Mayo Lake Sprint Tri Recap

All it takes is a woman to pass a dude to light a fire under his bum. Seriously.

Today I did the TrySports Mayo Lake Sprint Tri. It was amazing and crazy and wild and awesome all wrapped in one blurr of an event!

Team Mountaintop!

Somehow The Hubs and I got bib #20 and 21 so we were next to each other in the transition area. That was fun....Here are our bikes set up and ready.

I was hoping to make it to the podium but I knew the competition was stiff going in with 21 in my age group. It was a little more than twice as big as my last tri. With that being said I feel like did SO MUCH BETTER. Actually I am not sure what my splits were, they aren't posted yet, but I know I feel really good about them, given the circumstances.

"Circumstances?" you say....Lets just say the swim was amazing. Went off without a hitch except for a few instances where I literally swam over one girl, got kicked in the boob, got swum over and a few other things. It was actually the roughest swim to date BUT I think I had my fastest swim time yet. Amazing!

Coming out of the water we had to run up a steep hill. Whose idea was THAT? Really....

This certainly was not the cleanest or least disgusting swim venue I have experienced...

I came out of the water and grabbed Nelly (my bike for the new readers) and hit the road. I saw, what I thought was off in the distance, some gnarly clouds. I told myself, "Ok Amanda. Lets do this. Go hard and beat the rain." Big mistake. If I never believed in jinxing myself this would be one of those times that has made me into a believer.

Not two miles in I started getting pelted with rain. I wondered for a minute if it was hail, tiny little hail nuggets flying at my face. I let off my speed for a minute and thought about a few options: Get off the road and sit under a tree and DNF, keep going, see what happens, ride a bit slower, use my race experience to my advantage and despite being a bike-weenie use my racing experience to my advantage and go for it....I went for it. Others were slowing, I sped up. I still rode conservatively on the downhills, I always do since my crash back in March. That messed me up and I suffer from PTSD. Every down hill I have flashbacks of the entire crash ending with me in a ditch. Scary stuff. But at the end of the day it makes me a safe and alert biker. If I can just get that piece under control I know I could be so much stronger on the bike.

So there I was, riding my bike in the stinking rain. Who does that? Not me. I don't ride in the rain. It didn't help matters that this was THE hilliest course I have ever ridden. It even beat Kirkland in Kirkland, WA. It was big, long uphills and long steep downhills, and short steep uphills and long moderate downs....and on and on the entire way. It was actually a great course. I could get those thighs burning on the uphill, hit the big gears and ride it down....giving my legs a rest.

I passed a few girls and a number of dudes. One dude kept leap frogging with me. I didn't mind since he was, well a dude, and 50. And then it happened. An Age Grouper passed me, not only was she in my age group but she was a 90 pound Turkey, and I mean that in the most complementary way possible. She could not have weighed a pound over 90. She was skin, bones, and muscle. She passed me and I decided to hang close, 15 meters behind. And sorry if you are a blog reader of mine, but really you need to hear this. When she passed she remained in the middle of the lane. I could not over take her at all if I wanted to. A couple of times I could have and wanted to but she was right in the middle. I didn't want to cross the center lane or pass to the right so I hung back until the right moment came and I passed her. I didn't look back and I never saw her again. On the bike.

When I finally came off the bike I was soaked to the bone. The rain had been torrential. I racked my bike and made a split second decision to lose the socks for the run. My entire transition area was soaked. When I did Tris in Washington I usually took a large trash bag to cover my stuff in case it rained. It was just habit and second nature to plan for rain. Not here...I didn't even think about it. Everything was soaked, my shoes were full of water when I slid my bare feet into them. i figured bare feet would be better than my soppy socks.

The run was a trail run. It was absolutely awesome! I had forgotten how much I love trail runs. At first I puddle hopped but that lasted about 15 feet into the woods. The trail was about 3 feet across at most, but usually about 2 feet wide, and slippery mud. There was no avoiding it. I slid around the corners and down hills. It was gnarly! I was loving every second of it even though it was up and down hill, wet and muddy, twisty and turny, and tree branchy and rooty. I will say though that it was the longest three miles of my life. I hit the one mile mark and nearly hit a wall. Yep, a wall at one mile. My left arch was burning already and I could feel my insoles bunched up and crinkled up under my foot, not laying flat in my shoe.

I passed a number of dudes...and let me tell you, I guess all it takes is for a woman to pass a dude to light a fire under his tushie to get him to run faster. It's funny and annoying at the same time. Then as I grabbed a tree on the right hand side and flung around a tight, hairpin curve it happened. That 90 pound Turkey went trotting by me....UGH. I was ticked. I was running my best. I could have run faster if it was a road race but this was a muddy trail race and that kinda takes some getting used to. But I saw her in front of me and I watched her slip away....into the forest.

