Keep on running...

In the past few weeks I have run two races - a very low key '10'k trail race about 3 miles from my front door, and a half marathon as a check-in on my fitness. I've been smart about my miles, slowly building since September and adding in weekly hill repeats and a few 800s here and there. I haven't been 100% committed - if I didn't feel like doing a long run, I didn't. If I wanted to go out to dinner and have a few glasses of wine, I did. And still am. But I felt like I was doing enough, including a 12 and a 14 miler in October. Foreshadowing: Guess that's not enough for a strong half marathon.

Rev3 Adventure Fall Foliage 10k

Caroline and I signed up for the 10k (more like 11k+) and made a lazy weekend of it. My ONLY goal for this race was to enjoy it. Well, I woke up with an upset stomach which I tried to get under control with pancakes and Imodium. My stomach felt off from the first step, and it was an awful flashback to a Backyard Burn run I did in the spring that included a few dashes off into the bushes. I reminded myself I am NOT as fast a runner as Caroline and purposefully tried to stay a ways behind her. I didn't wear my Garmin, as I haven't really had it on my wrist since Ironman (only for interval distances). Well, based on the effort and my breathing, and knowing Caroline's pace - I still went out WAY too fast, which was easy to do, as the first few miles were a mix of road and dirt paths and meadow crossings.

Perfect heel strike demonstration.

A whole pack of deer did race across a field and the trail about 10 feet in front of me at one point, so that got my heart rate up.

On the look out of more deer.

About half way into the race you enter the more technical trail section, and it was exactly this time when I knew I had gone out way too fast and I started to struggle. I had no pep in my step and my legs felt heavy. A girl passed me here and I tried my best to stay with her, and did a good job, finishing in 3rd overall a little less than a minute back. 3rd overall out of 9 total, but who's counting?

Laughing bc the photographer was urging me to catch the girl in front - wasn't happening.

The weather was picture perfect and there were fresh doughnut bites at the finish line, so the pain of the race was quickly forgotten.

Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon

When this race was postponed due to the government shutdown, I had already been upping my mileage and was considering doing the Richmond half as a fitness-check in. When I realized this would be much closer to home and week earlier, I jumped at the chance to run. I honestly had no clue what to expect, as I have done a few less long runs than I would have liked, but based on past half marathon performances, I figured a goal time of 1:45-1:50 was reasonable. I try to ignore my 1:38 half marathon PR when I think about goal setting, as I seriously still don't know how that race happened. So I made a plan to really hold back the first 10k, running no faster than 8-8:30 pace, no matter how I felt.

I stuck to the plan perfectly through 10k. The pace felt easy, the weather was perfect, and based on pictures, I wore a hat that covered my eyes the entire race.

After 10k, I took stock and felt great and started to push the pace closer to 8 minute miles. It came easy and I still held myself back a bit when I saw my Garmin show a 7:-- pace. I really wanted to finish the race strong and happy. At about Mile 8.5 you begin the climb onto the bridge, then have about a 1 mile gradual climb up and over the bridge. After a downhill recovery, there is a short nasty climb to cross over 495. Basically, between 8.5-10, the wheels fell off, HARD.

Perfectly captures how I was feeling right about mile 10.

I got a really sharp side stitch, and my right hip (the one with a stress fracture years ago) started to ACHE like it hadn't felt in years. To the point where it was work to even pick up my foot. I'm not sure where the pain was coming from, but looking back, even though the 8-8:30 pace felt easy for 8 miles, I haven't done enough running at that pace THIS ENTIRE YEAR to maintain it for a full 13.1 miles. So I tried to stick with it as much as I could and focus on one mile at a time. Based on my splits, I actually didn't fall apart too much until Miles 12 and 13. By that point, every step hurt, and you had to run on gravel/rocks, climb a MASSIVE stupid hill and basically make a loop around National Harbor. I tried to put a smile on my face and finish happy, but I was in serious pain. Also, it felt like FOREVER between mile 13 and the finish line, looping around yourself and making sharp turns. Lame.

Focusing on getting to the finish.

In the end, I finished in 1:53:57, which is basically the slowest half marathon I have run in over 5 years. But honestly, I really could care less about the finish time. I really enjoyed being out there (it was my first half marathon/road race in over a year and a half), The course was beautiful, but much more rolling than I anticipated, and the last few miles were sort of lame. I felt GREAT for 8.5 miles and was easily running my goal pace, but I know that I just have not done the work in the past few months to maintain the pace for 13.1 miles.

Positive splits like a champ

Onward and upward. Which is still to be determined.

Feeling Thankful

As I continue to give my body an extended period to rest and repair from running a marathon on under-trained and slightly injury legs, I finally downloaded my Garmin data last night (15 days post race). I knew my overall time from the marathon (of course), but I hadn't looked at the details, and I honestly didn't care.

So here is what it looks like. Basically, lots and lots of short bouts of walking. About double the amount as last year (interesting to compare).

IMLP 2013

IMMT 2012

Lake Placid Splits

It's always so interesting to look back and compare your memory with the actual splits. For example, I'm shocked that Mile 19 was my slowest mile. From my memory, there is no large hill there and nothing jumps out in my mind about that mile being significant. I do remember feeling like it was taking FOREVER to reach mile 20. I walked the entire hill near the ski jumps and the entire hill back into town (both times), but both were faster. Strange.

More than anything, looking at this data makes me thankful. Thankful that I was able to pull together a great day at Placid. Thankful that my body allowed me to push through the pain for 26.2 miles. Thankful that I (fingers crossed) did not do any more damage to my legs or feet by running this marathon. And thankful that hopefully this run has helped provide clarity as to what I want to tackle in the months to come.

Ironman Lake Placid 2013

Part of me doesn't know where to start writing. Lake Placid was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also perhaps the most rewarding. I've always sort of scoffed at people who made Ironman out to be this journey of self-discovery. Perhaps to some people - but for me, it was fun. Last year was fun. The training was fun. The race was SO FUN.

This year was different. I didn't enjoy the training. And to be honest, I never fully committed to it. And when I had to deal with a foot/ankle injury that sidelined running the 2-3 weeks leading up to the race, I really had no clue what to expect come race day. I wasn't excited. Honestly - I was scared to death. A few pre-race swims with Dan helped to calm the nerves and confirmed what I was expecting out of the swim. But even up until the night before the race, I was sitting in the hotel, preparing my bottles for the bike, and thinking 'I don't really want to do this.' Not the best mental state to be in 8 hours before you embark on 140.6 miles. But the race this year showed me how Ironman can teach people about themselves, about their limits, and about what your body and mind can handle.

I had trouble falling asleep the night before the race (which is not like me), but when I woke up I was more at peace. There was no amount of stress or fear that would change the outcome of the day. I decided to be patient and be brave, and those two words stayed in my mind the entire day.

