Don't Be Anxious for Success

Everyone wants to be successful at something, be it a career, an athletic endeavor or simply being a good husband, wife, parent or friend. And rightfully so; aiming for something in our lives gives us a sense of purpose and drive; a reason to get up each morning, and hopefully a sense of fulfillment. But I think that it is important for us to not 'expect' immediate success. I do not claim to be an expert on this topic, but I simply wanted to voice some thoughts from experience in of course the realm of sport.
They way I see it, sport is a journey, and hopefully a lifestyle for many of us. You may be working towards your first 5K, or perhaps you are doing your first triathlon this summer. Maybe you are going to start yoga classes soon, which you have never formally done before. It is completely different for each one of us; but ultimately we all (likely) want to 'become better than we currently are'. I am often asked by various people getting into the sport of triathlon about my background; and most are shocked when they hear that I am currently training for my first Ironman. My journey with this sport started back in 2000, when I began racing local event back in Champaign, Illinois. Those first two seasons were so much FUN! My motto was "this is not going to be serious" (so much for that one). But in all reality, it was not serious. It was truly fun; I met a new group of friends; we rode together, I learned of this strange 'town sign sprint' thing on the bike... I crashed, many times...I got injured...and I realized that I liked this 'lifestyle'. The next step was that I realized I had some 'talent' at triathlon and headed to Colorado Springs to step it up a notch... honestly, it was a double whammy that I got to go to the Olympic Training Center; all I really wanted to do was move the hell out of the midwest. What a great excuse!

2002 through 2005: I raced ITU events internationally, I had some big success' and some big injuries, I met my now husband (thank buddha for stress fractures, or I would have been off at some race instead of at the Mt. Evans hill climb where I met him!). I realized I did not like this 'draft legal' stuff so much, so I started doing half ironmans. I royally SUCKED on the bike, but everyone told me 'time in the saddle will fix that!' so I optimistically believed them.

2006: We moved to Austin, Texas for Derick to go to grad school; I was still racing and of course working to pay the bills as well (since racing was not accomplishing this goal). I continued to creep up in my results. Slowly, my running got stronger and my cycling got less-weak. Fast forward to current day, 2010, where after 10 YEARS of this stuff I have finally seen some consistent, solid results. I guess they all were right... time in the saddles DOES work, but noone told me that it would take 10 years of it?!
Point being...slow and steady is the way to go, people. You know the turtle and the hare story? In sum...

The story concerns a hare who ridicules a slow-moving tortoise.
In response, the tortoise challenges his swift mocker to a race. The hare soon leaves the tortoise far behind and, confident of winning, he decides to take a nap midway through the course.
When he awakes, however, he finds that his competitor, crawling slowly but steadily,
has already won the race.

Don't be anxious to be successful. This is not to say that if you experience quick success, you will then come crashing down. I am not saying that; I am simply saying to be patient, and if you enjoy the path that you are on, good things will come. In the world of sport, there are no quick recipes for success. And if you think you have found one, I hate to tell you but it will probably come back to bite you in the ass at some point. There will be ups and there will be downs; such is life. Often times, the biggest 'downs' have turned out to be the biggest 'ups' in my journey because it forced me to step back and realize that there is more to life than triathlon. They forced me to enhance other parts of my life, because when you are pushed out of the race scene by no choice of your own for 2 or unexpectedly 10 months, what other choice do you have? It then becomes about perspective and how you choose to REACT to the cards you are dealt.

I could go on and on, but the simple message here is to be patient. Put in hard work. Be smart, listen to your body. Allow yourself good days and bad days. Savor the success' and roll with the punches when the results are not what you had hoped for. But most of all, be sure to always be able to step outside of yourself every so often and be sure that the path you are on is fulfilling to YOU. Everyone has a lot to deal with in their own lives; if you worry about what others think if they see a lackluster result, get over it...as my swim coach in college told me when I whined about a bad swim, "Kelly, there are thousands of people over in China right now who don't give a damn about swimming." He also told me when nerves got the best of me, "Bug, (my nickname; I looked like a bug when I swam), you are going to go and race, and no matter what, we are going to put you back on that bus and take you back to Champaign." So there you have it. Do your best, be honest with yourself, enjoy the journey and most of all, don't ever take yourself too seriously. There's always tomorrow.

Rev 3 Tri Knoxville - Enough with the sprint finishes...

