And the swim course.....
Kelly being a goof ball!
Pre race tune up on the course
Relaxing before the big day!
Congrats Kelly!!
So proud of Kelly who placed 9th at IMCDA yesterday. She has encountered many obstacles over the past few months with an ankle injury and a hectic shool and work schedule. She never gave up and yesterday she duked it out with some of the best Ironman Athletes in the world. She ran a 3:16 with only 2 days of running a week since April! So proud of Kel! I’ll post some pics when I get home. It’s been a great week, lots of fun, but man am I beat. Being support crew is hard work!!! Now I really REALLY appreciate everything mom, Brian and Kelly do for me!! Thanks guys!
Once again it has been a very long time since I blogged. After being harassed by all my friends for the past year, I finally broke down and joined FB, so that has been enough computer time for me!
After China, I stretched my recovery out to 2 weeks. Racing in such horrible conditions and then getting a stomach bug really took its toll on my body. Over the past 6 weeks, my training has gone really well and I was excited to test my fitness at Kansas 70.3. We arrived in Kansas on Friday and were fortunate enough to get set up with a GREAT homestay, Marc and Kim (thanks for making us feel so welcome!!). The race was just so so. I’ve been working really hard on my swimming since China. My 100Y pool times are about 5 seconds faster now, but I still swam slow! Open water swim season has finally began here in VT, so hopefully that will help. On the bike, it was just one of those days when you just cant get comfy. I switched my saddle the week before the race and felt like my position was off and I just couldnt generate much power. It was hard to be so far back, but I just kept telling myself that I would have a great run. Having a good run split was my main goal of the day. I have been struggling to run well off the bike, so I have been doing quite a bit more volume that I typically do; lots of hills and tempo, but very little speed work. I was a little worried about feeling fast off the bike. The week before the race, I went to the track and banged out mile reps in 5:30. It was good confidence builder to be able to do that without any speed work, so I thought I was ready for a sub 1:20 run at Kansas. I ended up running a 1:20 and finishing 6th place. 6h place was a little discouraging, but if you look at the start list, it’s not too shabby. I am feeling strong as I enter my final hard month of training before Ironman Lake Placid.
Yes, I am racing LP! I know I wrote a post at the begining of the year about making changes and trying some new races, but as July got closer and closer, I just couldn’t stay away!!! We all have that race that we think about when we are training hard, when we are hurting and when we are pushing hard day in and day out. For me it’s Ironman Lake Placid. 5 more weeks!!
A friend of mine once told me racing Ironman is somewhat of a crap shoot. You train hard, you’re fit, mentally strong, you roll the dice, and sometimes get cat eyes. I definitely rolled cat eyes at Ironman China this past weekend. It was a day of records; record temps exceeding 113 degrees, 90% humidity, record drop out rates, and unfortunately a new record PW (personal worst) for me in the run!
The swim was in a river with a very strong current. My first lap went ok. It was a little brutal at the start due to the fact that we were in skinsuits and all the age groupers swimming all over us had full wetsuits on. However, once things thinned out, I was happy to have some company. My first lap went ok and I had a few age groupers to help sight off of. I was on pace for an hour, which is pretty good for me considering the strong current. On the way back to shore on loop 2, I took the turn way to wide and got swept off course by the current. I fought hard to get back on course but lost several minutes and once again exited the water with alot of work to do! My plan was to ride a little harder the first 30 miles to close the gap, then settle in. I am so happy to be riding a P3 again this year. The bike is really really fast and my position on it feels so powerful and efficient. Once I moved up to 4th place and was within striking distance to the top 3 girls, I toned it down and cruised into T2, trying to save my legs and energy for what I knew would be a war of attrition rather than a marathon running race. My muscles felt good coming off the bike, but once I hit the run course, it was as if I stepped into a sauna. The heat and humidity were oppressive and within a few minutes, I felt like my head was about to explode. My pace slowed to a shuffle, then a walk, then a nice little break at one of the aid stations where I contemplated quiting. I didn’t know how I was going to make it another 13 miles. I sat there drinking water and gatorade. I was cooked. I was done. My race was over. Then, I thought about last years Hawaii Ironman. When my hamstring cramped so badly, I quit and took the medical van to the finish line. The medical van is a horrible horrible place to be. They don’t just pick you up and take you straight to the medical tent. They sweep the course, picking up the carnage one by one. I sat there watching the race from a van window. The race that I trained so hard for. I watched the other athletes push there limits, walking shuffling along with indomitable will and focus. I didn’t come to China to watch the race from a van window. I couldn’t finish the Hawaii Ironman without risking a muscle tear, but I could finish Ironman China. So, I got up and continued my shuffle to the finish line. I crossed the finish line in 5thplace, completely exhausted, but with a little pride and self satisfaction in knowing that I just finished the hardest hottest Ironman in the world, EVER! Unless you were there, there is no way you can understand how hot it was. Let me tell you, I have raced well in 90 degree temps, 113 is a whole new world!