Swim - 1:03:25

Swim Start

I knew this swim wasn't going to be as solid or fast as last year. I simply didn't put in the training this year. I can count on one hand the number of swims I did over 3k, and the only time I swam over 4k was with girlfriends in February. Clearly not enough to swim a strong 2.4 miles - but thankfully due to a lifetime of base fitness, I knew I could get through the swim. Once the start loosened up, the first loop was fine. I swam next to another girl for way too long, and with about 200 left I decided to ease off a bit and get on her feet.I swam the first loop in 30:44, second loop in 32:41. I was proud of myself for not dialing in the second loop - I kept focused on finding fast feet and tried to keep pushing the entire way.

A funny note about the Lake Placid swim. The cable line is great. I was able to swim right on the cable on the way out for both loops. Which means you don't need to site. However, the buoys are also attached to the cable line. Which means I swam directly into at least 5 of the large buoys. It was hysterical because I kept doing it - every time I came up from having to duck under a buoy the safety paddle boarders would be laughing at/with me :)

Some thoughts on the new swim start: I HATED IT. The start was 10x as rough at the mass start at Mont Tremblant last year, and last year I started in the very front row. People (men) did NOT seed themselves correctly or honestly, and from the very first stroke I was swimming over people (men) doing breaststroke sideways. Everyone was fighting for the cable line and it was miserable for about 500 yards.  And the worst part - on the way back during my second loop - starting at about the 3rd of 9 buoys back to the finish, I ran into a WALL of people doing breaststroke, sidestroke and doggy paddle. It was miserable and impossible to find space to move. They repeatedly warned us that Age Group racers were not allowed inside the buoy line (the pros could), so after a while of trying to find space to swim, I gave up and swam really wide.

I am not sure it really slowed my swim down too much - my time is a direct results of my lack of swim training this year - but it definitely was exhausting and just plain annoying to have to deal with after 50+ minutes of swimming.  I do not think this swim felt any safer than last year - in fact I think it was way worse - and hope Ironman doesn't make this a standard process, at least for 2 loop swims. I really think they took one of the most classic and fast Ironman swims and ruined it.

T1 5:52
I decided to take my time jogging to grab my bag, changed my shorts like last year, and let the awesome volunteers spray my with sunscreen even though it was starting to rain.

Bike 6:37:45 (16.9 mph average)
I'm not going to dwell on the bike. From mile 1 out of town, I felt AWFUL. My legs felt heavy and my quads were achy. It was raining and I wasn't having fun. I tried to spin up the hills out of town, but even my easiest gear didn't feel easy. I tried not to get into a negative mental space, but I started to fear it was going to be a really long day. My nutrition was going down fine (200 cals/hr of liquid calories and a few bites of solid food every hour), but I felt HUNGRY. In fact - I was going through my calories faster than I planned, but knew I could supplement with gus at the aid stations. I was able to pee a bunch of times in the first 30 miles, but my bladder just never felt fully empty or comfortable, so I stopped about mile 35 for a real bathroom break. I started to see friends and teammates on the out and backs and tried so hard to just quiet my mind.

I didn't have my garmin on my bike, and didn't start my watch, but this year I couldn't get away from doing mental math about my race time. I was convinced I was riding a 3:30 first loop and my bike was going to be 7+ hours.  At the very top of Papa Bear, both Katie and Caroline passed me. It was SO GREAT. It was just the boost I needed and at the same time I realized I actually came through the first loop much faster than I was anticipating (First loop 3:15ish). Caroline and I chatted a bit, and it made me SO SO happy. Katie, Caroline and I rode into town and special needs in a little row and it was perfect. Caroline didn't stop at special needs, and Katie got her stuff way faster than me, but I was hoping that seeing them (plus the huge swigs of coke) was just the mental boost I needed.

Coming through town at the end of Loop 1

I tried not to burn my engines through town, but the atmosphere was amazing. I smiled and waved and focused on spinning back out of town. My legs were feeling a bit better, but still not great. My lower back was getting tight and I was hungry. I was really trying to get down the calories. About mile 80, I had to pee again and there was an aid station and I just needed to get off my bike. So I took a little break. At the time it felt like 15+ minutes, but in reality it was maybe 3-5 minutes. I went to the bathroom, took some aleve and chatted and cracked jokes with the awesome volunteers. I got back on my bike and just focused on getting to Wilmington to see my Dad who was cheering and taking pics at our hotel.

My legs did seem to come around a bit and loosen up, but I never felt that happy awesome comfortable place on the bike. In the last climb back into town, I still couldn't believe how hard even my easiest gear felt, and I looked down to realize my bike wasn't shifting into the easiest gear in the back. So no wonder my easy 28 didn't feel so easy - I couldn't get to the easiest gear! Grrr. I tired not to let it bother me, and was just ready to get off the bike.  I also saw up in the distance that I was catching back up to Katie and we ended up at the dismount line together. We jogged/waddled to the changing tents together and joked and going to run a marathon (Second loop 3:22ish).

Even though I didn't feel great on the bike, I am proud that my two loops were only 7 minutes apart, including a stop at mile 80.

T2 3:43
I again tried not to rush it here. My toes and foot that I had been having trouble with were already feeling a bit sore towards the end of the bike and I seriously was afraid to stand up and start the run. I just didn't know what was going to happen. But I knew that I had enough time to walk the entire marathon if I needed to and I was GOING to finish.

Run 4:32:42
I have tried to write this a few times and the joy, pain and every emotion in between is impossible to capture in words. I learned more about myself in these 26.2 miles than I have in the entire past 2 years of Ironman training. This marathon has also made me realize I am ready to commit to a future Ironman with the goal of making it HURT, not just finishing happy. I don't know where or when this will happen, but this run has caused much reflection, emotion and rawness in the past few days.

Very start of run, seeing Dan, Dawn, Mark and Miles!

From the very first step, I knew this was going to be a battle of mind over matter. My foot hurt, my calves were rocks and my back was so sore. Upside? Aerobically and tummy wise, I felt GREAT :) I saw Dan, Dawn, Mark and Miles right away and stopped for some smiles and a kiss. I ignored my pace out of town (all downhill, just tried not to fight it and tear up my quads) and focused on running from aid station to aid station. When I was running, this year, I really let my pace come naturally. Last year I really held back on my pace and focused on my Garmin pace. This year, 8:-- on my garmin didn't scare me.

I wasn't sure how long my foot was going to be able to take the running, so I figured I may as well as run strong until I couldn't run anymore. The first goal was just to run/walk as planned until Mile 6ish (the first turn around) and see how it felt. I made it there and made the new goal to run until the half marathon. I just focused on the mile I was on, running to the next aid station, and walking when I needed to. I walked almost every uphill, and tried to work the downhills as much as my feet and quads allowed.

