Ironman Chattanooga: Rebuilding Confidence

Leading up to Ironman Chattanooga was a bit of a personal battle for confidence. I had a nine week turnaround from Ironman Lake Placid, and while I hoped that would be enough time to get my run back to where it was pre stress fracture, I was realistic enough to know that it would most likely be Ironman Cozumel before I got back to that form. Mentally, I came around at the end of overload, only to have even more doubts in the weeks that followed. After a run that included getting bit by a dog, I told Chris that I didn’t even want to race Ironman Chattanooga.

Ironman Lake Placid was the first of ten ironmans where I doubted my ability to finish. It wasn’t the first and I’m sure not the last time I threw up during a race. The differentiating factor this time was I simply could NOT rebound. It’s far, far easier to puke and rally on the bike then it is on the run. In the final week, I quickly realized how important it is to have a coach that believes in you. Tim and my QT2 teammates truly went above and beyond to get me to calm down and be ready for the race.

I was definitely far from calm at this moment!

Swim

Like I expected, the women took the first 100 meters out hard. This time though, I was prepared and stuck to Nina Kraft’s feet like glue. About 500 yards in, I felt fantastic and contemplated passing Nina; however, I knew I wouldn’t get much benefit in a downstream swim so I sat in and enjoyed the ride. Eventually, I got a bit annoyed with the sighting in my group, so I swam to the front and led us in for maybe the final 500 yards.

Bike

Tim and I have learned this year that if I start too fast, I blow up and can NOT rebound. So I spent the first 5-10 minutes behind my friend Kate, eating and drinking to set myself up for a good ride. I passed Kate around 15 minutes in and started focusing on hitting the power numbers Tim gave me. Eventually I realized I had a decision to make. My heart rate was running around 10 beats too high and if I kept it like this; I knew I wouldn’t digest my food. So I took some emergency salt pills, and dropped the power down 10 watts. Legs felt fine, but I knew that heart rate was a recipe for disaster.

It took around hour 3 until the systematic stuff sorted itself out. Typically the last 1.5 hours of an ironman are my weakest, this time it was my strongest of the day. I was very careful to drink plenty of Osmo (refilled with single servings 4x and used special needs), and followed my fueling plan to a T.

I will eventually learn how to leave my shoes on the pedals

Run

Coming out of T2, my calves were cramping. I was sipping pre-load, but a little confused what to do since I had eaten a banana. Luckily, I soon saw Jesse who told me to have some salt, so I finished off my flask of pre-load and immediately felt better. I ran a bit conservative knowing that the final four miles of each loop were going to be extremely tough for me (running hills is a bit of a work in process), and was careful to walk the aid stations every two miles.

I felt great running the first 15 miles or so, and was getting really excited that this may finally be the day where I execute my running race plan. Unfortunately, the hills started to get to me and I slowly had to insert a little more walking as the day wore on. The final four miles were a challenge (good thing our new house is in a hilly community), but I dug deep and found a way to sprint at the very end to hold onto eighth place. While it didn’t mean anything in terms of prize money, it was a good confidence booster that I can in fact actually sprint at the end of a race.

We ran like this for most of the last four miles

Ironman Chattanooga was a small PR, but it was a step in the right direction. It helped me gain some much needed confidence back, and has me excited for the process and the next race / honeymoon, Ironman Cozumel.

Engagement shots - November 1st is almost here!

Thanks to my family and friends, and my supporters who help on this journey: Snapple Triathlon Team, QT2, Tri360, Osmo Nutrition, Normatecs!, Fuel Belt, Xterra Wetsuits, and Rudy Project.

Silver Linings

Last Tuesday, just days before my first race as a pro, I went for a follow-up x-ray with the podiatrist. I had dutifully followed his orders for the past two weeks, and felt confident the second x-ray would come back negative. Unfortunately, the second x-ray showed what the first hadn't: a small fracture in the fourth metatarsal.

My stylish footwear for the past three weeks

I couldn't run for at least two more weeks, and with that, my first race of the season, Eagleman, was out of the question and Challenge Atlantic City seemed unlikely.

I allowed myself to be sad for one hour at work. The door to my office was closed, and I pounded away on the keyboard with month-end entries.

After that, I reframed my mindset and started plotting my comeback. 



I always think it's important to be a good role model for my adorable nephews

I could use this continued time off from running as an opportunity to focus on my biking and swimming.  I could learn to ride my bike in aero while I'm on the trainer. I can try to find some of that lost speed in the pool.  I can become the queen of pool running, and use the disappointment of not racing as fuel to make me work even harder at the things I can do.

Tim and I decided the risk of racing Atlantic City was not worth the potential reward (deep prize purse for pros), so I signed up for one of my favorite races: Ironman Lake Placid. It's a team event for QT2, so I will see friendly faces all over the course. It's a hillier course, which is good for me.

Finishing Lap One, Ironman Lake Placid 2012

 And most exciting, with my new bike scheduled for delivery on 6/16 (thank you Team Poppy Fest 2014), I'll be racing Ironman Lake Placid on my new Orbea Ordu GLT. I'm so grateful for the support of Tri360 through 2015, and look forward to working with their fitter to getting this bike perfectly dialed in for me.

