Six and a half chilly hours later.....

SOS splits

30 mile bike 1:48

4.5 mile run 50 mins

1.1 mile swim 30 mins

5.5 mile run 1:08 (I think)

.5 mile swim 17 mins (I think)

8.0 mile run 1:38 (I think)

.5 mile swim 13 mins (I think)

.7 mile run 6-7 mins (I think)

total 6:30!

I lost my timing chip at the start of the first swim, then my watch battery died before I had time to write down my splits: Double whammy!

SOS race report! or: Bitch stole my Dog!

Wow! Where can I begin!? It started with a 30 mile bike ride: Supersized sunflowers all along the side of the road, new pavement, riding in my first peleton (yes, just like Tour de France), almost effortless 25 mph (but just at the beginning of course), washed-out road, riding 350 yards down a broken pedestrian walk. While going up the last 5 mile big hill, I realized I found that girl I once knew. She always wanted to try new things, see how far she could push herself, how far she could go. I thought the bike would be the worst part, but it was so much fun. Starting, for the first time with Jen and riding with her for 10 miles or so "Woof, woof, woof!) It was cool, but Jen smartly demanded a warmup I never would have done if left to my own devices, which allowed us to comfortably ride the whole way in our sleeveless GSTC top, armwarmers, pocketed shorts, thin running socks (yes, booties wouldve been good but I was fine).

Our sherpas were the best, thank you so much Jeff and Adam for being everywhere we needed you to be, in plenty of time, putting extra effort in to make our transition awesome, when you really would have liked sleeping in, carrying my bike, taking my goggles out of the case, taking pics, everything!

I had an open face pbj at 6 am with a large Dunkin' coffee made my way. Washed down some endurolytes and some anti-fatigue pills, then ate 2 bites of a Hannaford nut bar on the bike with 2 more endurolytes and an anti fatigue pill, 1.5 bottles of water.

Started the first run, uphill but felt good. Panicked a bit about having pills and dry food, but no water, stopped a bit in, to adjust that damned computer chip that was already starting to gouge me. I brought a small tube on lube in my neoprene pack and used it but that think bugged me to no end. It was nice enough to jump off my leg at the beginning of the first swim. I looked for it, for a minute or so, but the water was so cold, and when i started having trouble talking, the man working there told me to just go on, and do the race without it. They would try to get me back together with it later in the race. (Bitch stole my computer chip, yeah, yeah yeah, glad to get rid of it) The first swim was long, and prehistoric. Cold cold hands and feet, people standing by the cliffs along the way, shivering, wondering how they would ever get back in and swim, checked my watch, 15 minutes, must be about half way, cannot see the end, weird fish I never saw before, huge underwater tree limbs, like ancient moose and dinosaur antlers, Neptune's Tri(du) dent. I finally got to the end, how civilized there is hhhhhot ttttttea, and ssspppace blblblblankets. Get my shoes on, run with the tea and the blanket, ball my hands in the bbbllblanket. Kept my cap on, shouldbe taken some food, pills but didnt think of it, ran like a drunk, arms held tight to my body, running just with my legs, then finally saying a sad goodbye to my blanket, back in the race, normal running, hoping I am warm before the next swim. Beautiful views, "Hi, Dunkin' Donuts Girl" Trish kept passing me on all the runs, she wore a desoto wetsuit top on the whole race, what a great idea, I never thought of that. Barely warm enough to do the second swim, but jump right in, no sense waiting, get on with it, grateful for each swim, a break from the running, I do not think I could do all this running without the swims to break it up. Cold water is fine, very cold, but getting out into low 60s no sun, windy was cold, more hot tea, another blanket, caring people rubbing me, walking with my tea while eating some sport beans, endurolytes, antifatigue, running with energy surges under my tongue, lasts a long time, tastes good, and works, first couple miles are fine on the third run but starting to get really sore. halfway aid station, smores chewy granola bar, more pills, yum, ouch, way behind schedule where I was hoping to be. along comes sweet Marty, passes me, but he has the most beautiful heels I have ever seen. My watching them, I can stay RIGHT behind him, running faster. Look at his back and I instantly fall behind, but stare at his heels and I can run. I thank him, hoping I am not annoying. He tells me I am keeping him going but he will walk with me, he wants to walk, I am keeping from walking. I insist we run at least until Godzilla, the big hill coming up and we do, he skips the last aid station so I do also, regretfully, but I cannot leave his lovely heels. We walk some up Godzilla, jog some, walk some, run to next swim, I lost him there, and need to find himand thank him. The last swim, my shoes were not as well supported by my belt as they have been, I can feel them flapping.I think about stopping and fixing it but it is the last swim, short, I keep going, get the the end, climb out easily, passing someone right at the end of the swim, but I sit to put on my shoes, she is already wearing hers, Marty had told me the last dreaded .7 miles is not as bad as I had thought, that gives me great hope and I run/walk up the steep last part. People running in with me, calling my name, jen is already there, still wet wtih her towel, Jeff and Adam are there too! They have my time ok! Even with no chip! I told everyone at every transition that I had no chip. We got to exchange our large T's for smalls, got massages after changing, wish I had brought dry shoes. Dry socks dont stay dry long in wet shoes, windy, rainy, cold, hot soup, wonderful! Incredible food afterwards, and I even got second place! The best day ever, and I found that girl! Bitch stole my antipathy!

