Team Timex Blog » Tamara Kozulina

The training camp in high altitude. Posture alignment therapy.

Tamara Kozulina — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 00:56:47 +0000

Almost every year I have a post with similar name “… high altitude training…” and most of the times I mention the same place, Los Alamos, a small town in high mountains in New Mexico, one of my favorite towns in North America. Beautiful nature, nice friendly people and very sports oriented town. I really enjoy to train here: hundreds of trails, different variety of roads for biking and 50 miters indoor swimming pool, a dream town of a triathlete, who doesn’t like crowd and ready for the hard training, because Los Alamos is at an elevation of 7.200 ft and there is no easy course for the bike ride except maybe a spin on a bike trainer. I am training here for the first Ironman this season, Ironman St. George, which is coming up in less then 3 weeks.

My biggest goal this year was to stay injury free. Since the middle of year 2009 I wasn’t 100% free of injuries and most of the time there is something’s going on in my feet: planter fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, heel bursitis, stress fracture. I do, massage the calf muscles and stretch , I do ice the feet after training, I stay hydrated, but I still have some issues in that area. When I got to Los Alamos my friend told me about a method, called The Egoscue Method and that there is a girl in town who can help, using the same method, to get better with my injuries. At the beginning it sounded like some kind of magic, but listening to my friend it actually was making seance. I wont describe the whole method, there is enough information online, here is what I am doing, Aligned Play, with coach Jessica. I just want to share my experience. First of all we found out that my body is all twisted, one hip is higher and same with shoulders. It’s not surprise that right and left sides of the body are not symmetrical. But sometimes when you are training hard through so many years this can cause injury related problems. And when you can find the right exercises to make the body more even it can also help to relies those problems. And that what we were doing. I got the list of 10 drills, which I need to do every morning (takes about 30 min). After a few days I could tell that my body motions have changed: I noticed on the bike ride, that my paddle stroke is more straight; I stay tall through my runs and I can maintain to run long runs without pain in my feet. This is life long commitment to the 30-40 min of exercises every day, but if it helps to stay injury free I’ll stick to it :-)

Listening to the signs

Tamara Kozulina — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:28:39 +0000

I would love to write another exciting race report and share with my team mates and friends my success, but last couple months injuries were holding me back from full running and competing. After training in Florida in a winter time and a very good race in Japan I was pretty tired with my body and mind, but I still planned to do a few more Ironman 70.3 triathlons before I take a short brake. Already back then my body started to send me signals, which I didn’t want to listen to. After Strongman Japan I got a heel pain and I thought it happened after slightly moving a cleat on the cycling shoe. But such a small change usually doesn’t cause any major pain unless your muscles are too tied and tired from over using them. I should’ve listened to it, but I kept going thinking that it’s nothing serious and ache will go away very soon and I still have enough time till my next race. But 4 weeks wasn’t enough to get rid of the pain without taking a good care of that injury. I went through the race and quit after 5th km on the run (swimming and biking didn’t hurt).

Other than injuries the sign of overtraining is a lost of motivation. I couldn’t believe myself, I was like a different person. So inspired and motivated 3-4 months ago, I had a hard time to go through my favorite training routings now. After the race in Florida, which I mentioned before I’ve decided to take a full 3 days off and put my leg in the orthopedic boot to avoid any movement of the injured heel. It helped and I went back to training ….., of course…., I had another race in a few weeks, Ironman 70.3, Mooseman. I didn’t have any high expectations from that one, just wanted to go through run and see if the heel can handle it. And yes, it did, I didn’t feel well on the bike and finished 6th not very happy with my results, but I could go through half marathon without pain and it was a good thing.

By the plan I made before this season I had to have a week of the complete rest, but because I haven’t trained seriously in May I’ve decided to keep going. And, yes, it was wrong again. Just a few days after Mooseman I slipped on the stairs and heat one of the toes very badly and got a small fracture in one of the 4th toe bones and another couple weeks with no running :(. What the accident? But maybe it’s just another sign? It took me a whole week to put myself together and come up with a new plan for training and racing. But I finally had that one week of complete rest. And let hope I’ll be fine from now on.