I ran through town with a smile on my race and was FINALLY having a ball. My foot was on fire, but I decided I was going to finish the marathon running. I didn't care about finish time at this point, I was already doing better than I my wildest expectations for the day, and I was FINALLY happy and smiling and remembered why I was doing this. I saw so many people on the run, tried to smile and wave and encourage everyone and acknowledge all the cheers from the crowds. It truly is amazing what a smile can do.

Coming through town with a SMILE!

I believe I came through the half marathon right around 2:11ish and really couldn't believe I was still running. My running pace had definitely dropped, but on the second loop I tried to just keep moving forward. I was running about 10:15 pace and tried to walk a bit less. The second loop of the run was the HARDEST thing I've ever done.  My foot was on fire, and my toes were numb, but I made the decision I was going to do it and I did. I kept repeating 'be brave' in my head. Once I got to mile 16, mile 17, I just wanted to see Mile 20. At mile 20 I did the mental math and realized if I kept under 12/min pace I could finish under 12:30. I hadn't seen a 12:-- mile yet. But then I decided this wasn't good enough I wanted to see how fast I could get back into town. It was the second time of the day I decided NOT to dial it in and settle- I wanted to see what I was made of.

Dan was waiting at the HUGE hill through town (so cruel) and I was SO SO happy he walked up the hill with me. He couldn't believe I was still running (neither could I) - and I got a huge rally from Coach T. It was amazing. I was able to hold it together this year in the last mile and ran strong to the finish line.

Ironman Lake Placid 2013
12:23:27

I honestly am a bit shocked that this race came together the way it did. If you asked me the week before, the night before, or even at mile 80 of the bike how the race would turn out, I could have never predicted being able to pull of a 4:32 marathon and a strong finish. And it further confirmed that for me, Ironman racing is not about finish time. To put together a solid, well paced race, and more importantly, finding my joy on the run makes the experience even more sweeter than last year, despite finishing 30 minutes slower. Sharing the course with so many teammates and friends was amazing and I wouldn't trade a moment of the day.

Clean and chaffed post race with one of the best friends I could ask for !!

Ironman Lake Placid GOAL Post

Today is my last day of work for a week.

Tomorrow we drive half way to Lake Placid.

Thursday we arrive in Lake Placid.

Friday and Saturday will be spent resting and being at peace with the training I've done and swimming as much as my coach will let me in my most favorite lake.

Sunday will bring 140.6 miles.

Last year, I figured on a perfect day, I could finish under 12 hours, and it happened. This year, I am not sure that is in the cards (faster swim, harder bike, less than ideal last month of training), but I KNOW anything can happen on race day. Of course I have numbers in my head - and I have had them there since about an hour post-race last year.

I am approaching the race exactly the same as last year - my race plan is essentially the same, tailored for Lake Placid. However, there is one major differences this year. I have the confidence that I can cover the distance. I know I can do this, and I am not afraid of the day. I think this is HUGE in the days leading up to the race. I am already at peace and not afraid. I know I have done the work, and that I can't control the entire day, but I KNOW that I can cover the distance.


But just like last year, my ultimate success will not be defined by the time on the clock. And this year I truly believe that. More importantly - I want to enjoy the HECK out of the day, because all my memories from last year are about the JOY I felt, and I want to find that place again and hold on tight.

As ready as ill be.

This week I've struggled with feelings of self doubt and plain fear about Ironman in two weeks. Take a lingering tendonitis issue in my peroneal tendon and add in the last peak week of training, and some major meltdowns have ensued.

It's funny how the joy of race day seems to erase all these feelings from my memory. I know I struggled last year with fears of not doing 'enough' especially when it came to the run. But I figured that since last year turned out fine, these fears wouldn't bubble to the surface again. Well, I was sorely mistaken. I'm having the same fear of lack of preparation, added with a strong dose of unnecessary pressure related to finish time, and I'm a mess. 

All I wanted, all I thought I NEEDED, was a strong last bike/brick today. And I learned a very important lesson. DO NOT RIDE MY LONG RIDES TOO HARD. I tend to be pretty proud of my ability to ride and run really easy - ask any of my training partners, I am a fan of the slow and steady long stuff. But I don't know what got into me today. Perhaps it was the cooler, overcast skies of the first loop, or maybe it was that I was chatting away happily with Dawn and enjoying NOT climbing 8-12k during the ride, but I way overlooked myself for the first 50 miles. Add in heat and not enough water and this ride did not go the way I had hoped. However, you better believe I will be riding my normal pokey-dokey pace the first loop of Placid!!

Even though I know you can't compare training cycles and my approach as been very different this year, looking at these two graphs has helped put my mind at ease as I am two weeks out from the race. I HAVE done the work. I HAVE put in the miles. I have been consistent. I was able to enjoy my day last year, and I have done enough to have a great day again this year. 

Long rides, since Jan 2012

Long* runs, since Jan 2012

*my coach isn't a fan of runs over 2-2:30 hrs during IM training. Also - why did I label a 5 mile run as a a 'long' run!? Beats me. 

ONE MONTH

FIRST - a quick recap of the Diabolical Double: Read my awesome training partners recaps of their days here and here. And then imagine of the exact opposite (as well as the exact opposite of my experience last year) - and that was my day. In a nutshell, at the second rest stop (about mile 40?) I made the wise decision to let my girls go ahead, do what was best for me on that day and drop down to the 102 mile route. I'm also VERY proud that I do not consider this a failure and was able to turn around one of the most challenging mental and physical days I've had on the bike in the last 14 miles.  Some days you just don't have 'it' and sadly, from the start, it was clear my 'it' did not show up to ride 125 miles and climb 16,000 feet.

HOWEVER - In general, things are moving along. Today marks ONE MONTH exactly to Placid. The past three week block has help my confidence about where I am and where I may be come race day, but I just got my schedule through the race and I realize I still have A LOT of work ahead of me, which is a good thing.

This year's approach has been very different than last year's build. Last year was all about crossing the finish line happy and healthy. This year - these things are still at the top of my goal list, but my coach has designed a program that will allow me to approach my pacing race day a bit more aggressively, if I choose to do so. I am still a bit uncertain how it will all play out, but as the weeks progress, I am a bit more confident in my current fitness and abilities.

However, a different approach makes it impossible to compare last year vs. this year, which as a type A athlete, is frustrating and freeing at the same time. I can't compare the number of rides over 6 hours I did last year vs. this year, because the structure is totally different. My rides may be shorter, but they are at a higher heart rate with specific goals built in. I can't compare my long runs and I realized yesterday I DEFINITELY cannot compare my taper period. This year will be 10 days of HARD work then 10 days of gradual rest going into the race. This means a long run much closer to the race than last year, and a longer ride the weekend prior to the race. It's scary, and I know that my taper could be hit or miss. But I've accepted it and mapped out my way to July 28th.