Getting passed is so mental. It is hard to keep going, at least it is for me. I felt myself slow a bit as she went by but as she went around a turn ahead and I could no longer see her it was me and the forest and the rain and the mud again. I found my mental game and realized I was doing ok and I could keep going. After the two mile mark I got passed by another girl. This one was also hard on me mentally but she looked good and strong. She showed no sign of fatigue or slowing. I let her go. Yes, let her go....

In my mind I knew best case scenario I could have third place but really I had no idea of my standings. As I finally neared the finish line I saw The Hubs, clapping and cheering me in. He yelled, "There's one on your tail!" I glanced over my shoulder and saw a woman coming but really couldn't tell how close or far she was or how fast she was coming. I gave every last ounce of umph I had and sprinted to the end. It was a weak sprint but I held her off and beat her. Turns out she wasn't in my age group but it got me an Overall Female Ranking of #15 and an 8th place finish in my Age Group out of 21. I'll have to post official times and splits later once they are posted.

The rainy day...

LB was having a blast...he was a soaked, muddy rat by the end. He said, "Mom! I am just doing what my shirt says!!" Well son, I guess you are...

Tomorrow is my long run and yoga! What's in store for you tomorrow?

Ok, I can do this...

Right?

Yeah, I think so.

This morning's RLRF run was a tempo run. I haven't ever tackled a temp run on the streets. Usually I stick to the treadmill so I can control the pace. But it is just not feasible or convenient for me to get to the treadmill in most cases since it would cost me a good hour or more in the morning. Getting up at 5:15 is bad enough, take away even a half hour and that puts me getting up at 4:45. Gross.

My plan called for 7 miles, Mile 1 easy at 9:43, the middle 5 at a more challenging 8:43 pace, and the final mile at an easier 9:43 pace again. I opted out of 7 miles for two reasons: 1) I didn't have time for 7 miles and 2) my long run last Saturday was 8 miles, I didn't think a medium, mid-week long run of 7 miles two days before a race was a good idea. Aren't' I a good smart runner/triathlete? My first mile was completed in 10:07 min/mile, a little slower than planned, Mile 2 was 8:46 min/mile, just three seconds off goal pace! Mile 3 and Mile 4 were right on the money at 8:43 min/mile each! How did I do that?? And mile 5 was at 9:54 min/mile.

Overall I am pleased with the run, I just wish I had enough time to do 7. I was feeling pretty good and I think I could have maybe gotten another 2 miles done at the faster pace. But I am playing smart. I don't want any overuse injuries. This weekend, depending on how sore and worn out I am after Saturday's tri, I'll hit my long run up early on Sunday. I'm going to shoot for 10-13 miles instead of the 17 miles on the plan. I think that is doable, as long as the heat and humidity are bearable.

One issue I have with this plan is that it jumps into high mileage FAST! Next weekend, at the end of week 4 the plan has a 20 miler! Are you kidding me? 20 miles in week FOUR? I understand that this plan in intended for people with a very good mileage and endurance base. I haven't helped myself any by starting in week 3. Self-sabatoage much? This plan has FIVE 20 mile runs altogether...No stinking joke...This is serous. I'll work it out though, I am certain!

Jen, of Runner Maybe hooked me up with this link HERE to a RLRF calculator! (THANK YOU!) PRICELESS! I put in my 5k time and turns out I ran my splits on Monday night a lot faster than I needed to. Oops! Maybe that is why I am STILL sore from that workout? Ya think? But now I know and will adjust for it come next Tuesday's speed work. Am I sick and twisted for saying that I am already looking forward to it? I was afraid so...I think I will love the speed work and long runs but hate the tempos. But who know? Maybe like an arranged marriage I will learn to love them.....one can only hope.

So any questions about RLRF? I know a few of you had some questions on my last post. I'll try to answer questions here this weekend! I am certainly not an expert by any means though, I am fumbling through this workout...so it will be fun, like the blind leading the blind! And let me just add this, three runs a week kind of rocks! I do have three days of cross training but for a triathlete that just plain and simply rocks the hizouse! Swim and bike and kettle bell....oh yea!

I am humbled to say...

WOW! Holy RLRF! This is going to be no joke. Like seriously no joke...I am not prepared for what is the Run Less, Run Faster plan. Tonight it put me in my place.

