A Look Back At 2012

Besides becoming wiser as my last blog examined, I did become faster.  Looking back at my workout history (my gym has a kiosk and online portal through FitLinxx that allows me to record my activity), I think there was a direct correlation in the effort I put into training.  But it’s not just the quantity of workouts  – in fact, I actually had fewer number of workout sessions in 2012 versus 2011.  It’s also about what you put into each workout, and on that account, my records show I burned over 15,000 more calories and put in 29 more hours.

In my first season in 2011, it made sense to have more workouts.  I was trying to build both strength and endurance and to learn new technical skills.  On a given day, I often did a 30 minute cardio / strength workout in the morning and a swimming session in the evening.  In those early days, a swimming workout was totaling a quarter mile, or 450 yards.  I had to laugh as I re-read a blog about my second swimming lesson when I couldn’t do a 4 x 50 yard set without breaking into breast stroke and gasping for air.  A recent swim session with my coach Matt was a 3 x 400 yard set followed by a 4 x 100 yard set.  (Actually, we set out to do 8 x 100 yards but we cut it short after my shoulder began hurting.  I had plenty of endurance left, but my body was probably telling me enough after my last swim workout 48 hours prior had been 1800 yards).  So, as the graph shows, in 2012 I got a lot – actually twice as much - more swimming miles in versus 2011.

With the yardage came speed.  Early in 2012, I was able to get my fastest times on short distances – 47 seconds on a 50 yard in-pool start sprint; 1:47 on a 100 yard in-pool start sprint.  I had trouble meeting those times later in the season likely due to slower wall turns with my knee situation.  But, I have been able to continue building speed over long distances.  I can consistently swim ¼ mile in under 10 minutes.  And, I cut a full 10 seconds on my pace per 100 yards on my mile swims.  On Jan. 7, 2011, I recorded a one mile (1800 yard) swim at 46:19, or a pace of 2:34 per one hundred yards.  On Dec.  3, 2012, I recorded a one mile swim at 42:51, or a pace of 2:24 per one hundred yards.

On the cycling front, I did put in 31 more miles despite having to cut back on my cycling for a couple months after my July injury.  I was happy cutting 1:36 off of my cycling time in the Independence Triathlon, and coming in with an 18mph pace for the Montauk race which included a pretty long uphill at the end.

On the running front, it’s not surprising I did log fewer miles but when you consider my 2012 miles only represent one half of the year, I was running more (and perhaps that is what contributed to my injury).  I worked more on my speed this year and that had as significant impact on my 2 mile run in the Independence Triathlon, which was 3:27 faster.  I logged a 5K personal best in the Memorial Day run in Oak Bluffs at 26:28 with a pace of 8:31 per mile, which improved over the same route I did in the 2011 Columbus day run when I came it at 27:52 with a pace of 8:58.

So, what’s my total mileage?  I logged a total of 1036 miles across the 3 sports in 2012, 36 more than in 2011 (which as crazy as it seems was serendipitously a flat 1,000 miles).  Here’s to going farther and faster in 2013!

Getting Older and Wiser In My Second Season

2012:  My first one mile open water swim!

When I sought to fulfill my 2011 New Year’s Resolutions, I didn’t know if it would be a one time deal or something bigger.  With a second season under my belt, it’s safe to say I’m hooked!  But after my second season, I’m more aware than ever of the fact that you can’t take your physical abilities for granted.  While I was very happy with my early race performances and began to have visions of half ironmans dancing in my head, I was abruptly reminded of one’s body limitations in mid-July with my knee injury.

The season started out great returning to the Independence Triathlon which had been my very first race in my first season.  Cutting 16 minutes off of my time with dramatic improvements in my swim and run pace felt really great!  On to the Stamford KIT Triathlon, I felt good being part of a relay team and doing my first 10K run.  Then, all went very smooth with Montauk and my first ½ mile open water swim.  I felt like Superwoman accomplishing all of this in the first half of the season and didn’t doubt by ability to then take on an Olympic distance race in September.

But a week after Montauk, my body had a different message for me.  The MRI revealed a very small “articular cartilage defect” (a small piece of cartilage had fallen out), but it’s likely I’ve had that for some time since it's typically a result of an acute injury (thinking back I did fall on that knee about 20 years ago).  Perhaps I was doing too much running?  It wasn’t a lot compared to athlete standards.  Perhaps my running form was not correct?  Or, perhaps I’m just aging?

I did at least accomplish two firsts in the fall – my first 1 mile open water swim as part of a relay team at the Martha’s Vineyard Warrior Triathlon in September and my longest bike ride to date in the Martha’s Vineyard Bicycle Tour in October at 55 miles.

As I look forward to my third triathlon season, I’m adjusting my expectations.  Fortunately, there are still things I can do – relays and aquabikes (many races offer a category of swim and bike only which many middle aged athletes are starting to do) are looking more attractive.  I will still attempt a Sprint triathlon, and I would really like to still do an Olympic distance race but I’ll take my events one at a time and first see how a 5K run (or walk as the case may be) feels.

