was always thinking of the young men coming up behind us, but the waves were 5 min. apart, giving me at least a chance to get to the second buoy before they started. The water was nice, warm, soothing. I love to swim in the open water. It is a treat. People pretty much were just making forward progress and not clogging things up or being rude, but then of course, its because its all women at this point! After I made the turn toward shore, it seemed like forever to get to the next buoy. I just kept plugging away, keeping steadily on course. There weren't any people immediately around me, so it came as a total shock when WHAM! Someone swims right over me! He whacks the back of my head so hard it gets pushed down in the water. I swear I have whiplash today! Jerk! I elbow him as hard as I can in that brief moment. I hoped I did some damage. I was angry and a little shaken but calmed myself quickly and kept on. Toward the end there was a woman swimming right next to my face, stroke for stroke. She seemed totally oblivious there was someone within reach of her stroke, as she just kept coming over and over. I pulled ahead and she would be back next to me again. She was pushing me off course, so I had to be stronger and get ahead. Finally, we parted ways and I was able to get to the shallow and stand and run out of the water. 18:14! Wow, must be a short course. Swim time after hitting the mat: 18:28.
T1: Man, what a long way to the bikes, but I ran the whole way. Fortunately this time I had no trouble spotting my stuff. Sit down, put the shoes on, helmet, sunglasses, grab my piece of gum and I'm off. Naturally, with everyone else in my group faster on transitions, even though I beat them all by at least a minute on the swim, they were out of transition at the same time. Oh well, they bike faster, so don't try to hang with them. Just get up to speed. I glanced at my watch as I headed out and it was about 3 min. and something, the usual for me. No results up yet, so I don't have accurate times.
Bike: 18 miles out into the countryside. Last week's course was described as "rolling to flat." I would describe today's course as rolling to hilly. And the first hill messed me up. My bike was acting up for shifting, and I was suddenly feeling very fatigued. I realized this was my second tri the same week! Man, what was I thinking, that I could do two in a week. But then I wasn't thinking that way. I was thinking Clark Lake was one week and Great Lakes was another. No. Sunday and Saturday are the same week. At about 3 miles, things started clicking finally but then 3 more people from the group passed by, and I knew then I didn't have to worry any more about being passed--at least by anyone I knew or that mattered. But I was starting to get over that initial fatigue and started picking up the pace some. I tried to pass one woman on the next hill, but she would not move from the center of the lane, and with all the course marshalls out there and the group of male bikers coming, I was forced to get back behind her. I was pretty irritated with her about that. She was deliberate in her moves and it made me mad I didn't have the power to pass her. I am not a strong biker and never have been. I'm sure its a combination of my bike and the engine, as they say. It seems that no matter how much I bike, I don't make huge progress in any one season. So I decided to just settle in and make this my race and not worry about the others out there. It was pretty much established from the start that last place in the age group was mine, and it was obvious there wasn't anyone out there willing to challenge me for that!
The hills were pretty much the whole way. I could see that it would be a hilly run too, so I was dreading that. One downhill I reached 38 mph coasting, so it was a challenge for me. Despite the hills and 5 miles longer than Clark Lake, my pace averaged at 15.5. I did the best I could, never backing off, so I was happy enough with that. During the last 3 miles I saw a group of other tri friends who had biked to the race to watch some. Have fun going back! Bike time: 109:xx. Compared to Sunday with my 48:xx for 13.25 miles, that averaged out to about 20 min. more for 5 more miles.
T2: Once again, no problem finding my stuff. Got on the shoes and remembered my race belt this time and grabbed my water bottle and headed out. No time for this and I didn't think to look at my watch.
Run: Whoops! Where's the run out? I was heading toward the bike out and there was no one there to tell me otherwise. Good thing I noticed. Turned and ran totally back the other way, down a path, and onto a wooded path. Gatorade sounded good (and for once it was cold!) so I grabbed some and went on, up another trail and onto the road. Again, no one there so I had no idea which way to turn. Fortunately a spectator pointed me in the right direction. We were heading around the other side of the lake and it was very pleasant. My legs weren't too bad, but as is usual for me, I wasn't sprinting. Just pick up the feet and put them down. Keep moving. For once I didn't feel like I had to walk. It was so deliciously cool yet! (Deliciously cool defined as: this cool wave of a breeze floating over you as you moved--that's my definition!) The lake was beautiful and it also had a calming effect. Just pick up the feet. Keep moving. Before I knew it the first mile marker was there and I hadn't even walked! Woo hoo! What an improvement. I did however at this point drink some of my own cold water and continued on--uphill again. Whew. After about another half mile, I did take a minute to get my breath back, as I could see the rest of the second mile was all uphill. Not steep, just steady. Yes, I remember this from the bike. All right, don't fall apart here. Your legs are fine, its not hot, water is cold. Just pace yourself. Mile 2 and more gatorade. Again cold. Just the cool temps and cold drinks alone kept my stomach in good shape. That's all it takes. And today I realized how much the heat does bother my stomach. Just before mile 3, I again felt momentary fatigue and took just a brief break and walked a little, calculating what my finishing time could be. I was thinking here I still had 2.5 miles to go and figured I could finish in 27 min. making a 2:30 finish. But then I was surprised to see the 3 mile mark right in front of me, so that made it all the better! From that point on, I did not stop. I actually passed one woman, and finished in 2:25. All the tri geeks were at the finish, and without knowing I was pretty sure I was the last of our group to finish. But I didn't care because I actually ran 99% of the way and felt good at the end and no death march or stomach queasiness.
Post-race: Yes, everyone was finished and I was surprised at how well everyone did. Pat took first in her age group, 55-59; Kim 2nd, 45-49. It was a fast bunch here today. Fastest swimmer: under 10 min. Fastest biker: 25mph. Fastest runner: 5:46 pace. Unbelievable. The woman in my age group that I now call the Stripper had been warned about stripping in transition. Who needs to change that much anyway? That's not the point with her. So she behaved but didn't waste one minute after to put on her bikini and strut around. Come on here, we're talking about a 52 year old woman. While she is in great shape, things just aren't as perky as they were 25 years ago! Its okay with your family or close friends, but its obvious for her that its exhibitionism.
Things learned: I need to get better on the bike. I need to get faster on transitions. Its better for me to have cooler temps. I did two tris in one week!
Friday, July 21, 2006
JULY 2006 BIKE ODYSSEY--The Plan
Monday begins the virtual "race" to Traverse City, Michigan, approximately 175 miles north of Grand Rapids. Traverse City is a jewel of a northern Michigan town right on Lake Michigan. I have been there many times. Usually the weather has not been terribly cooperative the times I have been there, but it is still a recreational haven nonetheless.
My office is sponsoring a wellness-type program to get people motivated to exercise. I do not need motivation most of the time, but I do like to have a goal to work toward. Makes the 6:30 am workouts worth something. So when this "race" event came up, I found myself for the first time getting excited about participating in something office related. Generally, I do not participate in any of their contests, because generally it means only certain people always win. Generally, too it has something to do with coming up with a witty slogan, or a theme, or a better way to do something. This time, however, it was actually something I could do and was interested in at the same time. The idea is to get people moving, and the virtual goal was to be Traverse City, since we have 4 offices within Michigan (WNJ.com), and all are approximately 175 miles away from TC. The grand prize? A hotel/spa package at Grand Traverse Resort. There are other lesser prizes of worth as well, and as I've said before, the prize isn't what I'm after. Its making the goal. Doing the 175 miles. And beating everyone else at it.
I figured then that the easiest way to meet this goal faster than anyone else was on the bike. So I have dubbed this adventure "July 2006 Bike Odyssey--Race to Traverse City."
So the plan then is to bike 25 miles a day for at least 3 days, take a day off (run or swim otherwise), and then bike 50 and still have the weekend to make up any extra I need. I want to be done with this no later than August 1, even though we have until September 5 to complete this. The only thing I worry about is getting people mad here, thinking I cheated. And I don't want to kill their enthusiasm either, so I may let the powers that be know but keep quiet otherwise to keep people motivated. I am afraid if I don't take immediate and aggressive action that someone may sneak by me, sort of like happens in my races, so this time I don't want to be caught off guard.
So Saturday will be the tri and Sunday will be take it easy and DO NOTHING!
Monday begins the virtual "race" to Traverse City, Michigan, approximately 175 miles north of Grand Rapids. Traverse City is a jewel of a northern Michigan town right on Lake Michigan. I have been there many times. Usually the weather has not been terribly cooperative the times I have been there, but it is still a recreational haven nonetheless.
My office is sponsoring a wellness-type program to get people motivated to exercise. I do not need motivation most of the time, but I do like to have a goal to work toward. Makes the 6:30 am workouts worth something. So when this "race" event came up, I found myself for the first time getting excited about participating in something office related. Generally, I do not participate in any of their contests, because generally it means only certain people always win. Generally, too it has something to do with coming up with a witty slogan, or a theme, or a better way to do something. This time, however, it was actually something I could do and was interested in at the same time. The idea is to get people moving, and the virtual goal was to be Traverse City, since we have 4 offices within Michigan (WNJ.com), and all are approximately 175 miles away from TC. The grand prize? A hotel/spa package at Grand Traverse Resort. There are other lesser prizes of worth as well, and as I've said before, the prize isn't what I'm after. Its making the goal. Doing the 175 miles. And beating everyone else at it.
I figured then that the easiest way to meet this goal faster than anyone else was on the bike. So I have dubbed this adventure "July 2006 Bike Odyssey--Race to Traverse City."
So the plan then is to bike 25 miles a day for at least 3 days, take a day off (run or swim otherwise), and then bike 50 and still have the weekend to make up any extra I need. I want to be done with this no later than August 1, even though we have until September 5 to complete this. The only thing I worry about is getting people mad here, thinking I cheated. And I don't want to kill their enthusiasm either, so I may let the powers that be know but keep quiet otherwise to keep people motivated. I am afraid if I don't take immediate and aggressive action that someone may sneak by me, sort of like happens in my races, so this time I don't want to be caught off guard.
So Saturday will be the tri and Sunday will be take it easy and DO NOTHING!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
IRRITATED.
I am irritated about something I learned today. I found out today a woman in my age group who will be doing her second tri this Saturday should have been DQ'd from her first race in which she took third in the AG. Not that it would improve my standings any, but there was a 4th place person who could have taken home some hardware. What happened was she wore a 2-piece suit to swim in, no wetsuit, and then stripped and changed into bike shorts in transition. The rules say no nudity. Why didn't someone report her then?? She is the type who always gets away with things too. And she is also an exhibitionist, so even if she didn't know she wasn't supposed to strip, she would have just for the thrill effect. Now she has been talking to some other women about what she's going to wear for the tri this Saturday--2 piece suit, change to bike shorts for the bike, change to running shorts for the run. Apparently she is treating this as much like a fashion and skin show as a triathlon. And why would anyone want to change that many times for a sprint tri?? Its obvious--for the effect.
It will be interesting to see if she gets away with it again.
I am irritated about something I learned today. I found out today a woman in my age group who will be doing her second tri this Saturday should have been DQ'd from her first race in which she took third in the AG. Not that it would improve my standings any, but there was a 4th place person who could have taken home some hardware. What happened was she wore a 2-piece suit to swim in, no wetsuit, and then stripped and changed into bike shorts in transition. The rules say no nudity. Why didn't someone report her then?? She is the type who always gets away with things too. And she is also an exhibitionist, so even if she didn't know she wasn't supposed to strip, she would have just for the thrill effect. Now she has been talking to some other women about what she's going to wear for the tri this Saturday--2 piece suit, change to bike shorts for the bike, change to running shorts for the run. Apparently she is treating this as much like a fashion and skin show as a triathlon. And why would anyone want to change that many times for a sprint tri?? Its obvious--for the effect.
It will be interesting to see if she gets away with it again.
BIKE SAGA CONTINUES.
I took my bike back to the bike shop yesterday and at least have some hopeful news that they can fix it (broken front derailleur) without having to wait a week for a part. Thank goodness for one mechanic with some imagination. He at least was willing to take a chance that another brand would work, 99% sure. That's what I like, someone who can look beyond what is and figure out what might be. I guess that came from growing up with a dad who always found a way to fix something even if it meant using something different.
Next week the July 2006 Bike Odyssey begins, and I don't want to risk being without a bike or worrying if something will mess up, like the chain coming off. As it is, I will be without my car and will have to deal with a loaner that hopefully will be big enough to transport my bike. I also don't want to risk any major problem for the tri this weekend. I don't know this course and am not sure how hilly it is. I don't shift off the big chain ring that often anyway, but you never know when you might need to. Better than griding up any hills at 5 or 6 mph in a "sprint" distance tri. There are a couple of people in this race I will be thinking about the whole time, and hoping at least one will be behind me, but knowing it is more than likely she will go whizzing by on the bike. The others I would just like to stay reasonably close to, knowing my chances of beating them are slim to none. A flat here would help! (not mine of course)
I took my bike back to the bike shop yesterday and at least have some hopeful news that they can fix it (broken front derailleur) without having to wait a week for a part. Thank goodness for one mechanic with some imagination. He at least was willing to take a chance that another brand would work, 99% sure. That's what I like, someone who can look beyond what is and figure out what might be. I guess that came from growing up with a dad who always found a way to fix something even if it meant using something different.
