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Monday, April 4, 2011
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Back From Mexico!
I've been back for over two weeks now, but with my grandma passing away a few days after I got back, I flew up to New Jersey to be with family. My finals just finished and I've finally found the time to update my blog and let you all know how the race went.
Picture it...
A plane FULL of passengers completely decked out in Ironman gear. Ironman hats, Ironman jackets, Ironman socks, etc. Honestly, I think there were maybe four or five passengers who weren't race participants. I took a seat in the back of the plane (after nearly missing it due to the tardiness of the first flight) and one person jokingly asked me how many people I thought were sitting on the plane, wearing compression socks. I've never worn them, but if you're familiar with triathlon gear, it's a funny thing to think about... a plane full of people wearing compression socks.
Arriving in Cozumel was awesome! I stepped off the plane into a high 80's, low 90 degree temperature and I knew the next few days were going to be great. That is, after all 120 people on the plane (and their bike boxes) made it through security. I took a taxi to the host hotel and went up to my room, where I stood on the poolside balcony and looked out on the ocean. Perfect.
I put my bike together and began to look around. The island of Cozumel is far from what you probably picture when you think of Mexico and it always has a ton of tourists, but it's great. Exactly what you'd think of when thinking of a small, tropical island. And I got to practice my Spanish!
I also think, being one of the youngest competitors and also traveling alone, a lot of veteran racers took me "under their wing" and invited me on runs, rides and drives on the bike course. I went on a ride with two guys who have been doing triathlons (including Ironman races) since the 1980's!
But I feel like I'm taking too long to get to the good stuff: THE RACE.
My Abuelo and Abuela flew in from Miami to cheer me on and while I knew they were somewhere at the swim start, I didn't see them. I did see 2000 other competitors, mostly in speedsuits, beginning to hop off the dock and into the water for the 2000-person mass swim start. I was nervous, but more excited than anything else. Everything I had spent the last 10 months training for was right in front of me and it was about to start.
The gun went off and I actually started swimming beneath the dock. People were everywhere, arms thrashing trying to make their way out of the crowd. The swim was shaped like a rectangle and I managed to break out to the point where I could swim around the first corner of the rectangle. The turns were the hard parts. (The next morning I woke up with bruises all over my arms because the 200-pound guys on either side of me were determined to get in front and I, judging from how many bruises I had, I must have been in the way.) After that first turn was the longest stretch of the swim. I did what my coach, Dave Williams, told me to do and looked up every time I took a breath. I thought this would waste time, but it actually saved me time/kept me on course.
Somewhere in the middle of that long stretch was the first time I had ever gotten stung by a jellyfish and it hurt. It felt just like someone once told me it might: like someone lays an iron on your skin. Luckily, it was only the back of my leg, but it must have been a prime stinging spot. A few minutes later, I got stung again. Sea lice decided to join the party too, but with those, you don't realize until the next day and see mosquito-like bites on your body. Mine was covered in them. Still, the swim was going MUCH better than I had anticipated. I was keeping a steady pace and the water was far less choppy than it had been in the days before. Even still, my motion sickness loves to creep up on me and for the last side of the rectangular swim I was dry-heaving. Fun. But you know what? Best case scenario, Dave and I were hoping for me to swim a 1 hour, 20 minute time. (I didn't tell him, but I was thinking more along the lines of 1:30. Coming of out of the water, feeling like puking but getting ready for the bike, I glanced at my watch. 1 hour, 8 minutes. THAT got me pumped.
The transition was much longer than shorter distance triathlons, but nobody looked to be in too much of a hurry. We all did the usual gear (helmet, shoes, socks, sunglasses) and then applied sunscreen. I put on what I thought was a good amount and then looked around to see people painted in sunscreen, looking as though they had applied the whole bottle. "Is that really necessary?" I thought. YES, it was. I can confidently say that when, over two weeks later, my back looks like I'm still wearing a triathlon top.
