2011: Triathlon Transformations

Wow, what an amazing year! Little did I know a year ago when I started this blog and made my New Year's Resolutions what transformations would transpire. As my swim coach tells me, "we've come a long way." (and I could never have made it this far without him - thanks Matt!). A look back at my blog entries reveals just how far I've come:

A year ago I could barely swim one pool length (25 yards). Now I've done 2100 yards non-stop.

A year ago I was afraid to clip into bike pedals. I raced in them for my second and third races.

A year ago, I huffed and puffed running 2 miles. Now I can run 5 miles with ease.

I hyper-ventilated in my first open water swim in my June triathlon. I came in nearly last in my age category. By my third triathlon in September my swim time was no longer dragging down my overall placement. I finished in the top third of my age category.

I also have to laugh at how much of a gear loving jock I've become. As my friend Allison said describing herself, "I used to be such a girly girl.". This year I sported an Ironman watch along with open wounds. I sliced my foot on a shell and massaged my toes in geese shit. Neoprene became my fashion du jour.

I ate more bananas and apples. I drank less wine. I replaced cream cheese with peanut butter. I now know what electrolytes are. I actually consumed more calories. They became my friend rather than enemy as I needed them as fuel.

And best of all, triathlons connected me with others. Our first triathlon allowed my sister and me to connect over a common goal. I was able to rally some new recruits who also rave about their own transformations. And, had it not been for Barb and my February training weekend, I likely would not have seen my Grandmother one last time before she died.

All this thanks to triathlons!

Barb and Cathy Do It Again!

Cathy asked me last week if I wanted to do another triathlon with her, since I had bronchitis and hadn't been to the gym in 2 weeks I said, "ask me when I'm not sick."  Saturday I managed to put in a mile and a half run in under 20 minutes after a 2 week health hiatus and it didn't feel awful.  Cathy called me Sunday night and somehow convinced me we should do another tri together.  I decided as long as my body could tolerate the training, I would do this with her.  She really enjoys swimming and has been doing a mile non-stop, where as I just like to put in 10 laps as a cool down to my gym workouts.  My challenge is to put in the training required with fewer injuries than last year; and my goal is to improve upon my first times.  Certainly I will have to work on the swimming more, and the early bike training will be boring because it will mostly be indoors.  So far I'm not super excited, but I think that is partly due to the hectic month of December.  Derrick has one more final to take, and then job hunting will become a full time venture.  Once January rolls around (and hopefully Derrick finds a good job) my stresses will be eased and I'll be in a better frame of mind.  First task:  find motivating music for my workout ipod.
  Annie Lennox:  "Sisters are doin' it for themselves....."  

The Holiday Marathon

Twas the month of December, and I was worn out,
I was sick of Christmas songs and hearing kids scream and shout.
"I want this toy and that toy", while their parents Facebook and Twitter
Why don't they do like we did, and get a damn sitter?
I had Cyber Monday shopped, and store shopped, and stood in long lines
I had handmade some gifts, and wrapped them with twine.
Went to Kmart and Pet Smart and Apple and more
Getting all the discounts I could find at each and every store.
The Holiday Marathon had taken its toll
Now I had gotten myself a terrible cold.
I bought Robitussin, Nyquil, throat drops, and Vicks,
The month of December is no time to be sick.
2 Boxes of Puffs were gone in a day
But my shopping was done, I had filled up the sleigh.
I wrapped all the gifts, and slathered Vicks on my chest
What I really needed now was a good nights rest.
In my medicated stupor I dreamed of Christmas Trees
Santa baby, you ain't got nothin' on me!

Bella at the Tree Farm

This is a true poem of my adventures last week.  I was feeling like all of this Holiday preparation was a marathon in itself.  We have a company Christmas party at our house in 2 weeks so my decorating needs to be done early.  After all of my running around, I had gotten a terrible cold by Monday.  I dragged myself through the busy week at work, but don't remember half of what I did.  Somehow I locked in a good rate on electricity, and got all of my insurance authorizations done.  There were gift bags and cookies to deliver to physician offices - I had about 10 to do myself.  I put off going to my own doctor until Friday.. at which point I found out I had a bad case of bronchitis.  After slathering my chest with Vicks all week, I later read the label and discovered that it contains turpentine oil.  That can't be good.  I had even bought the Puffs with Vicks and now my entire car smells like menthol.  This, and a couple bottles of cough syrup would account for my hazy week.  I ordered a bunch of Christmas gifts for people online, and am now getting emails saying that they shipped.  There are a few things I really don't remember ordering (what did I get David from Men's Warehouse?) so I will have a nice surprise when they get here.  I think my Christmas shopping is done, but I'm waiting to find out what all I ordered last week.  Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!  

Training (or not) Tuscan Style

Mike and I spent Thanksgiving week in Italy roaming the Tuscan hills and enjoying wonderful Italian cuisine as well as showing my niece Emily our favorite places like Siena, San Gimignano, and Florence. Figuring that we were doing a lot of walking, I assumed the pasta, gelato, tiramisu, Parmesan cheese, etc. couldn't do too much damage. But, yikes, I gained 3lbs and Mike gained 4lbs in one week!

It wasn't for lack of trying to exercise. I did inquire in the Rome airport lounge if there was a gym in the airport where I could spend my 4 hour layover. The skinny, eloquent Italian woman sitting behind the desk looked at me like I was nuts. Our first hotel didn't have a gym as many European hotels do not. And, one hotel I had specifically chosen for its gym had an out of order treadmill and little else.

So we did our best to exercise Tuscan style. We climbed the Tuscan hills to the top of Montecatini Alto -- an ascent that others choose to do via funicular rather than by foot. And, while we did spend the day lounging at a spa in Monsummano Terme, it included a 1000 yard swim in their thermal pool and my 30 minute weight lifting and abdomen routine in their fitness center. Plus, I surely must have sweated some calories off in the Turkish steam bath grotto caves. Our ascent up the steep 414 stairs to the top of the Florence Duomo surely burned some calories.

Many Italians appear to stay in good shape without formal exercise routines and fancy gyms. Our farmhouse hosts, Andrea and Silvia, looked great. We last stayed with them 10 years ago and while they had aged a little, they were still slim and energetic working their agrotourism villa. Andrea celebrated his 71st birthday while we were there and somehow he manages to eat Sylvia's nightly feast without gaining weight like we did.

We did see some Italians out walking and running amongst the Tuscan hills. And, one of our surprise encounters was stumbling upon the Florence marathon -- a great surprise other than the detours and parking hassles which I can't complain about being a participant in races that shut down roads to traffic. What a great route for 7,000 runners through the Florence streets and piazzas! I snapped the photo in this blog in front of the famous Duomo -- the runners were clearly feeling energized as music and the crowd's cheers echoed in the piazza.

Back in the USA, I've promptly returned to my swim, bike, run exercise routines. I just completed a 5 mile run before sitting down to write this. Signing off to go do my weigh-in and see if I've managed to lose the Tuscan three...!

Not Quite the NYC Marathon

I've been on the lookout for local races each weekend and was considering some last weekend when our monster Nor'easter snow storm made for renditions of "I'm dreaming of a white Halloween." By this weekend the snow had mostly melted and we were back to some blue sky, sunny but crisp fall weather. After spending a couple hours raking leaves yesterday, Mike and I headed out for a 20 mile bike ride.

This morning I became engrossed watching the lead runners in the NYC Marathon now that I have a new found interest in running. It was hard to believe they were running at a pace equal to my bike ride yesterday (granted, we were weren't as speedy with the leaves on the path as we sometimes are). I had been considering doing the Pumpkin Chase 5K in nearby New Canaan all week and there was nothing like watching some inspirational marathoners to get my butt off of the couch. The race had been postphoned to this weekend after last weekend's storm.

I was on my own for this race as Mike decided it was his turn to finish cleaning up the leaves on the other half on the lawn. Upon arriving, I plunked down my $15, got my free t-shirt and realized I was about 1 hour early. As I was sitting in the car, I saw other runners warming up and pondered just how you are supposed to warm up for a 5K. In this day and age of smart phone instant information, the answer was a quick "warming up for a 5K" Google search away. My just-in-time coach informed that 45 minutes out from the start of the race I should be doing a 20 minute warm-up run, followed by a bathroom break and other preparations such as putting on my number, followed by whatever warm-up exercises I could do before the race start so I didn't start out cold. So, that is what I did.

