Me and The Boys

Falmouth, Newport, Philly, and Hopefully Boston

After my awful swim at the Naval Station tri this year, I vowed that I was going to redeem myself at the Y Not Tri in September. I bought a wetsuit. I tried on the wetsuit. In the course of trying it on, I tore the wetsuit.

What I did not do was swim in the wetsuit. Not once. I did go for a few eensy-weensy quick open-water swims while we were at the beach with the kids, but as the month of August progressed, my enthusiasm waned.

I kept pretending I might still give it a go - right up until the week before the race. But then I admitted to myself that it wasn't going to happen.

I thought I'd feel disappointed and upset with myself, and I did feel that way a little bit, but mostly I felt relieved. The drive and the desire just weren't there this year, and I know I would have just had another race with a crappy swim, and regretted it. 

I really do want to work on this next year, though. At the beginning of spring this year, I considered getting some coaching help for swimming, and never did it. But now that I've seen how well I can do on the bike and run (at both the tri and the biathlon a few weeks ago), I am pretty motivated to get the swimming thing figured out once and for all, because I could post some really good overall times if I could get through the swim more quickly. 

So next year is the year of no more excuses. Next year I'm going to conquer the swim, and figure out how to be comfortable swimming in the ocean.

In the meantime, I still have plenty to keep me busy.

Tomorrow night I'm driving up to Massachussetts to attend the "Another Mother Runner" house party, where I will get to mingle with a whole bunch of fabulous mother runners (including a dear friend from college who I haven't seen in ages!), and meet the amazing Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell, authors of "Run Like a Mother" and "Train Like a Mother," and creators of one of the greatest Facebook communities ever. It's going to take me nearly 2 hours to get there, but it's going to be totally worth it. I can't wait!

And Saturday is the start of a fabulous girls' weekend getaway on the Cape with a close friend, which will include my 4th half marathon of the year - Zooma Cape Cod. We're staying at the host hotel, which is right on the ocean, the weather looks perfect, and the post-race party looks amazing. And to top it all off, we're meeting up with a bunch of other women from the AMR Facebook page for dinner Saturday night.

Just a few weeks after that, I'll be heading back over the bridge to run the final leg of the United Healthcare Triple Crown - the Newport half marathon.

This is the race I've been working up to all summer, and the reason I've been doing regular track workouts and tempo runs. I feel confident that I can run the 13.1 in under 1:40, based on my 1:41 in Jamestown, and on the paces I've been hitting in all my training runs, and based on the fact that it's bound to be cooler and drier, and the course is much flatter. 

I had initially planned on that being my last half for the year, but caved to peer pressure and signed up last week for the Philly half-marathon in November. There's a big group from the running club going down, most of whom are running the full, and they've been trying all summer to convince me to do it. I knew the full was not an option for me, but I hemmed and hawed about the half, and when I found out it was almost sold out, I finally got my credit card out and made it official.

More than the race itself, though, I'm really looking forward to a weekend with friends, and hanging out and running in a city I've never been in.

And I am SO looking forward to being able to finish my race, and then come back to cheer on all my friends who are running the full!  Whenever I do a race, I always circle back to the finish for at least a few minutes (sometimes longer) to cheer on other finishers, but I'm usually pretty exhausted and out of it, so it'll be nice to have a little down time to catch my breath and recover a bit before going back and cheering everyone in.

And after that, my plan is to take some time off from racing. I've had a pretty busy schedule ever since Gansett last April, and it's been great - some really fun races, and some huge PRs - but my focus now is definitely shifting to Boston.

I submitted my registration Monday morning, and should hear back next week as to whether or not I'm in. All indications are that there are still plenty of spots left, and I feel fairly confident that I'll be standing on the starting line in Hopkinton next year. But I'll feel much, much better once I know that for sure.

And if I am running Boston next April, I'll be back in full-on training mode at the end of December, so I want to give myself some real down time. I haven't been on a training schedule this summer, but I've still been working pretty darn hard, and I think it will be good for me to back off for a month or so, so that I can go into my Boston training feeling refreshed and ready. 

I'm already getting excited just thinking about it. As soon as I sent in my registration, I started exploring the BAA website, and perusing training plans. I have a pretty huge goal in mind, but I'm still a little nervous to say it out loud.

And even though I know my name isn't going to be there yet, I still keep checking the list of entrants, hoping it's going to pop up. Hopefully, in a few more days, it will.

I was so burned out after running Hartford and Gansett just 6 months apart, and last April, the last thing I wanted to think about was training for another marathon. And not being beholden to a training schedule like that all summer has been so wonderful, and so freeing.

And it did exactly what I wanted it to do - it gave me a break, and made me enjoy running again, and gave me enough of a rest that I'm now really looking forward to being back on a schedule and checking off my workouts as I complete them, and counting down the days to April 15.

I've got the schedule, I've got the plan - now I just need the official registration. Keep your fingers crossed for me.....!

Last-Minute 5K, and Lots of Racing On the Horizon

I'm usually plan out my races pretty far in advance, but earlier this week I found out a few friends from the running club were going to do a 5K tomorrow night, and I knew I wanted in.

I like weeknight races - no need to mess with our weekend plans - and after an incredible track workout last week, I'm dying to see what I can do in a short-distance race (most of my summer races have been longer ones).

The track workout in question was 1-mile repeats. I planned to do 3 of them, but ended up doing 4, because I felt so great. Yes, I felt great after doing 3 x 1-mile repeats - who says that????  But even better than the fact that I felt fabulous is the fact that I ran each mile repeat at approximately a 6:30 pace!!!!!  And did I mention I did FOUR of them???

For someone who's aiming for a sub-21-minute 5K, a workout like that is a huge confidence booster. I'm certainly not expecting to run a 6:30 pace tomorrow night - I won't be taking 400m recovery laps in between each mile, after all - and I'm not expecting to break 21 minutes tomorrow night, either. But I am expecting to shave at least a little time off my 21:38 PR, and get closer to my ultimate goal.

Weather looks like it will cooperate, too - after two very steamy, muggy days, we're going to be treated to much drier, cooler air - so happy the timing worked out well with that!

After tomorrow, I'm going to focus on getting in a few more good bike rides to prepare for the biathlon; try to decide whether or not I'm doing the triathlon on the 16th; and continue with my weekly track workouts and tempo runs to get ready for the Zooma Cape Cod Half on September 22nd, and the Newport half - final leg of the Triple Crown - on October 14th.