After a lot of hard work I got my plan made and I am sticking to it....hard or not it is what it is and I am doing it.

I decided to do tomorrow's workout tonight since I have a 12:10 AM date at the airport to pick up my boys. Yay! I knew getting up at 5 AM would be hard to put it nicely. Why self-sabatoage? I had the evening and needed to get my workout in. Too bad I had to leave work a little later than anticipated and couldn't make it to the 7 PM yoga so run only it was. I decided to head to the Recreation Center that has a small, and I mean small fitness room. But hey, two treadmills and two elliptical and some weights and other things is pretty good for a FREE community center. It is literally 6 minutes from my house! Score!

I am not sure what time they open but they close at 9 PM. Getting there in the AM and back home to shower for work mostly likely will not happen, let's be honest. But I guess I could become an evening runner...GASP! Tonights killer workout lasted one hour from the beginning of the warm up to the end of the cool down. I am sure, positive actually, that they will get longer as I progress through the plan. But for now an hour it is.

My workout tonight was:

10 min warm up/10 min cool down

1200 m done in 5:39

1000 done in 4:40

800 m done in 3:42

600 m done in 2:48

400 m done in 1:49

200 m done in :50

...All these with 200 m recovery between.

Anyone have any guess as to the problem I had when I arrived with this, written on a Post-It note, and jumped on the treadmill?

Uhhhhh.....how the heck to I convert all this to miles and mph or pace per mile or min/mile pace? Deer in the headlights...total Duh moment as I stood there and stared at it. Shoot. I texted Jess-Blonde Ponytail, she is a veteran of the RLRF plan since she used it for her last marathon. She emailed me a table which was very, very helpful....now that I am at home with my computer.

So there I was, standing on the treadmill. I decided that I could figure out the distance by gauging it with the visual guy that runs around the track. I have enough track experience that I know a 1000 m is 2 laps around a track plus a 200 yards, which puts me halfway around the track. ugh, so this was not only a physical workout but my brain was smoking by the end.

I used the lap option my iPhone to time each interval, and the treadmill to measure distance and pace. It worked out ok but I need a better system. It worked out that I ran each interval a little bit faster than the previous. the 1200m was done at approximately a 7:15 min/mile pace, 1000 @ 7:10, 800 @ 7:05, 600 @ 6:52, 400 @ 6:32, and the 200 I did way to fast (but hey, this was one of my races in High School and when I dabbled in track in college, I was a short distance sprinter).

I recovered each time with 200 m very, very slow. It was hot even inside with the fan blowing right on me. I was sweating up a storm.

I also did the entire workout in my new NB w10s except for the last 200 m and the cool down! I loved them! I felt no pain or weirdness throughout! In fact, it was weird when I put my Sauconys back on. I am excited to be making this transition! I may even race in them on Saturday when I do my next sprint tri.

Man, my legs look weird and swollen. Maybe it is is my weird ankle socks?

Well I am off to the airport soon to pick up my boys! It has been way too quite around here!!

How was your workout? Anyone do any crazy speed work??

Tips for Running in Heat and Humidty

Yes, it's about time I talk about this....it is seriously challenging and I know many of us deal with it.

Let me tell you about my training. Saturday I got up early to meet Sarah downtown for a long run. Neither of us had run more than 3 or 4 miles since Seattle Rock n Roll so we were just out with hopes of 5 or more. My new Run Less, Run Faster plan told me I was to run 15 miles. HA ha ha ha!!! Yeah, right. I knew that was not smart. Sure I could have suffered through it but I don't want to get injured. Things are looking UP for me fitness-wise right now and an injury is the LAST thing I want. So in my mind I had a 10 mile limit. No more than that but I wanted to hit at least 5 miles.

I showed up and parked and quickly noticed downtown was bustling with bodies, running bodies!! A race was happening! I texted Sarah and told her I thought something was going on and she recalled a race going on down there. We didn't have enough time to register last minute so we watched for a few minutes and then made a game plan. We would run the first mile of the course in reverse so as not be confused as racers, then turn around and run the 10k race course. The race was small. I'm pretty sure I could have maybe placed Age Group, maybe....I like sizing up the competish these days.

We were on our way and it was muggy, humid and hot. In fact, this is a good time for me to tell you what I learned about running in heat from Run Less, Run Faster:

Reduce exercise intensity in very hot conditions. When temps exceed 90 degrees F or when the sum of the temp (F) and humidity (percent) exceeds 135, runners should modify their workout. Uh.....that wold be 24/7 here in the south from June-Oct. So Saturday it was about 84 degrees at 7 AM with 76% humidity. Any math whizzes out there? No, ok I'll do the math...160. I think that means go to breakfast for an iced coffee or mimosa....