Last year I was thinking how turning 45 in 2013 would have its benefits in being at the bottom of the totem pole in the next age group.  Now I see our physical condition can change as we age.  At least with age comes wisdom.

Bike Touring: Washington D.C.’s Bikeshare

Recently Mike and I spent a beautiful fall weekend in Washington D.C., a city that I had long since checked off my bucket list having had multiple visits in my youth.  I figured I had “been there, done that”.  But time has a way of erasing details and age has a way finding new interests.  Our visit was mostly serendipitous – Mike had a business meeting on the Monday after the weekend.

After walking around the Mall on Saturday morning, we realized the vastness of the territory we wanted to cover to see the monuments, and also that the metro system did not go to Georgetown where we planned to visit our godson.   As we took a break for lunch, I started reading about the City’s Bikeshare program, run by Capital Bikeshare.  The Bikeshare provides members – including a $7 24 hour membership option – with the ability to take a bike from a station and drop it off at any number of other stations throughout the city and its surrounding towns.  The option is best used for quick jaunts – less than 30 minutes is free – as anything over 90 minutes quickly adds up.  But, there is nothing stopping you from docking your bike within the 30 minute window and checking it out again for another 30 minutes.

We decided to try the Bikeshare rather than taking a taxi to Georgetown.  We made our way over the nearest Bikeshare station near Union Station where there was fortunately also a regular bike rental outlet that kindly rented me a helmet for $5 for 2 days.  It was very easy to use the kiosk and pay for our 24 hour membership.  Feeling the effects of the morning’s walk on my knee, the bike gave me new mobility as we rode past the Capitol and into the Mall.

Having only made it to the Washington Monument in the morning, we now had increased velocity and peddled alongside the reflection pond to pay a visit to Abraham Lincoln.  Four score and 7 minutes into our travels, we were following the bike path along the Potomac to Georgetown.  I will say that “bike paths” in D.C. aren’t always what I’ve come to know bike paths to be elsewhere – in D.C. they are often wide, bumpy sidewalks or, as we came upon the Canal Towpath, a small dirt path along the Canal’s borders. 

Finally, 2 hours and 5 miles later, we arrived at the gates of Georgetown University where, conveniently, there was a Bikeshare station for our final drop off.  Aside from the break to visit with Lincoln and the bike paths that were more like cow paths, we were a little surprised at our much slower than average pace but of course they are heavy duty touring bikes with 3 speeds – not our typical 20 speed carbon fiber road bike!

On Sunday, we awoke to a sunny, blue sky day and couldn’t wait to get back on the bikes.  It also happened to be the Army 10 mile run so the runners’ energy was contagious as we made our way back down to the Potomac.  Our first visit was with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who wisely advises us, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” – great advice for all triathletes!  Rounding the Tidal Basin, we then made our way to visit Thomas Jefferson -- you could practically hear him saying, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness… “  While we should have learned our lesson about our pace, we made it back to our hotel and had just 5 minutes to shower before our brunch date was picking us up.

Bikeshares are a great example how to modify human behavior in favor of healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives.  Had it not been for the Bikeshare, we would have taken a taxi to Georgetown and likely some of the monuments.   I will say that D.C. needs to add more bike lanes on its roads.  On one hand they don’t want you riding on the sidewalks in the downtown area but there very few bike lanes and most people therefore just took to the sidewalks.

After our D.C. experience, I’ve been researching Bikeshares, and I’m excited to see they will be coming to NYC and Chicago next Spring.  These initiatives typically require private – public partnerships to be successful.  They usually cannot be successful on bike rental revenue along and so advertising and sponsorship with the private sector are key.  In addition, bike stations need to be plentiful on public property and planned in accordance with the City’s overall bicycle transportation plans.  In the spirit of FDR, it requires a “New Deal”.

I now have added trying Bikeshares out in various cities to my Bucket List so, like D.C., I can see old favorites in a whole new light.

The Long and Winding Road.. to Nowhere

Think of the title as an unlikely merger between the Beatles and Talking Heads.  This is how I'm feeling right about now in that it's been a long road, but my knee is neither much better nor much worse.  The good news is that it is slightly better and we have isolated the problem to my tib/fib joint and a troublesome fibular head.  The bad news is that there isn't much that can be done about it.  In the words of my orthopedic doctor, "why don't you just break something so I can fix it."  This is my new plan:  to keep using it until I break something fixable.  My husband the PT, my orthopedic doctor and myself are all rather frustrated by the unusual nature of my pain - it has isolated but there aren't any procedures for repairing what seems to be wrong.  When my husband tapes the knee - doing a fibular head glide and anchoring it forward - it feels perfectly normal.  However after weeks of taping with what he calls "medical duct tape" my skin was raw so we had to give that a rest.  I've been doing 30 minutes on the elliptical with no problems.  Stretching very well before and after seems to help also.
  Dr. Hanks, my fearless orthopedic doc, decided to try a Synvisc injection to lubricate the joint, hoping to make everything within the joint move around better.  He also recommended a type of knee brace which is supposed to replicate taping, however I am skeptical that it will have the same effect because it won't bring the fibular head forward.  He feels by stabilizing the joint in general it may help, so I'll give it a try.  My knee feels weird after the injection, but I'll get back on the elliptical next week and see if it feels any different.

