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!

What I Learned from Peanut Butter and Crackers...

If nothing else, this whole Half-Ironman training is a learning experience.  Granted, I generally knew what to expect based on my marathon training.  However, what I didn't realize was how much I would have to be on top of the way my body feels on a DAILY basis.

I am meticulous about my training plans.  I am one of those anal people with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet -- no, correction, entire workbook -- full of weekly mileage goals, statistics, races, charts, graphs, lines, colors, etc.  My nutrition plan, calorie goals, training days, and milestones are all captured.  It gives me a sense of confidence, knowing that if I follow the plan, I will ultimately be in the best position possible to succeed on race day.  Plus, I love planning this stuff out.  I don't know why.  Yes, I'm weird.

I usually plan my training in mesocycles, where I have about a 4-week training period, a 1-week rest, and then another training period, etc.  Training for this Half-Ironman, however, has made me realize I need to think about microcycles -- my training week to week, if not day to day.

For example:  On Thursday, I was wiped.  I didn't quite know why.  I was following my training plan, my nutrition plan, getting sleep, etc.  I'd had a couple really long days beforehand, but nothing too strenuous.  Needless to say, my swim workout that day was a struggle to start, let alone finish (but I did!) and my easy, normally leisurely bike rides during my lunch hour were tough.  Thankfully I had a rest day on Friday.

By Friday afternoon, after taking it relatively easy (just some yoga and foam rolling in the morning), I realized I did not know how I was going to make it through my training day the next day.  I have one training day a week I like to refer to as "Hell Day," and yes, it usually falls on a Saturday.  I use that day to do a "race simulation," meaning, on that day, I do a short swim in the morning and a long bike ride and run whenever I can wedge it in later in the day.  Yesterday, it consisted of a 40-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile (10K) run.  So, feeling like total crap on Friday night, I was frustrated and wondering if I should hold off.

Then I had a realization.  Even though I was only upping my mileage a little bit each week, I had to account for several workouts each week, which would account for an exponential increase in my calorie needs (rookie mistake, I know, but hey, I am human).  So I did what any normal person would do.  I dove into a box of crackers and jar of peanut butter.  Before I knew it, the box was gone and the peanut butter was running low.  With my belly sufficiently full, I went off to bed.

And like a miracle had occurred overnight, I woke up Saturday morning like a new person.  Full of energy, although a little bloated from the excess of calories.  I powered through my training day, even impressing myself on the 10K run after my bike ride.  I figured I could even do better without all the heat, but it's better to train in heat and expect cool weather on race day than vice-versa.

So, the lesson for the week?  Pig out on crackers and peanut butter?  No.  Be more in tune with my body and listen to it when it's telling me it needs something.  I've retooled my nutrition plan to not only account for my increased calorie needs NOW, but also adding a sliding scale of calories to my future training weeks.  (I know, such a rough problem, right?  To have to eat more...)

But I am going about it in a more responsible and healthy way than just binging on junk foods from time to time.  I'm adding a small amount of calories to each meal (i.e. a bowl of fruit, an extra serving of brown rice) to keep my energy levels consistent throughout the day.  I'll keep you posted with my progress.

As I said, this is a learning experience if nothing else.  But each day feels like a new challenge and I can't wait to see where this summer takes me. 

Turning Weaknesses into Strengths

We generally know what we're good at and what we're not-so-good at.  And, being humans, we tend to gravitate towards our strengths because they make us feel confident and good about ourselves.  We avoid our weaknesses because, let's face it, it's no fun doing something you suck at.

I'm taking this opportunity training for the Half-Ironman to critically assess my past triathlon performances.  In comparison to my fellow competitors, they pretty much boil down like this:

• Swim:  Mediocre
• Bike:  Weak
• Run:  Strong

My thoughts going into a sprint-distance triathlon (generally a 500-800 yard swim, 10-20 mile bike, and 5K run) are that I'll smoke anyone who passes me on the bike during the run.  However, in a longer-distance race -- and especially a Half-Ironman -- it is nearly impossible to make up the time you will lose over a 56-mile bike ride during a 13.1-mile run.

So, I needed to turn towards my weak points and come up with a plan to bring them up.  For my bike (my weakest area), in addition to my training rides, I've made it a 2012 goal to bike anywhere I possibly can, including work, errands, and school.  With the following guidelines, of course:

1. I need to be able to get there in a reasonable amount of time (i.e. if I am rushed or the distance is just too far, I'll drive).
2. The weather has to be safe.
3. It has to make sense in terms of my training for that day (i.e. no 3-hour training rides right after a 1-hour ride into town).

