stress is bad

With Ironman Coeur D'Alene quickly approaching (16 days. WTF.), I am feeling more and more stress. Not nerves. STRESS. Because I have expectations of how I will do. I worry and stress that I will not be able to repeat or better my first Ironman performance.

And even though they are different races, in different years, and different locations, with different training, and I'm different.. it doesn't matter. I still worry and compare myself. Then and now.

The fact is: worrying about performance detracts from the actual experience of the race. I am not going to win. I am not going to even win my age group. Honestly, I have about a 1% chance of even PLACING in my age group. So does my performance at this race really matter (as compared to my performance at Lake Placid last year)? NO.

If I go to this race and do my absolute best - ON THAT DAY - that is what matters.

What matters is taking that race day and enjoying it, remembering it, realizing how lucky you are to be able to 1) afford to do the race, 2) travel to a beautiful part of the country, 3) actually put your body through 12+ hours of cardiovascular work without collapsing from a heart attack, 4) look hot in a race kit (HAHA).

All of this should NOT lead to having a mental breakdown at mile 18 when you realize you're not going to hit your race goal (guilty). Not lead to getting upset if your time isn't faster than XX:XX (guilty).

You (ok, I, this is obviously a pump-you-up message to myself) need to have confidence in your race and your athletic abilities and let the race just.. happen.

2011 Keuka Lake Tri Race Report

Keuka Lake Tri.. was one of the best days of my life. Not because it was beautiful out. Not because the race is an amazing event. Not because Mary was race announcing. Not because I saw so many wonderful friends racing, volunteering, and cheering. Not because my parents came to watch. Not because I finished the bike with a huge smile on my face.

Not because I won.

But because all of this happened. On one day. To me.

I needed it.

Honestly, I think the details are a little monotonous. It was a sprint. We swam .46 miles and I pushed it.. came out of the water in the front of my wave. I hammered the bike (13.8 miles) and passed the one girl that was ahead of me. After that I saw no one else from the sprint. I hit the run (5K) and gave it what I could. I crossed the line, and that was it. I won the race!

one of my favorites, Dad was a little too quick
with the camera.. that is my foot though!

Swim: 14:23, 1:55 pace
T1: 1:12
Bike: 39:17, 19.1 mph
T2: 1:04 (this was slow, I couldn't get my bike back on the rack)
Run: 23:57, 7:44 min/mile
Overall: 1:19:53

favorite cycling picture ever!

This is my first win ever! I AM SO EXCITED! But I'm not quite there yet. In a competitive field ( which this was not) I will always get toasted. I need a better swim, and a better run split. Mary thinks (and I agree) that I am better suited for short course racing. I am already planning a year off of Ironman next year (for my sanity) and I think a good goal would be to focus on short course speed (and also, just have some FUN!).

Some highlights from the race:

I think perhaps I wasn't running hard enough if I was able to scream "wooooooooooooooooo!" at the top of my lungs at all of the teammates/friends that I saw. But I just LOVE cheering them on!

I saw 2 of my favorite Train-This alums - Jeremy and Glenn before the race so I talked to them for a while (and then my parents showed up and joined us!). They are 2 of the nicest guys I know.

I made 2 new friends, Sandy and Tim, who I then facebook stalked when I got home!

My friend Matthias did his first tri in a few years - he did great!

Greg had a superb race as well!

EVERYBODY DID AWESOME!

Greg, me, Matthias post-awards

Sticking around for awards is always one of my favorite things. Even if I don't get an award, I like to cheer for people who do. Especially people who are really proud of how they did, or are getting an award for the first time, or made a huge improvement in their racing ability and are rewarded with a medal!

lounging in the grass with Mary and Will

After the race, the lunch, the awards, I hung out with Mary and Will Mitchell (brother and sister). I have known them for a few years because I see them at various tris. They are both awesome, fun, and hilarious! I also met Tim Dwyer who is a marathoner that I've heard of but never met. I ended up drinking a beer, watching a squirrel plot to steal a cookie, and just lying in the grass chatting for probably 1.5-2 hours. It was an amazing end to an amazing race!

the squirrel spies the cookie, perched on Mary M's wheel

THE SQUIRREL GETS THE COOKIE!

days like today

It's days like today that set the standard for how a race should be.

