Well, I’ve become a whimp.  When the temp falls below 40 and I put on my amphibs (only Tim, Alex, and the Canadians probably know what these are), double-layer Craft shirt and lobster gloves… friends say, “Didn’t you grow up in Chicago?” 

I’ve tried to acclimate by trying ‘cold water’ swims, racing in the cold… and I just get hypothermia.

Why then on Sunday was I out racing a duathlon in 26-degree weather? 

I can’t say no.  I like a challenge.  I told my friend Michelle that I’d be there.  The prize was a cute mug.  The TREK hadn’t had a ride since Kona.  It was a TRAIL run.  I’ve never raced in a duathlon.  It’s sunny!  Blah Blah Blah

My plan was to change my shirt, gloves, and hat in every transition so I’d be dry and warm.  That went to h$%^ in a handbasket, as the saying goes.  My hands were just too frozen.  I put on an extra vest to get on the bike, and I managed to get my cycling shoes on.  I laughed at myself, which keeps it light and fun.  Thank goodness the bike was only 21 miles, because the cold started getting to me in a ‘delirious’ way around mile 15.  Then again, the TREK section is my favorite– my bike split looked pretty good for the conditions (fastest woman).  

It was a fun day, and I took home a mug!  Wow!  My mom, who was visiting from Chicago, snagged the race sweatshirt.  I was 2nd female overall behind speedy short-distance pro Amy Marsh.

Happy Winter.

November 10^th, 2007
4:48.15– 32:47 Swim, 2:33 Bike, 1:37 Run
4^th 20-24 Age Group

WARNING…All components of this race including the final weeks of preparation leading into it fall under the ‘Big Learning Experience’ category! And boy what a learning experience it was…

As a very new athlete in the sport with only 3 years under my belt, I had not actually completed an uninterrupted season of hard training and consistent racing until this year. My first year was pretty much a joke. I had never swam, bike or ran EVER in my life and pretty much just went with the flow and eventually found my true passion in life. My second year I went out a little too hard without much base and developed a giant stress fracture in my hip forcing me spend almost the entire race season aqua jogging in the pool! This year I had 2 main goals – the most important was to complete a full schedule and have an injury-free season and the second to finish top 3 in my age group at the 70.3 World Champs. Although goal one was a success, placing 4^th at Worlds was where the learning came into play.

What happened on race day? Unfortunately it was a combination of mental and physical burn out a few weeks prior to the big day. I began training quite hard in December and January and raced/trained straight through until October when I began feeling incredibly unmotivated, fatigued and uninterested in going hard. Since I had never gone that long before with consistent training, I hadn’t found my body’s limits and sadly hit the wall about 3 weeks before I was due to depart to Clearwater. Bummer. I knew the instant I was more excited to go skiing then go out for my favorite workouts in beautiful fall weather that something was up. I tried to push through the mental toughness but I kept finding myself breaking down and getting really upset for not knowing why I was feeling this way a few weeks before my biggest race of the season. I had a good chat with the coach and we agreed that beginning my taper a few weeks early would be a good idea and hopefully I would be really rested and pumped up to race. Although it sounded like a great idea, I still had a hard time getting those workouts in too and flew into Worlds very flat and highly unprepared. Lesson learned: NEED MID-SEASON BREAK!!!

When I toed the line the morning of the race, I was more relaxed than I had ever been before which is never a good sign for my super-agro-type A personality. It was a crappy feeling, but I knew right away that my heart just wasn’t into the race and that I was going to be out there just to enjoy the day. As the gun went off, I was so relaxed that I immediately fell into a great rhythm and joined the first swim pack. As we made the turn straight into the sun, I sighted the buoys on the opposite side and ended up swimming into the middle of the ‘rectangle’ and into a kayak who redirected me back on course. Oops. Coming out of the water I was a little irritated that I hadn’t put together one solid swim the entire year but knew I had improved greatly on the bike so it was time to go out and fly. Well, that’s what I thought at first until I realized my legs weren’t quite functioning the way they normally do. I just couldn’t turn over the pedal and was getting passed left and right. It was definitely tough to take, but instead of getting upset, I just kept chugging away knowing that it wasn’t my day. Getting off the bike was a great delight and I was very excited to head out for the run which is always my favorite event. Since I knew there wasn’t much hope to catch that place I was after, I just decided to cruise the half marathon and enjoy every minute of it. I crossed the finish line with emotions of frustration, irritation, disappointment, and joy. The race was finally over and it was the end of the year and I accomplished the number one goal of staying healthy without any injuries. Although I didn’t really ‘race’ what I had picked to be my ‘A’ race at the beginning of the year, it was okay. Nothing disastrous happened and I was able to spend some quality time with the Timex family and enjoy the rest of my trip with my mom who has been a huge supporter throughout my entire triathlon journey.