But the bike. That was probably my favorite leg of the entire race. Not because of the actual biking, but largely because of the atmosphere surrounding the race. It literally seemed as though the entire island had taken the day off to come out and watch the race/cheer. It was simply amazing. The bike course was three loops around half of the island and whether we were in the city, in small towns or on back roads next to the ocean, people cheered. They screamed hopeful words and little kids waved. They did this for hours and I loved every minute of it. Even though I was trying to do my best time, I did take the time to wave.
As for the logistics of the bike, the roads were actually VERY well paved and the island was pretty much flat. I managed to average 20-21 miles per hour when riding through the city, but slowed down a lot on the backside of the island. One of the guys from a local triathlon store here in North Carolina was competing in the race and had driven the course the day before. He told me there was about a nine-mile stretch that was incredibly windy. I knew exactly what he was talking about when I hit the wind. It was ridiculously strong, causing many of us to literally grip our bike handlebars to keep from being blown off of our bikes. The wind was so strong, that many people (like myself) who were averaging 20-21 mph dropped down to about 14-15 mph and tried to maintain that. Needless to say, I was glad when I finished the last windy portion of the third loop. Bike time? Dave and I said the best case scenario would be around 6 hours and 40 minutes. My actual time? 6 hours, 25 minutes. "This is GREAT!" I thought. Now the run.
While I was on the bike, my splits were better than I expected and I feared I might have been expending too much energy. Getting off the bike, my legs were surprisingly fresh. I almost couldn't believe it and was excited to start the run. The run, I had felt though all my training, would go the best. In fact, with the projected run time I was hoping for/training for, I was looking at possibly finishing the entire race in about 12 hours. Sadly, it didn't work out that way.
I got off the bike and ran for about the first two miles. All of a sudden, it felt like someone punched me in the stomach and left a large stone where thier fist had been. I felt as though I either needed to use the bathroom or vomit, neither of which I seemed able to do. I tried my best to run, but walked the majority of the 26.2 miles. Dave had told me Coke would be my saving grace during the run, but the aid stations had run out of Coke and they didn't get any more Coke until mile 18. By then, it must have been too late because I literally vomited from mile 18 all the way to the finish line. Mosquitos were eating everyone alive, but after what seemed like forever, the finishing chute was in sight. I ran the last half mile just to cross the finish line.
I finished a LONG time after I was hoping to... which is why I'll have to do another Ironman. Just to prove I can do it faster.
Monday, November 9, 2009
And The Tapering Begins!: 3 Weeks Until Ironman Cozumel!
It's coming up so fast.
I can't believe that months of running, biking and swimming are finally culminating into one big event that could either go well or not-so-well. I'm hoping to fall somewhere between "well" and "really good." Hoping.
This weekend I ran one last race, a half marathon in Outer Banks, North Carolina. It's getting chilly, so it's not great beach weather, but the cooler temperatures made for fantastic running weather.
My friend Allison and I drove out to the coast on Saturday, picked up our race packets, stopped at a pirate-themed restaurant for dinner and then got a good night's sleep in a nearby hotel. In all honesty, I really hadn't thought much about the race beforehand. I knew that I hadn't planned to go "all out," but I still wanted to see if I could improve my only other half-marathon time of 1 hour, 45 minutes (at the same half marathon in 2007).
Allison and I started out together at an 8 minute/mile pace (which averages out to an approximate 1:45 half marathon time). However, we ended up splitting up and I decided to try to hold a faster pace. I really wasn't sure exactly of how to pace myself since I hadn't really done a 13-mile run for time during training, so I decided to stay at about a 7:45 min/mile pace. Looking back, I definitely could have gone faster. The run itself was fast and flat and I would have loved to have broken an hour and 40 minutes...which is exactly where I ended up. Still, I shaved five minutes off my previous time, so I was happy.
Today I met with my triathlon coach, David Williams. I honestly wish I could have had more time to fill out his training logs after each individual workout, but I never really had the time to be consistent with it. Nonetheless, he's managed to plan my workouts very well. Today we met at a nearby coffee shop so I could ask him some more "last minute questions": what to bring to Cozumel, packing and unpacking my bike, what to wear on the bike and run, how to pace my nutrition, a run strategy for going through the aid stations, adjusting to the heat (it will be in the 80's in Cozumel), etc. He gave me a LOT of good information and I feel more comfortable in formulating a race strategy.