Winter Update

It's been a winter to remember - so far, I've run in Polar Vortex temps (-20 degree windchill), run in the middle of a snowstorm that produced 18+ inches of snow & spent more hours on my trainer than ever before.

QT2
I've been coached by Tim Snow of QT2 Systems for a little over six months, and after an eight week run focus, we started back to a more balanced approach in early January. Training is very different than years past, but I'm really enjoying it. I'm challenged almost daily, but my body keeps producing workouts that are better than any previous workout, so I feel satisfied that things are going well and stay excited for what's coming next.  Tim Snow is a great coach and I really can't say enough good things about him. He's more than a coach, which is integral for any athlete / coach relationship to work.

This past weekend was my third and final 5K. I consistently ran low 19s this year, which is a two minute improvement over what I ran last year. Very gratifying to finally see some major run improvement. Now if it would only warm up a little bit!

One of my many snow runs!

Snapple / Osmo
For the second straight year, I'll be on the Snapple National Team. We have a great group of sponsors and my favorite hydration product, Osmo, has teamed up with Snapple this year. I used Osmo last year and had a breakthrough year, so I'm excited to continue using the product going forward. I started using the Women's line after Kona and the Mango flavor is light & tasty, and the Acute Recovery leaves me feeling strong and ready to tackle the next set of workouts. Thanks to Jesse and Tim, I now understand the importance of training my gut and follow my fueling plan during all my workouts. You can learn more about that here. 

Wedding Planning
Chris leaves for Mason, Ohio in March for four months, so we've been very busy planning our wedding. I am fortunate to have the guidance of many friends that are already married, so we are slowly but surely tackling the big items. The wedding is set for November 1st, and if everything aligns, are honeymoon will be in Western Australia the second and third week in December. And yes, there may be an ironman planned during that time :)

Our very generous friends threw us a wonderful engagement party at Valerie Hill Winery, which is a night we will always remember. We are so blessed.

Family shot
 

My first race of the season will be Eaglemen 70.3 followed by Challenge Atlantic City. Bring on the heat (thanks to Osmo Pre-Load!)

That's all for now!

What's Next: My Decision to Go Pro!

From the time I was little, I always liked to compete. My sister took the brunt of my competitive nature. It's fair to say if we could compete, we did. Amazingly enough, we've always been best friends.

The first time I went to swim practice I was seven years old. I couldn't quite swim a full lap, but my first coach, Kim Grove, saw a seven year old with way too much energy and offered to my parents to have me join the team. The next day, there was a swim meet. While my skills were lacking, my passion and drive, took over and somehow my swim was transformed and I got second in the 25 yard freestyle.

Age group swimming taught me many life lessons, most importantly setting goals. At seven, my goal was to win the next race I entered. That was soon replaced with dreams of zones, nationals and the Olympic trials. In the end, I wasted my swimming talent and stopped swimming after my freshman year of college with the intention of never doing a competitive athletic event again. Too many failures, too much frustration, and way too much time spent in chlorine.

I went to China in 2008 with my grad school program. Everyone there commutes by bike, and while I had longingly watched the college road bike club at William and Mary from afar, I had never bought a bike. So when I returned, one of the first things I went and did was a buy a road bike. I had hopes of maybe doing a triathlon someday, but it was a distant goal.

It quickly became reality thanks to some friends on the Winchester Wheelmen, and I did my first sprint tri soon after getting a bike. Like the seven year old that couldn't swim, I didn't have a clue what I was doing, but I somehow placed fourth overall and was hooked. Soon after, I did a century ride, and then was convinced to do Ironman Louisville in 2009.

Over the years, I started having some success and my goals changed. When I first qualified to get my pro card in 2011 at Ironman Louisville, I thought it seemed ridiculous. In 2012, I qualified at Lake Placid, and it seemed somewhat less ridiculous, but still a little out of my reach. Then, Beth Shutt came to visit, and from Beth and a lot of conversations with Chris, I realized it was OK to have a goal of wanting to turn pro, so over the past year, I became a lot more serious.

Tim and I discussed going pro briefly after Ironman Lake Placid, and he set extremely high placement goals for me at Kona if I wanted to turn pro. I felt for certain those were unattainable and regretted not signing up for Ironman Lake Placid 2014. Then, Kona happened, and the decision was back on the table.

After much wavering, I took my Elite Status and will be racing PRO in 2014. While my run may still need work, I still have that same passion and drive as that seven year old lining up on the blocks.

Thank you to all my family and friends that support me daily. This wouldn't be possible without the love and support I receive.

Finishing Ironman Hawaii 2013

Ironman Hawaii: Filled with Gratitude

Ironman Hawaii is always a special race. Whether your day goes to plan, or if something unfortunate happens, the finish line on Ali'i Drive is magical. It's what gets me out of bed at 4:30 in the morning, or through a 6:35 trainer ride. This year, I was blessed with what I would consider nearly a perfect Ironman day.

Race week was by far the best time I've had out on the island. From swimming with Tim and finally becoming confident on the swim course, to breakfast with some lovely Twitter ladies and riding with Kim, to spending time with my QT2 teammates at breakfast & a cocktail party, this week truly had it all. And, of course, the highlight was having my super support team there with me, made even more special since Chris was able to make the trip out.