So...it's official, I need to work on my sprints. Yep; that is me, above, in 3rd. Not 2nd. Maybe I'll take to the track after this race write up and bang out something like 10x200's. I blame it on my swimming background. I happened to qualify for State Meet when I was young in about every event EXCEPT the 50-free. It's not my fault, it's in my genes! Nonetheless, despite the 2-second differential between myself and 2nd place (me being on the 'losing' end), I am extremely pleased with the 3rd place at Rev 3 Tri Knoxville from the weekend.
I went into this event excited that it would be over with in 2+ hours, and also very relaxed as my focus is on Ironman Coeur d'Alene in June. I love to race, so I was ready to see what my body would give me for a short 2-hour event, but I was also realistic in that my training has been focused around something much longer. I flew into Birmingham, Alabama on Friday, where my good friend Laura picked me up and we headed 4 hours north towards Knoxville. However we made a quick detour to the Quintana Roo headquarters Chattanooga, TN where I was able to meet much of the awesome crew there, including Brad DeVaney, the man behind the magic (designer of the new CD0.1). Not only have they created an amazing bike, but the people behind the scenes are just good people. It was very cool to see where the bike started, how it evolved and became what it is now; which is a kickass machine!Saturday found myself abnormally tired, waking up late and only getting in a 30 minute ride that morning; I just nixed my typical 15 minute run. Sometimes you just have to listen to your body and go with what it is telling you. I spent the day getting my bike dialed in with Tres from QR, doing a brief interview with Mike at BeginnerTriathlete.com (expect to see a review of the CD0.1 on their site soon), pro meeting and enjoying dinner with Laura and Derick's parents who drove in from South Carolina. With family and friend support for Sunday's race, the pressure was on to give them all a good show. "Check" on that one!
As you have likely heard from others, Sunday morning was COLD; especially coming from Austin where the previous week had greeted us with many 95-degree days. It was probably in the upper 40's or low 50's, but a beautiful morning. With a 7:50 AM start, I was not complaining; it was cool but the sun was shining. We had a non-wetsuit swim, which you'll rarely find me complaining about, and it was not so much the 69-degree water but the air which made things tough. We took off promptly at 7:50-something, made our way down the Tennessee River into the sun and then headed back towards the exit. Swim was nice, nothing too exciting, and I found myself exiting with friend and fellow American Dede Griesbauer. I had a pretty entertaining transition, exiting with my shoes in my bike and one shoe popping off; a nice man handed it to me, so I put it in my mouth and ran my bike to the mount line, at which point I put the left shoe on and then hopped onto my bike, fiddling into the shoe which had not come off; and slightly laughing at myself. Let's just not acknowledge that this mishap definitely took an extra 2-seconds...moving onto the bike.This course was beautiful! Winding, hilly, cold, and gorgeous. It was quite challenging to get any water, but I managed to drink almost one bottle and also get down two PowerGels on the 25-mile course. I held my position, and found myself leap-frogging with Dede and also Sam Warriner. I had very numb hands and feet, but I have had this before; you just have to be very careful and cognizant of your handling skills in this situation. I powered up the hills loving every minute of it and hung on for dear life on the fast descents and winding turns. Before I knew it, we were back at transition and I exited the bike in 7th place or so; and only 30+ minutes to make it up!

I fumbled to get my Zoot TT2.0's on, yet I was probably not the only one, as my hands would not work too well. I finally go them on and took off... charging hard to catch some women! It felt GREAT! Amazing the difference in your legs from 25 vs. 56 miles of cycling. I ran myself into 3rd place by about mile 4 (at which point I then realized I did have feet underneath me), which honestly kind of surprised me when I heard "40-seconds from 2nd" from some friends. Yikes! If I could keep this up, I'd be at least top 3 or even 2nd. I kept pushing hard, and finally saw Sam Warriner up there at about mile 5. I could tell I was closing on her, but it was slowly. And I was working HARD! We came through transition with about 1/2 mile to go, and I was able to run even with her. She jostled for position, trying to keep me behind her. This is why I was no good at ITU racing; this irritated me. For most, it would fire them up. I felt strong up a slight hill and was able to pass her without too much added effort, and we were then within about 400 meters of the finish. I SHOULD have put in a big surge here knowing that I lack a final kick, and tried to gap her. However I didn't, and she put that surge in with less than 200 meters to go, gapping me, and I did not have a response. Of course I was a bit frustrated, but I knew that she would be tough at the end. We cruised into the finish, and I was, yes, ... 2-seconds behind her. However, I came to find out that I had put in a 35:26 10K effort, which I believe is the fastest I have ever run for the distance. So, I am not disappointed in the finish, though I will say that it is OFFICIAL: I CANNOT SPRINT! But hey, at least I can make the finish exciting! Fellow ladies, do not fret: if you are in a sprint finish with me, you'll probably win it. :) Of course, I'll try my hardest not to let that happen.

