A Ride with the Roanoke Crew

I got off my well-traveled, well-known bike routes this weekend as I joined a crew from the Roanoke Tri Club for a new-to-me 58+ mile ride through Catawba, Daleville, Hollins, and Salem (Garmin/map). Technically you could say I invited myself. I threw out a "who wants to ride" post and Mark, Scott, Joe, Mark, and Tim responded and planned the route since they know the area. (It only took about 55 posts for that to happen and I stayed out of it!)

I took this picture at the start -- everyone was looking extra fit this time of year.

I had been informed that there was a no hammering rule in place for the ride which was good since it was supposed to be an "aerobic/tempo climbs" training ride and I'd already been called out for "not following instructions" on another workout this week.

My only slip up came when Scott (who has an intensity that is palpable) sat up and lifted his hand to kindly point out the swim club I had asked about, and then without hesitation (or conscious thought) I took total advantage and blew by him, briefly. Heehee. I told him I was practicing my race tactics!

These are some of the nicest folks you could ever know. When the main loop came up shy of my needed mileage, Tim and Mark L. extended the ride and did the planning/navigating, since I had no idea where I was most of the time (big surprise there).

Here's Mark as we waited and waited and waited for a looooonnnnng train to cross.

It was a great ride with a super group of folks. I've said it before, but one of the best gifts of triathlon is the friends I've made as a result. Thanks, all, for a morning of beautiful cycling!

Open Water!

For all my complaining about my slow swimming, I do truly enjoy it -- mainly the open water experiences. I am grateful for all the gorgeous places triathlon has allowed me to swim!

When I look out before a race, I have a nervous feeling as I point to the buoys in turn and think, "am I really going to swim from there to there to there...?" As I stand at a new swim site, the water is a stranger. After I swim in it once, there is a familiarity, an ease. I get to know the water and it's fun to return and swim in it again.

Every body of water is unique - by color, feel, and yes, taste. There's sandy bottoms, foot-sucking muck, big weed beds, cute fish, big fish, algae, debris, chop, current, salt, piers, docks....

Prior to the sport, "swimming" was confined mainly to playing in the waves at the ocean and wading through waist-deep rivers but I didn't really swim to go from point A to point B. Now I get to explore new waters, swimming some distance and going someplace!

Here are some of the amazing places I've been swimming:

Lake Norman, NC (2009)
first open water swim in a race!

Lake Arrowhead (Luray, VA, 2010-11)

Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT (2011)

James River, Jamestown, VA (2011)

Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta, VA (2010-12)

Lake Moomau, Warm Springs, VA (2010-12)

Lake Anna, Bumpass, VA (2011)

Potomac River, Colonial Beach, VA (2012)

And I've had practice swims in nearby Claytor Lake and the New River.

New River

These aren't open water, but somewhat notable. I swam in a rooftop pool in San Diego and then also on a whim did a 1-hour continuous swim in a resort-style pool in Phoenix just to prove to myself that I didn't need lane lines and that I could survive the tedium of a tiny pool (of course I did!)

San Diego (2011)

Phoenix (2011)

I also swam in one small lake in North Carolina where I was pulled out by two Park Rangers and questioned at length for swimming illegally. Ooops.

Before nearly getting busted in
unknown "No Swimming" Lake in NC (2009)

I swam in the Atlantic Ocean, briefly, just past the breakers, and that DID and still does terrify me because I was sure something would eat me.

There is something uniquely empowering about swimming in a big untamed body of water. I was not a swimmer prior to the sport and I did not grow up near water so I find it highly exciting and rewarding.

If you shy away from triathlon or open water swims, I just want to share that with a bit of help (and a good pair of goggles!) anyone can learn to swim and enjoy the freedom of open water. There's nothing quite like it, whatever your swim speed :-)

Race Report: Third at Colonial Beach International Triathlon

This was my first time racing the Pohanka Honda YMCA Colonial Beach International Triathlon in the Virginia Triathlon Series. It is my 19th triathlon and my 5th at the Olympic/International distance. It's my 4th race of the year.

I had only a vague idea where Colonial Beach was; geography is not my strong suit. It’s along the Potomac just east of and midway between DC and Richmond. It turns out it is NOT very close to Fredericksburg, which was where I had my hotel reservation. (on my iPhone screen they "looked" close.)

As I drove up on Saturday and passed through Fredericksburg, I realized it would be about a 50 minute drive from the hotel to the race site. I began to work backwards to figure out how early I would have to get up to drive for the 6:50 am race start. Ugh!! But I was about to get a lucky break. The hotel that is literally adjacent to transition was in “receivership” but had reopened. I stopped in to discover a vacancy. I even had a nice water view, it was affordable, and the coffee was ready at 5 am. The photo below shows transition and the hotel. How sweet is that?

The weekend started well and finished even better with a third-place overall finish among the women and my best Olympic distance race to date. It was my fastest 10K run by 1:51, beating my 45:30 time from Nationals last year. It was my best bike too, averaging 22.7 mph according to Garmin (course seemed a little shy of the 40k).

