Off-Season updates

Hello all,

As is common with endurance athletes, I have a love/hate relationship with the off-season. It is great to relax, unbuckle that top button for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts, and have a little more wine than is probably appropriate. Nonetheless, I find myself clamoring for more time in the pool, on my bike and on the treadmill (since I can't bring myself to run outside in this nasty Chicago weather). I've also been forced to take it easy for awhile as a result of a ruptured appendix two months ago. Fortunately, I've been getting back up to speed with my running and am faring much better than I was this past summer, but still have a lot to work on endurance-wise. I am up to about 12 miles a week, just working on easy base mileage.

Th. and I signed up for a late February half-marathon in the foothills of north Georgia's Blue Ridge mountains. My guess is that it will be as challenging, if not harder than the 10-miler we ran at Hemlock Overlook (VA) in December 2006, which forced even the speedsters to walk up some of the hills. I'm definitely ready to race again (and get the hell out of the Windy City for a weekend).

We also signed up for Ironman Florida, which is set for November 7th, 2009. We've got a ways to go, but I am already preparing for my basework and training. I'd like to work with a coach to see if I can attain my initial goal of sub-12 hours, plus not get injured along the way like last year. Several friends of ours signed up as well, including a friend who committed while drinking at a Death Cab for Cutie concert. He'll be fine.

Anyway, not much more to share in terms of athletic endeavors, besides a bit of skiing in Steamboat Springs, CO last week. Unless you count eating an entire pizza and half a bag of chocolate chips (fortunately not at the same time) an athletic endeavor...

Merry/happy whatever you celebrate,

Krysten

Race Report: Big Shoulders 2.5K Swim

Alas, I wimped out and opted for the 2.5 instead of the 5K (two dreadful laps around Lake Michigan). As it was, my lats were tired after one lap because my "training" has involved shorter, more frequent swims (i.e., 2000 m 3 or 4 days a week). This technique seems to work quite well for me when I am trying to get back into the swing of swimming. My balance, rhythm and lung capacity all usually feel a bit off when I haven't been in the water for awhile. Anyway, it seemed to work quite well in preparation for this open water swim as well.

Prior to signing up, I checked out some of the results from last year's race... pretty impressive. This race attracts Olympic caliber athletes like Erica Rose and some guy whose name I can't remember who did butterfly for the entire 5K course. Insane. Erica Rose has been the top female finisher for several years, finishing just short of an hour typically.

In the past, race conditions have been tricky - i.e., cold, choppy and poor visibility. Fortunately, I have dealt with all three of these issues previously, so I wasn't particularly worried. On Saturday, the 6th, however, the water was a balmy 69, not a cloud in the sky, no fog. It was quite difficult to see the buoys, however, as there were only three of them stretched out across the lake. Spotting was probably one of the more difficult aspects of this race.

Overall, it was a great swim. I specifically focused on extending my pull through and keeping a nice cadence. My right shoulder did the thing where it tries to pop out of socket, which means I was getting tired and need to spend more time in the pool/gym. Anyway, I pulled off 47 minutes and change, and beat the girl behind me because she decided to walk out of the water and I booked it past her. I'm a triathlete, beeatch. Ready for T1! (Not.)

We also got these weird Che Guevara Andy Warhol-esque t-shirts with a be-goggled Obama on the front and the word "SWIM" beneath. For the remainder of the day, people complimented me, asked questions, or flat out mocked me (Th.) for my t-shirt. Does Barack even swim?

This photo exemplifies how I feel about swimming 5 kilometers on September 6th. I think this has to be my favorite Ironman photo. This one and the one of me contorting my face in an effort to get sunblock out of my eye...

Racine Day's Inn... BOOOO!

I forgot to mention... if you ever happen to be in the armpit of Wisconsin, I mean, Racine, do not EVER stay at the Riverside Day's Inn. They charged us $180 plus my unborn baby and the place is a total dump. I didn't bother to look at the sheets because I was too afraid, and it looked like somebody had vomited on the floor previously. There was no water in the "pool" either. Too bad I didn't take any photos.

Race Report: Spirit of Racine Half-Ironman

We are back from Spirit of Racine after a long and satisfying day. Th. and I vegged out per usual on Arby's snacks on the drive home and then had pizza for dinner. This is one of the best aspects of being a triathlete. Hey, when you burn 6,000 calories in a day, you can eat pretty much whatever you want!

