Mom & Daughter Duo at Adventure Race

Hanna and I teamed up in the local Labor Day Adventure Race which benefits the area’s highschool triathlon team. The ultimate goal (according to Hanna) was to win the best costume contest. I just wanted to beat the competition have fun.

Pre-race prep was not the usual for me-instead of having nerves for race day execution, I was all nerves about having to use the iron and do that which I am not all that good at-be creative! Hanna’s goal was to win the ‘Best Costume Contest’ and this meant I had to make a trip to the craft store. I’d rather change a flat tire than use a hot glue gun or use fabric paint! But, Hanna was bound and determined that we were going to look pretty and apparently, black and orange bike tights did not meet her definition of pretty, so we went with hot pink.

Our race day execution was interesting. Transitions were about stocking up on the bagels and sports drinks and visiting with others. In addition, my awesome speech on pacing and drafting fell upon deaf ears as it was full throttle speed for the first 100 yards of the race, only to be followed by a whole bunch of ‘this isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be.’ Thankfully, Hanna caught her second wind and we persevered 90+ long minutes to get to the finish line.

I enjoyed the time spent with my daughter and had a lot of fun, but I have been kicked off the team for 2010! Hanna said she needed to find somebody who would look better in the costume she designed (we took runner-up in the costume contest) and somebody who wouldn’t slow her down.

Game on my little one…game on!

Earlier this month I ran the Green Lake 12 mile road race in Minnesota…that was race #1 on the schedule. It meant something to me because it is a bit nostalgic. I spent many summers camping, boating and skiing on Green Lake and I remember watching runners in that race when I was much younger. I used to think-who in their right mind would want to run around the lake when it is much easier just to ski around it! I had not been back to that area in 20 years so it was nice to go back there and race…and the win was just the icing on the cake!

The other race I have my mind set on is the New York City Marathon. I am eagerly counting down the weeks, but also trying not to get too excited. I admit, I have a tiny bit of fear about this race-fear of not making it to the start line. However, this fear is being over-ridden with the reason why I am running that marathon. You see, I am not running it just for me. This race has a purpose.

Many are familiar with Jon Blais and the Blazeman Foundation since Jon was featured on the 2005 Hawaii Ironman DVD. Since Jon’s death in 2007, Bob and Mary Ann Blais continue their son’s quest to educate others about ALS and help fund research for this debilitating, deadly disease. A few months ago, Bob and Mary Ann contacted me and I have been given the honor to carry some of Jon Blais’ ashes with me while I run in the New York City Marathon. What better way to motivate me through my training and racing…because I am not just running for myself, but because I need to follow in the footsteps of Jon and ‘fight the great fight’ and finish what I start. His words resonate with me daily when I head out the door to run and I know they will be with me on race day motivating me through every step of those 26.2 miles. Just as Jon liked to end his story with a quote, I’ll end with his words, “Everyone in life has a certain amount of their own adversity. I think that puts the person inside you that makes you challenge yourself to push on to be a better individual.” For Jon…I’ll push on.

To learn more about Jon and the Blazeman Foundation please visit:
http://www.waronals.com/index.php

One Bad Run

I really despise bad training runs, and it can be one hard pill to swallow when they fall on a key track workout day. I’m not talking about the kind of day where you feel slightly off , you might have to work a little harder to achieve your goal, or at worse, your pace is a tad slower than goal pace…nope, I’m talking about the kind of day where even the coach says let’s stop this workout.

The road back from injury is usually slow (and seems to get slower with age) and requires a LOT of patience. Up until this past weekend, I had not raced since August 2008 and I missed the competition! The fact that I have recently been able to introduce some speed sessions into my training has been awesome and I truly love being out on the track. I am an athlete for many reasons, one of which is the joy and satisfaction I receive in testing my limits as I pursue my goals. These quality run days are in essence one way for me to fill the void of not being able to compete for the past 8 months. So when coach told me to stop my workout after only 1 interval, I was initially a bit dejected.

I knew when I started my interval that it was going to be a tough day. I expect tough days, but this workout was a little different. There was that internal struggle between YOU HAVE TO GUT THIS OUT versus You are not on today so let’s back it off because the risk outweighs the reward, and thankfully, I had another pair of eyes watching me. Honestly, had my coach not been at the track I probably would have completed the workout, been disappointed with the pace, and not gained one thing by doing so! Every workout has a purpose and when that purpose is compromised, adjustments need to be made, or at least expectations need to be reset. However, this is always easier said that done.