At the start of the race, I decided not to go too fast (remembering the challenge I had last race not to mention having the post-race commentary in my head about how the 3rd place woman's marathoner had paced it too fast, being out in front for so long only to be overcome at the end). That said, I did mile 1 in 8:20, a quick pace for me. The course was slightly uphill on the road and then turned onto a wooded trail. I watched for tree roots and slowed my pace somewhat, hitting mile 2 at something like 17:40. Back out on the road, I picked up the pace and recall my time at mile 3 being sometline like 26:50. I had my sights set on catching the woman in front of me in the last 100 yards, but my legs couldn't go faster up the final incline to the finish line. But she pushed me to finish at 27:47, 5 seconds faster than my last 5K, and so a new personal best. And thanks to my just-in-time coach - whoever you are!

The Olympic Tri at the Y

When the YMCA put up signs that there would be Triathlons during the month of October, of course it caught my eye.  They were doing 3:  a sprint, olympic, and ironman... basically you sign up for the one you want to do and then your progress is posted on a large board in the hall.  Since I had a whole month to complete the event, a sprint was too easy - I signed up for the olympic event.  I had just done a "mini tri" on my own the last Thursday of September: running a mile, biking 5 and swimming 10 laps; too bad I couldn't count that towards my goal.  I figured doing a little of each event, every time I workout should easily total the: 24 mile bike, mile swim, and 6 mile run.  Plus it would be inspiration to go to the gym as the month turned colder and I felt like hibernating.
The biking was no problem thanks to the early October beautiful warm fall days, and I completed the 24 total miles within 2 or 3 days.  The mile swim took me all of October, mostly due to time constraints.  The 6 mile run... well I think I got in about 4 miles.
My end of October exercise plans were thwarted by a freak snow storm, deemed a "nor-easter" by The Weather Channel.  I had planned to go to the Y on Saturday and get in the last portion of the run, but mother nature had other ideas.  We spent Saturday trying to save our trees and bushes from the wet heavy snow threatening to snap their branches.  Our idea was to to throw things at the tall tree in our front yard in order to knock the snow off, thereby saving the already sagging limbs.  By 2:00 there were 3 footballs, 2 basketballs, and a soccer ball lodged in various parts of the tree!  Our neighbors had a laugh watching us toss items into the tree, but more than one said - hmm that's a good idea.  Sunday when the snow started to melt, a few of the balls plopped into the yard.
So, my aspirations fell a bit (2 miles to be exact) short but I still enjoyed myself and certainly it was motivation to get to the gym.  I think I will start a log of my own now to see what my winter workouts total each month in hopes of keeping me going.

Glass and Marble Mosaics,
before grout.

My banister, with bubble lights!

Also, I am one of these people who is disgusted by Christmas decorations in the stores before Halloween.  However, I had a total panic when I realized that Derrick graduates college early December, our company Christmas Party is next, and Christmas is right after that!  I have been in Christmas Lockdown Mode since I realized how hectic December will be, and vowed to get as much done before Thanksgiving as possible.  I started my Christmas decorations, and then had a vision of glass ceramic tile mosaics on our backsplash behind the Imac.  Something had to be done with this wall because we recently had removed a flat screen monitor and there were holes to be patched.  So I went to Lowes and came home with another project. (Yes, I do tile too!)    

  

Bike Trails: From Brewster, NY to Manhattan!

It was only after our failed attempt to “finally go to the end” of the South County Trailway that I’ve now done the research to fully map out the trails. Because these trailways are separately maintained and there has been continuous construction updating them, the most frustrating aspect is finding up-to-date and complete information about them so hopefully this blog will help you in that endeavor.

The Putnam and Westchester and rails-to-trail system is actually comprised of 3 trails on the former right-of-way of the New York and Putnam Railroad as follows (north to south):

Putnam Trailway – the northern most 12 mile stretch through the towns of Mahopac and Carmel with plans to extend it north to Brewster. The highlight is the views of the reservoir north of Carmel.

North County Trailway – runs for 21.2 miles from Northern Westchester County south through the towns of Yorktown Heights, Briarcliff Manor, and Mount Pleasant. The path traverses an old railroad bridge that has spectacular views of the New Croton Reservoir at Kitchawan. There are 2 breaks in the trail when you do need to ride on the road. The shoulder is very wide, although the traffic is a 4 lane fast moving road with some on and off ramps to highways that require caution.

South County Trailway – runs for 14.1 miles in Southern Westchester County from Eastview through Elmsford, Ardsley, Hastings on Hudson, south into Yonkers, to the New York City border. There is a break in the path at Elmsford (be sure to look at one of the maps for the best way to avoid a very busy road with no shoulder – we only discovered it on our return). The V. Everit Macy Park is a nice park along a large pond and short but robust waterfall just south of Elmsford. I believe there is a break in the path in Yonkers, although I’ve heard they are completing it – and we have yet to make it this far to check it out for ourselves.

The paved path ends at the entrance of Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx but there is a dirt bike path through the park (apparently it can get muddy after rainy weather). You can pick up the subway (the 1 or 4 lines) here (bikes are permitted on subways) or go over the Broadway bridge and take some streets over to the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway trail on the West Side. It would be about a 15 mile ride from Van Cortlandt Park down to the lower west side of Manhattan (I map quested it to my office on Hudson Street).

The best end-to-end map of the Putnam and Westchester trails that I’ve found is this one, which also points out the Metro North stations along the way for those who want to take their bikes on the train. The site indicates that the Pleasantville, NY train station is the closest station – 1 mile - to the path: http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/north-and-south-county-trailways-bike-map/

This site also has brochures with maps for the Westchester trailways: http://parks.westchestergov.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1846&Itemid=4528

The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is a 32-mile long walking and bicycling path around the island of Manhattan. The majority of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is physically separated from auto traffic, although there are several sections that require using city streets with motor traffic. This is a great site for New York City bike routes and paths: http://www.nycbikemaps.com/

So, you could actually ride from Brewster, NY to Manhattan – approximately a 60 mile ride - mostly on bike paths. I have now just added a new item to my bucket list!

A Fabulous Fall Foliage Fifty (Despite some lessons learned)

I can recall years past when my last bike ride of the season was the first weekend of October – often the MS ride in Manhattan. Once frost hit, I was done. There was a time when fall was my favorite season, but now I’m grown up enough to know that I dislike what comes after fall so fall and I had fallen out of love. After yesterday’s late October 60 degree, sunshine, fall foliage ride, I may just falling back in love.

We are fortunate to have a wonderful string of paved bike trails that span Putnam and Westchester counties, part of the rails-to-trails system, a 30 minute drive from our CT house. It is so expansive that we have yet to experience the entire trail system after 5 years of trying. Yesterday, we set out to “finally go to the end” of the southern route on a fabulous fall day. We still weren’t successful in our intended endeavor, although I did set a new milestone, not to mention reinforce some lessons learned.

We picked up the Northern Westchester County trail near Yorktown Heights and went south. “Let’s finally go to the end,” I declared. For once, we didn’t have any commitments containing our ride. About 10 miles into the ride, I realized I had forgotten to remove the granola bars from the box in the car and put them into my bike bag. No big deal, I thought – we can just pick up some food in route. About 15 miles into the ride, Mike informed me he had left his wallet in the car. Oh. Lesson #1: Always carry nutrients – and money.

We passed the southern point we had ridden to in past rides and at 18 miles came to what we thought could be the end of the trail. We were in an industrial section of a town and there no signs directing us. Strange. As Mike searched, I quizzed three riders who appeared from some undetermined direction. They gave us directions to go through town to pick up the path less than a mile away. We found ourselves on a busy 4 lane road with no shoulder and drivers turning in front of us into various stores – not my idea of fun and safe biking. Lesson #2: Consult a map.

Once back on the path, it seemed silly to just go a couple miles after all that effort so I said let’s go to 25 miles. I was also still hoping perhaps we would “finally get to the end.” Mike zoomed ahead of me as I began to realize I really needed calories. By the time he turned around, I could tell the return ride was going to be difficult. When we got back into the town, I seriously thought about begging for a free piece of bread in one of the restaurants. The thought also crossed my mind that perhaps the Sam’s Club would have free samples, but of course you need a membership to even get in the door.

