Race Report - Minuteman Sprint June 19, 2010

Got things all packed up and had an early night. I also made sure to have a really good night sleep on Thursday night and take it easy on Friday. I was in bed by 9pm with alarm set for 3AM. Thank goodness I set 2 alarms, as my primary one did not go off, since I forgot to turn it on after I set it. I was up and out of the bed right away. Said good-bye to Sue and I was downstairs to get ready.

Made up my smoothie (milk, soy protein, granola, frozen berries, plain yogurt and a banana) for the road, a bagel with PB, a electrolyte drink and a few bottles of water. Packed up the car, loaded the bike on the rack, and away I went. I was out the door by 3:40AM. Drive was uneventful and arrived on site by about 5:10AM. There were a few people there already, but nothing like the Timberman line of cars. Parked and went to package pick-up. Got my numbers and shirt (bummer it was long sleeved) and then was body marked. Went to the car to get my gear and bike. Got to transition and started to get ready. A couple of trips to the porta-potties and race time was approaching (7AM).

I managed to meet up with Stu and Nancy prior to the race and also Jon who was doing a relay with Don and Tracy. They ended up coming first overall in the relay by like 16 or 18 minutes.

Got the neoprene pants and shirt on and went down to the water. I took a nice dip in the lake (73 degrees) and it was very pleasant. Swan about 1/2 way to the first buoy and back with no problem.

This was a big race for me since I had decided from now on I would race in my proper wave and not request to go in the last group.

Race time was delayed by about 15 minutes and once it started we were the 2nd wave in. They were sending all men together in one wave. I stayed to the right near the back and off we went.

I was in the water right away and never looked back. I was so happy with my swim, only looking up to sight. No "heads up" breaststroke or rolling on my back. The swim was awesome. I passed a few and when the first wave of women came by I barely noticed except for the one who grabbed my butt! LOL

I made both turns fine and headed for the swim finish. I have to say, those swims at Stiles Pond with the team went a long way to eliminating any anxiety I have in the water. I got out of the water in 13:39 (1/4 mile - 205 out of 212) and was feeling great.

T1 went great and I was out with my bike in 2:55. The bike course was real smooth with only a couple of rolling hills. Now was the test for my new set-up. In all of my rides since the upgrade at Salem Cycle, the best I had done was about 15.4 mph. I managed 16.5 mph for this 14 mile ride. It is amazing how much it means to get "pushed" by other riders. I LPed (term I use when I pass an able bodied rider since I am an LP - Little Person) at least 12 other cyclists. I actually stopped counting after 12.

There was one rider who passed me and then we proceeded to pass each other throughout the course. She said we were playing "leap frog". Each time I passed her I said, "ribbit, ribbit". The second last time I passed her was on a long down hill stretch and when I looked at my computer I was doing 34 mph. She called me a "son of a bitch" that time. We were both laughing pretty hard. When she passed me she thanked me for pushing her so hard and said she would give me a hug when we finished. I didn't see her again after I passed her about a 1/2 mile before T2.

I finished the 14 mile bike in a time of 53:17 which placed me 171 out of the 212. That is better than 42 of the riders. WOW....... that is better than 20% of the riders. Not bad for 20 inch wheels and short legs. I was totally happy with my ride.

Into T2 and all was well. When I got to my area, some idiot let their bike on top of all of my gear and not in the rack. I got off of my bike and proceeded to move their bike. Not too angry, I placed it down nicely. I then racked my bike and got ready for the 4 mile run. A quick drink of my electrolyte drink, change shoes, put on Nathan belt, and I was on my way.

I walked most of the first 1/4 mile and then started to jog a bit. Back and forth I went and then I started to get passed. I don't think I ever passed a runner, but kept a few in sight for most of the run. Once I got going it was much more running and not much walking. I am pretty sure I ran the last 3/4 of a mile, if not a full mile. I felt strong going into the shute and crossed the line at a time of 2:16:33 (205 out of 212). Which gave me a 4 mile run time of 1:03:40 (208 out of 212). That is a little less than 16 minute miles, which I am very happy with after the strong swim and ride.

The post race snacks were great. I sat around for a while and then got changed. I managed to catch Don in from his bike, met Tracy (big-time relay swimmer with Don), saw Nancy, Stu and Elaine all in from the rides and leave for their runs. I even stayed around to cheer all of them at the finish line. Including Jon finishing the relay with Don and Tracy.

All in all, a great day. Now, it's 3 weeks until "Old Colony", my first go at an Olympic distance race. It's a 1 mile swim, 24 mile ride, and 6.5 mile run. It will be a test, but I am certain I will be ready to give it my best shot.

Training Update

I have to try and remember to write my updates earlier rather than later. A couple of things have happened since my last post.

