The Very Very Bad Run

So I am down in the dumps and can't shake it off, which is unusual for me. I was on such a high after my half Iron distance race, I had a great week after an then came Sunday and my 36k run.  It started out much like any other Sundays, up early a cup of coffee and a large glass of water followed my oatmeal and blueberries but somewhere along the way it changed.  I had to do 4k more then my group so I got there early and ran and extra 2.6K, if I was short I could do the extra after but the posted routes usually go long and I sure did not want to do more then I had too. 

It was a beautiful fall day, perfect running conditions and I was ready.   Maybe it was the fact that my clinic instructor started with "This is going to SUCK and you are going to hit THE WALL, not the best start of a motivational speech. The route was an out and back, not my favorite but I was determined to rock it and prove to myself I was ready for Chicago.  Once we got to the turn around and I knew I had to run back the same way the joy of running and energy seemed to drain out of me, every step seemed so hard.  The last 5K I just kept moving forward, I was tired and I wanted it to be DONE.  I finally finished and was a km short but there was no way I was going to do another, I was done.  I finally headed home and parked myself on the sofa, feeling like crap and mad that it was so hard.  I did not prove I was ready for my marathon, instead I am left wondering if I can actually do a marathon.  Sorry, let me correct that, I can do anything I put my mind too but I want to enjoy the experience, not suffer through it.   

I know we all have bad runs and bad runs help us prepare for bad races but I want a great race, not time wise great as my marathon time will have a 5 in front of it but a great marathon experience.   On Sunday, the FUN left and I am waiting for it to come back.  

The Canadian Iron 113

So it is done!  Today, Neale asked me if the enormity of what I had accomplished had sunk in, I don't think it has.  I have trained so long for this and in 7 hours and 27 mins it was all over and I would do it again in a heartbeat. So here is the race recap as I remember it.

So my biggest worry was the weather, it was suppose to rain all day and that is not what I wanted or needed for my first Half Iron distance event.  I could not control the weather, I knew I trained enough, what would be would be.  Luckily the weather was almost perfect, it was partially sunny but humid, fine for the swim and bike but it would make the run tough.   

We got to the venue 90 mins early and I set up and got body marking done.  I not been able to go to the orientation the night before so I headed to the beach to see the swim course.  It was a 1.9 km loop, and it looked really far, I was use to doing shorter loops.  Decided to warm up and get comfortable in the water, swimming helps me stay calm so the wetsuit went on and I went to swim around a bit.  Just before we started it was the kids triathlon, they were so cute and the parents so encouraging, it was great.  I love to swim, I might not be fast but I am comfortable and enjoy it.  I did a better job sighting this time and did not go off course, felt comfortable and enjoyed the swim.  To me the swim felt really fast or at least time went fast, I was not swimming fast.  I came in a few mins ahead of my goal and was ready to get to the bike.  It was quite a long run from the beach to the transition and then I had to get changed.  I really need to work on my T1 time, 12 mins is way too long.

On to the bike, 90K, 6 loops of the 15K course down the canal.  I had done 4 loops of a shorter course for my Oly tri so I knew what I was in for . It is not easy doing so many loops of the same course but on the upside, you get to see your supporters often. There was a deer on the course so that made things interesting at least. My goal was to average 25kph overall and I came close.  I was happy with my bike time and how I did.  Loop 2 and 4 were tough but when it got tough, I focused and pushed on.  I did a good job with my nutrition and stayed hydrated, I knew that was important for the run since it was so muggy.  It looked like it was going to rain when I was almost done loop 5 so my goal became getting the bike done before the rain. It never did rain but it kept me motivated and focused.  