The defended title.

Tamara Kozulina — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:04:37 +0000

Now I can say that the season 2010 had officially started. The first big race took place in Japan passed weekend, it’s All Japan Triathlon, Strongman. One of my favorite courses. It is a really huge event for such a small Island like Miyakojima with population just 55.000 people. 26 years old race has it all: the sun, the wind and the sea. Although this year one component was missing, we didn’t see much of the sun. It was raining a few days before the race with a strong windy condition of the weather.

I was double excited to go to Japan this year: for me and for my new coach, Wolfgang Guembel, who is a professional triathlete as well and who got an invitation to compete in the race too. It always nice to have somebody, meeting you at the finish line and share a good or not so good race day with you, like I usually have a Timex crew or Team mates at the races in North America.

After a long trip I had 5 days to adjust to the time difference, which is 12 hours with East time zone. Not everything went smooth before the race: I was getting excited to try my new Orbea Ordu bike on the long course, but I couldn’t put it together, something was wrong with a headset. I gave up on trying to fix it and it was time to find a mechanic. I was very lucky that the mechanic, who supports the Japanese Olympic team was there with all his tools. My advice to the athletes who travels with bikes and take them apart by themselves: if you need to replace the handlebar or an aerobar do it from the side of a stem where it connects to the bar, not to the headset tube. I don’t remember the mechanic name, but he fixed the problem and really save me.

The weather on the race day wasn’t different from the previous couple days: 20% of rain and 30-40 km/h wind. Glad I was training in Florida this winter, no kidding the weather in Florida this year was the same.

Swim: I got a front spot at the start. It’s a mass start (1500 people is a limit for this race). Actually it wasn’t too bad until after the last buy, suddenly I was surrounded by big pack of people trying to heat me and crawling on the top of my legs. Actually someone did get to the target and heat me in the head so badly that I heard a bell ring. When I exited the water I was pleased with the time splits on my watch, I swam 30-40 second faster when last year.

Bike: I was listening to my coach and I’ve tried to hold back a little bit during the first our on the bike and control my Power Wats and I thought I did. But the middle part of the bike course didn’t feel like I was going with a good afford. Or maybe it just was in my mind after I saw a leading girl drafting behind two guys. It took me a while to catch her, 120 km. At the last part of the bike course I felt better.

Run: It’s a hard course and the marathon run is not an exception (it’s out and back with rowling hills). I didn’t want to get excited and get cared away because I was leading the race. I needed a strong, steady run to hold my position and when it comes to the run I usually know what to do and how to control my pace. After turn around I saw Emi, second girl and it looks like she was very close, so I’ve tried to run a bit faster on the way home. Miyakojima people are very supportive, it looks like at list half of the Island population were out there on the course. 3-4 km to the finish line we ran through downtown and hundreds of people were screaming “Gumbate” , “Vydo”. I was talking to myself: “don’t get excited, don’t get excited, you still have more than 3 km to go”.

Finish: It’s a great feelings to win the race and to defend your title. But even better feelings are when someone is waiting for you at the finish line. It was my coach and a good friend, Wolfgang Guembel, who also had a great day and won the race.

I had one of those races when you don’t make any mistakes and your plan has completed on 100%. I got two fastest time splits (bike and run) and went faster in all three disciplines compare to the last year. Although I screwed in T1 a bit, went to the men’s changing tent. My friend called me back 3 times and I couldn’t understand what he wants from me until I looked around :). I wish that was a worst mistake during the race I ever made.

Race results

Ironman Florida and post season recovery time.