Second thing I learned, and I am SO guilty of this, when it is humid it is BETTER to drink that water and try to stay dry. Why? Good question, here is what RLRF says: Your body adapts to the heat through increased blood flow to the skin, increased sweating, and a higher core temperature. You need to replace the sweat lost through regular hydration. Only water that evaporates results in significant cooling; the sweat running off your body reduces your body heat very little (Think about this one, the sweat running off and NOT evaporating does not really work to cool you). Higher humidity reduces the rate of evaporation. Wet skin does not sweat as much as dry skin; therefore, "poor it in, don't pour it on". In other words, drink water rather than pouring on top of your head.

So how many of you pour that water all over you, and on top of your head trying to get relief from the heat? ME! I am guilty! Just last weekend I was doing so. And frankly, I can see now that it did not help. The water just does not evaporate, and in high humidity, neither does your sweat. It is the sweat that evaporates that cools you, so if it just beads up there on your skin it is not really cooling you. So how do we adjust to this? How can we help ourselves? I'm not sure it is possible actually. Research shows that running times and paces slow while running in heat (temps over 60 degrees F) and humidity. In fact, you will not be able to sustain as fast a pace as normal in the heat, even if you are acclimated.

So all this to say, I should't be so hard on myself. And you shouldn't be either! It is stinking HOT and HUMID.

Back to the run...we ran opposite the race for about a mile then joined the route. I felt kind of bad but hey, it's a public road and we ran on the opposite side of the road and did not interfere with the racers. It was nice because Sarah and I could pretty much run our own pace and just follow the route, otherwise we run together since I have no idea where I am going in that part of town. I tried to keep my pace around 9:54 (my Marathon Pace +45 seconds). I was happy with my effort but I still have a had a hard time maintaining a consistant pace. Back in the day I would run every mile within 2-4 seconds of each other. Those days are gone.

We followed the course and when I ran back by my car I stopped for a quick shoe change, from my Saucony's to my NB w10s. I wanted to get at least a mile in with them on.

LOVE. Can you say love at first stride? Om my goodness! They felt amazing! Light! Comfortable! I did my 8th mile with them on and had no problem or pain whatsoever! I think my transition to these shoes will be negligible, and here is why: I walk around barefoot all the time, whenever socially acceptable. I love to be barefoot. And if not barefoot I wear flip flops that are equivalent to wearing a 1/3 inch slab of rubber, no real support. I even run in my flip flops when I need to, chasing LB or Lazy Dog, running in the park, playing catch or football. You name it I have done it in flip flops. I toured Italy in my flipflops, walking on the marble slab ground. No support whatsoever...so this transition will be A-okay.

BUT, that does not mean I will be running barefoot. No-siree. I am not jumping on that bandwagon. The thought of stepping on dog poop or a nail or a rock or spit or a snot-rocket, or getting a hook worm,you get the idea... I'll be wearing shoes thankyouverymuch....

After the 8 mile run (completed at about 9:30 min/mile pace) I was drenched in sweat but I had plans to meet J-Ninga for yoga! I headed to the studio and changed in the bathroom where I had to literally wring out my shorts into the sink before I dared put them in my Marc Jacobs bag. Seriously, priorities people! I have never seen such a thing. It was gross. Yoga was amazing though...I hope I can make it a routine to hit up the 9 AM morning class after my Saturday longruns. That would be awesome!

And finally I hit the road today with J-Ninja and her Hubster for a 20 mile bike ride. It was a good ride and I felt pretty good. We didn't ride too hard but the course was our old favorite, the Ranges, with hill after hill...So my quads were screaming at me! I passed on an even yoga class with J-Ninja. My back is so sore, most likely from plank into chaturanga then into cobra and down dog....over and over.

So this weekend was totally awesome! I got in a lot of training. The only thing I missed was a swim. Twice, Saturday and today, I put it off and didn't make it to the pool. I hope to make it there straight after work tomorrow. I'm packing all my stuff to be prepared.

This weekend I rediscovered Pandora Radio. Oh. My. Goodness. I am listening to Amy Winehouse station (a mix of music and artist of the same genre). It is awesome! So what are you loving today!?

Yeeeee-oga!

Once upon a time I did yoga twice a week. That was when I was training for my first marathon. I would follow up most Tue/Thur runs with 1 hour and 15 minutes of flow Yoga. I did a lot of things right during that training cycle. Not sure what happened but I think I got cocky. Got over-confident maybe. Started thinking I was the bees knees, the best thing since sliced bread. A seriously too-cool-for-school chica. I see the error of my ways now though.