He also asked me if I had a goal time in mind. Generally and most importantly, my goal is simply to finish. I would like to be under 14 hours, but I really don't have much logic behind that number. Dave guessed that I would finish around 12:30-13 hours. Anywhere between 12 and 14 hours, he said, depending on how well everything goes during the race.
I'm nervous about the race, but undoubtedly excited.
I can't believe that months of running, biking and swimming are finally culminating into one big event that could either go well or not-so-well. I'm hoping to fall somewhere between "well" and "really good." Hoping.
This weekend I ran one last race, a half marathon in Outer Banks, North Carolina. It's getting chilly, so it's not great beach weather, but the cooler temperatures made for fantastic running weather.
My friend Allison and I drove out to the coast on Saturday, picked up our race packets, stopped at a pirate-themed restaurant for dinner and then got a good night's sleep in a nearby hotel. In all honesty, I really hadn't thought much about the race beforehand. I knew that I hadn't planned to go "all out," but I still wanted to see if I could improve my only other half-marathon time of 1 hour, 45 minutes (at the same half marathon in 2007).
Allison and I started out together at an 8 minute/mile pace (which averages out to an approximate 1:45 half marathon time). However, we ended up splitting up and I decided to try to hold a faster pace. I really wasn't sure exactly of how to pace myself since I hadn't really done a 13-mile run for time during training, so I decided to stay at about a 7:45 min/mile pace. Looking back, I definitely could have gone faster. The run itself was fast and flat and I would have loved to have broken an hour and 40 minutes...which is exactly where I ended up. Still, I shaved five minutes off my previous time, so I was happy.
Today I met with my triathlon coach, David Williams. I honestly wish I could have had more time to fill out his training logs after each individual workout, but I never really had the time to be consistent with it. Nonetheless, he's managed to plan my workouts very well. Today we met at a nearby coffee shop so I could ask him some more "last minute questions": what to bring to Cozumel, packing and unpacking my bike, what to wear on the bike and run, how to pace my nutrition, a run strategy for going through the aid stations, adjusting to the heat (it will be in the 80's in Cozumel), etc. He gave me a LOT of good information and I feel more comfortable in formulating a race strategy.
He also asked me if I had a goal time in mind. Generally and most importantly, my goal is simply to finish. I would like to be under 14 hours, but I really don't have much logic behind that number. Dave guessed that I would finish around 12:30-13 hours. Anywhere between 12 and 14 hours, he said, depending on how well everything goes during the race.
I'm nervous about the race, but undoubtedly excited.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
A 22-mile run and 3 Boxes of Cereal Later: 4 Weeks Until Cozumel!
Rather than starting this post about my training, I'm actually going to start it with some thoughts on a New York Times article I read about marathons.
The topic of the article was about whether or not people who aren't considered "purist runners" should be considered marathoners. Basically, fast runners (who refer to themselves as "purist runners") are angry with the demystifying of the marathon by average Joes (of Janes) who enter a race simply to finish, normally hours after these faster runners. The resentment stems from the fact that slower runners who finish, no matter in what time, are given the same t-shirt and medal as those who finish in half the time. "Big deal?" is what you're probably thinking. However, I definitely see both sides to the argument.
Faster runners who ran marathons were once a rare species - the only ones to call themselves "marathoners." This definitely isn't the case anymore. I feel that everyone knows at least one person that has run a marathon and that's precisely what these faster runners have a problem with. To them, it is a sport, but they believe for slower runners, it's simply something to check off the "10 Things I Want To Do Before I Die" list. Several of the purist runners that were interviewed sound as though they would prefer if slower runners didn't participate at all - but really, is it ethical to let your own ego drive you to dissuade people from exercising? If it's one person's goal, why stop them? As a fast runner, honestly, how often are you going to wear that race shirt? Finally, to put it in financial terms, those "slower runners" are the reason that so many marathons exist now. Would an elite group of runners really be able to finance as many marathons as there are today? No. So suck it up, pass them in the first mile and stop complaining. Obesity if enough of a problem as it is.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/sports/23marathon.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=slow%20runners&st=cse
As for me, I should be worried about my own weight issues. This past week, I've managed to eat an entire box of cereal each night for three nights straight. Definitely not healthy, particularly because I promptly pass out afterwards. The thing is though, I am constantly hungry! At times, my hunger is insatiable! But tonight I went out and bought some high-protein foods (non-fat yogurt, protein bars, fish and a protein drink supplement), so hopefully that should help fix the problem. Less carb overloading, more protein to allow me to finally feel full.