Next week the July 2006 Bike Odyssey begins, and I don't want to risk being without a bike or worrying if something will mess up, like the chain coming off. As it is, I will be without my car and will have to deal with a loaner that hopefully will be big enough to transport my bike. I also don't want to risk any major problem for the tri this weekend. I don't know this course and am not sure how hilly it is. I don't shift off the big chain ring that often anyway, but you never know when you might need to. Better than griding up any hills at 5 or 6 mph in a "sprint" distance tri. There are a couple of people in this race I will be thinking about the whole time, and hoping at least one will be behind me, but knowing it is more than likely she will go whizzing by on the bike. The others I would just like to stay reasonably close to, knowing my chances of beating them are slim to none. A flat here would help! (not mine of course)
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
HIGH FOR THE DAY.
Last night we had some pretty damaging thunderstorms, so the gym was crowded this morning with people who had no power. A couple of people I know do personal training (not regular Y people) were there. The one woman has even made her own videos and has been on local public TV from time to time with a weight training show. She was talking about no power, and then she says to me, "I see you once in a while. You are in really good shape. What types of workouts do you do?" I wasn't sure whether to be flattered at first or wary, thinking she might be trying to recruit me, but she seemed sincere so I talked with her. I'm not in that great of shape, but it was nice to be told that. Of course once you mention you do triathlons, they think you are Wonder Woman. No, not me. Not yet.
Last night we had some pretty damaging thunderstorms, so the gym was crowded this morning with people who had no power. A couple of people I know do personal training (not regular Y people) were there. The one woman has even made her own videos and has been on local public TV from time to time with a weight training show. She was talking about no power, and then she says to me, "I see you once in a while. You are in really good shape. What types of workouts do you do?" I wasn't sure whether to be flattered at first or wary, thinking she might be trying to recruit me, but she seemed sincere so I talked with her. I'm not in that great of shape, but it was nice to be told that. Of course once you mention you do triathlons, they think you are Wonder Woman. No, not me. Not yet.
A couple of funny things from the tri on Sunday. One I've already mentioned, where the young woman asked if I needed help finding my bike. Another was when a young guy frantically was asking me (don't remember what I was doing, but I must have looked like I knew something) if I knew where T2 was. "What??" "T2. T2. Do you know where T2 is? I know where T1 is." "Yeah, its right where your bike is." "Oh, thanks!" It must have been his first tri. That's why you've got to love those sprints. Where else would someone dare to ask a question like that?
The other thing had to do with a woman in my age group who I know from doing tris. We have been competing with each other (not against) for the past several years. She does a lot more tris and other events than I do and always has. I think I remember her from my only running days, and I'm sure I used to beat her there every time. But getting into tris was another story. The bike is her thing, and I have yet to come close to her in any tri. BUT I do always outswim her. The first few tris we were in, she actually accused me of cheating and cutting the course.(??) I think if that had happened, someone would have noticed and I would have been disqualified. After she accused me of this a few times I finally just said, "No, I just swim faster than you do." So Sunday we are looking at results and while I saw her at the start of the swim, I never saw her again after that. She apparently passed me in transition, where I usually see her, but this time too many bikes. (When I finished, I actually had the stupid thought briefly that she was still behind me, since I didn't see her pass me.) I see from the results that once again I beat her on the swim, but of course her transition to bike was faster, as well as her bike and run. She says, "well you beat me on the swim again. You just swim faster." Glad that finally sunk in.
The other thing had to do with a woman in my age group who I know from doing tris. We have been competing with each other (not against) for the past several years. She does a lot more tris and other events than I do and always has. I think I remember her from my only running days, and I'm sure I used to beat her there every time. But getting into tris was another story. The bike is her thing, and I have yet to come close to her in any tri. BUT I do always outswim her. The first few tris we were in, she actually accused me of cheating and cutting the course.(??) I think if that had happened, someone would have noticed and I would have been disqualified. After she accused me of this a few times I finally just said, "No, I just swim faster than you do." So Sunday we are looking at results and while I saw her at the start of the swim, I never saw her again after that. She apparently passed me in transition, where I usually see her, but this time too many bikes. (When I finished, I actually had the stupid thought briefly that she was still behind me, since I didn't see her pass me.) I see from the results that once again I beat her on the swim, but of course her transition to bike was faster, as well as her bike and run. She says, "well you beat me on the swim again. You just swim faster." Glad that finally sunk in.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Clark Lake Triathlon, July 16, 2006—½ mile swim, 13 mile bike; 4 mile run.
This was a sprint tri, even though my name and the word sprint do not belong in the same sentence. The only other time I did this event was 6 years ago, when I was in a younger age group and before what seems like a whole lifetime of issues occurred.
As I said, my Olympic distance tri back in June did not go as I would have liked, so this was a way of somewhat redeeming myself in my own eyes anyway and seeing how my training has been going since then.
The weather was predicted to be hot—temperatures in the mid 90s with heat indexes in the low 100s. Perfect weather for a triathlon, don’t you think?? Beats the alternative, that being darkness, cold, snow, and ice. At least you get to swim and bike OUTSIDE. I have decided I will take the heat ANYTIME over winter, and Sunday would put that attitude to a test. The last time I did this race, it was pouring rain and probably in the 60s, so this would be a direct contrast.
I arrived at the race site about 1 hour and 15 min. ahead. I was stressing about this some, wanting to get there 2 hours in advance, but as it was, it was the perfect amount of time. I would have been standing around getting hotter by the minute otherwise. This year they were predicting 700+ athletes, which was probably 3 times more than the time I did it in the rain. But the event has grown, just as triathlon has grown.
I love these sprint distances because this is the heart of triathlon, this is where it begins. There are people of all ages, sizes, and abilities, with all types of equipment, just trying to get through the day, again a sharp contrast to the longer distance tris where it seems like only the age groupers are competing with each other. And since most of the tri group from this area fit into that category now it seems, they don’t have or take the time to compete in these “short” events. So I only saw one person there I knew, and only a few familiar faces overall.
This year they were giving out wind shirts as the race shirt, again a contrast to the XL red shirt with the race logo on it we got last time. (I haven’t seen that shirt since!) Naturally though the had run out by the time I arrived, but they did guarantee mailing everyone their shirt. That was a nice touch, considering they could have said no shirts after a certain date, and I had signed up pretty much at the last minute.
There were to be 5 swim waves, with my wave being No. 4, and a men’s wave behind. I wasn’t particularly happy with this, but it turned out okay.
The lake water was 82 degrees, so of course, no wetsuits. For ½ mile swim, I don’t mind anyway. You could wear a wetsuit if you weren’t competing for age group awards, but even though I knew I would not come close to an award, I couldn’t face the thought of putting that thing on in the heat. Only 2 people opted to wear them.
My warmup swim told me I was going to have some trouble with sighting on the way back because of the sun—I have started wearing clear goggles because I can see so much better, but they really are not ideal when the sun is in your eyes. Maybe some yellow ones to help with the glare??
Swim: While I was concerned with a men’s group following my older women’s group, it wasn’t much of a factor, for me at least. I started toward the back of my group and pretty much just waded out until it got deep enough to swim once we started. I figured this way I could weed out the breaststrokers and avoid body contact with the sprinters. As it was, I was pretty much last to start, but once I got going, the swim was pretty uneventful. I just kept my eyes on the orange buoys—I had counted them ahead of time, so it was easy to pick them off. I pretty much swam a straight line to the one at the turn, and only had to get out of two congested spots up to that point. Everyone seemed very well mannered for a change! Once I got to the turn, however, the first males started catching us—each wave started 4 min. apart. I held my ground on the turn but then WHAM! the sun was fully in my eyes and I was blinded momentarily. A guy came swimming by me and crossed over, so I decided to use him as my guide to the turn buoy. That worked pretty well, and I avoided most body contact as well. Turning again, however, I was still partially blinded so it took a moment or two to make sure I was on course for the next buoy and the swim to the finish. I could see the shore so just headed pretty straight on course. There were a couple of spots on the way back where there were massive clumps of seaweed, either floating or still attached, and this actually made it difficult to see a couple of times. Ick. I’m not that bothered by the stuff usually, but this was exceptionally thick. And I usually swim in as far as possible before wading the rest of the way, but this time it seemed like it got shallow really fast, so the wade was longer than I would have liked, especially with all the rocks near shore. Ouch! Swim time: 20:48.
T1: I actually ran to my bike, almost a first for me. I wasn’t tired. My legs felt fine. I got passed on the way to transition to be sure, but at least I was moving. As expected, most bikes were gone, so it was very easy for me to find my stuff. I bring a little camp stool to sit on to take off the wetsuit, but it also comes in handy for putting shoes on. And I put all my stuff in a backpack and set it on the stool, so everything stays pretty much untrampled by others. I was sitting there putting on my shoes (not bothering to dry off my feet—as long as the socks go on, who cares?) and a girl says, “Do you need help?” I say, “With what??” “Finding your bike?” Uh, duh, its right next to me! “No, its right here, but thanks!” She must be in a relay or something because she was lying on the ground “resting.” T1 time: 3:42 (I’m actually getting faster by minutes with these things!).
Bike: I head out of transition where you go through a gate and the mats and then mount the bike and immediately head uphill. I had a problem with my bike earlier in the week (broken derailleur), so was forced to stay in one chain ring the entire ride. I opted for the big ring, knowing it would give me more power on the flats and downhills, but also knew I would have to be strong on the uphills. I had my back gears, so would work with those. I had no idea what to expect of the course since it was changed from the last time. The description said “rolling to flat” and the announcer was saying as I was heading out “flat and fast.” Short was all I cared about. Its always amazing to me how adrenaline really pumps you up on these things. I was not feeling any rush or anything, just steady and strong pedaling. I feel better when I am working within my heart rate zone, and found myself there most of the bike course. Only one hill raised the heart rate, and that was basically my fault for getting caught on an uphill without being ready—gawking at someone I wasn’t sure had crashed or had a flat. I don’t remember passing only maybe 3 people, all on mountain bikes, and not in my age group. And after 2 or 3 miles was steadily getting passed by the men in wave 5, but all were calling out “Good job” “keep it up.” Was I that slow or did I look like I was struggling? I felt fine. I felt good in fact. My computer has been off since my last race (no one can seem to calibrate it correctly), but I am getting used to it and know it is 6 mph off. I was keeping a steady 16-20 mph pace, so that was good. I wasn’t sure on my time, however, because rolling the bike from the car to transition got the timer going and I hadn’t restarted it. I was hoping for 50 min., but toward the end saw it creep past 51 min. Oh well, I was doing the best I could. I was surprised then when I checked results on my final bike time: 48:51, 16.0 average.
T2: Okay, who took my stuff?? While I had counted bike racks from the swim and realized I was immediately in front of the announcers’ stand, I had not figured out where I was from the bike dismount. Someone had earlier put a big dollop of baby powder on the grass near my rack, but that had long since worn off. So there I was, running back and forth, looking for my bag and stool. I found a bag exactly like mine, but of course, not my stuff. I was starting to swear because I was sure someone had moved my stuff! :) One young guy, obviously done already, asked what my stuff looked like—just like that bag there, but its not mine! I finally decided to rack the bike and walked around looking for my stuff. So I was completely caught off guard by the fact I was in the right row, opposite side of my stuff, one-half rack away. Jeez, how lucky can I get, and how dumb can I be?? Get the shoes on, grab my water bottle, and start to head out. No race belt/number. Great. I questioned the volunteers: “Do I need my number?” "No" was the answer I wanted to hear, just so I didn’t have to run all the way back to the bike. (I never did find the race belt until today!) Total: 3:12. Seemed more like 5 min.
Run: I checked my watch as I headed over the mats and realized later the winning woman in my age group finished 2 min. after I started my run. I’ll never be that fast! It was hot, and I wanted to pace myself. My legs actually felt good, not heavy, and I wasn’t breathing hard. Unlike a woman coming up behind me whom I thought might keel over and fall on me any minute. She was right on my shoulder gasping for the first 5 min. I finally gave in and stopped to walk to get rid of her. I wanted to keep my breathing easy, so decided on a run walk—run until I was breathing hard, walk for a minute but not more. That worked most of the way, but it seemed like forever before the first mile marker. The heavy breather did not die and somehow managed to pull ahead and keep going. I hoped I didn’t see her lying along the road later. But walking always means you will get passed. I decided not to worry about this too much until I saw a women in my age group walking the whole way it turned out. I was not going to let her beat me. (As it was, she was in the du!) Mile 2 seemed to come faster, and before I knew it I was at mile 3. While they had run out of water and cups at the second water stop, the second part of the race goes through the neighborhood along the lake, so many people had their hoses out and offered water on their own. Very nice, especially on such a hot day. Since I always seem to have a problem with stomach issues, this was another reason for me to be careful about keeping myself within my ability to avoid this, and until shortly after mile 3, this worked. Then for some reason, the stomach distress started. I was feeling a little sick. Oh great, its getting hotter too, or at least I am. My frozen water bottle was now getting warm, and nothing bothers me more than warm water during an event. That was most likely part of the stomach issue. But I was still running and walking on a regular schedule, just not feeling as good as I had earlier. I was trying to not walk as much into the last mile, but just gave in to it once too many times, because a women in my age group finally passed me just before 4 miles (wasn’t this run supposed to be 4 miles??) while I was walking. I saw the age on her calf and dug into myself to start running again. My legs felt fine then—it was my stomach. I almost wished now that I had taken advantage of the beer the last water stop had offered to anyone old enough to drink. If my stomach had felt better, I would have! Sounds crazy, but one of our races here has an “unofficial (of course)” beer stop and having taken a glass a few times has made a huge difference at least for the next half hour or so. I actually thought I would pass her, but then I could start feeling the legs just deadening and although I stayed close, she stayed ahead to the finish. We finished 6 seconds apart. Six seconds. Could I have made it up? Obviously I didn’t. (I was thinking there were women behind me in my age group, but as I found out later, they were in the du.) Lesson learned: don’t assume anything again; if someone is in your age group, kill yourself to beat them! Total run: 49:53.