Back to Yoga. It was great. I was not as bendy as I had once been. I couldn't do many of the modifications which frustrates me. My balance was all wonky and frankly I had non when trying to Warrior III or the Half moon. Yoga is good. So, so good. It can do so much for the body as far as balance and stretching. The Pigeon pose is my favorite. The stretching I feel in my hips is unmatched. If I need to relax I can do two things, close my eyes and think back to my massage therapist, Kathryn (at the YMCA in Tacoma) or think about the Pigeon pose. It is almost instant relaxation. Fantabulous! Today my back muscles, glutes and hammies are sore. It feels so good!! I love being sore, hate it but love it.

It isn't exactly convenient, generally, to go to yoga, but I think I can commit to once a week. I think it will really help my overall fitness. Since our beach weekend was spoiled by what was a hurricane, then Tropical Storm Emily, and now an open tropical wave, J-Ninja and I decided to hit up yoga again in the morning.

Speaking of tomorrow morning, I hope to get in a good 5-6 mile run before hand. Although I don't think I'll be wearing these:

Aren't they beautiful?

My amazing UPS friend dropped these off this evening. Lazy Dog is not so excited to see the Brown truck, but me, I get straight up giddy when he rolls up.

Lazy Dog licking his chomps...biting at the bit to eat the UPS man.

I think I'll wear the new New Balance W10's for one mile, return home and change into my Saucony for a few miles, then one more shoe change. They say to transition slowly. I'll try but patience has never been my forte.

Tonight I am just chilln' at home. I think this is a great opportunity to get in a kettle bell workout and bike ride on the trainer work on my final OBX Marathon plan. I'm all set up and ready to get it done, put down on paper so there are no more excuses. I must get on this.

The Hubs made it to the summit of Mt. Rainier. I am so super jealous but I think next summer we will head up there to do it together. I can't wait!! Look at him! He's on top of the world!

What are you up to this weekend? Anyone creating their training plan for their upcoming races? Or summiting any mountains? Going to the beach despite the open tropical wave? My parents are cruising around Alaska. My son in heading back to Berkley from Yosemite and I am sitting at my kitchen table, listening to Pandora radio....Someone tell me something exciting....make me feel even more jealous happy for you!

Still Lonely...

Yes, I am still living the Bachelorette life here...for 5 more days.

It is very quite and lonely. To make matters worse TOMORROW is LB's 6th birthday. I can't believe he is 6 already! And I can't believe I am not celebrating his birthday with him. I am celebrating, just not with a Spiderman cake or with him. J-Ninja, Sarah, and I are heading downtown for a late Flow Yoga class followed by dinner! When will I ever get to celebrate LB's birthday like this again? Probably when he's grown and off doing his own thing, in 20 years. Thank goodness for friends!

To make matters a little more sad and woe-is-me-ish, LB is in Yosemite National Forest this week with his grandpa. The cell phone service there is not great so I can't reach him. Insert pouty face here.....I am certain he is having a great time though. While he is hiking around Yosemite, The Hubs is on his way to the summit of Mt. Rainier.

Photo taken from Mel-Tall Mom's yard in June. Beautiful!

Man, how did I miss out on all this fun? I have always wanted to hike to the top of Mt. Rainier. Maybe next year....

Take a look at these beauties! New Balance Trail W10! They are making their way to my house via UPS as we speak.

I don't do a ton of trail running but a lot of the sprint tris thus far have included a good portion of the run on trails. So I am hoping to get used to these puppies and work my way into the minimalistic running, kind of. Anyone given these a spin? How do you like them?

Oh and HOW did I forget!? I am OFFICIALLY registered for OBX 26.2. So I guess I have to start training now. What fall races are registered for? Any first time marathoners??

More Chamoise...

For the boys…wait, I don’t have boys…but either way Chamoise it good. Really good. If you are getting into the world of triathlon don’t skimp on the Chemoise. Feel free to ask in a comment if you need clarification.

Recently I have been approached with a number of questions surrounding triathlon. I figured I would go ahead and answer some of them here and now. So if I leave any question unanswered, please feel free to ask either in a comment or via email. I’ll do another post if necessary. But…keep in mind please that these answers are just mine. I am no pro, I have no coach, or professional training. These are from ME, me who wants to melt into the pavement and slip peacefully away into the sea during the run portion. Me.

Now, first question:

1) Under your wet suit do you wear a swimming suit?