Having come here not expecting too much, I was very pleased with 3rd and I cannot say enough about how awesome this event was. Heather and her crew with Rev 3 Tri had an amazing setup. It was spectator friendly, they scouted out a beautiful and challenging course, and made this so easy on the competitors in terms of logistics. They have done great things with this young series, and I am stoked to see what Quassy holds in store in just 4 short weeks. If you have the chance, check out the Rev 3 Tri series! You will not be disappointed; and if you have friends or family attending, there will be plenty of action for them as well outside of the event. Congrats to all of those out there who raced and thanks to all of the fellow pro women for making it an awesome event. The entire layout from transition to the finish line area made it feel like a little 'community', as I saw may of the same people both Saturday and Sunday; from the guy with the Woodle dog, to fellow professional and friend Jessica Jacobs and her husband and daughter with their pup decked out in a Sport Beans jersey... by far the cutest dog in attendance.

I have opted to not race for a few weeks, which is very hard for me, but to stay put in Austin and focus on preparations for June. The down time will be good, the volume will be big and I hope I survive. But I am excited at the challenge and I am extremely pleased with how the first few season races have gone thus far. Life is good, I feel extremely lucky to be able to do this and I am loving every minute of it. Derick and I decided that after every 'good' race I have, we need to go and have tex-mex and margaritas to celebrate. That said, I must go and get my swim done as the margaritas will taste a bit better after that. Thanks for stopping by and see you out there!

Lonestar 70.3: Waves, Wind & the Podium

When you live in Texas, any race within driving distance (especially a 70.3 event) is a must-do, seeing it takes a minimum of 3 hours to get out of the state itself (8 if you are going west). Lonestar 70.3 in Galveston happened to be the Professional National Championships this year, so I figured despite it being a pancake flat course, it would be a good challenge and of course the the added bonus that Derick (my husband) and I can pack up the car, drive 4 hours south and be back home the evening of the race.
I viewed this event as a big one, one which I wanted to do well at. While I did not go into it on a 'full rest' since Coeur d'Alene is my focus, I did allow myself a few days of recovery to go into this event feeling strong. We drove down on Friday afternoon, settled into our hotel on the 'Seawall' and later that night, about 1:00 AM, were welcomed to Galveston by 75 mph winds and what appeared to me (being from Indiana) to be a hurricane. The next morning things were still quite windy, but I made it out for a quick 30 min spin and a 15 min run, only to later find out that these winds were only weaker than Hurricane Ike's winds by 10 mph; so this was not a 'normal' occurrence for Galveston. Luckily, Sunday was predicted to be sunny and calm. I got my workouts done, threw on my Zoot compression socks, put my legs up and proceeded to lounge around our hotel room watching bad TV until the 3:30 pro meeting. We had a nice early dinner with Richie Cunningham and his girlfriend Melissa and were back to our room by 7:00 or so. I shut the blinds and acted like it was not a beautiful evening outside; just helps my body start to think about sleeping a bit, unwind and get ready for the 4 am wake up call.
Sunday morning was beautiful relative to the previous morning, and we arrived to Moody Gardens with more enough time than necessary on race morning; logistics were great for this event. It was seemless to get into the parking lot and the layout was simple, thanks to the Jack and Adams crew and Keith Jordan and his clan organizing the event. I got the transition set up and meandered over to the swim start, which was off of a pier into Galveston Bay (yes, the one Robert Earl Keen sings of).

