Are we there yet?

16 days is standing between me and the official start time of IM Cozumel. This will be my only 2^nd full ironman but unlike before the first one, I am not wishing I had more time to train, I am wishing the race would be tomorrow.

For one reason or another, I feel ready, READY to go. It may be because I have never trained this late into the year, it may be because the weather outside is chilly and this is the season to put on some fat so I can actually live through the winter without shivering 24/7 (Ya right who am I kidding), maybe because every Facebook, twitter post or blog is about off-season, and everyone seems to be posting pics of delicious food that makes me even more hungry than I already always am, or maybe because there is nothing glorious about sitting on the trainer for 5+ hours at a time sweating away with no signs of air flow in sight.  Yup that’s right – no fan to at least somewhat simulate the heat/humidity of Cozumel which means enormous amounts of sweat for this girl. 

If you look closely, you can see that 20 min into the ride I am already drenched

 The messy pile post one of my weekend rides

I even tried to prevent sweat from dripping into my shoes because turning the pedals around while my feet are soaking in a tub of cold sweat just doesn’t add much to my excitement about these trainer rides. It didn’t quite work, but it was worth a try.

 Although it didn't work I at least looked awesome! ;) 

 Meow!

I know, I know – I think I need some cheese with that wine! I wonder if I could find cheese that actually matches this 4 in 1 bottle of wine J

Try to then put on layers of clothes for that transition run that as weeks go by is becoming longer and longer, while that bike ride is not becoming any shorter and daylight is disappearing faster than I can type.  I love to train, I love to sweat, but I am ready to race.

This past weekend, I finally had it. I had made it 3 hours and 30 minutes into my 5:30 ride, and reached the breaking point. I was mentally done, and all I wanted to do was to just get off that bike and quite possibly never get back on it again. My legs felt ok (not great), and although I was determined to actually pace this ride out well (and I was right where I was supposed to be), it wasn’t good enough for me. I was for the first time in a long time not able to build my power hour by hour, rather I was struggling to keep it from plummeting. I tried to disconnect myself from the numbers and just pedal (not think, just do) but more than anything I wanted to get off that bike. I was hot and I was cold, I wanted to scream and I wanted to cry, I thought I wasn’t good enough and maybe I shouldn’t even race in Cozumel, I wanted to quit all things ironman. I thought about all those peeps out there that routinely ride 5+ hours indoors and never complain about it. They surely must be stronger than me, and who the heck do I think I am trying to even think I can win an Ironman if I can’t even stay on the bike for 3 hours without “crying”.  I issued a warning for those in my surroundings – please stay away before I say something that I will regret!

What did you eat/drink on a Saturday afternoon? Mmmmm - potatoes! 

No movie could get me out of the rut, no music was helping.  I texted my coach and told him I will turn my T-run into a 2 hour run instead of the planned 45 min – anything to get off that bike (If you know me, you know that doesn’t really sound like me – I LOVE to ride my bike), he wouldn’t budge. He tried his best to motivate me and eventually it worked. I may have even cried a little but you wouldn’t know it because I was a sweaty mess. I made it through the 4^th hour with by far my worst power average in a while, but through some serious self talk and pure silence (no movies, no music), I managed to crawl back out of that very dark place and finish the ride strong. My overall power in the end was good 10 watts lower than the avg. power for my 4 hour ride last week, but I was just happy I didn’t quit, and finished the ride. Due to daylight savings, it was now dark out. Since I don’t live in the city, the roads around here are very dark and not very well lit, but I knew I had to run. I was looking forward to running! (Is this still me writing this?) I had one of the best transition run I ever had. I felt great, and it was effortless. I tried out my new kicks – New Balance 1400v2 and I am in love! Love the new upgrade to the upper, and these will be my go to shoes in Cozumel for sure!  Super light, fast, and breathable!

 LOVE at first sight!

45 minutes later, I made it home. I sat down, and just sat there. Physically and mentally exhausted, so happy I was done for the day I felt like I just crossed the line of an ironman with one exception: no one was watching.  It wasn’t the best workout I ever had, but it was one that I will remember when things get tough. 140.6 miles is a long way to go and it is sure to be a rollercoaster ride, but now more than ever, I am physically and mentally ready for what Cozumel will throw my way.  

Surely there are goals going into this race, but more important than those goals is how good I feel about achieving them. I am confident in my training. I am very focused, and if I can execute what I have been able to do in training, I am in for a great day. Making it through that Saturday last weekend, and then following it up with a 21 miler the next day with my last mile as fast as it was even though I thought I was done at mile 18, just shows me how much I have been able to grow not only physically, but also mentally and I am very excited to show myself what I can do rested. 

16 days and counting! 

Mini legs have showed up to play - Rev3 Anderson RR

Rev3 Anderson 70.3 crept up in a hurry.  I had a week long sales meeting the week leading up to the race in Florida, which I knew about for a long time, and somehow I thought that racing immediately after non-stop work from early morning hours to late night hours was a good idea. It always sounds better than it is until you have to pack!

I was so busy the entire week that I didn’t really have time to think about the race. I did a lot of standing on my feet which is definitely not ideal the week before a race, but I did get all my workouts in although definitely had to move some of them around to accommodate the crazy schedule.

I signed up for this race a while ago, knowing that I wanted to get in one last hot/warm race as prep for IM Cozumel. The race itself wasn’t steaming hot, but I got in a few days of running in the Florida heat/humidity under my belt so that was a little bonus. Gotta love those runs when people question whether you were running or actually swimming fully clothed and in your shoes!