Tamara Kozulina — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:07:52 +0000

I am kind of late with race report. I’ll try to make a long story short. Last few weeks were very busy with travel and hard acclimatization. Now I finally settled for several days in some phenomenal and beautiful place in Ukraine, calls Truskavets http://www.traveltoukraine.org/truskavets.htm

But before that was Ironman Florida, which was one of the best races for me this year. After I got injured in July I couldn’t get well from it for a couple months. That was a reason why I missed most of my running intervals last summer and also that’s why I didn’t finish in Kona. After Hawaii Ironman I took 1 week off from running. I also switched to a different running shoes. I got a pair of K-swiss and all three weeks before Ironman Florida I was tasting the same pair of shoes, trying to get use to them fast. I really didn’t know what to expect from the marathon run in Panama City. But also because of that I didn’t have pressure on myself, all my Ironman race usually depends on my run.

Friend of mine gave me a very good advice for my race and I stick to it. He reminded me that Ironman is a very long race and it can be a critical mistake to race it hard from the beginning. He also helped me to understand how to control the power on the bike: ” power is nothing without control :)))”
I felt actually better at the end of bike course and still had an energy to run, although I didn’t try to chase the girls ahead of me, by killing myself on the first miles of marathon, I just kept doing my race.
I was already happy about my Ironman when I was running on third position, when I herd that Bella Baylis is 1.5 min ahead, then 1 min. 10 sec., then 50 sec and still more than 5 ml. to go. And finally I saw her back and realized, that I have a chance to be on second place. But it wasn’t easy at all. I caught her and tried to run away a few times, but it was hard to drop her and we ran together until last 2 km. I’ve decided to give it all, all what had left… I did and I herd that she is one step behind, two steps, more, I didn’t look back until the finish line. I still didn’t win the Ironman, but I was happy about second place very much. And it was a good way to finish season 2009.

It was a long season and I was glad to have some rest and to do something different back home. Now it’s time to take care of my health, recover from the long year of racing and refill an energy for the next season. Two weeks rest!!!

DNF at Hawaii Worldchampionship.

Tamara Kozulina — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:51:11 +0000

Yep, that was my first DNF, dropped out of Ironman race in 10 years. How do I feel about it ???, not so good. Although a decision I’ve made was right.

I got this injury on the bottom of my foot, which going on already for more than 3 months. It doesn’t feel like it a bad one, but it doesn’t let me run without pain, it’s just there all the time. I can’t get any diagnose right now, because I am in US at the moment and I can’t afford it and I don’t want to finish the season earlier. I thought I can do a few more races and I did. After Ironman 70.3 in Augusta I treated my foot as well as I could: massages, icing, acupuncture…. it felt much better. At the race day I felt good. And everything else was fine, like the time when you feel that everything fits together, like in puzzles. I was calm, of course I had a small butterfly in my stomach a day before the race (it’s very normal before such a big event).

Race day. We get into water about 10-15 min. before start. And it felt a little bit chill, but I though: “it’s probably a last time today when I feel cold”. I was right it was one of the hottest days in Kona. I swam with plenty of people around me all swim course and it felt fast, but my swim time was the same like in 2007 (hope water was flatter back then :)) But I came out of the water with bunch if people and I was in the right spot. So on the bike I wasn’t alone, I had 3-5 girls I could keep eye on. It was a god pace to be in and I felt pretty confident on the bike. After Hy Wee turn around it was windy, not crazy windy, but normal Hawaii wind. At the end of bike course I still had a power to pass a few people. And I was ready to start a marathon. 1 mile mark behind, 2 miles mark behind, 3…., I started feel it, the pain in my foot, and I already knew how I’ll feel in 1 or 2 hours. Should I damage myself now and make it last race of the season (I also knew that with this kind of pain no way I can make it to top 10 or top 20 and maybe even walking at the end of the marathon) or try to heal during another 4 weeks and do Ironman Florida, which I planed to do anyway. After 5 ml mark I made a decision I stopped running and started to walk to make it back to transition aria. On the way back I walked by the hotel, where we stayed, and I needed something to drink, so I went to the hotel took a shower, got plenty of water and wend back to the transition to see how Ironman people finish this day.

I thought I can handle it, but then people kept asking me how did I do and there was too many times saying: “I didn’t finish” and to many times hearing “Oh, I am sorry”. But there is nothing to be sorry about. It just an injury, which I’ll take care of after Ironman Florida. Yes, I’ll give it another try and I am doing Ironman Florida.