I've been really good about sticking with the track workouts, but last week was the first tempo run I had done in nearly two months. I had no idea what to expect when I set out on my 7-mile loop by the ocean. I was pleasantly surprised. After a 1-mile warmup, I was able to run 6 miles at an average 7:17 pace.

With the 5K tomorrow, I won't be doing a tempo run this Thursday, but I'll definitely fit one in next week. I forgot how much I love the challenge - not quite as torturous as track, but leaves you with a similar feeling of accomplishment.

The other thing looming in September is Boston registration. Registration for the fastest runners opens on September 10th, and after all those super speedy runners have registered (those who have beat their qualifying times by 20, 10, and 5 minutes), the rest of us 'slowpokes' (I beat my qualifying time by 'only' 4 minutes) get our shot.

I like the new registration system - I think it's a much more fair and equitable way of doing things. But it's still going to suck if I don't get in. I want the Boston experience at least once, and I'd really like for it to be this year.

If it doesn't happen, there's nothing I can do about it, so I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but I will be keeping my fingers crossed that I'm not shut out. Luckily I have all the above-mentioned races to keep my mind off it!

Back with a Roger Schonning 5K race recap later this week!

Running, Swimming, Biking, Biathlon, and the Boys

Two signs of how busy I've been the past 11 days -  1. I haven't blogged once. 2. I'm just now sitting down to watch the women's Olympic marathon, which was run last weekend.

I'm still getting in my workouts, but there's been a lot of ups and downs. Last weekend, due to me traveling out of town to visit some friends, and then us having overnight guests, I ended up going three days without any workouts at all. No long run, no long bike ride, no nothing. It felt very strange, and very uncomfortable. 

But as the third day sans workout rolled around, I kind of made peace with it, and figured that after the previous weekend of back-to-back races, my body was probably enjoying the well-deserved break.

And I figured I'd be feeling refreshed and ready to get back to it on Tuesday morning at the track - the first track workout I'd done in three weeks. Instead, I was dreading it. I'm so thankful my track partner was there, because there's a good chance I would have cut the workout short if I had been on my own.

My motivation overall seems to be lacking at the moment, and I was kind of baffled by that, but then it occurred to me that I'm probably experiencing a small case of the post-race blues. I didn't follow a specific training plan for the Blessing or the triathlon, but I was certainly working hard and preparing for those two races, just as I did for Jamestown last month.

And now that both of those are over, and my next race is several weeks away, and my next 'big' race - the Newport half - is two months away - I'm kind of in limbo, so I think it's natural that I'm not feeling terribly excited about running at the moment. 

I'm trying to get myself more excited about swimming, though. After my last post, I decided to go for it and buy a wetsuit and commit to getting in some open-water swims in these last few weeks of summer.

I've accomplished the first step, and my new wetsuit is hanging in my closet, waiting for me to accomplish the second step - getting in the water. I had planned to join in on a group swim last week, but wasn't able to. Hopefully I'll make it this week. I'm tentatively planning on the Y Not Tri for September 16, but I'm holding off on actually registering.

I did register, though, for another multisport event - the Shoreline Biathlon in Westerly on September 9th - which just happens to be the first race I ever completed, back in 2002. I can't believe I've been running and racing for 10 years! 

I love this race, and am so excited to do it again. It's a 5-mile run, followed by a 16-mile bike ride - a very small field, and very scenic courses for both the run and bike. My PR of 1:37 was from that first year (I did it two other times), and I'd like to think I can easily beat that this year, but I'll find out for sure in a few weeks.

In light of that, I've stepped up my biking a bit, and made it out for two bike rides this week, both of which went great. I've been averaging between 18 and 19mph on my 30 - 40-mile rides, which I'm very happy with. Really enjoying the biking, too - and reminding myself that, although I run year round, the bike will eventually be put away for the winter season, so I need to get out and make the most of it while I can.

Way back when I signed up for the Triple Crown series, I had intended to find a good half-marathon training plan to follow for the October half. I'm hoping for a PR at that race. Initially, I had thought 1:40 was my ultimate half-marathon goal, but since running 1:41 in Jamestown, I'm thinking that in the cool October air, on a course that's not too terribly hilly, I should be able to break 1:40.

I'm not certain that I want to follow a plan, though. I've really enjoyed this sort of 'training but not training' thing I've got going on this summer, and I think I want to just roll with it. It's much less stressful, and I've still been getting faster and setting PRs. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?  

So for right now, I'm thinking that my training for Newport will consist of mostly weekly track workouts, occasional tempo runs, and long runs right around 12 or 13 miles. Hopefully that will get me my sub-1:40, but if it doesn't, there are plenty more half-marathons to be run, and I know I'll get it eventually : )

Quickie updates on the boys - Dante is becoming a really good swimmer, and I'm contemplating having him try swim team at the Y. Gabe's swimming has improved a lot, too, but has no interest in joining the team.

We'll make sure he continues with lessons, but I don't want to push him to do the team if he doesn't want to. But I'd love to see them both become strong swimmers, given that we spend most of our summer at the beach, and I know that the swim team experience would be a great one for Dante. 

Dante also wants to try surfing lessons, and the past few times we've been at the beach, he's been catching waves and trying to stand up on his boogie board. I have a feeling we'll be shelling out some $$ for at least one surfing lesson before the summer's out.

And I have a feeling he might actually be really good at it - he's really good at timing the waves just right. He actually taught me a thing or two when I finally tried boogie boarding with them last weekend. And oh my god, why have I never tried boogie boarding before????!!!!!  I now completely understand why they love it so much!!!

Gabe has soccer camp this week, but his new obsession is Monopoly. He wants to play Monopoly ALL THE TIME. And if you can believe it, I played a game with him and Dante, and they beat me! They caught on really quick.

Carmine, meanwhile, is constantly entertaining us with his shenanigans. I bought him his own mini boogie board, and he drags it around at the beach and pushes it around in the water, and is starting to get a little upset when Gabe and Dante go out boogie boarding and he can't go with them. I think I'll be signing him up for swim lessons this winter.

He is also now, more than ever, repeating EVERYTHING he hears, so I'm really glad that we're generally very careful about what we say, since his new favorite expressions are "What the heck?"  "Oh god!",  and "Oh darnit!"  And my personal favorite - instead of ("Oh geez!") "Oh, cheese.... crackers!" 