Friday morning I got in a quick run, rented a car and drove from Amelia Island, FL to Charlotte, NC where I met up with Jorge who was also racing. From there we then drove to Anderson, SC and finally got settled in our hotel late Friday night. Definitely looooong day of travelling and lots of sitting on my butt which if you know me is not so fun because let’s just say the cushion is not really there ;). 

On Saturday morning we swam on the race course a little bit, registered, ate big breakfast, rode a little to make sure all was working properly, dropped off our bikes, drove both the bike and run courses, ate dinner and of course followed all the Kona action on our phones throughout the day. 

Fireball even made a mini friend in T1 

I am not going to lie; I had bit of a hard time concentrating on my own race amidst of all the Kona action. I followed the pro race, and tracked many of my friends that I knew were racing. For some reason I just couldn’t quite get into  my own race groove. As much as I knew the Timberman course inside out, and I knew every turn, and pothole, I was very unfamiliar with this course. Driving it helped, but for whatever reason I continued to feel like Sunday was just going to be another training day.

Sunday morning came quickly, and I had zero issues with getting my breakfast down. Normally I really have to force myself, but this time around no problems at all. I was very relaxed and ready to go although I still didn’t feel like I was racing. I had grabbed all my transition bags to head out the door only to realize that my garmin running watch was dead! Aaaah yes – perfect start  to my day but I shrugged it off quickly. I decided to just race with my basic non gps watch. Thankfully by the time we got to T1 I had my head on straight ready to tackle the course. One thing, I was excited about the most was the fact that all female competitors started together in the same wave, which meant direction competition and that is FUN! What was not so fun was passing all the waves of males that got in the water ahead of us. 

Just let me swim already! 

SWIM: 38:53 (4^th AG, 31^st Overall)

No excuses at all, but this swim was long given a few garmin files. The word on the street was just that. I felt good for most part, and even drafted for a little while before I ventured off on my own. The water was relatively warm but still wetsuit legal, and definitely a bit dark, but the buoys were pretty easy to sight. It really just seemed that there were one too many buoys to go around. Regardless of the time, I was pretty happy with the swim and I know if the distance was correct, I was on pace for a sub 35 min swim, which for me right now would be great! 

T1: 1:46

Not much to report here. Since T1 and T2 were in different places, we had to pack up our wetsuits, goggles, caps etc. so I definitely lost some time here. Also took me a little extra time to stuff my pockets with nutrition for the bike, but other than that I moved pretty quickly.

BIKE: 2:30:22 (Fastest Female Bike Split)

This bike course was deceivingly tough, and had more climbing in it that one would think. There were no crazy steep climbs but this course was definitely super rolling. In addition to that, the never ending 90 degree turns most of which were to the right (my non favorite side – I would rather turn left 1000 times than turning right once) made it super hard to gain and sustain any sort of momentum. Every time I would settle into my pace, I had to pretty much stop and turn which in the end resulted in a few more spikes than I would like. My legs felt like crap, and I just couldn’t quite build my effort rather I struggled to hold on as time went on.  The road surface wasn’t the smoothest either, and the constant vibration combined with perfect execution of my fueling plan meant I was well hydrated but for whatever reason couldn’t quite relieve myself. (Bumps and the urge to pee while hunched over in an aero position is not fun!). To try to take my mind of that, I made sure to thank all the volunteers/cops at all the different turns throughout the course, and I even saved a guy from losing his bottles from behind his saddle as I went by him. (He did find me after the race to thank me which was awesome – there are still nice people in this world!).  My legs didn’t quite feel like what I am used to, but I didn’t force it and just rode with what I had that day. I was still passing people left and right, but just didn’t feel like myself. I ended the day with my power good 10 watts lower than at Timberman, and power that I have been holding for 100 mile rides in the last 3 weeks so I was bit disappointed but ready to run!

T2: 0:53

I was in and out of there quick. Bike racked, socks, shoes, visor on and off I went. 

RUN: 1:29:39 (Fastest Female Run Split, and a new personal best for a half marathon in a 70.3)

I exited the transition as first overall female!  13.1 miles is a long way to go, and I knew that if I wanted to win, I would have to run, and run fast. Since this race did not have a pro race, I was even awarded a lead biker, and she was absolutely amazing! I wish I knew her name, but she was one of the reasons why I ran as well as I did. Of course that running focus in the month of September may have something to do with it as well, but she was a rockstar! (if any of you readers recognize her in the pic below, let me know as I would love to re-connect with her ). 

Mile 6ish and in good spirits :)

She also made me feel like one. The whole time I felt like running on red carpet as she would shout: “Lead female on your left” as I ran by and everyone cheered me on and some people even stopped and clapped! I just really couldn’t slow down even if I wanted to.  She would also take my “order” for the aid stations and ride up to them to make sure they had whatever I wanted ready as I went by! Seriously absolutely amazing! Since my trusty garmin watch died overnight, I didn’t know how fast or slow I was running, and that was probably good for me!

                                              Of course here Jorge is telling me to run faster! 