“Only 20 miles to go,” Mike declared as I searched the woods for any sort of edible berry. At this point I was hallucinating that Power Bars were growing on the fall foliage and that the beautiful NY reservoirs were stocked with lemon lime Gatorade. Oh how I wished the couple with the flat tire was in need of my spare tube in exchange for fuel, but they were well prepared and mechanically inclined.

With 10 miles to go, I made my way onto the last stretch of the path only to have my eye turn dry and my contact fall out. Lesson #3: Always pack an extra set of lenses (we learned this when I had to bail out Mike on his century attempt with a contact lens). Fortunately, I caught it and reinserted it.

With 5 miles to go, I was seriously almost out of gas. My thighs were in pain and I gave myself a 5 minute break and tried to stretch and replenish whatever energy I could. I was never so happy to see the car at the conclusion of our 4 hour, almost non-stop ride.

I’m excited that I broke a record for mileage in one day, going 50 miles (technically I think I was about a tenth of a mile or so short and normally would have ridden a little extra just to be sure…but this time I’ll take a rounding up). Our long rides on Martha’s Vineyard to the other side of the Island and back are 42 miles and this year I felt my best ever completing them with all the training I’ve been doing so I didn’t anticipate 50 miles feeling so challenging. Of course, now I’ve learned what it feels like “to bonk” (aka hit the wall). This from Wikipedia:
Intense cycling or running can easily consume 600-800 or more kcal per hour. Unless glycogen stores are replenished during exercise, glycogen stores in such an individual will be depleted after less than 2 hours of continuous cycling or 15 miles (24 km) of running. Training and carbohydrate loading can raise these reserves as high as 880 g (3600 kcal), correspondingly raising the potential for uninterrupted exercise.

Despite all this, I enjoyed the ride and have been researching the trail system to plan our next ride – I’m still determined to ride to the end. Actually, I’m now fascinated at the idea of riding all the way to Manhattan (see my next blog on more information on the trail systems and bike routes). But for now, I must ignore the sore muscles and do a fall cleanup in the lawn. Oh yeah, the other adult reason why I fell out of love with fall.

A "Christopher" Weekend

My husband Mike and I have a term for when we stumble onto something unexpected but truly delightful - it's called a "Christopher". In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue -- we did the same this past weekend and were completely delighted by the Indian summer we discovered. Upon arriving on Martha's Vineyard, we found the natives busy preparing for the 22nd annual Columbus Day 5K road race. "Why not?" we (Mike, our friend Charlie, and I) all said as I proposed the idea. I'm missing racing already now that the tri season is quiet.

We stopped by the registration the day before and it appeared they were in need of some racers since we were numbers 53, 54, and 55. Our $15 got us a t-shirt, our registration, a bottle of spring water, and a snack bag clip (sometimes you gotta wonder how they come up with athletes' swag bag!).

Unlike my previous serious race endeavors, we did everything wrong the night before. Nothing like a greasy cheeseburger to sit in your stomach and plenty of alcohol to dehydrate us. And, the next morning while we at least thought to eat a bagel, the coffee only added to the dehydration.

There were no fancy timing chips for this race. All 191 of us (fortunately for the race organizers more people registered) gathered round, trying to jockey our way close to the front and we were off. I was surprised how quickly I felt out of breath -- I think by the time I got to the running in my tris, I was more warmed up. And then there was the issue of the jalapeño cheddar ground beef swirling in my stomach. Finally, there was the mid-day heat - a surprising mid-eighty degrees that along with the wrong beverage choices left me parched.

While there was one moment around mile two that my body was telling me to walk, I pressed on and crossed the finish line at 27:52 and placed 9/25 in my division - at 8:58 per mile it was faster than any of my tris and my normal treadmill pace. My husband, who is a natural athlete and works out every day but rarely runs, was 4 minutes faster than me. In fact, his running shoes are so old, he had to cut off a piece of flapping rubber!

We managed to get all 3 sports in this 3 day weekend - 2 bike rides and 2 ocean swims in addition to our 5K. The water was cold but manageable - swimming in the ocean on October 10 sets a personal record. It was a true "Christopher" weekend!

Biting Off More Than You Can Chew

It was a beautiful Pennsylvania Fall Weekend here and despite a cold, I was longing to ride my road bike.  Bella had her knee surgery Wednesday and she was recuperating, and on strict activity restriction.  So I spent the first part of the day running errands with her in her car seat, getting out for a few short walks.  I was tired from my cold, but still decided to go off on a long ride late in the day.  "What time will it get dark?" I asked my husband.  "Oh you should have light until 6:30, plenty of time," was the reply.  It's been a while since I took this route and I couldn't remember how long it took me before, but an hour seemed like enough time.  You can see where this is going again.

Hurry Home!

I started off my ride thinking that farms and biking don't mix, after a tractor blew hay and dirt in my eyes and left hay sticking to my chapstick for a couple miles.  After that, a field of damp hay waiting to be bailed gave me a sneezing attack.  Then I recalled a bumper sticker I saw that had made me laugh which read:  "No Farms, No Beer" and forgave the farmer, the tractor, and the hay.  As I pedaled along, it was such beautiful farm and countryside scenery that I easily lost track of time.  But I was slightly aware that the sun was gradually setting and picked up the pace.  These cows were so funny, they came running over to me like they had never seen a biker in spandex before.  I love this route because it takes me on some very familiar back roads where some of my high school friends used to live.  A large man in a tiny Prius drove by, and I figured out how the country could single handedly solve both the obesity epidemic and fossil fuel dependency... by creating a car that runs on the driver's body fat.  As I got back on the main road to go home, I noticed the sun was hovering just over the horizon and I had the feeling I wasn't going to make it.  I have picked up my husband at least a half a dozen times on his bike.  One time he got 2 flat tires and only had 1 tube, maybe he went farther than he intended or got lost, or ran out of fluids, or all of the above.  For the first time, I had to call him for a rescue!
The sun went down, it was getting darker and cars coming towards me had their lights on, not a good sign.  I relented and dialed the phone, he seemed excited that it was his turn to play support vehicle.  So we agreed on a meeting place and I turned around and rode fast to Royal Road.  We got there at the same time, and I had averaged over 14 mph and completed about 12 miles which was a decent ride.  I was saying to my husband that I must be considered a "real rider" now that he had to come and rescue me for a change.  Just then, my left clip got stuck!  I usually dismount to the left, and even though my right foot was out, I had already shifted my weight to the left.  I toppled over, crashing to the ground and making a noise like "waghghghgh"!  I'm sure some passers by got a good laugh, and we did too.  Yep I'm a real biker all right; after 40 you don't bounce as well.  But other than a sore ankle, I was fine.
Note to Self:  Get Dave the Bike Mechanic:  check my left pedal clip before next ride.     

My Next BHAG

Remember my previous blog about BHAGs - big hairy audacious goals? Now that I've completed 3 sprint triathlons and the season is pretty much over unless I would be willing to travel with gear via airplane to a warmer destination, it's time to set new goals. A month ago, I told my swim coach that my next goal would be to swim 1 mile non-stop freestyle by the end of the year. That would allow me to assess if I could do an Olympic distance race next year. I had visions of completing it exactly one year from the late December 2010 date I had my first swimming lesson with Matt.

So, within 2 weeks of setting the goal, he had me swim a mile worth of sets during one hour-long workout. The next week we did the same thing and in a subsequent swim I did 1100 yards non-stop freestyle in 30 minutes. Then, on Oct. 6, I decided I was ready to give it a try - I took it at a leisurely pace and completed at least 1800 yards (slightly more than 1 mile) in 51:22!

This isn't the first time I've set what I thought was a BHAG only to discover it wasn't so big, hairy, and audacious after all. NOW WHAT???? As visions of a Half Iron Man danced in my head, I had to remind myself that an Olympic triathlon will require me to dedicate 6-9 hours / week of training and that I have yet to run a 10K.

And so, the journey continues as I set out on my next goal for next season - an Olympic distance triathlon which will consist of a mile swim, 24 mile bike, and 10K run. It's a goal - whether or not it's BHAG enough is up for debate!