Love this girl! Kim and I at the QT2 Cocktail Party!

 

My goals for Ironman Hawaii were simple:

1) Run a strong Ironman marathon

2) Finish with sheer joy

3) Break 10 hours & make the podium (the unspoken goals because they aren't exactly controllable)

The Brawl Swim

Entering the water race morning, my nerves suddenly disappeared. I swam out to one of buoys, and to my EXCITEMENT, Hines Ward was soon making his way out to the buoy I was hanging on. He started hanging on, so I got to talk to Hines for a few minutes prior to the race. I wished him good luck and told him meeting him made my day, to which he chuckled. . . in the end, not quite!!

I positioned myself a few minutes prior to the start, and before I knew it, the canon sounded and the chaos started. I had calm water for maybe 30 seconds of my 56 minute swim, and spent the rest of the time being punched, elbowed, etc. I did my best to fight back AND for once, I did not slow down or stop. Transition was a mess, but I knew I had a strong swim when I hit the mount line under an hour and headed out on my bike coated in sunblock.



Whitey!

The Bike

To my surprise, the chaos continued for the first 30 or so miles of the bike. I am very used to getting passed by the age group men, but the drafting was significantly worse than years past and I had a hard time settling into my race plan. So instead, I focused on what I could control, my attitude and my fueling.  I hit a low point near the end of the Queen K, so I was very happy to see Tim and Jesse as I made the left turn to head out to the climb to Hawi. The wind was kind this year, and there were almost no crosswinds whatsoever.

Coming in off the bike feeling good!  Thanks again Mirinda Carfrae for selling me baby bike!

Special needs was a bit of a bust, but I eventually got my bag, put three fresh new bottles of Osmo on my bike and headed back down. Except we had a headwind, so instead of going 45 mph downhill, I was going mid-30s. Boo.  I continued focusing on my fueling, and stayed fairly conservative. I pushed it a little harder coming back on the Queen K, and before I knew it, I was making the turns through town. My hydration was good, I felt cool, and was ready to RUN.

The Run

T2 was slightly better than T1, but the volunteers still couldn't find my bag, so I still wasted some time. I ran out carrying a bottle of Osmo and a flask with diluted Preload that I finished before mile 2. Tim gave me EXPLICIT instructions to hold 8:10s for the entire stretch on Ali'i Drive. I tried, but my pace came in closer to 7:50s-8s. My heart rate and perceived exertion were low, so I finally just went with it and stopped worrying about it.

My parents split up between miles 9 and 10 on the course. I remembered how poorly I was feeling last  year, and was relieved to be feeling GOOD when I saw them. Once out on the Queen K, I had permission to ratchet down the pace, but I was starting to feel warm, so I just kept steady and started walking every aid station instead of every other. Chris and Tim kept telling me I looked better than everyone in front of me, but I just didn't feel right. I knew I had Preload in my special needs bag, so I willed myself to special needs knowing that would make me feel better.

Still smiling! Somewhere around mile 23.

The energy lab always defeats me, so I thought positively instead about the run Chris and I had done in the energy lab. Once I made it to special needs, I drank my Preload within a mile and also grabbed a few pretzels to nibble.  Over the next few miles, I had some highs and lows and realized my respiration was getting a bit shallow, so I made sure to grab some coke at the next few aid stations. The miles ticked by ever so slowly, but at mile 24, I knew I was going to make it. I willed myself up the last hill on the Queen K, then made the magical turn onto Palini. The crowd support was AMAZING, I had someone tell me I was 3rd, and I ran my heart out to the finish with tears in my eyes.  I had done what I set out to do because I believed it was a possibility.

Finish Time:  9:46:22, 8th Amateur, 3rd 30-34 (40 minute improvement from 2012's Kona)



Running down a dream - thank you Mizuno Running for the Ronins!

Thank you:

To my parents, who started driving me to the pool at age seven, and are still as big of supporters now as they were then.

To my sister, who has always inspired me to be a better person.

Greeting my sister after the Patriot's Half Ironman in September

To my coach, Tim, for believing in me and telling me "I could run."

To my Snapple teammates for their support and motivating me all year with awesome results, AND the awesome sponsors of Snapple.

To Stacy Sims and Osmo, for developing a hydration product that works and agrees with my GI system.

To my friends for their amazing support and putting up with my general crazy schedule.

And to Chris, for everything.

And for those wondering what's next, that's for another blog post. The decision has been made and the schedule is somewhat set.
 

Lake Placid Race Report: Having Faith

I had every intention of posting this report a little more timely, but then Chris proposed and I got a bit off track.

Katie & Chris

Change isn't something I embrace, but after Eagleman, I made the difficult choice to switch coaches for reasons I'm not going to share on this blog. After working with The Core Diet in 2011, as well as witnessing some impressive results from friends using QT2, QT2 was my top choice. Lucky for me, Tim Snow had capacity and he loosely worked with me during July to ensure I had a successful race at Ironman Lake Placid.