One of my goals for this training cycle was to let go a bit of the 'data' side of things. I am only keeping 1 very loose training log  and hardly recording paces - just notes on how things 'felt'. I looked today and I haven't downloaded any data off my Garmin since November last year.  I have only be using it to guide me through track work and monitor my HR on long rides. This approach has helped me get through the weeks, especially as I get more and more broken down. I can't stress about my pace this week vs. my pace two weeks ago on a 2 hour run, because I haven't been looking.

All this to say - the work is getting done, I am feeling MUCH better about my fitness than I was a month ago, but in all honestly I still have no idea what will come on race day, but I am 100% more excited than I was a month ago.

THIS.

Taken from www.thenaturegym.blogspot.com/2013/06/walking-walk.html


 NG: You are a proponent of the Run/Walk protocol, something which many athletes have trouble understanding and implementing. From your perspective, how did you manage to adapt your training with this method and what are its main benefits?
GB: Nobody has trouble understanding - that’s a smoke screen. Everyone has trouble with their ego, at least when they start.
The main benefits are faster overall pace in workouts, more miles at race pace, quicker recovery and less fade in races.
Simple long run protocol....

●        PowerWalk ten minutes

●        Split run into thirds

●        First third use 15 second PowerWalk segments

●        Second third use 30 second PowerWalk segments

●        Final third use 45 second PowerWalk segments

●        PowerWalk ten minutes

Use anywhere from a six to a twelve minute cycle, including PowerWalk segments.

●        Walk is fastest comfortable pace - like you are late for an airplane but don’t want to run in an airport.

●        Arm carriage remains the same (high hands).

●        Cadence remains up.

●        You should also work on PowerWalking hills to avoid large spikes in heart rate.

 

 

I 100% believe that a very similar walk/run protocol has allowed me, as a chronically injured swimmer-turned-wannabe runner, to stay healthy for the past few years. It takes getting over your own ego to accept that this method may be the best for some people.

I don't post this to preach, I post to remind myself - thismethod works for me in this moment of time, and allowed me to run my first IM marathon in the same pace as my first stand alone marathon, with a much more even split and much easier effort.

Emptying your mind.

I think one major advantage that comes with years and years of swimming is the ability to completely clear my mind. In order to get through a long set, a hard set, the pain of a workout, you need the ability to disconnect your body from your mind. Your mind telling you that it hurts, that it's bored, and it can't do one.more.lap.

After taking a break from regular swimming (read: since Ironman), it always takes awhile for this disconnect to return. But when it does, it's heaven. I was having trouble getting past the 2000 yard mark in workouts. My body was willing my mind was not.  My brain just wouldn't shut off. But I found that sweet spot during a set of 400s last week and it makes all the difference. Turn your brain off, find your pace, and just SWIM.

Sadly, this ability does not always translate to the bike and the run. It takes longer to find that space, and it occurs much less frequently. Sometimes an hour or two ride can seem ENDLESS because I just can't turn off my mind, and same with a hard interval run, or an easy long run. Especially with the run, I have had trouble turning my brain off. After 1 mile of a long run a few weekends ago, all I could think is 'I have HOW MANY more miles left?!'

But over the past week or so, the shift is slowly happening. Maybe it's the return of higher training hours, more focus, or the melting away of other-life stress, but I have been able to zone out and just get the work done, and it's GLORIOUS. 4 solo, hilly hours on the bike flew by on Sunday, and I couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face. At one point, while going 4mph climbing Mt. Weather, I was singing 'Eternal Flame' by the Bangles (RIP) aloud (LOUDLY) and realized, this is also a song I sing when swimming. Strange.

Then Tuesday, finally, FINALLY, I was able to clear my mind and just enjoy a long run. 10 minutes run, 1 minute walk, up and down hills, I was able to zone out for 1:50 and felt fresh at the end. And it made me SO HAPPY. I remembered how great the IM marathon felt and for the first time in awhile, I thought I could put together another happy IM marathon.

Slowly, but surely, I am remembering how much I loved IM training last summer. I'm remembering that  time and  pace and place don't matter, that I truly just love to be out there, and I know that I will be ready to do it again in 8 weeks.
 

Kinetic Aquabike

It was very strange to simply STOP after the bike. There was no real 'finish' line - very strange. I think I got out of the race what I was looking for - a check in on my swim fitness and a chance to really push the bike over 56 miles - something I haven't done in a really long time.


Swim was tough, and the times include T1, but this was definitely the weakest 70.3 swim I have had. I have been slacking in the pool, and need a swift kick in the butt ASAP. Comparatively with the field, it was competitive, but it took way too much energy and I need to swim double the distance in 10 weeks.

This is how the bike went:

Miles 0-5 : Oh great, it's pouring rain.

Mile 5-10: Stuck behind 2 large truck of manure. Smelled GREAT. I wanted to vomit. The trucks were not being annoying on purpose, they simply couldn't pass the bikers in front of them, but it made for about a 10 person back-up with no room to pass on the inside (no shoulder). One crazy girl went around them (2x) on the outside, across the double yellow line. Seriously - so stupid - into oncoming traffic. I was able to get around on the inside finally, and they eventually passed everyone back. Overall, this section was REALLY trafficy and the race wasn't stopping traffic at a pretty large intersection (right turn onto Courthouse from Lawyers) and it was a bit scary.

Miles 10-20: Things started to thin out and I was finding a good rhythm.

Miles 20-40: Riding strong, riding my own race, keeping legal pace with another woman. A line of 4-5 men would hammer past me, get in front of me, and coast. So I would have to either get stuck in their draft or put a surge in to pass 2-3 of them again - REPEAT FOREVER. Dudes, you are so annoying.

Miles 40-50ish. HOLY WIND. It was so windy and every time we turned I would wait for a shift and/or tailwind, but nope - stayed a headwind. At this point I was holding above a 20mph average, but I just lost motivation and willpower in this section and I was very much alone on the road. It's funny, looking at my 5 mile lap splits - they weren't THAT much slower, but it was just energy-sucking wind.

Mile 50ish-end: During the winds I had given up on breaking 2:40 on the bike, which I thought was a realistic goal, but I realized it would be very close as we turned back into the park a few minutes before I expected it. So put my head down and worked the last few miles as hard as I could. According to my Garmin the course was about 1 mile short.

Picture stolen from Caroline.

Garmin said 2:39, (non)chip time 2:40.Very happy with this. I haven't done a HIM since 2010, when I did 3: I road 2:53/2:52 on two very different courses (Eagleman and Syracuse) and 2:31 on a dead-flat course that I don't really count (Clearwater) because you literally couldn't avoid drafting on the course. I haven't really had a desire to do another HIM since that year, but now I am tempted to see if I focus on training for it, how I could do.  As I was cheering at the finish line, and as all my teammates had stellar races and results, a large part of me wished I had signed up for the whole race. Maybe I should have had a bit more confidence in my fitness at this point in the season, and see how it had turned out? However, I would likely not have biked so hard if I knew I was running. Good lesson for any future HIM, as I didn't feel THAT bad after the bike - push the bike as hard as you can.