Despite my zany eating habits, I am proud of myself for my run on Saturday. I'd never run 22 miles before. Luckily, my friend Eloise ran with me for the first 15 miles; otherwise, the early morning silent run in the rain probably would have bored me to tears. I only had to run the last seven miles on my own, which wasn't bad at all. And I didn't bonk. On my last 20-mile run, I died around mile 18 because I slurped a GU packet too fast earlier in the run and then my stomach refused to take in any more later. When mile 20 came, I felt completely drained and definitely ready to get that GU out of my system. After both runs, I still had to teach my spin class in the afternoon. Neither was difficult, but I felt GREAT after my run this Saturday!
Finally, something important that I realized this morning: as challenging as it can be at times, this training is my release. I can let go and not worry about anything. Just see the puffs of warm air come out of my mouth and into the cold morning air. Just let my feet take me for miles and miles, with just the sound of my running shoes on pavement.
The topic of the article was about whether or not people who aren't considered "purist runners" should be considered marathoners. Basically, fast runners (who refer to themselves as "purist runners") are angry with the demystifying of the marathon by average Joes (of Janes) who enter a race simply to finish, normally hours after these faster runners. The resentment stems from the fact that slower runners who finish, no matter in what time, are given the same t-shirt and medal as those who finish in half the time. "Big deal?" is what you're probably thinking. However, I definitely see both sides to the argument.
Faster runners who ran marathons were once a rare species - the only ones to call themselves "marathoners." This definitely isn't the case anymore. I feel that everyone knows at least one person that has run a marathon and that's precisely what these faster runners have a problem with. To them, it is a sport, but they believe for slower runners, it's simply something to check off the "10 Things I Want To Do Before I Die" list. Several of the purist runners that were interviewed sound as though they would prefer if slower runners didn't participate at all - but really, is it ethical to let your own ego drive you to dissuade people from exercising? If it's one person's goal, why stop them? As a fast runner, honestly, how often are you going to wear that race shirt? Finally, to put it in financial terms, those "slower runners" are the reason that so many marathons exist now. Would an elite group of runners really be able to finance as many marathons as there are today? No. So suck it up, pass them in the first mile and stop complaining. Obesity if enough of a problem as it is.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/sports/23marathon.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=slow%20runners&st=cse
As for me, I should be worried about my own weight issues. This past week, I've managed to eat an entire box of cereal each night for three nights straight. Definitely not healthy, particularly because I promptly pass out afterwards. The thing is though, I am constantly hungry! At times, my hunger is insatiable! But tonight I went out and bought some high-protein foods (non-fat yogurt, protein bars, fish and a protein drink supplement), so hopefully that should help fix the problem. Less carb overloading, more protein to allow me to finally feel full.
Despite my zany eating habits, I am proud of myself for my run on Saturday. I'd never run 22 miles before. Luckily, my friend Eloise ran with me for the first 15 miles; otherwise, the early morning silent run in the rain probably would have bored me to tears. I only had to run the last seven miles on my own, which wasn't bad at all. And I didn't bonk. On my last 20-mile run, I died around mile 18 because I slurped a GU packet too fast earlier in the run and then my stomach refused to take in any more later. When mile 20 came, I felt completely drained and definitely ready to get that GU out of my system. After both runs, I still had to teach my spin class in the afternoon. Neither was difficult, but I felt GREAT after my run this Saturday!
Finally, something important that I realized this morning: as challenging as it can be at times, this training is my release. I can let go and not worry about anything. Just see the puffs of warm air come out of my mouth and into the cold morning air. Just let my feet take me for miles and miles, with just the sound of my running shoes on pavement.