 I was able to simply just run, and not worry about going too slow or too fast. Usually when I just run, I end up with my best runs. I would peak at my basic non gps watch at the different mile markers and did a very simple math. I knew I wanted to be sub 7s, so I would just multiply each mile marker by 7 and glanced at the watch, so I knew I was running sub 7s but I never knew my exact pace which was for the better. I concentrated on the wheel in front of me and catching my lead cyclist the whole time! I went through the 6.5 mile at 44 and change and knew I was on pace for sub 1:30 which was my goal. That is when my lead biker said: “Lets negative split the 2^nd loop”! Yeah ok I thought – you want to switch places? I bike, you run I said to her but she didn’t want any of it ;). We kept on moving right along, and I was still feeling very strong. I had an awesome cheering section, and Dan and Stacy just wouldn’t let me slow down  – rather speed up (You guys ROCK!)  I had passed 4 times due to an out and back two loop course. 

My awesome EC Cheering Section! 

Things got a bit tough in the last 3 miles, but I didn’t let myself shuffle. I pushed the gradual uphills as much as I could, and just concentrated on staying strong and keeping my form. The last mile couldn’t end any faster than it did because that’s when the legs really just wanted to be done. I pushed the last mile as hard as I could sounding like a freight train that’s about to break down. I willed myself up the last hill (short but oh felt so long) thanks to some motivational words of my lead biker again, and took a turn for the finish line.

My number #1 fan took this pic from the couch! 

My legs felt like they may lock up on me in the last quarter mile, but they didn’t. I glanced at my watch and so 1:29:xx and that’s when I knew that sub 1:30 is finally mine! (No the course wasn’t all downhill either and just like the bike course was rolling). Nice little finish line banner would have been nice, but maybe they just had two for the Olympic and Half male winners, which is ok. I was soooooo happy to finally RUN like I knew I could.  Jorge was also right there waiting for his finish line hug (I didn’t pee on myself at all really ;) ) and seeing him as happy as he was, was better than raising up any finish line banner! He is the one that have been telling  me I can run fast off the bike, and probably believed I could more than I ever did. Surprise, surprise – he was right, and now I know for myself! I can’t thank him enough for all the guidance in the last 3 years!

Final Time -  4:41:34 – first overall female, and ever so close to breaking that 4:40 again on a pretty tough course. I had looked at this race as my last prep race before going into IM Cozumel in 7 short weeks, and I am walking away with a huge confidence booster especially for my run! I have never felt stronger, and I know that when I toe that line on December 1^st, I’ll be more ready than ever to not only ride like I stole it, but to also swim like there is a shark chasing me, and run like I KNOW how! I am now taking applications for a biker to lead me through the run and clear people out of my way ;)

Icing on the cake, this race was the USAT Long Course National Championship so I am now your 2013 USAT Long Course Champion, which means I have just qualified for 2014 Long Course World National Championships in Weihai, China! Date is to TBD as of now, but I am accepting any sponsorship offers because China isn’t exactly around the corner!  J

Colin - men's 30-34 AG National Champ, and me

Next Up – 6 weeks of work, week of taper, and Cozumel IM and I can’t wait!!!

Vegas/Kona World Championship Races

For the first time in the last 3 years, I will not be toeing the line of the 70.3 World Championships this weekend. I am a bit bummed. Seeing my fb, and twitter world being taken over by those that are, is making it hard. I love a challenge, and I love GREAT competition so to be missing the Worlds this year for the first time in the last 3 years bugs me a little bit (a lot). At the same time, it’s not because I couldn’t make it there, but it’s because at the end of last season, I (together with my coach) chose a different path towards my longer term development as an athlete. It was a tough decision for me, but  I know I will benefit from it down the road. 

It really wasn't easy. I really wanted to go back to Vegas, and back to Hawaii this year, but I really had to look at why I wanted to go back to these races.  Sure, it was for the fun of it, for the great competition, plus it’s always nice to follow the sun when the east coast starts to feel like fall or worse yet winter, but I knew I wanted something more. Having few of these races under my belt, I knew I wanted more. Participating at the world championship races of any distance is a huge accomplishment and I am by no means discounting that at all, but I have been there and done that. I have been somewhat competitive at that stage as well, and so my goals have now shifted from simply make it to that stage, to actually winning at that stage.

I came in 6^th in my AG in Vegas last year (1 spot and 1 min 45 sec. short of the podium, and 21st amateur female overall), and 15^th in my AG in Kona (29ish or so minutes off the podium) Little further of the podium there but with Kona being my very first ironman, and a marathon, I really couldn’t dream up my day all that much better. Sure, I could have been faster, but my goal last year was to enjoy the experience, to enjoy my first ironman. I did that and some. While at the awards ceremony in Hawaii last year, I knew right there and then, that one day I have to stand on that stage. I am pretty sure I called my coach and told him that. I just couldn’t stop thinking about doing Kona again and standing on that stage next time I race in Hawaii. And that’s how my racing/training schedule was born.

I fully realize that the goals I have are tough/very tough, but I also know that longer term, I will have what it takes to get it done. 2013 just wasn’t the year yet. With that said, I didn’t race any Vegas or Kona qualifiers this year, but I did race Timberman 70.3, where I punched my ticket to Mt. Tremblant 70.3 the new host site for 70.3 Worlds in 2014, and I will be racing Ironman Cozumel on December 1^st in the hopes of getting that Kona 2014 slot. Again, that will not be easy, but I will be ready to give my best. If all goes well, I will have my ticket to both World championship races in my back pocket by the end of 2013, and will have another full year to get ready to accomplish my lofty goals.

I just totally put myself out there, but I believe that with a bit more time, I will have what it takes to get it done.  It all started with a dream, and with each day that goes by, I can feel the dream becoming more and more of a reality. I may be reaching for the stars,but I know that I won’t stop until my dreams come true.

