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

Long Journeys

The Philadelphia Tri was about 2 weeks away, and I felt ready other than I should have been swimming more.  I was having trouble fitting it into my schedule, and my body was been begging me for some rest days.  I had trained longer, harder and on a more broad spectrum than any of my other events.  After having a rough time emotionally in early November, I dove into a new workout plan.  For the first time in years, after working through some quirky injuries, I was back to running on regular basis.  I had added a lot more weight lifting and core work this time.

With the tri 2 weeks away, I reflected back on the last 8 months as being surreal.  One thing is certain, the Universe keeps sending lessons until your wounds are healed.
The first lesson:  Being physically strong, I have determined, helps with being mentally strong.  There are also clear physiological benefits exercise has on your brain chemicals.  Exercise boosts dopamine and serotonin; and endorphins counter cortisol (the stress hormone).  When it comes to oxytocin though, (the love and trust hormone) you're on your own; there is no artificial substitute for something that just happens naturally and unexpectedly.  

November to this day has been a long journey.

November:  As I was in emotional turmoil and also in a self described "literary black hole", a good friend loaned me "The Shack".  This book is about a journey, and I realized that I myself was on one.  I did not understand why it had started or where it was supposed to go, but the book helped me to find direction and most importantly, healing and a belief that I would be ok.
The second lesson:  you need friends who know how to push you without breaking you.  These are the people who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.  They increase your energy level instead of taking it from you, and reflect your own kindness back to you.
Towards the end of "The Shack" I read these words:  "If anything matters then everything matters.  Because you are important, everything you do is important.  Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again".  I finished the book just after Christmas and began looking at life a little differently.  

When I signed up for the Philly Tri in January, I tucked the secret goal of having a podium finish way in the back of my mind.  Planted there like a seed, I got to work.  I even went to the lengths of checking last years times for my age group, so I knew where I needed to be... and that place was far away.   First, I needed help with drinking less wine, and finding an eating schedule that worked with my exercise routine.  I reached out for help and support from friends and found it easy to accept,  In fact the more I allowed myself to accept help and caring, the stronger I got.  Another book was shared with me:  Running and Being by Dr. George Sheehan who wrote:  "But it is not the reckless pursuit of catastrophe, it is the acceptance and perfection of the persons we are meant to be.  In that perennial process so frequently fatiguing, often depressing and occasionally painful, courage is the bridge between our minds and our bodies".

Cathy and I were more or less raised that big girls don't pout or cry; so when my life started to unravel I did my best to put on a brave face every day.  I have always been good at hiding my feelings and emotions except around those very few, whom I trust and have allowed to know my soul.  And fully unravel it eventually did, like a ball of yarn in a room full of cats.  In April my husband and I did marriage counseling, which ended with me saying I didn't want to be married anymore.  With very little sleep during this time I came down with bronchitis; and did the Hempfield Tri a week later even though I was exhausted.  Tweaked my hamstring there, the run was bitterly cold.  While I was running a 28 minute 5k before, I now had to take a full week off to recover from bronchitis and a sore hamstring and start all over again.
The next several weeks were very difficult for someone with a sensitive heart.  Ultimatley, I filed for divorce in May, and moved out a few weeks later.  Again, more time taken away from training and loads of added stress.  My secret goal was fading into the vague notion that I might be able to obtain it next year.  George wrote in the latter chapters of the book about crying happy tears.  I had cried plenty of sad tears and even a few angry or frustrated tears over the last several months.  Reading that a few days before the Tri, I wondered what it would be like to be so happy, that you would cry happy tears.