The race was successful overall. Pretty well-run, good partcipation (1700), and reasonably good weather. The swim proved fairly challenging due to a dense fog and 55 degree temps. The start time was delayed by an hour in the hopes the fog would lift (it didn't). This was a very tough swim in many respects, though it did seem a bit shorter than usual. My wave consisted of 200 women, more or less, swimming in a 30 ft wide area. I had my sleeveless wetsuit and no neoprene cap (lost at IM CDA), so I was essentially hyperventilating again by the time my face hit the water. Within 100 yards or so, I had grown more accustomed to the temperature and made more of an effort to spot for the buoys, which were quite difficult to see in the fog. I noticed frosty condensation on other swimmers' wetsuits due to the contrast in temperatures between their bodies and the frigid water. I did get clobbered several times , and swallowed a ton of water due to a fairly strong current. As it turns out, I had my fastest ever half-IM swim: 33 minutes (*as it turns out, race officials added a minute to my time due to my slow 200 m run to transition. They did the same to Th., only he is a freakin' dolphin and still finished in 3o minutes.*) I exited the water and made an attempt to run on feet that felt like ice blocks. It was quite difficult to peel my wetsuit over my ankles and I was disoriented.

I jogged out of transition at 8:56 ( my swim wave went off at 8:17) and was glad to have shifted into my smaller chain ring as there was a giant hill coming right out of transition. The ride was flat and fast, for the most part, though there were some awful roads (very bumpy, lots of potholes) and 6 or 7 hills. My aero bottle was lost in the carnage of other water bottles, tubes and gels due to an aero mount malfunction - the velcro piece in front fell out. Not a particularly exciting bike ride, but again, it was fast and easy.

T2: 12:00. The sun was out and the day was getting warm, completely contrary to the initial weather forecast that morning. I peeled off my tri top and donned my cap, race belt, and running shoes. As usual, I forgot an item - this time it was my sunglasses. Surprisingly, I felt pretty good at the start of the run, and clipped along at a 9:40ish pace for the first mile or so. My hamstrings were feeling pretty sore and my run fitness is very poor, but I pulled through the run with a "run 4 minutes, walk 2 minutes" strategy. Somehow, I still pulled off a 6:23 time, but only because I pushed hard on the swim and the bike to balance out my slow (yet effortful!) run. Th. managed a PR of 5:39. Jerk. ;-)

I really would like to get back to my original fitness level, but am really going to have to be patient with my running. My injuries are slowly healing, but this requires diligence with regard to my PT. I have been icing and stretching, and doing my weird balance ball exercises. This has helped significantly, but I am not anywhere near able to run a consistent 6 miles yet. Slowly but surely.

Splits: SWIM - 34:08 T1 - 5:41 BIKE - 3:04:50 T2 - 4:15 RUN - 2:34:54 (might as well have been speed-walking!)

This photo taken courtesy of Brian's now FIANCEE, Nellie... OW W OWWWW!

This was taken after our first swim in Lake Coeur D'Alene, June 20th. I really didn't feel that tough, I just had the "Macho, Macho Man" song playing in my head. In fact, I was feeling pretty annoyed at this point, because the water was 54 degrees and I had never swam in anything that cold. Brian was already swimming when we met up, so I just jumped in and started hyperventilating when I hit the water. It hurt to submerge my face, but I made myself do it and ultimately my breathing returned to semi-normal. My hands felt tingly, like I was pushing away little swells of icy slush as I swam. Not fun. Fortunately, the water warmed up to 59 on Ironman day - woohoo. I know people that won't swim in 70 degree water. Anyway, the advantage was, cloaked in all that neoprene, one can swim like a boat right on top of the water. Awesome. Next time I will seed myself a bit closer to the front. IM #2 swim goal: 1 hour, 13 minutes. None of this lollygagging along, ladies.

Oh, the choices

One of the most interesting phenomena within the Ironman community is the arduous selection process for the ensuing year's race. All of your friends, acquaintances and family members discuss the options over email, facebook, blog and telephone as though it is a life-altering decision. Perhaps it wouldn't be so life-altering if it didn't cost thousands of dollars, thousands of training hours and thousands of neoprene-bootied feet potentially kicking you in the head and making you drown to your untimely death.