So for all of you racing  Vegas this weekend, and Kona 5 short weeks after – stay cool, go fast, have fun, and most importantly regardless of what your goals are - enjoy the experience because it is like no other!  For those of you that aspire to get to Vegas or Kona, keep working and you will reach your goals. I am sure most of you have seen Diana Nyad completing the 110 mile swim from Cuba to Florida this past Monday and the 3 messages she shared with everyone following her swim:

1. We should never give up

2. You are never too old to chase your dream

3. Looks like a solitary sport but it takes team

All these messages fit well with triathlon as well so chase your dreams, and don't be afraid to tell the world what you are after! I am listening :)  

Timberman RR also known as the 3rd year annivesary

Better late than never, but here comes my Timberman race report. Timberman 70.3 was my 1st race under the guidance of coach Jorge, my 1^st race on a tri bike, the 1^st time I went sub 5 hours, and the 1^st time I made it on the podium although barely (I was 5^th in my AG). I haven’t done this race since then, so I was really looking forward to the weekend! We had booked a couple of condo’s only ½ mile from the start of the race, and had a BIG group of us racing as well as supporting and that is always FUN! There is just something special about seeing so many of your teammates/friends either on the race course or as support crew!

I was excited to finally race again. I knew that based on my training I was more than ready for a great performance. I was coming off one of my best training blocks. I was consistently seeing numbers in the pool, on the bike or run that I have never seen before and I was just feeling strong and ready to go physically as well as mentally.  I mentioned in my previous blog post that I have trained on the course a few times this summer and so I really had an idea of what I was capable of, which was a huge mental boost come race day.

I arrived in Guilford on Friday afternoon, and bunch of us went to register, followed by a quick jog. I felt good, and honestly, I was just ready to race!  The few days before the race are the worst, and I really just wanted to get the party started. One advantage of staying at a condo is that you can make your own food, which far exceeds going out to eat especially when you have excellent chef’s around! Huge thanks goes out to Jorge THE chef, and Brett THE grill master! 

 2 choices of pasta thanks to chef Jorge

 Gotta have some greens too - Thanks Jeff! 

Somehow I didn't get the pic of the delicious bison tips, and chicken, and turkey tips or the loafs of bread! (Could be because I ate them all?). Some quality time spent with teammates/friends which definitely helped to calm the pre-race nerves, and Saturday morning was here before we knew it. Little spectating during the sprint race, followed by an awesome BIG breakfast and my favorite part of the day before the race (more pancakes and bacon please!)

Maybe if I ate less, I could have been faster? Somehow this blog post seems to be all about food so far!

Some last minute bike maintenance, one last pre-ride, and run and “Fireball” was ready to spend the night at Ellacoya State park ready to rumble on Sunday.

Ready as always!

Repeat dinner from Saturday night, and the alarm clock was set for 4am! I slept fairly well till about 2am and that was that. Just let me race already! I couldn’t visualize the race any longer! Breakfast went down slowly as usual (Amazing how bagel with peanut butter and jelly can taste so good one day, and so blah on race morning), and we were off. Thanks to top notch service by super Sherpa Briana that dropped us off right at the transition area we didn’t even have to walk much. Bonus! 

Up at 4am, on her feet all day, and wide awake at 10pm. I on the other hand am 1/2 asleep! Super Sherpa!

One very long PP line later, I found myself trying to squeeze into my wetsuit as fast as I could so I had some time to warm up before my wave going off at 7:29am. 

SWIM:  37:45 (39^th AG/104, 223^rd female/638)

I was ready to have a GREAT swim. I felt very good, and I was ready to finally show what I have been up to in the pool, but it clearly wasn’t meant to be. I felt really good all the way to the first turn buoy even following some feet, but as soon as we made the turn to make the trek across the lake, couple of things happened. The water became VERY choppy which made me nauseous, and I was starting to swim right into floating objects (I mean other competitors from previous waves that were out on a leisurely float). I know I wasn’t exactly moving very fast either, but for whatever reason these peeps seemed to be everywhere and I felt like there was no way around them.  I didn’t panic, but it definitely made it hard to get into any sort of rhythm and I found myself having to actually dead stop a few times, find my way around said floaters and get back on track.  I say floaters because one minute I would sight and see them up ahead, and the next minute I was barreling right into them because they were dead stopped with their feet pointing down. Once we made the last turn towards the beach, I tried to sight the finishing arch, but that wasn’t happening because I couldn’t find it. That made getting back and bit more difficult and I reserved to following the buoys instead. As we finally got closer to shore, I was still feeling strong, but I knew deep down that I didn’t exactly have the swim I knew I have in me.  I don’t swim with a watch, but I took a quick glance at the race clock and after a quick math, I figured out I probably was somewhere in the 37 min range. Boooo! I didn’t dwell on it at all, and just kept moving.

T1: 1:54 min

I bypassed the wetsuit strippers although on a 2^nd thought maybe I should have used them, because my wetsuit got a bit stuck on my timing chip. Nutrition in the pockets, helmet/sunglasses/shoes on and I was out of there. I got slowed down a bit by other competitors walking their bikes through transition but I tried to make my way around them given how narrow the “isles” were as fast as I could. 