He never fails to make me smile.

Fifth Time is Definitely Not the Charm - Newport Naval Station Sprint

After I crossed the finish line at the Blessing, all I could think about was how much I did not want to do a sprint triathlon two days later.

Luckily I had at least one day to sort of rest and recover - as much rest and recovery as is possible while spectating at the Save the Bay Swim all morning (hooray and huge shout-out to Scott, who completed the 1.7-mile ocean swim for the first time!!!!!!!  We are SO proud of him!!!!),  going mini-golfing, taking the boys to the Blessing of the Fleet festival for carnival rides, and going grocery shopping.

Needless to say, there wasn't a whole lot of actual rest built into the day - but it was busy enough to distract me from the fact that I was going to have to wake up before the sun the next day so that I could go swim 586 yards, bike 10 miles, and run 3 miles. Just thinking about it made me tired.

One might wonder, if I was so unenthused about doing it, then why had I signed up?  For the simple reason that I've done this race every year since it's inauguration, so I now feel compelled to keep that streak going. I want to do at least one sprint tri every summer, and even though this one isn't well-timed, it's become the tradition, so I'm sticking with it. This is the first year, though, that I seriously questioned the importance of that tradition.

I thought that I'd feel at least a hint of excitement when my alarm went off Sunday morning, but alas, I did not. I hadn't slept well, and I wanted to sleep more. But I got up, went through my usual pre-race preparations, and headed out shortly before 6, just as planned.

Arrived with plenty of time to spare, got my stuff all set up, and headed down to the water, where I stood there shivering - it was cloudy and just under 70 degrees - not really cold, unless you're standing around wearing just a bathing suit! I knew the cooler temps would be nice on the bike and run, but right now it was just making me even less happy to be there.

And as I had walked from transition down to the beach start, I heard something I've never heard at this race before - the sound of small waves hitting the shore. One of the reasons I love this race is that the swim is held in a small cove, and the water is always (until this year) perfectly flat and calm.

This year, though, it was not. Anyone who swims in the open ocean would laugh at my description of it as rough, but for this cove, these conditions would be considered rough. There were small waves and chop, and much more of a current than I've ever experienced. 

I knew I was woefully underprepared for the swim under any conditions, given that I've only swum two times in the past 3 weeks, and haven't done a single open-water swim all year. And I knew the swim was going to be a struggle for me. But I thought that since the conditions are usually so nice, I might be ok. But standing there feeling those waves, I no longer thought that.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but standing on that beach is the closest I've ever come to not starting a race. I was very seriously contemplating just walking back, packing up all my stuff, and going home. My head was not in a good place.

But I knew I was going to go through with it, no matter how tough it might prove to be. I knew I'd feel so much worse about backing out.

So I took many, many deep breaths and reminded myself that once I got through the swim, I'd at least be back in my comfort zone on the bike and run.

I thought that Friday night's 10-mile run was a battle, but that was nothing compared to this swim. Every minute of it sucked. I was mad at myself for being unprepared, I was mad that the water wasn't smooth and calm, and I was mad that I couldn't swim faster so that I could just be done.

I did whatever I could to just get through the water and stop myself from waving one of the kayakers over to pluck me out - not because I was in distress, but because I did NOT want to be there.

I knew it would probably take me about 15 minutes to finish, and I was right - 14:30 for 1/3 of a mile - painfully, pathetically slow - but I honestly didn't care. I was just so glad to stand up and walk out of that water.

Now, I thought, I'd be ok. I'd hop on my bike, fly off down the road, and redeem myself.

Then I tried to clip in my right pedal, to no avail. I seriously can't even remember the last time I had trouble clipping in - maybe 5 years ago? I can only imagine that I must have been flustered from the awful swim, but I still don't think it should have taken me THREE more tries before finally getting my stupid shoe in the pedal!!!!!!  Now I was discouraged and pissed. Lovely.

But wait - there's more!

Just as I thought I'd finally be able to get moving and put all the bad swim/pedal issues behind me, I noticed that my bike number, which was supposed to be stuck to my frame, was flapping around in the wind. Apparently the adhesive on the top of the number was working fine, but the strips on the sides of the number were not sticking the way they should have.

I made a few attempts at trying to fix it (while still slowly pedaling along), but quickly realized that it wasn't going to get fixed. But I also came to the conclusion that it was stuck on just enough to keep it from flying off my bike, and decided that I could live with it flapping around and hitting me in the leg.

So, finally, out I went on the out-and-back course - where I found myself riding into a very stiff headwind. All I could think was - 'You've got to be kidding me.'

There was nothing to do but get through it, though. And I still managed to pass quite a few people on the bike, picking up my speed as I went.

And of course once we turned around, the headwind turned into a tailwind, so during the ride back to transition I actually had a few moments where, believe it or not, I was enjoying myself - FINALLY!

It was nice to get off the bike, though, and head off on the run. This is where I knew I'd be happiest, despite the hilly run course. It took about half a mile for me to shake off the heaviness in my legs, but once I got to that point, I was feeling pretty good. Tired, but good.

And as I knew it would, the chillier air temperature felt great for this part of the race. I never once felt overheated. I was running completely Garmin-free, so had no clue whatsoever what my pace was. I just ran the best race pace I could run.

The run course this year had been changed from previous years due to construction, and I was surprised when the volunteers shouted to me that I was turning the final corner and heading downhill to the finish. I didn't feel like I had run 3 miles. But I certainly wasn't going to argue or complain.

Knowing I had just a few hundred yards to go, I sprinted down and crossed the line with the clock reading 1:18 (which would translate to a 1:12-ish finish for me, since I was in the third wave of swimmers.

And honestly, I was so happy just to be done, I wasn't all that concerned with my time.

But, for the record -

Swim - 14:30  : (

Bike - 37:30 (this includes both transition times - my average bike speed was 19 mph)

Run - 20:11, 6:44 pace - um, yeah, definitely not 3 miles. I can't even run a 6:44 pace in a standalone 5K, never mind as the last leg of a tri. I figure I was probably running about a 7:25 pace, though, which is pretty good, all things considered.

8 of 19 in my age group

26 of 103 females

116 of 285 overall

This race left me wondering where I go from here, though. My heart was just so not in it this year, and I don't know why. I didn't really train well enough last year either, but despite that, I was still excited and I still had fun.