Housatonic Valley Triathlon: The Best Results Yet

Well, Barb predicted right. I hadn’t even read her blog when I was calling her telling her it was my best one yet, mainly because I was shocked at my swim time. But this race was also great because I recruited three others, including two first timers, all of whom had successful races.

It’s funny – I didn’t remember Barb’s hypothermia story. I do have memories of some very cold mornings at our bus stop and freezing fingers and toes (especially when I forgot my gloves), but I don’t remember her specific incident when I returned home to a diagnosis of hypothermia.

Speaking of being cold, yes, when I arrived at the race site at 6:00am, it was a frigid 45 degrees. This was quite a contrast to my Wednesday night run along the NYC Hudson River path after work. I had packed a long sleeve shirt thinking how the days were getting shorter and cooler, only to find myself taking it off and running in my sports bra as I was dying in the high 80 degree temperatures. I was thankful that I felt better running than I had in the last month. My plan to get more running practice in between my last race and this one had not come to bear after I went too hard on our hilly CT roads and jarred my knees. I took a short break from running and then tried the treadmill but also felt pain and so I stopped. I did a light jog on the gym’s short indoor track one day and felt ok then but it hardly counted. Last weekend, I tried a different, less hilly route around our house but still had to walk the small hills.

Without the ability to run much, I had focused more on my swimming and also hilly bike rides knowing this would be a challenging bike ride. I swam my best .25 mile pool swim time on Thursday night before the race at 11:15. In the last month, we did two 42 miles rides on Martha’s Vineyard out to the hilly part of the Island. I was having some problems with my bike gears and while popping a chain was never much of big deal for me, when you are clipped in with bike shoes, it adds a new level of fear of falling over when it happens. Fortunately, when it did happen, I got out of my pedals in time. But, I could not get the chain loosened up and back on the crank despite getting my hands completely black with grease. Mike was long gone ahead of me, but a runner who doubles as a good bike mechanic helped me out.

So, as we lined up in our waves and tip toed in bare feet amongst geese shit booby traps, it was COLD. Fortunately the water was warmer than the air and so the swim didn’t bother me. I forgot to start the timer on my watch so I clicked it about 75 yards into the race. I really wanted to try and do the swim 100% freestyle – I did about 90% of it freestyle and resorting to flipping over on my back a few times to slow my breathing down. I think hearing someone calling for the lifeguard’s help made me more cautious than I needed to be. But, as I rounded the second buoy, I did pick up the pace and go for it. As I got out of the water, I looked at my watch and it said 9 min and something. Hmmm, I thought – I guess I was farther into my race than I thought when I started the watch.

Onto the bike, I decided to grab my jacket knowing how cold the air would feel. Trying to hurry out of T1, I didn’t bother zipping it up, figuring I would at some point. Before I knew it, I was clipped in and riding and realizing there was no way I could zip without stopping so I pushed on with it flapping open. The bike ride was hilly as I knew it would be, but equally tough the road was very rough in spots. In addition, while the road was technically closed, it didn’t stop cars pulling out of their homes in this very residential area so cars were getting in the way of bikers. I passed two people with popped chains on hills, including one very pro looking type with his Cervelo. About ¾ of the way into the race, I could no longer shift from my first crank to my middle crank for more power on flatter surfaces. I’m not sure if it was my cold hands or an actual problem with the bike. There were still some up-hills remaining so I guess it was good I wasn’t stuck in a higher gear, but I could have gone faster in some parts.

As I started into the run, I realized how numb my feet were and by the time it was too late, that I had forgotten to attach my race number (a DQ in some races but fortunately not this one). I only started to feel my toes about half-way into the run! As I approached the park and saw Mike, I started to pick up the pace. I didn’t realize I still had about a half mile to go but it probably helped my pace overall, even though I didn’t have the same amount of fuel left for a last 100 yard sprint at the finish.

When the results were posted, I was shocked at my swim time of 10:47! Finally, my swim didn’t completely drag down the rest of my results. I was happy finishing 11 out of 34 in my division, and 135 out of 226 overall.

While triathlons are very much an individual sport, there is a big camaraderie amongst triathletes. I’m really happy to welcome my first timer recruit Allison Sample and her recruit Holly Moore into the club. My work colleague and a tri-veteran, Jinan Martini, also joined us. It’s hard to believe that it was just 3 months ago that Jinan was toasting me with a cocktail congratulating me on my first race – when I was happy just to have survived!

The Night Before a Race

Tomorrow Cathy will complete her 3rd triathlon.  I talked to her last night and she sounded confident after doing her best time in the quarter mile, around 11 minutes.  I have confidence she will do well even though she just texted me that the predicted air temperature for tomorrow morning is 45 degrees, yikes!  a week ago it was 80 and muggy, but tropical storm Lee pushed through the Eastern states leaving a mess behind her along with cooler fall-like temperatures.  I reminded Cathy that the air temp for our first one was around 52 degrees so she already knows what to expect, and the cold water might take her breath away at first.  I told her to remember her "game face", and to jump around a lot after she puts on her wetsuit to her her blood pumping since it will be so cold.  She said she felt very organized this time around and was heading off to bed.
Suddenly I'm remembering a frigid, snowy winter day in Salladasburg when we were both waiting outside for our school bus to come.  Cathy was getting very cold and wanted to go back to the house.  I was afraid I would get in trouble for not going to school when I wasn't that cold, so I let her walk back to the house by herself.  Mom was home so I wasn't worried, but I later found out that Cathy had gotten hypothermia waiting for the bus.  I felt terrible, I should have gone back to the house with her.  What if she had passed out, or not made it back to the house?  How could I not have been there to protect my sister for fear of getting myself in trouble?
Now a teeny wave of worry washes over me and I'm wishing I was there with Cathy to be sure she gets through her event ok tomorrow.  Even though it means I would be freezing my ass off in some God-forsaken algae filled lake at 8am.  But a lot has changed this past year, Cathy is much tougher thanks to her training than she ever was when we were kids, and has already braved 2 triathlons.  I'm sure by this time tomorrow night, she will be boasting of her best times ever and already planning next year's events!   

The Housatonic Valley Triathlon Scout's Report

As I prepare for my third and final race of my first triathlon season, I have the advantage of both two sprints under my belt and being able to try out parts of the course in advance. Here’s the scoop on what I discovered when I visited the course a couple weekends ago.

The Park - There was hardly anyone there when we arrived around 11am and the lake was very calm with little boat activity. It’s a $13 entry fee for non-residents. An impending thunderstorm was keeping people away. Pictures attached of the park and beach area. It's hard to tell where they will do the transition area. The park closes after Labor Day Weekend, but the attendant thought you can still enter and swim at your risk after Labor Day (presumably for free).

Swim - The entry into the water is a dirt/sand mixture. A few rocks but not too bad on the feet. The lifeguards didn't know what the course will be and while the beach had two large swimming areas, they asked me to stay in one of the two and in front of the docks, which was fine. I swam for 20 minutes in my wetsuit and felt better than my first race which was also in a lake. There's some algae growing up from the bottom but not too bad and I saw some fish.

Run - I did the run route. When you go right on E Pembroke Rd you have a slight incline for a while and then a subsequent decline. Otherwise it's generally flat and meanders through residential neighborhoods.