In 20 minutes I can do 2 miles on the elliptical, and I've been toying with the idea that I could do all my "run" training on the elliptical and just do 'actual running' in a short tri next year with my knee taped.  I realize that this idea is closer to fantasy than reality, however not out of the question.  Meanwhile, I've been extremely busy so time (not spent on training) hasn't exactly been "free time".  Derrick totaled his car in a freak accident, so there were 2 weeks helping him research purchasing a car, new car vs used car, car loans, car insurance etc.  He was very lucky not to be injured.  However when jumping out of his car in the woods, he managed to land in a patch of poison which consumed his legs two days later and plagued him for a couple weeks.  In my opinion the poison was God's way of saying "be more careful in the future".  Bella the Morkie was limping again and so her orthopedic doctor removed the metal pin from her previous knee repair.  Bella seems to be fine, I can empathize with her so I'm glad she's no  longer limping.  Meanwhile at work in the PT office, medical management by insurance companies has been the bane of my existence.  However, I'm having fun submitting complaints to the Attorney General on behalf of our patients who have been "medically managed" out of their benefits.  We finally got away for a long weekend at the end of September for a short vacation at Dewey Beach.  David got up at daybreak to take pictures, Bella and I slept in!  Later Bella and I went to the bar where we ordered a couple of Dogfish Head Ales.

A Great Day for 100K (or 90K)

October 14 didn’t start out great.  We took shelter in the Portugese American Club and watched the rain fly sideways and pelt the window at 9am as we registered for MV Cycle’s ride around the Island of Martha’s Vineyard.  As weather does around Vineyard waters, the storm passed as quickly as it came.  It was cloudy but not wet as we set out around 9:50am.

We had selected the 100K ride thinking that 50K was too short.  We were in the mood for a long ride and my knee injury had prevented us from making our annual bicycle treks across the twenty something mile Island.  Since I’m still recovering and my longest ride since the injury has been a flat 25 miles, I didn’t think I could go the full 100K and figured I would just play it by ear and so I had alternative routes in mind.

About 15 miles into the ride, we came to our first rest stop at the Chilmark Community Center.  From here, I had to decide if I would continue out to the western and most hilly part of the Island.  I decided to go for it as I really would have hated to forgo my last opportunity of the season to make our annual trek.  The route via Lobstervile took us a slightly different way than our normal route so I found myself remarking how I still discover new sights on this large Island.

I favored my right leg on the hills and while I was as slow as 3mph at times, I made it up all of the hills until the Gay Head light house came into view.  The world class kite surfers skimmed, danced and leapt in the distance in their natural playground on this very windy day.  It was, in fact, the wind, that caused me to have to abandon my first hill which wasn’t even much of a hill.  I lost momentum and for the first time in about a decade I had to walk my bike about 200 yards to the peak.

Heading back for the return, I realized I was at the back of the pack.  I arrived back at the Chilmark Community Center and found a fellow bike mate, Lu, with whom I had been riding at points.  She had left the last break station before me to try and catch her up to her party – her fiancé and his friend.  I told Mike to go ahead without me, and Lu and I became new best friends for the rest of the ride.  As we rode, the sun gradually appeared and it became wonderful riding weather.  About 50 miles into our ride, we had a decision to make whether or not we should do the 7 mile loop around Katama.  Figuring I didn’t want to overdo it, the wind would be fierce, and Lu had never ridden more than 25 miles before, I suggested a short cut and she was happy to have a local guide at her disposal.

About five hours, fifty-five miles, and 3,000 burned calories later – and a new bicycle distance record for me even despite the bad knee -- we arrived back at the Portuguese American Club and were greeted with a wonderful hot meal buffet including a roasted pig.  I was never so hungry!

Martha’s Vineyard: Mayone’s Tri-Fest Weekend

Team Mayonnaise Relay Team - Diane, Sharon, Cathy

Last year when I first started triathlon training and went in search of the perfect race venues, I was disappointed there was no race where my vacation home is on Martha’s Vineyard.  All of sudden, the Vineyard Warrior race by a fellow triathlete and Vineyarder appeared; however, being it was an Olympic distance and my first season, I didn’t feel ready for the inaugural race.  I set my sights on it being my first Olympic distance race in 2012.   And, in January, my husband and I sent out a notice to recruit a fun group of friends to join us for the first (and hopefully annual) Mayone’s Tri-Fest Weekend.  With the addition of a Sprint and Olympic relay distance, it also opened up the opportunities for people to participate.