As athletes we are often our own worst critic. We condition our mind and body to handle pain, to block things out, and focus on the task ahead of us. Weakness is not tolerated. Stubbornness can get us to the finish line, but can also lead to our downfall. There are several articles and books written about what it takes to have a champions mentality and often one of the recurring themes is being able to adapt to adversity and rebound from failures. While my body was physically healing over the past several months, I focused my attention on reading such books as In Pursuit of Excellence by Terry Orlick, PhD. Today’s run was a test…would I obsess over the failed workout or embrace the day for what it was…just another training run? On that day, I chose the latter (with some help from Coach!) and decided to save the work for a better day.

Back at our Team Training Camp earlier this season a few of you were quite surprised to learn that my youngest had taken up cheerleading. I was just as surprised, and honestly believed that this was just a phase that she would outgrow. Eight months later I am preparing to head to our first ‘official’ cheerleading competition this weekend. Funny how sometimes our life really does not go as we had planned.

Anyway, I survived the dress-rehearsal. At our team-parent meeting we learned how to apply the make up and do their hair. Needless to say, I felt like I was in preschool learning how to cut, and I was the kid who the teacher had to spend extra time with to figure things out. You know what I mean, like when the teacher is going over instructions and then specifically looks at you to make sure you are really getting it. I think I ‘got it.’

Through this down-time I have been forced to not only provide lip service with the notion that “Yes, I know I am not only defined by the races I do or the training I accomplish in a day, but that I am a mother, wife, friend, and I have other interests” but to actually BELIEVE it. Talking the talk is so much easier than actually walking the talk!

So in the meantime, I am enjoying the new sport that has come into our life. I am glad to watch my youngest find her passion, pursue her goals, and work hard in her pursuit. Every parent knows just how much pride and joy there is in watching their children emulate the discipline, perseverance, and tenacity it takes to be the best that they can be. The lessons I have learned through being involved in sports have shaped who I am today and it is exciting to watch my youngest child build character through her own adventures.

I will miss my Ironman buddies and the race-week festivities when November 23rd rolls along, but there is always next year!

Brief Racing Update: My last race was mid-August in DeGray Lake, Arkansas. I decided to make the trip to race the Half Iron Distance because I heard the course was a tough, rolling bike course (nobody seemed to mention to me that there were a couple of small hills on the run as well!) and I needed to redeem myself from my awful swim at Lifetime Fitness. We had ideal race day conditions for August and lucked out with partly cloudy conditions and cooler weather (which only means it didn’t hit 95 degrees and 90% humidity). I think the most astonishing part of this race was the fact that I FINALLY had a decent swim. I actually made a wise decision as far as where to position myself at the start and it paid off…Sharpie would have been left speechless (has she ever been speechless?…oh, yeah…that’s right…when that one certain male cyclist stopped to help her)…I was actually the first female from the Half Iron distance out of the water. Miracles do happen.

Brief Training Update: With Clearwater 70.3 Championships and Ironman Arizona approaching, training had been going quite well. Physically I was doing pretty good and was excited for the upcoming races…when…I was rear-ended by an SUV! OH, and did I mention…I was on MY BIKE! Amazing how in a split second you go from being able to handle those long rides and runs to struggling with your daily errands. Instead of spending hours training and hanging out with my kiddos, I’m spending hours at the doctors office and PT. Sorry…if you sense a tone of anger…there is…I’m just a bit frustrated.

But there is never a dull moment down here in Texas…no time to throw much of a pity-party because we have bigger issues to deal with as Hurricane Ike is about to make landfall. Since I have gone almost a week without training, I have been missing my endorphins and grumpiness has set in. Poor hubby and kids…to think that we might be hunkered down in small quarters for several hours must frighten them. Good thing I purchased a camping stove (to make hot water) and a french press so I can keep my Starbucks caffeine intake regular just in case we lose power.

My last OLY was nearly 3 years ago. I do not race OLYs often because it is brutal distance for me, but I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to have a ‘legitimate’ reason to take my bike with me on this brief trip. The race is well-run, on a beautiful course (the fact that I could tell you more about the homes along the bike route would indicate a lack of race day focus on my part), with awesome volunteers and spectator support. I was quite impressed. The race experience itself was a reminder to me as to why I do not race this distance often and why I prefer the longer distances.