I owe a huge thank you to my K Swiss family who were the presenting sponsors of Ironman China and showed incredible support before during and after the race. I am still recovering from a nasty stomach bug I got my last day in China. I honestly don’t know what was harder the race or the flight home! With the exception of my stomach, my legs feel really good and I am eager to get back into some hard core training real soon. My original plan was to get a Kona slot early in the year and focus on 70.3’s throughout the summer and hit Kona training with fresher legs than in previous years. Sinced I failed to get my slot, I now have to re evaluate my race plans. There are many to choose from and some of my favorites on the circuit; IMCDA, IMLP and IM Canada. Kelly is still training hard core and very very fit for a great Ironman. There is still a possibility we will race an Ironman together this year. She was ready for IM China, but due to financial reasons decided to hold out and do some early season racing in the states. It has been a goal of ours for a few years to race an Ironman together. After training with her over the past few months, part of me would rather be out there on the sidelines supporting her like she has done for me over the years. We’re both getting antsy, so I know we have to make a decision soon. Well, I have plenty of time to think about things this week, because with this stomach bug, it doesnt look like I’ll be leaving the house anytime soon! I will keep you posted.
After a long hard block of training, it’s always feels good to get out and race and test the fitness. It doesn’t feel so good when things don’t go as planned. My race last weekend was a dissapointing one. I was excited to get out and race my first triathlon of the year. My Ironman China build went really well. My run build up was short due to a little achillies tendinitis which I got from too many runs on the snow back home in Vermont. However over the past 4-6 weeks, it has gone really well and I was clipping off some pretty good tempo runs and long run paces. My biking has been strong as well and my pool times had gone down remarkably from where they were last year. So, I was excited and ready to get out there and RACE! Unfortunately, about 2 minutes into the swim, it felt more like a lonely training day. I really believed my faster pool times would translate into a faster swim leg. Unfortunately swimming is not like running or biking and hard work doesn’t always pay off!! argggg…..The dynamics of 70.3 racing has changed over the years. With more and more ITU girls stepping up to 70.3, and more pack riding, the swim is becoming more and more important, even in Ironman. So, I will not give up! I’ll keep swimming 5 times a week, keep up with the stretch cords, vasa and look forward to the start of open water swimming back home in VT!
Back to the race, on the bike I actually felt pretty and was surprised that I didn’t pass more women and rank a little higher in the bike split category. But just like the swim, I was all alone on the bike. Looking at the results you can see how beneficial it is to have other girls around you on the bike. Seems all the girls who swam 24 minutes biked within 2-3 seconds of each other. Onto the run still in no mans land! I ran steady holding 6:30s. I haven’t done much speed work, so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to hold a much faster pace than that. By mile 8, I still felt really good, so I picked it up a little and a little and a little more and ended up running the last 2 miles at 6 min pace crossing the line in 10th place.
Every time I race, I try to draw something positive out of the day. This one was a hard one, but it is a good sign for my upcoming Ironman that I felt strong throughout the day and ended up with a big negative split on the run. That is a good sign that I am strong, which Ironman is all about!!!!
I have one more week here in Tucson before I head out to China. This is the hardest part of being away from home and tapering. Feeling lazy and bored!!!!
Just wanted to post a little update about my final weeks here in Tucson. I can’t believe I have been here for almost 2 months already. We’ve had so much fun training out here with some amazing athletes and my new coach Cliff. With just one more hard week of training left before I begin to taper down for CA 70.3 and Ironman China, things are finally starting to click and I am feeling great, tired, but GREAT! Last week was exceptionally hard. I had the longest brick workout of my life on Saturday, a great 22 miler on Sunday and afew new swim PB’s thanks to Cliff coaching me on deck! The weekend felt like an Ironman so I capped it off with my favorite post race food, BURGERS! It was so good!
Brian flies into Tucson on Wednesday and will make the trip out to California with me. Camp has been great, but I am ready to race and look forward to getting back home just in time for Spring!
Kel and I doing a Track workout.
Kel Climbing Madera Canyon
Aggy making sure I am ok after passing out after my 22 miler. ActuallyI think she was really just looking for half eaten gels!
The 2009 season is finally underway and I am happy to report I won my first race of the year! It has been a few years since I raced a duathlon, so when I heard about the Desert Classic Duathlon only 2 hours away from my winter training base, I had to hop in. I headed up to Scottsdale with John and Kelly and of course her kids. I told Kelly this is the last time she watches me race, next race she’s in! She agreed and said spectating is harder than racing (see photos!!).
The race was a total shock to the system, yet it felt really good to blow out the cob webs! The race started with a 3.5 mile trail run. I entered T1 just a few seconds behind the top 2 women and after a quick transition, I hit the 21 mile bike course in first place. Having done zero speed work, I knew I had to bike hard to hold onto the win. I entered T2 with about an 80 second lead and managed to keep that gap throughout the second run to take home the win. It’s always nice to win the first race of the year and definitely gets me excited for the upcoming race season!