Thank you to everyone for all the encouragement and support during the 2007 season, I couldn’t have done it without you!

The Day I Gambled and Lost BUT Really WON !!!!

Ironman Florida 2007 on November 3, 2007 marked the 2^nd time I attempted this race and upon completing the event would mark my 10^th Ironman. I was entering the race at the end of probably the most difficult year I have ever had. The year was full of challenges that were not necessarily my choice but were circumstances that I had to make a conscious choice how I would deal with each of them. Be it serious family illness, moving to a new city, change of job, or other personal issues my choice from the beginning was to make lemonade out of what were at the time some very bitter lemons.

Yes, from the beginning my training was not at the same level as previous years however I tried to concentrate more on the quality of each and every workout. I also tried to build on my training day at Ironman Coeur D’Alene in June 2007. Ironman Florida was also a great excuse to get some sun and spend time away from home with my wife which was delightful. (Yes, I can actually say that after 29 years of marriage).

The day was perfect for a race as the sun was rising with no wind and calm seas. The first loop of the swim was as any other a washing machine with everyone trying to find their own piece of water. The first loop was completed in 33 minutes and my final time was 1:08 which for me was GREAT given I had only hit the pool 2 weeks ago and probably only had a total of 5 miles of swimming under my belt prior to the race. I attribute it simply to my Blue Seventy Wetsuit. (I will be opening the new and only pool in my home town when I get home on November 10, 2007 and got in a few laps in as soon as the water was in before I left).

The bike ride on my NEW TREK felt GREAT and effortless and as the ride went on I made a conscious effort to be controlled as the second half of the ride can be extremely tough if you go out too fast. I was happy as to how the ride was going since this had been my focus in the training I had put in prior to the race. About 2 hours into the ride it became evident that the nutrition plan I had laid out for the day was at risk of unraveling. I had been working through some intestinal issues earlier in the week and nothing; I mean nothing on race day was sitting well. It seemed the more I took in the worse I felt and the larger my stomach was getting. Oh well I thought, I will work through the ride and see where it goes (Thus the gamble). Well actually the only thing that seemed for some reason to sit OK with my stomach was the snickers bar at special needs. I mean how can a snickers not be good J. I finished the ride strong in 5:34 which was quicker than last year but I knew things were in a bit of disarray as I got off the bike. I took a little extra time in transition to get things organized and then it was off on the run.

As I left transition I felt what I thought was the normal discomfort associated with the start of the marathon. However, within 2 miles I knew I was in some trouble as my stomach was hard, swollen and quite distended which is where it was when I finished the marathon. Nothing was sitting well and the severe pain was stopping me from running so I fell into the old run 1 minute walk 1 minute until even that was not enough. Ok so after a few porta potty stops and a little hissy fit of kicking gravel I had to ask that question that many Ironman athletes at some time ask themselves. The simple question of “WHY”?

The answer for me after some deep soul searching was wrapped up in a co-workers story this past year. His story was simply that he had a bike accident, had a minor break in his neck and through his determination he can now walk with a cane, and ride a bike albeit very slowly. Oh did I mention that he completed an Olympic distance tri 9 months after the accident where his 10 km time was 3 hours and 14 minutes BUT he finished. Here is a guy that wants so badly to be able to do the sport he loves and here was I with what in the end seemed like minor stomach issues. The answer to the question for me was simple “BECAUSE I CAN! This is what got me through the day and believe me it was the toughest of any of the marathons I have ever done in a Ironman (Oh yea and the slowestJJJ)

Although my race was slower than last year I am more satisfied with this result because it made me DIG VERY DEEP, hurt more than previous and taught me the following:

1)      WHO I really am as a person

2)      WHY I do this sport

3)      What I need to concentrate on for next year

4)      Where I want to be when I race here in 2008

5)      HOW I was able to make lemonade out of some very bitter lemons to be in a better place than I was when I set a PR here in 2006 in a time of 11:45

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family, friends and especially my sponsor TIMEX for all your support this past year. I could not have done it without you.

It is now time to play a little hockey (Off Season Training For Canadians eh!!!) and then focus on next year with my lemonade in hand. See you in 2008. I am excited.

Bruce “The IronCanuck” Bauman

www.ironcanuck.com

Well, I’d like to avoid the “blah blah blah”, but you may want some facts.

Like “where did you go between mile 11 and 12 on the run when you went from 8th to somewhere else?” and “Who were you carrying out of the restaurant after the race?”