BIKE: 2:22:43 (1st AG/104, Fastest Amateur bike split by almost 8 minutes, and 2^nd fastest  female bike split only behind the speedy Melissa Hauschildt)  

I have been biking better than ever and if my 2:26ish that I rode during the race prep ride 2 weeks ago with my race setup on tired legs was any indication of what I may be capable of on race day, I was in for one fast ride. My goal was to ride around 2:25. I have looked up previous Timberman bike times, and when I saw the likes of Chrissie Wellington riding 2:25 or 2:22 with her fastest time being just under 2:20, I couldn’t help but to be “scared” a little. I know I am a strong cyclist, but coming near some of these pro times have never even really crossed my mind! (Ok maybe it had just a little bit, but it’s still a bit surreal) Back to the race. I hopped on my “Fireball” and of we went. The first part was a bit sketchy with coned of sections that made passing a bit more difficult, but I managed. Lots of very loud “ON YOUR LEFT”, “ON YOUR LEFT”, I said “ON YOUR LEFT” (Image me really screaming by now) and I made it through without knocking over any cones or competitors or myself, although it was close a few times and I felt like I was in a driving school where they do make you get around cones cuz that is exactly what I had to do to actually end up on the right side of the road!

Rider on the right, cones on the left, and me thankfully still upright! 

Once on 106, I just put my head down and went for it, sling shooting when I could although I was just really moving fast, and everyone else I was passing seemed to be standing so at times it was just easier to follow the white line.  I made it to the turnaround around 1:10 which I knew was fast, but I was in the lower range of my target watts, so I wasn’t alarmed. The way back was a bit cleaner (in terms of competitors, and there weree no females to be found).  I was able to just put my head down and go.

Go, go, go, go, go 

I absolutely bombed the freshly paved downhill in the 2^nd half of the course hitting 52mph at some point, and I made my way into transition, consistently riding at the bottom end of my watts for the full 56 miles. I probably could have pushed harder, but I wanted to have a great run! One that I know I am capable of but have yet to be able to show in a race. I rolled into transition, and have seen my teammate Carolyn heading out on the run (she is a speedy)! I knew she started in one of the earlier waves, so I knew I was doing well. She was now my little target because this girl can run!

Rolling into transition

T2: 1:38

I was in and out of there as fast as I could. Not many bikes if any at all in my row so I knew I most likely was towards the front of the race. Put my socks on, grabbed my watch and off I went. 

Heading out on the run! Moving Soooo Fast even the camera can't catch me (How I wish) ;) 

RUN: 1:35:54 (2^nd AG, 5^th fastest amateur run, 12^th fastest run including the PRO’s)

Bummer! I had a good run, but not a great one. There weren’t that many people out on the run course during my 1^st loop and since it’s a 2 loop out and back course you get  a great look at your competition. I ran the first loop relatively comfortable with the hopes of negative splitting the 2^nd loop, but that unfortunately never happened. I was keeping tabs on Carolyn who is a GREAT runner, and was just really trying to keep my distance between me and her the same. That didn’t quite happen, but I also didn’t see anyone coming for me which was great.  I was also on the look out for coach Jorge because given my earlier start, I knew we could have potentially finished the race together. I started to struggle a bit on the 2^nd loop and was just simply running out of energy even though I took a gel at mile 2, and between miles 6-7, and started on coke. The 2^nd loop was way more crowded but it also gave me a chance to see so many of my teammates and friends out on the course cheering me on. I was in my own little world and may have not returned some of those cheers, and I’ll try to do better next time.  Thank you guys, I heard you all! I believe I just needed to fuel a little better so I don’t let that happen again, and quite honestly I need to grow bigger balls and just go for broke little earlier than a few miles from the finish. I ran the last 1.5 mile sounding like a freight train, but I gave it all I had and good thing I did because as I was nearing the finish line, I only had a few seconds to spare before the 4:40 ticked on the clock. And let’s face it – 4:39:xx sounds MUCH faster than 4:40 …ha!

Finish Line kick - am I there yet? Tick, tock, tick, tock ... don't fall, don't fall

Coach Jorge didn’t catch me (AWESOME for me because I really didn’t want to try to match his 5 min per mile pace at the end of a race), and let’s face it, getting passed in the last mile of a race by anyone is NOT an option ;) but I didn’t have to wait for long.

We both had very good races with lots of room for improvement, and that’s what this is all about - Fun and the quest for perfection!

I know I have a 1:30 run in me, so now I just have to prove it! Easy, right? My next chance is going to be in October during the Rev3 South Carolina and I will be going for broke.

I may have not had a perfect race, but I am super-duper happy with how it turned out anyways. I may have not had a perfect race, but I am super-duper happy with how it turned out anyways. For our 3^rd year anniversary I gave my coach a new 70.3 PR, and a 15 min improvement on the same course Yeah I know – 15 min, 3 years of hard work may not seem like enough, but believe me when I say it is. If back then anyone told me that I would ever see 4:3x on the clock for 70.3 distance, I would laugh at them (unless of course the swim was with a current, and the bike and run courses were downhill only, which is certainly NOT the case with Timberman). Back then and for the longest time, breaking 5 hours was the magic barrier, but guess what – NOT anymore.That 4:2x is in there and I know it!

Final tally: New PR of 4:39:54 – 1^st 30-34 AG – the biggest maple syrup bottle award there is (YES!), 2^nd overall Amateur, and 8^th Overall Including pro’s. Last but not least another $400+ lighter and a spot for next years 70.3 World Championships in Mt. Tremblant!  #Mission #Win

 I can finally open the tiny maple syrup from 3 years ago! 

Yes, yes - the biggest bottle of maple syrup I could get = Happy Czech Chick

Aaaand the weekend wouldn't be complete with some post race FUN! 

Don't ask!

