Finding Your Tribe

Our AC AirBnB Housemates

Over the last 8 years my circle of friends and acquaintances has grown to include more and more fellow triathletes, swimmers, cyclists and runners.  Quick acquaintances at an event lead to more facebook friends sharing my passion, and now I often find myself tracking and cheering on people in their latest Ironman race.  I have many virtual friends making up my social media feeds, some of whom I have yet to meet.  This really is a wonderful community of people educating, supporting and inspiring each other to do more.  Here’s who’s part of my latest tribe:

Women for Tri:  This is a great global facebook community and an Ironman sponsored initiative to recruit and support more women into the sport and longer distance races, which have been dominated by men.  The Ironman Championship Kona announcers credited Women for Tri with increasing the number of women participating in the longer distances.  It was fun going to the Women for Tri meetups at Atlantic City and starting to meet people in person.  The community also provides a safe place for newbies to ask questions, for women to discuss sensitive and personal topics, and for like-minded triathletes to celebrate small and large victories that people outside the sport “don’t get”.

Women for Tri Meetup at AC 70.3

TriDot:  My training program also has a facebook community that helps provide support, answers questions, and provides new connections with people at races.  The community of coaches is more Southwest / Midwest / West based but coaches can coach virtually and there is a growing a community of racers in the Eastern states and internationally. The coaches give Ironman race previews and onsite support.  They are currently recruiting people into their PreSeason Project (PSP) so if you sign up now you get 2 months free and get started with what I think is a great program that helps you get faster, go longer, and stay injury free with a personalized, data driven plan.

Philadelphia Triathlon Club:  My husband and I joined this club since our friend Diane is part of it, and we do a lot of races where this club races.  There is a supportive facebook community, and we managed to attend both the season kick off and closing parties, and meet members at races.  Our club won our division at the Atlantic City 70.3, and actually had the most points of any division, even the larger clubs!

Philly Tri Club at the Philly Tri

Martha’s Vineyard Cycling Club:  Our weekly Sunday group ride, run by Edgartown Bicycles, consists of year round and seasonal residents and vacationers who hear about our club. The club welcomes a variety of abilities with former pros, elites, and amateurs all joining the weekly ride.  As one of the slower riders, I have a few shortcuts that still allow me to keep up and join the group at our meeting points when I get dropped.

Martha's Vineyard Cycling Club welcomes residents & visitors

Amity Island Running Club:  All you have to do to be a member of this group is show up at Bad Martha’s, a Martha’s Vineyard craft brewery, for their thirsty Thursday evening runs.  They sponsor the Farm Institute 5K, and you’ll see runners in their famous logo shirts at many races on and off the Island throughout the year.

Amity Island Thirsty Thursdays at Bad Martha's Brewery

Housemates:  Whether it’s the annual Mayone house party weekend, or a race venue Airbnb, it’s fun camaraderie to feel like you are in college again with a great group of tri friends.  Well, sort of…..our bed time and alarm clock settings are a little different as is our alcohol consumption than our college days!

Fans:  You don't have to race to be in the Tribe.  Thanks for the support Mom & Dad!

Mom & Dad were Iron Spectators in the AC rainy conditions!

Journey 140.6: The Confidence to be Fearless

In a short period, you go from believing that something is definitely not possible to believing that it is possible.  In fact, you begin to think that it might even be possible for you.

-      Don Fink, Be Iron Fit

It’s 2 weeks after my first half Ironman, and I can’t shake the thoughts.  The realization that I’m capable of so much more than I imagined. The hunger now for something more. The belief that Anything is Possible.

I begin searching. Criteria:  A late season race;  A flat course;  A drivable distance.  The best option is clearly Maryland, but I know there have been weather issues in the past.  Then again, so many races this year have had weather issues and Maryland was great.  I remember I can’t control the weather but I can control how I respond to it, as I proved in Atlantic City.  

But this search is different than any other one I’ve done.  I didn’t even believe it was possible 4 months ago when I chose a triathlon watch with a maximum battery life for a half Ironman because, surely, that is all I would need.  After all, I thought I may only have one half Ironman in me.  It turns out I think I have a lot more.

