What’s your pace song?

I like faster beats.  I feel like I slow and speed up to the pace of the beat of the song so no Marvin Gaye, “Let’s Get it On” for my training…not that I’d admit at least! 

Don’t know what song matches your pace?  Go to http://jog.fm/  You may just “run” across a new favorite workout tune! 

7:36 pace = “Sexy and I Know It”

6:36 pace = “Imma Be”

92 rpm = “Gold Digger”

100 rpm = “Hips Don’t Lie”

What’s YOUR favorite run or bike song?

Ironman FEVER! Just kidding...only advice...

Is it sick that I can’t wait to do another Ironman race?  Since I started doing long distance I've been asked to share my tips – especially for the long distance races and now that I am taking a weekend break from my PhD I have some time to pull some tidbits together.  However, I have A LOT of tips, so I thought I’d share them in a printable form unless you really want to listen to me ramble on…  Here's what my plan was:

-I think I ate about 300-500 calories before I left the house.
-No warmup necessary unless you just want to do a little swim before if the weather is nice.
-I don't use cooking spray on my wetsuit because it just seemed to slime my suit, but if it works for you that's great.
-The swim is probably the least important so don’t worry if you’re not a strong swimmer. Just try to find someone's feet and kick hard unless you're a really fast swimmer and if that's the case can you help me? :) My goal is always to negative split so I went out steady, sighting every 10 strokes, ate a GU and sipped water 1/2 way on the swim then picked up the pace a little (IM FL is a 2 loop swim). You should really use sport slick, body glide, or something for your neck because the wesuit WILL rub and it doesn't feel good. Underarms too if it's a sleeveless.
-I knew exactly how much I was going to eat and drink every minute of the race based on how much I sweat at the typical race temperatures (3 gulps every 10 minutes and 1 GU every 45 minutes). This gave me something to focus on instead of how long the race is, pb&j and Doritos with Coke 1/2 way (stored in my race top once I started eating as in the photo)+ homemade chocolate chip cookies + ibuprofen since my back would tighten up at the end of the bike--I would try to bring this with you if you plan to fly through the pickup area rather than leaving anything in the bike special needs bag just in case they miss you. You can tuck it into your jersey after you get out of the swim). Only eat amounts you are used to eating in training. I think some people eat too much on race day and never did in training and then have stomach problems.
-I put a 2nd pair of socks and shoes in my run special needs bag (bagged 2x since one year they put them over sprinkler systems which went off). I never used them, but I knew they were there if my shoes were wet.
-The extra padding in the running shoes is nice. The first year, my feet hurt bad and the next year I wore heavier shoes that were padded, but I felt GREAT! and ran a lot faster.
-I stop for 10 seconds every 4 miles on the run to stretch quick (don't stretch your quads because your hamstrings will probably cramp when you lift your leg up). This kept me only thinking 4 miles at a time instead of 26.
-I remember the first one I got tired of GU by the end and did eat a few pretzels just for something different.
-Do NOT do anything new the day before or on race day. Stay off your feet the day before.
-Drink lots of water the week leading up to the race.
-Stay positive! Have fun!
-Bring or wear sweats if it is cool after the race because you will probably feel cold even if it's not that cool.

T1 bag -
helmet,
sunglasses (my eyes get dry on this long of a ride without glasses)
socks,
dry jersey (with humber pinned on back since it was required at IMFL) pre-packed with food/drink for mid-way through bike (I ate the pb&j, chocolate chip cookies, and/or Doritos+Red Bull or Coke mid-way every long training ride and at the race)...if the race you're doing is not known to have really good volunteer support, I suggest bringing what you can just in case.

Bike special needs - The first 2 years I didn't put anything in the bag except a bottle of water and ibuprofen since I brought what I needed and the water was just in case I missed an aid station and/or dropped my pain killer (my lower back gets tight at the end).

T2 bag -
shoes,
extra socks in case your bike socks are wet,
gel for run,
run race# on race belt,
I carried an electrolyte drink mix (very concentrated e-load) and would carry it the entire run - taking a few sips every few miles at aid stations so I could follow it with water,
visor/hat if you want,
sunglasses

Run special needs bag –

extra shoes,
extra socks,
pretzels or some "safe" snack in case you get hungry again,
maybe something for your stomach if you have digestion problems on a regular basis, but only in case of emergency unless you're used to taking it,

Post-race bag -
warm-ups/parka to keep warm

Hope this helps!  If you have any special requests for advice blogs please let me know!

HAPPY TRAINING & RACING!

Monster!!!