Monday, October 26, 2009
An "Easy" Traning Week and Pig Races at the NC State Fair: 5 Weeks Until Cozumel!
I had an epiphany at the North Carolina State Fair on Saturday as I watched hogs complete a lap around a miniature track for Cheetos. I believe the phrase that popped into my head was something similar to The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy tells Toto, "I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Hog racing is a far cry from my tropical South Florida childhood, no doubt about that. But embrace every new experience, right?
Erica and I trekked through the rain to the fair after my 13-mile run through a downpour that morning. Due to a missed run and an unsuccessful swim training the day before, I wasn't starting out on the best foot. By the end of the run, however, I was feeling great. Eloise (my friend/occasional running partner) and I even managed to pick up the pace as we ran uphill for the last two miles! So all in all, a good run. It's funny how, a few months ago, 13 miles would have seemed like a very long run. When I looked at my training schedule last week, my initial thought was, "Great! Only 13 miles. Easy."
However, the food at the fair didn't treat my stomach well at all. I clearly remember, when I went to the fair with friends during my freshman year at UNC, eating fair food didn't bother me at all. I sampled a candy apple, corn, a bloomin' onion, fried oreos, a BBQ sandwich, a corndog, french fries, a funnel cake, etc. This past Saturday, some funnel cake and part of a bloomin' onion left me nauseated and wanting to run to a trash can.
Luckily, I was feeling better the next morning because I had a full day's workout ahead: 100 miles on the bike and then a one-hour run after that. In all honesty, long bikes rides (especially alone) are extremely psychologically challenging. I've managed to test and try new methods of hydration and nutrition, but I am really excited/interested to see what a competitive atmosphere will do for my bike time.
I have five weeks to find out...
(AND Morgan will be in the U.S. in seven weeks!!!)
Erica and I trekked through the rain to the fair after my 13-mile run through a downpour that morning. Due to a missed run and an unsuccessful swim training the day before, I wasn't starting out on the best foot. By the end of the run, however, I was feeling great. Eloise (my friend/occasional running partner) and I even managed to pick up the pace as we ran uphill for the last two miles! So all in all, a good run. It's funny how, a few months ago, 13 miles would have seemed like a very long run. When I looked at my training schedule last week, my initial thought was, "Great! Only 13 miles. Easy."
However, the food at the fair didn't treat my stomach well at all. I clearly remember, when I went to the fair with friends during my freshman year at UNC, eating fair food didn't bother me at all. I sampled a candy apple, corn, a bloomin' onion, fried oreos, a BBQ sandwich, a corndog, french fries, a funnel cake, etc. This past Saturday, some funnel cake and part of a bloomin' onion left me nauseated and wanting to run to a trash can.
Luckily, I was feeling better the next morning because I had a full day's workout ahead: 100 miles on the bike and then a one-hour run after that. In all honesty, long bikes rides (especially alone) are extremely psychologically challenging. I've managed to test and try new methods of hydration and nutrition, but I am really excited/interested to see what a competitive atmosphere will do for my bike time.
I have five weeks to find out...
(AND Morgan will be in the U.S. in seven weeks!!!)
Monday, October 19, 2009
A Weekend of 20-Mile Runs, 80-Mile Bikes, the Rock Wall and Cuban Coffee: 6 Weeks To Go!
How William Harrison ever managed to qualify for Kona (i.e. the World Championship of triathlons), run Kona and then land his dream job this year - I'll never know.
I'm not even trying to qualify for Kona and I can barely juggle all of my responsibilities this semester: school, radio and TV projects, two part-time jobs (the rock wall and teaching indoor cycling), training and an internship at a local TV station. I noticed that I had Fridays off -for the first time in my college career- and I thought "Perfect! Space for an internship." I clearly make it look like I don't want a social life.
However, I do enjoy most aspects of all of these things: even 20-mile runs, one of which I did on Saturday.
I've been doing 16,17 and 18-mile runs, but for some reason the additional two miles really made a bit of a difference. I managed to finish and I'm not worried about my endurance, but I am worried about my habit of ALWAYS needing to go to the bathroom during these long runs...typically when there are no restrooms to be found. I've gotten better about this over the past few months and I thought my days of using "nature's restroom" were over. But it just so happened that I had run about 10 miles out into a forested area when I realized I needed to use the restroom...desperately. The only building in sight was a gymnastics clinic and it was closed. So I did what I had to do...and trekked into the forest.
