So, Here's What Happened...

I'm going to start this post by saying that, if you are reading this in Facebook, you'll get a more reader-friendly version by clicking the link above (that directs you right to my blog site).

As you know, today was the BIG day:  swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles, and run 13.1 miles.  And my goals were to:

1. Finish.
2. If possible, finish happy and strong.
3. If possible, finish under 7 hours (yes, hours).

I woke up this morning at 3:30 am to get ready.  Although I was expecting to have trouble sleeping, I slept through the night very well (maybe it was the two beers with dinner, whoopsie).  But when I woke up this morning, my nervousness about the race began to manifest physically.  I had zero appetite and the thought of food made me nauseous.  Regardless, I choked down some peanut butter toast, and later a PowerBar, because I knew I would need the fuel.

That's right, I'm badass.

I began to get ready and put on my race tattoos -- which are temporary tattoos with your race number that go on your arms.  Yes, I am still wearing mine because they are super cool and a great conversation piece.  The drive to the race site was fine.  In fact, you couldn't ask for a more perfect day weather-wise for a race.  I think the universe recognized that I had paid my dues with enough long races in the pouring rain to warrant a beautiful day of weather and cooler temps.

More physical manifestations of nervousness as I set up my transition area -- and ran to the port-a-potties three times in a 30-minute period.  Come on, body, get your act together!

Hmmm...I wonder which one is me...

Race time approached.  I got ready for the swim (by the way, hooray, my swim wave, which went fourth, had pink swim caps -- you know how much I loathe, er I mean LOVE pink...).  Not only was I in the minority of the people who did not wear a wetsuit, but I was the only person there in an actual legit bathing suit.  It made me easy to spot. 

I was very self-conscious at the swim start, being an odd-ball.  However, I'm glad I didn't wear a wetsuit.  The water temperature was so warm that I overheard racers later saying they got overheated in their wetsuits.  Plus, I'm not naive enough to believe that a wetsuit will be the magic bullet to my swim speed.  I am a slow swimmer and that is my weak area.  I have made it a goal to work on that for the winter.  So I fully expected to be one of the last out of the water -- and I also knew I could make up a lot of that lost time in the two other parts of the race.

So off went the starting siren, and into Lake George I went -- and into surprisingly warm water (it was actually warmer than the air temperature at 7:00 am).  I approached the swim as my triathlon warm-up.  Not trying to swim fast, but just to swim steadily and swim confidently.  As I swam, I thought less and less about the race around me and more about the beautiful scenery.  The sun was just coming up over my right shoulder, and it reflected off the lake in a breathtaking way.  I felt this wave of serenity come over me and swam in a relaxed rhythm, enjoying every moment of being there and doing what I was doing.  My pace was robotic and my effort level was minimal.  I had a wonderful, enjoyable swim.  And, surprising myself, I passed a few pink-capped heads along the way without even trying -- and some white-capped ones from the wave before!

And off I go!

Despite my great swim, I was, as predicted, at the tail-end of the finishers.  But not to worry, because I knew I could catch up during the rest of the race.  I fueled up in the transition area, hopped on my bike, and began the long ride around Lake George, up to Schroon River, and back.  There were mile markers posted every 10 miles, and, curiously enough, I noticed that each 10-mile segment came with a theme, which I'll share here with you:

• Miles 0-10:  Holy hills, Batman! - this first leg of the race was a loooooong uphill climb.  It was tough, but I was glad it was over first.
• Miles 11-20:  Getting my rhythm - now that the course flattened out, and would remain flat for the majority of the race, I found my nice, even race pace and settled in.  I started feeling good.
• Miles 21-30:  Fuel, fuel, fuel - I noticed that my stomach discomfort from the early hills delayed my nutrition strategy, so I spent this time getting back on track with my timing and eating.
• Miles 31-40:  Ouchies! - This is where things started to hurt.  My right hip flexor started to cramp up a little.  Then I was supremely aware of the timing chip digging into my ankle.  And then, I felt the bike seat.  Oh god, that bike seat!  The theme for this leg could also be called "Fidget."
• Miles 41-50:  Delirium - My aches and pains started fading into the background.  Actually, everything started fading into the background.  And I began singing Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know"... at the top of my lungs.  I can't remember if there were other people around at the time.  I hope not.
• Miles 50-56:  Wheeee! - Remember that killer hill at the beginning of the race?  Well now I was going in the opposite direction.  Very little pedaling required.  Me likey.