We were off right at 7:03 AM, 3 minutes behind the pro men. It was non-wetsuit as the water temperature was 72.8, and it was actually pretty balmy. I usually love non-wetsuit swims, however today turned out to be different. I really struggled out there; this coming right on the heels of having a great swim in California only a month prior. I do not swim well in chop, and this surprisingly was extremely choppy. I knew by the first turn that I had lost the first pack, but I tried to focus on swimming strong nonetheless. Every time I looked up, it seemed I was greeted by a firm slap in the face by an oncoming wave. I was shocked out there! We were in a 'bay', wasn't it supposed to be calm? I thought to myself how tough this swim was going to be for weak swimmers, as I am a strong swimmer and was really struggling out there (hence the wetsuit comment). I carried on, tried not to worry about the fact that the small lead women's pack was slowly fading into the distance and kept plugging away. The 'Swim Finish' banner could not come soon enough for me.
It was out and onto the bike course, literally 28 miles out in one direction, then back. I am on my new Quintana Roo CD0.1 this year, and this thing rocked for me today. We dealt with some pretty strong headwinds and crosswinds on the way out, and I plugged away as hard as I could. I was sitting in 5th out of the swim, passed two women after the turnaround and then was passed by one on the way back in. I found myself repeating the acronym "CMAO" out there... which stood for 'cycling my a*s off'. I have found that if I have any hope of being within the top 3 of a 70.3 event, I cannot afford to come off the bike far back. So, I did all I could to keep myself with the top 5 or 6. I stuck to my regular nutrition plan, one gel flask filled with 4 Raspberry PowerGels, and 3 PowerGels taped to my top tube, all of which I consumed (along with just water for hydration). This has worked out well for me as it prevents any stomach upset mixing gels and energy drink. By the time I hit mile 45, I found myself thinking two things: 1) I am getting bored with this flat-ness and 2) My butt and upper legs *really* hurt right now. Luckily the last 10 miles went by fairly quickly, and it was time to get to the run and see what this tough bike course had left in my legs.
I came into T2, racked the bike, threw on the Zoot Ultra TT2.0's, grabbed my gel flask, Jack & Adams visor and was OFF. I was sitting in 5th place and from what I was being told, about 5 minutes out of first. That would come out to 1+ minutes per lap (a 4 loop run course) that I would have to put on the winner. It would be tough but I sure as hell would try.
I do not get my splits as I like to mostly race by feel, but I glanced down at my watch and noticed I was clipping off a few 5:45 to 5:50 miles right off the bat. I was pretty surprised, knowing how much I had left on the bike, but I tried to just relax and settle into a rhythm. It was so awesome being here in Galveston, because I was hearing so many people cheering for me and yelling my name! I guess that I know more people in Austin and Houston that I realized! It really got me fired up and I cannot tell ya'll how much it helped. I slowly put time on the leaders, moving from 5th to 4th to 3rd, which was where I would settle. Unfortunately, I ran out of real estate, as I crossed the line only 36 seconds out of 2nd place, however I later found out that I had run a 1:18.18, which for me was a phenomenal run time and nothing to be upset about. I celebrated a bit going into the finishing chute, knowing that I had laid it ALL out there and when you do that, there is absolutely nothing to be unhappy about. I pushed my body to its limits, as I feel I always do when I compete. I was 3rd overall in a tough field, and I have to commend all of the other women in the race today as they all raced strong and made me work hard for the finish.
I have to give a HUGE THANKS to my sponsors. PowerBar nutrition and gels have become a staple for my races and training, and I know that when I stick with PowerGels in a race, I will make it from start to finish feeling strong and my stomach feeling happy. Quintana Roo, a new sponsor for 2010 has been amazing; not only do I love the CD0.1 for it's comfort and my ability to produce good power on it, but QR has great people working there and they have been nothing but supportive. I feel like this bike was made for me! I have been with Zoot Sports for a few years now, and their clothing and racing shoes are second to none; the shoes always keep my feet happy both during the race and after. Additionally, Jack and Adams, Xcis Software, Advanced Rehabilitation, 3 Cosas Massage, Hill Country Running and Go with the Flo Accupuncture have all been nothing but supportive and I thank you all for that. Finally Chris McCrary at Katalyst Multisport, thank you for believing in me. And of course my parents and my husband Derick, words cannot describe how much your endless support means to me.

To wrap it up...I never really race for 3rd, I am always racing for 1st. Sure, I may or may not get it but that is always the goal; why shouldn't it be? Just as my blog title says, I live by the motto 'Aim High'. That said, when you know that you get up and give something all you've got, there is no reason to hang your head down. Don't ever be afraid to try something; whether you do or do not achieve it, I guarantee that you'll come out better, stronger and knowing a lot more about yourself after the fact than had you of never tried. It's not easy, but it's not supposed to be easy. That's the beauty of these things; they make make you see what you're truly capable of, whether you realize it or not. Thanks for reading, and see you out on the race course, I hope!

St. Louis Half: Second by a second...

Pre-race day run
Mississippi River and carriage ride; very popular in St. Louis!
The trees were in amazing bloom; this is taken at dinner Saturday night, looking up from our table

And of course, I had to have a beer sampler at Morgan Street Brewery :)

It was quite a bit closer than last September in Augusta, but again, I was out-kicked this weekend in the "Go! St. Louis Half Marathon". As painful as the 1-second differential is (as was evidenced by my choice of words at the finish line, said to myself of course) I really have absolutely nothing to be disappointed about from the weekends event.
This is a race which I have done the past two years, and both times I have been lucky to come out on top; in 2008, I won with a 1:20 and in 2009, I (somehow!) won with a mediocre 1:23. I was not going to do this as my original plan was New Orleans 70.3 on April 18th then Lonestar on April 25th, but I figured the one weekend 'off' would be good for me and I just really love this event. I think it is my mid-western roots that keep pulling me back, combined with the fact that I can coerce my parents into driving down from southern Indiana to hang out with me for the weekend; is always a double whammy when you can wrap a visit with family or friends into a race trip.