Heading to Philly Saturday I was so excited just to be having an adventure.  That's what life has always been for me, and the best adventures are always shared with good friends and people you love.  I was ready for the event physically and mentally, but mostly just so ready to laugh and have fun.  Sunday, I woke up before my alarm, ready to take on the day and leave no doubt that I had given everything in the race.
Arriving at the river, the half mile swim in a less than clean environment which had daunted me in January looked calm and serene.  I was not afraid, I knew I could do this.  It was hard.  The water was a little colder than I expected, murky, and there was the usual random panic attacks.  The buoys went by one after another:  800, 700 (don't stop), 600, 500, 400 (I'm almost there) 300, 200, (there's the dock) last 100 and I'm out of the water.  I ran full speed up to my bike and did my best to collect myself before grabbing my bike off the rack and running out of transition.  I kept a close eye on my average speed on the bike leg, I was feeling good and pushing hard.  The hills were no problem after doing the hills of Gretna for the last several weeks, and I passed riders at every opportunity.  Towards the end I was averaging over 16mph, which is very good for me.  "Keep your pace" and "don't let up" were in my mind.  I dismounted the bike and ran it in to transition.  My legs were sweaty and I had a hard time pulling up my knee sleeve.  I considered going without it, and later would be so glad I didn't.  The first mile was steady, "I feel pretty good".  After running for months with no knee pain, the second mile was sheer agony.  I had no idea why my knee hurt so badly and I just kept saying "don't stop" and "don't walk".  I've always had a kick at the end of a race, and in his book George talked about staying on the person in front of you until the last 1/4 mile to be more energy efficient.  So I did just that, hanging behind people - passing them and hanging behind someone else.  Using other people's energy George style until the last 1/4 mile; and then the final 100 yards where I sprinted to the finish as usual.  I handed in my chip, got my medal, and looked around for the rest of our group.  I knew my run was a disappointing 32 minutes, but I was proud of my effort, and for not giving up any of the times that the pain in my body told me to stop.  I ate some food, drank a few sips of Mike's beer, then he told me where I could go to get my official time.  At the tent, a receipt with my time spat out from the machine and I looked at all my leg times with a small degree of satisfaction.
Then I saw it:  Division Place:   3
I just looked at it in disbelief, "this can't be right".  And then the happy tears came.  
Under it there was a disclaimer:  The division place listed above does not guarantee you an award.  Well there you have it, it was probably some sort of computer error.  But it wasn't, I placed third in my age group, and had achieved the podium finish I had dreamed of in January.

The third lesson:  So you see, big girls do cry.  They cry sad tears, angry tears, frustrated tears, and train for triathlons anyway.  Then they cry happy tears, and take home a trophy.
I joked with Cathy, "maybe there were only 3 people in my division" and we laughed hysterically.  She said if that were true, then there were a bunch of people who had decided not to get out of bed that day.
In the words of Dr. George Sheehan:  "We forget that the opposite of the present is not the past or future; it is absence."
Life is like triathlons, you have to show up to win.

                    

Journey 70.3: The Inaugural Tri Bike Ride

Cathy goes from wobbly to ROARING!

Someone in my Women for Tri online community recently posted:  Mother Nature must never have trained for a triathlon.  So many of us have been stuck training indoors this winter and early spring.  Finally, with a forecast for near 70 degree temperatures on Saturday, and after 2 months of being restricted to riding my Tri Bike on the trainer, I declared this is the day I’m going to do my inaugural ride on my birthday present.  Here’s how it went:

I feel like a kid just learning to ride a bike again.  I am excited and nervous at the same time.  As I’m getting ready, I hear the WPLJ radio DJ Jayde honor her mom the first award for Women Who Roar – she just turned 60 and is getting ready for her first triathlon in Miami after being inspired by the “Iron Nun”, Sister Madonna Buder, who holds the record for being the oldest person (of men and women!) to finish an Ironman at age 82.   I think back to my previous post how Katy Perry’s song roar provided the inspiration during my first Olympic distance race:  http://swimbikerunsurvive.blogspot.com/2014/10/westchester-olympic-triathlon-eye-of.html .  I am inspired to get out there and ROAR!

I make my husband, Mike, put the bikes on the car and drive a mile to a dead end flat street where I can practice first.  The landscapers have blown debris all over the road so after a brief ride, I say the hell with it and just go on the intended route, a recently paved, wide road with rolling hills where I intend to do 2-3 loops. 

First Loop:  I’m wobbly getting down and up in the aero bars.  I’m not sure I can balance right shifting unless I’m in the aero bars.  My husband, out on his tri bike for the first time this season, admits the first ride out for the season always reminds him it’s different than a road bike.  I’m cautious going down the hills, wanting to stay up right and on the brakes.  But phew, I did it without crashing.

Second loop:  I’m getting the hang of this!  I’m still a little cautious on these downhills but I have the feel getting up and down in aero and shifting in either position.  I stay in aero more.  And is it in my mind but this road, which I’ve ridden many times on my road bike, seems easier.  Is it the bike?  Is it all of the winter interval TriDot training?  Probably both.

Third loop:  I see Mike, and he’s surprised I want to do a 3^rd loop.  I stay aero the whole time!!

I finish.  I feel like a kid again who has just learned to ride a bike for the first time, just like my Tri friend Stephanie’s 8 year old daughter Jos was doing at the same time.  Stephanie who promised her a new bike for her birthday if she learned to ride her current bike, says, “guess like all us, new gear inspires!”

Jos goes from wobbly to ROARING!

Jos gets a new birthday present!

Whether we are 8, 50, 60 or 82 we can keep learning new skills and finding our personal best.  And we can keep ROARING!

