Journey 70.3: The Triathlon Bike Milestone

My bike fitting with enduranceWERX

I got the bike!  After debating for the last few years if I should buy a triathlon bike, I finally took the plunge.  I was recently reading an article how a triathlon bike purchase is one of the big milestones in a triathlete’s life – CHECK!

Many of the race courses I ride are hilly and technical so that is one of the reasons why I haven’t opted for a triathlon bike to date.  But my first half in Atlantic City is a flat course and since I need to pick up speed on the bike, it seemed like the right time.  And with the big birthday looming, the perfect “new gear milking scheme”! 

Shopping for a triathlon bike was a different experience than a road bike.  To begin with, it’s best to start with the bike fit, rather than end with it.  Starting with the fit will make your shopping process much easier as you will quickly narrow down which bikes will best work for you, and it will lead you to the best possible aero position, efficient pedaling, comfort, and injury prevention.  I think it’s best to find a bike fitter who is completely neutral to brands, which means they are probably an independent operator.  Most bike shops throw in the fit with a bike purchase at a certain level, which has some appeal, but you will then feel an explicit or implicit obligation to buy from that shop that may or may not carry the right brand for you.  You can expect to pay $350 - $400 for a bike fitting in the metro NY area, which should include the initial fitting, consultation on bike purchase, and subsequent tune ups.  It may or may not include bike assembly for an online bike purchase.

In the NY area, there are a few independent bike fitters:  1) ACME Bicycle Company owned by Jonathan Blyer, who was recommended to my husband Mike from a fellow triathlete, and where he went for his fitting and would recommend Jonathan.  Since I didn’t want to go all the way to Brooklyn, I researched fitters closer to us in CT.  2) Signature Cycles in Greenwich, CT would have been the closest option for me.  I had remembered seeing them at an expo a few years ago.  However, when I spoke with a person on the phone and described my long leg, short torso body composition, he immediately recommended a Specialized which I thought was odd since it seemed like we should be talking fit before any brand.  I saw later that Signature, which used to be brand neutral, now has a partnership with Specialized so I felt they could be too biased.  3) enduranceWERX, owned by Chad Butts, has been in Harlem for some time, but he had conveniently recently opened a shop in Montrose, NY, about 30 miles from me.  After seeing good reviews online, I opted for Chad.

Chad, like some other fitters, uses the Retul fitting system.  He told me to come in dressed in my bike workout attire.  I soon saw why – you can get a mini workout just with your fitting!  Chad holds a MS in Exercise Physiology so he is very attuned to your body movement and physiology.  He first assesses your flexibility to understand what kind of bike position is going to be comfortable but also the most efficient.  He quickly pointed out how my right foot is naturally turned a bit, something I never noticed but now realize that is probably why that foot “feels different”, and I’ve come to realize the natural crossing of my legs with right foot over left has probably caused it.

The Retul system involves hooking different parts of your body to wires that track your movement, and there are 16 measures that the system captures your optimal position.  At the conclusion, Chad provided a detail report and explained I should search for bikes with a stack and reach range.  He also explained that some bikes are more adjustable than others, and given my body proportions, adjustability was going to be important.

Armed with my data, I began researching triathlon bikes to see which brands would be the best fit.  Unlike road bikes, it’s not like you can just walk into any shop and find bike inventory you can easily test ride for fit.  Still, while Mike successfully bought his tri bike online without a test ride, I highly recommend test riding to insure you have a good feel for the bike and fit.  When one shop told me over the phone, “well most people know what they want and just come in and order it”, I did not visit that shop.

Based on fit and budget, I narrowed my list of brands down to Cannondale Slice, Cervelo P3, Quintano Roo, and Specialized Shiv.  Finding stores with inventory in December proved to be a challenge, although not impossible – I just had to go to 3 different stores to be able to see and test ride 3 of the 4 brands.  But the snow, cold weather, and busy roads near some shops did present some test ride challenges.  I never did find a Specialized Shiv but since it’s pricing was higher than the others for the same components, I eliminated it.  I also eliminated the Slice – while the fact that they had a women’s version (which was basically just a different seat and handlebars) was appealing, the Cervelo and QR had more modern frames.