-Simply, no. I mean, yes if if is swim suit or birthday suit...but I prefer triathlon specific clothes. I have done 6 triathlons and have only worn a wet suit once and that was in my first, in late September in Lake Washington. The water temp was two degrees warmer than the air at 68 degrees. I wore a shortie wet suit (it was shorts with only 3/4 sleeves) over my swim suit because I did not have a proper triathlon outfit. Now here is the deal, if you don’t want to drop the money on tri gear I get it. It’ expensive. I have done most of my tris in a swim suit. It is no biggie. My suggestion for you is don’t wear a wet suit unless it is cold. Cold air and cold water. You will warm up and the wet suit will slow you down coming into/out of T1. I understand though that some tris are just wet suit necessary and in order to avoid hypothermia you need to wear one. in which case I would wear it OVER my tri shorts and singlet. But if i didn’t have that as an option I would wear it over a sports bra (one made for tris that will dry quickly, not cotton) and my swim suit AND tri shorts (very important that they are Triathlon specific shorts, not just biking shorts, you will hold too much water in the butt pad of a regular bike short). Coming out of the water you unzip the back and pull it down to the waist while running. At your bike you shimmy out of it. Once out of it, if you have only a swim suit on good luck with those tri shorts. Yes in the past I wore my tri shorts over my swim suit and worn it the whole way. swim, bike , and run. In my 70.3 I did not want to wear the swimsuit for that long but for a sprint or olympic I think it would be just fine. Just don’t forget the Chamoise Cream….

Oh and P.S. Putting on spandex while wet is nearly impossible. Wear your bike and run clothes from the get go! It makes your T1FAST which is just plain bad A.

Me in my tri shorts and swim suit with a tri-soecfic bra underneath. I swam, biked, and ran in this…

Me in my 2XU Tri shirt and Tri Shorts. I swam, biked, and ran in this entire outfit…Shout out to J-Nina’s Hubster below with his Age Group GOLD.


Me (and LB) at my first tri 9/2008 in my shortie with swimsuit underneath.

2) When you are swimming how do you overcome the obstacles with running into/getting hit by other swimmers?

-Expect it. Unfortunately this happens and it can be bad but for the most part swimming arms aren’t really like deliberate punching arms. What I’m saying is that it can catch you off guard and throw you off but if you expect it then you wont be surprised. My advice is, if your out for a good time and a first time tri, begin to the back and the outside. If you don’t want to be in the back then just ensure you are on the outside. This way the faster, more aggressive swimmers can be on their way and not swimming over you. Keep your eye on the buoys and don’t get too far of course. And the time when I get kicked and hit the most is on turns. So be aware of swimmers around you while turning at the buoys. Remain calm if you do get punched and don’t take it personally. I have punched and been punched. It’s part of the game.

3) For the sprint tri’s how do you fuel throughout the race?

-This one is tricky. You have to find what works for you. I think I am close to finding the right way. For me, I drink Accelerade 30 minutes before my wave start. Upon coming out of the water before getting on my bike I eat as much of a GU gel I can in ONE squeeze and gulp. Then while on my bike I have a water bottle I use in the aero position. This is key for me. Otherwise I cannot drink while riding. I’m just not coordinated enough. In my water bottle I have TWO separate chambers, a large chamber holding 20 oz I think and a smaller one holding 12 oz. I put water in the larger chamber and a GU Brew in the smaller. This way I am fueling while drinking. It is awesome. Now if you are a good biker you can do this, my husband tapes Gu Gels to his bike, the center bar between his legs. As he rips the Gu from the tape it opens the Gu packet and he can eat it. But you have to be aware of your trash, if you get caught tossing it you can get a 2 minute penalty for littering. Same goes for dropping your water bottle or anything else while on the ride. Then coming off the bike I grab my Chomps and use those as close to the beginning as I can on the run. I think next time I will use a Gu Gel, it is easier to down and I can get it into my system much faster, which is what I need coming off the bike. In the past I have used my handheld water bottle during the run with Gu Brew in it. So it just depends on what you want to do and what works for you. But there you have it.

Here is my bike with my water bottle between the bars. You can’t really tell here but there are two straws that stick up so I can drink easily.

4) Which marathon are you training for? Don’t you find it difficult to squeeze in biking/swimming while you are marathon training too?