First, there were two.  Sharon, my sorority sister and bike relay partner, and her friend Laura drove up on Friday from Philadelphia to the Rhode Island fast ferry.  Then there were four.  My colleague Ursula and her husband Antoine drove up from Manhattan.  Then there were five.  My colleague and runner relay partner Diane did a triathlon of sorts to arrive Saturday morning with her overnight Philadelphia train to the Providence shuttle to the Rhode Island ferry (talk about endurance!).  With Mike and me, that made seven of us to form the inaugural “Team Mayonnaise”.

We spent Saturday familiarizing everyone with the course.  We got a taste (literally) of the choppy ocean water, the strong bike head wind, and watched the threatening weather forecast.  We fueled with our pasta dinner at the local Giordano’s restaurant, a favorite since 1930.  We were off to bed by 10pm for our 5am wake up.

Sunday morning we were all relieved to awake to no thunderstorms, relatively calm waters, and little wind.  As we got our briefing on the swim course at the well known Inkwell Beach, we learned that the rough wind and waters from the day before had taken the last swim buoy out to sea.  Other than the confusion surrounding the new swim course, the race seemed to start without a hitch. 

SWIM.  Mike and Laura went first during the Sprint waves.  Ursula and Antoine were next for the Olympic waves.  I was last for the Relay wave.  On one hand it’s nice going last knowing you can’t be passed – or tackled – by subsequent waves.  On the other hand, I feared being the last one out of the water given it’s not my strong event!  I sighted well for the first buoy, rounded it, and then actually passed someone from the previous wave, motivating me to keep swimming hard!  Before I knew it and not having read the current right, I had gone too far past the second buoy so I angled my swim and passed the third buoy.  While I had intended to angle my swim in more and exit farther down the beach, the current ended up washing me up on shore in sooner than planned (now I understood why so many people had been running for quite a distance on the beach).  But, our whole Mayone team – all of whom have struggled and come a long way in our swimming - not only survived but thrived in the swim (one mile for the Olympic and .4 mile for the Sprint).  Go us!

BIKE.  The bike course started down Beach Road for both distances.  With water on both sides, this is my favorite bike ride on the planet!  Once at Edgartown, the Olympic participants travelled mid-Island and back via Vineyard Haven, while the Sprint headed north back to Oak Bluffs.  It’s a great bike course indeed!  However, the course markings were less than perfect and we started observing confusion as some Olympic participants arrived from different directions.

RUN.  Mike was the first of our group to cross the finish line at 1:37:49, given his early Sprint wave.  At this point, we started observing runners coming from multiple directions and hearing about confusion on the course markings.  We knew Antoine was in the lead pack of Olympic racers but it was hard to tell who was a Sprint versus an Olympic participant at the finish line when he crossed at 2:00:07.  Next came Laura in with her Sprint finish at 2:27:35 and then Ursula in with her Olympic finish at 2:36:54.  We all cheered as Diane gave our relay team a really strong finish – my watch said 2:52:07. 

RESULTS.   Hmmmm.  Apparently there were timing chip issues.  We had to wait a full week for the final results, and in the end, the Race Director has admitted there is reason to doubt some results given we don’t really know if people followed the course correctly.  But in the end, we had good reason to pop a bottle of champagne.  Antoine won the whole race, his first triathlon victory!!!  Ursula came in second in her age category and Mike came in third in his!  I’m happy with my first Olympic distance open water swim accomplishment, and my relay team had a lot of fun.

Antoine wins the race!!!



Ursula captures 2nd in her Age Group!



Mike places 3rd in his Age Group!

Besides the significant race snafus, we had a fantastic weekend with our friends which is all the more reason I’m hoping for future, improved races.  On Sunday afternoon after the race, we took a walk down to the Edgartown harbor.  An absolutely beautiful, majestic, full rainbow appeared to the east as the sun set in the west and the rain showered us with love.  At one point a second, full rainbow started to appear above the first.  The locals were talking about it for a week and photos were prominently featured in the paper.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  I’ve been going to Martha’s Vineyard for 20 years and my husband for 40 years.  It’s a truly magical place that continues to surprise you with its beauty.  There is no better place to swim, bike, and run.

1st Annual Mayone Vineyard Warriors Celebrate Their Success!