I thought based on brand alone, I would go for a Cervelo, but as I test rode both a Cervelo and QR, the QR felt more stable.  The Cervelo’s handle bars seemed a bit “jerky”, a topic that was discussed on a forum, although most people said you just had to get used to it.  QR’s website claimed different technology that added to the bike’s stability, but was it all in my head?  And since I had ridden a PR5 with Di2 technology side by side a Cervelo P2, was I comparing apples to oranges?  The QR PR3 was the bike that would be in my budget but was the different chainstay on the QR PR5 really adding to better stability?  I inquired with QR, and the answer I got back is that chainstay technology on a PR5 or PR6 makes a difference with larger sized bikes, but it wouldn’t make much of a difference on a smaller frame I would buy.

So I concluded the QR P3 would be the bike for me, and since Jason at Bonzai Bicycle in VA had been so helpful helping me compare the Cervelo and QR during our vacation travels, I was all set to order from him.  The day I was going to email him to put the order in, a one season used QR PR6 showed up on the Facebook site Tri and Sell It.  It was the same price as the new PR3 but with a lot of upgraded components and a carbon frame 2 models up.  And the seller was in CT!  I tried to temper my enthusiasm – the bike was a size 50 and the new one I was going to order was a size 52 so I didn’t think it would be the right size.  As I dug into the fit charts, however, there was some overlap in the sizing.  Chad thought it would still work and suggested I take pictures with me on the bike so he could further evaluate.

The seller, Linda, was located in upstate CT but was headed down to NYC that weekend so she graciously offered to meet me in Stamford on a Friday night.  But where could I possibly test ride it given the snowy, frigid weather?  Mike’s office parking garage provided the solution.  Linda is also my height but our body proportions are different but still when I got on it, it felt pretty good, and actually a better fit than the 52.  We took pictures and sent them to Chad, who confirmed with me the next day that it was a good fit.  Linda was heading back up to CT that night so we met again and I was the happy owner of a QR, PR6, a much better bike than I had expected! 

A couple of weeks later, I went back to Chad for my fitting.  He adjusted the seat height, position and made the handlebars more parallel but the bike was pretty much ready to go.  He did advise me to get a new clamp for the seat, which had been replaced from the original, but the clamp was the original and not the right fit for the new seat which could cause wear on the carbon seat post.  The guidance and advice of Chad has been very valuable!

The bike took Linda to her first Ironman finish in Louisville last October so we are both excited to see it take me on my first half Ironman journey.

The Gang Is Back Together

It's been two years since I did a triathlon, last year I focused on more weekly cycling and longer cycling events.  My longest ride was the rather windy 50 mile Chocolate Tour with a time of 3:45; which was 15 minutes faster than the year before.  My friend Charlie and I also did the very windy but fun 30 mile Ride Around Valley.

The last Tri I did with Cathy and Diane was Quakertown, and since I was still injured couldn't train seriously (the way I wanted to) so my only goal was to have fun.  Goal accomplished, it was an awesome weekend with new and old friends, full of laughs and memories!   
My riding this past summer was very strong, but I was feeling a few pounds over my happy weight after eating more food for energy to keep up with my cycling miles.  This past November,  I stepped up my winter workout routine mainly for stress relief, and hit the lean and clean eating very hard.  Mental balance and physical strength were my main goals, but in an effort to have a leaner body composition I also lost a good bit of weight.  Usually if I am lean, I have no power on my bike; this year I am determined to find the keys to being BOTH lean and strong at the same time! 

  After 3 years of being unable to run more than a mile due to foot and knee injuries, I finally decided to give it one more try.  Starting with a few easy 1 mile runs, I realized that my foot and knee pain were less of an issue.  Next was the 2 mile mark, my times were horrible, but I was running without much pain.  Finally I completed a 3 mile run, which is what I need to do for a sprint Tri.  My thoughts of doing an event this year were slowly becoming more of a reality with every workout.