I check out what people have said about Maryland.  A great race director, a welcoming town, a rescheduled race 2 weeks after a hurricane….great weather, a hard swim….a cancelled swim…an easy swim…jellyfish, tough head wind….a good bike course.  As always, there are contradictions depending on the year.  But mostly they said, decide now because lodging sells out quickly.

I register Mike and me for Eagleman, MD 70.3 in June so I can familiarize myself with the course. Then, with shaky fingers, I hit submit and just like that I register for IMMD, my first full Ironman next September. And, I rent an expensive but great AirBnb right on the race course and near transition.  Yikes, what did I just do!

In the morning, I’m in disbelief.  I’ve never swum 2.4 miles, ridden 112 miles, or run a marathon let alone done all 3 in the same day.  A week later, I see my friends struggle through a tough Ironman Louisville course in the cold rain.  But I also see their strength and determination.  And, I see amazing stories like 85 year old Hiromu Inada who just set a world record being the oldest person to complete the Kona Ironman World Championship.  I see a Ted Talk by Minda Dentler, who is the first female wheelchair athlete to complete Kona.  It took each of them two attempts before they were successful in their record breaking attempts – they were not afraid to fail, readjust and come back.

My biggest birthday gift this year is not my tri bike.  It is the confidence to be fearless.

Journey 70.3: Reflections

My first half Ironman was also my first half Marathon

 A year ago, I signed up for my first Half Ironman.  I formally announced my journey in my December 31, 2017 blog entry “Journey 70.3: Getting Started”.  The journey to my first Half Ironman has been a success. Yet again, the transformation I see in myself is truly amazing….

A year ago, I was excited for new gear but at the same time scared to ride a Tri bike.

Now I can balance just fine and ride in aero with ease.

A year ago, I didn’t know if I would make the swim and bike cutoffs.

I made the swim cutoff with 16 minutes to spare and the bike cutoff with over 1 hour to spare.

A year ago, I had never run past 10K, and worried past injuries could come to bear.

I ran my first half marathon (2:14:29) in the rain on the same day I completed my first Half Ironman.

A year ago, I didn’t think I physically could do a full Ironman.

I finished my first half Ironman in 6:53:55 feeling good, and a belief that Anything is Possible.

Now riding with ease in aero

And along the way, I had an Olympic race PR, and ran my fastest 5K, and for the first time placed 2^ndin my age group in a sizeable field in 5Ks – twice!

I often ask myself, why do I Tri?  Along with the wonderful camaraderie, it’s pretty simple – I see these amazing transformations happening in myself.  In wishing me congratulations, my friend Wayne posted this quote from professional triathlete Sarah True which I absolutely love:

The paradox of sport is that it’s both trivial and deeply significant.

It can be play, entertainment, and a luxury. But it’s also a celebration of what it means to be alive and to be human.

Journey 70.3: Anything is Possible!

10 months of planning. 10-12 hours / week of training for the last 16 weeks.  Here I am in Atlantic City on September 21 getting ready for my first 70.3 half Ironman in 2 days.  After spending a week being a germophobic, weather hawking, tapering triathlete, I finally give up checking the weather and resign myself to whatever it will be since the forecast is changing constantly but looking like some rain.  I am here, I am ready and I am excited.

Mike and I arrive Friday and check into our AirBnB in Ventnor ahead of the 5 others joining us (more on that in forthcoming post).  We decide to pick up our packets and check out the race venue.  My excitement becomes greater seeing the Ironman brand in full force.  While my exercise is tapering, my hunger is not so we go to the Biergarten meet and greet for some food and mingling, meeting some nice triathletes who traveled from Indianapolis for the event.

Saturday is a beautiful sunny day.  We have to drop our bikes off the day before so we ride the 1.6 miles to the venue, and go to the athlete briefing.  Stephen Del Monte is a well regarded and beloved race director who gives a thorough and lively 1 hour athlete briefing.  What fun it is to go to the Women for Tri Meet and Greet and meet fellow women athletes who are active on the Facebook page.  Mike and I then do a brief run warm up on the boardwalk and return for pasta dinner prep and final race preparations.  My wonderful parents travelled to cheer us on so we adorn them in spectator gear.