First, I went to Waltham and complete in the Team Hoyt 5K race on May 27th. It was on a Thursday afternoon so I drove down after work. The weather was great and I arrived real early so had lots of time to prepare and get ready. I had some time and met up with Kathy, Dick and Rick. They were all quite busy getting ready for the race, so I only had a few minutes to catch up.

I remembered my plan to do some real stretching and running before the race. I got ready and took a run up the road and back and did some dynamic stretching about 20 minutes prior to the start. When the race started I was sure to start near the pack and was able to get a good start at the run. I managed to run for about the first 10-12 minutes before my first walking break.

Two things of note happened during the race. There were two young women racing who were there as part of a group from a law firm. For most of the race I passed them, then they passed me and we played leap frog for most of the race. It seemed obvious to me that every time I got passed them they were determined not to lose to me. I don't know if it was because I was short-statured and they could not lose to someone physically challenged or because I was short-statured and they thought if I could be out there running maybe they could run a little harder. I try not to worry what makes other people tick. It's just satisfying to see what affect I have certain people.

Near the beginning of the race, we ran through a housing development and we went past a group of about 8-10 kids who were about 10 years old or so. Needless to say, as usually happens, there were giggles, laughs and finger-pointing at me. I tried to ignore it. Well I saw them run across the road through some other houses to the next street, where we would be running as we went around the block. I was prepared for more comments and giggles and was totally surprised. As we went around the block those same kids were there with some adults (maybe parents ??) and they all stood on the roadside and clapped and one even ran out to give me a "high-five". What a nice boost of energy the gave me. Whatever the parents said, it's nice to see adults who take interest in what their kids say and do.

When I got to the water stop, I was a little bummed when I looked at my time figuring the stop was the 1 mile mark. After I passed the stop, I asked and was told it was the 1.5 mile mark. When I checked my watch, I realized I was making great time.

As I neared the end, I could hear the P.A. announcer and did my best to run hard the last 3/4 of a mile to the end. When I got to the finish, I crossed and looked at the time and was excited to see a time of 0:42:05. That time was 2:32 faster than the time I got in my best 5K to sate. It was great to PR in my first race of the season.

The post-race festivities were terrific. Door prizes for all racers including a super post race meal. Lots of pizza, pasta and dessert. I will certainly do this race in years to come.

The rest of my training continued with the exception of joining Team Comp on some Sunday morning swims in Stiles Pond. I knew I had to get into some open water prior to the season. Without that, I am sure some of the anxiety would return and I was determined to swim with my age-group and not ask to be put in the last wave.

Well I did two swims and both of them were terrific. The first one was 3 weeks ago on May 30th. The weather had been quite warm up to that point and the water was really nice. Tim Clarke picked me up for our 7:30AM swim up in Boxford. There were about 8 of us all using wet suits. I chose to use my swim snorkel this time and when we started out everything went well. The group swims from one end of the pond and back a total distance of 1.2 miles (half-iron distance). I chose to swim to a dock across the lake and back (a return distance of about 3/4 of a mile). On this swim, Patrick and Stephanie would swim ahead and back, always checking on me. I appreciated their company and encouragement. Would not be wise to leave me alone either, since who knows what could happen in a an open lake with no one life-guarding. All went well and I got back to the beach a little ahead of the group and was so happy to have a swim done prior to my first race which would happen 3 weeks later.

Two-weeks later I joined the group for another swim at Stiles. The weather had been colder and the water was much cooler. I was determined to do this swim without my snorkel. I was quite nervous to start and was feeling the old tense feelings return. Shallow breathing started to take over as I started out. A lot of swimming head's up breaststroke and I even had to flip over on my back once. I was about 1/2 way to the same dock and thought about turning back. I swam a bit more and then turned for the trip back when Patrick appeared. He asked if I was OK and I said I was fine, but had decided to turn around. Patrick was not pushy at all, but said I had swum to the dock 2 weeks ago, so why stop early today. I mentioned I had used the snorkel then, and all he said was, I don't get to use the snorkel in a race, so why stop. He as so right. I kept swimming and Patrick swam ahead. When I was about 30 yards from the dock I turned to head back. Patrick appeared and said, "swim to the dock." He WAS SO RIGHT. I swam to the dock and rested for a second or two. I then headed back.

It took 30 minutes to get there and only 20 to get back. I was cruising back. I was so thankful to Patrick for giving me that little push to do the whole swim. I am sure if I had stopped short and swam back early all the doubt would have crept back into my mind.

This is why it so great to be on a team. Not any team though, TEAM COMP. It is such a great mix of inspirational people. I am so glad I found them, or they found me, or better yet, we found each other.

Taper week to follow and then race day on Saturday June 19th.

Two months later..........