I Feel Your Pain

I feel your pain is an overused expression, however in this case a relevant statement.  Cathy and I both had an MRI of our left knee within a week of each other.  Mine had been bothering me since the Tri, hers a more recent manifestation during a long run.  When she told me about her knee pain I said to have it looked at sooner rather than later.  Finally I took my own advice, and saw my family doctor in order to get an MRI and determine how serious my own knee issues really were.  I could bike 50 miles in a week and felt strong, but the nagging pain finally concerned me enough to take action.  Cathy has an articular cartilage defect, and was instructed no biking or running for 4-6 weeks.  This would mean no olympic triathlon for her, which was a disappointment.. but at least she could still swim.  I have narrowing of the lateral compartment, and arthritis -  and was told by the orthopedic doctor "no exercise for 3-4 weeks".  Naturally I assumed I would be permitted to swim, but the doc said - "zero exercise".  "WHAT?"  For the past 2 years I've been working out 3-4 times a week, and really enjoyed the "me time" now what would I do with myself?  I started out with an immediate shopping binge at the mall around the corner from the doctor's office!  Then I did the mani-pedi I had been needing.  I went to the gym and did arms and abs, at least it was something!  Then more shopping.  I went with some friends to lunch at the Tomato Pie Cafe, a delicious little place in Litiz PA.  Scheduled an oil change, and did more shopping with Mom while my car was in the shop.  I've been walking Bella, my morkie, who is most disappointed that we can't ride our bike with her basket on the front.  When I told her we were going to the Railroad Bed, she ran over to the bike - only to learn that we would be taking the SUV.  It's been 2 weeks, my knee is only a little better, and I'm getting bored and grouchy.  My husband says I'm turning into a "mean girl" so I tried more shopping.  I cleaned Derrick's room, and dusted some shelves that clearly hadn't been touched since he was a freshmen in High School.  I did another arm and shoulder workout on the equipment at the office.  I made 3 trips to the Jubliee Shop with donations of old clothes, and various housewares.  I made homemade pasta sauce, roasted peppers, and blanched ears of corn to freeze for the winter.  Now what?

Being injured is never fun, unless you have a hot masseur to rub your back... or maybe a cabana boy to bring you grapes and alcohol.   Now I'm getting delirious.  Finally I've become creative and made myself a piece of theraband to use for exercise at home.  If I keep it above my knees, I can do lateral leg raises, to work my thighs with resistance while not putting any force on my knee.  It's only been 2 weeks and I'm running out of ideas to keep me occupied.  I'm planning another trip to the gym for arms and abs, and also a company picnic for early September.  That should keep me busy for now...I'll do another post before my doctor's appointment mid September, with a status report on my knee pain and mental status after 4 weeks of rest.  

Discovering While Recoverying

The Trustees of the Reservation Kayak Discovery Tour

I’m happy to say that I’ve been “checking off” my vacation To Do List.  On one hand, it could be argued that one shouldn’t have a To Do List while on vacation – I’ve done vacations both with and without them – and there is rationale for both sides of the coin.  In this case, I had had such great expectations of it being a big training week in preparation for my first Olympic triathlon so I suddenly found myself having to dramatically change those expectations and was in need of a plan.

I always had kayaking on Martha’s Vineyard Great Ponds on that mental “I want to do that someday” list.  I’ve never been that enamored with the “slowness” of kayaking but the nature discovery has its appeal.  Now that speedier pursuits aren’t options, it was the perfect time to actually do it.  Plus, it would allow Mike to have a guilt-free bike ride without me.

When Mike and I were on our hiking binge a few years ago, we had discovered many interesting spots on our bigger-than-one-would-think Island.  It’s been over twenty years since I first set foot on this approximately 40 x 20 mile land mass separated from the mainland by Vineyard Sound, and I’m continuously amazed that I can keep discovering and experiencing new things.  On one of our hikes we had explored Edgartown Great Pond but I had never been to Tisbury Great Pond.  As I looked at kayaking tours, I found one for that Pond offered by the Trustees of the Reservations that launched from their 600 acre Long Point Wildlife Refuge.

“Find Your Place” is the tagline for the Trustees of the Reservations which describe their purpose as:

“We are more than 100,000 people like you from every corner of Massachusetts. We love the outdoors. We love the distinctive charms of New England. And we believe in celebrating and protecting them – for ourselves, for our children, and for generations to come. With more than 100 special places across the state, we invite you to find your place.”

We have already been enjoying their other Vineyard properties, in particular Norton Point Beach where we have an oversand-vehicle permit that allows us to drive on the beach and ‘find our place’ in the sand.  The Long Point property was originally settled (as much of the Island was) by the Wampanoag Indians who depended on it for agriculture, firewood, fishing and hunting / gathering.

Indeed, as I drove into the property for two miles on the dusty, bumpy, single lane road with turnouts, I was in a forest that one can imagine much hunting and gathering taking place.  I proceeded to the gate and waited along with another four-person family for our tour guide to arrive and unlock the gate to our awaited treasure.  I knew already that I had picked the right kayaking tour since the road into this public access property is purposely vehicle restricted to preserve its specialness.  Furthermore, realizing I had forgotten to inquire on the price of the two hour tour, I had conservatively brought along $80 based on the price of other advertised commercial tours.  “That will be $20 if you are a member or $25 if you are not,” said our California native guide who had recently graduated from college and had decided to spend his summer days in peaceful existence running the tours.