Total race time: 2:06:24. Since I don’t know what I did 6 years ago, and conditions and course were totally different, I was happy enough, other than letting the woman pass me at the end. I had no idea what to expect. My swim was about what I expected, my bike was better, and my run was just a little slower than I would have liked. Transitions were okay—T1 is improving immensely and part of that is either due to actually being more organized and calm or not having to get my old straightjacket of a wetsuit off.
So, last in the age group, but not last overall. That in itself is an improvement!
This was a sprint tri, even though my name and the word sprint do not belong in the same sentence. The only other time I did this event was 6 years ago, when I was in a younger age group and before what seems like a whole lifetime of issues occurred.
As I said, my Olympic distance tri back in June did not go as I would have liked, so this was a way of somewhat redeeming myself in my own eyes anyway and seeing how my training has been going since then.
The weather was predicted to be hot—temperatures in the mid 90s with heat indexes in the low 100s. Perfect weather for a triathlon, don’t you think?? Beats the alternative, that being darkness, cold, snow, and ice. At least you get to swim and bike OUTSIDE. I have decided I will take the heat ANYTIME over winter, and Sunday would put that attitude to a test. The last time I did this race, it was pouring rain and probably in the 60s, so this would be a direct contrast.
I arrived at the race site about 1 hour and 15 min. ahead. I was stressing about this some, wanting to get there 2 hours in advance, but as it was, it was the perfect amount of time. I would have been standing around getting hotter by the minute otherwise. This year they were predicting 700+ athletes, which was probably 3 times more than the time I did it in the rain. But the event has grown, just as triathlon has grown.
I love these sprint distances because this is the heart of triathlon, this is where it begins. There are people of all ages, sizes, and abilities, with all types of equipment, just trying to get through the day, again a sharp contrast to the longer distance tris where it seems like only the age groupers are competing with each other. And since most of the tri group from this area fit into that category now it seems, they don’t have or take the time to compete in these “short” events. So I only saw one person there I knew, and only a few familiar faces overall.
This year they were giving out wind shirts as the race shirt, again a contrast to the XL red shirt with the race logo on it we got last time. (I haven’t seen that shirt since!) Naturally though the had run out by the time I arrived, but they did guarantee mailing everyone their shirt. That was a nice touch, considering they could have said no shirts after a certain date, and I had signed up pretty much at the last minute.
There were to be 5 swim waves, with my wave being No. 4, and a men’s wave behind. I wasn’t particularly happy with this, but it turned out okay.
The lake water was 82 degrees, so of course, no wetsuits. For ½ mile swim, I don’t mind anyway. You could wear a wetsuit if you weren’t competing for age group awards, but even though I knew I would not come close to an award, I couldn’t face the thought of putting that thing on in the heat. Only 2 people opted to wear them.
My warmup swim told me I was going to have some trouble with sighting on the way back because of the sun—I have started wearing clear goggles because I can see so much better, but they really are not ideal when the sun is in your eyes. Maybe some yellow ones to help with the glare??
Swim: While I was concerned with a men’s group following my older women’s group, it wasn’t much of a factor, for me at least. I started toward the back of my group and pretty much just waded out until it got deep enough to swim once we started. I figured this way I could weed out the breaststrokers and avoid body contact with the sprinters. As it was, I was pretty much last to start, but once I got going, the swim was pretty uneventful. I just kept my eyes on the orange buoys—I had counted them ahead of time, so it was easy to pick them off. I pretty much swam a straight line to the one at the turn, and only had to get out of two congested spots up to that point. Everyone seemed very well mannered for a change! Once I got to the turn, however, the first males started catching us—each wave started 4 min. apart. I held my ground on the turn but then WHAM! the sun was fully in my eyes and I was blinded momentarily. A guy came swimming by me and crossed over, so I decided to use him as my guide to the turn buoy. That worked pretty well, and I avoided most body contact as well. Turning again, however, I was still partially blinded so it took a moment or two to make sure I was on course for the next buoy and the swim to the finish. I could see the shore so just headed pretty straight on course. There were a couple of spots on the way back where there were massive clumps of seaweed, either floating or still attached, and this actually made it difficult to see a couple of times. Ick. I’m not that bothered by the stuff usually, but this was exceptionally thick. And I usually swim in as far as possible before wading the rest of the way, but this time it seemed like it got shallow really fast, so the wade was longer than I would have liked, especially with all the rocks near shore. Ouch! Swim time: 20:48.
T1: I actually ran to my bike, almost a first for me. I wasn’t tired. My legs felt fine. I got passed on the way to transition to be sure, but at least I was moving. As expected, most bikes were gone, so it was very easy for me to find my stuff. I bring a little camp stool to sit on to take off the wetsuit, but it also comes in handy for putting shoes on. And I put all my stuff in a backpack and set it on the stool, so everything stays pretty much untrampled by others. I was sitting there putting on my shoes (not bothering to dry off my feet—as long as the socks go on, who cares?) and a girl says, “Do you need help?” I say, “With what??” “Finding your bike?” Uh, duh, its right next to me! “No, its right here, but thanks!” She must be in a relay or something because she was lying on the ground “resting.” T1 time: 3:42 (I’m actually getting faster by minutes with these things!).
Bike: I head out of transition where you go through a gate and the mats and then mount the bike and immediately head uphill. I had a problem with my bike earlier in the week (broken derailleur), so was forced to stay in one chain ring the entire ride. I opted for the big ring, knowing it would give me more power on the flats and downhills, but also knew I would have to be strong on the uphills. I had my back gears, so would work with those. I had no idea what to expect of the course since it was changed from the last time. The description said “rolling to flat” and the announcer was saying as I was heading out “flat and fast.” Short was all I cared about. Its always amazing to me how adrenaline really pumps you up on these things. I was not feeling any rush or anything, just steady and strong pedaling. I feel better when I am working within my heart rate zone, and found myself there most of the bike course. Only one hill raised the heart rate, and that was basically my fault for getting caught on an uphill without being ready—gawking at someone I wasn’t sure had crashed or had a flat. I don’t remember passing only maybe 3 people, all on mountain bikes, and not in my age group. And after 2 or 3 miles was steadily getting passed by the men in wave 5, but all were calling out “Good job” “keep it up.” Was I that slow or did I look like I was struggling? I felt fine. I felt good in fact. My computer has been off since my last race (no one can seem to calibrate it correctly), but I am getting used to it and know it is 6 mph off. I was keeping a steady 16-20 mph pace, so that was good. I wasn’t sure on my time, however, because rolling the bike from the car to transition got the timer going and I hadn’t restarted it. I was hoping for 50 min., but toward the end saw it creep past 51 min. Oh well, I was doing the best I could. I was surprised then when I checked results on my final bike time: 48:51, 16.0 average.
T2: Okay, who took my stuff?? While I had counted bike racks from the swim and realized I was immediately in front of the announcers’ stand, I had not figured out where I was from the bike dismount. Someone had earlier put a big dollop of baby powder on the grass near my rack, but that had long since worn off. So there I was, running back and forth, looking for my bag and stool. I found a bag exactly like mine, but of course, not my stuff. I was starting to swear because I was sure someone had moved my stuff! :) One young guy, obviously done already, asked what my stuff looked like—just like that bag there, but its not mine! I finally decided to rack the bike and walked around looking for my stuff. So I was completely caught off guard by the fact I was in the right row, opposite side of my stuff, one-half rack away. Jeez, how lucky can I get, and how dumb can I be?? Get the shoes on, grab my water bottle, and start to head out. No race belt/number. Great. I questioned the volunteers: “Do I need my number?” "No" was the answer I wanted to hear, just so I didn’t have to run all the way back to the bike. (I never did find the race belt until today!) Total: 3:12. Seemed more like 5 min.
Run: I checked my watch as I headed over the mats and realized later the winning woman in my age group finished 2 min. after I started my run. I’ll never be that fast! It was hot, and I wanted to pace myself. My legs actually felt good, not heavy, and I wasn’t breathing hard. Unlike a woman coming up behind me whom I thought might keel over and fall on me any minute. She was right on my shoulder gasping for the first 5 min. I finally gave in and stopped to walk to get rid of her. I wanted to keep my breathing easy, so decided on a run walk—run until I was breathing hard, walk for a minute but not more. That worked most of the way, but it seemed like forever before the first mile marker. The heavy breather did not die and somehow managed to pull ahead and keep going. I hoped I didn’t see her lying along the road later. But walking always means you will get passed. I decided not to worry about this too much until I saw a women in my age group walking the whole way it turned out. I was not going to let her beat me. (As it was, she was in the du!) Mile 2 seemed to come faster, and before I knew it I was at mile 3. While they had run out of water and cups at the second water stop, the second part of the race goes through the neighborhood along the lake, so many people had their hoses out and offered water on their own. Very nice, especially on such a hot day. Since I always seem to have a problem with stomach issues, this was another reason for me to be careful about keeping myself within my ability to avoid this, and until shortly after mile 3, this worked. Then for some reason, the stomach distress started. I was feeling a little sick. Oh great, its getting hotter too, or at least I am. My frozen water bottle was now getting warm, and nothing bothers me more than warm water during an event. That was most likely part of the stomach issue. But I was still running and walking on a regular schedule, just not feeling as good as I had earlier. I was trying to not walk as much into the last mile, but just gave in to it once too many times, because a women in my age group finally passed me just before 4 miles (wasn’t this run supposed to be 4 miles??) while I was walking. I saw the age on her calf and dug into myself to start running again. My legs felt fine then—it was my stomach. I almost wished now that I had taken advantage of the beer the last water stop had offered to anyone old enough to drink. If my stomach had felt better, I would have! Sounds crazy, but one of our races here has an “unofficial (of course)” beer stop and having taken a glass a few times has made a huge difference at least for the next half hour or so. I actually thought I would pass her, but then I could start feeling the legs just deadening and although I stayed close, she stayed ahead to the finish. We finished 6 seconds apart. Six seconds. Could I have made it up? Obviously I didn’t. (I was thinking there were women behind me in my age group, but as I found out later, they were in the du.) Lesson learned: don’t assume anything again; if someone is in your age group, kill yourself to beat them! Total run: 49:53.
Total race time: 2:06:24. Since I don’t know what I did 6 years ago, and conditions and course were totally different, I was happy enough, other than letting the woman pass me at the end. I had no idea what to expect. My swim was about what I expected, my bike was better, and my run was just a little slower than I would have liked. Transitions were okay—T1 is improving immensely and part of that is either due to actually being more organized and calm or not having to get my old straightjacket of a wetsuit off.
So, last in the age group, but not last overall. That in itself is an improvement!
Friday, July 14, 2006
Uh Oh.
This is what I get for being impulsive. I am not impulsive by nature and whenever I am, it always comes back to haunt me. I can't think of one time when I did something impulsive that things worked out. So here goes again. The bike problem I mentioned from this morning is a problem: broken derailleur. Choices: don't do the race or ride with it broken.
Riding with it broken lends itself to a few other problems, namely, if the pedals freeze even when not shifting, or the chain drops into the small chain ring, it will leave me with no power.
The problem in getting it fixed is all the bike shops are backed up with days of work. Everyone I know who might be able to help either in loaning me a bike that would fit or might be able to do a quick fix is at Muncie. So my only alternative is to ride it this way and be powered down. I can get it fixed in time for next week's tri, but this impulsive decision to do a tri this weekend is going to be a payback for not planning things out better.
I had really wanted to do this race, and had really intended to sign up in advance. But as is usual for me, I don't sign up until the last minute because I don't want to do anything, well, impulsive.
For me, even making an impulsive decision is a back and forth thing, so really it wasn't without some contemplation as to the pros and cons. Just not enough knowledge of bike repairs to realize this morning I had a problem led me to this dilemma.
So with no further excuses, I will do the race and with any luck or miracle will do okay. Its just a training race anyway so, while I hate spending the time and money on a race that basically doesn't or won't in this case count for anything, I still need the experience. I have at least 3 more races after this and do want those to go okay.