Next on the list was trying out my full wetsuit that I ordered last year.  I was considering doing the Philly Tri so I could have some shenanigans with Cathy and Diane again.  But there was no way in hell I would swim in the Schuylkill River without a full wetsuit!  Being a bit of a germaphobe, I really don't want to swim in that river at all, which is exactly why I eventually signed up for this event.  Sometimes life puts you out of your comfort zone unexpectedly, and sometimes you do it to yourself on purpose.  Swimming came back to me pretty easily, although the breathing will take a while to perfect again.
So in my "That's so Barb" fashion:  upon completing a 3 mile run, and enough laps in the pool that I was convinced I would survive a river swim, I signed up for the Philadelphia Tri in June!
I immediately texted Cathy and Diane to let them know, "The Gang Is Back Together" and I can't wait to see what new adventures the coming year brings.          

Journey 70.3: Getting Started

God willing, my goals for next year are to hit two milestones – my 50^th birthday in February and my first half Ironman in September.  Not having achieved either milestone before, there are a lot of unknowns as to how I will feel but suffice it to say that the first milestone prompted the goal for the second one.  Not achieving the birthday milestone didn’t sound appealing so I decided to go for it.  Not going for the half Ironman milestone had its appeal, but I needed a new challenge and new birthday wish list full of gear to milk this milestone birthday.

Here’s what I’m doing to get started:

Selecting my race – I want to have the experience of an Ironman branded race for my first (and only?) half Ironman.  Not being the fastest athlete on the planet I need an “easier” race to hopefully meet the cut off times.  I also prefer a race I can drive to, and want a later season race to insure enough summertime training.  The bay swim and flat course of Atlantic City meets the criteria so I signed up as soon as the race opened up – now I have no excuse!

Launching my training – I know I need to train differently (more intervals) and smartly (not overdo the mileage and get injured).  I found a great program, TriDot, that I’m trying out as part of their pre-season program.  Essentially, I get 2 free months of training in exchange for following their program and providing them with my data as they optimize their training program, which includes a dynamic, customized training plan.  In my professional world, I’m interested in how big data and predictive analytics can be applied in health and wellness so I’m my own living experiment!  I took an assessment at the beginning of the program and then a few weeks into my training and had already improved my 200 and 400 yard swims by 24 and 31 seconds respectively and my 5K run by 31 seconds.  My bike assessment is apples to oranges comparison as I had to do my second assessment indoors but I’m inclined to believe the 4 minute improvement on a 15 mile time trial since my other disciplines improved.  Over the next month I’ll be deciding what training program to move forward with as I think I will want some live coaching, but this program has motivated me to go from 3 hours / week to 6-8 hours / week and is yielding results.

Getting social – We’ve enjoyed being part of the Martha’s Vineyard cycling club and meeting fellow triathletes.  As I searched for a tri club in the CT / NYC area, I realized that my long commutes were going to make group training events a challenge.  I also tend to do more races in PA and places where the metro NY clubs don’t go.  So when our triathlon friend Diane recommended the Philadelphia Triathlon Club, we thought, why not?  After all, Philadelphia was my birthplace 50 years ago and we got a discounted and early entry into the Atlantic City race, where we’ll also have onsite race support.  They also have a great active Facebook community which is already giving me great advice.

Shopping for new gear – I read an article that reminded me that the time you need to put into race preparation extends beyond just training time.  To get faster on the bike, I’ve finally decided to get a triathlon bike.  I’ve been using my holiday break to get my bike fitting (a must before you begin shopping), research the brands that align to my fitting, and begin shopping.  My goal is to get my new bike in January so I can begin training in an aero position early in my training.  Stay tuned for what I ultimately choose.

The great thing about getting older is that we learn how to just enjoy the journey, which is what I’m doing.  I’ve never run past 10K without getting injured so we’ll see if I can train in a new way that gets me to a half marathon.  Learning to ride a tri bike is going to be a new (and maybe a little scary) experience, and I’m hoping it will give me the speed I need to make the bike cut off time.  My race goal is simply to finish, but even if I don’t I’m going to enjoy the journey.

