Couples Tri and June update...

So this past weekend i raced Couples Tri with Meredith Riggs. Couples Tri is unique in the fact that you enter with a partner, you race your own race, and then at the end your and your partners races results get added together for the final result. Creating a team aspect is definately a smart way to get those newbies to dip their toes into the sport of triathlon. Usually that is all it takes.

Meredith and i won the Female Friends division. There were divisions like "midlife crisis", "more than friends " , "newlyweds", etc. Pretty fun .... I had a good race, which was really surprising in a good way. Originally i wasnt sure if i was going to race since i havent swum for 3 weeks because of shoulder problems, aswell as just the usual aches and pains every where else . But , i didnt want to let my partner down and was also curious where i was fitness wise at this time. I went out and kept on reminding myself that this was just a good "tempo " workout, and to keep it under control , and not kill myself like i usually do in a sprint. I sat and spun up the hills instead of standing and attacking them on the bike and on the run i tried to pretend as if i was doing my usual tempo run around townlake. I must say, it made the race more enjoyable , and i got to stay in that "good place" in my head. Usually when i push myself over that acceptable limit , my mind and body yell at me to stop , and then i have a mind war to keep putting one foot infront of the other. I always thought that getting to that point was the natural flow of racing, but after Sunday realised that just 1 level back in effort i could stay in that happy place. But dont think i will continue to race like that again unless it is just a "traning day ". i will keep pushing the limits ,anything else and i know that i wouldnt be giving it my all at every moment, and that is no way to race or discover yourself and your abilities. I am realising everyday that i can do more and go faster that i had ever expected, and i feel like i am just getting started too. i feel like there is still a whole nother level that i havent even dipped into that is within my abilities, and i intend to find out exactly what that level is.

Since Kansas 70.3 on June 6, and reaching my goal i have worked so hard to achieve, i decided to let my body and mind recover, aswell as focus on our Tri Team Transport business, and spend some much needed down time with Steve. We also took a two week trip up to Couer d'alene to transport bikes for the business for the Ironman that was happening there. While i had the full intention of getting up every morning to get in a trainer ride or run , sitting in the car for 15 hours a day is more tiring that i thought. The 5 days of driving there and back we were completely wiped out, so i just had to be ok with not training during that time. We did get to ride and run the Ironman course when we had dropped all the bikes off and were waiting for pickup after the race , and that was amazing. I would recommend that if anyone decides to do an Ironman, Couer d'alene should be on the list. It is absolutely beautiful , the weather is great , it is a good fair course, with a flat run - very important, and the community support there is awesome. The whole city caters to this race , and Ironman stories headline and fill the newspaper for the days surrounding the race.

We got back from that trip a week ago, and now we are preparing for Vineman 70.3. I will be racing this race , so we made the family decision that Steve would drive up and i would fly on Friday, that way i wouldnt be wiped out. I worried about Steve driving alone, but it is the end of day 2 ,and he is loving it , so problem solved. I wont have to miss as much training from being on the road from here on out. I am not expecting much as far as result or placing in the pro category since i am a step back from where i was a month ago. but i am ok with that .i am going to give it my best shot, love every minute of it, and use it has another good experience under my belt at this distance ( only 4th 70.3 ) aswell as use it as a benchmark for training the next two months till i race Cancun or Branson 70.3.

Thanks for all the prayers and for the support, and hang in there with me as i start a new journey in the pro field. It may be a slow start but i plan to change that soon, and i am more excited about it then ever.

Thanks to Jack and Adams for another fun event.Puresport, who caught me at the finish line, sat me down in a chair where i almost passed out, and brought me my favorite recovery drink - Banana Berry Recovery . Red Licorice for the support and the cheers in Transition - i loved that you all called out what position i was in, i like to hear that stuff , and you guys all know that .haha.. And lastly , I got to wear my new Tri 4 Him hat and tshirt, and that instigated so many cool conversations about faith , life , triathlon and it all tying together. More info on that in another blog .... :)

Kansas 70.3 Race Report

PRE RACE

Tammy Metzger, Kristin Madl and "furface" (Kristin's awesome dog ) and myself drove up to Kansas together , dropping the dog off at Denton with Kristin's parents with whom we stayed with the first night. Thanks to Tammy's friend AJ we got free entries to this race, which wasn't on my radar till Tammy contacted me about going. Thank you Tammy !!!