This year I just dreaded it, and I was never able to turn that attitude around, and I honestly found myself wondering if maybe triathlon just isn't for me.

I'm not ready to give up yet, though. Part of me wants to spend the next few weeks really focusing on my swimming and getting out in the ocean for some open-water practice, and try to redeem myself at this September event.

I look at the fact that even though I had an absolutely horrid swim time in this race, I managed to come in 8th in my age group, and I think that if I could get my swimming up to a respectable level, I might have a shot at placing - and we all know how I love to chase down those age-group awards - it definitely provides a lot of motivation in my road races.

But, then there's another part of me that sighs and says I'd rather just move on and make my next attempt in Summer 2013.

I'm not sure which side is going to win out. What do you think I should do? Seriously - I'd love some input!

And in the meantime, I'm proud of myself for not walking off that beach, and for following this race through to the finish. It wasn't easy, but then again, it's not supposed to be, is it?

Goals, Goals, and More Goals

Over the course of the past three days, I ran 10 miles, biked 32 miles, and swam 2,400 meters. Nothing like an upcoming triathlon to get you motivated to do more cross-training!

I love the balance I'm feeling from getting in more biking and swimming - I'm falling in love with both sports all over again, and all of my workouts feel so much better, and I'm just enjoying them so much more. Adding in yoga again tomorrow night, too, and trying my first TRX class at the gym next week.

Variety is the spice of life, right?  Whatever it is, it's working for me, so I'm sticking with it! 

Next up on the agenda for cross-training is to make it to a group bike ride (something I've never, ever done), and start working on some swimming drills. I have no problem with endurance, but I want to get faster, and improving my form by doing drills is the only way to do that. I want this to be the year I get out of the water at the tri and feel happy with how my swim went.

I am starting to think a little more about my next big road race, too - the Jamestown Half that's part of the UHC Triple Crown. I'm definitely going to be racing this one, but the weather will be a huge factor, and if it's a typical warm, humid July day, I'm going to have to adjust my goals.

But I knew that when I signed up, and I'm really saving my all-out effort for the Amica half in October. Jamestown will be a stepping stone of sorts - a reminder to me of what it's like to race at that distance, and a chance to practice pacing myself and not going out too fast - something I still need to get better at.

My goal for Amica is to come as close to 1:40 as I can. 1:40 would be about a 7:37 pace. For 13.1 miles (my PR is 1:43, which was a 7:55 pace). Just writing that out makes me a little nervous. And I know I might not quite get to 1:40 this year. But I'm going to give it my best shot!

And the only way to get there is to put in the training, so I'll be back at the track tomorrow morning. I'm actually going to have some company this time, too, which will be nice. Always good to have someone to commiserate with when you're suffering through a tough workout.

Sub-21 5K and 1:40 half-marathon. Two pretty lofty goals, but I like aiming high. I like knowing that challenge is out there, and I like executing a plan to help me meet the challenge.

To that end, I'm taking suggestions on the following two items -

- Top three swim drills

- Best half-marathon workouts (track work and/or tempo runs)

What A Difference A Week (And A Year) Makes

Last week at this time I was experiencing a severe case of the post-race blues. The excitement of Gansett was fading, my running was going horribly, my legs still felt achy and sore, I was incredibly unmotivated, and couldn't seem to shake any of it.

Then I ran a really fun 5K, discovered that my legs in fact had not forgotten how to run fast, remembered how much fun running is, and found myself finally shaking off the negativity.

And this week has been more of the same.

I was back in the pool again, and swam 2,000m in 50 minutes. I'm still a painfully slow swimmer, but that distance in that amount of time is actually pretty good for me, so it made me happy, and made me feel much better about my upcoming triathlon. (Still debating whether or not I want to look into getting some swim coaching this year. I think I could have a shot at an age-group award in the tri if I could improve my swim time, but I don't know if it means that much to me, or if I should just do my best with what I've got and enjoy the race. Will ponder that some more....)

And yesterday, I had one of the best runs (aside from the 5K) that I've had in weeks. I started at an 8:40 pace, and it felt too easy, so I went down to 8:30, and that still felt easy. I finally settled right around an 8-minute pace, and it felt nearly effortless. FINALLY!!!!

It's more than just the great workouts, though. I think one of the things that's helped my mood so tremendously this week is that it finally occurred to me that I have no HUGE races looming. 

I have plenty of goals for the summer and early fall, and some of them are pretty lofty (e.g., sub-21-minute 5K - I get kind of nauseous just thinking about running that fast for 3.1 miles, but I know if I start back up with speedwork, I can get there), but none of my goals are going to require me to obsessively pore over training plans, or go on 3-hour training runs every weekend, or spend 4 months of my life thinking about THE RACE.

Because really, my journey to Gansett began just about a year ago, when I ran the Cox Rhode Races half marathon (which I'll be running again this weekend). I was using that race as a test last year, to see if I felt I was at a point where qualifying for Gansett and/or Boston was a realistic goal.

As it turns out, it was. So I immediately started the process of figuring out how I was going to actually accomplish that goal, then spent the next 4 months doing the work, and stressing about it the entire time.

Then when I knew I had qualified in Hartford and I was going to run Gansett, the process began all over again.

And I started out saying that I was not going to put too much pressure on myself to PR at Gansett, and that I just wanted to enjoy the experience, but before I knew it, I was consulting pace charts and track workouts and gearing up for another quarter of a year with a big event on the horizon.

Don't get me wrong - I really do enjoy the whole process of training for and preparing for a big race. I'm a planner by nature, and there's something very satisfying about seeing all those workouts laid out in black and white, and checking each one off as you complete it. And the anticipation can be really stressful, but it's also amazingly exciting, knowing you're working up to this huge goal, and knowing how awesome it's going to feel when you finally complete it. 

But doing it two times in a row, with very little time off in between, proved to be a bit much. Spending nearly an entire year either thinking about or training for a hugely important race was really draining. I'm proud of getting through it, but I don't care to do it again any time soon.

Which is why I find myself feeling like an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders - because it has been! And as a result, my heart and my legs feel so much lighter : )

I'm looking forward to focusing on smaller goals this summer, and shorter races, and more fun running. And more biking. And more swimming. And more time spent with my family (although I know there will be mornings where I'm refereeing fights for hours on end, and wishing I had a 20-miler on my training schedule).