Not only is this strategy proving effective, but I'm experiencing the added benefit of cutting my gas costs down by an obscene amount.  Saving money AND getting faster on my bike each week rocks!

As for the swim, since it's not my priority, I've taken a slightly less aggressive approach by turning one of my swim workouts into a shorter interval workout.  This lets me practice going at faster speeds.  And again, I'm noticing changes in my long, easy swim workouts too.

It looks like focusing on my weaknesses, rather than avoiding them or trying to compensate for them, is paying off.  What about you?  What are your weaknesses?  How can you turn them into strengths?  Think about this and make it a goal.  It'll take some hard work, but trust me, the rewards feel so much better than when things come easily.

Happy training.

BIG Training Day!!! Some Wins, Some Losses.

So today was a doozy... weights and an interval swim this morning, and this afternoon a long bike ride followed immediately by a run (also called a "brick workout" in triathlon speak).  I'm finding that I do better having hard days and easy days rather than several moderate-intensity days.  When I rest, I rest.  And when it's a training day -- it's ON!

So my goal today was a 30-mile bike ride followed by a 4-mile run.  And I have everything planned out on an Excel spreadsheet for progressing towards the Big George distance of a 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run.  My bike ride felt AMAZING.  I have been eating super, DUPER healthy lately (mostly vegan, in fact) to make sure I can train my best, and it is paying off.  I had loads of energy and felt like I could go forever.  That and I have a new "secret" recipe recovery drink that I've developed after lots of experimentation (I am like a mad nutritional scientist) and I feel great after it.  I usually make a huge blender-full in the morning and split it out to drink after my morning and afternoon workouts, respectively.

Anyway, back to the bike ride.  A HUGE accomplishment today (for me atleast) was I finally felt confident getting out of the saddle on hills.  I have been having lots of balance issues on the bike and this was a great milestone today.  I think alot of it had to due with just getting brave enough to try it.  Then it "clicked" and I was out of the saddle like crazy, tearing up the hills and feeling unstoppable.  I felt so good that I went an extra three miles, making a 33-mile ride total.

The one thing I noticed was that my stomach wanted some solid food about halfway through the bike.  My nutritional strategy so far has been to eat a solid meal about two hours before my workout, an energy gel right before my workout, and then another energy gel each hour on the bike...then one more before my run -- with Gatorade in my waterbottle to sip throughout.  My energy levels were okay, but I had that unpleasant empty-tummy feeling at the beginning of hour two.  So next week I am going to try a Powerbar instead of gels on the bike and see if that helps.

So, the run was where everything fell apart.  And it was my own doing.  The runner in me was like "Oh, four-mile run.  Cake."  So I headed out without water or Gatorade.  Big mistake.  I started out strong and felt good -- was clocking a 7:45 pace with it feeling EASY.  Around mile 1.5, I felt overheated in the sun and slowed my pace.  By mile 2, I was at an 8:45 pace.  By mile 3, I was doing walk/run intervals.  By mile 4, I was walking.  I still finished the four miles with an average pace of 9:00/mile, but I KNOW I can do better if I handle my hydration better on the run.  I keep forgetting it's not just a run -- it's a run AFTER hours on the bike.  Needless to say, I walked in the house and polished off most of a gallon jug of water (no lie).

Overall, I'm feeling good about my workout today.  The problems I had were my own fault and can be easily solved with better planning.  Off to cook up some whole grain pasta, veggies, and beans (YUM!).  Hope you're enjoying the day too!

Technology Dependence Issues

Ugh, well today was a rocky start... was getting ready for my AM bike (on my new tri bike that I am in total love with now that I can actually balance on the thing lol) and my Garmin GPS watch was DEAD.  Not uncharged.  Not on the fritz.  D-E-A-D dead. 

The blank screen of death stared back at me as I jammed the Power button.  Puzzled, I went through the standard technology troubleshooting steps:

1. Push Power button.
2. Push Power button harder.
3. Push and hold Power button while swearing.
4. Swear some more.
5. Give it a rest, as though it needs a break or something.
6. Push Power button.
7. Push any button on the friggin thing.
8. Remember how much it cost and how much it will cost to replace it.  Swear some more.
9. Decision tree:  Either throw it across the room or come up with a backup plan.

Lucky for me I decided to go with my backup plan and worry about it later.  So I used my "old school" wristwatch and just looked up my route on MapMyRun.com when I came home.  My wrist felt naked without the bulky GPS watch on my wrist, and my workout lacked the freedom to make last-minute changes to the route based on the feedback on my watch.  Watching those miles build in real-time is a thrill that I didn't experience this time around.  And it made me reflect on how dependent I am on the little watch.