King Pine Race Report

This was my first tri all by myself since Pumpkinman 08! I knew I needed to get back into racing, to see if it brought back my enthusiasm. It was early, it was cold, and we got lost?! on the way there (and on the way home for that matter) so I had limited time to register (that was messed up) and get my transition set up. I didn't spend a lot of time waiting around. I started front and center at the swim start, I should've started more towards the left now that I think about it afterwards, (it was a c-shaped left turning course) and I was way out in front for the first few minutes, I could see there was no one close, very exciting! I wanted to have a great swim time and I was using a brand new wetsuit...but then, I died! I died on a 1/3 mile swim! Unreal! I should've been about a minute faster. I haven't done much fast swimming at all so you can see, training does really make me faster, I hadn't been sure of that before. The bike went well, passed a bunch of people, played tag with Tom and Bill, it was short, only 12.5 miles but I was still ready for it to be over when it was. The run...my goal was just not to have an asthma attack! I sounded like a squeaky toy, wheezing and it hurt. I thought I was running 10s but it turned out to be 9:30s. A 3.8 mile, mostly offroad course, or at least half, I got passed AT THE FINISH LINE, to finish second in my age group. I should be upset but I dogged the run, and blew the swim or I would've finished first! Even if I had it in me to sprint the finish I would've been first but I didn't. The good new is no asthma attack and no dry heaving at the end. And now I am glad I did it, and I am thinking about doing more races, like the even up in the northern kingdom of VT, 3.5 mile swim! 35 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. Havent signed up yet, that would be a committment! I wonder...is my asthma getting worse or is it just this time of year? Am I hyperventilating and can I stop while working out? We had a mile winter, does that make more mold and pollen now? Am I really allergic to mold and or pollen?

Crank the Kanc 2010

This was the most mileage I have done in a year almost...51 including the warm-up and coming back down hill. The race, well it showed that training pays off. I haven't trained and I was 4-5 minutes slower than last year. It felt better, I thought I would be faster but I wasn't. I had a small asthma attack at the top, I didn't remember at the time, but I also had one the year before ( I learned this by reading my race report from last year!) I won quite a bit of goodies at the after ceremony but I was 9th in my age group. Nothing great, but I was happy that I actually did a race, I have not been in the mood, and I had fun, hanging with Jen and John. Good friends who flanked me and supported me down the hill, past the place where I crashed last year. It made me want to sing the song "I'm still standing...yeah, yeah, yeah" I am free of the crash badness. Thanks guys! And although I sort of wish I had trained more, it was for a good cause. A home. Now I have time to train again, and so I will, probably.

Cycling thoughts

Keep my cadence around 85-95, a bit slower up hill. Higher cadence makes for a higher heart rate, pushing hard gears (grinding) exhausts muscles faster. Mix it up but mostly try to push a higher cadence in a harder gear. Use my glutes! Don't just let the pedals take you. Leg press uses same muscles as cycling. I know as I felt it today. Friday, tons of one legged squats among other things, Saturday I rode up the Kanc, Sunday, rode hills and then did more weights including 8 minutes of leg press. My legs are tired. Am I slow, or just working hard? Time will tell....hopefully.

I just want to have fun

This is all I need for motivation: Trails! I missed them!

Lack of Motivation!?

I have never had this before and don't know what do do with it! Usually I love to workout, especially if the sun is out. So what is my problem? I thought it was the miserable weather we had last weekend, but the sun has been out all week and I have not done much. I don't want to workout indoors as it is so great out, but suddenly going to work seems more interesting. Does it have to do with the fact that I stay up til 1 am every night? The fact that my eating habits have deteriorated? I havent been eating enough protein, or eating that much, but when I do eat, I eat the wrong thing, including some gluten. By the end of the day, I have to run around with the kids most nights, but when I do not, I am tired and out of the habit of working out in the evening. Maybe I am not used to the spring ahead thing. I am not used to the fact that it is light in the evening. And usually by this time of year, I have had an injury that gives me at least a week or two off. So is it bad to take some time off? Do I need an injury to do so? Am I done working out forever or is it normal to take a week or so off? Has this happened to me before and I do not remember, or is 10 years of triathlon enough and I need to do something else? Like underwater basketweaving, or beadweaving perhaps? I have had many passions before in my life, they come and go. When I am in the midst of them, I cannot get enough, but then they pass. Sure, I may come back to them but there can be years when I am exploring some other passion. What is going on here? Even powerlifting, which I really only took up seriously last summer seems boring. Do I need a new workout or two? And also, I really would like to trail run but I cannot. Trails are so ridiculously muddy right now. Should that stop me? Is this just another excuse? Am I getting wimpy? Would trails on a sunny day before bug season make me happy? If they don't, then is there really something seriously wrong with me?!

Last year, when I stopped wanting to race so much, I still wanted to train a lot. Not so much on the bike, but I still wanted to swim and run. Mostly run, and lift. I sure hope this workout staleness ends. I think I DO need a trail run and a new weight workout. I will work on this tomorrow.

2010 Training Graph