Barbara and I on the run

Then was the part I dreaded the most, the run.  I knew going in this would be my biggest challenge. I asked my friend Barbara  to come run with me and she said yes.  Coming off the bike I usually run to fast and once again, I started too fast.  I was running a 6:10 pace, way to fast for a half marathon.  My family,  friends and my coach Laura had moved to the run coarse and were there to support me.  Each lap, Laura offered advice and tips and I was glad to see her.  Laura told me not to worry about my pace, run what I was comfortable doing. Loop 2 was tough, I slowed down and started to run 10 and 1's.  I stuck to my nutrition plan but had a few extra eload tabs since it was so muggy. Loop 3 was better, the gels started to kick in and I started to run 8 and 1's.  I felt great all things considering but I knew the last lap was ahead and would be tough.  I had run up to 14K in training and that was tough enough, now I had to go further.  I was so thankful Barbara was there, loop 4 was rough.  I was super slow and took a few extra walk breaks, when needed too I ran 5 pylons and walked one, it worked well for me and we did that a few times.  I had a secret goal of 7:30 overall time and towards the end I wondered if I would make it.  Barbara kept me running the last km and I came in a few minutes under my goal time.  Official time was 7:27:25 and I was thrilled!

my coach Laura and I after- job done!

I learned a lot about myself this summer training for this event and I learned a lot during the race.  I pushed myself further then I though ever possible but I know I need to push more going forward. Yesterday was hard, I am please overall but a bit disappointed with my run, it was tougher then I thought and I walked more then I wanted.  I need to get stronger physically for next year.  The mental part and the nutrition where bang on, I fought through the tough parts, never gave up and felt great physically all day.  When I signed up for this race, I really did not think I could do it...but I did, I had it inside me all along.

Inspiration is All Around Us

It is hard for me to label myself a runner or an athlete, I am a reformed couch potato who decided to take control of my life and start living my dreams instead of just thinking about them.   I am slow, I swim slowly, I bike slowly and I run really slowly BUT I do them.  I do not care about my time; really, it’s about the training and the journey for me.  I can and do follow a program with joy and determination; I can’t wait to cross each workout off knowing it is getting me a step closer to my goal.  I did not start this thinking I would be running a Marathon or hoping to do an Ironman one day, I actually said I would NEVER do either of these things but here I am working towards these goals, slowly and steadily one step at a time. 

Today on the bus I read "Running to Extremes" by Ray Zahab and Steve Pitt.  This is the perfect book for me to read a few days before my first half Ironman.  This is about an ordinary guy who decides one day to change his life, find his passion and loves sharing it with others. He is not perfect, he has setbacks, he learns from them and keeps on going.  He also carried around a sidekick, old Ray who is constantly telling him he is not good enough and he is going to fail.  Slowly but surly, old Ray disappears and the new stronger Ray survives.  I too have a side kick, fat Ally has been with me for years but she is getting quieter and she shows up less and less, she just can't keep up with me anymore.  

On Saturday I am spending 7 to 8 hours doing my event and I have no intention on taking fat Ally with me that day.  This is a celebration and I am sharing the day with those who helped me get there, not the ones who held me back.   In January I picked a word for the year and my word was inspire, I hoped to inspire others but mostly I wanted to inspire myself.  I was feeling overwhelmed and lost with my running and in a fit of insanity I signed up for a big crazy race.  Even when I registered for it I said I would probably downgrade it to the Aqua or Olympic event, it was just too big for me.  Well as it turns out I grew into it, the once way too big dream is here and I am as ready as I will ever be.  Others inspired me and I thank them, they may not know it but they had a huge influence on me this year. Inspiration is always around us, it might be quiet and subtle or loud and in your face but it is there, you just have to be ready to receive it.  

Whatever happens Saturday, I have had a great time getting to the start line, I plan on having fun during the race, cheering on other participants as I go and being thankful I am able to swim, bike and run that day. 

Lemonade anyone?

Sorry I have not posted in a few weeks, I have been busy with work and training and dealing with other stuff that I will explain. 