Writing this, I feel as though this might come off as inappropriate to some, but if you run long distances, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about. The less glamorous side of being able to run for hours on end.
I did lose it a bit towards the end of the run. In terms of endurance, I was fine, but I hadn't paced myself when eating GU. As a result, I got a stomach ache from slurping one too quickly and then I didn't want to eat another. The bad part of that is that I need to have at least 100 calories (or 1 GU pack) every 45 minutes or so. So I was finishing a three-hour run with a caloric intake of probably 150 calories. The fact that it was 40 degrees (and I'm sure I needed even more calories to allow my body temperature to be maintained) didn't help. But of course, I finished and had about 45 minutes until I had to volunteer and then go to work at Duke.
The Cuban coffee may not have been a wise choice for training, but I'm not worried. It was during the few minutes that I had to hang out with my friend, Erica, before I had to dash off to teach my Saturday spin class.
As far as the bike, I was supposed to do that yesterday, but I was busy filming/editing a VO-SOT for a 5K race and then I went to the North Carolina State Fair to encourage people to use alternative sources of energy. (I was working as a volunteer for NC GreenPower: a 'go-green' state organization.) So the bike happened today and for some reason, it was a little more mentally taxing. Honestly, there are times when I wish I could mentally slip out of my body and let my muscles keep working, which they gladly would. It's a strange thing to describe. I'm tired, but my muscles aren't. They can easily keep going and if I could continue riding while asleep, I probably would.
While I may sound burnt-out, I cannot contain my excitement (and also my nervousness) for Cozumel. SIX WEEKS! I was reading through the race site today and the course description has definitely changed from what it originally was set to be. I'm not thrilled about the 3-lap bike (112 miles) or the 3-lap run (26.2 miles). Essentially, I'm going to pass the transition area/finish line twice before I can actually cross it. I suppose this might be a good thing for families who come out to support competitors, as well as other spectators. Abuelo and Abuela will be able to see me several times before I can actually collapse in front of them at the end. Which makes me wonder... do they know what they're getting into? My grandparents have been to one of my races, but this will last about 10 hours longer and triathletes (such as those that will be racing in Cozumel) are definitely a breed of their own.
Did I mention the great 'swag' for this race? (*Apparently, some people I've met say that they're going just for the cool gear that a new Ironman course will probably include in the goodie bags.)
I'm not even trying to qualify for Kona and I can barely juggle all of my responsibilities this semester: school, radio and TV projects, two part-time jobs (the rock wall and teaching indoor cycling), training and an internship at a local TV station. I noticed that I had Fridays off -for the first time in my college career- and I thought "Perfect! Space for an internship." I clearly make it look like I don't want a social life.
However, I do enjoy most aspects of all of these things: even 20-mile runs, one of which I did on Saturday.
I've been doing 16,17 and 18-mile runs, but for some reason the additional two miles really made a bit of a difference. I managed to finish and I'm not worried about my endurance, but I am worried about my habit of ALWAYS needing to go to the bathroom during these long runs...typically when there are no restrooms to be found. I've gotten better about this over the past few months and I thought my days of using "nature's restroom" were over. But it just so happened that I had run about 10 miles out into a forested area when I realized I needed to use the restroom...desperately. The only building in sight was a gymnastics clinic and it was closed. So I did what I had to do...and trekked into the forest.
Writing this, I feel as though this might come off as inappropriate to some, but if you run long distances, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about. The less glamorous side of being able to run for hours on end.
I did lose it a bit towards the end of the run. In terms of endurance, I was fine, but I hadn't paced myself when eating GU. As a result, I got a stomach ache from slurping one too quickly and then I didn't want to eat another. The bad part of that is that I need to have at least 100 calories (or 1 GU pack) every 45 minutes or so. So I was finishing a three-hour run with a caloric intake of probably 150 calories. The fact that it was 40 degrees (and I'm sure I needed even more calories to allow my body temperature to be maintained) didn't help. But of course, I finished and had about 45 minutes until I had to volunteer and then go to work at Duke.