Any of you reading this that are close to me know my eating habits.  No, I may not look like much, but I can put a fire fighter to shame at a buffet.  Yes, I can say this because I used to be a fire fighter in Burtonsville, MD.  About every 5 years after I turned 20 people would tell me it’ll catch up with me, but not yet and trust me, I’ve been testing it.  Purely scientific reasons of course!  Another one of my habits is coffee!  I blame triathlon and Starbucks for this one, but I want to pass on a tidbit.  Seemingly insignificant to some, but I am all about the food and coffee so here it is:

Monster X-presso at the Dollar Tree!  2 for 50 cents!  I almost had to change my pants after I saw it!  Actually, I was distracted by the X-presso label I had never seen – like a deer in the headlights.  Steve caught the 2 for $1!!!  Thank you Monster!!!  I love you!!! 

Too much of a good thing?

Do you take vitamins?  How many?  How often?  Did you know that some vitamins can cause serious problems if you have too much?  Personally, I am of the mindset (=stubborn) that if I need vitamins then I will eat whatever I need to get them.  I love to eat!  That’s why I need to exercise so much.  But I really do not like taking vitamins.  The gummies are good because I feel like I’m eating candy.  My husband, Steve, on the other hand loves to take vitamins.  But how much is too much?

Hey!  Is that alcohol in the food pyramid!!!  "Moderation"  is subjective isn't it?

Too much vitamin C and other antioxidants can have the opposite effect.  Feeling nauseous, or have stomach cramps not otherwise indicated by some other condition?  You may be taking too much!  Too much of the antioxidant glutathione was linked to heart disease. 

Too much selenium = hair loss.  Now you don’t want to completely cut this out if you hair is thinning because it may be due to something completely different.  For instance, when I stressed out from school, work, triathlon, and everything else my hair started turning grey and falling out faster than normal. 

Too much vitamin A can cause blurred vision and dizziness.  Too much zinc can be fatal. 

All this may seem very scary if you are taking vitamins now, but keep in mind that it is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY that you will get too many vitamins from eating too many vegetables. 

One vitamin that is commonly deficient is the big D!  So eat some salmon, tuna, egg yolks (not always just whites you body builders), cheese, yogurt…  Speaking of body builders, they are sooooooo disciplined in their eating habits... Their discipline amazes me!!!  You go Michael and Kristy McKinney at Gold’s Gym!!! 

So how much is okay?  Check out this USDA site where you can calculate what you need specifically:

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1342

In a hurry...

This may date me but I’ll type it anyhow - my theme song should be that Alabama song that says,

“I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why…” 

Well, it hasn’t been fun for a few months…  school got the better of me, I cut back on training to the point I referred to myself as on pseudo-retirement, the company I worked for did  not win the new contract, and I gained 10+ pounds, to name a few.  Those of you who know me are probably thinking I could use the extra weight, but not for racing.  Imagine running a marathon with 10 pound weights = not fun!  Was all this self inflicted?  Partially… but no idea it would ever get this stressful.  Thinking optimistically, I did kick-butt presenting my research at the North American Brain Injury Society meeting in NOLA, passed my preliminary exams – although painfully, won a grant through the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, and rode on my husband’s new Harley for several hours without having a heart attack!  All-in-all, the past several months have been quite an experience and I am planning to update this more often.  Until next time – wish me luck!!!  I need it lately!

St Anthony’s and Gulf Coast Triathlon Recap

There’s a unique feeling I get when I am about to approach the starting line with World Champions. Nausea?  Admiration?  Pride? Breathe!  All I think of is, “I hope I can still see them when I get out of the water!”  At St Anthony’s, I didn’t see much of them, but I hope I looked cool in my new SLS3 Fobic Speedsuit at the very least.  St Anthony’s was an eye opener that I need to refocus and get serious if I want to continue racing.  With my PhD in full swing, I severely slacked off training and was stressed out from school and it showed at St Anthony’s.  My mind was not in it.  My heart was not in it.  I lost my “digging deep” as Lori (GOTribal Ambassador put it: http://ht.ly/4Rqyg).  You never know what can happen on any given day.  Even with the best-of-the-best at the starting line, we must race against ourselves and not let others’ keep us from giving it all we’ve got!  For some reason, I was sight-seeing at St Anthony’s Triathlon.  Who wouldn’t!  Sarah Haskins, Sara Groff, Matty Reed, Nina Craft, and on and on and on! 

My goal was to not finish last – what kind of goal is that?!?  BAD!  As I exited the water knowing how far behind I was and how long the swim to bike transition was, I didn’t feel like I wanted to continue.  I knew that was a bad reason for pulling out so I hopped on my bike and took off.  The first group of men rounded the corner like a peloton!  I wondered, what did I sign myself up for?  Although I managed a negative split on my run, the day felt like I missed a huge opportunity.  I need to sit down and really re-assess my training and racing both mentally and physically if I want to continue.  I DO want to continue. 