I got back from the bike leg tired, a little sore, and in total denial that I still had 13.1 miles of running ahead of me.  This is the time I made my first pit stop (thank god there were port-a-potties in the transition area), changed my gear, and headed out for the run. 

Gearing up and getting ready to run -- with a smile!

Now the run consisted of two 6.55-mile loops, which I totally forgot at the beginning of the run leg, but KNOW that I knew that before the race started (I blame the Delirium miles of the bike for this).  So as I passed mile marker 7 not even a mile into the race, I started to freak out.  Did I go the wrong way?  Then I passed a different marker (later I realized it was a different color sign) for mile 2 shortly after.  Then a marker for mile 9.  What was going on?  I looked around in confusion.  Everyone else seemed fine with the bizarre jumps in mile markers.  It wasn't until I started complaining out loud to a fellow racer about the confusing, misplaced mile markers that I "got it" and remembered I had to repeat this course a second time.  I get the "duhhhh" award for that one -- although it did make for an interesting way to get through the first few miles.

By now, the sun was out (it was after 12:00 pm) and in full heat.  And the uphills on the run were challenging.  I ended up walking some of them (at that point, walking didn't seem much faster than running anyway).  The heat was definitely getting to me, paired with my overall fatigue.  I approached an aid station and there was some water -- I dumped it over my head.  And then, what I learned was the holy grail of aid station hand-outs, an ice-cold water-drenched SPONGE!  OMG!  I never thought I would get so excited over something, but, looking at me, you would've thought it was Christmas morning.  I wedged it under the straps of my running top, right against the back of my neck, and replaced it at each aid station.  Each new sponge woke me up and refreshed me. 

I noticed I was feeling pretty good.  Having done three marathons, I was waiting for the crash and burn to happen -- that moment when your body starts to lock up and everything gets SO HARD.  That's when you start to consider quitting and question the reason why you decided to do this in the first place.  But it wasn't coming.  I'm not saying the run was easy.  It was HARD, but not unbearably so.

Here I come!  Still smiling!

That familiar feeling did come at around mile 11.  My hip flexors are always the first thing to go.  They locked up and I noticed my range of motion with each stride got shorter and shorter.  But then a weird thing happened -- I could hear Tom Hanks's voice (backstory: "A League of Their Own" was on TV last week, and I watched it because it's one of my favorites, even though I've seen it about three thousand times).  The voice said, "It's supposed to be hard.  If it was easy, everyone would do it.  The HARD is what makes it GREAT."  That line from the movie became my running mantra and got me through those last couple of miles.  I kept going until I could hear the cheers of the crowd, and then THAT fueled my effort.  I kicked it in across the finish line -- I had just completed my first half-iron-distance triathlon!  And I felt good!  And, I was definitely done in under 7 hours.  The official times aren't posted yet, but my clock time was 6 hours, 50 minutes, and change...but my swim wave didn't leave for 10-12 minutes after the clock started.  So my actual time was even better!

Check out the couple on the left.  "Abner, I told you this was a bad spot to camp!"  "Oh, quiet you!"

So now the race is over!  I proudly mounted a 70.3 decal on the back of my car (my goal is to wallpaper my car with race decals -- I am well on my way!) and had a victory dinner with my friend Emily...making a guiltless pig of myself.  And I am really not that sore.  We'll, of course, see the real damage tomorrow, but I am not doing the "marathon hobble" that I am often known to do right after a difficult race.  A little tightness in my calves, hamstrings, and saddle area -- but other than that, I'm pretty good!  And I had fun, which was the most important thing of all.

I learned a lot of things in training for and completing this race.  Here's a list:

1. You can accomplish ANYTHING if you understand what you have to do to get there and do the work.  Every training ride, run, and swim I did led me to reaching my goal.
2. You have to do it for YOU.  It takes a lot of motivation for putting in the training hours.  I will admit, there were some days when I made excuses and skipped a workout.  But I didn't let it become a habit by reminding myself WHY I was doing those hours of training and buckling down and doing them anyway.  If you are not doing it for you, there is no way you will be willing to work hard for something.
3. The endurance sports community consists of some of the best-natured, kind-hearted, and encouraging people on the face of the earth.  I can't name another sport where your fellow competitor can also be your biggest fan, offering you words of encouragement when you need them the most.
4. None of this matters without wonderful friends and family to share it with.  If you are reading this blog, then you've no doubt followed my (insane?) exploits and offered me words of encouragement and advice.  I read every bit of it and am grateful for it.  I was a bundle of nerves yesterday (Mom, you can attest to this) and I really couldn't shake them until I went on Facebook and checked my email, and saw all the supportive comments you gave to me.  Thank you very much.  You helped me believe I could do this.
5. I've said it before and will say it again: love is when someone is willing to spend their day pretty much bored...waiting around at a race site...potentially for hours...just for those eight seconds to cheer you on as you cross the finish line.  Mom, you are my fan club leader, event photographer, and partner in crime.  I love you so much!

With all that said (you're still with me, aren't you?  Or did the length of this post scare you off?), the half-iron-distance triathlon was a great experience and I'd recommend trying it if you're looking for a challenge.  As for me, I haven't figured out what the next challenge will be.  But when I do, I'll let you know.

Tomorrow's the Day

So tomorrow is race day.  I'm currently doing all my last-minute checks.  Going over my bike, getting my gear together, and then heading to Lake George for my pre-race check-in.  For this race, rather than using the traditional Sharpie marker to jot our race numbers and age groups on our shoulders and calves, we're getting "race tattoos," which will be interesting.  I just hope it lasts until tomorrow morning!

Back when I signed up for this, it didn't seem real.  And now the day is here and I'm going to focus on having fun!  My mind has been playing a lot of tricks on me this week -- whether or not I trained enough, what could happen on the course and how to deal with it, and so on.  It'll be a long day, and I know it will be hard, but it will be worth it.  So off I go!

It's Race Week!

Race week is officially here, and with it comes the apprehension of a worried competitor.  Did I train enough?  Have I thought of everything?  Does it really matter, because there will come a point no matter what when it will suck!  And I'll have to just buckle down and use my mind to keep going.

My motivation has been in the toilet the past few weeks -- probably a product of the high volume of training required.  But I put in the time -- culminating in a final training ride of a 50-mile bike followed immediately by a 10-mile run.  Which sucked.  But I finished it.

Now all I have to do is eat healthy and take care of my body in the meantime.  And stop playing mind games with myself.  I'll give another update later in the week!

3 Weeks to Go!

So I'm three weeks out from the big race day.  It's starting to get real.  I'm trying to keep focused and get the best training possible in before my taper-down period before the race.  I'm also setting some goals too, just like I did for my first marathon.

• Goal that I can live with:  To finish, plain and simple.
• Goal that will make me happy:  To finish under 7 hours 15 minutes.
• Goal that will make me REALLY happy:  To finish under 7 hours.

Yes, you read that correctly.  SEVEN HOURS.  I hope I can do it, but there will be a lot of things up in the air on race day -- like transition times, if I have to do bike maintenance on the course, waiting lines for the port-a-potties (yes, it is seven hours of near-constant Gatorade consumption.  I know I have to account for this).  But all I will do is my best and that's all I can ask for.

I'll keep you posted with any updates!

How I Learned to Swim on a Bike

So, I just got back from a triathlon today.  I say this now while the weather is beautiful out.  If you remember, this morning it was pouring rain.  ALL MORNING.  And as soon as I completed the race, the sun began to shine, birds began to chirp, and the weather gods smiled.

Today's race was my "tune-up race" for the big one in September.  A tune-up race is a race that you run a few weeks before your goal race (five weeks out in my case) that is a shorter distance, but gives you the opportunity to evaluate if your training is on the right track and if there are any "tune-ups" you want to make to your nutrition strategy, hydration, transitions, etc.

I did the inaugural Super Olympic Road Tri in Grafton Lakes Park, which consisted of a 1 mile swim, 30 mile bike ride, and 7 mile run.  The poor weather conditions made me change my strategy from speed to safety.  I didn't worry about blasting the downhills, rushing my transitions, or other things that I focus on in dry conditions.  In a way, this took a lot of pressure off.  But it was still a miserable ride weather-wise and reminded me very much of my rainy marathon debut last year.