And then that leads me back to some thoughts this morning of whether I really do need a new bike, a bike fit, or just need to train more. I never seem to know which way to go on this. I don't have the funds to just run out and get a bike, whether on sale or otherwise. And I take so long to make a decision on what I want that if any deals came along, they would pass me by before I acted. Its not that I am an indecisive person. I am a fact finder, an information gatherer, but not a fast decision maker. When I make a decision, all the pros and cons have been worked out. If I don't have time to go through that process, I won't make a decision until I do. And if I do make an impulsive decision, I usually come to regret it later. Its my nature. I can't totally change who I am. The best thing for me to do is not let myself get into these situations.
This is what I get for being impulsive. I am not impulsive by nature and whenever I am, it always comes back to haunt me. I can't think of one time when I did something impulsive that things worked out. So here goes again. The bike problem I mentioned from this morning is a problem: broken derailleur. Choices: don't do the race or ride with it broken.
Riding with it broken lends itself to a few other problems, namely, if the pedals freeze even when not shifting, or the chain drops into the small chain ring, it will leave me with no power.
The problem in getting it fixed is all the bike shops are backed up with days of work. Everyone I know who might be able to help either in loaning me a bike that would fit or might be able to do a quick fix is at Muncie. So my only alternative is to ride it this way and be powered down. I can get it fixed in time for next week's tri, but this impulsive decision to do a tri this weekend is going to be a payback for not planning things out better.
I had really wanted to do this race, and had really intended to sign up in advance. But as is usual for me, I don't sign up until the last minute because I don't want to do anything, well, impulsive.
For me, even making an impulsive decision is a back and forth thing, so really it wasn't without some contemplation as to the pros and cons. Just not enough knowledge of bike repairs to realize this morning I had a problem led me to this dilemma.
So with no further excuses, I will do the race and with any luck or miracle will do okay. Its just a training race anyway so, while I hate spending the time and money on a race that basically doesn't or won't in this case count for anything, I still need the experience. I have at least 3 more races after this and do want those to go okay.
And then that leads me back to some thoughts this morning of whether I really do need a new bike, a bike fit, or just need to train more. I never seem to know which way to go on this. I don't have the funds to just run out and get a bike, whether on sale or otherwise. And I take so long to make a decision on what I want that if any deals came along, they would pass me by before I acted. Its not that I am an indecisive person. I am a fact finder, an information gatherer, but not a fast decision maker. When I make a decision, all the pros and cons have been worked out. If I don't have time to go through that process, I won't make a decision until I do. And if I do make an impulsive decision, I usually come to regret it later. Its my nature. I can't totally change who I am. The best thing for me to do is not let myself get into these situations.
MORNING RIDE--Its Always Something.
(actual picture of White Pine Trail that we ride on.)
I have gotten to love the early morning rides, but its one of those things that unless you are 100% organized the night before, you are cutting yourself short. Trying to get to the park and on the road by 6:30 am or sooner shouldn't be that hard, but something always seems to happen to delay getting rolling.
Today I was actually making good time and got to the park before 6:30. Normally there is no one around other than the few zoo workers starting to straggle in, a striking contrast to Saturdays when the weekend warriors descend upon the park to meet up for rides or runs. There was only one old man out looking around at the duck pond. I tried not to make eye contact to avoid striking up any conversation. Not enough time for that! Got my bike out, chain is off. Quickly fix that with a turn of the pedals. Good. Get the water bottle, cell phone, and shoes. Put on the helmet. Too loose. What, did my head shrink or something?? Adjust that. Get that on and the old man comes walking over. Not now, please, I think. "Good morning, nice time to ride. Its supposed to rain later." "Yes, that's why I'm going now." "Where you riding?" "On the other side of the river to the boat launch and back and then some." "How far is that?" "Uh, I'm not sure (reminded now that my bike computer still does not work--crap!)." "Don't you have a computer on that thing?" "Uh yeah, but its not working right." Okay, goobye.
Off I go and then realize I am in the middle chain ring. Try to shift to the big ring and it won't go. Didn't I just go through this a few weeks back?? Okay, try again. This time, not only did it not go, the pedals "froze"--wouldn't turn. Okay, fix that before you crash dummy. Try again, same thing. Okay, let's just go a little farther and maybe it will work itself out. Get to the pedestrian bridge over the river and out of nowhere 3 squirrels scramble in front of me. They always run in packs it seems. Back and forth they scurry, trying to get out of my way, while I am trying not to run over one of them and crash. Stupid things. Just jump off the bridge or something!
Get to the other side of the river and try to shift again. Again, pedals freeze. Great. I can't afford a crash out here in the middle of nowhere, so stay in the middle ring. At least it is manageable. Then I start hearing a scraping. Scrape, scrape, scrape. Hmm, it is obviously the derailleur, so maybe I can "bend" it a little. Well the problem wasn't the chain as I thought but the pedal scraping the derailleur. I can't mess with that so will have to keep going. That may be why it wouldn't shift.
Added to all these problems is the fact that my bike computer STILL doesn't work. I had it looked at and calibrated at the last race. It wasn't right then so took it into the bike shop last weekend. "Oh its all set, back to zero, blah blah blah." Apparently they were more interested in selling me a bike fit than making sure my computer worked because it is still about 6mph off on speed, and the distance is all off. I can't really figure that out at all. Its nice to see my speeds averaging 21-23 mph on a regular ride, but I'm smart enough to know that even on my best day, going downhill with a tailwind, I would not be averaging 21-23 mph.
Then toward the end of the ride, I see what looks like a puddle to the side of the road. I am trying to figure out where this came from when I notice in front of me GLASS everywhere. Too late, I have to ride through it. The "puddle" turned out to be a huge pile of broken glass, probably from a car window or something. I had better not get a flat tire because of this, so close to the end of the ride too. And then, with a short term memory lapse, road through the stuff again on the way back. Jeez.
So I'm glad I get this stuff figured out today since I am planning on a tri (Clark Lake) this weekend. I have wanted to do this for the past several years, and with one thing or another have not been able to. With everyone else at Muncie this weekend, I decided on the spur of the moment to sign up, quickly before they filled. More on the race later. I will now need to get the bike into the shop tonight and get this stuff looked at or at the latest tomorrow morning. I can deal with the computer being off if I have to, but I would rather not have a chain problem and not be able to shift. And I had better not have any glass stuck in my tires either!
OBSESSION--Grand Rapids to Traverse City or Bust!
I said I didn't want to get obsessed about my workouts anymore, but here I go again! This work contest has gotten me going. I want to win this thing in the worst way. Not necessarily for the prize, although that would be a sweet reward, but just to do it. To have a goal that I know I can do and do it faster than anyone else. I want to win to win. Don't they say the ideal job is one you would do for free? That's the way I feel about this contest. I would do it just to win and not for the prize. I want to do it to put me over the edge on my training too.
I am not talking about taking 8 weeks or whatever to accomplish this thing. That would be unquestionably easy. I am talking about getting 175 miles done in 2 weeks or less. That's where the obsession is coming from. How can I get 175 miles covered in 8-10 days? The best way I know how is on the bike.
Right now I am calculating and recalculating the best way to accomplish this--how many miles can I cover in one day without doing myself in? It will be short term, so I should be able to stick it out without too many modifications. But I need a Plan B for weather detours. So stay tuned for THE CONTEST and the PLAN TO WIN starting July 24.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Here's the e-mail that came through the office today:
Lets for for a walk.
Or maybe a run, swim, or bike ride to the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa! No, the Summer heat hasn't gotten to me (yet). This is just our WINning Wellness way to get you moving. Yes, dancing counts also.
It's a virtual race and the finish line is the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa! (www.grandtraverseresort.com)
Here is how it will work . . .
Enter the Race. Contact Audrey Pimpleton if you are not a partner and would like to enter the race.
Keep Track. Start keeping track of all your activities like exercising, walking, running, swimming, gardening, mopping, vacuuming, etc. Yes, just about everything counts. You'll even be provided with an activity log to help you keep track.
Convert. Most all moderate to heavy activities can be converted into steps which are then converted into miles. A conversion chart will be provided in the race packet.
Report. Each week participants must report their total steps for the week to Audrey who will be monitoring the race.
Winners! The first person to reach the destination (or gets the closest) in the allotted amount of time wins the first place prize!
1st Place - $300 gift card to Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
2nd Place - $100 gift card to Dunham's Sporting Goods
3rd Place - $50 gift card to Dunham's Sporting Goods
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa is an average of 175 miles from all of the offices. The first person to accumulate 175 miles of "activity" reaches the destination and wins the race.
Deadline to enter the race: Friday, July 21, 2006
Start of race: Monday, July 22, 2006
End of race: Tuesday, September 5, 2006
Now here at last is something I can do and might be able to win in this office. There are some high mileage runners/bikers here, so it will be a goal I have to go over and above my usual workouts to achieve, but I think I can do it!
Lets for for a walk.
Or maybe a run, swim, or bike ride to the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa! No, the Summer heat hasn't gotten to me (yet). This is just our WINning Wellness way to get you moving. Yes, dancing counts also.
It's a virtual race and the finish line is the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa! (www.grandtraverseresort.com)
Here is how it will work . . .
Enter the Race. Contact Audrey Pimpleton if you are not a partner and would like to enter the race.
Keep Track. Start keeping track of all your activities like exercising, walking, running, swimming, gardening, mopping, vacuuming, etc. Yes, just about everything counts. You'll even be provided with an activity log to help you keep track.
Convert. Most all moderate to heavy activities can be converted into steps which are then converted into miles. A conversion chart will be provided in the race packet.
Report. Each week participants must report their total steps for the week to Audrey who will be monitoring the race.
Winners! The first person to reach the destination (or gets the closest) in the allotted amount of time wins the first place prize!
1st Place - $300 gift card to Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
2nd Place - $100 gift card to Dunham's Sporting Goods
3rd Place - $50 gift card to Dunham's Sporting Goods
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa is an average of 175 miles from all of the offices. The first person to accumulate 175 miles of "activity" reaches the destination and wins the race.
Deadline to enter the race: Friday, July 21, 2006
Start of race: Monday, July 22, 2006
End of race: Tuesday, September 5, 2006
Now here at last is something I can do and might be able to win in this office. There are some high mileage runners/bikers here, so it will be a goal I have to go over and above my usual workouts to achieve, but I think I can do it!
REMIND ME AGAIN WHY I PREFER WORKING OUT IN THE MORNING!
On top of the list--that includes only having to shower/do hair/makeup once a day, not having that morning drive, having it out of the way and not have to anticipate or worry about fitting a workout in later in the day--is, in the summer, heat and humidity. Today I rearranged my morning schedule even knowing I would have to fit some sort of workout in later. I hoped to bike, but chances of that started fading late morning, so the thought of a short run at lunch time started going through my mind more and more until I decided just to do it. It wasn't quite noon, my boss wasn't here yet (as is usual lately--but he had called and said he would be in after lunch), and, even though I had plenty of work to do, I was getting distracted by this and that until I finally made the decision to go. I did check the temperature and saw that it was 83. Now that's at least 10 degrees warmer than I would have liked, but it was a beautiful, cloudless blue sky out there awaiting.
It started out okay, but after about 15 min. I could feel my heart pounding far harder than I felt was normal. I was consoled only by the fact that there were numerous people around in the event of a heart attack! The humidity didn't seem too bad, but it was hot, no doubt. It felt hotter than 83. Reminded me of the days in Coeur D'Alene when it was so hot. I was thinking of going 20 min. out and turning back, but actually my route along the river ended thankfully at 19 min. so it seemed an opportune time to turn back. When you aren't used to running in the sunshine or heat, it does make a difference on your body. Not only does it make your heart work harder to try to cool you off, but for me the inevitable stomach cramps always hit as well. I want to try to overcome this, but its not like I know any way to totally prevent the stomach distress. It has always plagued me, so its not something new.
I was more than glad to turn back and get done and cool off again, although it was quite a while before I stopped sweating. I guess that's always a good time to stretch and take in more water.
Some of my joy of running is returning slowly, thanks to the ChiRunning I have taken the time to work on. While I haven't made huge progress in mileage, I feel I have made huge progress in other areas associated with my running. Aches and pains are minimal to non-existent. Flexibility is better. Stamina is increasing. Mental state is improving. Enjoyment is coming back as my fears of injury subside. When I think back to my early years of running, it was such great fun to push myself beyond limits I never knew before, compete in races and actually get age group awards, meet new people, go places, etc. It was like I had been so sheltered before that! And I had denied myself enjoyment in my daily life up to that time. I worked hard, took care of my family, and there was no nonsense or fun. Then I started running, and a whole new world opened up out there. For nine years I ran most days at lunch time. This caused me no end of stress, both physically and mentally, with my family and my job. I became obsessed, so I blame that on myself, not on running. I believe the cumulation of years of stress led to all the injuries I suffered for the next several years. And injury led to lack of enjoyment with the sport.
I would like to get some of that back--a reasonable amount. I don't think I have to worry about becoming obsessed to the point I was before, but a little obsession probably would do me some good!
So I will keep working on it, doing these hot runs at least occasionally, if not for "enjoyment" then for conditioning. If I can just keep the legs moving, I will keep trying.