As I went into Ironman Lake Placid, I had to have faith that the following changes would result in a solid day for me:

1. Different Race Plan - Build into the day
2. Different Fueling Plan - EVERYTHING changed, but my favorite, Clif Bar Shot Bloks
3. Different Race Outlook - think positively about the run

While everything had been tested in workouts leading up to the race, it was still very nerve-wracking. Nonetheless, I was excited to test it out, and thankful that I already had my Kona slot in case something went awry.

 

I was excited for the swim this year thinking the new initiative would thin out the congestion. Instead, it did the opposite, and this was another violent swim start for me. I struggled to get into a rhythm until midway back on my first lap, and was content to ride some male feet for the rest of the first loop and most of the second loop of the swim. Just squeaked in under 54 minutes making it a slight PR over last year, thank you Xterra Wetsuits!

Praying I didn't fall while making the run up to transition like last year!

 

Of all parts of the race, I was actually most nervous about what the bike would hold even though the bike is usually my strength. The new plan had me holding back, in hopes I would get off the bike feeling fresh. Leaving town, while many men hammered past me, I rode fairly easy keeping my watts right within my target range. Before I knew it, we hit the descent into Keane and it was pouring down rain. Ideal, no, but I had rode worse descents in rain and had mentally prepared for it, so with the exception of sitting up a little more than I normally would, nothing changed. Once I hit the flats, I assessed how I was feeling and noted my heart rate was running high, and I was behind my pace from last year. Not what I was hoping for, but I upped my fluid intake and stuck to the plan. Coming back into town on lap one was awesome, I received many cheers from spectators and got such a thrill hearing Mike Riley announce I was the top female amateur.

Waving to my parents on Lap One

Starting lap two, Tim said to expect a low at mile 60, which I did, and was very pleasantly surprised to find that's when I started feeling really good (maybe some of that was the caffeine!) I did some passing on the climb, was aggressive on the descent, and then realized once I hit the flats I was going to pass Danielle Kehoe, a pro, who had passed me earlier.  I hung back for a few minutes debating what to do. The last thing I wanted to do was ride too hard, but I felt good and my heart rate was right within range. I eventually passed Danielle, and was soon passed by the eventual race winner, Jennie Hansen. Being up with these ladies for so long was extremely motivating.

I continued passing out towards Wilmington and then disaster struck, I started throwing up (this was not in the new plan). I thought of speedy Beth Walsh and her "puke and rally" statement at Kona 2011 and kept biking. I slowed up ever so slightly, stopped calories for a bit and took in just water. By the end of the bike, I had thrown up five times and was feeling better. And even with the difficult last hour, I had made up a ton of time over last year, and ended with a 5:27 for a seven minute improvement on this course.

I love baby bike!

I took some extra time in T2 to have a volunteer help me get a ginger candy, and to eat some of a banana. As I was running out, it was awesome to hear the cheers of Caitlin Snow and Jesse K.  I reminded myself to start at 820s as Tim had said, and take the mandated 20 second walk breaks at each aid station. In the past, I considered walking a failure, so this was a huge leap of faith for me. But by walking for short increments at each mile, I got to reset and get some fuel in. It was also a GREAT way to break up the marathon!

My stomach started to settle by mile three, I saw Chris out on River Road, which was a huge lift, and I was having a blast looking and cheering for friends. Before I knew it, I was back in town ready to start lap two. I started to feel tired around mile 16 once I hit River Road, but my pace was still strong, and I focused on running strong between all the aid stations.  Seeing all my friends having successful days was huge, and I was thrilled to see my friends Kendra and Marni running strong and looking in good shape to get the Kona slots they were after.

Actually enjoying myself on this run!

I hit the wall around mile 21 with the first of the hills coming back into town, and I kept reminding myself that once I got back into town, the crowds would carry me through.

The last three miles of Lake Placid are amazing. There is so much energy from the spectators and other athletes out on the course. I hurt, but nothing like last year, and I was trying to chase down the Timex pro in front of me. Once I made the final turnaround, I found that extra gear and pushed toward the finish line. I finished the day with a 15 minute Ironman PR, but more importantly for me, I finally succeeded in executing a solid run. First overall amateur and seventh female finisher.

 

Ironman Lake Placid was a huge stepping stone for me. While changing nearly everything was certainly scary, it paid off, and I am very excited to see what the future holds with Tim Snow and QT2.

30-34 Age Group with Kendra and Marni - Honor to share the podum with such supportive ladies!

 

Thanks to the amazing sponsors for Snapple, and my friends and family who help inspire me daily!

 

Eagleman 70.3 RR - Keeping my cool

Highlights: Punching my ticket to Kona and sharing the 30-34 women's podium with these lovely ladies.



Rockstar Podium - Kendra, Shandra, Lisa and Leah

Lowlights: The four minute drafting penalty on the bike. I was in WAVE 20 and spent the entire ride passing people. I make an effort to always ride fair and was NOT drafting. 

The lead up to this race was fairly uneventful. I was my overly anal retentive self and had a checklist of things that needed done, and had them all done early. I knew I was ready for a huge PR and I didn't want anything to go wrong.