Heading into Gulf Coast Triathlon in a short time, I had made a plan to start attending the local high school swim training and to let my husband, Steve, beat me up on the bike.  I knew I wouldn’t be at my peak by Gulf Coast, but maybe I’d make some progress by Columbia Triathlon in Maryland later in the month.  After the first high school swim training, I thought I broke a rib.  I forgot how much abs we use to do the butterfly stroke.  My legs were wasted from trying to hold onto my husband’s wheel during a 42 mile ride.  I went into Gulf Coast Triathlon a little sore, but bearable especially for a relay.  Approaching the race start was very different then I was used to.  As a pro, I usually go off first and without a wetsuit.  This time I would be going off an hour after the first wave.  I barely warmed up and tried to not feel too nervous.  I got kicked in the face and could feel my wetsuit rubbing my neck raw.  I felt like I was giving it a good effort but that I still had a little more if the swim was shorter.  As I struggled to exit the water and run up the beach, I didn’t even unzip my wetsuit.  I wanted to get to our biker as soon as possible!  My lungs were screaming!  Why don’t I do this for my own races?  Why just for relays?  I handed off our timing chip to our biker and tried to ask how long my swim was, but no one really knew.  I thought it was about 32 minutes, but wasn’t sure and didn’t see the actual times until the next day.  26:31!!!  A new PR!  Heading into Columbia Triathlon will be a learning experience as it’s been a while since I had to fly with my bike, but my goal is to push it to my limits and then work on changing those limits. 

White Sands Rabbit Chase

At every race there is a rabbit that everyone chases.  Sometimes the rabbit changes, other times one rabbit dominates from start to finish.  Today at White Sands Triathlon, there were a few rabbits.  When I found out the swim was cancelled for rough waters, I couldn’t decide if I was happy (because the swimming is my least favorite) or if I was sad because I knew there were a few really good runners about to pull the line…  Many of the participants from the Freedom Sports Clinic (I put on the transition segment – flying mounts & dismounts wweeeeeee!!!) were at the race getting ready, so I stopped and chatted some to ease pre-race tension.  As the start approached I tried to separate myself from the transition area because I get so nervous, I start making my other friends nervous too...Chloe!  HA!  I was ready – but was I going to execute or make excuses to hold back yet again.  Marshal started us off all at once.  The first 1.5 miles went by fast, but not fast enough for me.  In the first ¼ mile I tripped and Hadley asked if I was okay.  Hadley is a FAST runner in the area I knew I needed to try to keep with on the run.  My legs felt heavy and slowly, the rabbits pulled away.   My left calf started tightening as it has been – then starting to go numb.  It was only 1.5 miles – why so quick?  I kept telling myself it would go away when I got on the bike – I just need to get this leg over with as soon as possible.  My mouth got completely dry – this has never happened!  I like to refer to this as “constipated mouth.”  Unfortunately, I fell back to 4^th female in the first 1.5 mile.  I could see the top 3 rabbits rounding the corners as we re-entered transition. 

 I knew I had to put on a lot of distance on the 16 mile bike leg or they’d catch me in the 2^nd run.  I didn’t see 2 of the rabbits as I exited transition, but I did manage to see one leave on the bike, Hadley.  I fumbled around with my bike as I left but tried not to let it bother me like I had last week when the Velcro on my new shoes pulled completely out of the loop.  (I decided to go back to my old bike shoes after several frustrating issues with Velcro and numb toes in my newer ones.)  I couldn’t see Hadley on the bike when I started.  I still didn’t know if the other rabbits got out ahead already or if anyone else snuck by when I wasn’t looking.  I knew the best chance to catch Hadley and possibly the other 2 rabbits was to hammer it with the tail wind we had on the way out.  I immediately felt better on the bike and had a chance to hydrate.  I managed to catch Hadley by the turn around and she yelled words of encouragement – I love great sportsmanship among competitors!  As I was heading back, I didn’t see the other rabbits.  I actually saw a guy that I thought was a girl, so I started hammering harder on the bike – were the other’s ahead of me still and was this new “girl” catching me?  Finishing the bike, a few spectators yelled I was the first female.  Great!  But by how much?  The other rabbits were GREAT runners! 

I headed out of transition feeling pretty good, but could hear the water sloshing around in my stomach.  Listening to the sloshing was entertainment for the first ½ mile – those who know me know I have a strong stomach…  I’ll leave it at that.  The tailwind felt great!  I past a few guys early in the run and was then alone…  Alone with thoughts that the original rabbits might catch up but that I can’t give up.  As I approached the turnaround, my legs felt heavy again.  Knowing the entire way back would be into a heavy headwind, I was discouraged.  I kept repeating to myself that everyone has this headwind…we all are slowing our pace…I CAN hold them off…  but then my legs would tell me otherwise and the process repeated itself until I saw the La Vela sign!  It’s amazing what we can do in the last stretch to the finish.  I wonder if rabbits are like that too – when they are being chased and about to reach a safe-haven. 

My husband was waiting for me just before the finish!  It was good to be back!  What took just 1 hour and 20 minutes felt like an eternity!  While some rabbits can move up to 45 mph, they cannot hold it for long.  Luckily, I held my pace just long enough today!  Great race Freedom Sports!