Bike - We just followed the route in the car. I wouldn't recommend doing it without the roads being closed or unless they do a group training ride of sorts -- there's a lot of traffic and the roads are narrow and curvy in spots. The roads are in pretty good shape -- some rough spots towards the end of the route. When you first start out, there's a downhill and some big curves so you will probably need to be on your breaks somewhat. The rest of the course has a fair number of rolling hills -- not extremely steep, but long inclines in some cases and you will use all your gears. So I do recommend some hill training in advance of the race and insure your gears are working well. I mapped the ride so you can see the elevation:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/47127082

Tribulation Worketh Patience

Bella and Sasha

It's official, I signed up for the "Round The Valley" 25 mile bike ride!  I wrote that after completing a successful 15 mile ride with my husband and he said "I think you can do it!"  We adjusted the handlebar settings on my road bike and it's now a much better position for me, even though it's not what is considered normal.  Finally, I enjoy riding!  The week leading up to the event started out stressfully when I learned of an earthquake in Virginia not far from where Derrick lives.  He texted me:  "Just in my first earthquake!"  and I texted back:  "WHAT?!?"  The week ended with him evacuating Williamsburg thanks to Hurricane Irene, partially at my insistence.  Here is my text to him Friday morning when I learned the college was evacuating the dorms:  "You ARE coming home."  Also I planned, shopped for, and then cancelled a company picnic scheduled for Sunday because Irene was poised to crash the party.  Friday morning my dog Bella injured her knee playing with her dog friend, which prompted an emergency trip to the vet who said she hurt her ACL.  I was routing Derrick around the worst evacuation traffic so I showed up at the vet with my map of Virginia in case he called.  Some (ok, let's face it all) of my preparation plans for the bike event went undone.  You know, like checking the map to see where I would be going...
I laid out my stuff the night before, printed out a cue sheet, woke up, and rode the 2 miles over to the expo.  Glancing briefly at the map they had posted, I said "hell with it" and took off on my new journey.  I rode out with a smile and a positive attitude, waving at the locals sitting on their porches.  There were two goals for this event:  don't call the 'sag wagon', and pass at least one person.

Keep Going

First issue:  I didn't understand how to read a cue sheet.  Second issue:  I knew only a few of the roads on my 25 mile journey.  Third issue:  I have no sense of direction, time, or distance.  Also, it was a "show and go event" so I ended up riding completely by myself with nobody to follow.  I took the 3 roads that I knew, looked for the painted arrows on the road, got out my cue sheet and promptly got lost!  So I went 3 miles out of my way, and up some hills I didn't have to...  it wasn't even 7 miles into the ride, this might be a long day.  Finally I was back on track, not tired but a little worried because I had never done 25 miles and now I would be doing 28.  From that point on I was in unfamiliar territory, on roads I didn't know - all by myself.  Past the tall cornfields in the middle of nowhere, I remembered the horror movie "Children of the Corn" ... pedal faster.  Past the streams and mosquito infested ponds, past quaint antique shops and family farms.  Past a group of Amish men steadily building a picket fence together, and cows with curious looks on their faces.  Slowing down occasionally to make sure I was on the right track, the locals cheerfully helped me find the next road on the cue sheet which I had finally figured out how to read.  I worked up the courage to look at my flight deck and see how many miles I had done so far.  It was 14, and the event rest stop was supposed to be 12 miles into the ride.  Curses, if I hadn't gotten lost I would have been there 2 miles ago!  It was then that I saw the sign which read, "Tribulation Worketh Patience" and it said to me - keep going.  Up a nasty hill, my heart rate maxing out in the 170's - keep going.  In the distance... could it be... another biker, yes I'm on the right road.  Soon I came upon the rest stop and met a handful of other riders, some local and a family from Virginia.  I stretched, filled up my water and Gatorade, ate a homemade "powerball" and was happy to hear that the second half of the ride was supposed to be easier than the first.

Success!

Again, with a smile and a wave I rode off to finish my journey.  My nemesis The Sag Wagon drove by and I thought, "not today buddy".  There was an older couple in front of me, as much as I wanted to follow them so I wouldn't be lost again, they were too slow and I passed them with ease.  I told myself that wouldn't count towards my goal of passing someone.  From there on, the cue sheet became my friend and the intersections seemed to be well marked.  17 miles..I crossed a couple of roads I knew giving me hope, and passed two more people.  Then I saw the tall red brick buildings of the VA in the distance, where I first started swimming in December..20 miles.  If I can do a triathlon, surely I can finish this ride.  Making a left back into familiar territory, I was greeted by the wind and rain of the very outer bands of hurricane Irene.  Then saw her in the distance, a rider plodding up the hill - I salivated.  Having enjoyed running in the rain, I found that liked riding in it just as well.  I picked up the pace, the faceless rider in my sights.  Feeling a surge of energy, I passed her easily.  Since I knew these roads well, heading back to the expo I went faster and ended by sprinting into the finish area..I did it!

I think I would have enjoyed my ride more if I had known where I was going.  I couldn't make the best use of downhills because I never knew where the next turn would be, and was constantly watching for road signs and painted arrows.  But it was more challenging this way, more of a journey than a ride.  I was proud of myself for finding my way, meeting my goals, and only cursing once!  The results:  28 miles in 2 hours and 18 minutes, averaging 12.1 miles per hour.  I had hoped to do 25 miles in 2 and a half hours.  Since I rode by myself the entire time with nobody to draft from, got lost and went up 2 hills I didn't have to, and went slow to watch for arrows, I'm happy with the results.  Altogether I did 32 miles because I had decided to ride to the event rather than drive, and I could still walk the next day!     

I hate odds' blogs

…especially when they are my own and written the same weekend of ironic tragedy -- the unfortunate news of two deaths in the New York City triathlon, both in the swim portion.

Of course, we play the rationalization game – “oh, he was in his sixties”….”she probably didn’t train”…”the water was too choppy”….etc. But, according to her family, she did train. And she was a strong swimmer who swam competitively in high school. There is no logical reason why a 40 year old woman was tragically found floating face down by another swimmer. The autopsies of both athletes are inconclusive.

Of course my friends – triathletes and non-athletes alike – are abuzz in discussion about it. Sadly, the news will probably keep some people away from trying the sport. I know I would have had second thoughts if this tragedy had struck last year. It doesn’t stop my enthusiasm for the sport – I’m hooked now. But, it does give me new respect for taking training and medical conditions seriously. And, I’ll never write an odds blog again.

Go Cathy!

Dad's response, "oh there could be sharks"  sounds a little like "you may fall and someone will run over your fingers".  Somewhere in the back of Cathy's mind she must have heard me saying, "F the sharks!"  It's true I was being the logical one, when I reminded Cathy to stick to the 10% rule.  But she had asked me for advice; I found myself in the position of coach rather than competitor.  We talked about her heart-rate, core strength, and the importance of hydrating and fuel with the longer distances.  I even told her to work on her game face, to which she replied  >:(    Hopefully a few of my pointers helped along the way, I'm so proud of Cathy and her Nantucket Tri!
Having the ability to practice open water swimming must have been useful, and I will surely ask her for advice should I attempt one.  She cut her foot on a shell but kept going, biked through rain and hail and managed a great average speed, and still had gas in her tank for the run.  I think I even saw a 'game face' in one of the pictures.  As consigliere, my biggest concern for Cathy is some kind of 'overuse syndrome' with all of her training, hence my logical response to her asking me if she should do the Nantucket Tri.  It's as simple as Clemenza.. "leave the gun, take the cannoli" use common sense.  Working in a PT office, we see our share of these - mostly in teenage athletes who go from one sport to the next without giving their body sufficient recovery time in between.  Last year Derrick played around 40 games of D1 college baseball, then roughly another 40 for collegiate wooden bat league in Oneonta NY.  He had maybe 2 weeks in between that and going back to college, which he determinately spent doing cardio and in the batting cages to prepare for fall ball.  After playing nearly 80 games in a row, he was worn out and should have been forced to take a break; but rather some of his college coaches said he should have worked harder in the fall.  It's no surprise that the majority of injuries we see in high school and college athletes are largely due to overuse.  When he finished his senior year of college baseball, he took 2 weeks off for the first time in about 6 years, he needed it!
Cathy, I hope you were smart enough to take a week off after Nantucket :)  I'll be calling you to talk about interval training!  What have I been up to?  Well I'm working out at the YMCA, where the 25 year old desk attendant looked at the birthdate on my card and said, "that can't be right"!  He thought I was trying to use my mother's card or something.  When I informed him I have kids close to his age, he was rather surprised and said something under his breath about aging well.  Also I've come up with a new advertising campaign for EZ Pass while watching a Godfather marathon this weekend.  If Sonny had an EZ Pass, they never would have shot him on the causeway.  Show that scene from the Godfather, and then just the words EZ Pass on the screen.. enough said.

Triathlon #2: Analyzing the Results

I am truly amazed at the competitiveness of my division of women 40-44. I’m completely happy with my second triathlon, but I still only placed 71/92 in my division. I know I’m competing against women who have more time to train than me – but still! And, I’m very inspired by the older women out there who are equally competitive.