Saturday morning I went out on my pre-race ride and my Quarq wasn't working. It had stopped working two weeks ago, and was fine after I put in a new battery, so I tried that again and it still wouldn't work. My dad suggested we stopped at Bonzai on the way out to Eagleman, so we did and they were able to get it working again no problem. We still made it to Cambridge in plenty of time to do packet pickup, drop off the bike and get back to the hotel in Salisbury to relax. 

Note to anyone doing this race: if you can't get in a hotel in Easton or Cambridge, Salisbury is the place to go.

My dad was a trooper and was up at 3:30 with me on race morning. We left for the race by 4:20, parked at the school and took the shuttle to race site (my other tip, use the shuttle!).  My teammate, Matias, helped me with my disc wheel, which was a huge relief! and I saw an old teammate from my age group swim team, Shannon Sullivan, leading up to the race.

With my wave going off at 8:25, I hopped in the water a little before 8 to get in a warm up and calm down. Swimming always relaxes me.  Unfortunately you have to battle some rocks to get in the river, and while I missed the rocks, I hit some plastic and got a nice gash on the bottom of my foot. Not how I wanted to start the day, but I always count on three things going wrong so hey, I figured by this point I had two done.  Wrong!

Thank you Xterra Wetsuits

Swim (1.2 mile, 29:41 - apparently a long swim)

I have really grown to love OWS. The water was a little warm at 73, but within the first few strokes, I felt strong and relaxed. I knew the only way I was getting my Kona slot today was if I put some time into the others on the swim, so I went for it. I struggled a bit with navigation and had to stop quite a few times to figure out where the next buoy was, but felt the strongest I've ever felt in an OWS. I got out of the water feeling confident I had a great swim and was ready for the mud pit of transition! Thank you Xterra for a fast and comfortable wetsuit.

Bike (56 mile, 2:26.46 (PR) + 4 minute penalty = 2:30:46)

I saw no other 30-34 females in transition and was running out in the nice long mud path before I knew it. Once I mounted, my fear was confirmed that my Quarq was not going to work. I heard my Dad cheering and before I made the first turn, my bottle ejected out of my top cage. Awesome, ride is starting out great!

I'm aero - love baby bike!

I immediately hunkered down into my aero bars and started pushing. I tried to take in some of the course views since I wasn't staring at my powermeter, and really did my best to ride clean and stay in control. Around 1:30 in, I was flipping through my Garmin and realized I was having the ride of my life. As I'm getting excited, I come up to a huge pack of probably 20 people that I would have to pass. I sit back for a minute and actually chat with the moto that rides up next to me asking what I should do. They just smile at me. As I'm doing my best to pass and ride clean, I have a male come out in front of me, which is when I hear, "rider 2325, you have a red card."  Say what?

There is no way to sugar coat how devastated I was. I figured right there, my Kona slot was gone. Then I calmed down and remembered that there is a LOT of things that can happen in a race. I had no clue where any of my competitors were and I needed to just do the best I could. The rest of the bike ride went fairly smoothly - nice strong effort, being extremely careful when passing people and getting stuck taking turns way too conservatively.  I made sure to tell my Dad I got a penalty when I went by on the bike so he didn't worry something was wrong, and headed to the yellow box.

Run (13.1 mile = 1:38:38)

After sitting in the yellow box for four minutes, I ran through the mud again (poor baby bike) quickly threw on my shoes and was out of transition. I knew I would have to put on my fuel belt, visor and Garmin on the run to save time. I felt strong, in control and with my first two splits under 7:15, I thought maybe Lindsay's estimation of a 1:32-1:34 wasn't ridiculous after all. Things were good. Then I made the nutritional error of not taking in enough water with a salt pill and spent the next 11 miles with stomach cramps, chills from not enough calories and willing myself not to walk.

 

In the end, I finished the run with a 1:38. Not far off my best half marathon time, so I know my run is progressing and more importantly, I stayed calm and didn't give up when things weren't going my way.

Hurting

Results were slow, but I eventually found out I won my AG with an overall PR and was going back to Kona. Happy day!

 

 

Thank you to the AMAZING sponsors of the Snapple Triathlon team and my Snapple Teammates for providing inspiration daily. To my family and friends that help keep me sane and gave me things to think about in the race, Thank You! 

 

Next up is a bit of a recovery, then a final push to Ironman Lake Placid. I have some fun training days planned, so hopefully I'll have time to share at least a few of them.

 



Monticelloman Race Report

Instead of enjoying the Apple Blossom festival this year, I headed down on Saturday to race Monticelloman with some of my Snapple teammates. After having the stomach flu the last time I headed down to Charlottesville to race, I was READY to have a solid day and start my season!

Snapple post race!

Swim

I carefully listened to the race director before the race explain the course. It looked simple enough, but with only two main sighting buoys, I was concerned it would be difficult to navigate and knew it would call for extra sighting!

I had high hopes that with the collegiate contingent at the race, I would have someone to swim with, but once my breathing steadied and I got used to the 64 degrees, I passed all the females in front of me and put the pressure on. I wasn't as cold as I expected, but it took me until the final buoy to really get into my stroke.

26 minutes later and slightly frozen, I excited first female and completely disoriented, as per the usual. I came close to falling down in transition, but didn't, so that's an improvement over my last two triathlons.