That's So Cathy, Quakertown Independence Tri 2106

The time had come, after what I thought was a fine balance between training enough without overtraining, the Independence Tri was finally here!  The forecast was for 100% chance of rain the day of the event, but in my new "just have fun" mode I decided not to care.   I made my way on the 2 hour journey to Lake Nockamixon, feeling lonely without my constant travel companion Bella.  After picking up my race packet, I headed over to the cabin on the other side of the lake.  Had I known nobody was there yet, I might have tried my hand at paddle boarding on the lake.  But Cathy arrived shortly after, and we had both brought something to eat.  So we sat and ate our respective wraps while catching up on sister talk.  As we unpacked all of our stuff, Cathy remarked that she knew I would bring practical and useful items like a fan for our bedroom.  I proceeded to start some food prep for dinner while Cathy went out on a pre-race bike ride.  Diane, Eric and Mac arrived shortly and it was hugs and kisses all around.  I hadn't seen them since the Philly Tri last year, when my car was broken into and my Tri bag was stolen.  We set about making a huge pasta dinner for the group of 3 cabins.  Before long the rest of Diane and Eric's friends came over to make a full house, which is always more fun.  We were all ready for bed pretty early thanks to some Lime-A-Ritas and 3 bottles of wine that various group members had brought.
It's always rough getting to sleep the night before an event, especially this time in a cabin with no AC.. on a less than super mattress.  But we drifted off before long, and woke up later to steady rain on the roof.  We were glad to have left our bikes under the porch overhang so they wouldn't be all wet for the event.  Cathy had been awake for a while, I was pretty groggy.  I am not, and will likely never be a morning person.  We were also a little silly due to lack of sleep and morning race excitement.  One of us cracked a joke at which point we were giggling like school girls, trying not to wake up the whole cabin.  I decided to break event rule #1 and wear a new "more supportive" sports bra even though I hadn't tested it.  What could go wrong, it's more supportive?  I brought 2 pair of swim socks, which was nice because Cathy had forgotten hers.  I recalled that one sock was a little loose, but out of the 4 socks I had no idea which one.  The group ate bananas, bagels, and other race morning foods.  Despite our plan to leave on time and get there early, we found ourselves hurrying.  So we threw our bikes on Cathy's car rack, and took off for the race.  At this point, Cathy backed the car straight into the cabin with our bikes taking a hit!  "Shit" she said, as I jumped out to survey the damage.  Everything looked in tact so we hurried off to the event, planning to figure it out when we got there.
At first glance, we thought only her pedal had sustained a scrape.  But when I spun her wheel around, clearly it was badly bent out of true and would be problem.  Disappointingly, there were no bike techs at the event as there had been in previous years.  So Cathy bent her wheel back in shape and did a fast test ride; only to discover that her handlebars were also bent.  Meanwhile, I was still in a morning fog and having not done an event in 2 years, forgot that when I left the transition area for the National Anthem I needed to have ALL of my swim gear with me.  I had my wetsuit on, but left my goggles, swim cap, swim socks, and ear plugs in the transition area.  So I had to beg the gatekeepers to let me back in, and blamed my blonde hair, which seemed to work.
Time to swim!  The buoys looked far away, and I reminded myself that it's the same 1/4 mile I do in the pool.  I was so thankful that the water was warm this time, as my last 3 events had been bitterly cold even with my wetsuit.  Speaking of wetsuits, therein lies my next problem.  Apparently my year of power Yoga classes had created some huge lats because I could barely zip up my wetsuit, and the neck was very tight.  The water was awesome, but I was really struggling.  My wetsuit was so tight I could barely breathe and was even wheezing.  While swimming, I reached up and partially unzipped the neck, which helped a little.  Then halfway through the swim, my swim sock started to come off so I was dealing with that, and the lake seaweed.  This coupled with my new supportive (actually constricting) sports bra made it the worst swim I had ever done!  For 2 weeks after the tri, the extensor muscles in my foot were aching thanks to the faulty sock, and I knew that it was all due to my bad preparation.  For my first event, I had planned every detail so precisely, and this time I had decided to mostly wing it.  Stress less, and just have fun was my motto!  I definitely favor precise planning should I do another event.
The bike leg went OK, I rode at a decent pace but my bike was making a strange noise and I think something was slightly bent from the impact of the cabin, but I had no idea what.  Race volunteers were yelling at us to slow down coming into the transition area, because although the rain had stopped, the roads were wet and slippery.
The run went fine for the first mile, but by that point I was in agony.  I had expected this, because I was unable to run more than a mile during training.  I was hoping that endorphins would kick in, and I could run the full 2 miles.. this did not happen.  I had to walk jog the second mile, but I knew coming into the event that this was a probability so I just accepted it and kept moving forward.  I had significant pain from my left foot all the way up to my left hip.  It made me feel better to see plenty of other people walking, and I reminded myself this was for fun. So I encouraged others along the way, and enjoyed myself, making new friends with other walkers.
There was the usual post-race high as I sprinted across the finish line where Cathy was waiting for me.
It was then that we learned Diane had crashed her bike, and could barely walk but had still finished the Tri.  We waited for the times to be posted and learned that Diane, despite having badly crashed, had finished second in her age group.  We later learned that she had some hairline fractures, and torn some ligaments in her hip... and still took second!!
Cathy, despite the condition of her bike and little training, had finished third in her age group.
I had a great time meeting new people and making memories with Cathy and Diane, so you could say my goals were met as well.  I had made some custom Yoli jerseys for the event, which garnered a lot of admiration on Facebook, getting 451 likes in the Yoli group!!        