The Cuban coffee may not have been a wise choice for training, but I'm not worried. It was during the few minutes that I had to hang out with my friend, Erica, before I had to dash off to teach my Saturday spin class.
As far as the bike, I was supposed to do that yesterday, but I was busy filming/editing a VO-SOT for a 5K race and then I went to the North Carolina State Fair to encourage people to use alternative sources of energy. (I was working as a volunteer for NC GreenPower: a 'go-green' state organization.) So the bike happened today and for some reason, it was a little more mentally taxing. Honestly, there are times when I wish I could mentally slip out of my body and let my muscles keep working, which they gladly would. It's a strange thing to describe. I'm tired, but my muscles aren't. They can easily keep going and if I could continue riding while asleep, I probably would.
While I may sound burnt-out, I cannot contain my excitement (and also my nervousness) for Cozumel. SIX WEEKS! I was reading through the race site today and the course description has definitely changed from what it originally was set to be. I'm not thrilled about the 3-lap bike (112 miles) or the 3-lap run (26.2 miles). Essentially, I'm going to pass the transition area/finish line twice before I can actually cross it. I suppose this might be a good thing for families who come out to support competitors, as well as other spectators. Abuelo and Abuela will be able to see me several times before I can actually collapse in front of them at the end. Which makes me wonder... do they know what they're getting into? My grandparents have been to one of my races, but this will last about 10 hours longer and triathletes (such as those that will be racing in Cozumel) are definitely a breed of their own.
Did I mention the great 'swag' for this race? (*Apparently, some people I've met say that they're going just for the cool gear that a new Ironman course will probably include in the goodie bags.)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Food Comas and Long Rides: 7 Weeks Until Cozumel
I feel like a mix of these two would definitely describe what the past few weeks have been like, particularly this last week.
After nutritionally crashing on my only swim for the week (I hadn't eaten enough calories beforehand), I was a little worried about my swim at Pinehurst, the Olympic-distance triathlon which would be my last tri of the season. I wasn't worried in the sense of "Can I do it?" But rather, I was concerned about how strong I was going to come out of the water. I also didn't anticipate only getting five hours of sleep the night before the race, so I'm almost positive that I didn't fully wake up until about halfway through the swim.
The course itself was tough. I remembered it being tough, but I just learned that morning that the bike had been rerouted and included an extra five miles at the end. I should consider myself lucky though because I later heard that many people didn't know at all, even after starting the bike.
Technically, the race was pretty terrible for me. I hadn't slept much, it was only my third time wearing a wetsuit and my watch didn't start when I hit the "Start" button when the horn for the swim sounded. I'm not obsessive about sticking to a certain time, but it's always good to know how long each leg is taking me to do and a general estimate of my pace. BUT the fun didn't stop there. My bike computer sensor was knocked off-kilter and my chain was stuck before I even mounted my bike. After I got the chain undone, I hopped on only to realize the computer issue. I attempted to align it with the other sensor, but to no avail. I had rode in races without knowing the exact distance, but I always had an estimate and I ALWAYS knew my speed. I had no idea how fast I was going or how far I'd gone by the time I asked another competitor about how far we'd gone. Thinking back, perhaps she thought I was being a jerk for asking her how much we had left on the course as I was passing her, but I was very poilite and only asked her because she looked nice enough to answer. Her response? "Why don't you get a bike computer?" Rude, definitely and clearly, I had a bike computer... it just wasn't working.
Luckily, there were mile-markers spray-painted on the road every five miles. It was about this often when I also saw racers changing flat tires. I don't know whether it was all of the burrs from the parking lot field or the poorly paved segments of road, but people were popping tires left and right. And the run? I would honestly say that about half of everyone competing stopped to walk at some point, if not more. Imagine doing a 10K on a golf course. A LARGE golf course. Same thing with the bike. Hills that could be the unknown stepsisters to those in San Francisco. No joke.
http://www.setupevents.com/files/PHFRes1.htm
In the end, I faired much better than I had thought or rather (without a timer or a computer) guessed. It was good to squeeze one more race in. Now just a half-marathon and possibly my first century race before Cozumel.