Bike

Once on the bike, I headed out debating if I should pull my arm coolers on at some point to keep me a warmer. I was in the company of a few males, so I decided to wait until things thinned out and hoped I had a few people to ride with.

After a few cat and mouse games up the early rollers, I put in a hard effort and passed ALL of them.  I would rather have a hard effort early on, then get a draft penalty. Unfortunately, after that, I saw very few people the entire ride so I stared at my bike computer and focused on nailing my nutrition.

The course was two loops, not closed to traffic, and also had an Olympic race going on riding some of the same roads. It was one of the more difficult courses I've done to maintain a steady effort (even with staring at my power meter), so I was thrilled to arrive back at transition right at my target watts.  While my time wasn't what I had hoped, my watts were 20 watts higher than I've done in a half ironman.

I chatted with Chris in T2 while I was putting on my running shoes, then headed out for the final leg.

Run

I took off on the run course at what felt a steady, manageable pace, but my calves were cramping almost immediately. I assumed it was nutrition, so I took a salt pill and had some of the diluted ironman perform I had in my fuel belt.  I wanted to walk, but I thought about the transition run I had done this winter in 12 degree temps, and kept going.

Around mile 4, my stride started opening up and since all my splits had been 7:30 or below, I thought I had a shot at my goal of beating my open half marathon PR (1:34 high). I saw Mindy, Ellen and Bart soon after, so that was an awesome pick-me-up before the turnaround.

Soon after the turnaround, I latched onto a male. I'd catch him on the uphills, he'd dropped me on the downhills and I'd do my best to stay a few yards behind him on the flats to block the wind. I'm sure I drove him crazy with my wheezing, so finally around mile 10 I pulled up with him.  He picked up the pace and surprisingly, I was able to stay with him!

When we hit mile 12, I picked it up and put everything I had into getting to the finish line. I was ready to be done. I crossed the line first female, and eighth overall with a new half ironman PR after 4 hours and 44 minutes.  Hopefully next time I'll break into the 4:30s, but it was a pretty darn good day!

Prizes were pretty awesome - I was very excited about my new watch and another Jefferson cup. HUGE THANKS to my family, Chris and my coach Lindsay for supporting me on my good training days and bad. Thanks to the sponsors of the Snapple Triathlon Team for providing me with the gear to compete and my teammates for providing inspiration daily.

Next up is round four at Eagleman.

Tri-Mania

This past weekend, Chris and I headed out to Bethesda for the Tri-Mania Summit and Expo. I was very excited to meet members of the Snapple National Team, Snapple DC Tri Team and Snapple Club, but a bit nervous for the Team Challenge. I was LUCKILY only participating in the swim and bike, but I was two weeks into a heavy block of training and I wasn't sure if my legs would show up.

For those not familiar with the event, it's an all day expo with a Team Challenge held throughout the day.  The run is done on the Georgetown Prep Cross Country course, the swim is in the Prep pool (and a rather nice pool!) and the bike was done in the same room where the expo was held. Adam gave a great recap of how the day went down, so I thought I would list my top four things from the day since Snapple's teams were 1st and 4th overall.

4.  Good Fitness Check - I'm rather competitive, so nothing gets me more excited than diving off the start blocks or lining up next to some people on the bike. I swim alone so when Matias emailed asking if I could swim 3:15, I laughed, but I came pretty darn close according to the time when I got out (3:18).  The bike was just plain awesome. I made sure to position myself on the end, then it was Lucas, Adam and Matias. I do intervals literally every week (thank you CTS), so I just zoned out, stared at my Quarq and drew strength from my other teammates looking to be in as much pain as I was. After not quite 17 minutes, I was done with a new power PR. I will probably be very unhappy when Lindsay updates my power zones, but for now, I'm just happy that my training is going as well as it is.

The bike setup

3. Remembering how to Suffer - Training alone can be good or bad. The good is I almost always do what's scheduled (sorry Coach), but the bad is I almost never get into situations where I get outside of my comfort zone. Short time trials are a big sufferfest in my book, especially on the bike, so it was a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and test myself. Not surprisingly, I did better than I thought, and I've already been able to carry this forward into my workouts this week.

Suffering - love the Louis Garneau Kits!

2.  Good Support  - Triathlons are an expensive hobby and it was absolutely incredible on Saturday night to have Bart, the team manager, give Adam and I our gear. I knew what we were getting and I understand the marketing implications for the sponsors, but I am still amazed by the amount these companies have invested in us. I can't wait to test out all the gear once the snow melts.

AMAZING - thank you Rudy Project, Louis Garneau, Mizuno USA, Snapple, Vita Coco

1.  Good Friendships - I knew some of my teammates prior, but it was a great opener to have dinner on Saturday night and then spend Sunday at an event like the Expo. With plenty of down time, I really got to know some of my teammates and it'll be fun to race alongside with them all year long.  Across the board, there are some very talented members on the Snapple National Team, DC Snapple Tri Team and Snapple Club, so I am really excited to see what this year holds for everyone.

Before the swim

Next up is the Charlottesville Half Marathon and my not so secret goal is to break 1:30 (PR 1:34).  That will take some suffering, some heart and some good ol' fashion luck!