And by the time the summer ends, I predict that I'll be cracking open my running books again, peeking at marathon training plans, and getting ready to get my registration in for Boston.

This will be like my own little summer vacation, and I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it - and when it's over, I know I'll be ready to get back to work!

Naval Station Newport Tri - Worst. Swim. Ever.

When I saw that the Blessing and the Naval Station sprint were going to be held two days apart this year, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I knew I was going to do both.

As race weekend approached, I was feeling amazingly confident about my biking and running. I knew I'd do well in the Blessing, and I knew that even though it was only two days later, I'd still be able to pull off a pretty good performance in the bike and run portions of the tri. The swim, not so much.

I did some swimming this spring and summer, and got in some decent workouts, but my swimming was just nowhere near the level it was at last year - largely because last year, I was injured and wasn't able to run much, so I spent a lot more time in the pool. And I also did several open-water swims before the race - something I did not do at all this year.

I could come up with lots of excuses for why I didn't swim enough, and why I didn't do any open-water swims, but it doesn't really matter at this point. What matters is that I learned my lesson. If I want to improve my swim, I need to spend more time in the pool (duh!) - but more importantly, I HAVE to do some open-water swimming before next year's race. More on that later.

My alarm was set for 4:30 Sunday morning, but after sleeping very soundly Friday night (thanks to being completely wiped out from running a 10-mile race!), I had a horrible night's sleep Saturday. I tossed and turned quite a bit, and woke up at 3:45am, completely unable to go back to sleep.

I knew there was no point in trying to sleep more, so I got up and got the coffee going, and toasted my bagel, and tried to relax and enjoy the quiet. I had packed up all my stuff Saturday afternoon, so there wasn't a whole lot I had to do, but I did check my list one more time and make sure I had everything.

I'm not really sure what I did in those two hours, besides eat and check my list - I was so nervous, I could hardly see straight. Triathlon mornings always freak me out way more than road race mornings. My nerves are so much worse when I know I'm faced with a swim, bike, and run. So much more intimidating.

But I somehow filled those two hours, and when 6am rolled around, I headed out. I arrived at the race right around 6:30, exactly as planned. I got my packet, got marked, and went back to the car to get all my stuff. It only took me about 5 minutes to get everything set up in transition. I was wearing a sports bra and my new tri shorts for the whole race, so there was really no clothing to deal with, aside from socks and shoes. I got those situated on my towel, rested my helmet and sunglasses and Garmin on my aerobars, and looked for some friends who were doing the race as their first tri.

I talked with them a bit, and also found a few other people to chat with as we waited around for the swim start. Before I knew it, we were walking over to the beach. The time passed very quickly!

I was feeling a little better now that we were close to actually getting started. The anticipation is the worst. Once I'm in motion, the nerves start to settle down a bit. And standing on the beach, I really wasn't that nervous at all. I knew I'd be slow on the swim, but I wasn't freaked out about getting in the water.

I was in the third wave, so it was only about a 9-minute wait. Not too bad. The waves were small, as they always are for this race, so there was no real chaos as the horn sounded and we entered the water. I did get jostled a bit, but nothing to really throw me off.

I kept my head up for a few strokes, just to try to get a sense of where I was, and how crowded the water was, and then got my head down and started swimming. What happened after that is hard to describe. I can't say that I panicked, and I can't say that I was scared. I know this course, I know the water is super murky and once you get 20 yards from shore, you can't see anything. I knew that, and I was fully expecting it.

But it unnerved me somehow. And it threw me off. And no matter what I did, I felt completely unable to get into any kind of rhythm with my swimming. It wasn't for lack of trying. I tried really hard. I'd stop and take breaks when necessary, just doing breaststroke for a bit, and then I'd take a deep breath and try to get back into it, but it just was. not. working.

It was SO frustrating. I knew I could do this swim, but my head and my body were just not cooperating. I finally got to the first buoy (it's a rectangular course), and the second buoy seemed so, so far away. It was totally depressing. And during that longest stretch of the course, I lost it mentally. I didn't freak out, but I came as close as I've ever come to giving up during a race. I just wanted out of that stupid water.

Finally the long stretch was over (keep in mind that this is a 1/3-mile swim, so the long stretch wasn't even that long, but it felt like a mile!), and as I rounded the second buoy and began to head into shore, I finally, finally was able to just swim. I still took one or two breaks, but the majority of that final stretch went fine. I'm glad I was able to end the swim on a good note, but overall it was just so crappy, I wanted to forget it had ever happened.

I was way more mentally than physically exhausted, and I dragged myself out of the water and walked a bit just to catch my breath, then began a quick jog back to transition, trying to shake off the ickiness of the swim and get my head in a better place as I got on the bike.

I was pretty quick in transition - this race doesn't provide transition times, so I don't know exactly how fast I was, but I'm not overly concerned with that anyway - and was happy to be back on terra firma and walking my bike out to the road.

The only thing I don't really like about this race is the beginning of the bike and run. They have the first part of each route sectioned off with traffic cones, and you have to navigate your way through this sometimes very narrow 'chute' as you're getting started. It's less of an issue on the run - on the bike, it's pretty tricky, especially as you're starting out and trying to get up to speed.

I got past that, though, and was quickly flying down the road. The bike course is great. Out and back, with a bunch of nice rollers. Nothing steep, and nothing that really even slowed me down too much - but enough to keep it interesting.

And all of the confidence that was sucked out of me on the swim came back tenfold on the bike. I was passing people left and right, and I felt GREAT! The hills challenged me a bit, but even climbing, I was still passing people.

The turnaround point is a very, very tight corner, and I came very close to taking it a teensy bit too fast, but I stayed in control, and was happy to be headed back. The second half went just as well as the first. Still feeling good, still flying : )

I haven't put my bike computer on the new bike yet, and I hadn't turned on my Garmin (I wanted to just enjoy the ride), so I don't know how fast I was going, but I'm fairly certain I was averaging 20 or 21mph.

As much fun as the ride was, I was still happy to get off the bike and get to what I do best - the run.

I was a little worried about how my legs would feel, seeing as how I had just run 10 miles really hard not even 48 hours prior, and had not done a single brick workout in training.