It's days like today that make me understand why I do this.

It's days like today that ignite me to get faster.

It's days like today that make me appreciate all of the amazing people that are in my life.

It's days like today that show me what is important in my life.

It's days like today that I win a race!

It's days like today that I love being me.

Official race report coming soon!

Lake Placid, flat tires, and race season!

I went up to Lake Placid over Memorial Day weekend to do some big training miles. I haven't felt the urge to write about it because I still haven't decided how I feel about the training that I did.

I rode the entire bike course on Saturday (well, 111 of the 112 miles). I got caught in a thunderstorm for the last mile of that ride and got completely drenched. I did a split long run on Sunday while the humidity was on high in Lake Placid, with a 2 hour bike in the middle. I am now unable to sit on my bike seat without cringing. Ouch!

I got my 2nd flat in LP on the Ausable Forks out and back section (I got my first flat there the day after Tinman last year). One thing I love about Lake Placid is while I slowly changed my tire ('cause I am not very fast), every single person that rode by asked me if I needed any help. I was FILTHY after changing this flat.. I'm not sure how I got so dirty but I had gross tire grime all over my hands, legs, and most likely, my face. HOT.

I also ran into one of my blog friends, Emily, while riding the bike course. Apparently I have honed my stalker skills to perfection because how did I know it was her? I have seen photos of her bike on her blog and it's a red Cannondale. In the land of Lake Placid you see lots of Felts and Cervelos, but you don't see a lot of Cannondales. I rode up behind her and the person she was riding with right after High Falls Gorge and we chatted a bit. (Note: I asked "Are you Emily?" like the creepy stalker that I am). I had another blog friend up in Lake Placid as well, but I didn't get a chance to meet up with him (because of my strict pass out at 9 pm habit).

Anyways, perhaps I will post more about the weekend. I'm not sure yet. I am in a major funk right now.

I have my first triathlon of the season on Sunday at the Keuka Lake Triathlon. I am excited because apparently, 54A (which I think was the worst road in all of NYS) has been PAVED! I'm doing the sprint (per Mary). Since it is somehow already Wed., I am trying to get my stuff ready to go. I have washed my race kit. I need to get my Zipp wheels ready (ahhhh.. the Zipp wheel drama begins again). I need to clean my bike. I need to locate my wetsuit and get an open water swim in on Friday. I need to clean out my transition bag and make sure I have those crucial items such as: race number belt, timing chip strap, body glide, safety pins, etc.

I got into a minor car accident on my way home from work this morning. An older woman was pulling out of a parking lot and hit me. There is a decent amount of damage done to my car - it is drivable - but I hate driving around a banged-up car. The accident was her fault so it's nice that I can get it fixed without having to shell out thousands of dollars. I lost a whole bunch of sleep today dealing with insurance companies and dropping my car off at the garage. It was a pain and I am tired, but now my poor little car is waiting to be fixed and I have a rental SUV (UGH - I know!) that will get me to my race this weekend. Going from accident to garage to rental car in less than 12 hours is pretty impressive, I think!

More later, I am tired!

flowers and figurines

Third post this week! WOW!

Just a couple fun things to write about!

I got an email yesterday morning from my creepy blog friend Kevin (AKA IronmanByThirty) which contained a Bazinga ringtone for my iPhone! It would be PERFECT as a text message tone but unfortunately, Apple doesn't allow for custom text tones yet, so I had to add it as a ringtone for now. I'm so easily amused that I just like to make my phone say "Bazinga!"