WOW, I was so eager to keep people up to date with my training and I didn't deliver. Well, the good thing is, the training has been going very well. I have kept up the training and I am now 4 weeks away from the Minuteman Triathlon on June 19th. Early mornings have been filled with protein smoothies and then a swim, run or bike to Pingree. I have been "hitting" all my times and am progressing along. The terrific news is that my bike has been re-furbed by Salem Cycle and it was all I hoped for.

They put on new wheels (Alex rimes, Tiagra hubs, and Maxxis tires), a new cassette and a 44 chain ring on the front. The best news is that it took 4 lbs off the bike and that in and of itself means a faster ride. I am now able to get a lot more out of my ride not spending so much time pedaling like a hamster in a wheel in a cage.

The best evidence of that is from the two rides I did with Team Comp. Last Saturday we did a 35 mile ride up and around the north shore. I was able to stay with the main group for most of the ride and I didn't feel like they were waiting for me at every rest stop.

The more rewarding ride was just yesterday. Along with the rest of my team, I rode with "Jen's Comprehensive Riders" and as a team we raised close to $4000 for the American Diabetes Association. It was a 65 mile (more than 100km) ride from Gloucester around Cape Ann, down through Beverly Farms, up through Ipswich and then back to Gloucester. Again, I had a great ride. I was able to stay with the group and we all rode in together at the end for an emotional end to a great morning. The best news for me is that the ride was more than a 1/2 Ironman distance ride (56 miles) and I felt great at the end. I am here Sunday morning ready to go for a swim later today. It's an amazing feeling when you KNOW you can do it. I think we might be doing a team swim up in Boxford at Stiles Pond.

I have got inspiration and strength from so many places along the way. I remember about 2 weeks ago I was supposed to do a 58 min run and I had "banked" extra time on the bike, so I knew I could shorten my run and was thinking about stopping after 30 minutes. The thought of Owen then popped into my mind. He has been doing a great job these last few weeks in the pool swimming without the aid of a "swim bubble". Part of my job has been trying to help him deal with some fear and worry of sinking. I have said to him, "You can do it Owen, I am here if you need me". He has been such a trooper about it. Well, when I felt about packing it in early last week, Owen popped into my mind and I thought, if he can do it and push through his fear, I know I can as well. Well, those last 20 minutes on the run, were pretty emotional for me, as I thought about Owen and the strength I get from him. And from Sue as well. Knowing how amazing a mother she is, really helps me keep going. She has been MORE than supportive for me. I love her SO MUCH and need her more than she knows. I tell her this as often as I can, and I am sure at times, she thinks they are just words, but that is so far from the truth.

We had a great team BBQ yesterday after the ride. Sue and Owen came along and it was a relaxing time for all. I actually made a birthday cake for Sue. Three others (Alice, Taylor, and Bill) were able to help with the candles since their birthdays were all around the same time.

There were no other children there but Owen did a great job playing on the swing set and then of course he "held court" a few times keeping some of the adults entertained them with "tails" *wink* of our cats. The one nice thing about parties after a race or ride is that very few are too interested in going all night long. Patrick and Denise put on a nice spread and it was nice debriefing with others about the ride that day.

Both Sue and I have enjoyed watching Owen with baseball this year. We just got back from his game. He is enjoying it a lot and he has a great team of kids. There is a WIDE range of ability on the team. Owen is learning how to catch and throw and his hitting is improving each week,

One full week of training down.

Well, I have now had one full week of my training done and I would have to say, things are going pretty well. I have stuck to the plan pretty much, but that might change when I head back to work in a week.

I did have one minor setback with the bike. When I was actually out onto the road, I noticed my avg. speed was WAY UP. I was usually doing between 11.5-12.5 mph and after 2 different rides, I was up to about 15.5 mph on average. Well I did a ride on Friday afternoon and decided to map it out when I got back home. My bike computer said the ride was about 9.75 miles and it was really only about 7.2 miles. How discouraging. I realized I had set up the wheel circumference correctly, but somehow over the winter, the bike computer switched over the "bike 2" which had a wheel setting of 26 inches instead of mine at 20 inches. A HUGE difference. I went out for a ride this morning for a little over an hour and when I got back and checked, all seemed in order. With a pretty strong headwind I still managed and average of 12.2 mph. I can't wait until I get new wheels in a couple of weeks. And with a change in gearing as well, I hope to get up to an average of 16 mph. Here's hoping.

Swimming this week went well. I was at the pool on Sunday and Tuesday. Both times, there we no problems and I was able to hit the prescribed swim times with no resting keeping my pace at about 4:20 for each 150 yards. I was at the Multisport Expo on Saturday and did a TI clinic. I came away with some good tips from the coach, but more importantly, he said my form was VERY RELAXED and smooth which as two important features of TI swimming. I need to work on rotating at my hips though and not my chest. I will work on that in the pool tomorrow. Using a snorkel will help for sure.