My main goal was to have a better swim so that I could feel better during the rest of the race, which I did. And, my pace in all events improved over the last race. Here’s how I did and what I need to continue to work on:

Swim: It was a much better experience than the first race and I as described in a previous blog, I swam about 70% of it freestyle. This being my worst event, however, it’s still bringing my overall placement way down since I’m placing in the bottom 10% in this event. So, I’ll continue to work on my endurance and open water swimming with the hopes of getting to close to 100% freestyle swimming which will help my speed.

Bike: At an average of 18.35 mph, I had a good pace for my current competency level and considering I had to slow down on parts of the course due to the rain downpour. I’m placing in the top 60% both in my division and amongst all divisions. I’m going to continue to work on my bike speed and getting used to my new bike clip-in pedals.

Run: I had an average pace of 9:39 per mile, which is the best I typically do in training. I’m placing in the top 65% both in my division and amongst all divisions. In order to do better than this, I’ll need to start getting more serious about interval training and working on my speed and not just endurance.

As with the last race, age and gender are not complete determinants of performance as your dedication and training count a lot. I beat my share of younger woman and men of all ages. But, if I had been competing in the W60-64 division, I still would have only placed in third place in the division! These older women are an inspiration!

What are the odds?

In light of the company I kept with some “celebrities” and my and others’ worries about the Nantucket race, here’s some interesting stats:

The odds of….
Dying from a shark attack 1 in 300,000,000
Dying being struck by lightening 1 in 576,000
Dying from drowning 1 in 79,065
Dying slipping in bath or shower 1 in 2,232

Lesson: Your fears are unfounded! (and the swimming training should actually help your odds against drowning – just be careful when you come home and shower)

Winning an Olympic medal 1 in 662,000
Becoming a US Senator or Representative 1 in 90,000
Becoming a triathlete in the US 1 in 258

Lesson: Try a Tri – it’s easier than other achievements!

The Second Race: Trying the Tri in a Tempest

Wow, what a race! It was awesome and with one unexpected challenge. And, my fellow athletes included a senator and one of the most decorated Olympic swimmers in history!

I had more time and was much more organized getting my transition area set up this time around. Since I had to arrive to Nantucket via passenger ferry, I had had no choice but to pack only the essentials. Unlike the last time, we were allowed to warm up in the water which is critical for me to get my breathing regulated when I swim.

They actually started the race a few minutes before the official start and rapidly kept each wave starting in 3 minute intervals. So, while I was in wave 7 out of 8, we were being summoned to start before I knew it. Unlike the last time, I had thought about having flip flops for walking around prior to the start but at the last minute I realized my hat and sunglasses were still in hand -- I had forgotten to leave them in the transition area. I really needed at least the sunglasses for the rest of the race so at the risk of some penalty (I wasn’t really sure of the rules on this), I told Mike to put them on the ground near him so I could retrieve them. It’s amazing how just when you think you are organized, there’s something you overlooked!

Since it was low tide, we had to walk pretty far out to a sand bar where we would start. We were off – I began in freestyle and was happy that I didn’t go off course or hyperventilate like the last time. I swam about 70% of the course freestyle and flipped over on my back when I felt myself getting out of breath. In retrospect, I could have been more aggressive with my swim, but I wanted to make sure I exited the water in better shape than the last time. As I ran out of the water, I sliced a toe on a shell. It stung and I worried about how it might impact my run, but I forgot about it for the rest of the race. It was quite a long run back to the transition area. I felt good as I passed people exhausted from the swim.

Off on the bike, the course took me pass cheering and enthusiastic fans out to Madaket. I felt good as I passed people on expensive Felts and Cannondales with my entry level Raleigh! About a quarter of a mile into it, the skies started to get dark and lightening appeared in the distance. I so hoped the storm would blow away from the island. However, after making the U-turn, the sky really darkened and then opened up with an explosive downpour of buckets of rain and pelting hail! As the lightening got closer, I went faster until I approached town and the runners and bikers converged. It was mayhem! I couldn’t see or hear the race staff directing me which way to go on the course and I was navigating through some pretty deep, flash flood puddles.

As I transitioned into T2, the sky cleared as fast as it had darkened. My sneakers and gear were soaked but I made the transition and it didn’t seem to matter as I had to run through massive puddles on the course. Again, I felt good as I passed other runners and maintained a high energy level. Two other women and I high-fived three girls under the age of ten who were enthusiastic spectators. Feeling good, I picked up the pace. Coming down the long, home stretch to the finish line, I sprinted in, finishing at 1:45:38, 20 minutes better than my predicted time!

To put it all in perspective, the overall winning time was 1:02:55 and the last person to complete the race crossed the finish line at 2:48:50. Jenny Thompson, the former Olympian, finished with a time of 1:27:46. I’ll take being less than 18 minutes away from an Olympic athlete who is 5 years younger than me! Scott Brown, the Massachusetts senator, had an excellent race finishing overall in 50th place out of 763 total athletes at 1:18:24. Now, if he can just put his muscles to use to solve the nation’s debt problems we’ll be in good shape!

Twas the Night Before Nantucket

My Christmas in July present arrived a month before the July 23 race. My waitlisted number for the Nantucket triathlon came up -- I had 24 hours to decide if I could extend all of my distances and find a hotel on a crowded summer island. I texted Barb who responded with all the considerations such as the 10% training rule – she was being too logical. Having just come off of my first tri, I was feeling like I needed motivation to train before the September race. So in a switch, she was rational and I was emotional! My Dad, being Dad, worried, “oh, there could be sharks” upon hearing the swim would be in the ocean. Sharks were the least of my concern! The cost of the hotel was my bigger concern, but at least they had a triathlon rate to take the sting out of the peak summer rate.

“I’m in,” I declared.

I’ve upped the ante for this race. It’s still a Sprint but the distances are all longer – 1/3 mile swim, 14 mile bike, 3.4 mile run. Close to 1,000 participants are expected!

I’ve decided to wear my new bike shoes and clips and look like a real rider – and hopefully have the speed to go along with it. After much debate on the wetsuit, I’m feeling more comfortable swimming in it without impacting my breathing so I’ll wear it again. I’ve had around 8 open water swim practices so I’m hoping for a much better swim this time around. Socks or no socks? I think not, but I’ve packed them just in case. I know if I don’t wear them, I’ll have blisters on my feet by the end, but I should be able to make it through the run without them and save on transition time.

I’m much more relaxed and confident this time around. The $5,000 Cervello bikes don’t phase me as I check in and receive number 792. I did request to be in the beginner wave, which will be wave 7 of 8, just to increase my chances of a better swim without the aggressive types. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m still competing in the women’s 40-44 division, which is actually a very competitive division. I have to compete against the moms who spend much more time training than I do (my swim coach used to train the Greenwich, CT tri moms who work out as much as 3 times a day!!!)

I have all of my supplies this time around – except some shot blocks which I’ve now shopped for unsuccessfully in 4 drug stores and supermarkets. Next time, I’ll stock up on them when I go to my local tri or bike shop.

My biggest worry this time around is actually the heat, especially since they announced a 12:30pm race start instead of 8:00am this week (apparently the residents complained about the road closures). Driving up, the car thermometer hit 102 degrees in this brutal heat wave that’s taking over the country. The forecast for the island is in the low 80s – I’m hoping it holds true. Barb texts me and reminds me to hydrate well the night before – but not with too much water. The race sent out a rather confusing email from a physician advising on the right ratios of water versus electrolyte liquids. Just when I think I’m knowledgeable, there still remains so much to learn to optimize your race!