Ironman Lake Placid. Race report.

Tamara Kozulina — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:20:17 +0000

I guess number 4 is my favorite number. That’s the place in Ironman where I finished most. Let see: Ironman Arizona 2005 and 2008, Ironman Austria 2008, Ironman Florida 2006 and now Ironman Lake Placid 2009 again 4th place. But in my case I am pretty happy with my results. I wasn’t sure if will able to go through marathon. The problem was, that I got injured 10 days before the Ironman. It was a foot injury, which caused a knee pain. I’ve tried to get well before the race, but there was not enough time. Thanks Trigger point and Cassidy, who took care of my injured leg two days before the Ironman, it really helped a lot.
The swim and bike passe very well, I felt very confident on the bike, although I didn’t expect such a hilly course. Finally I learned how to use a Power Tap and download to my computer. I had 178 W. average and 86 cadence and 50.33 ml/h on the dissent hill :)

I still wasn’t sure about my run, but the first loop felt surprisingly good. I guess it was adrenalin I got from running behind the mountain bike with a sign on it “3d woman”.
By the time Caitlin Snow passed me I was a bit broken. Then I got some other problems except keeling pain from knee and the foot, like diarrhea and dehydration at the end. So, I spent a few hours in the medical tent after my finish. In spite my troubles during a marathon run, 4th place is good, right??? :) I want to say spacial thank you to Cassidy (Trigger Point Therapy), to Tristan (team Timex manager), to Larry ( photographer) to the guys, who helped me out at the medical tent for all your help and support.

All Japan triathlon, Strongman. Race report.

Tamara Kozulina — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:36:04 +0000

Finally,one of my dreams came true, I went to Japan. After Ironman Florida last year I was invited to Japan to do the race, Strongman. I heard about this event from our team mate in past, Andrey Yastrebov several years ago and since when I wanted to do this race one year. So, I was really excited about this coming opurtunity.

A first race of the season always makes me nervous. 3 months of winter preparation are back and I went to Japan, still couldn’t beleive in it. But I was there and I’ve done the first race of my 2009 season. It was a wonderful week on a beautiful Island, Miyako, which reminded me a bit of Kona with it’s green plants and tropical climate. Even with a rainy and windy, most of the time, weather I’ve got just warm memories about nice and welcome people, unbeleivably tasty Japanese food and of course about an atmosphere of the this, very importent for Miyako people event.

I think Strongman triathlon is in my Top 5 best organised triathlons. That just describes one more time how well Japanese people work.

The weather at the race morning was windy and worm with some clouds, but the water was flat. It was one loop swim course, one and a half loop bike course around Miyako (Miyako is a small Island) and one loop for marathon run, not really a loop, just the way out and back. The swim came out as I planed, time wise, I plan to do it around 45 min (it’s 3 km), I felt pretty good on the bike, espacially first 40 km with a tail wind;) But at the beginning of marathon I felt that wind took some energy from me on the bike. I was confused in bike-run transition area about my place, so I thought I have to catch girls ahead of me: 5 and 10 min (it’s a big gap).
But I was ready to chase them. I didn’t know that I am already leading after 70th km on the bike and I have a gap on them 5 and 10 min. I have to learn some Japanese words if I want to come back again :)
All way out on the run was a head wind and first 10 km I thought that I am not going to make it, but I started feel better after turn around and I save my lead till the finish line. Even with all attention to me and inteviews after finish I still wasn’t sure that I won, so I kept asking a translator: What place am I? They thought it’s a joke. :)

It was a good beginning of 2009 season. Hope to continue as I started.

Time off passed so fast. Back to training.