2013 Sponsor Update & the Race Schedule

Well, it's been over a month since my last update and I feel like I'm finally getting my race schedule finalized this year, so I felt it was time to go into more detail about the Snapple National Team sponsorship and share my race schedule!  And from the numbers I'm seeing as of late, I may try to squeeze in a bike race (road race, obviously)

I was very fortunate this year to be named to the 2013 Snapple National Team.  We are working with many companies that have products I used before having a sponsorship agreement with them, so I really couldn't be more excited. My first box arrived from Xterra Wetsuits, so I had that Christmas in January feeling :)

The wetsuit has plenty of room for my broad shoulders - YES! 52' @ IMLP this year :)?

I've listed below some of the additional companies we are working with, so you can click on the links to learn more about the companies. And for companies that I have codes to share, I've also included those.

www.clifbar.com

www.mizunousa.com

http://www.louisgarneau.com/lang_select.php

www.nuun.com - Code 2013snappletri (case sensitive) for 30% off

www.finisinc.com - Code snapple for 25% off

www.xterrawetsuits.com - Code c-lyte

www.e-rudy.com - Code snapple for 40% off

www.tunefootwear.com - Code TUNESNAPPLE2013 for $20 off

I've held off for a long time finalizing my race schedule because I have a hard time deciding what I want to do a year in advance. I think a part of me is always scared I'm going to get hurt, and I'm also just slightly indecisive. Luckily I only had to sign up for a few in the summer of 2012 (and those are repeats), so I've had time to debate on the others and add some new, exciting things for 2013.

04.06 -  Charlottesville Half Marathon
04.25 -  Snapple Team Camp
05.05 -  Monticelloman Half Ironman
05.10 & 05.11 - Tour de Skyline
06.09 -  Eagleman (why do I always do this race??? Oh yeah, I want the BIG eagle)
07.28 -  IMLP (this WILL BE ironman marathon redemption)
rest tbd

My major goals for 2012 were to be the top amateur at an Ironman and get on the podium at Ironman Hawaii. I only checked off one of those goals, so hopefully my season will end with a trip to Kona. And with Hines Ward doing Kona, that's extra motivation for this life-long Steeler fan!

Happy Shopping!

The End of 2012

The last few months have been filled with family and friends. While I haven't been good about blogging, I finally have a few updates and pictures to share.

Post Kona, I was ready for a few weeks of doing very limited activity. So the first weekend back, we went and visited my sister in Williamsburg and I got to meet my new nephew, Logan. Poor Logan has horrible acid reflux and has not been the happiest baby, but he's slowly feeling better (as is his Aunt who's on an 8 week prescription dose - YIKES!)

October 2012 - Preston, KT, Logan

In November, Chris and I headed out to California for Thanksgiving. We went mountain biking with his brother and sister-in-law, and thankfully, while I was pathetically slow and stopped many times on the downhill section, I only managed to crash once and didn't cry.  I would have never lived that down!

Chris checking his phone

 December started out with the exciting news that I'm on Team Snapple for 2013. I couldn't be more excited to race with this team.  I've followed a few of my teammates' blogs for years, so it's fun to now be on their team. We'll be racing in Rudy Helmets (YAY), Xterra Wetsuits and using Clif products.  Awesome. 

And since clearly my bike and kit needed to match, I finally got a new bike. The bike is still at my sister's until this weekend, but I can't wait to start riding it and getting used to the aggressive aero position (free speed - WAHOOOOOOOOOOO!) And thank you Joanna for bringing it back from CO for me!



Have a Healthy and Happy New Year!

SVSR Winter Series 5K #3

Ironman Hawaii 2012

This is the third time I've been fortunate enough to race on the Big Island; however, I feel like this is the first time I've finally been able to enjoy myself and feel like I belonged at the race. Leading up to the race, I was calm and ready to go. I knew I had done everything I could in training, so I didn't worry about all the little things I couldn't control. As long as I went out and gave it my all on October 13th, I didn't care what the outcome was.

Pre-race went smoothly and before I knew it, I was getting in the water with Adam Otstot (go Tribe!). I was a little concerned when the Ford vehicle wasn't in the water to line up at, but I made a point of going fairly far left and lined myself up behind a male wearing Sweedish goggles. I got fairly cold while I was waiting, but remembered this was the only time I'd be shivering all day so I embraced it.

Ready for Battle

Swim - 57:54

The cannon wasn't working this year, so they yelled go and we were off. The first 200 meters were mayhem, as expected, so I forced myself to keep my head down and keep swimming regardless of how many blows I took (quite a few). I got on the feet of a fairly large male and concentrated on breathing every other stroke. Unfortunately he took us a bit wide, but it was better than the brawl on the buoy line. I only saw one other pink cap, so I figured the pace was fine and just kept swimming. I felt strong the entire way, but started getting really disoriented with about 1,000 meters to go. I picked up the pace and passed almost everyone in the group I was in and was thrilled to reach the stairs. I broke my cardinal rule of looking at the time and was ticked to see I swam slower than last year.