Mary feels betrayed that I changed my iPhone wallpaper image from one of her and I after a race to a photo of Sheldon Cooper. Yes, sometimes I become a little obsessed with something. :)

I was just starting my easy recovery run yesterday afternoon when a car pulled up to me with the window rolled down, and a guy (probably late 20s or early 30s) in the passenger seat handed me a flower out the window. He said something which I didn't hear, so I said "what?" and he replied "I was looking for a pretty girl to give this flower to." It's a little odd.. but I haven't gotten flowers (or even A flower) from anyone in probably 5 years. So I don't care if the guy is crazy, or if it was a line, or whatever, I got a pretty pink flower! And someone thought I was pretty.. while I was RUNNING!! (Granted - I was wearing a running skirt, a pink tank top, and pink sneakers which is probably the girliest I have looked in a year). I carried it for the entire 30 minutes of my run and then put it in a cup of water when I got home.

I do not know what kind of flower it is!

I then proceeded to do some cleaning around my apartment, made a Wegmans trip to get food for my Lake Placid weekend, and did the majority of my packing!

It's kind of funny.. a teammate of mine (Don) has this Ironman action figure that he takes to races with him (and training camp) and it's sort of a team thing - apparently it has left Mary a voicemail and it went to Triple T with the guys. I decided that I wanted one too, because none of my teammates are coming to Coeur D'Alene with me and I know I am going to miss them and their shenanigans. I could take pictures of the Ironman in Idaho and Wisconsin, kind of like the garden gnome in those TV commercials (or in the movie Amelie). Don offered me his Ironman but it's really big (it's like a foot tall) and I think I am going to have zero free space in my suitcase! And then oddly enough, someone actually bought me a smaller version of the Ironman action figure! So now I have my own and it was purely coincidental!!

I.. am.. Ironman..

I bet Mr. Ironman is excited to come to Idaho with me in merely 4.5 weeks! :)

On the triathlon front, Mary has me working on my nutrition plan for IMCDA. She had me fill out this crazy spreadsheet which details my grams of CHO, protein, and mg of Na over each section of the race and then total numbers. Of course I did this in the middle of the night because that's the only time I have right now, so it was kind of ridiculous trying to divide and add and whatnot during an overnight. But I got it done!!

bazinga

This pseudo-recovery week is amazing. I have done laundry. I have gotten in some quality time with my couch. I have SLEPT! The weather is finally nice! I don't think I realized how thin the thread I have been hanging by has been for the last several weeks. (Did that sentence even make sense? It is 4:30 am as I type this).

I have watched this clip at least 20 times and laughed my ass off every single time. (I am getting The Big Bang Theory through Netflix; currently I am on season 3 and I am LOVING IT! How did I not watch this show before now??).

I am heading up to Lake Placid on Friday for a Memorial Day weekend training camp with some friends! Because I was a late addition to this trip - they are all staying at a condo while I am staying at a B&B (it is all the same place.. the B&B is in front and the townhouses are in back). I go back and forth between being bummed that I am not in the townhouse with everyone else and thankful that I don't have to share a room or a bathroom with anyone.

I have made a giant list of things to bring (broken down into categories) and I am packing later today (after I sleep and do my workouts).

The bad part about this is that I have to work an overnight from Thursday - Friday morning and then drive 5.5 hours on only a small amount of sleep. The other bad part is that I have to drive home on Monday and then go into work that night. :(

The good part is.. well.. I get to go to f-ing LAKE PLACID for the weekend!

Mr. Mike's, you'd better watch out because I am going to eat the shit out of you!

I am not so excited about doing the climb past Whiteface (my least favorite part of the course) twice. Nothing invokes fear in me like the last 11 miles of the bike course does, but in my opinion - the 3 bears? Easy-peasey. Riding past Whiteface? Not so much. I also hate the climbing once you make the turn towards Wilmington (between the 2 out and back sections for those of you familiar with the 2010 course).

To anyone who is going to be up in Lake Placid (I know there are at least 2 of you), shoot me an email if you want to meet up!

pics or it didn't happen!

I have been so busy between work and training that I have barely had time to post. I know I say this every time. However, I believe that I have now *crested* over the peak volume of Ironman 2011 training Round 1 with the weekend that I just completed. Hopefully I will have a little more free time as Ironman Coeur D'Alene is a mere 5 weeks away!