I dont know where the time has gone, but I am already 4 weeks into my Tucson training camp! Our adventure began 4 weeks ago when I flew to Boulder to help Kelly move out o her apartment, pack up the labs and her Sube and headed south. It was quite the trip. I think we shocked and maybe scared our homestay host John, when we pulled up with a car packed to the roof with gear, pre squished in the backseat using my saddle as a pillow and Aggy sitting on my lap (where she seriously stayed for the entire 12 hour trip) !
We started our camp with a 90 min run on the Rillito river path. It was so happy to be running in shorts and a T shirt under a sunny sky and especially to be running with the sis. I dont know how I trained through Vermont winters all those years. It’s amazing how good you feel when you train in warm weather and all those little aches and pains just seem to go away. The past 4 weeks have flown by and we are getting is some incredible training with my my new coach Cliff English.
My plan is to stay in Tucson until CA 70.3, then off to China for the Ironman, then finally back home in Vermont. Training is great, but I do miss my boys terribly!
9 more days until I head to Tucson for my winter training camp! It’s been a really brutal month. Every year, my cold tolerance gets lower and shorter. 2 years ago, I trained for Ironman New Zealand all indoors with the except of 1 race in Pucon and 1 week in Tucson. I sucked it up for 5 hour computrainer sessions, 3 hour sub 10 degree F runs in yax tracks on icey snowy roads. My mantra was what doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger. This year my mantra is F*** this! After 7 years of training through Vermont winters, I am done with it! Last week was exceptionally miserable. We had about 4 days in a row where the temps barely hit 5 degrees. As much as I hate running in the cold, I hate the treadmill even more. So, last Wednesday when it was -10F out in the morning, I opted for a second cup of coffee and watched the weather channel waiting for it to hit double digits (10 degrees use to be my threshold) . Well, by 10 am it was warming up to a balmy 5 degrees, I still had a swim and a bike session to do so I couldn’t wait any longer. I put on my base layer, my fleece, my fleece lined jacket, capri tights, windstopper tights, ski gloves, ski hat, wool socks, gortex wind stopper socks and my fleece face gator. I was tempted to put on my ski goggles ( I swear this is typical running gear up here, seriously don’t laugh, it’s that bad!) but I passed on it. An hour later, I made it home and survived the run. I had so many layers on I could barely move, but in case you didn’t get the theme of this blog, I HATE the cold! After more coffee (to warm up!) and lunch, I hopped on the trainer for a 3 hour session. I actually don’t mind CT indoor sessions. I really believe they make you sooooo strong and my coach Cliff is very good at making them challenging and interesting that 3 hours really does go by fast. You might be wondering now why a girl who hates the cold lives in Vermont. Well you see I am married, my husband won’t leave and I don’t want a divorce! So, I suck it up when I can and he supports me when I am at my breaking point and NEED to get away. It all works out!
So, 9 days and counting! Next Thursday, I head out to Boulder to meet up with Kelly and help her and the kids (her 2 labs) pack up. Saturday we will drive down to Tucson where the adventure really begins. Kelly and I are attempting once again to race an Ironman together, Ironman China! After 2008, where we both incurred stress fractures training together, we promised ourselves we wouldn’t train for an Ironman together again. We tend to get a little crazy. Well, considering that we will be living together for 3 months in Tucson, we figured what the hell , we’ll give it a shot!! The past few training cycles I spent in Boulder, she did most of my runs with me and even a few swims, but I couldn’t entice her into a 6 hour ride! I’m so loooking forward to riding with her and putting the hurt on her in the bike after all those painful long runs with her last year. Kel, pay backs a bitch!! hehehehhe. uh oh, it’s starting already!
ok, now i have procrastinated long enough, gotta get on the trainer for a nice little 3.5 hour indoor session! Check out the pics below, sorry they are minuscule, I am trying to figure out this blogging thing!
Brian Thunder and I cutting down our Christmas tree
The sistas (memba I’m a New Yorker!) at Christmas:
Thunder playing in the corner. Not caring that is -10 out!
With my training and racing, I tend to be a creature of habit. I love having a routine and love the monotonous lifestyle of a triathlete; sleep, eat train, repeat….. I tend to do the same races every year. I have my favorites. I usually start the year with an April Half Ironman, Wildflower, FL 70.3, Eageleman, Ironman Lake Placid, and Kona. Thses are a few of my favorite races. I like this schedule. The traveling is easy and knowing the course is both comforting and advantageous. However, in the past few years, I have had a very hard time remaining healthy and peaking for Hawaii. So, I have decided to mix things up a little in 09! I am planning on doing an earlier Ironman, then spending the rest of the summer working on my swimming and racing a ton of 70.3’s with the ultimate goal of finally improving on my 8th place finish from 3 years ago. I can’t believe it has been 3 years since I had a good race there!
In attempt to further mix things up, I will also be working with a new coach next year; Cliff English. Leaving my coach who I have been with for 3 years was a very very difficult decision for me. I felt like I needed a change and I wanted to have a coach who was based in the U.S. Cliff now resides in Tucson Arizona, which works out very well for me as Kelly and I were planning on setting up camp their this winter. It will be great to have a coach on hand and a group of amazing athletes to train with. I’ve heard so many positive things about Cliff and I am excited to work with him in the years to come.