Tamara Kozulina — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:09:15 +0000

After a last race at November 1st I took one month off. For the first time I’ve decided to stay in US for couple months in staid of going home to a cold Ukrainian winter straight after an end of a season. I use to stay in Clermont, Florida, a great place for winter training, but nothing else to do there except of training. And an idea to travel for a little bit wasn’t the bad one. A first trip I took was the trip to Atlanta, GA to see my Ukrainian friends. For four days I have so much fun with a girl friend (I miss girls company sometime), we’d done so much: we took two classes of Bikram Yoga, that was new for me and I really liked it, although not every pose came out well during my first class; next thing we did was a shopping, you can’t find as good person as my friend Roksolana for a girl’s shopping; then we went to visit other friends and went to a park with them kids.

After that I spent another week in Clermont, before I’ve planned my next trip. I went to Arizona to watch a last Ironman race in 2008 and to visit my home stay family-friends from 2007 year. Next flight I took was the flight to Las Vegas, I never been there before. I don’t think I would go to Vegas by myself, I don’t think it would be fun. But my friend, Oliver from Germany stayed in Vegas for couple days. It’s hard to imaging better time than I had for those 3 days in Las Vegas: a helicopter flight, a Great Canyon trip, driving around city and walking around old down town.

After those trips it was time to start training again, get my fitness back at, then build some running and swimming mileage. And to my opinion a good place to start doing it is Los Alamos, NM, one of my top places in US. And now I am almost one week of training, still feel unshaped, but I keep it easy I have time.

End of race season.

Tamara Kozulina — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:28:37 +0000

It was a such long season, which started at the beginning of April and finished at the beginning of November. But I am really happy with my results during the all season. Of course there was couple of not very satisfied races and maybe sometimes I had a bad luck, but overall it wasn’t bad at all :)
About last event in Florida, where I finished with 2d place and with 9.14. I am pretty happy with my results and with my place. And it was very nice to know how many people supported me inside and outside the race; inside and outside the state; and even inside and outside of country. I hope I didn’t disappoint them.
I felt very good during the race day, although I still had made a few mistakes. I picked the wrong socks for a marathon,so I got bad blisters on the both feet and lost the toe nail (again), which slowed me down at the last part of run. Everything else worked really well for me that day. At the end of run I thought: “Thanks God I don’t need to do any other Ironman next season to qualify for the World Championship”. I guess that’s how much I was tired to get thoughts like these :).
Anyway it was a great time in Panama City, it’s one of my favorite places: I love sunsets, a flat ocean water, friends around and “it’s a good weather for november”, like for a person from Ukraine.

Two Half Ironmans in two weekends.

Tamara Kozulina — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:45:00 +0000

I had done first two Half Ironman races in Europe this season after I had come back from States. I completed those races during two weekends in row. That wasn’t an easy experiment. The first triathlon took part in a beautiful city Linz in nice old Austria. I was happy to visit that country, especially after all troubles I have had with a visa,which I need to get for a visit to any country in Europe, as a Ukrainian person. I got the visa one day before the race and somehow I should to get to Linz from Lvov, Ukraine during 24 hours. I wouldn’t be able to do it without my Slovakian friend, Marek and with his help I had very comfortable and rested trip to Austria and back. The race came out very well for me, I felt confident and strong . Unusually for me I was leading from the first part of the bike course and I save my lead till the finish line. After the event when I got back home at Tuesday I realized that I have just 2 days to prepare for the next trip to Switzerland and as usually my visa wasn’t ready yet :) Even I knew I can’t do anything about it, I already done everything to prepare all documents, the situation still stresses me out. Maybe that’s why I also couldn’t recover very well between competition, or maybe it’s just an excuse ;)
I got my passport with visa two hours before my flight to Zurich and after I got to my final destination I felt exhausted. Although I slept next nights a lot and very well it’s still wasn’t enough time to recover and at the race day I felt still tired. I suffered from the second loop on the bike and all the time during the run course. I am really angry with myself that I let two girls behind me pass me right before the finish, but honestly, nothing I could do about it, I had no power left. Anyway I completed two half Iron distances in two weekends with a pretty good time: 4h.29′……; 4h.33′……
And now I am looking forward to the training camp with my friends in St. Moritz; no races for the next six weeks before the big one: Ironman Austria.