The Happy Medium

"You may fall and someone may run over your fingers?"  What kind of a message was that - no wonder Cathy is afraid of getting hurt!  I suppose by the time I came around, bumps and bruises were becoming the norm, and the hysteria of first time parenthood overprotectiveness had eased.  I found a Christmas letter my parents wrote in 1972 where they describe me as "our little tornado" because I had been walking and getting into things since I was 9 months old.
I didn't want Derrick to turn out to be some kind of wimp, being raised primarily by his mother with sporadic "dad time".  So whenever he fell down, I would say "oh you're ok - jump up now".  My rough and tumble attitude was transferred to him through nature, nurture, or both.  When he injured his wrist in 8th grade playing football we had it x-rayed, and he was told it was probably a sprain so he should take time off and wear a splint for a couple weeks.  The splint lasted 1 or 2 days until he said, "it's fine" so he could return to football.  Off and on he mentioned some wrist pain, but always came back to "it's fine".  6 years later an MRI revealed that a small bone had been broken all along!  Of course I felt terrible, and blamed myself for not looking into the injury further in the beginning.  I felt that because I had raised him to be tough, he didn't complain about something that he really should have.
The moral to this story is that there is probably a happy medium.  There is a perfect parenting zone somewhere between "someone may run over your fingers" and "oh, you're fine - get up".  But parents are not perfect, and that is what makes us all individuals.  Every now and then you get two individuals who's strong suits and shortcomings make the perfect combination - which is what makes Cathy and I great sisters.  She is there to tell me to watch out for danger and be afraid sometimes.  And I am here to tell her, it's ok - get up and finish your ride.    

Fear of Falling: Conquered?

I've always been afraid of falling. Well getting hurt really, or worse. It may have started in my childhood when I wanted to go ice skating at the really cool, indoor ice rink in a mall during a Christmas time vacation in Atlanta. Since I had never skated before and my parents didn't have the skating ability to take me out on the rink, the answer was, "but you may fall and someone may run over your fingers.". Funny how you remember exact moments like that.

Somehow Barb never allowed these parent admonitions to settle in her brain. Perhaps her response was the exact opposite - "so what, I'll show you I can do anything!". As her recent blog exclaimed, pavement and cornfields be damned! Well, not to be outdone my younger sister, I've given the falling thing a try.

Of course I didn't set out to fall on my bike last Saturday - especially since I was flying to London that night. In fact, this time with my bike shoes firmly clamped in the pedals, I made an extra effort to remember to take them out long before approaching an intersection so as to avoid the dancing encounter with a car like I had the last time.

Falls always seem to happen when you least expect it - like I described in my skiing blog post. And so it was that I was humming along at a speed of about 15mph on the paved rails-to-trails bike trail near Mahopac, NY when my front tire went slightly off the pavement in a spot where there was a large dropping edge to the grass. Before I knew it, the left side of my body hit the pavement.

Fortunately since I'm keeping up with Mike these days he wasn't a mile ahead of me. I yelled to him to turn back around as I quickly assessed my injuries, and told him I was ok. The road rash on my elbow and hands was not pleasant, and I felt a big bruise forming on my hip, but I got up, shook off the fall, cleaned my wounds with my water/gatorade mixture and mounted my bike to ride another 8 miles and finish the 21 mile ride. And, then I ran another 2 miles in the 90 degree heat, ignoring the slight pain in the hip.

This was quite a different outcome from a long ago rollerblading fall with about the same amount of road rash - I felt so nauseous that I took off my skates and walked home. Triathlon training is definitely toughing me up. I don't know if I will ever conquer my fear of falling, but perhaps this is a start. Then again, Barb had to go and post that picture of her husband's post accident bike...

Battle Scars

     Cathy told me on Sunday that she had a little mishap on her bike, which I'm sure she will write about when she returns from France.  My first comment was, "that's ok - you're not a real biker unless you have some road rash".  I'm just glad she was ok!  My husband has been in a few serious bike crashes, to the tune of broken ribs, elbow, sternum, wrist, more ribs, a lacerated ear, and 2 concussions.  Some of these occurred while racing, and one while he was headed to the rails to trails and was hit by a car.  Even though Cathy was ok, it brings up a good point... bike crashes can be serious.  Many drivers do not watch out for motorcycles, let alone the average biker.  If you're training, wear a helmet, bright clothing, and never assume a car that you can see or hear, sees you back.  It's easy to lose your "riding focus" when you're having fun flying down the road on your bike, or lost in thoughts of work or an upcoming race.

Dave's Bike after he was hit by a car, decorated
courtesy of his buddy on the police force.

     The last 2 weeks I've been busy with the usual chaos of raising 3 college aged boys and life in general.  Speeding tickets, stolen iphones, short term leases and long term loans.  Car repairs and oil changes, far away trips and airport runs.  Overnighting a car key to the beach, cats going to the vet, and calls to insurance companies.  Anyone reading this should call their mother right now and say, "I love you".  Amidst the insanity, I managed to get in a stress-busting workout yesterday.  20 min walk on the treadmill and light weight workout.  Then an 8 mile ride on my road bike, which in the 90 degree heat may as well have been a hundred miles.  I suffered terribly, which according to the tour de france commentators is a good thing.  I averaged a measly 12.4 miles an hour, but did make it up the mean hill I had considered riding around.  If I add on 3 miles a week, I should be able to do the 25 mile "Ride Round the Valley" at the end of August.

To Clip or Not to Clip

That is the question.  I say clip!  As Cathy mentioned earlier, I was able to pass her going up hill.  Certainly this was due to my ability to pull up as well as push down while wearing my bike shoes.  Don't worry Cathy, I've been riding with clips for probably 10 years now.  But the first time was a different story.  There was no riding down the street, practicing carefully.  My husband just expected me to do it on the first try.  In the parking lot of his office I clipped in just fine, but stopping for traffic to get out of the lot, I fell over flat on my hip.  Yes, it was funny.  And painful.  But I got back in the saddle and it was all downhill from there.  Except for the time I ended up in a cornfield.  What was that thing Cathy said about me having no fear to try new things?  Maybe a little fear is good.
My training, meanwhile has been seldom the last month thanks to a chest cold and now a stomach bug.  However, last week I did go on a successful ride with my husband to start getting ready for the 25 mile "Round the Valley" ride in August.  This was a "recovery ride" for him because he had done a century ride the day before, but the steady pace was just right for me and I practiced spending more time in my "big ring".   Bella & I drove the support car for his 100+ mile venture, an annual pilgrimage to his Mom's place in Bristol.  For the 4th of July we spent the weekend in Philly, took in a show, and spent a good 2 hours walking fast for exercise.  My husband is doing the Gran Fondo ride in Philadelphia early August for the second year in a row, so it's his turn for a big event now and my turn to be a lackie.  Hopefully I'll be back to the gym Thursday for a decent workout and sweat out all of those germs!

At the doctors office today for my stomach bug, he is feeling around like they do - and says, "what's that"?  Then he pauses and says, "Oh my God are those your abs?!"  I guess in Lebanon County, home of opera fudge, honkey eggs, and the whoopee pie, he doesn't see to many girlie six packs.  Keep working on your core strength Cathy!!!!!!!!  

Learning to Ride a Bike (Again)

The street kids breeze by on their bicycles, elated to be done with school and feeling the warm air on a sunny, summer Martha's Vineyard June day. "Watch out for the car!," exclaims one particularly cautious and smart kid.

I am patiently trying to help my wonderful husband Mike, who doubles as a bike mechanic, with my new pedals and pearly white bike shoes. They will finally make their way out of their box, where they have lived for the last 2 months since the delivery of one of our many Bike Nashbar purchases. I had decided to use toe clip (basket) pedals for my first tri for faster transition times -- and I had enough new gear to worry about and practice in.

Mike still reminisces about his summer job in a bicycle shop on Martha's Vineyard every time we pass by Ray Cutler's bike shop in downtown Edgartown. Ray is long gone but his name remains - last time we saw him wandering the quaint, red brick streets of our home away from home, he was partially paralysed from a stroke but seemed happy living on his boat in the azure blue harbor of millionaires. I'm sure he regularly gave the happy boater wave with the side of his body that worked to Walter Kronite, whose house and boats occupied the same marina when he graced the earth.

Mike has learned a lot since he walked in as just another scrappy 16 year old looking for a job. "Do you know anything about repairing bikes?", and so the interview went. "Oh sure," he fibbed. "You're hired.". Of course, the facts to the contrary soon became apparent as Ray scoffed, "I thought you said you'd done this before.". But, thanks to Ray who inevitably said the same thing to every teenage hire, Mike became his apprentice for the summer. And so every year when we pass by the shop, Mike stops and tells this story to the newest 16 year old apprentice who grins in familiar confirmation.