The alarm sounds at 4am on Sunday and I’m looking forward to the day.  While this is the biggest and most important race so far of my racing career, my past experiences keep me calm and I go into normal race prep mode – eat my bagel, dress, and put on sun lotion even if I am uncertain of its necessity. As I’m about to head out the door, my quick transition shoe lace comes apart.  Uh oh – I run and grab an extra shoe lace and some twist ties so I can figure out what to do the in car.  It turns out we have plenty of time in the car for the 1.6 mile drive as there is a serious traffic jam just getting to the race venue.  It’s frustrating but we stay calm and get parked by about 5:45am. Time then flies as I do all of the last minute prep in transition, get my wetsuit on and the race begins at 6:50. Here’s how the race goes:

SWIM:  I’m remarkably calm as I line up in the 46 – 55 minute wave and wait my turn. As I get closer to entry, amazing volunteers cheer us on and encourage us and the line speeds.  Boom, I’m off!  Since I have confidence I will meet the 1h10 cut off with a smooth sailing pace, I decide not to push my pace and just keep calm.  At times, I get caught up in swim traffic and people are bumping into me. It feels like a washing machine, especially near the buoys.  Keep calm and just keep swimming I tell myself.  Before I know it, the exit is in site.  As I exit, I look at my watch and I’m right where I thought I would be around 53 minutes (54:10).  I use the wet suit strippers, a luxury I’ve never had, although I’m not sure how much faster it is as they struggle over my watch.

Seaweed beards are in!

T1:  I have a great spot along the other Philly Tri Club members near an exit and where I can see my parents cheering me on.  Rich Montgomery, the TriClub president, sees me and kindly tells me I have a green seaweed beard!  I learned after the MV tri a couple weeks ago to have a small towel to dry my feet to put socks on (which I don’t do for shorter races), which doubles as the beard removal method.  I also decide to wear my arm warmers given the cooler temps.  I end up having a 10 minute transition due to all of this and also because it takes me about 5 minutes to run and cycle out of transition to the bike course.

BIKE:  It’s not raining yet so I decide to get aggressive and pedal strong to make headway.  It’s a flat course and when I check my watch from time to time, I can see I’m consistently pedaling above 16-17 mph.  I complete loop one and begin the next loop on the Atlantic City Expressway – a new experience going through EZ-Pass lanes toll free!  Every time I go over the time chip checkpoint I think about the people virtually tracking me and cheering me on. 

Pedal to the medal pre-rain!

 The drizzle comes and soon turns into rain, and then heavier rain.  This is the most miserable fun I’ve ever had, I think to myself.  I pull into T1 with a very respectable bike of 3h22:54, 16.48 mph.

"The most miserable fun I've had!"

T2:  I bike the .5 miles that are part of the transition back in. I’m soaked so I change socks for the run.  I also have to pee so I head for the porta potties on my way out of transition – unfortunately I have to wait a few minutes.  All of this adds up to my longest transition ever at 12 minutes.

RUN:  Like every race, once I’m off on the run, I feel confident I will finish.  But this is my first half marathon run so I don’t know how I will fair.  My longest training run was 90 minutes, which equated to 8.5 miles.  The rain continues but the run along the boardwalk provides for interesting scenery and distractions.  And the volunteers at the aid stations are amazing.  Many are high fiving us, cheering us on by name.  I know I didn’t drink enough on the bike so I pause briefly for water at all of the beginning aid stations.  

A woman in my age group (I’ll call her ACK for her Adorandeck tri club suit) passes me but is just within my pace so I tag on behind her.  At the fishing pier, I see my parents who have wisely taken cover from the rain under a gazebo.  Out and back on the pier and for a period of time I’m on ACK heels drafting her – I’m sure she is annoyed, and I can tell she is tiring but I am staying strong so at some point I pass her.  I’m keeping a good pace until I hit a period where we have to navigate some sand and uneven surfaces.  About mid race, I also start to feel hungry so I decide to do a walk through one aid station long enough to eat a piece of banana.  ACK probably caught up to me during this and passes me so I once again stay on her heels.  I blow past the next aid station while she briefly pauses, she passes me again, I stay on her heels and pass her again at the next aid station.  

On the heals of ACK!

