Climbing to New Heights

For our annual March ski trip we decided to keep it somewhat local and simple. Skiing in VT with reasonably good conditions seemed plausible when 2 weeks ago the Green Mountain State was very white. As the forecast played out the week before, we weren't so sure. But, with family in VT, there was at least another reason to go.

After driving up Thursday night, we awoke to a rainy and foggy Friday. There is always the gym. As we were finishing up our workout, we peered down and were intrigued with the rock climbing wall on the floor below. Upon entering, we were enthusiastically greeted by Lauren and couldn't say no to her cheeriness or the offer that the lesson, equipment and entry were free with our gym day pass. Despite being afraid of heights, I'm a sucker for all things "free"!

After finding a pair of mountain climbing shoes that fit, we stepped into and snuggly adjusted our safety harness and were given a "belay" - the all important clip that will save your life provided the rope attached to it and your belay partner does his or her job. Lauren instructed us on the protocols for safety checks and belay partners - as in any marriage, good communication and paying attention to your partner's needs are key! We learned how to manipulate the rope so it stays taut as the climber ascends and how to loosen it to allow the climber to descend.

Mike suggested I should go first - perhaps he knew if I thought about it too much I would chicken out. I made it out about a third of the way and was ready to come down. Lauren encouraged me for another couple steps but after 15 minutes of this I really was ready to give it a rest.

Mike, on the other hand, was born a climber. Family lore often relays the story of him climbing a tree and literally greeting guests hanging upside down by his shoelaces! So, I shouldn't have been surprised when he bolted up and rang the bell at the top within a minute!

I like to get my money's worth and since we were all ready doing a good job of that, I decided to torture myself some more. The second time up, my brain was at least processing that I needed to push from my legs rather than pull with my arms. But I still got half way and then got stuck. I was sweating either from the effort or the height or both. But Lauren was coaching and encouraging me with every step "you go girl...don't give up now!" Every movement was planned and an effort. By the time I was a foot away from the top, I knew I had to do it. I took my last step but found I was really about an inch too far away to the left of the bell. I reached and stretched and my shaking right hand finally hit it and announced my triumph.

My first experience rock climbing has good lessons for any triathlete or person taking on a sporting endeavor:

1) Good coaches really help! Yes, I could have watched YouTube videos for the technique but I likely would not have prevailed the mental aspect without Lauren's coaching.

2) Don't worry about the performance of those around you. Just focus on reaching your next personal best.

3) Plan each next step. Give each step along the way your best. While the end goal will keep you motivated, it's the daily small goals that will allow you to achieve the end goal.

4) You can and will exceed your expectations of what is possible if you just believe in yourself!

Middle Age is Cool!

Patricia Cohen's book "In Our Prime" and articles about it such as this one http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/books/in-our-prime-the-invention-of-middle-age-by-patricia-cohen.html have recently been expounding on the virtues of middle age. It seems that many of us are happier now than the previous three decades of our life. For we middle aged triathletes it seems like a bit of a chicken and egg question - did we attempt this sport because we have this new found confidence in our lives or did the sport change us and make us better and happier? I say both!

I recently celebrated my 44th birthday and as I look back at my 43rd year it beats my 33rd year hands down! I was googling myself recently just to see what kind of bread crumbs my life has left behind and I came across the results of my first - and only up until this past year - 5K run I did a decade ago, "the not quite New York City Marathon". My husband's company was sponsoring it and I recall deciding a couple weeks before the event that we would give it a go, going out and buying running shoes, taking a couple practice runs and showing up on a nice fall day in Central Park with no clue what to do with the timing chip.

Ok, so I wasn't exactly well trained for the event and my time in the race was 33:21. The two 5Ks I ran a decade later as a 43 year old came in at 27:52 and 27:47. AND, my two triathlon 5Ks after swimming and biking still beat my 33 year old self at 29:16 and 32:50!

I'm fortunate to agree with Patricia Cohen's premise. I'm physically, mentally, and emotionally stronger than I have ever been. One kind friend wished me a happy 29th birthday on a facebook post. I let him know that I'm proud to say I'm 44, and besides my age is a simple google away in my race records!

Training in the off season

I've been getting a lot of questions about what I do in the off season. The best advice I read is that you should do what you feel like doing and so that is my prescribed plan, or lack thereof. After all, the off season is a chance to rejuvenate yourself both physically and mentally.