It is what it is.  Kona provided new challenges.  My biggest take away:  Mental Toughness carried the day.

What I did and how it went:

+ Arrived the Wednesday before the race. This was helpful - not too far in advance so I’m worn out, but enough to check it all out.

+ Spoke with teammates as well as fellow Austinites.  Very energizing.

+ Bike setup.  Doug is my #1 buddy before the race.  He was very patient as we went through a few wheels.

+ Biked part of the course.  I like to get a preview of what I would see if I looked around.

+ Adjusted my body to the time with 4am as my “wake up time” and 7pm as “bedtime”.  That worked well so that on race day, 4am didn’t feel like the middle of the night.

+ Underpants run.  I admire that much confidence and chose to watch.  April looked beautiful.

+ Last minute bike seat adjustment.  It was a good idea, but I should have had Doug look it over (I didn’t tighted it right, so my saddle took a slow-motion nose dive as I rode.)  No excuses, though. 

+ Movie/book selections.  I read several good books and watched my (currently) favorite movie.  I’ll write it up soon- it’s called Peaceful Warrior.

+ Swam in the ocean before the race.  Usually a good idea to make friends with the water and know where you are going.  Just takes the anxiety edge off if you know the race-day process.  I noticed that I looked up way too much during the swim, causing some chafing on my head.  I don’t know why I was concerned, there was a mob of people around the whole time.  Funny.

+ Passion.  I am taking accountability of the semi-sucky bike time (I recall, as my daughter said to her friend, “Well, we’re going to Hawaii.  See, my mom can ride her bike pretty well and now she is racing there.  I’m going with her.”  So, I have some expectations on the bike since I usually vie for a top split among all women, and I was out of that range, but I’m letting go.  If I read myself my former post on lessons, it may help.  Frankly, I found myself getting out of the moment and thinking about “what’s next”.  I caught myself and returned to the process of cycling.  I did like the course - it had variety I didn’t expect.

+ Caffeine.  I could write a lot on this topic, but I’ll be succinct.  I was an addict.  I gave it up.  I found it again, but just for races.  Then it crept back in.  I gave it up 2 weeks prior to the race, so it was ready on race day.  I don’t like coffee.  I drink Monster.  Not that it is at all targeted to me, but it tastes good.  I like the blue one.

+ Timex.  I wore my bodylink for the race.  I was in the right zone until the final part of the bike (may be correlated to when barfing began - wouldn’t that be a neat feature… nevermind). 

+ Food.  I could write a lot on this topic, but, again, I’ll be succinct.  Hawaii has different rules on what you can bring in, and the King Kam didn’t provide me an in-room kitchen.  Without Whole Foods, I was a bit lost.  I went with plan B, but still did low-fiber the 5 days prior to the race.  No lower GI distress, so that was a good move. 

+ Nutrition.  Adjustments were necessary.  I planned 230 cals/hour given my kgs, but on the bike I started losing (sorry, barfing actually, but I don’t want to get too graphic) some of the calories periodically in small increments, so I tried to put in extra.  When I began running, I ate more and felt pretty good.  But then, at mile 10, I felt like I was bonking, so I quickly put in calories, only to have them come out fiercely between mile 11 and 12, where I spent considerable time.

+ Hanging out at the aid station.  The people were very nice.  I watched them for a bit.  I put positive thoughts out there by cheering for those top finishers coming through the “other side” of the station (I was on the Queen K).  I controlled what I could and decided that I would not be walking the rest of the way.  I began moving again.  At each station, I tried some calories, but none of them stayed in.  Rejected.  Fooey.  I was having trouble seeing in color, so I knew I was bonking.  I talked to the camera guy. 

+ Michael (my husband) reflected, “If you learn to eat, well…” and then we laughed.  More experiments coming.

+ Finish.  That was sweet.  Although it wasn’t a result I’d anticipated, it was what it was, and I was joyful to have the experience.  It also felt really good to see fabulous performances by some great people - Alex, April, Rachel, Tim all in the awards.

+ Beer.  My Austinite friends insisted I have a beer on this journey.  I did.  Michael Lovato even bought it for me.

+ Ceremony.  I would have liked to have seen the awards ceremony.  Alas, it didn’t work.  Autumn got strep the day before she and Michael travelled, and we had to get back to Waikaloa to get her medicine and some sleep.

+ Hawaii.  We stayed on the big island for the rest of the week, enjoying the dolphins, swimming, beach time, and horseback riding.  A great time with family.