The best part of the trip was heading to the theme park inside the MOA the day after the race. Hanna and I hung out all afternoon and it was nice Mommy-Daughter time. I think riding on some of those theme-park rides is more ‘painful’ than training! The fearless wonder-child I used to be has turned into a fearFUL-I-think-I-am-going-to-puke-37-year-old. Every ride I went on I kept thinking “I sure hope the engineers knew what they were doing when they designed this ride” and after awhile I just couldn’t ride any more because my head was spinning and my stomach was churning and I felt like I had drank a little too much red wine! However, the priceless memory of having my 7 year-old tell me, “Mommy, let go of me you are squeezing my hand too tight” is now something I will never be able to live down.

Enjoy your summer.

First, I am just so thankful to be out racing triathlons again, as it has been a long year. My coach told me to go into the race with no time expectations. Just embrace the race. And, I did just that. I was anxious to get back out and race, even if I was a little rusty. I had the pre-race nerves and jitters I remember having a few years back, prior to settling into that over-trained mantra of “I really don’t want to be doing this anymore.” My goal for this race was to find out where my heart was with respect to racing and recapture the joy I once experienced when racing.

A quick recap of the race:

Swim-My first time swimming with my new Blue Seventy Helix and while I was initially concerned I was stretching out the T I M E X lettering a bit too much, it was an ideal fit. Not a single mark on my neck, I had freedom of movement in the shoulders, and an overall very comfortable fit. You cannot really look at the swim times at Kansas 70.3 to determine if it was a good swim or not, but I was pleased with where I came out of the water with respect to my division.

T1-Hello…I forgot that the clock kept running during the transitions. This is where my ‘out of practice’ really showed. My story is that I was being methodical. :)

Bike-Ok, here I was a bit unprepared. Finding these kinds of rollers week in and out when training in Houston is just impossible (and I do not have the time to drive to Austin or elsewhere for training trips). The day prior to the race somebody described the course as ‘you are either going up or coming down.’ But, since I cannot train in the rolling hills, I may as well race in them. I see enough of the boring flatlands, so the terrain was a nice change. My new Madone was comfortable but I think I probably road too ‘comfortable’ with respect to my effort. I was so afraid of blowing up, and while sometimes we need to push our limits to reach our potential, I really did not want a DNF in this race. For today, I was ok with finishing with something left in the tank.

T2-Yes, I know…a ‘needs improvement’ mark.

Run-What has usually been my strength ended up being my nemesis today. It was mentally and physically tough for me. My nutrition must have been off some because I basically felt like throwing up. I was disoriented for the first part of the course, but not sure if that had more to do with nutrition being off, or the course itself. I didn’t expect the rocky-gravel portion and I got hung up on that for a bit…until I convinced myself that whining is for losers. I pretty much had to go to that ’spot’ where I just put my head down and focus on the people ahead of me, trying to run them down, and taking things one mile at a time. I kept repeating “I CAN do this.”

Finish-When I knew I was in the clear and going to finish (about 200 meters from the finish) I began thinking to myself that I would get a finish and NOT have to visit the med tent. I doubt this is something anybody else thinks of while racing, but I think I have seen more med tents than finish lines in my triathlon career. Well, I started celebrating a bit too early because about 2 feet from the finish line I went face down. Yep, right as the announcer was mentioning my name I did a face-plant into the ground. And, this wasn’t something I could just roll out of and pretend to do the Blazeman roll…no, this was anything but graceful. Thankfully I got back up, crossed the line, and then headed to the tent for some ice. I was so obsessed about my bum knee (hoping that all that PT had not gone to waste) that it did not dawn on me that my wrist was quite sore. Everything turned out ok, and it did not take me too long before I was laughing at myself.

Good news: Nothing broken, made it to the finish line
Bad news: I am afraid what my finishers photos might look like, typing by hen-pecking is slow

Thanks to Timex, Trek, Bontrager, Profile Design, Blue Seventy, hubby, Team STRIVE, Coach Clint and Tektonics for getting me to the start and finish line this past Sunday.

Keep Striving!

My wish for Mother’s Day-my 2 girls do not argue with each other for this one day (yeah, right!)

The homemade gifts children make for their moms on Mother’s Day can be quite revealing.  Since I have a 13 y/o I know that my years of receiving these special homemade gifts from my 7 y/o are limited…and while Hallmark cards can be quite nice, they just don’t make the ones that say things like this…

 My Special Mom: by Hanna

My mother’s name is Kim.  I call her Mummy.  She is 8 feet tall.  She looks pretty when she wears dresses (and not her workout clothes).  The thing my mom cooks best is CHICKEN NUGGETS.  My mom likes to run, bike, and swim.  My mom does not like to do dishes.  My mom is the queen of the world!

Have a good one Moms! 