I flew in on Saturday morning, met my dad at the airport (as my mom was in Florida) and we got all the little things done upon arrival: packet pickup at Chaifetz Arena, a short 20 min 'shake the legs out' run, lunch at Subway and then relaxing at the hotel by about 2:00. St. Louis is a pretty cool town, as it has a nice infrastructure - many old buildings and nice wide roads yet despite being an older town, you can tell that they have done a lot to keep it current and worked to keep the city in good shape. My dad is typically extremely antsy the day before a race with me, as he cannot possibly sit in a hotel room on a beautiful Saturday afternoon (which is all I can and should do!) but he was quite content relaxing as he had stubbed his toe on an uneven sidewalk that day and was walking with a bit of a limp. He, of course, is where I get my lack of coordination. Luckily, his foot was alright for spectating on Sunday. We had a nice dinner at Morgan Street Brewery, splitting a BBQ chicken pizza and a little beer sampler. While I wanted to race well, I was really taking this race in a relaxed mode, knowing that I have a bigger event in a couple of weeks. I love to race, but I hate the nerves, so this was a nice weekend of getting to race without putting too much pressure on myself.

Sunday was a bright and early 7 am start to weather that could not be better: sunny and low 50's. I warmed up in my cushy Zoot Kapilani's (they feel like slippers! very fast slippers) and I have to admit, my quads felt heavy and I felt kind of sluggish! Ah, no big deal as that is fairly common before a race. I glanced around me at the start line and thought "Hmm... some of these ladies look like very fast runners..." and hoped I was not going to get it handed to me too badly today. I realized that with $1000 for first place this event could very well pull out some speedy runners. I tried to push that thought out of my mind and focus on my race.
We were off right at 7:00, and I have to say, two other women were 'off' MUCH faster than I! I came through Mile 1 in a 5:40, which was a bit too fast for my taste, but they were already out of sight! What?! I again tried to push those thoughts like "this could be a very long and frustrating day" out of my head. We trotted towards the Arch, then to and through the Anheuser-Busch building. The smell of hops is not quite as enticing at 7 am. I felt very controlled, but of course a little annoyed to be sitting in a distant third place at Mile 6. The spectators were awesome, but every time I heard "third woman!" I thought "that's not a good thing, people!" :) I was right under 6-min pace, and I decided about halfway through that the goal today was a personal best time (1:18.30 was the current). I could not control who had shown up, and for all I knew, maybe these chicks were going after the record of 1:14. I took my green apple PowerGel at mile 9, and kept on trucking, feeling very strong on the uphills and cruising the descents. As I approached mile 10, I saw the clock at 59:45. Upon quick calculation, I figured that to be a 1:17.45, I needed an 18 min flat last 5k. That would be tough, but I was up for the challenge. If I was the defending champion and I was going to be 3rd today, I might as well PR!I began to drop the hammer on myself at mile 10. At Mile 11, I unexpectedly caught the 2nd place woman. I then realized that first place was just up the road, not 50 meters up. What? How could this be? I decided maybe I would repeat as champion and PR to make it a stellar day! I pushed hard to catch her, as I knew time was running out. Right at Mile 12, I caught her. OK people, help me out here.

My thinking was that if I passed her just a bit, and took the lead, it would mentally wear her down a bit. Hear me out: If you are winning for 12 miles, and someone passes you with 1 mile to go, wouldn't it make it hard?! Or so I thought. I held the lead just barely until about 400 meters to go and decided I needed to finalize this. So, I dropped what little hammer I had left, gapped her by maybe 20 meters and thought "Sweet!" Yeah, not so fast Kelly. I ever so slightly relaxed, and suddenly she had one more burst about 10 meters from the finish (insert choice words on my part). I was done. My legs would simply not go any harder, so unfortunately, I had to settle for 2nd... her 1:17.23 to my 1:17.24. That stings. Live and learn.
I gave myself about 5 minutes to be angry, at which point I realized that this was an absolutely stellar race and had she not of been there, and had she not of taken off from the gun giving me the unseen carrot to catch, then I would not have walked away with a 1+ minute best time today. It sucks to be second, especially by a second (which will not happen again!) but in the bigger picture, it was easily my best running race of my life. I had a great weekend with my dad (who drove 8 hours to get a good show, thank goodness!), I got to return to a city and a race that I thoroughly enjoy and I pushed myself to a limit which I have not found in the past. The entire race felt strong, and I know without a doubt that I left it all on the course. Tactically? Well, I still do not have that whole sprint finish thing down quite yet, but I am learning it whether I like it or not.
My dad and I went back to the hotel, got some lunch and meandered back to get the car for him to take me to the airport. As the race was still fresh in my mind and I was still kicking myself a little bit for the lack of finish line tactics, I looked around me at the incredible day around me, the many marathoners and half-marathoners and their proud families and friends and realized that the finish time, the PR, or the place really is just the icing on the cake. We do our best to prepare adequately, and control what we can control, but once the gun goes off, all that is left to do is race to the best of our abilities. This race was a true lesson in 'running your OWN race'. I did not panic when those girls took off. Though I did get a bit angry, I knew I had to race within myself and if I was not going to win, I would at least go for a best time. So despite being so close to making up a lot of time and almost coming out on top, I honestly have nothing to be upset about and a lot to be thankful for. Next up is Lonestar 70.3 in two weeks, which will also be our first trip to Galveston. Thanks for stopping by!