+ Refueling.  Post-race the food was ok.  Autumn was “starving”, so we hopped into a nearby restaurant but she fell asleep eating and I carried her out.  I’m not sure how this was possible.  However, on my birthday– I turned 38 last Sunday — we went to Whole Foods for my favorite treats.  I had banana chips dipped in almond butter and some rice sticks (like sesame sticks).  Yes, my favorite “Junk” is salt+fat.

Result:  First IM Hawaii World Championship accomplished. 

I came out of the swim pretty far back, rode into 8th or so, and then had some ‘keeping calories in’ challenges.  I warded off the “dnf” spirits as well as the “just walk the rest of the way” spirits.  That probably took 30 to 45 minutes in a 2-mile section.  I got to cheer for Tamara, Rachel, April, Tim, Vicktor, and Alex on that stretch, so I appreciated the diversion.

Next stop:  No running or cycling until November 5.  I guess I’ll swim!  I could golf, hike, or play tennis, but we’ll see.

 Cheers to those racing 70.3 Champ or IM Florida.  :)

I really enjoy riding my singlespeed, and this year decided my season objective would be to tackle another epic endurance mtb race, the Park City Endurance 100 (PCE100). Last year I raced another 100 miler, the Cascade Cream Puff. It was hard, but I had a great time. I’d read online that the PCE100 was harder, but didn’t think twice about it.

I drove from Truckee with my friends Matt & Rich, and met our friends Dave and Jen Noble, their two daughters and Jen’s parents, who generously hosted us all at their house in Park City for the weekend. Park City reminds me of Northstar in Truckee, a large sprawling ski area on gentle, family-friendly hills.

The race was REALLY hard. Unlike the Cream Puff, the climbs were all technical singletrack, much of it difficult on a singlespeed. The trails were super fun, all rideable, flowing, in and out of the trees. It was also fun to see and race with our friend Erika formerly from Truckee who was there with her husband Pete. With the exception of Dave, none of us finished. Here are their stories:

• Rich: brought his bazooka to a knife fight: racing slick tires and a 34X18 gear on his Sycip singlespeed. He opted out at 50 miles, changed his registration, becoming the 1-speed winner of that distance (wish I’d thought of that).
• Matt: had the longest list of problems I’ve heard of in a race: 4 miles in on a climb he was in the middle of a line of riders when the guy in front of him crashed, Matt ran into him, then was run into from behind. His saddle popped off the rails and his derailleur hanger was bent. Creatively, he used one of his arm warmers to tie his saddle on and made it to the first aid station where someone loaned him a saddle, but not before fixing a flat on the way. Since he was so far behind, but looks so pro, a volunteer thought he was a lap ahead and directed him the wrong way. I knew something had gone wrong when I caught up with him from behind even though I had just heard he was an hour behind me. After all that, he ran into my bad attitude, and that was it for him.
• Dave: Rode strong, stuck to his nutrition/hydration plan of an Ensure and fresh camelback at each aid station. Rode strong and steady the whole time and finished 11th overall with a time around 12 hours.
• Erika: Only had to finish to shore up her win in the National Endurance Series. She was in 2nd place after getting lost twice and decided she’d had enough and called it quits.
• Most of the other racers: All of us feel a little better since only 23 out of 60 or so racers finished.

As for me? I headed out with the leaders, then got a flat at 20 miles and was passed by ~10 riders while I fixed it (and almost lost my wheel down a VERY steep hill when I dropped it while trying to put it back on the bike). I had bars, gels, blocks, Gatorade nutrition shakes, and Starbucks doubleshots in my cooler and every lap tried to throw down whatever I could stomach and take whatever I could fit in my pockets- usually a coffee, 2-3 gels and 2 bottles (or camelback). After 60 miles I was in 5th place overall, and ahead of the next singlespeed by 2 hours. However, I was over it. I was out of energy and not having fun. As soon as I started “praying for a mechanical” so I had a legitimate reason to quit, I decided I was done. When I caught Matt, he and I decided to pack it in, so we took a long break on the side of the trail before turning around and heading down.

This is the first race I’ve ever not finished, which is definitely a bummer. I wasn’t ready for it- 100 miles on a mtb takes a lot of training, and I should have known I was in trouble when I didn’t finish my 60 mile training ride. I’m not sure if I’ll go back, but anything’s possible….

Special thanks:

• Dave and Jen Noble for arranging accommodations
• Jen’s parents Dick and Judy Valliere for providing unbelievably fantastic accommodations and a BBQ to boot!
• Gary Leuders for showing us the trails the day before the race (where Rich and I saw a moose) and for helping us in transition
• Erika’s husband Pete for helping us in transition