“Wahoo – we’re at ten miles people” I announce to my fellow racers as if they didn’t see the marker. With only a couple of miles to go, I pick up the pace and maintain it leaving ACK behind.  I know the finish line is approaching but I can’t quite tell how far it is, but then I see it.  I’m wet, I’m happy, and I know I can claim my first 70.3 as I raise my arms in jubilation.

ACK comes over the finish line soon after me.  In the end I look her up and she beat me by 1 second!  But we know this is really only a competition against ourselves and about getting better and better.  She pushed me to my best, and I’m sure I wouldn’t have finished my run in 2h14:18 if hadn’t been for her.  Since the gun time clock reads 7h21 when I cross the finish line, I’m not sure if I met my best possible goal of finishing under 7 hours, but looking at my watch, I see I finished at 6h53:55!

I DID IT!!!!!!

When I started my 70.3 journey, I was afraid of meeting the cut off times of a 1h10 swim, a bike that finished within 5.5 hours of my start, and a 8.5 total time limit. Despite the weather, I didn’t end up having any troubles.  My TriDot training program guided me perfectly, without injury and without overdoing it.  I proved Ironman’s motto that even at age 50, Anything is Possible!  Now I actually believe I physically could do a full Ironman 140.6….

Anything is Possible!!!

Twas the Night Before AC 70.3

'Twas the night before the AC 70.3, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The tribags were packed by the front door with care,

In hopes that Steve Del Montesoon would be there;

The athletes were nestled all snug in their beds;

While visions of finish lines danced in their heads;

And mamma in her trikit, and I in my swim cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long pre-race nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the Atlantic Bay,

Gave a lustre of Bader where transition objects lay,

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But an AC jitney and eight volunteers,

With an energized driver so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment he must be St. DelMo.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Denise! now, Kristy! now Mindy and Maggie!

On, Rachel! on, Ryan! on, Dawkins and Teddie!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew

With the sleigh full of swag, and St. DelMo too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each bike shoe hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. DelMo came with a bound.

He was dressed all in lycra, from his head to his foot,

And his body was all tarnished with tritats and soot;

A bundle of pint glasses he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

For he had never learned how to say the word no;

The stump of a shot block he held tight in his teeth,

And the gu, it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a flat toned belly

That stayed put when he laughed, unlike a bowl full of jelly.

He was cheery and fit, a right jolly young elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the tribags; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his jitney, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—

“Happy Ironman 70.3 to all, and to all a good night…brought to you by DelMoSports and Inspira Health Network!”

Journey 70.3: Martha’s Vineyard Race Rehearsal

The Vineyard Tri is a great group of friends & Island visitors

As our favorite near end-of-the-season race on Martha’s Vineyard approached, I looked at my TriDot training plan for my 70.3 and saw the weekend called for a “race rehearsal” which included a 3 hour plus bike and a 40 min run.  Perfect, I could use the MV half iron distance Aquabike – a real race – as part of my training plan by moving my hour swim the day before to race day, and then just doing my own run.  We once again planned our house party weekend and welcomed our friends Diane and Eric to our Martha’s Vineyard home.

My goal for this race was to use a harder course (typically choppy ocean swim and hillier bike course) to prove I could make the cut off times for the Half Ironman Atlantic City (HIMAC) bay swim and flat bike course, and feel good running off the bike.  This would mean I would also need to do much better than my last half iron distance Aquabike on this course in 2014, when the swim took me 1h13 (3 min past the 1h10 HIMAC cutoff, albeit in very tough swim conditions) and the bike took me 4h15, with a 3 minute transition resulted in a total time of 5h31 (1 min past the 5h30 HIMAC cutoff for the first 2 events). And, I remember getting off my bike totally exhausted and thinking there was no way I could run even a short distance let alone a half marathon.  The title of my blog post, GULPS and FIRSTS, conveys my overwhelmed state with the distance at that time.