So, we are almost done with the latest mechanical project but the very last screw in the shoe is amiss. After 15 minutes of tiny hands (mine) and strong hands (his), we come to the conclusion this just isn't working. We find an alternative set of screws and, voila. Sometimes you just have to keep trying;)

I'm now ready for my inaugural ride -- I'll finally be a real and official bicycle rider. I don my yellow Nike Tour de France jersey for the occasion. I purchased it in France when I was serendipitously in Paris for last year's Champs Elysee finale.

Mike follows me to the street where I will take some practice runs at getting in and out of the clip on pedals that until this year I had said, "no thanks." But, as long as I'm trying the tri, what's one more new thing to try?

He holds me steady while I attempt to click in my left foot. It takes a few tries, but then I announce "I'm in". Now, the harder part is the right foot that just doesn't want to click. I let out small cries of worry that I'm going to fall over and Mike assures me that he's got me. Finally, "click" and then I have no choice but to go.

"Just ride...you know how to ride a bike...go down to the V where you can turn around without stopping.". Uh...ok...I do as I'm told, and when I return, he's there ready to catch me but I successfully click out and stop without the aid.

Feeling I've got it, I go to the other end of the street where there is no V. I realize a little too late that I won't be able to make a sharp enough turn with both feet firmly clamped in. I turn into the mossy grass and feel myself falling over. At the last minute, my left foot unclicks and I save the fall. Hmmm....more practice needed.

Five more successful ins and outs and I feel ready to go. "Which way?" Mike inquires. "Whichever way we don't have to stop," I declare. We head out on the bike path down to South Beach.

During the stretch through town, there is one small incident in which I don't want to stop at the stop sign and neither does the car at the intersection. I win and he honks. Mike is not pleased. Note to self, get ready to stop earlier next time. And, purchase and wear a sign: "Student driver aboard. Please be patient."

We finally are full speed ahead and my legs feel like they are working harder than ever. I can feel the power of the extra pull up. "Wahoo - 21 mph Mike calls out.". He's thrilled with my new ability to keep up.

We keep up the pace as we pass by the big open sheep grazing Katama meadow and turn right on the road paralleling South Beach and then right again to make our way pass the grass runway airport. I feel like I'm gliding just like the no engine plane that takes off from there. Heading back, we are at 38:23 when we hit the 10 mile mark (my time in the tri was 40:01 and this ride has included some slow town parts).

I feel like a kid again, having learned my latest trick in record speed, averaging over 15 mph on the entire 12.2 mile ride. Next time, I'll just heed the advice of the smart street kid to watch out for the car.

What We Did Right

For all of you beginner triathletes:
Summarizing the things I did right...
-Download a workout plan & modify it to your needs.
-If you're not a swimmer, take lessons, get good goggles and ear plugs if needed.
-Use "Swim Ear" to prevent ear infections and dry up water in your ears.
-Build up your workouts gradually, stick to the 10% rule.
-Do core training and light weight lifting.
-Buy a wetsuit that is right for your individual preferences.
-Don't panic if you miss a workout - after every 6 weeks of training your body need a "rest week".
-Have a good bike mechanic.
-Research what type of fuel and hydration work best for you prior to the event.
-Eat as much "real food" as possible.  Avoid processed food and look for natural ingredients.

Cathy asked me if I have any new triathons planned and I do not, but I'd like to do the Everybody's Tri in NJ next year.  My body needs a break from "training mode" for a while.  I'm considering doing a 25 mile bike ride here in Lebanon County at the end of August though.  I took a full week and a half off, thanks to a nasty chest cold I got after Quakertown.  My husband said I had swamp fever from eating lake water!  But I needed that break, and I'm easing back into a new workout routine focusing on some aerobic exercise followed by strengthening my leg muscles (hamstrings and hip abductors/adductors).  This should be good for my knee and also my back.  Swimming this week seemed daunting and I was afraid I had lost all of my breathing technique after such a long break, but it felt surprisingly good.  I wanted to jump out of the pool and yell, "I'm a swimmer now, go me!"
I'm happy for Cathy in her new found enjoyment of sport.  I, on the other hand, have been playing sports all my life, and am content to just be in shape these days.  During track, I would always put in extra hours - I started my workouts 2 weeks before the season and spent weekends working on my hurdle form.  Field hockey, track, basketball, years of running, and even playing street hockey with our 3 boys has kept me in shape.  After I had Derrick, I did exercise TV shows like Gil Janklowicz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT-aH36JFXo  in my living room.  I ran in the evenings, took D for long stroller walks, and was in my "skinny clothes" by 2 months.  Whenever I see movie stars on the cover of a magazine boasting about their post-baby accomplishments I think, "big deal".  I did it without a personal trainer or private chef!
 Now I just do exercise because I enjoy it.  Training for the triathlon was so much fun because I didn't get bored working on 3 different events.  The whole experience has renewed my enjoyment of the training process, and it was good to do something for myself again.  I plan to continue triathlons, but in order to save my joints, probably just one a year.  

Analyzing the Results

When people ask me how I did in the race, I'm pleased to say I was #1 for my state. Of course, I was the only Connecticut Yankee in the race. It's kind of like the Jamaican bobsled team theory. Of course, as I've said all along, I was just going to enjoy the journey and my real hope was just to finish and I did both.

My challenges in the swim impacted the rest of the race as time went on. Ok, I wasn't the slowest swimmer of the 269 participants and at least I didn't have to call it quits like the poor woman I encountered, but I was in the very tail end of the swim pack and the energy I expended really impacted the rest of my race as I was still trying to calm my breathing throughout the bike ride and into the run. While I had a decent bike time and made up a lot of lost time, by the time the running came, I could only manage a slow jog and I suffered from side stiches. At least I did have decent transition times.

As I look at the results, it's amazing to me how minutes can really make a difference. I finished at 1:22:11. I had calculated that I thought the best I could do would be 1:10 based on my training times. That would have put me in the top 60 of the 269 total participants and within the top 10 of my division of 38 women 40-44 -- quite a difference from being in the bottom 20% on both accounts.

If Barb and I took the best scores between us, which seems totally doable -- her swim and run and my transition times and bike, we would have scored in the top 100 overall. Looking at it that way, also makes me realize how well our division did -- we would have been in the bottom 40% of our division even though we would have been in the top 36% overall. Again, yeah for middle aged sisterhood! We did beat many people younger than us and a few men - go us! And, there were plenty of older women who beat us so I know we can still do better.

I did some things right -- I think for a short sprint like this one that didn't have many hills the decision not to wear bike shoes and save on the transition times was a good one. The slip on laces worked in the end and I was glad I had figured out a week before that I could go without socks. Just wearing a tri suit throughout the whole race worked well, and having the race belt for the run was easy.

I've just signed up for my next race - The Housatonic Valley Sprint Triathlon on Sept. 17 in Danbury, CT. As I have my eye on the next one, here's what I will do differently:

• Continue to put extra focus on my swimming -- and fortunately now that summer is here, I can put in much more open water swimming. Barb said after the race that she thought the water felt "heavier" -- it certainly was harder to swim in than I anticipated. I wasn't sure how it could be "heavier" but in talking with people there seems to be a general consensus that lake water is "heavier" than pool water although in my online searching I haven't found proof of that. Salt water is heavier than fresh water which is why we float easier in salt water and it can be easier to swim in. So, in theory, heavier water should make it easier, not harder!


• Will try and remember to start taking off the wetsuit as soon as I'm getting out of the water -- although I'm not sure in the end if it cost me -- that transition is a bit blurry


• Get a little more organized at the start of the race. Barb's ideas of baggies with the equipment for each leg of the race sounds like a good plan!


• Put additional focus on the run -- this will be a 5K (3.1 miles) so I've got more distance to do


• Consider wearing bike shoes - I think this bike route may have more hills which could make the shoes worthwhile (Barb did pass me on the up hills) but I need to try out the shoes that have been sitting in a box for 2 months.


• Remember to eat my banana! I forgot and perhaps the potassium would have helped to prevent the running side stitches.


• Try to figure out a way to get more sleep the night before!

But, most of all, I will continue to just enjoy this journey. Now I can also inspire others to make their own journeys. I'm so happy my friend Allison is planning on joining me in the September race for her first triathlon. The journey continues...