 

So my marathon man had planned on running a marathon this fall, he had hoped to get close to his Boston qualifying time.  Well, this plan is derailed by injury now, he has Achilles damage to both feet and will not be able to run for 6-8 weeks and need shock wave therapy and other stuff to get it repaired.  Needless to say, he is pretty bummed out.  All our Fall running plans have changed, we quickly had to reassess what we could change, what we could get out of at little cost and what we could not change.  All these changes affect me as well since I am running;  I have to fill in the gaps.  We had planned on running the Philly marathon together as my first marathon, this is now not happening, Philly is off the table, a no go, do not pass start and get a medal.  I am disappointed that Neale will not be pacing me for my first marathon; I am now running it alone, 5 weeks earlier than expected.  His October marathon we cannot change, flights are booked and we have to go.   I am running it instead, his bib but no chip,  it will give me the experience of running a marathon, which is what I wanted but not necessarily how I wanted to do it.   So instead of a 2 week break after my Half Iron distance event Aug 31, I head straight into a condensed marathon training plan.  Thank goodness my coach is able to adapt my training quickly and she thinks it is doable. 

We were able to transfer bibs for the Army run so I am running the half marathon and he will slowly run/walk the 5K.  Last year the Army run was my 1^st half marathon and this year it is my 4^th. What a year it has been, 2 other half marathons, various 5 and 10K races, 3 triathlons and countless training miles.  I am 20 lbs lighter than last year and in such a better place in my training and in my life.  My 1^st half marathon was my worst race ever and this year it will be 3 weeks after a 113k race so I am not expecting much. I want to have fun, enjoy the course and the crowds, something I did not get to do last year. 

Life does not always go as planned, there are always bumps in the road, setbacks and challenges but it is how we respond to them that shows how much we have grown.  As I always say, 

Dreaming BIG

So, as the story goes, in 1999 I wrote a list of things I wanted to do in the new millennium, one of the items was to do an Olympic triathlon.  At the time I did not run and was not athletic but I decided to dream big and add it to the list anyway.  I started running 3 years ago to fulfill this dream, my intention was just to do the 5k and 10K clinic so that I knew I could do the 10K at the end of the tri.  Well things did not work out as planned, I got hooked on running and have done 3 half marathons and am training for a marathon (more about that later).  Last summer I started doing triathlons and did a sprint tri and a try-a-tri and this summer the goal was the Olympic tri, I would finally get to cross this off the list.  

Last year the National Capital event was my first tri and it did not go as planned but this year I was determined and prepared.  I had trained well and felt great and I learned how to change a flat tire so if I had a flat again this year, I could deal with it.  The differences between last years race and this year were huge. Last year it was 40C and sunny, this year it was 20C and overcast, last year I was stressed out and this year I was cool and calm, ready to have fun and deal with whatever the universe threw at me.  The biggest difference was last year I got a DNF and this year I got a medal.

I had a great time, it was hard and long but I enjoyed myself from beginning to end.  The swim was OK, I went off course a few times and my time was slower then I wanted but I can work on this in the next few weeks and try to get a better time at the end of the month at my next event.  I have to swim 1.9K then, an extra 400m and I want to try and do it in the same time as this race. The bike was fun, it was windy and I thought I was going fast but as it turned out, I was doing my normal training pace, it clarified that I need to work hard on my cycling in the off season so I can do the hills in Tremblant next June. Funny enough, the run was my easiest leg and I am not a natural runner.  I seem to settle into a 6:30 per km pace off the bike with little effort, same as on my training runs.  Some night I struggle to get to this pace on a tempo run but in a tri, no problem, weird. I was thrilled to finish this year, no unexpected mechanical issues with the bike, my nutrition overall was spot on and it was a great benchmark for my Half Ironman at the end of the month. 

Sunday I got up to do a 23k run with my marathon group.  At about the 20k mark my quads decided they were done, whether I was or not.  I opted out of the last km and headed back to the Running Room and my car.  I was upset that I had to cut the run short but I knew better then to risk an injury.  I seem to have a recurring issue with my right quad muscle, it gets tight on my long runs.  How would I be able to run a marathon if this keeps happening?  When I go home I had a bit of a panic attack about the marathon, what was I thinking. Eventually I got over myself, decided that it was 15 weeks away and I had other races before that to train for and think about,  like my half Ironman in 4 weeks.  Neale knows I will be ready for Philly, my coach knows I will be ready so I had better get on board and decide I will be ready too.   Whatever happens, I have a plan and the determination to execute it, I cannot afford to waste the energy worrying. 