California 70.3 - 2010 Season Kickoff

I decided to head out to California for a race which I had only done once, back in 2007, California 70.3 (yes, formerly "Ralphs Half Ironman"). Derick luckily made the trip with me, as we were fortunate to have a place to stay in La Jolla with some friends. I felt strong going into this race, yet a bit nervous as it really was a 'dust off the cobwebs' approach having not raced since last November. While the finish was a bit bittersweet, I am overall extremely pleased with the race and how I executed it from start to finish.

We got in on Thursday, as the race was on Saturday so we had a day to unwind (though it never seems you fully have downtime before a big race!). I took Thursday off of training which I frequently do, and did my short 20-30 min spin and 10-15 min run on Friday AM. I have to say, I felt pretty sluggish and heavy-legged on Friday. I completely brushed it off, as I have learned that you can feel spectacular or you can feel horrible the day before a race and it rarely equates directly to how you will perform. I then went to the Nytro shop in Encinitas to meet up with Cary and Chris Brown of Quintana Roo, as they had a tent there to 'showcase' so to speak the new CD0.1. It was great to meet them, a few other QR athletes and of course get my ride tuned up a bit for Saturday. It was also pretty cool that there was a Zoot tent next to them, which allowed me to meet Dave who works with Zoot out in CA and chat with him a bit as well about the fancy new kicks they have around the corner for 2011.
Friday seemed pretty busy as we then went to the expo up in Oceanside (where Jake from Zoot surprised me with a big box of goodies! even some kickass gloves with a hula girl and pineapples on them), did the pro race meeting at 4:00 and the grabbed some dinner on the way back to La Jolla (about a 20 min drive). I like to keep myself relaxed the night before the race, so I indulged a bit in a little cerveza... as you can see, Derick's was the big mug, mine the little. :)Saturday was a crazy early wake up call, 3:25! But wait, there's more! I actually woke up at 1:25 AM and jumped out of bed, threw on my hoodie and started to head downstairs for bagel and coffee when Derick said, "What are you doing, it's 1:30?" My fancy Blackberry Curve did not want to change from Texas time, so a 3:25 alarm was actually 1:25 CA time. Luckily I was able to fall fast asleep again for 2 hours. You probably think that is ridiculously early, but I like to give myself about 3 hours prior to the race start to eat, drink coffee, and really wake up. With a 6:43 start time, this led to a 3:30 wake up call. Painful, but it is nice to get up and get it going. I got to the race site with plenty of time to spare, set up (taking all of about 6 minutes), did about an 8 min jog simply to shake some nerves and warm up and then decided to suit up about 30 min prior to start hoping the Zoot wetsuit would help keep me warm. When we waded into the 59-degree water, I kid you not... it felt warm. Either they were low on the temperature, or the air was so chilly it made the water seem warm by comparison (I vote for the latter). We were off right at 6:43!
I felt awesome from the start of the swim. No mental struggles with the suit (I sometimes feel that 'suffocating' feeling especially starting the season), but I attribute this to having practiced twice in the Pure Austin Quarry, which was all of maybe 58-F. I also attribute feeling strong, confident and relaxed in the swim to the past 2 months training with Texas Longhorn Aquatics. It took me 3 years to buy into it (literally, I did not want to pay for it) but I feel it has been completely worth it, thanks to Whitney and the many lanemates!
I fell into a nice rhythm and exited the swim within a minute or so of the leaders, Leanda Cave and Pip Taylor. I had a mediocre transition and was off on the bike. This course is challenging and beautiful. I actually would compare it to (at least this year) some of the views I saw at Ironman Canada. Gorgeous, expansive hillsides and some nice long challenging climbs. I felt strong out there, but did get passed by a few women which did not surprise me; though it did motivate me a bit. Even though they passed me, even if I lost sight of them, I tried to realize that I could still lessen the gap. I pushed the hills very hard, recovered quickly and also pushed the flats. My 6 PowerGels went by quickly and I found myself grabbing a 7th one from an aid station (paired with simply water). I exited the bike in about 2:39, which was a 16 min improvement upon my 2007 bike split... WOW! Might I add, upon downloading my power file, I was 20W higher than I had ever been... thanks to training of course but also to my QR CD0.1! This thing rode like a dream.
I was excited but I knew I had my work seriously cut out for me, as I could not see many (any?!) women ahead of me going onto the run. As with the bike, the run course here is beautiful. You head out along the water for a few miles, then run into some neighborhoods, thus it is very spectator friendly and the crowds were fantastic. It is 2 loops, so you are only ever about 3 miles away from transition. I was able to move from 9th off the bike into 7th after lap 1, but I could tell that the women ahead of me were running strong. I kept on top of my nutrition, sipping on the gel flask I had (with 4 green apple PowerGels) and tried to keep pushing into lap 2. I was able to pass one more woman at about mile 9, and I could SEE 5th place for the last mile! PAINFUL! I pushed as hard as I could muster, but I fell about 20 seconds shy of 5th (and 39 sec shy of 4th)! However, when all was said and done, I had executed just about the perfect race for me... 3rd out of the swim, a huge PR bike split and a 1:21 on the run, good for 6th overall among an extremely strong field.