2 OA in Aquabike

I remember asking one of my best friends how she paced a 70.3 before my first - her answer was "I don't pace - I go as hard as I can the entire time".  At the time her response made me laugh - this was coming from a girl who has qualified for Kona 2x at the 70.3 distance - but as I progress I can see that if you want to be competitive, she is indeed right, you need to go hard from the start and see how long you can last.

Lastly, between the last two weekends - I realized how lucky I am to have joined such an incredibly group to train and race with this year. Ignite Endurance, with the support of Tri360, had a stellar showing in both the Half and Sprint this weekend and I can't wait to keep racing with this awesome group of athletes.

Wine for everyone!

Monticelloman OLY

Going into this race my goal was to be realistic with my expectations. Training has happened over the past few months, but not to the extent which would lead me to believe I am in peak race-shape. Work and life have taken a priority and it's been an adjustment period in my life in general. The longer stuff has been the focus, building a base to have a solid day at Lake Placid.

Realistic expectations = I thought around a 2:30-ish was possible. I try not to define my results based on time because every course and day is different, but based on last year's results and my current fitness, I figured:

25ish swim [predicting a swim time in triathlon always a total crap shoot bc every swim course is different and conditions vary so much - This was just a nice round number]
1:10ish bike
50ish run
5ish for transitions.

What I learned this weekend? Mind over matter. Despite a tough bike and a hillier run than I had expected, I crossed the line in 2:29:45. Spot on my pre-race prediction. Perhaps I should be a bit more aggressive with my goal in my next few races.

I was very pleasantly surprised with my swim. I'm so glad I got in the water the day before and also warmed up/swam around for about 5 minutes before our wave went off. The water was low 60s, which is just about perfect for open water racing in my opinion, but it's definitely a shock to the arms/face if you're not able to warm up. I got out strong and was around about 4-5 other pink caps (women 39 and under), but as we turned around the first buoy, many of the girls I was swimming with started swimming towards a smaller sighting-buoy [which had drifted way off course], and I made the decision to jump off the feet I was on and swim towards the next large turn buoy. I could see one pink swim cap up ahead, and one to my left - we swam side by side for a few stroke, and she dropped back and swam the last leg back of the swim on my feet. Seb yelled out I came out of the water 2nd female and I was so happy. My swimming motivation has been severely lacking this season, and I definitely have some work to do before Ironman, but I was very happy with this swim.

I came into transition and had grand plans to take my time in T1 to put on gloves, socks and arm warmers, but who was I kidding? No way could I let this girl beat me out of transition after swimming on my feet for 10+ minutes. So threw on my helmet and shoes, decided to ignore the cold and potentially frozen feet, and was onto the bike. She still beat me out of T1 (whomp whomp) and I never saw her again.

I focused on securing my shoes and getting my breathing under control the first few miles of the bike. I was passed almost immediately by the eventual overall female winner, and didn't see another OLY female for the rest of the bike. I went back and forth with a few men, and overall I have to say the men in this race were a very nice and supportive group! Never before in a race have I had so many men passing me on the bike saying things like "Great swim!" "Nice bike" "Go get it girl" etc. It was really nice motivation. I had a tough time finding a rhythm - there were punchy hills (nothing too long or steep, just lots of up and downs) and there was a constant headwind almost the ENTIRE ride. It was a 1 loop course, so I just kept thinking, we must eventually get a tailwind, but really, it felt like headwind the entire way. I tried to keep my intensity up, but felt like my legs just weren't responding and I couldn't keep my heart rate up.

I focused on taking in my full 280 calories bottle (Carbo Pro + Skratch) plus water but felt burp-y and on the edge of throwing up the entire ride. This is the second race in the past few weeks [including a DISASTROUS trail race with multiple bathroom stops and walk breaks due to stomach pain] where my stomach has been uncomfortable [I also had to pee so badly the ENTIRE run]. After NO stomach problems last year, it's time to revisit what I have changed and go back to whatever I was doing last year.

Off the bike in 4th overall, time for the true test. My running off the bike over the past few years in OLY has just not been where I wanted it to be. I had a long talk with my coach and mentally prepared myself for this to happen again. He has asked for me to remember that I am training for an IM marathon, not a fast 10k, and they are two very different things. He reminded me how great I felt during IM and that a rough 10k isn't indicative of how IM will go. I know all these things in the back of my mind, but after getting passed over and over again in OLY races in the past few years, it's hard to stay positive.

However, this race, my legs and head were in the race. I wore my garmin to keep check of my splits, but didn't obsess over pace. I felt strong and focused on keeping my HR in check running uphill and really working the downhills. It was a lollipop-type out and back and saw 1 and 2 out ahead, but never saw 3. I also never saw 5 running me down. She came up FLYING past around mile 4.5 or 5. My body felt good and I tried to respond for about 10 seconds, but I laughed and realized it wasn't happening (turns out she was running about a minute per mile faster than me). I didn't get discouraged and focused on finishing up strong.

Based on my watch, I knew I had come in right around 2:30 and was DONE when I finished. It's been a long time since I did an OLY when I really felt like I left it all out on the course and I was happy with the results. My swim time was around what I predicted, but I felt WAY better than I expected, my bike was a few minutes off and my run made me really happy.

Useful awards are the best!

I'm excited to have a short recovery week, lay it all out next weekend at the Kinetic Aquabike, then it's head down for a solid 8 weeks of strong training up to Lake Placid! 

Updates.

All the uproar about Google Reader going 'away' made me remember I had a blog. For the record, I don't think Google Reader is going away...I think they will introduce something else.

Things have been quiet. In the history of my history, quiet means things are GOOD and there is no need to talk about them, or something is really BAD and writing it down means it's real so I avoid writing about it. Currently, I feel like I'm in a constant state of IN BETWEEN.

First the bad. I took February basically off of running. I have drafts saved in blogger about how 'YAY YAY January was my highest mileage month in years and I FEEL SO GOOD and I want to PR and go 1:3:x:xx in March and I am confident' Then February started and I was on an easy run and I had sharp pain in my foot that wouldn't really go away. X rays were taken and very.bad.things were ruled out, and the advice to take '4-6 week of rest' simply made me laugh. So I decided to take 2 weeks off. Focus on biking. Find my swim mojo (still searching for that...). I was dreading the time off. I had finally found my love of running and love running high miles. The week I go above 30 miles, I drop 3-5 pounds, it's like magic. Awesome magic. But the truth is, and I have learned the hard way over and over again, my body just can't take high mileage.