On top of the list--that includes only having to shower/do hair/makeup once a day, not having that morning drive, having it out of the way and not have to anticipate or worry about fitting a workout in later in the day--is, in the summer, heat and humidity. Today I rearranged my morning schedule even knowing I would have to fit some sort of workout in later. I hoped to bike, but chances of that started fading late morning, so the thought of a short run at lunch time started going through my mind more and more until I decided just to do it. It wasn't quite noon, my boss wasn't here yet (as is usual lately--but he had called and said he would be in after lunch), and, even though I had plenty of work to do, I was getting distracted by this and that until I finally made the decision to go. I did check the temperature and saw that it was 83. Now that's at least 10 degrees warmer than I would have liked, but it was a beautiful, cloudless blue sky out there awaiting.
It started out okay, but after about 15 min. I could feel my heart pounding far harder than I felt was normal. I was consoled only by the fact that there were numerous people around in the event of a heart attack! The humidity didn't seem too bad, but it was hot, no doubt. It felt hotter than 83. Reminded me of the days in Coeur D'Alene when it was so hot. I was thinking of going 20 min. out and turning back, but actually my route along the river ended thankfully at 19 min. so it seemed an opportune time to turn back. When you aren't used to running in the sunshine or heat, it does make a difference on your body. Not only does it make your heart work harder to try to cool you off, but for me the inevitable stomach cramps always hit as well. I want to try to overcome this, but its not like I know any way to totally prevent the stomach distress. It has always plagued me, so its not something new.
I was more than glad to turn back and get done and cool off again, although it was quite a while before I stopped sweating. I guess that's always a good time to stretch and take in more water.
Some of my joy of running is returning slowly, thanks to the ChiRunning I have taken the time to work on. While I haven't made huge progress in mileage, I feel I have made huge progress in other areas associated with my running. Aches and pains are minimal to non-existent. Flexibility is better. Stamina is increasing. Mental state is improving. Enjoyment is coming back as my fears of injury subside. When I think back to my early years of running, it was such great fun to push myself beyond limits I never knew before, compete in races and actually get age group awards, meet new people, go places, etc. It was like I had been so sheltered before that! And I had denied myself enjoyment in my daily life up to that time. I worked hard, took care of my family, and there was no nonsense or fun. Then I started running, and a whole new world opened up out there. For nine years I ran most days at lunch time. This caused me no end of stress, both physically and mentally, with my family and my job. I became obsessed, so I blame that on myself, not on running. I believe the cumulation of years of stress led to all the injuries I suffered for the next several years. And injury led to lack of enjoyment with the sport.
I would like to get some of that back--a reasonable amount. I don't think I have to worry about becoming obsessed to the point I was before, but a little obsession probably would do me some good!
So I will keep working on it, doing these hot runs at least occasionally, if not for "enjoyment" then for conditioning. If I can just keep the legs moving, I will keep trying.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Calculating my bike miles this week, I realized I had biked 88 miles in 4 rides. That's the most in one week since last year at this time when I did two 50-milers in one week (4th of July and the weekend after). Its much easier getting the miles in when you have extended weekends and/or are on vacation. Now if I could be as consistent with my running. . . .
Looking at upcoming triathlons, there is one on July 22 I would like to do, August 5, and Aug. 19. Then Crim on Aug. 26 and Reeds Lake Sept. 9. That should do it for the season. Funny how it seems not that far off to be the end of the season around here. Didn't it just begin??
Wearing a long-sleeved shirt on my run the other morning, I thought about the race where I got that shirt, a now-defunct 10k on the Lakeshore. It wasn't my first 10k, but I hadn't done many up to then either. 5ks were becoming popular then and I mostly did those almost every other weekend. I was obsessed then about racing. Now? Not so much. I don't mind the training, but racing is a lot of work, in more ways than just the physical side of it.
When I think of the difference in my attitude toward racing then and now, I don't know when or where the change came in. In 1988 when I started running, and 1989 when I started racing, it was unheard of to walk in any race of any distance. Now it is very acceptable (that is, if you let yourself). As for walking, then the marathon standards were your Boston age standards. Now, the same is true if you want to qualify, but it has become exceedingly popular for every person to do a marathon, and walking is a big part of the training. Then I didn't know any better and ran in the hottest part of the day. Now, if it gets over 75 degrees, I won't go! Then I would run every day of the week if I could. Now, I force myself to get at least 2 runs a week. Then I studied the results to see who I had to beat at the next race. Now its good enough if I just finish, even if I am last. The comparisons could go on and on, but that is the gist of it. Why was I more motivated then than now? There probably are many reasons for the change in mental attitude--past injuries, age, shifting priorities to name a fiew. Doing back-to-back long workouts to achieve a certain level of conditioning isn't as appealing as it was even 10 years ago. However, I do know where my weaknesses are and that's what I want to focus on so that when I do an event, I will have at least a minimum amount of training needed. Where this will lead me, only time will tell. The main key to any workout regimen is consistency, and until I become consistent with my training in all 3 disciplines, I will not get the results I feel I should be achieving with the years of experience I have. There is no reason for me to not be at least middle of my age group, but truthfully I have never been there since doing triathlons. Even if I am first or second in the age group out of the water, I am always last or close to last in the bike and run. So today instead of taking it totally easy, I will do another short bike and try to push it harder, rather than doing the long swim. I feel I need more biking than swimming, and more running than biking, but since it is 86 degrees out, I will be doing biking!
Looking at upcoming triathlons, there is one on July 22 I would like to do, August 5, and Aug. 19. Then Crim on Aug. 26 and Reeds Lake Sept. 9. That should do it for the season. Funny how it seems not that far off to be the end of the season around here. Didn't it just begin??
Wearing a long-sleeved shirt on my run the other morning, I thought about the race where I got that shirt, a now-defunct 10k on the Lakeshore. It wasn't my first 10k, but I hadn't done many up to then either. 5ks were becoming popular then and I mostly did those almost every other weekend. I was obsessed then about racing. Now? Not so much. I don't mind the training, but racing is a lot of work, in more ways than just the physical side of it.
When I think of the difference in my attitude toward racing then and now, I don't know when or where the change came in. In 1988 when I started running, and 1989 when I started racing, it was unheard of to walk in any race of any distance. Now it is very acceptable (that is, if you let yourself). As for walking, then the marathon standards were your Boston age standards. Now, the same is true if you want to qualify, but it has become exceedingly popular for every person to do a marathon, and walking is a big part of the training. Then I didn't know any better and ran in the hottest part of the day. Now, if it gets over 75 degrees, I won't go! Then I would run every day of the week if I could. Now, I force myself to get at least 2 runs a week. Then I studied the results to see who I had to beat at the next race. Now its good enough if I just finish, even if I am last. The comparisons could go on and on, but that is the gist of it. Why was I more motivated then than now? There probably are many reasons for the change in mental attitude--past injuries, age, shifting priorities to name a fiew. Doing back-to-back long workouts to achieve a certain level of conditioning isn't as appealing as it was even 10 years ago. However, I do know where my weaknesses are and that's what I want to focus on so that when I do an event, I will have at least a minimum amount of training needed. Where this will lead me, only time will tell. The main key to any workout regimen is consistency, and until I become consistent with my training in all 3 disciplines, I will not get the results I feel I should be achieving with the years of experience I have. There is no reason for me to not be at least middle of my age group, but truthfully I have never been there since doing triathlons. Even if I am first or second in the age group out of the water, I am always last or close to last in the bike and run. So today instead of taking it totally easy, I will do another short bike and try to push it harder, rather than doing the long swim. I feel I need more biking than swimming, and more running than biking, but since it is 86 degrees out, I will be doing biking!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
REVENGE OF THE FLIES!
Ick. Ever since getting back from our trip, the house has been overrun by flies. Big, black, gross flies. I can't get rid of them! I didn't know where they all came from until I discovered a window open in the basement. Hundreds, and I am not exaggerating.
The weather cooled off some yesterday, so when I got home last night I could see a swarm of flies on the window. I thought they were outside, but no. They were all inside! They congregate at the windows, hover at the ceiling, and constantly head for any light or outdoor source. I killed at least 2 dozen within a couple of hours, spent another 30 minutes or so attacking the ones in the basement, and still there were at least a dozen upstairs again this morning, on the windows, in the kitchen, all over the bathroom.
With no bug spray, I had to use my own devices--rolled up newspaper always works well. And hairspray slows them down. So I chased them around with an old hairspray can I didn't like and was able to get quite a few. But dang if there still weren't some hovering on the ceiling when I left for work again! I will win this battle.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
IRONMAN COEUR D'ALENE, JUNE 26, 2006
As promised, and if anyone is still interested, here is my spectator report of IMCDA. There have been so many other things to write about, but I want to get this done and out of the way for those still waiting.
After a three day drive, 1896 miles, and 28 hours later, we arrived in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, for the 2006 Ironman race. With my "expert" planning, we actually arrived an hour earlier than planned. (Actually, we changed time zones for the third time which I wasn't aware of, putting us an hour ahead of schedule.)
My partner Don had signed up to do this race along with 12 other of his local friends and training partners, along with Shelley and with the driving and distance, I decided to make it a 2 week vacation. (Blog journals on this being worked on and will be posted later.)
Fast forward to the Gatorade swim the next day. We were told the water was freezing, so we were all a little apprehensive over that. I was glad to participate and had brought my new wetsuit just for the occasion. When we arrived at the park (name escapes me, but it is a beautiful location), a few of our group had already finished and were standing shivering on the beach. Everyone recommended bomber hats. Tom, one of the guys, pretty much had gotten in and back out. He hates cold water more than anyone I know.
Lake Coeur D'Alene is a beautiful inland lake, can't remember how big, but quite impressive. Don dove in immediately leaving me to fend for myself. I waded in a short distance and found the water getting deep immediately. I didn't really feel any of the cold until it hit the armpits and then yeow! Stinging cold. Yikes. Could I actually do this?? I finally was deep enough to take the plunge and put my face in and started swimming. Gasp, gasp, gasp. Takes the breath away! Swim to first buouy, stop, catch breath, swim to next, catch breath, and then, whatever. Not that bad. Swam a total of 16 min. that day and really might have gone farther had I knew where I was. Found Kim, Rich, Shelley, Libby, Pat, Ruthie and George. Kim was shivering still fully dressed with a fleece hat on as well. Her fingers were quite discolored as she has Raynaud's syndrome. Rich was pretty much shaking uncontrollably (he has 5% body fat, no wonder!). They all survived but weren't particularly looking forward to that part of the race.
Second day, another swim. The water felt maybe 2 degrees warmer! Reminded me of Lake Michigan, waves, current, cold, and all. Swam a little longer this time but got totally disoriented and ended up totally off course. Everyone was feeling a little more confident with the swim and water temperature, and Rich bought a new wetsuit (Blue Seventy) that actually fit so he was quite relieved.
This was also the day for bringing bikes to transition, so everyone was busy with that task and all it entails. That and trying to relax, get organized, stay calm, and get a good night's sleep (that in itself is an oxymoron).
RACE DAY: Up at 4:15, out the door by 4:45. Everyone making their silent way to their cars. Nicely and surprisingly, it was light out already. The other IM races I have attended have all been dark upon arrival at the race start so this was very appreciated. At the park, the music was blaring, instructions were being given by race officials, but everyone was pretty much quiet and wrapped up in their own thoughts and feelings, going about their business of getting things ready for the big dance that day. The people watching is always educational, in more ways than one. Everyone has a routine or is trying to establish one anyway. Tires have to be pumped, bottles filled, bodies need marking, bathroom needs to be visited, etc. I just watched and waited. I couldn't help wonder if I had seen some of these people at other races, and finally decided everyone really looks a lot alike! But at the same time, you could see all the different types of people who had the courage to attempt an Ironman--young, old, dads, moms, sons, daughters, white, black, Asian, Hispanic--a melting pot; people of all ages, races, backgrounds attempting to accomplish the same goal that day.
Swim: The pro women were competing that day for prize money, and their swim was about to start. I found myself with the wife of one of the guys and realized we were in a very advantageous spot for viewing, right at the swim finish and next to the time clock. We were actually standing on a retaining wall and could see the beach location of the swim, although we were probably 1/4 mile away. Still, even at that distance, it was possible to see the swim masses.
The pro women started 35 min. ahead of the rest of the pack, and by 7 am, most were half way through their second loop. It was amazing seeing them churn through the water, with two of them way out front from groups of three distinct packs and then the stragglers after that.
The swim started and it was amazing to see! Something very hard to describe, 2200+ swim caps churning through the water. Being a two loop swim, as is fairly typical, Lecia, one of the Ironcrew women from our group, also resident photographer of all events, decided she didn't want to stand at the swim finish, she wanted to be down on the beach to get them after their first loop. After being trampled and my vision blocked most of the time at IMFL 2 years ago, I was content to stay on my perch near the finish chute.
As is turned out, we saw every one of the people from our group except Rich, so I felt I had a great spot. Mike (11:20), who swam a 1:06, came out first, as expected. Later he would say that he lost his goggles on the second loop and what the heck, just swam without them--"I could actually see better!" According to all, it was a brutal swim. Having an idea of what everyone's swim time would be, it was easy to watch for them. There were a few surprises of course, with some faster and others slower than expected, but we waited until the last person from our group came through. That was Pat (15:42), doing her first IM, age 56. She was the most apprehensive about the swim, but still managed to finish in 1:50.