And I won't tell!

Till next time! 

Ready for FUN!

Timberman 70.3 was my 1^st race ever working with coach Jorge, and it was the first time I went sub 5 in a 70.3. It was actually my first 70.3 on a tri bike (his tri bike because I didn’t have my own and he was nice enough to let me use his). Little did he know, I had marked my territory ;), became addicted to Felt, and that’s how “Fireball” came around.

Fast forward 3 years later, and in just 5 short days, I will be toeing the start line of that same course ready to rock!  

I will be ready to swim like a shark is chasing me

Or maybe I'll be the one chasing the shark? ;) 

Bike like my “Fireball” knows how!

 And finally RUN like I stole it for 13.1 miles!

Just keep moving ;)

Due to it’s close proximity to my home, I have trained on the course! I have swam, biked, and ran the Timberman course in the last few weeks many times, and it is pretty safe I know every pothole, turn, uphill, downhill that will get thrown my way. I have biked the course with Fireball being race ready and I have ran on the course more than I can count one hand.

Sure, I have goals, few time goals, and quite honestly the possibilities are a little bit “scary” but also very realistic! I have worked my butt off and have been consistent. Day in, day out, week after week, month after month, and year after year.  The last 5ish weeks have in my eyes have been “special”. I had good days, I had great days, I thought I couldn’t, but yet I always surprised myself, and with each week I have been feeling physically and mentally stronger.  And then there were the “bad” days - the days when it didn’t come easy. The days when I had to mentally dig deep to make it happen, and the DAY when it just didn’t happen.

http://czechchick15.blogspot.com/2013/08/ladder-up.html

THAT was the day that opened my eyes. See, sometimes it’s really easy to get caught up in the numbers. That day, when I struggled through the 2^nd half of the workout really unable to complete it the  way I knew I could left me looking deeper and searching for the “why”, “how”, “when” etc.  I struggled within my own head.  The next swim workout after that was not pretty either. As a matter of fact, it was worse than the one I wrote about. I mentally didn't have it. I had no fight in me, and I gave in. I gave in to those loud voices in my head.  I so quickly forgot about the weeks and months of great training, and continuous improvement because I felt slow that day. The numbers got the best of me! Thankfully I have great coaches, and friends who talked a bit of “sense” into me.

And then I came across this quote:

"If you want to be your best, spend a lot of time exploring what is more than enough. Push yourself right off the edge of your capacity."

Aaaaand, the light bulb went off. 

I really let numbers get the best of me which is so easy when very specific goals are involved. What I am really trying to get to (and I know it’s taking way too long) is that sometimes it’s important to take a step back and realize WHY we do what we do.  For me personally, I am competitive – always have been and always will be.  I have short term goals. I have long term goals. At Timberman, I want to win and I want to qualify for 70.3 worlds next year, but none of that is going to happen if I just chase numbers. 

Those few workouts when I struggled really opened up my eyes, and made me realize, that I need to “forget” about the numbers a little bit. I need to just go out there and have fun, because that is really why I do this – it is FUN! It is FUN to watch myself grow as an athlete and person whether it be physically or emotionally, while along the way hopefully motivating some of you too because YES – anything is possible if you just want it bad enough. 

The day after I took a step back and stopped chasing paces or watts, I had the best workout I have ever had. It so happened to be on the Timberman course itself, and it gave me a huge level of confidence going into Sunday’s race.

No, I will not bore you with graphs, fitness curves, or paces or watts, but I can tell you that I cannot wait to race! I feel more ready to race than I ever have before, and I am ready to have a blast! Whatever happens happens, but I know one thing – I will leave it all out there … in that water, on that bike or the run course, and I’ll cross the finish line having no regrets! I am going to relax and I'll let my training take me through the day. I am ready for some FUN, and I am ready to RACE my heart out. I am ready to WIN! (And I really want some maple syrup ;) ) 

Who else is excited for this weekend?  

Ladder Up!

Also known as the title of yesterday’s swim workout that kicked my ass, but more than anything “fried” my brain to the point of no return.

The Workout:

100-200-300-400-500-600-700-800-900-1000 at race pace with 10 sec rest after 100, 20 sec after 200 etc.

The red guy is me! You will soon know why!

Not that bad, right? I was super determined to make this happen, and I really wanted to live up to my self made goal of treating every single swim workout like the 6 by 4s or 4 by 10s on the bike. Why you may ask?  Because I do have a unique ability to hurt on the bike more than I can hurt (I really mean have tons and tons of fun) anywhere else. I have no idea why, but that is just how it always has been.

Grossness alert: I can get myself to the point on that bike where I can lose my cookies before giving up in my head, and if I can just translate that into the pool, and have just a tad bit more fun each time, I will be in business. Not the chase mode business, but the catch me if you can business.

But back to the awesome workout that I knew was going to test my both physically and mentally. I purposely waited to swim after work for 2 reasons. One – the water tends to be cooler at night because there is no water aerobics class to follow, and two – the Y swim team usually practices which tends to help my motivation. I mean I still get lapped all the time by kids half my age or younger but something about seeing those guys working just as hard as me instead of seeing aqua joggers and breast strokers enjoying their morning float helps when the going gets tough.  Plus the hazard of getting kicked or punched from the lane line over by an excessively wide breast stroke kick or super wide arm flying back strokers is minimized.