Keep Calm and Triathlon

I can not believe it is the end of July. where did the month go....oh, maybe it went the same place as the summer heat.  I am enjoying the cooler temperatures for training and sleeping but a bit more heat during the day would be nice.  I was very happy it was cool on Friday when I did my longest brick workout, a 75k bike ride and a 12k run.  When I got my schedule from my new coach at the beginning of the month, I laughed, I would never be able to do that.  Well, I was wrong, I did it and I had fun doing it.  Neale rode the bike portion with me and rode beside me as I ran, I was glad to have him with me even though he is not very chatty.  It was my hardest workout and I was happy and tired when I was done.  It was the first time I actually though I might be able to do my Half Ironman at the end of August, it was such a good feeling.   On Sunday I ran 21K with my marathon group, it was a hard run, my legs were sore and I was happy to have my biggest training week behind me.  

me after my workout on Friday

Yesterday I got my August schedule, good thing I had fun doing this workout the first time because I have to do it twice more in August!  This Saturday is my Olympic Tri but next weekend I get to do an 80K bike ride and 90 min run Friday and a 100K bike ride Sunday.  The next weekend I do a 75K bike ride and 90 min run on Friday and a 30 km run on Saturday. This time I looked at it and shrugged, I did it once, I can do it again and again and then again on race day, no problem...what a difference a month makes. 

I love my new coach, I get regular feedback, a sounding board when I have questions and someone who responds to my needs.  I had to re-arrange some things during the month and I was worried how that would be received.  I was happy to learn it was not a problem and I took that as a great sign.  This month I am volunteering at a few events, I have 2 races and other general busyness that makes up life and coach put it all together into a schedule. I do not have to think about, I just have to execute it, I love that it is one less thing I have to worry about. I let coach worry about the details and getting me to race day, I worry about my body and food to keep me in tip top shape to follow the plan.  

Next up, the National Capital Olympic Tri on Saturday.  Last year this was the same race I got my first DNF due to a flat tire at my first triathlon. Tomorrow night I am learning how to change a flat tire so history will not repeat itself.  I am hoping for little rain this week or the river will get red flagged and I will have to make a decision about turning my triathlon into a duathlon. Whatever happens I will keep moving forward, keep having fun and I will report back next week.  

Looking Forward By Looking Backwards

So last Friday I did my first swim/bike brick workout with my friend Helene.  Helene and I are the perfect swim partners, we have the same stroke rate, the same stroke length and we breath on opposite sides so we see each other and smile as we swim.  We then hopped on our bikes and headed out to do the Gatineau loop.  I had never done this hilly route before but I knew it was a right of passage for all Ironman wannabes and I knew I had to do it.   I saddled up, embraced my granny gear and just kept pedaling to the Champlain lookout.  I focused on the task at hand and kept spinning my pedals, just keep moving forward.  On Thursday my friend Roy was visiting so I took him with me to my open water swim practice.  After we drove the loop I had biked the week before.  As we drove up the hill I was surprised how big the hill was and how long it was to the top. The rest of the route was just as surprising, big hills and fast downhills but I had done it.  I had done it...me...fat Ally, the person who would have been winded climbing a flight of stairs 3 years ago.  I did not stop, I did not complain, I did not think that I could not do it, I just did it because I had to.  

Helene and I at the lookout

This weekend I did a big set of back to back workouts, I biked 68.4K yesterday and then ran 40 mins and today I ran a fast 5k warm up and then ran 16.5 K with my marathon group.  Last year I was running 12K with the half marathon group wondering how I would be able to run 21.1K in Sept.  Today I ran 21.5K and it did not even faze me and I did it the day after an other big workout.  I biked 68.4K and ran 26.75K over 2 days, something I could never imagine doing a year ago or even a few months ago.  Next weekend is 3 big workouts in a row and I will do them one day at a time, moving forward and believing I can do whatever my coach schedules for me.

We get focused on looking at what else we need to do, how much further we need to go and we forget to look back and see how far we have come.  We need to embrace and remember the good workouts and especially the ones that sucked, they all helped us get to where we are today and from where I stand, that is a pretty great place to be.