Journey 70.3: Here’s what happened with TriDot’s Preseason Project

TriDot predicts my potential race times

 As I stated in my Journey 70.3 launch post, smarter training is a key goal and necessity as I attempt a longer distance.  Once I signed up for the Atlantic City Half Ironman last fall, I needed a plan but was a little unsure where to start.  Most race plans start 16 weeks out but I knew I should start building a base and training differently with more intervals instead of mindless training.  As marketing has gotten very targeted, it’s not surprising that the TriDot preseason training program showed up in my facebook feed around the time I was trying to decide what to do.

TriDot uses big data and analytics to dynamically build a tailored training plan for each athlete. 

Their Preseason Project (PSP), which kicks off 4-5 months before the race season starts, is a “season-long triathlon training study designed to measure and improve training efficiency. It measures the incremental performance gains achieved through TriDot's triathlon training optimization.  Actual training and race data are used to determine triathlon race ability improvement between athletes who used TriDot and those who didn't (the "Baseline"),” according to their website.

To qualify for the 2 months of free training as part of the PSP, you have to have done at least one previous triathlon and be training for an Olympic, Half Iron or Iron distance race.  Since I qualified, I figured I didn’t have anything to lose as there was no obligation to continue.

The start of the program can be a little overwhelming as you get yourself set up in the system, and figure out the language of their training plans.   One friend of mine opted not to proceed after looking into it.  TriDot does make their advisors and coaches readily available to answer questions and their facebook page has many athletes asking questions and getting answers that apply to all.

It helped on the swimming that I had some prior coaching so the drills and routines made sense to me.  The running drills were new to me but over time they repeat so once I knew them, I didn’t waste as much time watching the videos.  I’m still debating whether or not I like the strength training routines – sometimes I replace the workouts with my Iron Strength exercises that I know by heart and feel work my kinetic chain better, but I was needing some variety beyond that.

Many people who participate in the program are well equipped with high end watches and bike power meters.  A training advisor told me it wasn’t mandatory for me to have all of this – it is advised to have a heart rate monitor so you can train within the prescribed HR zones.  With my focus having been on my tri bike purchase, I still haven’t gotten around to getting a new watch or heart rate monitor and have been going on perceived exertion based on having gotten a feel for my heart rate zones when on treadmills and exercise bikes with heart rate monitors.  I will turn my attention to this purchase next – and intend to still keep it basic.  Since I’ve been making improvement gains, I think I’m doing ok without the fancy gadgets.

I recently concluded my participation in the PSP, and here’s what happened:

1)    I went from 4 hours of training/week to 6-8:  I became motivated and excited to increase my training.  With a plan in place each week, I got better at planning out my week and fitting in more training.  Each workout provides a variety of intervals in different zones making the time go faster.  I receive the workouts via email and the user friendly app.

2)    I went from overwhelmed to confident:  As much as starting something new was a little overwhelming at the start, I was even more overwhelmed without having a plan.  Since TriDot tells you exactly what you need to do, you just follow the plan and don’t waste time figuring it out.

3)    I got fitter:  Usually this time of the year I gain a few pounds.  This year I maintained my weight and turned some of that excess fat to muscle.

4)    My slightly arthritic knees actually feel better!  I was concerned what added training would do to my knees.  The program allows you to select 3 levels of volume depending on your time and competitive desires.  I selected the lowest volume option due to time and being a middle age athlete not wanting to overdo it.  The volume seems perfect – it’s getting me to move more frequently at levels that are actually making me feel the best I have since first experiencing knee issues.

5)    I got faster!  The objective of the PSP is to build your functional threshold, which TriDot says will have lasting benefits and is harder to build than your endurance, which is easier to build but diminishes more quickly after reducing training.  Once I enter the race preparation phase, I expect workouts will get longer and focus more on endurance but for now, each workout focuses on intervals of short distance with rest periods in between.  I believe they are following the same philosophy in the IronFit book – most gains are achieved by training in a combination of Zone 2 and Zone 4/5.  Many athletes train in Zone 3 but that doesn’t build your functional threshold – your ability to go faster for a longer period of time.

My TriDot scores improved in each discipline!

Just how much faster did I get during the 2 month Preseason Project?

·      400 Yard Swim:  9:23 to 8:32

·      200 Yard Swim:  4:32 to 4:06

·      5K Run:  29:30 to 26:43

·      Bike:  96 to 112 Watts  (my bike assessments have been under different circumstances so a little hard to tell but this difference is the one I have that is apples to apples)

So now I’m a paying TriDot customer!