Much to my surprise, my legs felt great. I wouldn't go so far as to say they felt fresh, but I didn't have that heavy-legged feeling you can get going from the bike to the run. And when I looked at my Garmin, I was kind of shocked to see a sub-8:00 pace, since I figured I'd have to gradually work my way up to a quick pace - I never imagined I'd get under 8-minute miles so quickly!

As with the bike, we had to run through a narrow chute of traffic cones, then directly up a short, but steep hill. It sucked, but it was over quickly. As we continued on the run, I began to remember all the hills. I think I had blocked it out of my memory, but as we climbed, and climbed again - and again - and again - the memories came flooding back.

And of course the sun was higher in the sky now, so it was definitely getting hotter. I was still feeling alright, though, and just chugging along, holding a pace just under 8:00. Still slightly astonished that I was running at that pace, considering everything my body had been through, but I wasn't going to slow down now!

The run course also includes a lot of little out-and-backs, which I find kind of annoying, but they did afford me the chance to see my friends who were also running, and it was fun to wave and cheer each other on.

Right before the run ends is a nasty big hill. I knew it was coming, and I knew I could do it, and I knew that once I got done with that, it was literally all downhill to the finish.

Once I could see the finish line, I picked it up and sprinted in, crossing the line in 1:15:36.

No PR.

I was and still am disappointed. I don't like to fail at any goal that I set for myself. But I need to keep in mind that four PRs in one month is a pretty lofty goal, and the fact that I got three out of four is something to be incredibly proud of.

And the fact that, even though I completely bombed on the swim, I was still able to come within one minute of my PR for this race, is something else to be proud of. As is the fact that I managed a 7:45 pace on the run - after running the Blessing Friday night, and then swimming 1/3 of a mile, and biking 10.5 miles.

So while I'm disappointed, I'm also proud. And humbled.

I thought that since I had done this race three times already, the open water factor wouldn't be an issue. But I've learned the hard way that there is NO substitute for practicing in the open water. None. I will not make that same mistake again.

The tinge of disappointment I felt was certainly not enough to spoil my day, though, and I was happy to hang around watching my friends finish (their first triathlon - woohoo!!!!), and thoroughly enjoyed the pancake breakfast.

Now, a few days later, I am completely, 100% burned out. July was a very fun and very exciting month for me, and I enjoyed every single one of my races, but I am so ready to take a break from racing and just focus on my marathon training.

I've felt some post-race blues, too, and it's been fortunate that Gabe and Dante have been at camp this week, because it's allowed me to just plop down on the couch in the afternoon while Carmine naps.

My body is desperate for some recovery time, and I'm more than happy to oblige. It's not like me at all to just sit around and do nothing, but for the first time in a long, long time, it feels good, which I think is the clearest sign of all that that's exactly what I need to be doing.

I'm still working out, but I'm taking it easy. My marathon training plan called for a track workout yesterday. Not just any track workout, either - 2 x 1200, and 4 x 800. I almost laughed out loud when I read that. After the weekend I had, there was no way that was going to happen. Instead, I did a very, very easy few miles, and spent a ton of time stretching.

Tomorrow's tempo run may become an easy run, too. I'm going to listen to my body and cut myself some slack. There are still plenty more track workouts and tempo runs to do in the next 12 weeks.....

So, the final stats from the tri - 

Swim 1/3 mile - 14:03 - 200 out of 273 : (

Bike 10.5 miles - 35:53 - 72 out of 273  (this includes my transition time)

Run 3.5 miles - 25:41 - 7:45 pace - 76 out of 273

Total time - 1:15:36

7 out of 20 in my age group

21 out of 110 females overall

97 out of 275 overall

Considering the swim was so horrible, I think I still pulled off a pretty decent race overall. Running will always be my first love, but I love my once-a-year tri tradition : )

Victory!

For the past few years, I've been pretty serious about my racing and running, but this year is different. This year I'm really serious - as evidenced by my goal to GQ/BQ, my weekly track workouts, my recent purchase of a wetsuit and other tri gear, and a whole new level of discipline.

Along with that, I also decided that this year would be the year I finally learned how to change a flat tire. I made some attempts at practicing last year, but never successfully did it by myself, and felt extremely discouraged about it. But with the new bike, I was newly inspired. And it just so happens that changing tires became a necessity, because I had to get the Armadillo tires off the old bike before we sold it.

Side note on the Armadillos - they are in fact puncture-resistant, but they also make your ride very, very sluggish, and I will not be using them anymore. Scott wants to hold on to them in case he decides to put them on his bike, but I'm looking to get faster, not slower, so I'd rather run the risk of getting a flat.

Anyway, I sat down last week to get to work, and it took me quite a while to get the first tire off, but as I learned, the Armadillos are much harder to get off than a standard tire. I got the tire off, though, and removed the tube, and got ready to get everything back on - the really hard part. 

The first part of the tire went on fairly quickly, but I was struggling with the last little bit. I tried everything I could think of to get those last few inches over the rim, and nothing was working. Then, finally, I remembered watching the guys at the bike shop the last time they had changed a flat for me, and recalled how they used the palms of their hands more than their fingers, and tried shifting my hand position a bit, and those last few inches slipped right over the rim. Success!

The next real test, though, was removing and changing the rear tire. I knew this would be trickier, but I knew I had to do it, so I got started. Shifted into the lowest cog and ring, got the deraileur moved out of the way, and slipped the wheel out. I had no idea how I was going to get it back on, but I'd cross that bridge when I came to it.

Changing the tire and tube went a lot faster this time, and I was feeling much more confident. I reinflated, and got ready to put the wheel back on. It was a little tricky, and took me a few tries, but I did it!!!! 

I hopped on for a quick spin around the cul-de-sac to make sure everything was shifting ok, and it was, and I was pretty elated. Something that felt so impossible to me last year was now completely within my grasp.

This may seem like a small thing to those who are very proficient at changing a flat, but for me, it's a really big deal. I may not be able to change a tire quickly, but I am completely capable, and will no longer worry about getting stranded and having to wait for rescue if I get a flat tire halfway through a 30-mile bike ride. And I do plan to practice some more, so that I get a little faster at it.

It's really nice to feel self-sufficient : )

And it's nice to not feel intimidated by the mechanics of my bicycle. I also successfully swapped out the pedals and aerobars, and removed the bike computer. Still have to reinstall the bike computer on the new bike, and I may need Scott's help with that, but we'll get it done.