Anyway, several of my extended friends via Th. (my Iron-boyfriend) are considering Australia, France and South Africa, but I doubt I will have the finances/time to support such an endeavor. Maybe in 2010. Canada, Florida, Wisconsin or Louisville are more up my alley. Florida sounds fun because I like palm trees, heat, and sharks. Louisville sounds interesting because my Dad's family is from Kentucky and I might fundraise with C-Different as a part of their "IronTeam" (http://www.cdifferent.org/). I'd like to do Florida with Th., but am also keen on meeting some new people, throwing fundraisers, and getting a sweet C-Different jersey. I do have some friends participating in Canada as well, and Wisconsin is only a 2 hour drive from Chicago. Will give it some thought!

One down, Louisville/Florida to go?

Hey, guys! I'm back to the blogosphere after a long hiatus. I recently moved to Chicago, and am hanging out a month after Ironman Coeur D'Alene, tapering for my half-Ironman next weekend (tee-hee).

Coeur D'Alene was a blast - beautiful scenery, friendly people and half an hour from the Spokane, WA airport (thus reasonably convenient, though it is in BFE).

Hope you all are enjoying your summers, preparing for races, and/or just taking it easy. Sunday's weather was pretty much ideal - 75 degrees, slightly cloudy, not hot in the least. There were some forceful winds on the bike course, which I hadn't expected, but overall a nice day. The water warmed up to a balmy 59 degrees, which felt a million times better than the 54 degrees Brian and I swam in on Thursday (without a long sleeve wetsuit or neoprene cap). I was a bundle of nerves on race morning, mostly due to the intimidation factor Ironman swim inevitably brings to the table. Fortunately, the swim was the easiest part of the day. I waited about 30 seconds for the majority of the swimmers to enter the water, and alas, was unable to avoid the clusterfuck. By the time I reached the second buoy, the swimmers had thinned out and my breathing was normal. I did get kicked and climbed on a few times, but considering the number of swimmers in Lake Coeur D'Alene (2200), this was inescapable. By the end of the swim, my first impression was, "That's it?" I heard the announcer call my name, saw Th. and my family, and ran toward transition. The women's changing tent was full of crazy naked people, bustling about in an effort to collect everything needed for 112 miles of cycling on a new, more challenging course. I popped a gel and ate a piece of Power Bar on my way out of transition: 8:33 am. The first part of the bike course felt just as Theron and other Ironman experts said it would - easy and smooth. I hit the first 10 miles in 30 minutes (which for me is too fast). I tried to slow my pace in preparation for the hills. On the corner coming up around Sherman Ave., I heard my family cheer again and climbed toward Government Way. As I approached Hayden Lake (where the hills begin), I contemplated peeing in the bushes/ finding a portapotty/ peeing myself. I opted for the portapotty in the end, which was a smart decision considering I didn't have to hover and thus tire my quads, or experience the discomfort a new friend relayed to me upon having "taken care of business" on the bike. Around mile 30, I started to feel a cramping sensation in my stomach that worsened when climbing. I threw up a little bit once but continued on. Eating was difficult, so I tried a banana and kept pushing the fluids. By mile 61 I felt a bit better and stopped to eat a PB&J Uncrustable. This first part of the second loop was the most challenging part of the course mentally, but I convinced myself that I would just try to finish the bike course and see what happened from there. Ultimately, my stomach began to feel better, though my pace slowed on the second loop due to a nice wind hitting us on the flats. I made my way into transition around 4 pm to prepare for the run. I didn't bother to change into running clothing as many of the other women did, as it was just too difficult. Eau de homeless man is my preferred fragrance, anyway. I walked the first half mile of the run course, ate some Clif Shot blocks and downed some Gatorade (though I was already beginning to tire of the stuff). My strategy was to walk 2 minutes, run 3 minutes, and adjust as necessary depending on how my legs felt. My hamstring tendonitis was certainly making its presence known at this point, but fortunately everything else hurt as well, so it wasn't as noticeable. Brian and I caught up to each other around mile 10, and ran/walked together for much of the run leg. The second lap of the course was difficult. Brian and I noticed that everything hurt, even our faces. In particular, my lungs and core felt tired. By 10 pm, I had reached mile 25 of the run course and could hear the announcer at the finish line. The last 1/2 mile of the course is downhill on Sherman Ave., with a cheerful, smiling crowd to boot. I ran through the arch, slapping hands and smiling the whole way. It was exhilirating.

Best of luck to all of you competing at Ironman events this year, and have a great summer everyone!

Krysten