We lathered ourselves in sun lotion and bug spray and got our basic questions out of the way as we awaited the other tour participants, who had decided to hike their way in and were taken by surprise at the property’s mass.  The teenage daughter nearly stumped the guide with a first-time question whether or not we should be worried about sharks (I suppose there was some validity to the question given the recent photos in the media of a shark in pursuit of a kayaker on Cape Cod!).  He explained that this being a brackish pond, it was highly unlikely we would see any sharks although technically it was possible that a shark could pass from the ocean through the breach that had just been opened up in the sandbar.  The breach is often manmade to relieve the flooding that can occur to the property owners surrounding the Pond but it usually fills back in over time.

A family of five French speakers showed up, sweating after their hurried, longer-than-anticipated hike.  We sized our lifejackets, took a paddle and headed to the water, adding another half mile hike for the French couple and three teenage daughters who remained upbeat (since I speak French, I could understand them - a fact I did share to their surprise after it was clear my spying was yielding boring results).  The Tisbury Great Pond revealed itself in all its beauty living up to the tour brochure of the opportunity to explore “one of the rarest habitats in the world”.  Varying species of birds dotted the blue sky and occasionally dove into the aquamarine waters for their sustenance.  There were no shark fins in sight but the seventeen year old was still obsessed as she boarded a two-person kayak with the protection of her slightly older brother.

The Great Tisbury Pond Breach - A Natural Water Ride!

I was very excited that our first destination was the breach to the Atlantic Ocean.  A couple of years ago, Mike and I tried to hike to the breach at the Edgartown Great Pond after a realtor had described it as his favorite place on the Island.  In one of those “this Island is bigger than you think miscalculations”, we weren’t able to reach the spot before realizing that we had better turn around or face a night under the stars.

It was a good paddling warm up as we made our way across the calm waters in about 15 minutes.  It was nice to have a guide who steered us through the shallow waters as we watched an unguided group of kayakers get stuck on a sand bar and resort to pulling their kayaks to shore.  He encouraged us to explore the beach and so I headed straight for the breach and jumped in.  As advertised by the realtor, it’s a magical experience to jump in the Ocean surf and be carried by Mother Nature’s natural water ride into the Pond.

From there, we departed for one of the Pond’s long, finger-like coves.  Since this was my workout for the day and I had been inspired by the Olympic rowers, I decided to go all out and work my swimming shoulders and arms (not to mention my desire to escape the continued shark whining which was starting to get on my nerves).  Twenty minutes later I enjoyed ten minutes of solitude in the peaceful scenery and chorus of birds until the others showed up, a little surprised that the woman who claimed she hadn’t kayaked much had smoked them (Not that I’m competitive or anything.  And remember I speak French!).

I returned home thinking maybe one of those triathlons that includes a kayak leg is in my future after all.

Overcoming Triathlon Swimming Anxiety (Part 2 of 2)

What is your fear?

A. "I could never do a triathlon because I can't swim"

B.  “I’m afraid of sharks”

C. "I can swim miles in the pool but the open water freaks me out"

D. "I'm nervous about swimming with all those people"

There are many reasons behind the anxiety associated with the triathlon swim.  I've heard them all and experienced all of them myself.  And since I've had more than one friend expressing their anxiety to me lately, this seemed like the appropriate topic for my Day 6 vacation blog.  So the good news is that I can attest you can overcome your fears and actually really love swimming in open waters.  I can also tell you that you may have one fear only to discover that that fear will not affect you but something else will.  While I’m not a psychologist, I think getting to the source of the fear and having a logical plan to overcome it can help. 

Tackling Fear A

If you have Fear A, go back to the start of my blog history, and begin reading!  I once said this and I'm now regularly doing one mile open water swims.

Tackling Fear B

Many people who fear the ocean, fear not the little fish but the big ones with big teeth, much I think is sometimes due to our childhood remembrance of the movie Jaws or some other recent “entertainment”.  I’m surprised at how many people have Fear B, although given a lot of recent media coverage and some real threats, it’s not something to take too lightly.  But it also shouldn’t keep you out of the water when and where there is not a true threat.  I'm happy to report that Jaws truly was a mechanical shark - and not a very sophisticated special effect!  He currently resides around the corner from my Martha’s Vineyard house at the restaurant Sharkys so that is one less barrier for you to worry about.  That said, there have been recent shark sightings and attacks in Cape Cod and Western US waters.  I wouldn't recommend swimming too far offshore where they reside (as the Cape Cod victim did) and avoid areas where there are seals, who really are their preferred food over us humans.  But if your destined beach hasn't had any sightings, you should take that off your worry list.  And, with all the prep that goes into setting up and manning the swim course, have faith in your race organizers that they will be doing the shark sighting for you and would not permit a race to be held in dangerous waters.

Tackling Fear C

If you have Fear C, you are clearly ready for a triathlon -- you just need to get yourself in the open water and get comfortable getting salt or lake water in your mouth and swimming amongst seaweed, fish, and critters.  Besides the advice in my previous blog post, here are some tips:

·         Don't wait for the perfect sunny calm water day (this is a do as I say not as I did piece of advice -- if you read about my first open water swims, I waited for the "perfect day").  Of course, your first attempts should not be when the surf is up and you should never swim in a thunderstorm, but I now don't let a rain shower or some amount of waves stop me -- after all, we can't choose our race day weather.