So that was my big victory of the week, and it's a pretty exciting one. It definitely changes the way I feel about biking.

The new bike changes the way I feel about biking, too. I set out for a 20-mile ride yesterday morning, but I was having so much fun, I added on another 10 miles!  I averaged 18.3mph for the ride, and it actually would have been more like 19mph if the second half of the ride wasn't so hilly. I am really feeling like I can hit a 20mph average on the tri, which will be incredible.

As I said in a Facebook post last week, biking is fun again : )

This morning, though, time to shift gears (no pun intended) back to running. Hazard Castle 7-mile race kicks off in 2 hours. I just finished my bagel and coffee, and have about an hour to get ready.

I have big plans for this race. Hoping for 8-minute miles, or maybe even a little less. It's not a terribly hot morning, so the heat shouldn't be a big factor. The 30-mile bike ride yesterday may not have been the best idea, but my legs feel ok, and I don't think it'll be too much of an issue.

And last year's time was 59:02, and I am fairly confident that I can shave at least a minute or two off of that, so although the goal is 56 minutes, I'd be happy with 57 or 58, too.

Off to the races!!!

Getting The Season Off To A Good Start - YMCA Indoor Tri

As soon as I heard our YMCA was going to be having an indoor triathlon, I knew I'd sign up. Such a perfect way to get me warmed up for the spring and summer racing season, and I've always wanted to do an indoor event like that. I had actually looked for one the year I wanted to do my first triathlon, but wasn't able to find one nearby. But even though I've now got a few sprints under my belt, I still thought an indoor event would be a fun and different kind of challenge.

One thing it definitely was was a lot simpler!  No bike helmet or Garmin required. And although the spin bikes we rode on can be used with clip-in bike shoes, I opted to just wear my running sneakers. So my list of things to bring was very short. But it did include one bonus item that I can't ever bring to my August sprint - my iPod! 

I was signed up for the 2pm heat, so I got there just before 1:30, and saw the first wave of swimmers just hitting the water. I was quickly signed in, and ready to go, and was standing on the pool deck chatting with a friend (who was doing this as her first tri ever - and she did awesome!!!!), when I realized that my goggles were nearly broken!  The plastic right in the middle was almost completely separated. They might very well have made it through the swim, but I didn't want to take any chances. Thank god I had an extra pair in my backpack. It was a really old pair, but they were intact, so I quickly got them adjusted and put them on.

Since the swim portion was only 15 minutes, it wasn't long before it was our turn to get in. I picked a lane and swam a quick 50 meters, just to test the goggles out. There were a few instructions, and a few more minutes of waiting, then the whistle blew and we were off!

Not much to write about the swim, since it was in the pool, and swimming in the pool is pretty uneventful. There were two people in each lane, though, and the guy who was in my lane with me kept kicking me, so it did kind of feel like a 'real' triathlon : )  

I felt good, though, and just swam my usual pace. I wasn't racing anyone - just took a peek at the clock once in a while as I paused at the wall in between lengths. I had hoped to get in about 25 lengths, and although I counted 26, the woman who was counting for me counted 24, and I wasn't about to make a big stink over it, so I just took my clipboard (on which all of our totals would be recorded) and headed into the locker room to change.

We had ten minutes for T1. Yes, TEN luxurious minutes!  I got changed, made my way to the spin bikes, and got my bike adjusted with about 2 minutes to spare. The bike was the only part I was dreading. I loathe any kind of stationary bike. No matter what I do (reading, TV, spin class, music), I just cannot stand pedaling and pedaling and going nowhere.

I hoped being able to have my iPod would help a little, and it did, but it still felt like a very long 20 minutes. My quads were not very happy for the first few minutes, either - probably because I haven't been on a bike of any sort since October of last year!  But once I had warmed up a bit, they felt better, and I pedaled away, just wanting to get it over with.

I ended up riding 9.3 km, which seeemed fine to me. I wasn't expecting to do fabulous on the bike, due to my total lack of bike riding. I was just glad that part was done.

There were 5 minutes for T2, and since all I had to do was walk down the hallway to the fitness room and get on a treadmill, that was also a luxurious amount of time. The treadmills had all been in sleep mode before we got on, and we weren't allowed to turn them on until the whistle blew, and when you turn a treadmill on after it's been in sleep mode, it takes a minute to get going. So the whistle blew, someone shouted "Go!" and you heard a bunch of little beeps, and then everyone just stood there. Kind of like it is at the starting line of a huge race : ) 

Once my belt started moving, I couldn't press the increase speed button fast enough. I knew this is where I'd do my best, and I wanted to give it my all. I got right up to an 8:00 pace, and stayed there for half a mile. I wanted to give my legs a chance to ease into it, and I'm glad I did. But the 8:00 pace felt too easy, so I was quickly increasing it to 7:47. I stuck with that for a while, and it felt like work, but I knew I could push it a little more, so I went up to 7:40.

I'm not sure exactly how far I went in between those increases, but it was a pretty gradual process, so I was feeling really good. As the time kept ticking by, I made one final increase, to a 7:30 pace, and that's where I kept it for a while. I was pretty thrilled to be running at that pace after having already swum for 15 minutes and biked for 20 minutes (and not having done a single brick workout or any real race preparations).

As the end of the 25 minutes drew closer, I pushed the increase button a few more times, finally getting up to a 6:58 pace for the last few minutes!  I may have been on a treadmill, but I was definitely racing! 

When the whistle blew, I had completed 3.35 miles, and I was tired, but I felt good.

There wasn't a lot to do afterward - I congratulated my friend, who was now officially a triathlete - so happy for her!  And I went to talk to another friend who was in the last heat, and was just getting ready to get on the bike. Then I grabbed my bag and headed home to eat. I was starving!

The results were posted over the weekend, and even though this was just a tiny little race, I was pretty excited to see my name listed as the Top Female Runner!  And in actuality, I was the top runner overall, beating out the top male runner by over a quarter mile. Woohoo! 

My swim and bike times, as always, could use some improvement, but I did well overall, coming in 6th out of 24 participants. Not bad, considering I hadn't really trained at all.

A fun little event, and I'm hoping they do it again this winter. It would be nice to have something like that in the dead of winter, when there's no outdoor races to keep you motivated. It definitely forced me to get my butt back in the pool and do some swimming!