But, if I could do a marathon in the pouring rain, I could stick this out!  I'm reading a very interesting book by ultrarunner Scott Jurek called, "Eat and Run," in which he describes an interesting strategy he uses to overcome obstacles in a race.  I called on the strategy today and it really worked (power of the mind, after all)!  It goes something like this:

1. Ask yourself why you are mad/frustrated/emotional/etc. ("It's raining and cold and I feel like crap in this weather.")
2. Determine whether or not you have any control over fixing it.  ("No, the weather gods aren't listening to me today...")
3. If so, do what you can to fix it.  If not, separate your emotions from what is real and controllable.  ("Okay, I can't fix the weather.  I just have to do the best in this.  Plus, EVERYONE ELSE is wet and miserable too.")
4. Power onward! ("Suck it up and let's do this!")

At one point I felt like I was waiting for Noah to come by and give me a ride on his ark, but all in all I had a good day and beat my goal time of 4 hours by coming in at 3:40:26!  Plus I am pumped and ready to dial in my training for the next few weeks.  I've got 4 weeks of training, 1 week to taper, and then game day!  For the rest of today though, I'll be wringing out my training gear and taking it easy. 

The Option of Quitting

When I teach Boot Camp, I sometimes get on my fitness soapbox about various new trends, eating fads, and other relevant issues.  I'm lucky enough to have a captive audience, who is obligated to listen to my crazy rants because every minute I spend talking is one less minute they have to spend doing push-ups.  Or so I've been told...

A couple of weeks ago we were discussing marathons.  I was preaching that everyone should run a marathon at least once in their lives, just out of self-discovery.  You learn so much about yourself when trying to complete 26.2 miles, when your body just wants to stop and you're taxed beyond comprehension.  That's when a few of the Boot Campers brought up the excellent point that they have delivered children, and that is enough of an endurance battle for one lifetime.

They're right -- having no children of my own (except one little furry Yorkshire Terrier who is technically adopted), I cannot begin to imagine what a woman goes through during child labor.  However, when I was musing on this the other day, I realized there is a main difference between the two when it comes to perseverance:  the option of quitting.

When you are giving birth to a baby, there is no quitting.  The baby is coming whether you want it to or not.  In a marathon, there are LOTS of opportunities to quit.  At every other mile (or even every mile near the end), there are race volunteers willing to take care of you if you can't continue.  There are volunteers on bike patrolling the racers, making sure everyone is okay.  You can bail out at any time.  And yet, knowing you CAN quit, marathoners keep going.  From a mental standpoint, I think that's a bigger challenge -- being tempted with the option of stopping, yet pushing on and finishing anyway.

Hope this idea gets your gears going and inspires ideas of your own.  And to all the moms out there -- sorry if I offended you; in no way am I saying child birth is easy.  I'm just making comparisons and drawing conclusions that I seem to find interesting.  If you're thoroughly outraged, though, there's a comment section below.  I always like a good debate!

Confessions of a Running Shoe Junkie

If there is anything I am addicted to nearly as much as fitness, it's running shoes.  After reading the book, "Born to Run" (which I highly recommend, by the way), I was converted to minimalist thinking.  It influenced my purchase about a year ago of Vibram FiveFinger shoes.  If you've seen my recent race photos, you'll know I've been rocking the FiveFingers as much as possible, and I swear by them.  They feel great.

However, they do take some ramp-up time to get your body used to them and to toughen up your feet.  I've been gradually upping my mileage in them, hoping to transition entirely to FiveFingers, even on my long runs.  However, I've hit a wall at about an 8-mile run.  Any more than that, and my form starts to fall apart.

So I took a trip to Fleet Feet -- a.k.a. Running Mecca.  You know I am desperate when I go to Fleet Feet, because I CANNOT leave that store without spending $200.  It doesn't matter if I go there for socks.  I usually find enough stuff I "need" (a few gels, ooooh these shorts are nice, oh yeah I need a new set of speed laces) to make a few odds and ends drive up the total of my purchase.  Oh well.

I went there in search of a middle-ground running shoe.  A minimalist shoe that would let me run long without breaking form.  So I left with my new purchase -- some Newton running shoes!  Already did my first long run in them and I am in love.  They are designed to direct your foot plant onto your fore/mid-foot area so that you are running most efficiently.  Plus they are super light.  After doing 16 miles, my feet felt great.  Plus, they look cool.  And if you look cool, you'll run fast.  It's a known fact.

If you ever need to find me at a race, just look for the girl with the weird shoes.  That's probably me!