Bike: By the time Pat finished, I pretty much lost my chance to see anyone coming out of transition, and missed most of them finishing their first loop on the bike. I had planned to watch them all go through their first loop and then go for a run, but already at this point in the morning it was heating up fast and furious. We had heard the temps were going to be in the high 80s, and I suspected already it was nearing the high 70s. So I was pretty amazed at the numbers of swim stragglers (last one out of the water had 12 seconds to spare!)just heading out on the bike wearing jackets, long sleeves, one even fleece! (leopard print at that!) Oooh, they were going to cook later. I know they were cold from the swim, but you really do have to think of later in the day. This wasn't a sprint race after all.
Knowing the bike would be a long part of the day, I had time to go run, shower, shop, and eat before heading back to watch the finish. Parking was at a premium, so by the time I actually found another parking spot and made my way to a portion of the final bike leg, I was facing catching only the "B" group (those biking 6 hours or longer). Little did I realize then how many of them fell into that group. Mike, Rich, Tom, Dan, and Shelley had finished by then. We were still waiting for Don, Libby, Bruce, Melissa, Ruthie, Kim, Pat, and George in that order. I had my walkie-talkie and contacted Lecia, since she was still taking pictures. Nancy and I were supposed to be spotters, but I was less than enthused about chasing all over in the heat, so I picked a shady spot on the corner of the last turn into the finish and radioed ahead when I spotted someone.
I couldn't help but think about the time factor, with it approaching the 7th hour now and still the last of the group were not coming in. The 7th hour came and went and still no one. I was a little alarmed by this and started wondering if I had totally missed them. But according to Lecia, who was planted at the finish, no way had they finished. So we waited and waited. Finally! Here comes Bruce, then Don, then Melissa, then Kim. At this point, I wanted to check with Don and see what was going on and be sure he was okay. I had to make my way toward the finish, cutting across the course, so had to wait from time to time for bikers. Everyone looked strong even in the inferno the day was turning into. My last check had said 95! So by the time I got to transition and the beginning of the run, I had missed Don. I was told Libby had come and gone. Okay, we did miss her. Later we would find out Libby actually had DNFd due to severe cramps on the bike. When she stopped because she couldn't pedal any more, she actually passed out. So some of the group had actually seen her at the ambulance and knew what was going on, but we spectators didn't have a clue until later. Libby is an excellent triathlete, having done probably 10 IM distance races, and the bike is her strong suit, but today wasn't her day. She felt terrible for not finishing, but after the magic elixir of an IV felt good enough to spend the rest of the day cheering on others in the race.
Run: If that's what they called it, I'm okay with that. With the heat, so many people were walking. If they started out running the first loop (an out and back of 2 miles), they weren't soon after. I finally got a glimpse of Don, and he was actually moving, so I assumed he was okay. I parked my chair again in the shade and waited for the others to pass. The whole plan of catching people on the bike and run was thrown out the window because of the heat. People were just not functioning at their usual potential, including the pros. While most of them had actually finished by this time of the day, there were those too who had DNFd. Finishing times were slower. It was all to be expected. I waited quite a while expecting to see Kim and Pat at least, but figured finally I must have missed them and needed to move my car closer to the finish area than the 2 miles away I was. There was no way I wanted to do that later in the dark.
I had to wait for the bike course to close at 5:30 so I could move my car across from the park, and sad to say there were still people coming in who didn't appear to have a clue their day was done. Five thirty is the cutoff, and I was really surprised at the numbers still out there.
This really should have been close to the time Mike said he was going to finish, so I made contact with Lecia and Nancy again and they said they saw him earlier and he wasn't going to make his goal but was still moving. They had seen Shelley, Don, Melissa, and Kim but didn't make it clear what order anyone was in or where they were. I said I was heading toward the finish and would see them later. About this time, I ran into Shelley! I was really glad to see someone and get the scoop, and was surprised to find out what the order of the athletes was, from her perspective. Shelley was tired and hot, but really looked good. She told me Kim and Don were behind her. No way! Yup, and they were walking. No surprise there. But then she told me about Libby. I was heartbroken for her and hoped I would see her at some point. So Shelley went on her way and I was again trying to figure out where to go.
The way the course is laid out, it is very spectator friendly, but not being familiar with it (my mistake), I did not know the mile marker I was at or where the rest of the course went. I still figured I would see Don and Kim at least or maybe Melissa or Bruce, but I had no idea. I did finally see Bruce, but I figured lately I didn't wait long enough for the rest. Bruce was walking, didn't even acknowledge me, and was totally focused on himself. I radioed this to Nancy and then headed on.
I finally decided to walk closer to the finish, again figuring I would hear Mike's name called and maybe Rich, since by now it was approaching the 11th hour. But the finish line was a big madhouse, and I didn't want to sit on the bleachers for who knew how long, so I picked a corner nearby, got comfortable, and sat in my chair waiting.
Eventually Nancy walked by on her way to her hotel, which was on the race course, I think at mile 17.5 of the race and also a half mile from the finish. The use of her bathroom was welcome at that point, and it seemed a perfect vantage point for watching. She mentioned she had seen Don and he was 10 minutes behind Bruce (her husband) so if I hurried and used the bathroom I might be able to catch him as he went by. Man, was she right! I no sooner got back on the street and here he finally came. Running! So that was good, right? He went by and I chased after him a minute--"can't keep anything down; can only sip water; cramped on the bike." So that pretty much told it all. Again, with only a guess on how much farther he had to go, I prepared myself for a long wait.
Eventually Libby came by and told her story. Then Rich and Mike. Even though the sun was going down and it was cooling off nicely (the advantage of people in a mountain state--hot days, cool nights, none of that cloying humidity we get here), both Mike and Rich said they were still really hot. That was surprising to hear from Rich, who always is cold it seems. Mike had nylon pants on, so it was no wonder, but then I realized he had worn the same clothes he had on in the morning upon arrival--hadn't gone back to the hotel or anything. And here he was, out standing on the race course, cheering others on, telling them they looked good, etc. hours after his own tough finish.
Both had their war stories to tell, which is always great listening, but too they were concerned about their buddies, knowing what they had gone through themselves. Rich humorously told about seeing Tom (his rival) out there on the turnaround and started figuring if he did "14:45 minute miles" (walking) he could still beat him. So even Rich and Mike, the toughest and fastest of the group, were reduced to walking, at least at times. Mike said he was running so slow he wasn't sure if he was running. He got passed by dozens, instead of doing the passing himself.
Tom (about 13:45) finally passed by on his way to the finish. He just ran by, not even glancing our way, but saying he wasn't sure he really was an Ironman that day. It was getting dark now, and the street lights were not coming on. Businesses in the area were also closing, like the only eating place around, offering Huckleberry shakes. I wonder how many of those finishing wanted something like that after their race??
Before I knew it, here came Shelley and Dan! Walking together, keeping each other going. They stopped long enough to pose and on they trudged. And amazingly, there were still people making the turn onto whatever street we were on, heading out for their final loop of the run. Most were walking, but a lot were attempting to run just to be sure they made the 17 hour cutoff. George had shown up here shortly before this explaining his DNF, but for George that is almost expected. He only does the races because of his wife, and gladly will stop the race at any point he can, looking for any excuse he can. He said he didn't train, as is usual too. His main concern at this point was getting one of those Huckleberry shakes while waiting for his wife Ruthie to finish and before the restaurant closed!
Again, not knowing when anyone would finish now, we just watched and waited. I was concerned about Shelley having someone to help her at the finish, but hoped Lecia or Libby would get her taken care of, since I was in a situation not knowing when Don would finish and not wanting to leave the area until I knew what was going on. I had to get him taken care of too.
Finally Melissa went by, an IM virgin no more! She looked good. She waved and on she went. Then Bruce, still walking, waving Nancy away as if she was disrupting his cadence or something. He had told her earlier he could do 15 min. miles and still finish in a respectable time, and it appeared he was on that goal still. So she ran on after him to get to the finish line with him.
Then Kim! OMG. She was still moving and was beating Don. Ohh, he wouldn't be happy with himself. But I also figured, he would be happy to be getting done at all. And sure enough, a few minutes later, he came plodding by, looking a little crazed but determined. I quickly gathered up my chair, bag, and whatever to head down to the finish and pretty much bumped into Shelley! I think she was pretty happy to see someone from the group and I assured her I would get her taken care of as soon as I made contact with Don. I just wanted him to be sure I was there so we didn't wander around looking for each other. Shelley was exhausted by now, and was very stiff and slow moving. She did have someone helping with her bike, so I grabbed a bag and headed down the hill toward the finish. I know I was moving way too fast for her, but I was afraid I would miss Don and we would have a fiasco trying to find each other. I don't remember a finish line being this much of a mess before. Maybe it was the numbers that day, maybe it was the setup, I don't know. Of course I couldn't find him. I got Shelley to sit down on my chair and wait while I chased around looking for him, figuring he would be in the med tent or something. Nothing. Not eating pizza, I already knew that. Where?? Not at his bike. Okay, get Shelley taken care of and hope to see him somewhere, as by now she was really miserable. Got her to the car, loaded up the bike, and then dashed back into the night looking for Don. Relief. He already had his bike and stuff and was just sitting there with Pat! She had finished right after him and they were sharing their stories. Naturally I couldn't get Pat's bike, etc. because the rack only held 2 bikes, but I promised to come back after I got them taken care of. Both Don and Shelley were ready to get to the hotel, so got back there and helped unload all the stuff! So much you can't believe. Three bags full.
By the time I got back to the race site, Pat had been picked up so I went back to the hotel and crashed!
All in all, only 2 DNFs in our group, two new Ironwomen, and everyone else successfully, if not slower than usual, finished. There were a few questioning future race possibilities, but only time will tell there. Regardless of how anyone felt about their races, they all can be proud of their finishes and the fact that they actually towed the line in the first place.
For me, the heat of the day pretty much distracted totally from the pro racers. I didn't know until hearing from Mike and Rich that night who had even won or what the times were. It wasn't my suffering but my concern for the others that kept my mind off the pros. They all suffered the same, but really, the race wasn't about them in my book. It was about all those people who would be out there 15+ hours, long after the pros were showered, fed, and comfortable for the night. Its always amazing to see those coming in at the last minute to know they did it and beat the clock too, no matter what they had to do to get there.
As promised, and if anyone is still interested, here is my spectator report of IMCDA. There have been so many other things to write about, but I want to get this done and out of the way for those still waiting.
After a three day drive, 1896 miles, and 28 hours later, we arrived in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, for the 2006 Ironman race. With my "expert" planning, we actually arrived an hour earlier than planned. (Actually, we changed time zones for the third time which I wasn't aware of, putting us an hour ahead of schedule.)
My partner Don had signed up to do this race along with 12 other of his local friends and training partners, along with Shelley and with the driving and distance, I decided to make it a 2 week vacation. (Blog journals on this being worked on and will be posted later.)
Fast forward to the Gatorade swim the next day. We were told the water was freezing, so we were all a little apprehensive over that. I was glad to participate and had brought my new wetsuit just for the occasion. When we arrived at the park (name escapes me, but it is a beautiful location), a few of our group had already finished and were standing shivering on the beach. Everyone recommended bomber hats. Tom, one of the guys, pretty much had gotten in and back out. He hates cold water more than anyone I know.
Lake Coeur D'Alene is a beautiful inland lake, can't remember how big, but quite impressive. Don dove in immediately leaving me to fend for myself. I waded in a short distance and found the water getting deep immediately. I didn't really feel any of the cold until it hit the armpits and then yeow! Stinging cold. Yikes. Could I actually do this?? I finally was deep enough to take the plunge and put my face in and started swimming. Gasp, gasp, gasp. Takes the breath away! Swim to first buouy, stop, catch breath, swim to next, catch breath, and then, whatever. Not that bad. Swam a total of 16 min. that day and really might have gone farther had I knew where I was. Found Kim, Rich, Shelley, Libby, Pat, Ruthie and George. Kim was shivering still fully dressed with a fleece hat on as well. Her fingers were quite discolored as she has Raynaud's syndrome. Rich was pretty much shaking uncontrollably (he has 5% body fat, no wonder!). They all survived but weren't particularly looking forward to that part of the race.
Second day, another swim. The water felt maybe 2 degrees warmer! Reminded me of Lake Michigan, waves, current, cold, and all. Swam a little longer this time but got totally disoriented and ended up totally off course. Everyone was feeling a little more confident with the swim and water temperature, and Rich bought a new wetsuit (Blue Seventy) that actually fit so he was quite relieved.
This was also the day for bringing bikes to transition, so everyone was busy with that task and all it entails. That and trying to relax, get organized, stay calm, and get a good night's sleep (that in itself is an oxymoron).