It was a bit frustrating to see the times and realize how close I was to top 4, however I see things in the big picture and this was a great start to the 2010 season. I felt strong, controlled and most of all I truly enjoyed racing. I think that is the most exciting part about it all is that, somehow after competing virtually my entire life (I think I started swim races at age 4?!) I still love to compete! I love stepping up to the line, looking around me and realizing that any one of us, on any day, could come out on top. The nerves get to me as they do to all of us, but ultimately it is so exciting to know that we are in control of what happens out there. The days like I had on Saturday are sometimes few and far between, when it all just feels good, and it feels 'on'. That said, the outcome was not quite as good as I had hoped (I always try to win, no matter who is there!) so I guess therein lies the drive to get back at it again in a few weeks.
I have to give a big shout out and THANKS to a few people who have helped me out over the past few months: Chris McCrary at Katalyst Multisport for believing in me, the entire gang at Zoot Sports, Quintana Roo for the awesome ride, PowerBar for fueling me with my favorite gels and bars, Xcis Software in Houston for the support, the endless help from all the Austin gang at Jack and Adams, Karen for her excellent needling abilities (acupuncture), AJ and Advanced Rehab, Jamie and Andrea at Hill Country Running and Cecilia of 3 Cosas for the massage work. And of course my family, and my husband Derick for not getting too frustrated at the constant 6:00 AM alarms (who am I kidding, he does not even hear them...!)

Here's to a great 2010, thanks so much for stopping by!

Do What Scares You - Part Two

What else scares me? Swimming in a full wetsuit. Added to that is swimming in a full wetsuit in very cold water (cold being under 60-degrees). Added to this can be swimming in a wetsuit in water which is too warm (too warm for a wetsuit to me is anything over about 72-74 degrees). Picky, aren't I?!

How can swimming in a full wetsuit be scary, you ask? Well, I guess it is the swimmer in me but I feel most at ease and relaxed when it is just me, my stroke and the water. I like to 'feel' the water. A sleeveless suit is not so bad, since my arms are free to do their thing naturally, but then you put on a full suit and it feels like your entire body is stuck in this thick mass. Now I will point out, I am using the Zoot Zenith full suit and if there is any that feels good it is this one. The sleeves are significantly thinner than the suit, and the various panels on the suit make it feel very smooth in the water. But to me, it is still not 'natural' to have a wetsuit on so I have to prepare for these swims. I tend to feel very clausterphobic after putting on a wetsuit, and so I have to get over this 'suffocated' feeling. The suits fit me just fine, but it is more a mental challenge than anything.
So, to prepare for the first (likely full) wetsuit swim in two weeks (California 70.3 in Oceanside), I have officially been IN the Zenith twice this week. The first time was kind of a cheater way to do it, but if you are without an open water training option, a good thing to do. I simply took it to the UT Masters Swim workout and I used it for the 1000 yd warmup, then I took it off (and when I did so, hot water came flooding out of the suit! the water temp was probably just under 80F). But, it at least got me in it and reminded me of how it felt to swim in it. Another advantage to practicing in the suit a few times before a race is that you will fatigue differently... not significantly MORE, just differently, than swimming without it. You may notice a bit more fatigue in your shoulders, since you swim stroke will be slightly altered. Today was the biggie though, I am embarassed to say, I have rarely ever practiced for a cold water race by training in my wetsuit prior. Stupid, I know, but at least I am being honest with you. :) Today I took to the Pure Austin Quarry, which is probably one of the most amazing open water swim venues you could find. This is a quarry that has buoys around it marking off approximately a 750-meter loop. Right now, the water is a chilling 59-F. But it was a beautiful day, sun was shining and despite the brisk air temp of the low 60's, I sucked it up and ventured on down there. I think that from the time I put on the suit to the time my entire body hit the water was at least 15 minutes; you know, mental preparation... But once I got in, it actually felt pretty good. My goal was to swim at least 3000 meters in this, and I was such the over-achiever that I did just about 4000. Despite the numb feet and hands, I did warm up about 45 minutes later, and the reward for the swim was a 20 min bask in the sun on the deck, with noone around, in complete solitude. It was actually an invigorating little swim!