Back in the day, people just got on their bikes and pedaled.  They didn't check their time, distance, pace, etc.  They just went.  So I took a deep breath about mid-ride and just "went."  And I felt a new kind of freedom -- avoiding getting wrapped up in the numbers and just enjoying the ride.  I came back home, did a 1-mile post-ride run, and then started my day with a better attitude.

The GPS gods must've smiled too, because with a calm mind, I googled my GPS issue and found that a simple reboot gave my Garmin watch new life.  And to think I almost threw it across the room.

Getting Aerodynamic

Given the hours I'm going to dedicate to riding my bike in preparation for my race, I finally decided to get properly fitted for a triathlon bike.

The triathlon bike offers several benefits -- namely allowing the rider (i.e. me) to get into a more aerodynamic position by stretching out across the middle of the bike.  The upper body relaxes, letting the legs do much of the work so you can conserve as much energy as possible.

I got my new bike on Saturday.  It is red and shiny -- just as a new bike should be.  However, when I took it out that afternoon for the first ride, I felt like I was learning to ride all over again.  My balance felt clumsy in the aero position.  And kinda scary!  The shifters are at the ends of the aerobars (two parallel bars that run down the center of the handlebars, allowing you to center your bodyweight), so you need to be in the aero position most of the time.  I probably looked like I was drunk, I did so much swerving.

Plus, man oh man, does that aero position do a number on your butt!  I was so sore the next day.

So I took the bike out again yesterday and was pleasantly surprised that my balance had improved substantially.  I had a blast cruising down the local roads at high speeds -- even despite the thick humidity.  And I discovered padded cycling shorts.  Hooray!  My butt is doing much better now (I'm sure you're relieved to hear this).

So this seems to be getting better with practice, as most things seem to do.  Can't wait for my next ride!

Another Crazy Idea...

So, in my ever-present quest to challenge my body in new ways, I've registered for my first Half-Ironman race.  For those of you unfamiliar with a Half-Ironman, the race is a form of triathlon that involves a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike, and a 13.1-mile run (half-marathon distance).  I signed up for the Big George Half on September 2, 2012.  Technically, it's not an official "Half-Ironman" (not endorsed by the Ironman brand), but it's still a half-iron distance and will be enough of a challenge regardless of whether or not Ironman gets a cut.  Fun fact: a half-iron can also be called a "70.3."  That's what those bumper stickers mean, by the way.

If you remember from last year, I created a blog while training for my first ever marathon.  The feedback, encouragement, and accountability I received was so powerful in my training quest that I decided to do it again for this event.

To start off with and to clear my conscience, I almost wimped out.  I was looking at my training calendar, trying to see how much training I could wedge in between now and September, and was seriously doubting if I had enough time to be well prepared.  Then I remembered that for a marathon, most training plans advocate not running more than a 20-miler or two to prepare for the 26.2-mile race, so I figured if I didn't quite have a 56-mile bike under my belt, I would be fine.  It looks like I could safely get in 50 miles on the bike in time to taper for the race.  That and an encouraging word from my friend Greta (thanks Greta!) coaxed me to register for the BIG race!

My training goal is to peak with a brick (bike/run combo) workout two weeks before the race that consists of a 50-mile bike and a 12-mile run.  That is what I will be working towards during these upcoming three months.

In order to get to that point, here are my training guidelines:

• 2 active rest days per week
• 2 bike/run workouts per week (one short for speed and one long for endurance)
• 2 runs per week (one short-to-mid-distance and one long one for fun...oh, did I mention I'm doing the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon again too?  Gotta keep those running legs strong!)
• 2 swims per week (one long and one short on the same day as my long bike/run)
• Regular strength training 3 days per week to keep my muscle strength up (I am a HUGE believer in this.  I have been injury-free -- knock on wood -- and bounced back from my marathon last week in four days.  I firmly believe it's because I strength train consistently)
• Allowing myself the flexibility to move workouts to make room for "life" (something I struggle with sometimes)
• Eating whole foods to support my fitness efforts -- focusing on lots of fruits and veggies (at least one salad per day is the goal)

All of the guidelines above, when performed consistently, should make me as prepared as possible for the race in September.  Last summer, I was in the best shape of my life for the Crystal Lake Triathlon (which I PR'd the 5K without even feeling like I was running fast).  This year, my goal is to top that.

So, now that you know my objectives and my plans, I'll be updating this blog regularly with my experiences, successes, failures, discoveries, and thoughts.  Please share your comments and ideas.  They really helped last year and I'm looking forward to what you have to say this year.

Until next time, have a great Memorial Day.  I'm off to hit the roads on a run soon before the rain starts.  The training begins...