However, I have been putting in 4-7 hour rides on the bike, either alone or as a part of brick training sessions on the weekend.
And those food comas?
I'm finding that nutrition is probably just as difficult, if not harder than the actual training itself. I have to constantly listen to my body to figure out what nutrients I need more of, less of or maybe if all I have is an upset stomach. I've started taking electrolyte tablets, which I've been told can cause upset stomachs. ...Actually, I was kidding about my own upset stomach, but you get the point.
So I think my body just waved a white flag last night as I ate a ton of peanut M&Ms (which I had decided to buy and save in case I ever needed a super-quick fix) and some bread with olive oil and garlic. Weird combination and terrible nutrition by anyone's standards and I soon realized what a bad decision that all had been...when I was stuffed from the bread and had a nasty sugar headache. And then I woke up this morning feeling like an actualy peanut M&M.
After nutritionally crashing on my only swim for the week (I hadn't eaten enough calories beforehand), I was a little worried about my swim at Pinehurst, the Olympic-distance triathlon which would be my last tri of the season. I wasn't worried in the sense of "Can I do it?" But rather, I was concerned about how strong I was going to come out of the water. I also didn't anticipate only getting five hours of sleep the night before the race, so I'm almost positive that I didn't fully wake up until about halfway through the swim.
The course itself was tough. I remembered it being tough, but I just learned that morning that the bike had been rerouted and included an extra five miles at the end. I should consider myself lucky though because I later heard that many people didn't know at all, even after starting the bike.
Technically, the race was pretty terrible for me. I hadn't slept much, it was only my third time wearing a wetsuit and my watch didn't start when I hit the "Start" button when the horn for the swim sounded. I'm not obsessive about sticking to a certain time, but it's always good to know how long each leg is taking me to do and a general estimate of my pace. BUT the fun didn't stop there. My bike computer sensor was knocked off-kilter and my chain was stuck before I even mounted my bike. After I got the chain undone, I hopped on only to realize the computer issue. I attempted to align it with the other sensor, but to no avail. I had rode in races without knowing the exact distance, but I always had an estimate and I ALWAYS knew my speed. I had no idea how fast I was going or how far I'd gone by the time I asked another competitor about how far we'd gone. Thinking back, perhaps she thought I was being a jerk for asking her how much we had left on the course as I was passing her, but I was very poilite and only asked her because she looked nice enough to answer. Her response? "Why don't you get a bike computer?" Rude, definitely and clearly, I had a bike computer... it just wasn't working.
Luckily, there were mile-markers spray-painted on the road every five miles. It was about this often when I also saw racers changing flat tires. I don't know whether it was all of the burrs from the parking lot field or the poorly paved segments of road, but people were popping tires left and right. And the run? I would honestly say that about half of everyone competing stopped to walk at some point, if not more. Imagine doing a 10K on a golf course. A LARGE golf course. Same thing with the bike. Hills that could be the unknown stepsisters to those in San Francisco. No joke.
http://www.setupevents.com/files/PHFRes1.htm
In the end, I faired much better than I had thought or rather (without a timer or a computer) guessed. It was good to squeeze one more race in. Now just a half-marathon and possibly my first century race before Cozumel.
However, I have been putting in 4-7 hour rides on the bike, either alone or as a part of brick training sessions on the weekend.
And those food comas?
I'm finding that nutrition is probably just as difficult, if not harder than the actual training itself. I have to constantly listen to my body to figure out what nutrients I need more of, less of or maybe if all I have is an upset stomach. I've started taking electrolyte tablets, which I've been told can cause upset stomachs. ...Actually, I was kidding about my own upset stomach, but you get the point.
So I think my body just waved a white flag last night as I ate a ton of peanut M&Ms (which I had decided to buy and save in case I ever needed a super-quick fix) and some bread with olive oil and garlic. Weird combination and terrible nutrition by anyone's standards and I soon realized what a bad decision that all had been...when I was stuffed from the bread and had a nasty sugar headache. And then I woke up this morning feeling like an actualy peanut M&M.
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