I did THREE runs this week. That is HUGE for me. I don't think I ever ran more than once a week all winter and most of the time it was once ever 2 weeks. The longest run of 45 minutes on Friday was great. I didn't get a chance to run until the evening so I decided to use the YMCA instead of running outside (Sue was real happy about that). I did a 5 minute warm-up walk and then started to run. I can now manage continual runs of 8 to 10 minutes. That is huge for me. When I first started I was happy to be able run for 2 min and then walk for 1 min. I was able to run for 40 minutes, by doing 8 min run, 2 min walk, 10 min run, 2 min walk, 8 min run, 2 min walk, and then 8 min run. I was able to increase the run speed for each section up to about 4.5 mph for the last section. Running continues to be my most challenging part and if I am able to one day do a 1/2 Ironman, it will all hinge on my running. Thirteen miles will not be an easy task. I am determined to keep plugging along.

There was so more news about the EXPO. First, I met up with Wendy from FIRM racing. They organized the Salem and TDD triathlons I did this summer. Wendy and Gail Vescio asked me to consider being the keynote speaker at the FIRMman race in Rhode Island at the end of the season. They have a banquet the night before and they have asked me to speak at the dinner. All I can say is, WOW. I said, "YES". What? Me, give up a chance to hold a microphone?

I also met with the guys from FITWERX in Peabody. They partner with a bike company from Montreal called GURU. Both companies are eager to consider designing a bike for me. The challenge is what interests both groups. Here's hoping some funding comes my way, because that is going to be a ton of $.

2 days down........and a long road to go.

Well, I am officially into my training and things are going well. Yesterday I did a 24min swim at the new Y on Leggs Hill and then a 48min ride on my trainer in the basement. For the swims, I will not use the snorkel or fins except for warm-up of cool down. I want to make sure I simulate real triathlon swimming as much as possible in a pool.

I had a 30min run this afternoon at the Salem Y. It would have to be my best run to date. I did a 3 min warm-up and then ran for 27 minutes. I only "walked" twice during the run. Once for 2 minutes and then again for a 1 minute. That is HUGE for me.

I never thought I would get much out of Eminem, but he sure has some motivational stuff to listen to. "Till I collapse" and "Lose Yourself".

"But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength
and just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up
and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse."

Still my favorite quote for triathlon has got to be,

"Triathlon has become life in microcosm, a metaphor that gives truth to the wisdom passed from each generation to the next: work hard and you will be rewarded, have faith in yourself and you will excel; do not falter when an ill wind blows your way." Ashley Halsey

Tomorrow, it's a 40min swim back at the Y. Having 2 weeks off from school is going to help get me into a nice workout groove for sure. I have to make sure to get some things done around the house including doing the taxes and of course clean out the computer room/extra bedroom.

Starting my Official Prep Tomorrow

Well, here I am at the start of my 2 week spring vacation. I have spent the day with Sue and Owen up in Maine. We got to Tim Horton's in Scarborough after stopping at Tom's of Maine in Kennebunk. After that we got up to Freeport and hit LL BEAN and then the Nike store. I got an awesome bright orange fleece. Will go very well with my other Team Comp gear.

I have spent the evening working on my official 17 week plan to get me to the Black Fly Tri on July 10th. Along the way, I plan on doing the Patriot 1/2 Ironman Aquabike on June 20th.

I emailed Elaine Vescio on Team Comp in the hopes that she would look over my plan and give me any final pointers.

This is so exciting. To think, this time last year I didn't even have my bike and was still riding Sue's. And here I am now, a triathlete preparing for my first FULL season.

Off to bed soon since the clocks are moved ahead one hour.

Running during the fall and winter

Well.........running is certainly my least favorite part of triathlon. To the end, I have done a few runs this fall and look forward to running more again next spring.

I did the Witch City 5K Road Race in Salem, MA, October 25, 2009. My time was 44:37 for a mile pace of 14:22.

I did the Wild Turkey 5 Mile in Salem, MA on Thanksgiving Day. My time was 1:24.14 for a mile pace of 16:51.

Last weekend ( December 6th) I did the Jolly Jaunt 5k in Danvers, MA. It was fundraiser for the Special Olympics. I managed to raise almost $300. My time was 50.27 for a mile pace of 16:17. That was certainly the coldest weather I have ever ran in. Think I will be waiting until the spring to run a race again.

I picked up a bike trainer last weekend as well. I am just waiting to pick up an adapter for my 20 inch wheels and then I can cycle to my heart's content down in the basement.

I am hoping to get new wheels in tires in the spring. I will also hopefully be getting a bigger chain ring and new smaller cassette for the back gears. I am looking to end the "spinning out" I am doing when going downhill. There is only so high my cadence can go and I am hoping to be more efficient real soon!