I ran Boston for the first time with my sister Beth in 2010 to celebrate her 40th Birthday (3 years late because I had a baby during her birthday year).  I’m the youngest of 6 kids and I have an amazing bond with my sister pictured below.  Running is one of the passions we share.  Her birthday wish was to run Boston and break 3:30; so I qualified in order to run and pace her each step of the way.  What an amazing experience to share!   The euphoria we both felt finishing in 3:26 was like no other.  A lifelong memory made and shared.

A bond with my sister Beth, friend Sara Wagner & Mandy (not in photo) for Boston 2012

Turning 40 in November myself, I wanted to share that same bond with Beth again and thought of making it into a girls weekend.  So I asked my sister, my friend Sara who I began my love for running with in high school, and my current training buddy Mandy to join me for a Boston-Birthday weekend.  Running/triathlon is a passion that creates this magical bond I have with many people in my life…the real reason why sport is an integral part of my lifestyle.

Monday will be my second race in Boston.  Unfortunately, I’m healing from a foot and knee injury and can only run the first few miles of the race (so I don’t reinjure what is almost healed).  I will get to start with everyone; then I will cheer them on.  Whether you are a person watching the Boston Marathon on the sidelines or another runner taking each step along the way, it’s all about sharing the journey and passion with those who love running. This race has the power to touch people from around the world and it’s a bond I hope everyone has the chance experience.

As a new race season lurks just around the corner I’m forced to reflect on what seemed like 2 back to back dream seasons.  In 2010 and 2011 I had a personal best in every race I did.  I couldn’t believe I was achieving and surpassing every goal I set.  It’s an athlete’s dream and it fluffed my feathers knowing I could achieve this while being a mom of a 3 and 8 year old, a coach to runner’s and triathletes, an instructor at the Ymca and a wife keeping the house and family in sync.   I’m struggling with the cliché that all good things must end as it’s never rung more true than at this moment.  After riding this wave for so long it is hard to accept my spot on the beach watching others while I wait for the next set.

When things aren’t clicking your mind goes to great lengths finding loopholes in your logic.  You can talk yourself out, around or away from the pain signals your body is sending you.  It starts as noise for a few weeks and gets easily dismissed.  We as athletes are models in working through pain.  After a month, you scratch your head and then realize you are really starting to break down.  I refuse to accept that my body needs a break just 5 months after ending another perfect season.  For many the body is stronger than our mind.  For some of us triathletes are strong minds can destroy our bodies.  After weekly chiropractic visits, Active release sessions, acupuncture, synovial fluid injections and a host of doctors opinions it’s time to step back and get some perspective.  I’m not ready to race in 2 weeks.  Yes, I could run and do very well at the California Ironman 70.3.  With all of my husband’s analytical scenarios I could win my age group.  But at what cost?  My knee?  The rest of the season?

My advice to all of you who struggle with early season injuries is simply this.  Pull out the calendar.  March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November.  It seems that there is a lot of healing time and a lot of racing time still left in the season.  It’s hard to separate emotion from reality or the unknown.  This is where a coach, spouse, friends and God can help you see clearly.

Yes our goals may have to change, our races may change and the effort we put in may be greater.  My season’s “A race” is the 70.3 World Championships on September 9^th.  Nothing more and nothing less.  Everything I do from now until then is to get me to the line 100%.  Anything else is unacceptable.  So when I contemplate tonight about a junky 3 miler or a foam roller, I have to remember my purpose in these sessions.  It’s not to run 3 miles under 6:00 pace and feel like I’ve made progress.  The goal is… have I moved closer towards or farther away from my goal of becoming a World Champion on September 9^th .

Thank you to to my husband, family, friends and sponsors who love and support me when the waters are rough.  I know the next wave is going to be epic!

Happy training and Happy Healing.

Tricoachdavis

Last weekend I had the pleasure of watching the Olympic Marathon trials.  Call me crazy but there is something magical and mesmerizing about watching the best runners is the US work for two plus hours displaying perfect form.

Seen in the headlines is only 2 time Marathoner Shalene Flanagan breaking the Olympic trial record and Kara Goucher going back to the Olympics just 18 months after giving birth.  What wasn’t apparent in the headlines is the previous record holder to Shalene.

30 year old Flanagan, broke the 8-year-old Olympic Trials Record of none other than Colleen De Rouck.  Who is Colleen you ask?  8 years ago she set the Record at the age of 39.  This year she placed 35^th at the age of 47 out of 180 woman who qualified to race trials.  The next time you run a marathon, tell me how many 47 year olds you see that can qualify for the Olympic trials running a 2:30 marathon.  Simply amazing!

As I turned 40 in November of last year, contemplating what the future holds for me regarding the Ironman I can’t help but be motivated and inspired by Colleen and others.  Just 2 years ago at the age of 45 she finished 8^th in the Boston Marathon.  She didn’t grab a headline or a podium finish but her longevity speaks volumes for those of you thinking……it’s been a long time since my last PR.

Before racing the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kona this year I was determined to knock off 6 minutes and break the amateur world record.  A big task?  Consider, there were only 2 women in the history of the event that have ever broken the 10-hour barrier in Kona at the age of 40.  Karen Smyers and Fernanda Keller (according to my husbands research).  Somehow, I was convinced I could break the big 10!  Maybe it’s me hanging on to my youth, maybe it’s my husband who calculates my splits, maybe I simply think I’m only one year older, or maybe I just can’t give into age holding me back.  In the end I joined them in breaking the sub 10 hour barrier at the age of 40 along with Beate Goertz also in my age group and Natasha Badman who raced Pro!  My finishing time was eleven minutes faster then our previous age group world record!  However, Goertz at the age of 42 topped everyone and  is now the Amateur IM World Record holder!