The Martha’s Vineyard Triathlon has traditionally taken place on Sunday but was switched to Saturday this year.  We all hoped this would bring us good luck.  Every year on Saturday we do a warm up swim in Inkwell Beach calm waters only to the next day face a very different turbulent Atlantic Ocean.  This year, we passed on the pre-race day warm up swim as the chilly air and choppy waters were not drawing us in.  Here’s how the race went:

SWIM:  Wahoo – we have relatively calm waters on Saturday morning for our 7am start.    Surveying the course, fortunately the longest part of the swim is with the current.  We go off in two’s, so Mike and I start together but I soon find myself completely alone with not many swimmers in sight. As I round the first buoy I aim farther to the left of the next buoy to account for the current, but it does not pull me as expected so I probably get a little extra swim in.  As I make my way to the far distant buoy in the longest part of the course, a kayaker approaches me and is pointing towards the buoy as if I was going off course (I don’t think I am) and he keeps staying very close to me. I feel like I must be the last swimmer. Then another kayaker starts following me.  I make my way to the finish convinced I must be last but look at my watch and I’m incredulous to see I did the swim in 40 min, and as I’m running off to transition I hear more cheers for the later swimmers.  The race Gods seem to be on our side because by late morning the surf whips itself into a tizzy again.

T1:  As I’m in T1, I hear “last swimmer out of the water”. There are a few of us in T1, but most people have exited.  I struggle to get my socks on – I usually don’t wear socks for shorter races, but I will need them for the run when I do HIMAC so I do it as practice.  And, unlike the last time I did the Half Aquabike, I remember to reapply sunscreen (a mistake that caused me to take a break and buy some the last time in the middle of this race).  It may be unnecessary given the cloudy conditions but the weather can change quickly on MV, and this is practice for the real thing. My transition is more than 4 minutes – slower than normal for me - but I have more preparations for the long course. 

BIKE:  My friends Peter and Linda are cheering me on at the transition exit as I mount my bike.  It’s great riding on my home course -- the ride I do most Sundays as a group ride.  I have had a couple of practice runs on my tri bike.  The traffic going through Vineyard Haven is a little tough and slows me down slightly.  A couple of people pass me and then I’m on Lamberts Cove Road and hear someone constantly shifting behind me so I keep up the pace not to be passed again.  I’m speedy on the downhills and flats, slow on the uphills.  HIMAC will be flat so I’ve practiced more on the flats as people tell me it’s not as easy as you think to constantly be pedaling without rolling hills.  

Suddenly, a fawn jumps across the road in front of me, fortunately just out of distance from what could have been an ugly collision.  I’m amazed how fast the miles click by – 10 miles, 20 miles…. I pass Eric and then Mike going the opposite way on State Road since they have already looped around the Aquinnah cliffs.   I catch up to a male with strong looking legs (“Mr. Legs”) and fly by him on my tri bike – yippee!  He catches me again on an uphill.  As I approach the Aquinnah cliffs, I overtake him again and knowing the course, quickly take the turn onto Moshup trail, whizzing by the police officer monitoring the intersection.  I know I can go fast on this stretch so I go all out.  I stop briefly at the aid station to refill my torpedo hydration system. There is no sign of Mr. Legs.

I keep pushing on and encounter a woman on a road bike who is looking pretty tired at around mile 40. I keep up my strength and pass her. I forgot my Garmin watch so I’m relying on a basic Timex Ironman watch and my own calculation of speed with every 10 mile marker.  I think I’m averaging over 15 mph, which is what I need to do.  I’m done with all of the Up Island hills and on the flat part of the course now so I know if I can keep up my speed, I’ll meet my goal.  I turn to enter the Katama part of the course. I’m on the lookout for cars at intersections since there are no police officers here, and narrowly avoid a collision with one speeding car.  

Last push on Beach Road and oh my, the wind resistance!  It feels like this last bit is taking me forever.  I pass a very slow male rider who I think must be part of the Sprint course. I finish with a 3h37 bike, a 15.4 mph pace.

(MY OWN) RUN:  After handing in my chip, I transition into my running shoes, take a quick bathroom break, and head out on my 40 minute run. I’m supposed to do it at race pace, 9:15.  Without my Garmin, it’s hard to tell but I’m guessing I’m running around a 10 – 10:30 pace. My feet are numb coming off the bike but fortunately that dissipates.  My shins are hurting slightly but after I take a quick break at a water stop, they feel better.  Overall, I feel pretty good and I can envision being able to keep going in 2 weeks. I see Diane on the run – wow, she’s flying – I need to boogie back so I can capture pictures of her finish!!