We've been having an unseasonably warm winter so that has meant many days of feeling like running and biking outdoors. I've been adding distance to my running, taking on a 5 mile hilly loop around my house. When I got a cold recently, I opted for walking rather than running and discovered a whole new perfectly distanced 5K loop from my house.

On December 31, Mike and I decided to do a 10 mile bike loop to the beach and back at our Martha's Vineyard house - a record for the latest bike ride in the year for us. On January 1, we set another record for earliest ride in the year and we were treated to a blue sky, sunny 47 degree day with blue, calm ocean views during our 18 mile ride.

Swimming has continued to be a focus of mine. I joined an adult swim group that my swim coach runs. I choose up to 2 nights a week and I'm sometimes joined by 1-2 others or have the benefit of a private lesson when no one shows up. After a warm up, we typically do technique drills that have definitely been making me a more efficient swimmer. Then, the sets focus on speed and/or endurance. It all seems to be paying off as I keep setting new speed records for myself and felt pretty good after swimming 2100 yards non stop one day (I set out to do one mile which is 1760 yards and was surprised after I looked at my lap watch how much I had miscounted!). My current personal bests are:
25 yards - :21 seconds
50 yards - :47.78 seconds
100 yards - 1:53
450 yards (.25 mile) - 9:58
1800 yards (1 mile) - 45:02

There is one problem with this "do what you feel like" plan - strength training doesn't make the list. So, I've had to force myself to do some of that but it has admittedly not been enough as another piece of advice that I read is that you really should do more of it now since it often gets squeezed out in season. So, I came up with a little game of sorts - I sum the digits in the date and do that many daily push ups and twice as many sit ups. So 1/1/12 = 13 push ups and 26 sit ups and 12/31/12 = 55 push ups and 110 sit ups.

This off season training plan has one big benefit - it's been great at fighting the wintertime blues. Dark early? Who cares, I'm off to the pool. Winter? I'm still in denial with these beach bike rides. And, I've discovered new streets in my neighborhood after living there for 14 years!

2012: New Goals

The first thing I did on the first day of the year was to register online for a popular Montauk triathlon that opened that day! I spent a couple of hours on New Year's Eve researching my 2012 triathlon options. I am excited that my 2012 goal will be to complete an Olympic distance triathlon. 2012 is the Chinese Year of the Dragon. The Dragon is a legendary creature and would make a good triathlete as it can survive on the ground, in the water, and in the sky.

Here's the run down on my race plan - come join me!

June 2: Barb and I will return to Lake Noxamixon State Park for the Independence Triathlon. It will be fun to do a year over year comparison since this was my very first triathlon. It's also a great warm up race at .25 mile swim, 10 mile bike, and 2 mile run. http://www.piranha-sports.com/Race177.aspx

July 1: It's tempting to go for the Olympic triathlon in my home town in Stamford, CT. But after checking the 2011 results, as it stands now, I would come in dead last on the mile swim. I've decided it would be best to use the summer to get plenty of open water swim practice in and to work on my biking and running speed before attempting an Olympic. But, Mike, my friend Allison and I have decided to do it together as a relay as a good training race. It will be a good 10K training race for me and give me motivation to work on my run. http://www.kicittriathlon.com/

July 15: The Montauk Point Lighthouse Sprint. This race will add some distance with a .5 mile swim, 15 mile bike, and 5K run as I prepare for the Olympic distance. And, it's a location I've always wanted to visit. https://secure.marathonguide.com/register/montaukpointtriathlon/index.cfm?

September 9: Martha's Vineyard. So far there are 11 of us who have declared we're in! I'm planning on making this my Olympic distance debut as is my friend Allison. Mike has declared he will do the Sprint distance. I'll have all summer to practice and will know the route well. We're planning lots of extended weekend activities for our friends and family so please let me know if you want to join us for the sprint, Olympic or Olympic relay or our cheerleading squad and the weekend events! http://www.vineyardwarrior.com/

Others: It may be tempting to squeeze in an early and/or late season event so I'm keeping these on my list.
4/22 mini mighty man (pool swim)
9/22 Darien sprint usat
9/29 mighty man montauk sprint 9/30 Olympic
mid-Oct. Gettysburg

Last year my goal was just to finish some races. While that is of course still the intent, particularly with my Olympic, I'm hoping for some new personal bests.

Having been born in 1968, my Chinese sign is the Monkey:
Monkeys can run circles around other people with ease. They are curious and clever people who catch on quickly to most anything. Monkey people generally can accomplish any given task. They appreciate difficult or challenging work as it stimulates them and makes them think.

Game on!

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!