As we get older we look back on our accomplishments with many of them seeming like they were a long, long time ago.  Chalk up slowing times to age or joints that aren’t as smooth.  Our lives continue to get busier with children and our careers.   I reflect on my Ironman last year wondering where the road leads.  I sat back and watched Colleen in awe.  A 2:36 marathon trials, a 2:30 qualifier at the age of 47.  Are you kidding me?  She may not know it but she just lit a fire in this 40 year old.  Thanks Colleen, for your inspiration.  Thanks to her husband Darren, who coached me a few years ago.  Thanks to all of you over 40 who are still giving it your all and have the dream.   Many people ask me if I’m done racing in Kona, but my heart, spirit and smile tell them I haven’t seen the last of the Queen K.

Confidence on the starting line of the ING NY Marathon

Jennie started her marathon program with a one mile time trial (8:30 pace) as her benchmark, because she had only ever trained up to 3 miles averaging 11 minute pace when running easy.  After 8 weeks of long runs her average pace dropped to 10 minutes/mile!  Then four weeks before the race I did a 9 mile tempo workout with her and saw that her times were dropping and her heart rate was 10 beats lower at a faster pace!  She was absorbing the training and getting more fit!  This past Saturday we ran our 2 mile PRE-Race run with strider’s and Jennie’s easy pace was (9:20 pace) and her heart rate dropped 7 beats (145 from 152) from 4 weeks prior!  She was tapered!  She didn’t have the fatigue of previous workouts, long runs, tempo runs in her legs!  This gave me another check mark of confidence going into the race.  I asked, “Jennie do you feel like you’re losing your fitness, strength and feeling fat?  She said, “yes” with a smile.  As her coach I said, “Perfect.  That’s how you’re suppose to feel in a taper”.  Because Jennie’s never been a runner it didn’t play with her head and she felt great about it.  Why, because coach said so.  It would be nice if every client could process information that easily and quickly!

Team Timex Jennie, Susanne, Dina & Kelly

The race was about to begin!  Timex Teammate Kelly Fillow, Jennie’s personal friend Dina Kwit and myself were Jennie’s running crew.  We were running with Jennie, tweeting her progress, taking pictures and coordinating meeting places with possible interviews during the race!  As her coach I printed out two pace charts:  My “A” goal was to hold 9:22 pace at 4:05:59 for a perfect day and another chart for 4:10 which was averaging 9:32 pace which is what her training showed she was capable of running.  I built Jennie up to 19 miles for her longest run.  She ran a 9:56 average pace.  With a short 12 week program after giving birth to her second son, I would stack two days of running to equal the marathon distance and build her long run.  Then in her final long run only 6 days after her 19 miler I tested her ability to negative split the last 3 miles of a 17 miler.  She ran her easy long pace for 14 miles at 10:00/mile to goal race pace!  She ran miles 15 and 16 at 9:35 to 9:16 with only a 10 beat heart rate increase!  BAM there’s the magic heart rate range for race pace, because her 17th mile at 9:02 to a 8:50 her heart rate went up 25 beats (working at her 10K pace heart rate range).   A critical tool in coaching Jennie and during the race was her GPS watch- Timex Run Trainer.  It recorded her pace and heart rate which helped me build such an accurate race pace goal!  A GPS and Heart Rate are also great guiding tools while racing to keep you on the “target pace” especially on a hilly course like NY.  The other key is to feel your pace and rhythm of your leg turnover.  Sometimes the city buildings would cause interference with the GPS, so UP every hill in the race I started singing, “I like to move it, move it” (Theme song from Madagascar/yes I have kids too!) to keep the pace steady.   Jennie, probably thought I just liked to hear myself sing!  No this was to help keep pace and maybe make someone smile around us who wasn’t liking life at the moment.

Maintain a steady pace up hill, down hill and on the flats

Timex GPS Run Trainer (pace and heart rate)

The other key to having a successful marathon was taking in GU every 30 minutes and salt each hour.  My Timex 50 lap watch was on a repetitive timer to help remind us.  My Nathan pack carried our nutrition and a 10oz bottle of water to make sure Jennie was taking in enough fluids.  Jennie had a “Live” interview with CNBC at mile 18.  Where most people might start feeling the “wall”, Jennie put in a little surge.  (Have to look good for the camera, thanks, nice distraction)!

Mile 20 to 26 I broke up the race into two sections.  We only have 2 x 3 mile sections left!  ”This is the same distance as your shortest run “, I yelled.  She did amazing!  There was a nasty hill though that seemed endless.   Then we had the final 3 miles left.  At mile 23 I said, “Let’s dig deeper now,  you will make it.”  I know how mentally tough she is.  This is where pain is temporary and glory is forever.  This is where those long runs come in to play, giving child birth gives you an added edge of getting through discomfort, and using a words that make you tick!  ”It’s the bottom of the 9th and you only have to throw 3 more strikes!”  Jennie’s Softball tenacity kicked in and she ran 10:18, then took it down to 9:09 for her last 2 miles!  My last words to Jennie were, “You only have to run from 2nd base to home plate Jennie, go!”  She broke into a sprint for the last .2 miles to the finish line!

She finished strong, passed more people then we guessed, and averaged 9:21 pace which was our “A” goal!  Tears of joy, accomplishment, helping 30,000 kids in the NYRR program, seeing her family and feeling the endorphin rush of  crossing the finish line.  She gave it her all and the marathon gave Jennie the running bug.  At our victory dinner that evening, she said, “I might do another marathon in March”. Running is contagious, give it a try!  I am Proud, relieved, and what an awesome journey!   Crossing the line culminated in all of the reasons to why I coach.

Hit Goal Pace! Proof on the watch!