A personal best for Diane!

Eric's first 70.3!

Mike finishing strong!

RESULTS:  I met my goals, beating myself from 4 years ago with a time of 4h23 (1h8 faster!!) and feeling confident going into HIMAC.  And, I got a 3^rdplace medal to boot for the female Aquabike category, although there were only 3 of us.  As my swim coach used to say – I still beat everyone who didn’t start the race that day!  Diane had a goal to break 6 hours and had the race of her life with a personal best of 5h18!!  Eric completed his first 70.3 with a time of 5h46.  Mike had one of his better times of 5h49.   Based on GPS calculations, the swim course was about 500 yards short of 1.2 miles, and the bike course was about .75 miles short of the 56 miles. But even factoring that in, we can all be very happy with our times.

Diane is in a league of her own!

Podium finishes are fun - even when you are 3/3!

That night we do a post race BBQ.  My friend Peter who cheered me on at the bike start informs me that was him behind me on the bike course.  It turns out he was the “the sweeper” who was following the last person on the course. I laugh, telling him how he made me go faster since I didn’t want anyone else passing me.  He informs that me Mr. Legs made it but struggled the last half of the course.  That was me last time, but not this time.  Properly training with TriDot and a new tri bike have made all the difference 4 years later.  #gettingbetterwithage

Showing off our Bad Martha's tattoos!

Journey 70.3: A Successful Early Season

The Philly Escape Triathlon

So far so good!  I’m 7 months through my 10 month plan to complete my first half Ironman.  In the TriDot Preseason project, my training focused on increasing my functional threshold in each sport, and I’m happy to say it’s been working.  It’s a thrill at age 50 to achieve PRs and demonstrate we’re never too old to improve.  PRs make us feel good, but I continue to love this sport for the impact it has on people’s lives.

In May I raced my fastest 5K ever (25:55), at the American Heart Association (the AHA) Wall Street run, supporting a charity that has made a big impact in peoples’ lives.  The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke, the number 1 and 2 killers globally. They are working toward improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent, and reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent, all by the year 2020. 

In early June, thanks to my Tridot training and my new tri bike, I cut 7 minutes off my fastest time at the Seaside Sprint in Bridgeport.  Perhaps I was inspired by the movie about P.T Barnum, entrepreneur founder of the circus and former mayor of the city who helped to establish Seaside Park, who once said, “Be cautious and bold”, a good motto for we triathletes.

I was "cautious and bold" on my first tri bike race

Last weekend, we joined our good tri friends Diane and Erik for the Philadelphia triathlon, making it our 5^thannual event.  It was the second time I did an Olympic distance race and again cut 7 minutes off my previous time.  Decked out in my Philadelphia Tri Club kit, I benefited from the cheers and encouragement of my fellow racers and spectators.  Barb and Diane inspired us all with their 3^rdand 2^ndage group wins, Barb’s first ever podium placement!

Professional looking transition!

The older athletes continue to amaze me.  With my milestone birthday, I happily entered a new age group, which usually gives you a competitive advantage, but I was surprised to find that not so!  The women in my new age group are doing something right, pushing themselves to new levels of athletic achievement.  It’s been inspiring and fun to follow my fellow 50 year olds (and older) on the Women for Tri community site also training for their first half Ironman or Ironman races.  Recently a pair of 78 year old women announced, to rousing fanfare, they are training for their first sprint triathlon.  We all have a lot of work to do to match Sister Madonna Buder, the Iron Nun, who is the oldest person (not just woman!) to successfully complete a full distance Ironman at age 82.  Her book, “The Grace to Race,” was my favorite springtime read.

For the next 3 months, I’m increasing my distances and weekly workouts to 10-12 hours at peak periods through my TriDot plan.  This is the first time I’ve gotten to comfortably and regularly running 10K without an injury. I now feel comfortable on my new tri bike and have a heart rate monitoring tri watch, but more importantly, I increased my confidence and mental fortitude in the first half of the season so I’m ready for the new challenges that lie ahead!

Barb and I race together again

Our annual Philly tri picture