Both of the reasons for an after work swim where a major fail yesterday, which had messed with my head a little bit before I even started, but I was able to quiet to demons down like a champ. The Y team didn’t practice today (I guess their last day of swimming for the summer was the day before), and as a result water was warm because there were too many kinds playing around in the pool.(code for you know what)  Ok – whatever – I had the just get it done attitude.

I am happy to report I made it through the 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 right on race pace which I should add is a little challenging and yes is a pace that I have never been consistently able to hold for a very long time at all. Yesterday – I lasted 2100 yards – 1.2 miles – perfect! Perfect for 1.2 miles, not so perfect when you are not even half way through your swim workout.  (I had to get reminded of this because my head automatically went to the “fail” you are about to read upon)

And then it happened! My head got the best of me and my brain said enough is enough.

The conversation went something like this: “Do you really think you can swim 5500 yards at this pace? You are out of your mind if you think you can. (SHUT UP BRAIN!) You still have a 700, and then an 800, and 900, and then there is the 1000 (SHUT UP BRAIN!!!!!!)  Quick math and I realized I wasn’t even half way done” (SO WHAT BRAIN – ENOUGH IS ENOUGH).  You are HOT, you really can’t do this. What makes you think you can?  (I AM SO DONE WITH YOU BRAIN) … FIIIIIIIINE – I hear you loud and clear and you win – are you happy now?

That so positive “what is another 100 yards thought” quickly disappeared, and as much as I tried to fight those very loud “you are on crack” voices, they had overtaken my brain! I was done! I lost! I was disappointed.  I stood at the wall a tad bit longer than I should have before heading out for the 700 trying to regroup, but I had no fight in me. Physically I was ok. I had done work, but I know I could have done more work. Mentally, I was way over the edge to the point of no return.  I quickly made the decision to JUST swim, float, whatever you want to call it. I didn’t watch the clock, I was just counting down the 100s. I didn’t even try to aim at my race pace. My effort was non- existent. In between trying to not lose count, and those loud voices in my head, I tried to pick it up towards the end of that 700, but it just wasn’t there. My brain was really starting to hurt, and it took all I had left to not get out of the pool and call it quits. The negativity of my brain was overpowering, and after fighting through the 800, I finally threw on fins for the 900 while negotiating with my brain on how to make the last 1000 count!  It was just ugly. I timed the 700, and the 800 on my watch, but I didn’t look at the time. I didn’t care. I set out for the last 1000 yards, swam the 1^st 100, floated the next 100, and called it a day!

Hugely disappointed in myself I texted my swim coach:

“You are NOT going to be happy with me! I made it past the 600 on pace and then it got “ugly”. I then spent the rest of the swim NOT even giving myself a chance to swim that race pace”

In my head, I failed! I hate to fail. In retrospect – I did swim 2100 yards faster than I ever have, and my floating pace was my race pace just a few weeks ago, but I continue to be disappointed in my own head. I am not disappointed in the times, I am more disappointed in the fact that I didn’t even give myself a chance starting with the 700. If I blew up half way through the 700 I would be ok with that – I had reached my limit, but I didn’t do that. I just stalled – completely stalled and gave in. Hate is a strong word, but I hate that. The thought of having to swim another 3,400 yards at that pace just completely overtook me and I couldn’t quiet down my head.

I wanted to just get out and go ride my bike. Just turn myself into a cyclist because maybe just maybe if I rode my bike more than 3x a week, I could ride stronger/ faster and then who cares if I swim 30 min or 40 min – I could just let mega legs do the work. I had few other thoughts which I will spare you but you get the point.  I was mentally done before I could physically reach my limit, and that’s a big no no in my head.

So now I am trying really hard to focus on the positive – that 2100 yards at a pace that will get me to where I really want to be for the 1.2 miles come Timberman in 2.5 weeks, and forget about the rest of the workout because tomorrow is another day and I have some business to take care in the pool again and yesterday’s attitude will not help me …. but I am curious …

How do you deal with your head? How do you fight the mental daemons that just want you to stop! How do you “forget and learn" from the tough days/the ‘failures’ and focus on the positive next time you get out there? 

My venture into short course racing

I had posted this on facebook few hours after the Mass State Olympic distance tri on Sunday after the race:

"The venture into short course racing was FUN, but not where I am at home. Pretty happy with my swim (Just another of many steps to come in the right direction), "sad" bike although I did have the fastest female bike split, and surprising to me 9th fastest bike split including men , and a "sad" run. What I was a little afraid of became reality, and 70.3 watts and 70.3 run pace proved to be hard to shake today although the effort was there. 4th Overall, 1st AG making me the Northeast Olympic AG regional champion, and 3rd Overall Massachusetts resident had however earned me the right to represent the state of MA at the 2014 Best of the US Amateur Championship Race since this was the designated race for MA and the top 3 female/male regardless of age qualify ... could be a cool experience! THANK YOU ALL for the cheers along the way! It sure is awesome to race a local race with so many friends around! Next up - Timberman 70.3 in 5 weeks”

I knew that posting a status update like that may raise some eyebrows. In reality that is how I felt about my own performance on that day, and I knew I was capable of much more.Yes – I still came 4^th overall, 1^st AG, and 3^rd Overall MA resident giving me the opportunity to represent the state of MA in 2014 at the “Best of US Amateur Championship series” (http://bestoftheustriseries.com/), but as silly as that may sound, and as much as I LOVE to win, I race because I love to test myself, because I love to give my best and I love to chase my next best race, my next best performance. Every race is about giving it my all (whatever that happens to be on that day), test my training, and push myself to the limit so I can push that limit further next time. So Yes – as awesome as it was to stand on top of that podium on Sunday, and as much as I love to win, solely winning is not the reason why I race. There are so many races out there, that on any given day, someone can beat you – it just depends who decides to show up on race day. I love to race because not only do I get to test myself physically, and mentally, but because I am always in search of the next best performance, that perfect day when everything comes together! You know that super fast swim, great bike with watts being the watts you know you can hit, and a smoking fast run – that run you know you are capable of because you have done it in your training! If you know me, you know that I am also very realistic and sometimes maybe too much. Sometimes that brain of mine holds me back, but I am working on that. Yes – I LOVE to train, I love to train because it is FUN, and based on my training, I know that Sunday (if I had THE perfect day) would have looked a bit different in terms of that final time on the clock. 