Last year I took most of the year off for health reasons.  That was the easiest way for me to focus purely on recovering.  I see too many people, including myself, rush through recovery and compete at 75% of their best effort instead of just taking some time off so they can come back and compete at 100%, and I was going to change this pattern for me.  

So, once I took care of my health, I decided to tackle some ongoing issues I have been having since my knee surgery in 2005.  Well, and to be fully-honest here, the decision to address my knee was really instigated by Kyle’s remark at our Team Timex Camp earlier this year when he point-blank told me that I ”run like a duck.” 

I rushed through my rehab post-knee surgery because I was so focused on RACING rather than being patient.  Following knee surgery I had some swelling that impinged a nerve and my VMO basically shut-down.  I could NOT get a full extension with my left knee.  After many weeks of therapy and a LOT of atrophy, I just got frustrated and figured that ’eventually’ my leg muscles would start working properly.  I mean…at least I could swim, bike and run, yes? 

Fast forward 2 years and well…we all know what happens when there is a discrepancy in leg strength.  Other muscles soon start taking over and doing the job others should do, injuries begin to occur because one leg is working more than the other, the run gait is causing a problem with knee tracking, and performances always remain sub-par. 

I promised myself a ‘no-excuse’ triathlon season this year, and Kyle’s remark prompted me to seek help.  I recently went to Tektonic Sports and began working with Dr. Sutton and had a Wingate test, a VO2/LT test for both the bike and the run, in addition to receiving sports-performance rehab on my knee.  The test results have not been pretty but at least I know what needs to be corrected!  My Wingate test came back at…I am almost embarrassed to say this…a leg discrepancy of 65% vs. 35%.  I was also videotaped running and cycling and that has really helped me to actually see what I was (or was NOT) doing.  I have had to have some thick skin when analyzing all these results, and I know I have some work to do to get this engine back into form, but I finally feel like I am on the right path. 

The Powertap (http://www.saris.com/) is an invaluable training tool for me as I work on rebuilding this engine.  The Powertap in conjunction with my Timex Bodylink help keep me honest when training on my bike.  I am really a work in progress but I am hoping I will no longer be running like a duck.  Until then, waddle-on!  :)     

How can I wrap up the season when I feel like it never got started? 

Triathlon Race Results:  One DNF (hypothermia), a top 10 finish at Ironman Florida 70.3 and a “What the hey happened” at Buffalo Springs. 

Life’s Results:  More free time on the weekends to spend with the kids…I did not realize just how much my girls noticed that I was out training until my youngest daughter would repeatedly say to me, “Mommy, what’s wrong with you?  You sure don’t exercise that much anymore.”  

Lessons learned:  We will keep having the same experiences in life until we finally learn and apply that which is trying to be taught. 

Life’s Goals:  Balance, health.

Race Goals:  I will define my goals.  I will NOT be defined by my goals.    

I am so grateful to Timex and our sponsors.  I almost felt bad for my beautiful red hot Trek Equinox 7.0 WSD…it screams fast, sleek, and ‘race me!’  But, it had to settle for training rides.  My Spenco Ironman Cycling Gloves made all these training rides a bit more  enjoyable by making the ride more comfortable.  My Timex Heart Rate Monitor has kept me in-line making sure I am working at the correct intensity and it also lets me know when my resting heart rate is elevated.  In addition, not only does it help me in training, but it is the first thing I hear in the morning with its trusty and faithful alarm. 

I did get to use my Blue Seventy Helix wetsuit and PointZero3 swimskin once this year…note that I WISHED I had my Blue Seventy Helix when I took to the chilly waters at California 70.3 earlier this year!  In addition, I am SUPER excited to hear that the PointZero3 was granted approval by FINA for open water swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  My 13 year-old daughter is anxious to try her hand at an open water swim event in the near future, and is looking forward to trying it out…she will do the suit justice.  This suit, similar to the Trek, says “fast-only please!” 

My every-day attire includes my Wigwam IM socks and Rudy Project sunglasses (ok, not just the two of them, there are other things on too!).  I don’t know what I would do without these things.  Even though I was not racing for most of the season, I still felt like a racer, and was easily targeted as ‘a triathlete or cyclist or some sort of athlete’ whenever I wore the Rudy Project glasses.  And, last but not least…Fuel Belt, Gatorade Endurance and Headsweats…what can I say except that I know there is NO way I could make it through a Houston summer of running without them.    

Congratulations to my fellow teammates…it was always fun to watch and cheer for you online.  It helped to fill the void of not being there in person.  Looking forward to 2008!