RACE DAY: Up at 4:15, out the door by 4:45. Everyone making their silent way to their cars. Nicely and surprisingly, it was light out already. The other IM races I have attended have all been dark upon arrival at the race start so this was very appreciated. At the park, the music was blaring, instructions were being given by race officials, but everyone was pretty much quiet and wrapped up in their own thoughts and feelings, going about their business of getting things ready for the big dance that day. The people watching is always educational, in more ways than one. Everyone has a routine or is trying to establish one anyway. Tires have to be pumped, bottles filled, bodies need marking, bathroom needs to be visited, etc. I just watched and waited. I couldn't help wonder if I had seen some of these people at other races, and finally decided everyone really looks a lot alike! But at the same time, you could see all the different types of people who had the courage to attempt an Ironman--young, old, dads, moms, sons, daughters, white, black, Asian, Hispanic--a melting pot; people of all ages, races, backgrounds attempting to accomplish the same goal that day.
Swim: The pro women were competing that day for prize money, and their swim was about to start. I found myself with the wife of one of the guys and realized we were in a very advantageous spot for viewing, right at the swim finish and next to the time clock. We were actually standing on a retaining wall and could see the beach location of the swim, although we were probably 1/4 mile away. Still, even at that distance, it was possible to see the swim masses.
The pro women started 35 min. ahead of the rest of the pack, and by 7 am, most were half way through their second loop. It was amazing seeing them churn through the water, with two of them way out front from groups of three distinct packs and then the stragglers after that.
The swim started and it was amazing to see! Something very hard to describe, 2200+ swim caps churning through the water. Being a two loop swim, as is fairly typical, Lecia, one of the Ironcrew women from our group, also resident photographer of all events, decided she didn't want to stand at the swim finish, she wanted to be down on the beach to get them after their first loop. After being trampled and my vision blocked most of the time at IMFL 2 years ago, I was content to stay on my perch near the finish chute.
As is turned out, we saw every one of the people from our group except Rich, so I felt I had a great spot. Mike (11:20), who swam a 1:06, came out first, as expected. Later he would say that he lost his goggles on the second loop and what the heck, just swam without them--"I could actually see better!" According to all, it was a brutal swim. Having an idea of what everyone's swim time would be, it was easy to watch for them. There were a few surprises of course, with some faster and others slower than expected, but we waited until the last person from our group came through. That was Pat (15:42), doing her first IM, age 56. She was the most apprehensive about the swim, but still managed to finish in 1:50.
Bike: By the time Pat finished, I pretty much lost my chance to see anyone coming out of transition, and missed most of them finishing their first loop on the bike. I had planned to watch them all go through their first loop and then go for a run, but already at this point in the morning it was heating up fast and furious. We had heard the temps were going to be in the high 80s, and I suspected already it was nearing the high 70s. So I was pretty amazed at the numbers of swim stragglers (last one out of the water had 12 seconds to spare!)just heading out on the bike wearing jackets, long sleeves, one even fleece! (leopard print at that!) Oooh, they were going to cook later. I know they were cold from the swim, but you really do have to think of later in the day. This wasn't a sprint race after all.
Knowing the bike would be a long part of the day, I had time to go run, shower, shop, and eat before heading back to watch the finish. Parking was at a premium, so by the time I actually found another parking spot and made my way to a portion of the final bike leg, I was facing catching only the "B" group (those biking 6 hours or longer). Little did I realize then how many of them fell into that group. Mike, Rich, Tom, Dan, and Shelley had finished by then. We were still waiting for Don, Libby, Bruce, Melissa, Ruthie, Kim, Pat, and George in that order. I had my walkie-talkie and contacted Lecia, since she was still taking pictures. Nancy and I were supposed to be spotters, but I was less than enthused about chasing all over in the heat, so I picked a shady spot on the corner of the last turn into the finish and radioed ahead when I spotted someone.
I couldn't help but think about the time factor, with it approaching the 7th hour now and still the last of the group were not coming in. The 7th hour came and went and still no one. I was a little alarmed by this and started wondering if I had totally missed them. But according to Lecia, who was planted at the finish, no way had they finished. So we waited and waited. Finally! Here comes Bruce, then Don, then Melissa, then Kim. At this point, I wanted to check with Don and see what was going on and be sure he was okay. I had to make my way toward the finish, cutting across the course, so had to wait from time to time for bikers. Everyone looked strong even in the inferno the day was turning into. My last check had said 95! So by the time I got to transition and the beginning of the run, I had missed Don. I was told Libby had come and gone. Okay, we did miss her. Later we would find out Libby actually had DNFd due to severe cramps on the bike. When she stopped because she couldn't pedal any more, she actually passed out. So some of the group had actually seen her at the ambulance and knew what was going on, but we spectators didn't have a clue until later. Libby is an excellent triathlete, having done probably 10 IM distance races, and the bike is her strong suit, but today wasn't her day. She felt terrible for not finishing, but after the magic elixir of an IV felt good enough to spend the rest of the day cheering on others in the race.
Run: If that's what they called it, I'm okay with that. With the heat, so many people were walking. If they started out running the first loop (an out and back of 2 miles), they weren't soon after. I finally got a glimpse of Don, and he was actually moving, so I assumed he was okay. I parked my chair again in the shade and waited for the others to pass. The whole plan of catching people on the bike and run was thrown out the window because of the heat. People were just not functioning at their usual potential, including the pros. While most of them had actually finished by this time of the day, there were those too who had DNFd. Finishing times were slower. It was all to be expected. I waited quite a while expecting to see Kim and Pat at least, but figured finally I must have missed them and needed to move my car closer to the finish area than the 2 miles away I was. There was no way I wanted to do that later in the dark.
I had to wait for the bike course to close at 5:30 so I could move my car across from the park, and sad to say there were still people coming in who didn't appear to have a clue their day was done. Five thirty is the cutoff, and I was really surprised at the numbers still out there.
This really should have been close to the time Mike said he was going to finish, so I made contact with Lecia and Nancy again and they said they saw him earlier and he wasn't going to make his goal but was still moving. They had seen Shelley, Don, Melissa, and Kim but didn't make it clear what order anyone was in or where they were. I said I was heading toward the finish and would see them later. About this time, I ran into Shelley! I was really glad to see someone and get the scoop, and was surprised to find out what the order of the athletes was, from her perspective. Shelley was tired and hot, but really looked good. She told me Kim and Don were behind her. No way! Yup, and they were walking. No surprise there. But then she told me about Libby. I was heartbroken for her and hoped I would see her at some point. So Shelley went on her way and I was again trying to figure out where to go.
The way the course is laid out, it is very spectator friendly, but not being familiar with it (my mistake), I did not know the mile marker I was at or where the rest of the course went. I still figured I would see Don and Kim at least or maybe Melissa or Bruce, but I had no idea. I did finally see Bruce, but I figured lately I didn't wait long enough for the rest. Bruce was walking, didn't even acknowledge me, and was totally focused on himself. I radioed this to Nancy and then headed on.
I finally decided to walk closer to the finish, again figuring I would hear Mike's name called and maybe Rich, since by now it was approaching the 11th hour. But the finish line was a big madhouse, and I didn't want to sit on the bleachers for who knew how long, so I picked a corner nearby, got comfortable, and sat in my chair waiting.
Eventually Nancy walked by on her way to her hotel, which was on the race course, I think at mile 17.5 of the race and also a half mile from the finish. The use of her bathroom was welcome at that point, and it seemed a perfect vantage point for watching. She mentioned she had seen Don and he was 10 minutes behind Bruce (her husband) so if I hurried and used the bathroom I might be able to catch him as he went by. Man, was she right! I no sooner got back on the street and here he finally came. Running! So that was good, right? He went by and I chased after him a minute--"can't keep anything down; can only sip water; cramped on the bike." So that pretty much told it all. Again, with only a guess on how much farther he had to go, I prepared myself for a long wait.
Eventually Libby came by and told her story. Then Rich and Mike. Even though the sun was going down and it was cooling off nicely (the advantage of people in a mountain state--hot days, cool nights, none of that cloying humidity we get here), both Mike and Rich said they were still really hot. That was surprising to hear from Rich, who always is cold it seems. Mike had nylon pants on, so it was no wonder, but then I realized he had worn the same clothes he had on in the morning upon arrival--hadn't gone back to the hotel or anything. And here he was, out standing on the race course, cheering others on, telling them they looked good, etc. hours after his own tough finish.
Both had their war stories to tell, which is always great listening, but too they were concerned about their buddies, knowing what they had gone through themselves. Rich humorously told about seeing Tom (his rival) out there on the turnaround and started figuring if he did "14:45 minute miles" (walking) he could still beat him. So even Rich and Mike, the toughest and fastest of the group, were reduced to walking, at least at times. Mike said he was running so slow he wasn't sure if he was running. He got passed by dozens, instead of doing the passing himself.
Tom (about 13:45) finally passed by on his way to the finish. He just ran by, not even glancing our way, but saying he wasn't sure he really was an Ironman that day. It was getting dark now, and the street lights were not coming on. Businesses in the area were also closing, like the only eating place around, offering Huckleberry shakes. I wonder how many of those finishing wanted something like that after their race??
Before I knew it, here came Shelley and Dan! Walking together, keeping each other going. They stopped long enough to pose and on they trudged. And amazingly, there were still people making the turn onto whatever street we were on, heading out for their final loop of the run. Most were walking, but a lot were attempting to run just to be sure they made the 17 hour cutoff. George had shown up here shortly before this explaining his DNF, but for George that is almost expected. He only does the races because of his wife, and gladly will stop the race at any point he can, looking for any excuse he can. He said he didn't train, as is usual too. His main concern at this point was getting one of those Huckleberry shakes while waiting for his wife Ruthie to finish and before the restaurant closed!
Again, not knowing when anyone would finish now, we just watched and waited. I was concerned about Shelley having someone to help her at the finish, but hoped Lecia or Libby would get her taken care of, since I was in a situation not knowing when Don would finish and not wanting to leave the area until I knew what was going on. I had to get him taken care of too.
Finally Melissa went by, an IM virgin no more! She looked good. She waved and on she went. Then Bruce, still walking, waving Nancy away as if she was disrupting his cadence or something. He had told her earlier he could do 15 min. miles and still finish in a respectable time, and it appeared he was on that goal still. So she ran on after him to get to the finish line with him.
Then Kim! OMG. She was still moving and was beating Don. Ohh, he wouldn't be happy with himself. But I also figured, he would be happy to be getting done at all. And sure enough, a few minutes later, he came plodding by, looking a little crazed but determined. I quickly gathered up my chair, bag, and whatever to head down to the finish and pretty much bumped into Shelley! I think she was pretty happy to see someone from the group and I assured her I would get her taken care of as soon as I made contact with Don. I just wanted him to be sure I was there so we didn't wander around looking for each other. Shelley was exhausted by now, and was very stiff and slow moving. She did have someone helping with her bike, so I grabbed a bag and headed down the hill toward the finish. I know I was moving way too fast for her, but I was afraid I would miss Don and we would have a fiasco trying to find each other. I don't remember a finish line being this much of a mess before. Maybe it was the numbers that day, maybe it was the setup, I don't know. Of course I couldn't find him. I got Shelley to sit down on my chair and wait while I chased around looking for him, figuring he would be in the med tent or something. Nothing. Not eating pizza, I already knew that. Where?? Not at his bike. Okay, get Shelley taken care of and hope to see him somewhere, as by now she was really miserable. Got her to the car, loaded up the bike, and then dashed back into the night looking for Don. Relief. He already had his bike and stuff and was just sitting there with Pat! She had finished right after him and they were sharing their stories. Naturally I couldn't get Pat's bike, etc. because the rack only held 2 bikes, but I promised to come back after I got them taken care of. Both Don and Shelley were ready to get to the hotel, so got back there and helped unload all the stuff! So much you can't believe. Three bags full.
By the time I got back to the race site, Pat had been picked up so I went back to the hotel and crashed!
All in all, only 2 DNFs in our group, two new Ironwomen, and everyone else successfully, if not slower than usual, finished. There were a few questioning future race possibilities, but only time will tell there. Regardless of how anyone felt about their races, they all can be proud of their finishes and the fact that they actually towed the line in the first place.
For me, the heat of the day pretty much distracted totally from the pro racers. I didn't know until hearing from Mike and Rich that night who had even won or what the times were. It wasn't my suffering but my concern for the others that kept my mind off the pros. They all suffered the same, but really, the race wasn't about them in my book. It was about all those people who would be out there 15+ hours, long after the pros were showered, fed, and comfortable for the night. Its always amazing to see those coming in at the last minute to know they did it and beat the clock too, no matter what they had to do to get there.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Friday, June 30, 2006
IM Coeur D'Alene. What can I say? I'm sure you all can imagine how exciting it was. I wish I had more time to write right now. I've been without internet connection since Monday--stayed in a fairly primitive campground in Hungry Horse, Montana, about 9 miles outside West Glacier, and am now in Iron Mountain, Michigan (was up in the UP). I will be home Saturday and hopefully will get caught up on all the details as soon as possible.
Shelley did a great job on her race, as did all the others, even those who were unable to finish due to the horribly hot weather. No one was exempt from the heat that day. Of the 13 athleses in our group, 11 finished, two were pulled out for medical reasons, and two did their first Ironman triathlons. While it is exciting watching the pros, the real heros that day were the every day athletes, and of course what a thrill it was watching the "virgins" complete their first races. Until you stand there (or actually participate) and watch people crossing the finish line and hearing those words: "_____, you are an Ironman!" you can't know the emotions it brings out in you.