-Um, ok I am only kind of training for a marathon right now. OBX HERE to be exact. It is Nov 13. I guess I should register and seriously be training. To be honest, yes I have had a hard time maintaining all three sports. For a while I focused only on running, then I was spinning and cycling like a mad woman, then once summer hit you couldn’t get me out of the pool. I was swimming almost two miles a day 4 times a week. I found my passion and natural athletic ability in the pool. I was born to be a swimmer. But, alas I cannot always swim, it is inconvenient. So yes, juggling all three is hard which is why I was desperate to see the Run Less, Run Faster plan/book. It has cross train days built in and those are the days where I will bike and swim and do weights or whatever. Tri season is quickly coming to a close so I will lay off the swim and bike, maybe, doing each once a week for maintenance until next spring when I will amp it up again. I think one fall marathon and one late spring marathon will be good, then TRIs all summer long.

5) The secret to improving bike skills seems to be finding other people to ride with. There is a group that rides together several times a week but they go much further (30+ miles) than I do (20miles at most). Do you think I should ride out with them and turn around early? What if I get lost?

-First off, please don't get lost!! Ok, this is scary for me too. I have a few riding groups around here and have never had the courage to join. BUT I will be joining them this coming Sunday, at least I will if you do!! =) But really, two people I work with are in the group and it was described to me as this: There are different levels of riders, Group A is fast fast lightening fast. Averaging over 22 mph. They go hard and fast and long and kick bootie. Group B is 18-22 mph. They too ride fast in my opinion. Then Group C rides less fast, all ranges up to 18 mph. I was also told that they take in new riders and will not leave them behind. So if you get there, talk to some of the riders, maybe some of them have the same issue, wanting less miles, and they may be willing to ride back with you. Maybe the first time out you could plan to ride the entire route, just to get a feel for it and familiarize yourself. Then after that 30+ ride you can decide. Plus, 30+ miles is awesome. I agree that riding with a group would be very helpful in pushing you/me/us to improve. So lets do it! A group ride is on the calendar for Sunday evening! Oh and about finding your way back….take your cell phone so you could call for help or if you have a GPS on it then you can find your way. Safety first!

Well that does it for my Q&A post. Hopefully you got some nuggets of knowledge out of it! And if you have anything to share I would love to hear it!!! Let me know in a comment!!

How I got 3rd in My Age Group....

I swam fast. Rode hard. Choked on the run....

Ok, no really. I did really well throughout except for the run. What the heck? I'm supposed to be good at running. It's what I do. I run, mostly. But I always choke on the run. I've been told it's because I need to ride more and that my legs are tired from biking so I die on the run. I'm sure that is true. So tomorrow I am moving the trainer back inside. He has been banished to the garage since May and it is time, time to bring him back in and set Nelly up so I can ride.

Anyway, we headed to the race site early since we didn't make packet pickup the night before. It was still dark when I got everything set up...but under the cover of darkness I discovered I had forgotten my race belt. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! After a quick mini panic I realized all would be fine, I would just have to pin it. Old school style....No biggie. I closed my eyes and visualized how it would go down in transition: off with the bike shoes and helmet, on with the visor, running shoes, grab bib with pins already attached, pin it on as I run through the transition. I replayed it a couple of times and felt confident I could remember come race time. I use visualization a lot. I think it really helps me.

So here is my transition all set up and ready to go.

I headed over to J-Ninja's Hubster's transition to get some rubber bands so I could attach my repair kit to the back of my bike seat. Bad news, he had broken two of the rubber bands. There were none left to spare. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I returned to my transition. I stared at my bike, then my wheels, then the repair kit. The conversation in my head went something like this: "I take the repair kit I don't need it. I leave it behind I get a flat. I have no pockets. Where do I put it? What do I do? I am doooomed. I will face certain flattage if I don't have it. That is just the way my life is...I need this repair kit. Think. Think. Where can I get rubber bands?" I looked around and no one in sight had rubber bands.

After a bit I had a brilliant idea. I headed over to the body marking area and grabbed two ankle straps.... I hooked up my repair kit and stepped back to admire my handy work. "Yes, this is going to be a good race." I should have been a boy scout.

With my transition all set up all I had to do now was wait. My wave started at 7:46. As I waited a girl came and introduced herself, Lacey! Lacey moved to NC from WA too and emailed me about doing the same tri. I was thrilled that she came up and introduced herself. It is so great to meet people in real life!!

Finally it was time for the pink caps (yay for pink caps!) to head to the water. J-Ninja wished me good luck, I wished Lacey good luck and then, then I did something weird. I went to the VERY FRONT. I mean smack dab in the front! The swim started and I was off. Nice and easy. I was working hard to concentrate on my stroke, kick, and breathing. I didn't want to get thrown off like I have so many other times.