So, the final stats -

15 minute swim - 24 lengths - 600m

20 minute bike - 9.3 km

25 minute run - 3.35 miles (7:32 pace)

Top runner, and 6th overall.

As I posted on Facebook today - I'm now two-for-two:  two weekends, two races, two wins. And with a 5K coming up this Saturday, I'm wondering if I can make it a three-fer? 

Running and Racing, 2010

2010 is over, and it was an interesting one for running. January and February involved no running at all, since I was busy giving birth to a baby and recovering from that birth. And since I had stopped running at 30 weeks pregnant, it ended up being a full 4 months off from running.

Four months is a long time to not be able to run. So it's kind of an understatement to say that my first postpartum run on March 2nd was incredible. Slow, with lots of huffing and puffing, but incredible just the same.

I was anxious to race again, too, of course, and signed up for a 5K in April. It was a race I had never done before, but it was great, and I was thrilled to finish it in just under 27 minutes. Since I had only been back to running for a few weeks, I would have been happy to finish in under 30 minutes. Under 27 was so much more than I had ever imagined I could do.

Next up was a goal that I had set while still hugely pregnant, in December. I had registered for, and planned on completing, the Cox Providence Half-Marathon. Running a half-marathon just three months after having a baby is kind of a tall order, but I knew I could do it. I knew it would be a slow race for me, and I was ok with that. I just wanted to complete the distance and cross that finish line. And I did! I felt a tremendous amount of pride and accomplishment finishing that race, and was looking forward to keeping the momentum going heading into a very full summer race season. 

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen. The dreaded shin injury that plagued me during the training for my first marathon two years ago reared its ugly head again. I knew I had only myself to blame, as I had ramped up my mileage fairly quickly for the half, and although I was disappointed and angry, I wasn't surprised. I backed off running for a few weeks, and worked on some of the old PT exercises that I remembered from two years ago, and hoped that I had caught it early enough that it wouldn't get bad enough to knock me out of commission for the summer.

I was able to keep myself healthy enough to race the inaugural Friends of Hazard Castle 7-mile race at the end of June. Despite the injury, my running had been going fabulously, and I was running faster than I thought I'd be able to run just a few months after having a baby, and I was hopeful that I'd be able to run the 7 miles in under an hour. It was a hot and humid night, and it was a tough effort, but I reached my goal, finishing in 59:02 - 58 seconds to spare!

After that, though, things really went downhill. I started going to PT, and drastically reduced my mileage, but my shin just kept getting worse. I was desparately hoping to still run The Blessing in July, and even picked up my race number the weekend before, thinking I'd be able to pull it off. But that morning I made the very difficult decision to skip it. I knew it would only make a bad situation even worse, and I also knew that if I went out and ran 10 miles that night, I'd probably be unable to complete my sprint triathlon the following weekend, and I did not want to miss that race.

So July was a race-free month, and it was honestly really, really tough for me to miss that race. It's one of the biggest races around here, and so many people I knew were running, and I love the 10-mile distance. But it just wasn't meant to be this year, and I tried to console myself by looking forward to the following weekend's main event.

This was the 3rd year for the Newport Naval Station triathlon, and my 3rd year being a part of it. I did the race last year, while 17 weeks pregnant, so I was not about to miss this year's. I knew the run wouldn't be my shining moment, since my running had been so inconsistent during July, but I had been biking and swimming like a maniac, so figured I was due for a PR in at least one of those disciplines. And that proved to be true, as I finished the swim in just over 11 minutes - 5 minutes faster than the previous two years! My bike time was very respectable, and despite the lack of any real training, I still managed a decent run, and finished the race in 1:14:23, which I was thrilled with. I love this race, and plan to do it every year, so I'm really glad I didn't have to skip it this year.

But I also knew that, after this race, I was done for a while. I was hurting, and I knew that no amount of PT was going to help if I continued to run. So I planned on 6 weeks off, and kept myself busy at the gym with tons of weight lifting and other cardio work. The 6 weeks went surprisingly quickly, but I was SO ready to go out for a run when they were over!

Unfortunately, though, 6 weeks was not enough. The pain was still there, and I ended up taking another 4 weeks off. Races came and went, and I lamented a bit, but my overall attitude was still pretty positive.

I started back running on the weekend that I had planned to be running my second marathon. Instead of running 26.2 miles, I ran barely a mile, but after 10 weeks of not running at all, that mile felt amazing. And even better, it was pain-free!

I continued running the next few weeks, diligently following a 'return to running after injury' plan, starting with walk/run intervals, and gradually working back up to 30-minute runs. It was somewhat torturous, but again, it was so much better than not running at all, so I stuck with it.

I did have some pain returning, though, so I got myself back to PT, but chose to see someone different this time, and I am SO glad I did! The new program of PT that I'm currently on includes two things my  last round of PT did not - cold laser therapy and deep tissue massage. And those two things are, I think, what is truly making a difference and finally really healing this injury.

In the meantime, I have been able to get back to racing, starting with the Mews Tavern 5K in November. A very fun race, but a very hilly race, and I didn't think I was going to be able to race it terribly fast, but it had been a long time since I had raced, so I intended to give it my all. And as it turns out, my all was good enough for a new course PR! I felt so good the whole race, and just thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. It was so good to be back out there racing again - I loved every minute of it!

As always, I finished up my year with the Jingle Bell 5K on the beach in Narragansett. I love this race - it's so fun to run on the beach, and this year was especially nice, since it was low tide, and not too cold. I had a great race, too, finishing 2nd in my age group.

So now I'm looking forward to 2011, and I'm a little nervous, but also very hopeful. I feel very optimistic about how well the PT is going, and I'm also in the process of getting custom orthotics. I went and got fitted for them earlier this week, and they should be in soon, so I'll be running in them before the end of the month. I'm hoping that the cold laser, the massage, and the orthotics are going to be the magic trifecta that enables me to put this injury behind me once and for all, because I have big plans for 2011.

Right now, though, my short-term goal is to stay disciplined and only run twice a week, and not increase my mileage until I'm completely asymptompatic. I'm doing ok with that so far. I'd like to run more than twice a week, of course, but twice a week is better than nothing, so I'm hanging in there.

And the times that I am able to run, it feels almost effortless, and I'm easily running 8-minute miles on regular training runs.

Injury issues aside, I feel healthier and stronger than ever, so I know that once I get this straightened out, I'll be headed for great things this year : )