I am by no means disappointed because I gave what I had yesterday, but I have now added a bit more fuel to the fire in search of that next perfect race, which will be Timberman70.3 in 5 short weeks. I have learned a few more valuable lessons, which will help me be better come August 18^th. Until then, it’s time to buckle up, and train my little butt off.

THE SWIM: 26:56 (48th/222 female, 161th/541 overall men & female)

Not the fastest compare to the girls that kicked my butt, but a very good swim for me. Even if the race was just a swim race, and I would be nowhere near the podium, I am the happiest with the swim leg of this race, and THAT is a first! (See it’s not solely about winning, but about your personal best effort/performance).

Water temperature was 77 degrees which meant a wetsuit legal swim. I actually was not very happy with that because I am a champ at overheating in my wetsuit, and I really wanted to put forth a solid effort.

I contemplated forever between wearing the wetsuit or not, but since everyone else including the top swimmers wore one, I decided it would be silly not to and put myself into potentially even more of a disadvantage right at the start of the race. Good thing I had an awesome support crew out there including my swim coach Karen, who suggested I put some ice cubes down my wetsuit – EXCELLENT idea! I stuffed my bra with some ice cubes, and I put a few on my calves too. I couldn’t get the ice to drop any further but it did the trick at least for a little bit.

I navigated well for most part, I didn’t zig zag like last time and I didn’t overheat. I probably could have swam a bit harder, but I didn’t want to get to the middle of the lake, and feel myself burning up, so I made the choice to swim hard, but not so hard that my body temperature may burn the wetsuit off me. Yes – next time I MUST swim harder, but I am working on that too. (Shut up brain)

I am borrowing Gracie's swim cap for my next race! I think that will automatically make me faster!

T1: 1:17 (9th/222 females, 59th/541overall male & female)

Not bad, not great. I got out of there as fast as I could.

How does this wetsuit come off again? 

BIKE: 54:37 (Fastest female bike split, 9^th fastest overall bike split including men)

Sadly, as fast as my bike was in comparison to my competition on that day, I am quite disappointed. Yeah – I know sounds silly, I had a fast time, BUT I was nowhere near my potential. If you don’t know why, read above. I am disappointed because this was a 22 mile bike course, and my power output was VERY similar to my 56 mile power output over the last to 70.3’s I have done. I have ridden at Sunday’s power for an hour in the middle of a 100 mile ride just last week and ran just fine getting off the bike. So yes – I had a very fast bike, but far off what I am capable of on a perfect day. I just didn’t seem to be able to get my legs under me, and my breathing was labored from the get go. I would be fine with the high effort for a race this short, but the power associated with my heavy “freight train is coming like” breathing wasn’t even close to what it should have been. It was time to suck it up, ignore the numbers as much as possible and push on.  Other than that the ride was quite uneventful, and it was over in no time. 

 That's it? No more riding? 

Fireball really wanted to continue to fly - Here we are both still flying! 

T2: 0:37 (5th/222, 5th/541 overall male & female)

I was definitely in and out of there as fast as I could. Putting on socks slowed me down a little bit, but those few extra seconds are worth blister free feet.

Someone was hot before the run even started

Run Forest Run! 

RUN: 44:40 (8th/222, 46th/451 overall male & female)

Aaaaand another not so great performance. Why you ask? Let’s just say my overall pace during my half marathon at the Patriot 70.3 was faster than what I just showed on Sunday for 6.2 miles and less than half the distance. Yeah – NOT good! I have run that pace in training almost backwards (ok – I am exaggerating a little bit), but my pace should have been at least 30 seconds faster per mile than what it was on Sunday. I fought for that time on that day, and that is all I had, but now I am hungry! Like starving, famished for a GREAT run off the bike because I know I have it in me! Heat or no heat, these mega mini legs can run. That 1:27 half marathon few months ago didn’t run itself and so the quest for the perfect run off the bike continues. The run was quite uneventful. I saw the top 3 girls running opposite direction at the turn around, and they looked like they were moving. I thought I could make up some time on girl #3, but I just didn’t have it.

In summary, yesterday was one HOT, but FUN day. I haven’t raced truly a local or short course race in 3 years, and I am so glad I did yesterday. I got to see many familiar faces before, during and after the race, met some new teammates, and new faces that follow me online. 

Some of the E3 crew post race

I didn't have a perfect race, but today that was still good enough for the top of AG podium. 

In the end, it’s all about having a FUN time, and achieving success – whatever success means to you! So go out there, give your best every day, and dream! With dreams come goals, and there is nothing sweeter than achieving your goals! The sky really is the limit if you want something bad enough. 

If you still need a bit more motivation, watch this video:

http://effortlessswimming.com/mindset-2/the-greatest-swimming-video-ever-made/