·         Practice swimming out and off shore against the current for those triangular and rectangular swims.  But for everyday endurance training, it's best to swim parallel to shore so you stay within swim zones and close to shore, and it helps you to swim straight if you can spot the shore.

·         Bilateral breathing is an important skill to have in open water so you can avoid getting a mouthful of water from another swimmer or waves coming at you in one direction.  Bilateral breathing can also help you swim straight and sight.  Practice breathing from your "wrong side" every 2 strokes as well as bilateral breathing every 3rd stroke when in the pool and open water.

·         Try to swim in the same waters (or at least same type such as salt water or fresh water) in which your open water swim event will be at least once.  You will then get accustomed to the exact situation - plant foliage, rocks, shells, types of critters, etc.  I didn't have that option for my first race and the lake seaweed surprised and freaked me out a bit.  For my third race I did have the opportunity and was subjected to a different type of plant foliage and it made a huge difference just expecting it to be there.

·         Likewise, the first time I swam in the ocean with my goggles on, I was surprised to see crabs - I shouldn't have been, of course!  And to think they were there all those times I didn't wear goggles!  The best way to overcome your surprise and fear of our sea habitants is to get friendly with them and take joy in sighting them.

Tackling Fear D

Being afraid of the "swim mob" (Fear D) is completely normal and a situation that will be unique to race day.  In a pool or open water, try to swim closely to others to simulate it.  Purposely bump into one another in multiple ways and create waves and splash.  Some open water clinics will also create mock situations and trial swims.

For your first open water swim, start at the back of your wave and to one side of the wave (I recommend the side closest to the buoys you have to round so you have a shorter course but then you must be sure to sight often so you don’t go off course) and let everyone get in front of you.  Some races will also have a first timer / beginner wave you can voluntarily sign up for rather than being placed in your age category wave.

Note that shorter distance swims (e.g. .25 miles) have the benefit of less time in the water but they can also cause swimmers to be much more bunched up in the race.  Both my husband and I felt rather beat up from the swim mob after our first open water swim, which was .25 miles.  He actually enjoyed his next half mile swim much more.

Preparing for Your First Event

While you can't anticipate and simulate every situation you may encounter, have a plan to mentally and physically deal with anxiety on event day.  My first race I had no such plan and I suffered as a result.  By my second race, I had practiced just flipping over on my back and doing the elementary back stroke while taking deep breaths.  It made a world of difference. 

When you check out a swim course, know the placement and number of buoys you will pass and/or round.    I was grateful my last race that a fellow athlete had done that and told me how many there were -- even on a point to point swim it helps you know where you are in the race and pace yourself.

You should also know that most races will permit you to hold onto a buoy or kayak provided you do not advance forward.  Keep in mind that swimmers can really crowd around the buoy so that may or may not be a good option.  Also, if you require too much attention from a lifeguard on a kayak, they may disqualify you.  I think the buoy or kayak options are good for dealing with any equipment malfunctions and just knowing they are there for you if you need them should ease your anxiety.  For actually lowering your anxiety, I recommend the flip over on your back option and breathe deeply.  You will keep moving and not further raise your anxiety dealing with a concerned lifeguard.

One of the drills you can do in the pool to prepare for and deal with anxiety is to raise your heart rate by doing jumping jacks before getting in and / or swimming all out for 25-50 yards and then practice flipping over on your back and getting your heart rate down (my swim coach had me practice this).  During your open water swims, also practice this, particularly when you do feel an elevated heart rate.

In summary, there are 2 major things you can do to tackle anxiety:

1)     Just get in practice in open water

2)     Have a plan – know what you will do to tackle anxiety and practice it!

The rewards can be tremendous!  Once you become a fish in water, you will enjoy your beach days so much more and find a great source of exercise.  Becoming a competent and confident open water swimmer may also just save your life, or someone else’s, someday.

Open Water Swimming (Part 1 of 2)

As I talk to people, the swim is what prevents many people from trying the sport.  This doesn’t have to be and both my husband and I and many triathletes are living proof of that.  Many of us triathletes never swam competitively before triathlons.  (By the way, I wrote this while I was sitting on the beach and my husband and I did a three quarter mile swim with waves as a break from writing!)

Swimming is the one sport of the three that does really require technique to be competent so you should find a group adult swimming class or take private lessons, as I did, to first become a competent swimmer.  From there, you need to do two things:

1)     Build your fitness level

2)     Gain experience in open water

3)     Mentally prepare and gain the confidence and plan you need

To build your fitness level, I highly recommend a group or masters program but you can also do it by building your own training plan which I’ll have to save for another blog post (or a book!).  This blog post will focus on open water swimming and the next blog post will focus on how to mentally prepare, gain the confidence you need and tackle anxiety.