Part of the reason I hired a coach for IM was to save me from myself. I know I don't know when to say when. I also know, and have the MRIs and Xrays and scar tissue in my hip to prove it, that I also often choose to ignore aches and pains and push through majorly serious injuries and I have been conditioned by years of swimming to try to 'ice away' aches and pains. So my coach saved me last year. He showed me that I can be successful and happy at the end of the day running 20-30 mile weeks. That a marathon is possible on a long run of 16 miles. That success and happiness, FOR ME, for an Ironman equals lots and lots of hours in the saddle and no junk running miles and one FULL real rest day every week.

But I decided to focus on running this winter. Without a coach. and BAM, I went from the HIGHEST mileage month in years to the LEAST miles in years.

But surprisingly  for 14 days - I didn't miss running. Biking feels great. And I'm slowly and smartly (with the help of coach) adding back in my miles with no rush. I had some awesome tempo miles tonight that had my mind wandering to visions of still trying to race this weekend. Silly, silly Sarah. I will be on my bike, staying far, far away from any running races.

Another reason I didn't miss running? I was busy. You know how they* say that starting a new job and buying a house are two of the top 5 major life stresss? (*They...you know...THEY).  Well I decided to do both in a three month span, on top of trying to train for an Ironman and deal with an injury.

So needless to say, my head is NOT in the game right now when it come to training. I'm going through the motions and getting most of the work done (not in the pool), but I honestly am a bit freaked out by the idea that I'm doing an Ironman in a few months. I know it will all come around. We will move and things will settle down and I can just focus. And it will get warm and I can swim outside and I will be fine.

But right now. I just feel so IN BETWEEN. I'm so so happy about the house. We close in two weeks. But I'm stressed beyond belief. About stupid non-issues (couches and paint) and real life issues like being booked to travel 15 out of 20 work days in April.

I just want to take a deep breath, exhale and have it be May. Warm, race season, with long training weekends on the horizon. Oh, and probably another 15 days on the road.

Things to do during a 45-60 minute commute.

The first few years I lived in NYC, I commuted cross-town via subway and bus. The best days, it took 30-35 minutes. If I left a little too late, or if something was amiss with the trains or car traffic crossing Central Park, it could take 60+ minutes. But I really have no memories of dreading the commute, it was just a part of my daily life. I would check my phone/email on the subway, and then read or zone-out on the bus.

So in the spirit of the possibility that I will be re-introducing a 45-60 minute bus ride commute into my life, a list of things to convince myself I'm OK with it:

1. SLEEP.  Wake up 6am, catch the 6:20 bus, sleep en route. Arrive in DC at 7ish, run/gym, at desk by 8:30ish.
*Bonus of this plan - I don't have to give up the DC trails (Mt. Vernon, C&O, Potomac Heritage) that I love.
 
2. WORK. I'm planning to talk with supervisor about making this part of my work day - being on email and starting the work day when I 'sign on' via the wonders of 3G. I don't think the full 2ish hours would fly, but if it meant leaving my desk a bit before 5pm to make the 5:01 bus or arriving a few minutes past 8:30, it may be a possibility.

3. READ. Eh, not sure about this one, I tend to get motion sick when I read in the car unless it is dark out, so this will be a winter-time possibility.

4. WATCH TV. We have recently talked about getting rid of cable and using Netflix/Hulu. My new obsession is The Following - 1 episode would be a lovely 1-way commute. And I have hours of popular shows I've never watched that could keep me entertained.


A lot of people, some of our family included, think we are crazy for considering the move we want to make, but for us it's a tradeoff between space, cost of real estate and planning for our future. Related, during a majority of the year, I will be traveling 2-3 days per week, so this will not be a 20-day per month round trip commute.

ALSO, it will put me 30 miles CLOSER to multiple rural, beautiful biking options that I spent last summer driving 90 minutes to enjoy.

Back at it!

I'm officially back on schedule with my coach. There are other small goals along the way, but my main focus this year is Placid. But with a (FINGERS CROSSED!) potential move in the cards, which would bring a new commute, as well as my new work schedule, the plan is to race a bit less this year. A few races are on the schedule to dust off the cobwebs, but the only thing set in stone is an early season olympic.

I was (I AM!) excited to get back on schedule. I had a great talk with coach last week, and waited in anticipation for my schedule to start February 1st. However, when I finally got the email with my daily workouts through February 20th I had a minor freakout. My running is staying the focus through mid-March, and I'm slowly adding in 3x bikes and 2-3x swims per week. I wasn't overwhelmed by the volume, and was excited to see the VO2 max running intervals and race-pace miles. But I just wasn't that excited about the rest of it.

So the plan for the next three weeks: Make a valid attempt at each workout. If I'm not feeling it - calling it quits isn't failing. But I need to at least make the attempt. Once I'm on the trainer - banging out 55 minutes of strength really isn't so bad. The worst part of swimming is simply getting in the damn water - once you're in, what's the difference between 1500 and 3000 yards?

Another change I am making this year (and I spent A LOT of time thinking about this on my long run this morning to take my mind off my frozen fingers and painfully cold ears) is focusing on getting the work DONE in the moment and not overanalyzing the data afterwards. In the past, I have been tedious about logging my workouts, writing down my paces and heart rate and exact mileage and comparing workouts and looking at my progress. I think it has served me well in the past, but I learned a lot about myself as an athlete last year, and I think one of my main takeaways when it came down to my confidence going into Ironman was to just get the damn work done and then move on.

The last change (for now) - no more Training Peaks. It's not a tool my coach uses - however last summer I continued to log my hours just so I could see my Monday-Sunday totals. But now that I've been through an ironman training block with my coach I have learned - when you work with a coach that creates a schedule in 10 or 12 day blocks, total hours per week means absolutely nothing. All it did was let me compare myself to what everyone else was doing - and in the end, it's only about what I'm doing to get me to the start of the race happy and healthy.

Day Dreams

A random list of things going through my head recently, in no particular order (of importance or time).