The swim was in a river that meets the salty water of the Atlantic ocean. It was also really warm. And to make it worse there was a current. We were swimming into the current for a good part of the swim. It didn't phase me though, I felt good, except I was getting really, really warm. The water temp was around 86 and like a noob I put my swim cap over my ears. Why? Well at the time I thought it was a good idea, to help keep water out of my ears. Nope. FAIL. It was like wearing ear muffs in the summer. I got hotter and hotter. I could feel my face getting read and hot. As I came around the last buoy a dude smacked me, twice, in the head. Now I know things can get crazy in a race, but seriously, at the point where you were in a wave about 10 minutes earlier and you are getting passed, by a girl, let it go, don't punch. Wow. My goggles got knocked a little bit and I remember that is why I often put my swim cap OVER my goggles in a race. Oops.

I came out of the water and heard J-Ninja yelling for me!! I ran to the transition. I actually cannot remember what that run was like. I was ticked off because my watch had my swim at 17 minutes and something. I was mad. J-Ninja was at the side near my bike and her words rang in my ear, "Don't let it phase you." She was right, it was just the swim, I felt so good though? How could that be? The current? I guess? In the end, my swim time was 15:14 and I was ranked 2nd female in my age groups out of the water. I had no idea.

When I got on the bike I had no idea where I stood place wise. I knew there were only 9 in my age group. So I was somewhere between 1st and 9th. As I rode I passed one girl in my age group, there....8th or 1st. And that is how my ride went. I never saw anyone else in my age group until about a quarter mile to go. I rode hard the entire time, like there was a mob of girls trying to get me. My goal for this race was to place. I wanted a top three. So I rode hard and just at the last I passed a girl in my age group, putting me in first but again, I had no idea. As we came nearer the dismount she passed me quickly and I got caught behind a dude who could not get off his bike and I was trapped in the narrow dismount area, "Dude, move! Go! Go!!" I yelled, mainly because I was about to fall over and I couldn't stop, he had to get out of the way.

I ran to the transition area, feeling surprisingly good. I visualized again my transition, shoes, visor, bib. It all went down just as planned. My bib was pinned on before I even made it out and crossed the timing mat. I was off...running. Running in the heat. The humidity. Ugh. I was not prepared for this. But I could see the calf with the number 34 in front of me. I kept her in my sights. Surely the heat will get her too? Yes, there is no way she can keep this up. She is going to choke. And then she was further and further ahead. Ah, drat. I let her go. I could settle for 2nd or 9th. At the 1 Mile mark I saw J-Ninja's hubster, he had a mile to go-I cheered him on and kept going. 2 miles left for me. I held my own and saw no more age groupers....until the last half mile. My feet were on fire. The bottom on my right foot was burning, my speed laces were too tight paired with the hot asphalt it was killing my foot. I could hardly breath, the humidity was torturous. The heat unbearable. It was like running in a stupid sauna. I was thirsty and HOT and then this chick, some girl in my age group passed me on an uphill with maybe half a mile a go.

I had no fight left. I had no kick. I had no will. I kinda felt like dying. Like melting into the pavement and dripping off the bridge into the salty water, to be washed away at sea....but no relief came. I had to finish. I had to keep running until I finally saw the finish line. I knew I was at best third place, at worst 9th. Oh well. I felt like I had put up a good fight and finished a good race. I was spent.

I crossed the line and things went pretty black as the girl removed my chip. I stumbled to the water bucket and got a drink. My eyes were littered with black dots everywhere...I couldn't really focus. I was hot, my stomach was churning. I was light headed. J-Ninja and her hubster found me in the gaggle and we talked for a minute. I got more water then told them I needed to cool down before I passed out and we headed to the lake. I got into the lake and submerged my hot body (and no I do not mean that in a stuck up way). I was still hot and light headed. It took a good while for me to cool off and start feeling a little bit more human again. Pretty sure I was on the brink of heat exhaust.

Here is picture of the lake, those rocks harbor a snake. A mean man-biting snake. A poor racer had been standing on the rocks and got bit! The ambulance came and took him away. I have no details about what kind of snake but it was not good. But it did not deter me from sitting in the water, right there to the left of the rocks. Snake or heat stroke....I chose snake. At least that could have won me a ride in the Ambulance with AC.

Here is a picture of a crazy water tree....I think it is pretty, pretty creepy.

And so now you know the story of how I got 3rd in my age group. I was so close to 1st but I let it slip away...Maybe sweet victory will be mine on Aug 13th when I do my next Sprint tri....

And here is my new bling....nestled quietly and comfortably with all his brothers and sisters....Welcome home Tri Bling, I have been expecting you....