That's So Barb

Recently I rescued a cat, and upon learning this news a colleague of mine for more than 20 years said "That's So Barb".  This is the same person who once described my life as more of a 'weekend mini series' than a soap opera during the most dramatic of times.  

So when my sister Cathy asked me if I wanted to do the Quakertown Tri with her, of course I said yes even though I was fighting shoulder tendonitis from too much power yoga, and can't run more than a mile without a lot of pain in my left knee.  

In true "That's So Barb" fashion, I got an injection in my shoulder at 11:30am and was signed up to do a Tri by 11:30 pm.  I told my husband a week and a half later (after I started training) that I was doing another Tri, also totally Barb.   Cathy wasn't sure if her husband Mike could come, as he has a wedding the same weekend.  My first  reaction:  you do the Tri, I'll go to the party with Mike. Definitely Barb.  

So it looks like Cathy and I are doing it again, although I insisted that this one would just
be for "fun".  Stay tuned for updates and send happy thoughts my way as I push the limits of my various injuries in pursuit of the goal.  

The Chocolate Tour

I have been saying "Yes" to a lot of new things this year.
I said yes to Cathy inviting me to do the Philly Tri as a relay, and we all know how that ended:  with my car window smashed, and my thong panties in a shop vac.  (You're going to have to read my previous post to hear the whole story.)  But then I said yes to her offer to visit her on the Vineyard and despite a long trip there and back it was the best part of my year!  Riding our bikes along the scenic coastline into Oak Bluffs for a girls lunch was amazing and I wish we could do it every weekend.
After doing the 35 mile Tour of Lebanon County early summer, I have been putting in a lot of miles on my bike.  Often I ride by myself but finally I organized a group ride with my friend and spin class instructor Linda and another lady a few Saturdays ago... and easily did 25 miles averaging 14.5 mph.  So when my husband suggested I do the 50 mile Chocolate Tour, once again I said "Yes".  And then panicked!
What, 50 miles I must be crazy?  But Cathy had just done a 50 mile ride on the Vineyard and she said "you can do it" so there it was: a challenge hanging in the air waiting for me to respond.  I checked the route on map my ride and felt confident.  The best part of this tour was that 90% of the roads I would be riding on were parts of my regular route.  It is easier to do a distance ride when you know what to expect from the terrain.    
This tour is a very scenic route starting out on back roads from Hershey to Colebrook with 1 or 2 short but steep hills, through Mt. Gretna past the lake to the first rest stop 25 miles in to the ride.  Then another couple tough hills, and out 419 towards Schafferstown and looping back to Cornwall right near our house.  Around this point, I thought maybe I would be tempted to just go home, but when the time came I still had plenty of energy.  More back roads through scenic and peaceful farm lands to the next rest stop at the Gingrich Mennonite Church, only 10 miles to go after this point.  Incidentally, this was the best part of the ride, in addition to the well stocked rest points we had real bathrooms with running water at both stops!  At the second rest stop I had to stretch out my back and my neck was getting sore, but my legs were fine, I was feeling very strong.  I easily did the last 10 miles with my only issue being my sore neck and was happy to see that I averaged 13.1 mph, very respectable for my first 50.
So how does a typically low carb eater get enough fuel to do a 50 mile ride?  Well the day before I ate bread (gasp) as well as beer and pizza the night before.  The day of the ride I had 4 pieces of whole wheat toast, and half a banana beforehand.  During the ride I had 1 Detour Smart bar with 18g carbs and 10g protein plus an all natural fruit stick within the first 25 miles.  At the rest stop, another half a banana, and a bag of potato chips for sodium.  Then between the first and second rest stops another Detour Smart Bar.  Second rest stop, half a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat and another bag of chips plus more banana.  Then on the last 10 another all natural fruit stick.  My basic principle was to drink fluids (Yoli Fun with electrolytes and Yoli Passion with caffeine) at least every 20 minutes and eat some fuel about every 40 minutes.  You must hydrate before you feel thirsty!
Later I calculated that I had burned around 1800 calories on my ride.  I was so pleased with my performance, I truly think the hydration and well spaced fuel played a major part in my success.  Aside from a sore neck, and a little sciatica at the end I think I could have easily done 60-65 miles.  After I returned to the venue, I ate a piece of pizza and pasta salad plus 2 bottles of water while I rested in the grass waiting for David to return from the 100 mile ride.  No, I am not ready to do 100 (yet).  