• Swim (1500m) – 34:10 (24/86 women; would have been 54/150 men) 
• T1 – 1:14 (2/86 women; 11/150men) 
• Bike (40k) – 1:00:55 (2/86; 16/150 men) - 22.7 mph 
• T2 – 1:15 (10/86 women; 41/150 men) 
• Run (10k) – 43:39 (4/86 women; 26/150 men) – 7:01 pace 
• Total – 2:21:10 (3/86; 27/150 men) 

The woman who won, Molly Roohi, also won the sprint distance race the day before...and she beat all the men! Go Molly! Molly was almost 7 minutes faster than me, and my compatriot Edie Nault, who came in second, was  5-1/2 minutes faster than me. Fourth place was 5 minutes after me so there was quite a spread among the top women. Here are the women's results.

 

Pre-race 

The night before, I had my typical pre-race dinner, waterfront, where shoes were NOT required. I enjoyed steak with roasted sweet and red potatoes and a bit of Stubb's spicy BBQ sauce.

Afterward I strolled along the riverfront and took in a nice cover band...free...outside the fence containing the paying patrons.

Race morning
I slept really well and was up before my 4:30 alarm, caffeinated, oatmeal-ed, and at transition at 5:15 am. I was not THE first one there. But close.

i'm such a nerd

sunrise over the Potomac. I love this picture.

Swim

This was my first 1500m open water swim since Nationals last year. I think I am starting to get used to the distance as it didn't look daunting (i.e. terrifying, impossibly long, or vomit-inspiring) like it has in the past. The tide had the current flowing down river so after watching the first three waves of swimmers end up too far right as they got pushed along, I knew to adjust for it. The first long side of the swim rectangle was with the current and fast. Coming back though we paid for that with a slog upriver to the final turn buoy.

I like swimming. I just wish there were not so many people around (or on, under, over, next to) me when I am trying to do it.

I felt strong, confident, fairly straight, and I did my thing in the brackish water. It's too bad my "thing" seems to be slower than nearly 1/3 of the other women. I'm working on it...patience.

Bike

This was an out-and-back course, mainly flatish but with some rollers mid-way. The road surface was about the nicest I've seen at a race and I was able to just FLY. Thinking back, I didn't see anyone sidelined with a flat either! (No Tour de France thumbtack nonsense either.)

One little bummer is there was NO cone at the turnaround, and no one ahead to watch to see where they made the turn, just a sign. I was worried about turning too soon then I overshot it by about 15'. I kindly made the cone suggestion as I rode by. 

It was so humid my glasses were covered in a hazy film from the salt air. A few times we were so spread out that I couldn't see anyone ahead and I had a few moments of brief panic wondering if in my la-la-land race focus state I'd gone off course. Fortunately, I hadn't.

I had Perpetuem in my aero bottle and took one gel midway on the ride. That seemed about right.

I got my heart rate up about 5 bpm higher than the last triathlon and was rewarded with my fastest average pace on the bike for any race at about 22.7 mph. HOO-ray! I love the bike leg. It went by so quickly and like always I was a little sad when it was over.

Run

The out-and-back run course was really cute. Yes cute! It was on a small water-front road that encircled the peninsula between the river and a small bay. There were charming beach cottages all along and residents set up sprinklers and fans and yelled encouragement. 

I opted for socks. I had them in transition for a "game-time" decision and noted some hot spots on the feet during the bike. It wasn't worth taking a chance in such muggy conditions so on they went. I grabbed a gel and never ended up using it on the run. In hindsight, I think I should have.

I was excited to test out my running. I've had a few recent PRs in training and hoped they would carry over to the race. I saw three women ahead of me at the turnaround including Molly and Edie. My swim wave was 6 minutes back from theirs (less than a mile of running time) and I knew they were probably two miles ahead. The number three girl I figured I had a chance to get but I knew I was about at my max pace. My goal was to maintain.

My heart rate was in the mid-160's to low 170's (redline!) but mentally I felt positive. The last mile got hard, but I thought about how it didn't even compare to the pain of the final miles of a marathon. So I pushed on. Suck it up, Buttercup. I was rewarded with the 10k run PR shaving 1:51 off my previous best.

One great thing about having a fast friend who finishes 5+ minutes ahead of you, is it means she can come back around and be there to YELL you to the finish. Yes, Edie YELLED me to the finish. And I'll tell you what, my legs listened! LOL! 

Post Race

A perk to staying in the hotel by transition is that I knew I'd have time to take a shower and pack up before awards. WRONG! The "word" was that awards would be at 11:00. Well, as I moseyed down at 10:45, Edie sent me a text. I had missed the awards. DOH! Lesson learned, lesson learned. I felt really bad. Not because I have some need for accolades but because it just seems quite rude to skip without a reason. Awards are an opportunity to show appreciation for the organizers, volunteers, and community. A shower, which was actually a shower plus Facebook and chit-chat with random people and texting and yes...eating a chocolate pop-tart grabbed from the hotel breakfast bar,  isn't really a very good reason. I felt extra bad because I won $75 and a yoga mat too!! 