• I can't wait to have a garage. I will put a treadmill in it (which is already waiting for me at my parents). And hang our bikes on hooks and pretend we are organized people.
• Related, I really like running on the treadmill (in moderation).
• Jillian Michaels - you bitch. You tricked me into thinking I wasn't THAT weak with Level 1, then BAM! Level 2 is SO MUCH HARDER.
• We've finally agreed on a house. Small miracle. WHY IS TIME GOING TO SLOW, release new models, dammit.
• Not complaining! No negotiating, set price, awesome deal. Please karma, let this work out for us. We really really really are good people.
• When did working 8:30-5pm make me so damn tired? Oh yea - Now, bc I've never really done it before.
• New job was strange. And awkward. Now it's better.
• I've been limiting myself to buying lunch 1/week and it's actually working. 
• I pay 45.99 per month for one of my gyms and I've been exactly 2 times in the past 6 months. You do the math.  
• But it's a shower near work! Says the girl who can't organize her life enough to run to work.
• In theory, I really want to start swimming again. But I can't seem to make myself do it.
• I miss riding my bike. 
• I have had a few really good long runs and it makes me SO HAPPY.
• I'm really excited to have the house to myself for a few days. 
• LONG WEEKEND!
• I really want to go to ride my bike for a long weekend in Colorado. I also am being cheap because I want to save all my airline miles for an extravagant far-away trip somewhere I've never been (Cinque Terra) sometime in the not-defined future.
• Gold's Gym sort of grosses me out.
• It scares me to think about finding new running routes. 
• I'm SO BORED with my current 3, 4, and 5 mile loops
• San Fransisco so many times this year!! SO EXCITED.
• I hope I find my motivation to train for Lake Placid. Because I really want to. But I am starting to get worried.
• Fingers crossed starting to pay someone again to tell me what to do will help.
• I'm currently more excited to do the Diabolical Double than I am to do Lake Placid. IMMT only took me about 2 hours longer last summer. I'd like to make them closer together this year (slower DD, faster IM?) However, I am not sure it is physically possibly to go slower on some parts of the DD = can you stay upright riding slower than 4pmh?
•  I've cut wheat out about 80% of the time. Why is that last 20% so difficult?
• Trader Joe's Gluten Free Granola (loaded fruit and nut) SO GROSS.
• Trader Joe's Gluten Free Waffles? SO AMAZING.
• Bob's Red Mill GF Pizza Mix? Pretty darn OK.
• Naked Pizza GF Crust? A weekend post-long run lifesaver. [Chicken, spinach, tomatoes and red onion nom nom nom]
• Gluten Free Turkey and Spinach Lasagna tonight? Wish me luck.

Looking Back.

Exactly one year ago, I said I would....

• Read more. Yes
• Sleep more. Yes
• Sleep earlier. Yes, through August
• Wake earlier. Ditto, through August
• Eat more green. Eh...
• Eat less white. Still trying to kiss wheat goodbye...making progress.
• Run hills. Sort of.
• Ride hills. Definitely --> One of the best days of 2012.
• Swim a lot. It's all relative.
• Run even more. Satisfied with where I am and where I'm going.
• Travel smartly. Doubtful.
• See the sunrise on Table Mountain. YES!
• See the sunset on Victoria Falls. Sadly, I think I let this slip through my fingers.
• Climb a bridge. YES!
• Work hard. In oh so many ways.
• Become an Ironman. Check!
• Be. Indeed

 
In a very strange and almost scary way, this list perfectly manages to encompass and capture my year, from beginning to end. I smiled my way to the finish line of my first Ironman, said goodbye to a comfortable job and hello to a new professional challenge, made amazing new friends while maintaining and strengthening old relationships. I hope I became a better partner to my other half and am excited for our immediate future together as it continues to evolve and grow for the better. 

Ch-ch-changes.

Big changes going on in these parts. After 6 1/2 years, I will be leaving my first 'real' job this Friday. It was a bittersweet decision, as the company has 100% supported my growth, both professionally and as a human being. My company has literally put the world at my fingertips and I will be forever thankful for the people I have met and the places I have visited.

My work isn't a job - it's a passion, a career and something I am fully vested in. While the past few weeks have been hard, I am ready to spread my wings, be challenged and take on the unknown. I am also very lucky that in a very small, niche field an opportunity has presented itself to stay in the exact field of research I have been working in since graduate school.

This will mean some life changes. The new gig will involve a very different type of travel that I am used to - this will be more constant, weekly/monthly trips within the US. While it pains me that for the first time in 5+ years I am not sure when I will step foot back in Africa, a continent I feel very connected to, I am very much looking forward to the longest potential plane flight being 5 hours. It will be a challenge to fit Ironman training into this new lifestyle, but I am confident I can make it work and am excited to see how things play out.

Another major change will be the commute. No longer will I have to drive across the city every day. My new commute (when I am in town) will be 6.5 miles, 97% on the Mount Vernon Trail. The plan is to have a majority of my run training happening to and from work. The level of stress contributed to my old commute that I am relieving myself of is worth its' weight in gold.




Some other major changes have taken place in my household in the past few months. For various health related reasons, the other member of my house has fully committed to a gluten-free lifestyle. This is not the result of following a fad diet or looking to 'eat clean' - this man loves nothing more than a heaping bowl of pasta, pizza and beer. But the change has been medically necessary and there is no doubt it is the best thing.

While I committed to cleaning the cupboards of wheat and gluten, I hadn't been strict outside of the house. However, after the millionth run together while I complain about my tummy and needing to find a restroom NOW - he challenged me to fully give up wheat. Why not? So for 2-3 weeks, I committed. Even through Thanksgiving. I may have had one bite of Pumpkin Pie, but otherwise, gluten and wheat were out of my diet. And I can't say I noticed much of a change.

How quickly we forget.

Last week I was in NYC wrapping up work projects. I totally gave up on eating wheat-free. And I couldn't sleep a WINK. I felt lethargic and gross. I could hardly push myself out of my hotel to run in my most favorite place in the world. And I came home and struggled through a 90 minute run. It's amazing how I really couldn't put my finger on a difference when I cut out the wheat, but this week confirmed it's the best decision for me. Willpower when it comes to food is something I struggle with, but I know this change is for the best and while it may take baby steps and I KNOW I will have some setbacks, I really want to make this change for good.

Training...is happening. I haven't been in the water since my last race, and have been on my bike once. But I have rekindled my love affair with running and it makes me happier than anything, I know I have 20 years as a swimmer in my back pocket, and hundreds of hours on the bike coming next year, so for now, running in enough.

Veteran's Day 10k

This fall has been all about running. After a long and happy triathlon season, I decided I was determined to find myself as a runner again. I LOVE running. Nothing beats a sunrise, chilly effortless run. Over the past few years, the effortless runs have been few and far between. The joy was still there, but I seemed to slug through more runs than not. So this fall has been about doing what I want, when I want. No mileage goals, other than to be smart, no paces, no watch, simply running for the joy of running. And my running is coming back, slowly but surely. I would love to chase a half marathon PR in the spring, so right now is all about building a safe and easy base.

Enter the 10k. Do I have any business running/racing a 10k right now? No. The last time I have done any running faster than base pace - September 16th. And that workout was when I decided I did not want to do any more structured training this year. But the 10k has always been a good test to see 'where I'm at'. And I wanted to spend every moment I could with this girl before she heads off across the country for bigger and better things.

Post-run, pre-drinking. I swear

So 10k it was. I decided I would run smart. I had no business chasing a PR, but I wanted to try to descend into a faster-than-tempo pace and see how it felt. I have run right around 50 a few times off the bike this year and felt HORRIBLE, so I decided it would be great to just run faster than that and focus in feeling GOOD.