Swimming for Dyslexia

Happy to help support Dean on his last swim leg!

My husband Mike and his Mom have recounted the stories of his 1970s childhood when he was diagnosed with dyslexia and she would sit down with him at the kitchen table to try and help him read.  Back then, the advice given was simply "try harder" or "get new glasses".  Needless to say, it was a frustrating and tearful experience for both.  Just like we now know a lot more how to optimize performance in endurance sports, there are now much improved methods for helping dyslexic children to succeed.

A Vineyarder, Dean Bragonier, who also suffered as a child has taken up the cause by founding NoticeAbility, a non-profit that according their website was "Inspired by the neuroscientific discoveries presented in The Dyslexic Advantage, NoticeAbility’s curricula provide authentic inquiry experiences in vocational subject matters that capitalize on the neurological strengths of students with dyslexia: entrepreneurship, engineering, architecture and the arts."  To gain publicity for his cause, he spent the last month swimming the 50 mile circumference of Martha's Vineyard, 2 miles at a time.

I've become intrigued with marathon swimming lately after picking up a freebie book at the library about Lynne Cox, who at age 14 swam the channel between Catalina Island, CA and the mainland and went to break the English Channel record at age 15 in 1972 and again in 1973.  She then went on to accomplish many other swimming firsts, including swimming the 2.3 mile In the Bering Strait between Alaska and the Soviet Union in 43 degree F water in 1987 as a means to bring the two Cold War countries together.  She allowed for a lot of ground breaking cold water temperature experiments to be performed on her and ultimately became the only person to swim 1.22 miles in Antarctica's 32 degree water!

So after reading this, plus following two other stories this summer about one 63 old swimmer who attempted to swim the 14 miles from Martha's Vineyard to Nantucket in one shot (he unfortunately had to abandon his attempt with 3 miles to go) and a 28 year old swimmer who swam 25 miles from Cape Cod to Nantucket in just over 12 hours this summer, I became intrigued with Dean's story and followed his video blog (http://www.noticeability.org/blog/ )

Dean finished his swim on August 16 and invited the community to join him in the last swim leg along scenic State Beach, my favorite place to swim.  I opted for the 1.25 mile swim (after a 36 mile bike ride!) and while I couldn't keep up with him, I had people cheering me on along the way.  I finished around 50 minutes, which beats my Vineyard Tri 1.2 mile swim last year by 22 minutes (albeit the Tri was much tougher conditions!).

It's perhaps no surprise that people who have had to overcome dyslexia go on to overcome other aspects of adversity and become successful in their careers and endurance athletics.  NoticeAbility’s website says that 35% of entrepreneurs, 40% of self-made millionaires, and 50% of NASA employees have dyslexia.  But there is a flip side:  35% of children with dyslexia do not graduate from high school, and 50% of adolescents in juvenile detention centers and 60% in drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers have dyslexia. 

Just like the proper coaching methods make all the difference in athletics, the same is true with dyslexia, which is why Noticeability is making a difference to unlock the potential of students with dyslexia.