Moral of the story... Do What Scares You! I know that I will be a bit intimidated the day before California 70.3 and well, I don't even want to think yet about Ironman Coeur d'Alene in June, but the only way to tackle the fear and have any hope of getting over it is to get out there and do it. Make the best with the situation you have, we are so lucky to have this facility in Austin but if you do not have it, throw on the suit and swim in it a few times; even if you only do the warmup. It is often times the mental edge you will need on race day, simply knowing that you have faced the fear a few times prior to your day of competition. And it is empowering to do these things, especially on your own,
Happy Swimming!

Do What Scares You

I was talking to a friend the other day, who happens to be a fellow professional triathlete. We were talking about training (I know, boring, but we frequently talk about nothing to do with training) and she mentioned that 'swimming scares her'. Now, she did not mean getting into the pool and swimming back and forth scared her, but rather, the idea of the race, and the distance of the race day swim scares her. Likewise, I said back, "Long rides scare me." And I mean this 100%, though it is a bit embarrassing to admit. I am sometimes scared to go out on a long out and back ride, really any more than say 80 miles total, because that is 40 miles OUT in one direction and while I know I am likely good for the duration, the 'getting back' seems a bit daunting to me. What if I bonk and cannot get all the way home? I mean we all know that usually when we bonk, more food is what we need. However, have you ever had those days where more food did not equate to more energy? I know I have, when I am truly just worn out, and every pedal stroke just seems harder and harder.

The last week I have put in 2 pretty long rides (75 or so miles) which I have done solo, on a simple out and back route. While I enjoy the company of others, I also thoroughly enjoy tackling these rides on my own, just me, the open road, and some music in my ear to keep me company. Doing them solo allows me to push the intensity if I am feeling strong, yet dial it back if I am not feeling so great on the day. I can feel good about it without comparing myself to others. It also forces me to hold myself accountable for the workout. It is a little bit easier to have that company next to you, knowing that all you have to do is keep each other going. It is a bit harder when you have your own head and your own thoughts with you for 4+ hours on the bike. If you are feeling strong, it is great. If you are feeling tired, it can be tough mentally to keep going, and to put in the duration that you know you need to for the day.

What scares you? I know some people I have coached are scared to bike up hills for fear of falling over. It is a totally valid fear! When you are clipped into the pedals, and it gets steep, it can be a scary feeling to actually stand up on the pedals and maneuver the bike. I know many who are simply scared to push themselves to the limit; scared of 'blowing up'. I guess for me this has always come rather easy, in the avenue of athletics... I am enjoy pushing so hard that I may blow up in a workout or in a race, because I know that the reward can be so great if you don't blow up, and if you do have to stop (as we all have), then you realize where the limit is; and you may even go somewhere you have never gone before. That is exciting. That being said, I do lack confidence in pushing my limits in other areas (mountain biking being one, even skiing...I have a protective mechanism that kicks in and I like to play it safe).

I guess the underlying message here is, don't be afraid to do what scares you. It does not have to be every day, but think about those things you want to do, or things you want to try, but you realize you don't because you are just too scared. It is normal to be scared, but that is what makes life interesting, going after things sometimes knowing you may or may not get them. Risk = reward. You cannot have much reward if you are never willing to take a risk. I know that if I ever want to be successful at the longer distance racing, I have got to get over my fear of long rides. Last summer, I did a handful (as in, I can count on one hand) of 90-100 mile rides solo. While it was daunting leaving the house that day, knowing that I had 5-6 hours ahead of me on my bike, alone, on unknown roads and quite a ways from home, finishing the rides and the satisfaction I took from having done them solo was so rewarding. It boosted my confidence in my cycling, the weakest of the three disciplines for me. So, without sounding cliche or preachy... get out there and do what scares you! I guarantee the reward will be worth it; whether you come out successful or not, you will be stronger for having tried.