I didn't look at my pace other than when it beeped the mile splits, and consciously pulled it back after I saw the first mile split. First mile? 7:08.

Well...there goes that plan.  New plan - hold on. Don't die.
7:15
7:22
7:23
7:33
7:30
(last bit at 7:19 pace).

Final (chip) time: 46:00, 7:25 pace

Did I run smart? No. Did I descend. Clearly not. But I am really happy that I didn't blow up, that I ran hard until the end, and felt happy and strong the entire way. This is major improvement on every 10k run off the bike I had this season (and last), so I feel like it's going the right direction.

Next step? 5 mile turkey trot in my neighborhood Thanksgiving morning. New goal: run smart, even splits with a faster average pace than this 10k. (Related goal: run with my man, don't get in a fight during run, make sure he does not attempt to 'race')

Side tangent: I have run a 10k faster than this two times before. Once off the bike (45:44), once as part of a OLY triathlon relay when I swam and ran (44:02). The best part of this blog (and reason why I continue to write) is that I can look back on these races and compare splits and my attitudes/thoughts about the races. It's so interesting to compare splits and see just how much a small difference each mile can add up to almost 2 minutes at the end of a 10k.

General Smallwood OLY

I went into the race with realistic expectations. I knew the amount of work I had put in over the past 7 weeks, fully letting my mind and body recover from Ironman. I decided to race the OLY over the HIM about 2 weeks ago, after busting  my knee as well as admitting to myself that 70.3 miles didn't sound like fun in any way. I made it my goal for the day to come off the bike as high up in the women's field as possible and not give up on the run.

Swim was cold - perhaps the coldest open water swim I've done. I felt pretty good once we started, but (not surprisingly) didn't have the extra gear to hang with the fastest eventual female swimmer. I watched her slowly pull away after the 1st turn and I just tried to stay strong and swim straight. Really nice 2 loop swim course, it was very easy to navigate and I felt like it went by quickly.

Bike was windy. Passed a female about mile 2 or 3 and was pretty sure I was riding in 1st. I tried to push the pace and keep my efforts up, but I went through miles 10-20ish without seeing a single other person. Based on the results, I had swam through most of the male field (all went in Wave 1), had a few pass me back in the first 10 miles, but after that - I was all alone for a majority of the race. Couldn't see anyone in front, no one behind. Hardly any cars. If it wasn't for the cops guarding the intersections, I would have thought I was off-course. So it was a bit hard to keep my focus and I a little bit wished I had a bike computer/HR monitor to gauge my effort. Looking at the results? Caroline and the overall winner put about 3 minutes into my on the bike. Oops.

Off the bike leading the overall race. Mission accomplished. Knew Caroline couldn't be far behind. Decided to leave my Garmin in T2, as I was racing for place, not for time at this point.

Was passed by eventually overall winner a bit after Mile 1, passed by Caroline quickly after. Wasn't surprised, was happy for my training partner and encouraged her to go after the woman in front. Was one of those strange runs/races were I had no clue how fast I was running - 7:30 pace? 8:30 pace? All I know is that it was hilly, hotter than I had expected and I was running hard. I focused on keeping my legs and arms moving, and the goal became to stay on the overall podium.

After the turn around I realized I had a very large margin over 4th place, knew I wasn't catching back up to Caroline as she disappeared in the distance, so I began to ease up a bit. Turned off the main road in the last mile, and tried to focus on just getting through the final few minutes. Through the woods, heard lots of footsteps coming up from behind and turned to see a female in a big pack of guys FLYING up from behind. DAMMIT. But then I realized the course was now shared between the OLY and Sprint - as the girl FLEW by, based on her number, I knew I was in the sprint and I was OK.

Happily crossed the line in 3rd, 2:32:56, to end my season. Perfect way to end a great year. I have surpassed many of my expectations this year and am ready for a mental and physical break. I honestly started the physical break after Ironman, but I have mentally been a little stressed about this race, and am so happy to clear my mind for the winter and just enjoy. Even better than the results - I was so happy to be able to share this race and podium with Caroline. I feel so lucky to have met such great training partners and even better friends this year.

This was far from my best OLY time, but I have learned over the past year - I'm not racing the clock. Every course is different. Conditions vary. All you can do is race yourself and anyone else who shows up.  I also think this was the quickest I have ever removed my race wheels and cleaned my bike after a race. The tri bike is hung up and taking a breather for at least the next few weeks and after that will be attached to the trainer through the winter months. HELLLLLO fall running, road bike and coffee rides!

Bump in the road.

I can tend to be a bit...dramatic. Especially when it comes to aches and pains and bumps and bruises. However, after not being dramatic ENOUGH about an ache that turned into a serious stress fracture, I learned the hard way to err on the side of caution when it comes to my body.

Saturday, I took a spill. Spill may not be the right word. Topple? Collapse? I had one foot clipped in, pushed off on some gravel going downhill, all while chatting away - leading to my falling over on my clipped side, directly onto my knee at about 0mph. It stung at the time, and was a bit bloody, but a quick clean with some wet-wipes and I got through 2 more (not-so-pretty) hours of my scheduled ride (I had already done 30 minutes before the fall).

Stopping about an hour into the ride to refuel, I could immediately feel my knee stiffen up and it continued to ache the next 15 miles back to the car. It actaully felt better when I pushed the pace a bit, so I tried to settle into the prescribed 70.3 race efforts. Proceeding straight to Rite Aide for alcohol wipes (BAD idea), followed by a second purchase of baby-formula no pain cleaning solution, the gash looked quite bad and my knee was starting to stiffen up.

While on Saturday I was worried about the gash and the blood and the potential scar on my knee (vanity trumps all) - Sunday morning I woke up and realized what I should have been worried about was the bruising. Turns out, falling with all your body weight [plus your bike] directly on your knee is quite traumatic, no matter how fast [or slow] you're going. As the day wore on, moving my knee at all became agony, and the pain radiating behind my knee started to really make me worry. Google confirmed I cleared had ripped, torn, or shattered something. Boyfriend confirmed I was a hypochondriac and told me to just let my knee heal up.

So two days of pretty complete immobility, an easy 30 minute run and an easy swim this morning - and it definitely still hurts. And the damn scab is in the perfect spot on my knee that it rips every time I bend my knee, so pretty much all day every time I move. However, I am in no rush. My next race is still about 2 1/2 weeks away, I have time to get in some solid training, and if it's not the race of my life - who cares. I signed up as a bonus and to keep me training through the fall and there is no urgency. My knee still feels a bit 'twisted' and hurts behind the knee cap, which continues to have my worried, but also is getting a little better every day.

So, in summary, I fell over going 0pmh and am being a drama queen. But this did in fact, hurt. And it continues to hurt. And yes, it has forced me to change my expectations for my race, but I don't think I am down and out and could possibly still have a great day.