Open Water Swimming Attire Tips

·         Open water swims are a great time to practice in your wetsuit.  I typically use mine when the water temperature is 68 degrees or less.  Given the hassle of putting them on (and the heat on hot summer days) and rinsing them out, I don't use them for every swim.

·         Doing a trial run in your race day Tri suit is a good idea but I typically don't wear my more expensive attire for everyday training so they will last longer.

·         Your pool swimsuit is fine.

·         Other types of suits such as shorts or bikinis can be fine for training but of course have their limitations so if you want a serious workout, go with your serious swim gear.

·         A pair of shaded goggles is a good idea.  Just like sunglasses, they come with different levels of light protection so you may want to buy and have a couple different kinds on hand.  It's always a good idea to have an extra pair on hand in the event the goggles break.

·         A bright or neon colored swim cap will help lifeguards and your swim partner to keep an eye on you, and boaters to spot you.

·         Swim socks (neoprene booties) can help keep your feet warm if you are subjected to raynaud’s syndrome (your feet easily lose circulation) and protected from cutting your feet on shells.  Some races are permitting them and others are not.  Barb got special permission ton use them for one race due to her raynaud’s condition.  I highly encourage them when there are sharp rocks or shells, or wooden stairs to navigate to prevent cuts or splinters.  I've started wearing them for some races when they are permitted - I think I make up the few extra seconds it takes to get them off by a faster run and transition out of the water.

·         A water resistant watch is extremely helpful for judging your distance / workout.  When I first started, I was surprised at how slowly time passed (“what, it seems like I’ve been swimming for 30 minutes not 5 minutes!”).  For some reason, I lost all sense of time.  A watch helps me judge my distance paced on my typical pace when I can’t measure the distance.

·         Make sure you don't have any loose clothing.  I've heard more than one story of someone who got freaked out by "some fish" who was trying to feed on them only to discover that it was their wetsuit zipper cord (which usually can be attached to your Velcro collar so that it is also easy to find as you get out of the water)

Picking Your Venue

Before heading out for an open water swim, you should check 2 things (I haven’t in the past and have had disappointing moments showing up for an open water swim only to have to turn around):

1)     Check the status of the beach/lake/pond. Your biggest health concern should be focused on the everyday kind -- pollution of waters, often caused by everyday pesticides.  The good news is that most town health departments have become vigilant about testing the water and they err on the side of closing beaches if there is any concern so be sure to verify in advance the status of your intended swim destination.

2)     Check the tide charts.  Depending on the beach, low tide may make swimming within a safe zone from shore impossible, or high tide may make for too wavy of an experience for your desired conditions.  A quick google search for your body of water and “tide charts” should help you find the right source.    

Of course all of my open water advice comes with the never swim alone and ideally swim when a lifeguard is on duty.  When lifeguards are on duty, they can be helpful sources of information (water temp, tidal conditions, swimming versus boat zones) and they will always appreciate you checking in and letting them your intended swim course. 

Jellyfish do reside in warmer waters so they are more prevalent later in the season on the Eastern US Coast where they are the type that typically just cause discomfort so they shouldn't be something that keeps you out of the water unless you are allergic to their stings, there is a plethora of them in the water, or you are vacationing somewhere with the fatal type, as I was warned about in Australia.  Wearing a wetsuit can also protect you from them.  Lifeguards also typically have treatments on hand for things like jellyfish stings.  Web MD provides this guidance -- http://firstaid.webmd.com/jellyfish-stings-treatment

In the Water

When you get in the water, get a sense for the current.  If there is seaweed or plant matter, you can see which way it’s being carried as one indicator.  Plan your swim and workout accordingly.  If the tide and current are going out, you may need to adjust your planned course so as to not get pulled out pass the swimming area.  If it’s coming in, likewise, you’ll need to make sure you don’t get pulled inland too much.  And, if you are swimming with the current parallel to shore, remember that coming back will be much harder!

The need for "sighting" is one of the differences between pool and open water.  In the open water of course there is no dark line to follow and stay in your lane and it can be easy to go off course.  You may or may not be able to see the bottom at all, depending on the clarity and depth of the water.  To simulate this in the pool, close your eyes when they are in the water.  To sight, keep your eye on the next buoy by frequently lifting your head forward as you complete your stroke or take a quick breast stroke.  If you are going parallel to shore and breathing to the shore side, you can easily track if you are staying a parallel distance from shore.  When you are headed toward shore or there is a dock or rock barrier ahead of you, pick a notable object or shape to spot.

You should know what to do in the event of a riptide, which can occur in a beach but also even some lakes.  The following link gives good advice on that:  http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Riptide

While all of this may sound like a lot to consider, I wish someone had given me these tips!  I did it all with trial and error.  Ideally, find a swim partner who has experience in open water or attend a clinic as you are just getting started.  But, if you can’t, just get started with a good, calm venue that has a lifeguard on duty.  Soon you will feel like a fish out of water when you are not in it!