I really am sorry :-(
That won't happen again.

This is my only Olympic-distance race before Nationals and I'm pretty happy with how it went. There's not a lot I would change, other than not missing the awards ceremony and maybe swimming faster. I have five weeks left to train with one little sprint tri in the mix there. My season is about half over. How did that happen? The kids will be back in school in a month. I'm not ready! I still have to sort through their school stuff from last year!

Thanks!

Huge thanks go to the family and to Robert for holding down the fort and delivering one child to camp so I could race. Thanks go also to Coach Jim, Kurt Weidner, my Endurance Films sponsors and teammates, Solar Connexion, Hyperion Consulting, Just the Right Gear, my "equipment coach", and my individual sponsors. It really does help to race with the support of so many wonderful and encouraging folks!

I'm grateful to the communities such as Colonial Beach that invite us in and disrupt their lives so we can swim, bike and run in beautiful venues! Thanks Virginia Triathlon Series and Setup for putting on top-quality events.

Rest day is nearly over, it's back at it tomorrow! Wishing you all a great week of training, racing, and adventure....

 

Ideas for change....what are you waiting for?

I made a new friend recently who had been an active athlete in her youth, gotten away from that lifestyle, was clearly ready and eager to make a change, but not sure how. Sound familiar? That was my story four years ago, and maybe yours?

Anyway, she was quizzing me about triathlon and I could just tell the way she lit up that she was on the verge of change. She asked for some help and some ideas to get started so I said I would put together a few. I suggested she just pick one fitness and one nutrition related change, then gradually build and add to that.

I would preface this by saying change is not quick or easy. But neither should it be about deprivation, white-knuckle willpower, or loss. Done right, it is about achievement, freedom, and gain. It just takes that first step and a little patience and faith.

Five ideas for fitness change

1. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier. Get your workout in first thing in the morning if at all possible. It sets your day off on the right foot and will help you keep your nutrition dialed in better if you've started the day with a good choice! (The picture up top? That was me headed to swim at 6:30 am two days ago. GREAT start to the day!)
2. Schedule it in. Most of us use a calendar. Look at what you have going on and schedule your fitness time in at the start of the week. Every Sunday I look at my training schedule and map it to my real life schedule. There is always a way to make it all fit, even if it means starting a long run at 4:30 am with a headlamp!
3. Start off doing something every OTHER day. That'll give you enough time to get excited to do it again two days later. Early on, the key is to stay excited about it and overdoing can crush enthusiasm. Then gradually ramp up to 6 days a week and commit!
4. If you don't have a sports passion, try lots of different things as you get going - spin classes, run/walk, hiking, biking, swimming. As long as you are getting your heart rate up, the activity doesn't matter. It's important to find that "thing" that will keep you coming back for more.
5. Set a goal that is within the next three months. It might be a 5k, learning a backhand, kayaking across a lake, or doing 20 pushups. A common mistake is to set a goal that is way too far out. No one needs six months to train for a 5K. Six weeks, sure.

Five ideas for nutrition change

1. Ditch all the soda, yes, diet too. If you want something besides water, try the non-sweetened, naturally flavored sparkling waters.
2. Go to bed earlier and at a regular time. Not only does good sleep help with hormones that are important for weight management, but you'll be sleeping instead of eating in those late-night hours that tempt us to eat and make poor choices.
3. Learn to love green veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and spinach. Then eat a heap of them TWICE a day, without fail. And stop thinking veggies are only for dinner!! I often get my first batch in at 10 am because the green stuff keeps me full and healthy.
   I like my broccoli and sprouts roasted and spinach either raw or lightly nuked, then a bit of salt or hot sauce is all I need.
4. Don't go out of your way to add carbs (rice, potatoes, grains) to your meals. You'll get plenty. Pick and choose when you have these, earlier in the day is better. For instance, I start my day with Ezekiel bread and almond butter, mid-day I'll have some granola and fruit with greek yogurt, then by dinner it's just veggies and protein.
5. Have protein and healthy fats in every meal. These will keep you sated longer. And fat does not make you fat.

The bottom line is, change does not "just happen". Inertia is huge. If you WANT change, you'd better be prepared to make some changes. Diet and fitness go hand-in-hand so attack it from both sides. One is not enough.

Change can be really exciting and it sure beats sitting around thinking about how stuck we might be. Pick one fitness change and one nutrition change and start the process now! Let me know how it goes :-)

I wore the yellow-ish jersey

I wore the yellow-ish jersey on my very own Tour de Foggy Ellett Valley.

Rider count = 1.

I led from the start and despite the peloton of roadside rabbits giving chase, it was not to be their day. I emerged victorious, as I crossed the finish line to (no) cheering at the entrance to Luster's Mill.

I would post the elevation profile, but oddly enough, it's nearly identical to what the Tour riders are doing today!!

I was pretty much Bradley Wiggins out there this morning. Only a little bit slower. And with less swearing.