Anyway, more later. I have spent 14 hours in the car and I have had it today!
Shelley did a great job on her race, as did all the others, even those who were unable to finish due to the horribly hot weather. No one was exempt from the heat that day. Of the 13 athleses in our group, 11 finished, two were pulled out for medical reasons, and two did their first Ironman triathlons. While it is exciting watching the pros, the real heros that day were the every day athletes, and of course what a thrill it was watching the "virgins" complete their first races. Until you stand there (or actually participate) and watch people crossing the finish line and hearing those words: "_____, you are an Ironman!" you can't know the emotions it brings out in you.
Anyway, more later. I have spent 14 hours in the car and I have had it today!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
I finally got on the Internet!
Got into Coeur D'Alene Thursday and met up with the gang, in cluding Shelley. Did the swim yesterday and the water was freezing as she had indicated. Once you get in and start and catch your breath from the cold, its not so bad. Hope to have some pics and trip highlights later today.
Got into Coeur D'Alene Thursday and met up with the gang, in cluding Shelley. Did the swim yesterday and the water was freezing as she had indicated. Once you get in and start and catch your breath from the cold, its not so bad. Hope to have some pics and trip highlights later today.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
IRONMAN COUR D'ALENE.
Packing up to leave tomorrow! Can't believe its time already. Bruce, Tom, and Mike all left today. Don and I leave tomorrow (driving of course) but plan to stop at Mt. Rushmore and Badlands Tues./Wed. I would love to spend more time at some of the historical museums, like the Wounded Knee Museum, but am not sure how much time we will have. The focus of the trip at this point, of course, is the Ironman race, not sightseeing, so I will have to be content with whatever time we have.
Shelley is flying in on Tuesday, and Dan, Libby, Kim, and Pat on Wednesday and Thursday. We will have a large group once all assembled: 12 in all. I'll try to keep up on the travels and the IM activities as best as I can, but my laptop is not wireless at this point and is as slow as a turtle. I will be hanging out with a photography and internet guru, so maybe I can finally get some tips on posting pictures and fixing this blog to link up with others' blogs.
From South Dakota and Wyoming, I am thinking the best course would be to go through Bozeman, MT. where my son is living. I had told him the week after, but it might work better on the way out. We have to go right through there anyway, and it is only another 5 hours or so to Coeur D'Alene.
We are also planning on staying at Glacier Nat'l Park, and I won't go home until I see Yellowstone again. A sad thing about Yellowstone. A woman from the area, and on the school board of my kids' schools, fell to her death from a ledge in Yellowstone. I am so glad I wasn't there then.
So two whole weeks away from home. I don't think I have ever been gone that long. Of course I will worry periodically about what's going on at the house, etc., but will have to hope to make contact by phone. Last time I was out that way, no phone service most of the time, so that was frustrating.
I'm glad too now that I did the tri yesterday, because for the next two weeks it will be hit or miss on the workouts, especially with the travelling. And I'm not too sure about running through wooded areas with bears, buffalo, and any other wild creature there is. Don has delusions of grandeur about all the hikes, etc. we will be taking, forgetting the fact that 1) there are wild animals out there, and 2) he will have just done an Ironman. I'm thinking we will be driving more than hiking.
So I'm off to bed finally only to get up at the crack of dawn to hit the road.
Packing up to leave tomorrow! Can't believe its time already. Bruce, Tom, and Mike all left today. Don and I leave tomorrow (driving of course) but plan to stop at Mt. Rushmore and Badlands Tues./Wed. I would love to spend more time at some of the historical museums, like the Wounded Knee Museum, but am not sure how much time we will have. The focus of the trip at this point, of course, is the Ironman race, not sightseeing, so I will have to be content with whatever time we have.
Shelley is flying in on Tuesday, and Dan, Libby, Kim, and Pat on Wednesday and Thursday. We will have a large group once all assembled: 12 in all. I'll try to keep up on the travels and the IM activities as best as I can, but my laptop is not wireless at this point and is as slow as a turtle. I will be hanging out with a photography and internet guru, so maybe I can finally get some tips on posting pictures and fixing this blog to link up with others' blogs.
From South Dakota and Wyoming, I am thinking the best course would be to go through Bozeman, MT. where my son is living. I had told him the week after, but it might work better on the way out. We have to go right through there anyway, and it is only another 5 hours or so to Coeur D'Alene.
We are also planning on staying at Glacier Nat'l Park, and I won't go home until I see Yellowstone again. A sad thing about Yellowstone. A woman from the area, and on the school board of my kids' schools, fell to her death from a ledge in Yellowstone. I am so glad I wasn't there then.
So two whole weeks away from home. I don't think I have ever been gone that long. Of course I will worry periodically about what's going on at the house, etc., but will have to hope to make contact by phone. Last time I was out that way, no phone service most of the time, so that was frustrating.
I'm glad too now that I did the tri yesterday, because for the next two weeks it will be hit or miss on the workouts, especially with the travelling. And I'm not too sure about running through wooded areas with bears, buffalo, and any other wild creature there is. Don has delusions of grandeur about all the hikes, etc. we will be taking, forgetting the fact that 1) there are wild animals out there, and 2) he will have just done an Ironman. I'm thinking we will be driving more than hiking.
So I'm off to bed finally only to get up at the crack of dawn to hit the road.
IN RETROSPECT...
Well, the results are in, and they don't lie. They definitely show positives and negatives. They also show where I need the most work. So that is what I will be working on before my next race. Its a good thing really, because then you know where you are.
I know everyone goes into a race with expectations, and if those expectations are met, yahoo. If not, then you are down on yourself. But in this case, I am not down on myself, just being realistic.
One thing that is evident from the results is: this is a fast crowd. Very few people doing this race are slow in all three events, so that sets me apart from them right there. No excuses, just reality. But what can I do to change that? That is what I am looking at today, the day after the race.
Okay, I had a decent enough swim, not my fastest but not bad. The positive: I didn't panic. I swam steady. I kept my form. I wasn't tired. I kept on course pretty much. The negative: I still get put off by people swimming over me. It throws me off. While I didn't get upset this time, I still had to stop and regroup. I let them have my space. Not sure this will change until I do a lot more tris. Its a confidence thing I suspect.
T1 was about 3 minutes faster than ever and this is definitely attributed to the new wetsuit, so that is a positive. The only negative would be I need to put some sense of urgency into my transitions. I tend to take my time. I was organized, and not flustered, just not fast. I guess when you are only competing against yourself, the pressure is off.
I did better on the bke than I expected, but only by a few minutes, so that would be a positive. The problem for me was the hills. I have not been training on hills. Rollers but nothing like these. I really forgot how hilly it was. I underestimated. So that would be a negative. And these were not monsters, just long and drawn out. So I learned I need more hill training, since most of our races around here are on hills. The area is full of hills. Not mountains, just long hills. Another positive was that I kept steady on the hills, only needing to shift to the middle chain ring twice just to keep speed. I don't stand on hills rarely, and I did see people do that. Even on the steepest hills, I managed to keep going, just slow. So how do I get faster? More longer, hillier bike rides I suspect and shorter faster ones in between. I am working on it. I have never been fast on the bike, but I was faster the last time I did the race, so I suspect it is just lack of training (and age? would have have anything to do with it??). Just how do those women do 20+ mph out there? Its amazing to me.
While someone looking at my "run" time would definitely label this as a negative, I am being realistic but not brutal on myself. Yes, I need more run training, especially bike to run. I did none so far. That would be a negative. And for me to assume I could pull this off without that type of training, that would also be a negative. It always seems like when you do a race before and you got through it okay, that you assume you can pull it off again. That doesn't take into account all the variables you find in races like these. Another negative for me would be lack of heat training. Granted, we haven't had 90+ degree heat only a few times this year (which is a lot so far), and why race day the weather gods decided to turn up the heat wasn't fair, but had I been better prepared, I doubt I would have been affected so severely. Some of it was mental, that is obvious, so letting my mind take over my body was also a negative. I need to get tougher mentally so I can push through these things and not give in. I have that edge in other things, so I know it is something I can do. More lunchtime runs is probably part of the answer, and longer runs too. My foot numbness if also a big negative. I am truly at a loss on how to overcome this. It seems to recur the more I bike. I have been working on training myself to keep my feet relaxed on the bike, which is a big reason why I get my foot numbness--don't curl the toes. I really think I did that and was conscious about it the whole race, yet once I put my running shoes on it was there. In fact, my shoes felt so tight I thought I had tightened the lace locks too much, but when I checked, they were comfortably loose. My ChiRunning training is helping me overcome this, but it is still something I need more work on apparently. So another negative. It looks like the whole run added up to all negatives, but I have to put something positive into it. I did not quit. I did not cave in. I kept going and kept a positive outlook. Its not easy knowing you will be last. Its not easy knowing everyone else will have gone home before you get there. And its not easy knowing you are holding up the volunteers. But it would have been harder to face later and I would have been looking for excuses had I quit. I knew I could do this. I just had to find a different way to get done than the rest.
So again, the positive in the whole experience was I learned where my deficits were. It gives me a base to work with. Now it is up to me to keep working at it if I want to be more successful next race, and of course I do!
Well, the results are in, and they don't lie. They definitely show positives and negatives. They also show where I need the most work. So that is what I will be working on before my next race. Its a good thing really, because then you know where you are.
I know everyone goes into a race with expectations, and if those expectations are met, yahoo. If not, then you are down on yourself. But in this case, I am not down on myself, just being realistic.
One thing that is evident from the results is: this is a fast crowd. Very few people doing this race are slow in all three events, so that sets me apart from them right there. No excuses, just reality. But what can I do to change that? That is what I am looking at today, the day after the race.
Okay, I had a decent enough swim, not my fastest but not bad. The positive: I didn't panic. I swam steady. I kept my form. I wasn't tired. I kept on course pretty much. The negative: I still get put off by people swimming over me. It throws me off. While I didn't get upset this time, I still had to stop and regroup. I let them have my space. Not sure this will change until I do a lot more tris. Its a confidence thing I suspect.
T1 was about 3 minutes faster than ever and this is definitely attributed to the new wetsuit, so that is a positive. The only negative would be I need to put some sense of urgency into my transitions. I tend to take my time. I was organized, and not flustered, just not fast. I guess when you are only competing against yourself, the pressure is off.
I did better on the bke than I expected, but only by a few minutes, so that would be a positive. The problem for me was the hills. I have not been training on hills. Rollers but nothing like these. I really forgot how hilly it was. I underestimated. So that would be a negative. And these were not monsters, just long and drawn out. So I learned I need more hill training, since most of our races around here are on hills. The area is full of hills. Not mountains, just long hills. Another positive was that I kept steady on the hills, only needing to shift to the middle chain ring twice just to keep speed. I don't stand on hills rarely, and I did see people do that. Even on the steepest hills, I managed to keep going, just slow. So how do I get faster? More longer, hillier bike rides I suspect and shorter faster ones in between. I am working on it. I have never been fast on the bike, but I was faster the last time I did the race, so I suspect it is just lack of training (and age? would have have anything to do with it??). Just how do those women do 20+ mph out there? Its amazing to me.
While someone looking at my "run" time would definitely label this as a negative, I am being realistic but not brutal on myself. Yes, I need more run training, especially bike to run. I did none so far. That would be a negative. And for me to assume I could pull this off without that type of training, that would also be a negative. It always seems like when you do a race before and you got through it okay, that you assume you can pull it off again. That doesn't take into account all the variables you find in races like these. Another negative for me would be lack of heat training. Granted, we haven't had 90+ degree heat only a few times this year (which is a lot so far), and why race day the weather gods decided to turn up the heat wasn't fair, but had I been better prepared, I doubt I would have been affected so severely. Some of it was mental, that is obvious, so letting my mind take over my body was also a negative. I need to get tougher mentally so I can push through these things and not give in. I have that edge in other things, so I know it is something I can do. More lunchtime runs is probably part of the answer, and longer runs too. My foot numbness if also a big negative. I am truly at a loss on how to overcome this. It seems to recur the more I bike. I have been working on training myself to keep my feet relaxed on the bike, which is a big reason why I get my foot numbness--don't curl the toes. I really think I did that and was conscious about it the whole race, yet once I put my running shoes on it was there. In fact, my shoes felt so tight I thought I had tightened the lace locks too much, but when I checked, they were comfortably loose. My ChiRunning training is helping me overcome this, but it is still something I need more work on apparently. So another negative. It looks like the whole run added up to all negatives, but I have to put something positive into it. I did not quit. I did not cave in. I kept going and kept a positive outlook. Its not easy knowing you will be last. Its not easy knowing everyone else will have gone home before you get there. And its not easy knowing you are holding up the volunteers. But it would have been harder to face later and I would have been looking for excuses had I quit. I knew I could do this. I just had to find a different way to get done than the rest.
So again, the positive in the whole experience was I learned where my deficits were. It gives me a base to work with. Now it is up to me to keep working at it if I want to be more successful next race, and of course I do!
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