I was pretty disorientated going through T1, so I felt like I was taking forever. I made sure to thank the volunteers as they put layers of sunblock on me, and ran out of the changing tents only to get plowed into by a male running full steam from the males' changing tent.  Seriously, you're not going to make up much time running 10 mph in T1, so really folks, unless your Andy Potts, be polite and at least get past the changing tents before you start running hard.

Bike - 5:24:18

Ummm, apparently I thought I should stand & rest before mounting my bike ???

I actually remembered to put my bike into my little gear, so I took it easy coming out of T1. The first thirty miles of the course flew by, I was continually getting passed by a stream of men and started getting very concerned I was riding poorly. Then I realized my average watts were right at my target range, so I told myself to ride within myself and started ignoring what was going around around me. We hit crosswinds around mile 75 of the Queen K, so I knew we were in for it. I made sure to get ahead of my nutrition before I hit the road up to Hawi figuring the crosswinds would be similar to 2010 where I was getting blown across the road. While the wind was strong, I stayed in my aero bars and hardly got blown around at all. The difference from 2010 was simple, I was riding faster and had a much higher power output. Weight really isn't as big of a factor as I once thought, especially considering how much weight I've lost since then.

I saw Haley Chura at the turnaround, so I knew I was having a good ride. I mentally prepared myself for the way down Hawi, but I hit 45 mph and really only got blown across the road twice. I'd do Hawi any day over Skyline. Once we made the left after the road down from Hawi, the headwind was back and I'm really not so sure when it went away. I have rode countless rides this year where I had a headwind for the last two hours, so I ignored it and while it was surely frustrating to be downshifting in some instances while going DOWNHILL, I didn't worry about it. The coolest thing of the entire day was when the TV cameras came by and taped me for a bit. I like riding near the front of the amateur pack :)

Last year I was very unhappy by mile 90, but this year was an entirely different story. I felt strong and in control and passed quite a few males at the end.  I was at the low end of my ranges, so I was excited to see if this was the day I would finally run the Ironman marathon.

Run - 3:57:08

T2 was uneventful (thank goodness!) and I was in and out before I knew it. I didn't have the back pain of Placid and while I didn't feel good starting out, I didn't feel horrible. I met Shawn around mile 1 and stayed running with him until almost mile 8. That was awesome.

My parents were stationed at roughly miles 9.5 and 10 on the course and I was very happy to see them both. I felt good when I saw my mom, but by the time I saw my dad at mile 10, I knew something wasn't quite right. I was starting to get the chills and my face felt so hot. I realized soon after I was badly burned on my face. I had had signs of heat problems at Eagleman and was able to manage it, so I attempted to do the same thing here with fluids and ice. Unfortunately around mile 13, my luck ran out and my stomach started turning south quick. I've been having problems with acid reflux since August, so I'm not sure if it was that, the sunburn or simply my body revolting after 13 miles of running. The last 13 miles were my typical Ironman death march and while it was discouraging to go from 4th to 8th in the 25-29 AG over those last miles, I did not give up like I would have typically done and kept the walking to the minimum.  I still ran my second fastest Ironman marathon ever and it was the first time I ran the first 13 without walking. I will certainly take an Ironman PR on a hard day and know that the best is still to come.

Final time - 10:25:28

As always, thanks to my family and friends for supporting me.  Thanks to Lindsay for developing me as an athlete and always being there when I need to talk. I can't thank my office mates enough for the office decorations and cake upon my return. Thanks to Powerbar for the nutrition products to keep me fueled,  H20 Audio for keeping me entertained in the pool and Cyclelops for helping me be the best rider I can be.

Kona

With the exception of some mechanical issues that left us sitting on the plane for FOUR hours at the Denver airport, this trip has been nothing short of amazing and I will say again how grateful I am to be here competing.  I haven't had one person ask if I received a roll down slot or if I was competing this year, so that is an accomplishment in itself.  In fact, the only thing I've heard is how young I look.

I've swam three times from Dig Me Beach, the start of Ironman.  The water went from being calm on Sunday, to downright wavy on Wednesday, so I guess only time will tell what Saturday will be.

Dig Me Beach

I have rode the Queen K twice - once with Alyssa on Sunday and once alone on Monday. I was quickly reminded how generous the tailwind is on the way out, and how strong the headwind is coming back into town.  I also made a trip out to Hawi to ride the toughest part of the course; unfortunately, the ever prevalent crosswinds were nowhere to be found on Tuesday.  While I'd like to think that will happen on race day, I'm mentally prepared for strong gusts blowing me across the road.

Out on the Queen K

I ran out at the energy lab on Wednesday and proved to myself that I could run the hills coming back up to the Queen K. According to my Garmin, they weren't exactly hills, so apparently I had a bit of a mental breakdown last year. I.WILL.RUN. on Saturday. Seriously.

I've worked the Powerbar booth, made custom goggles at the TYR house, and have been fortunate enough to talk to vendors of some of my favorite products.

Alyssa and I were lucky enough to be one of 400 that received Rudy Helmets to wear this weekend. I absolutely love this helmet, so I'm very excited for my new one.

New helmets!  Thank you Rudy Project

We've done a mix of cooking in the condo and going out, the best discovery has definitely been the acai bowls. I could eat these everyday.

The Banyan

I wouldn't be here without the support of my family and friends, so I can't say thank you enough.