Even while going full throttle at max volume, I was able to get Hedwig into the bike shop for a tune up and some new pink-ification: new hot pink bar tape and new cables/pink housing (the latter courtesy of my brother!). Instructions to the mechanic when I dropped it off: I don't care what you have to do to it to make it work better, but DO NOT take that Ironman sticker off! :)

Next weekend I have a big training weekend up in Lake Placid with Kim and a few other people, but I am on a rest week Mon-Fri.. with some big miles on Saturday and Sunday. That's atypical but I just finished week 4 of my 4 week build so a rest week was needed! And let me tell you.. I AM F-ING TIRED!

The short-ish version of this weekend:



scenic overlook of Canandaigua Lake
(one of the NY Finger Lakes)

 Saturday I did a 5:45 ride with Kim. We rode around the lake (typical) but we detoured from our usual route and rode her boyfriend's route (the big boy route) instead. Now I'm not big on "hey everybody look at my Garmin files" but this file is definitely share-able. Not because I did awesome on the ride (hello slowness) but because of the climbing that we had to do! According to Mary, I didn't do too badly with the HR for this ride. There was a lot of up, down, up, down, up, up, up! At least it was a gorgeous day for riding - FINALLY! Kim and I both got COMPLETELY sunburned on Saturday, but it was almost worth it because it was so beautiful out!



The more times that I do these long rides (5+ hours) the easier they seem to get - mentally, not necessarily physically. I am not intimidated by a 5 hour ride anymore. I don't go through super low points like I have in the past. I feel like I am riding better as I progress this season (thank god) but it's just so early still! It's freakin' MAY! I HAVE AN IRONMAN IN 5 WEEKS!!!!!!

Anyways.



I'm not sure what the point of this tree was..

Saturday night I actually had fun. (Wait.. weekends are supposed to be fun? I thought they were for getting up at the crack of dawn and cramming in as many hours of training as humanly possible before collapsing into bed at 9 pm?) I showered (for the first time that day). I put on real clothes that didn't include yoga pants (underwear? what's this??). I left my apartment (not headed for the gym. or work. or anywhere with my bike.). I drank a beer (apparently beverages other than Powerbar Endurance, and Coca-Cola are in existence).

What was all of this for?!? I went to the Lilac Festival with my British-accented, German friend/teammate, Matthias (British accents are so fun!). It's pretty self-explanatory. There are lots of lilacs, carnival foods, bands, kids, dogs, white trash, etc. The park that this festival takes place in is pretty nice (I had never really been there. I have run past it before). So we wandered around. We may have stood in line for an hour to get funnel cake. (I know - this is absolutely ridiculous. But I was half-starved after over 6 hours of workouts, Matthias raced that morning, AND he had never had one).



..but I fit inside it much better than he did!



Sunday I may have regretted that funnel cake-eating decision as my GI tract turned against me 2 hours into my 2.5 hour run. Being 30 minutes away from the closest bathroom, I did what any truly dedicated runner would do.. I went into the swampy wildlife area that I happened to be running alongside of and.. is more explanation really necessary? I don't think so.

Damn you greasy food.

Despite the "issues" I had in the tail-end of my run, I had a little self-confidence boost earlier in the run. You see, I am tired. My legs are tired, I am tired of waking up early to go to work or to train. Just in general I am very fatigued and running for 2.5 hours was the LAST thing I wanted to do on Sunday morning (especially having to go into work later that night). So the first hour of my run, which was with other people, was hard, but when Kim left me (she had a shorter run than me), it got infinitely harder. I wanted to turn around and say f- this and go home. Put my legs up. Eat lunch. Instead I walked for a minute, collected myself, ate my emergency mini Snickers bar, turned on my ipod, and started running again. It wasn't instantaneous, but 2 or 3 miles later I felt ok. Maybe not great. But ok enough to keep going. And maybe even smile a little. :)

So all is good. My weekend training is complete, and today is workout free!! Tues-Fri are recovery days, and then I head up to LAKE PLACID for a long holiday weekend full of friends, big hills, lots of miles, other crazy triathletes, comfy clothes, and the amazing Adirondack scenery!!