We had a really low key trip, that went by very quickly and was really enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised that even though i didnt know Tammy and Kristin really well, they happened to be the best gals to be taking this trip with. Tammy had to tell me to stop saying Thank you a thousand times, because i was truly grateful of how it was all turning out.

It was my birthday on the Saturday , the day before the race, and while facebook celebrated my birthday :), we didnt . The girls and i decided that i should feel like i am racing on my birthday, and i could also properly celebrate after the race with my annual margarita. So Saturday was the expo, and movies in the hotel all day. I was so enjoying just being there , that for the first time, i didnt think or worry about the race. I actually got an amazing nights sleep, just happy that this is where i was on my 29th birthday , and grateful for the life that i am living right now.

Below is the one of the balloons that Steve sent me along with some flowers for my birthday. The balloons read "Boom ba ya" , which we love saying after we watched it chanted on a Mohammed Ali documentary before his big fight. RACE DAY:

SWIM

As we were waiting in the chute to go off, i started to chat to the girls around who looked super nervous, Aswell as two gals that were very confident, and had a little swagger going. I recognised both of them. One of them won Longhorn 70.3 last year and the other just won Ironman St George and beat most pro's. I asked them why they hadn't taken their pro card yet, which both had earned, and both replied that they had qualified for Kona as Amatuers and wanted to give it a shot to try and win Kona as an Amatuer. I thought - Great ( sarcastically ) , 2ndly - there are only two of them, meaning i can still try get 3rd , hoping there weren't other Kona contenders out in the field. So - in my mind , pressure was off. "Just have fun" i told myself, knowing well that they could also both blow up.. I knew that today was out of my hands....

What was weird and great was that i was not nervous for the first time. In the past i alwasy fear the worst - foggy goggles, swimming off course, getting hit in the face, the list goes on.. And all those things have happened in the past , but have never been race breakers, or really gotten me up in arms. So i think i am to the point where i realize there is no need to be afraid, And just go out there and deal with whatever happens.

The course was a perfect rectangle, and the water was pretty calm, so i had nice low key swim. My goal on the swim was to try to get into a good rhythm without having to work too hard, knowing i needed to save it all for a good bike and run effort. As soon as i felt i was starting to breathe heavy, i would back down.

Came out in 32 min - about a 1:40 per 100 m pace. Which for the effort i put forth on the swim, i was happy with , and i was even happier coming out and feeling as if i hadn't even swum. The real race was about to begin......

BIKE

The Bike Starts at the bottom of a canyon, so immediately you start climbing. Now have i mentioned i LIKE HILLS, which there were plenty of - basically up and down the whole way, and it showed that day.I started passing girls immediately, even though my legs hadn't come to life yet, but it got better from there. I was keeping my eye out for the two "Kona bound " gals that i chatted with , knowing that if i can get close to them, i have a shot at a good race . I passed the one gal who won St George almost immediately, i actually flew by her, and was extremely surprised, and i must say , put a big smile on my face...But immediately I wondered how many more girls were ahead of her and then put my game face back on to go on the hunt.

One guy came by me early on , but never got far ahead. And from then on , we played tag for the rest of the bike course, literally, he passed me on the climbs and i passed him on the downhill and flats, calling out "Tag, you're it , come and get me " . We were having a good time out there and would always spur each other on when we passed each other AGAIN...

Finally a turn around came , i saw 3 women ahead of me , one of them "Other Kona Girl". I was so excited and pretty shocked since we were the 3rd women's wave to go off. I immediately put my head down with the goal of getting to the front by the end of the bike without killing myself in the process. i knew i had to run a fast half marathon if i was going to reach my goal. I ended up passing the other 2 woman almost right away but that one gal was still ahead and i was definatlye getting ALOT closer, but i wasnt going to catch her today. I just stayed in control for the rest of the bike, knowing i was coming in as 2nd woman off the bike, and had a good lead on the rest of the pack.

The things that went through my head on the bike - "Have fun , its your birthday", " God ordains everything and is in control", and " drink, eat, drink, eat"...

I feel i nailed my nutrition plan . Even needed to pee, which i am proudly saying i did for the first time on the bike, those poor spectators.. ( yes TMI, i know )

i then prayed for a "cramp free" run -- here we go..

And P.S.

Thanks Mom for my big South African legs, that have obviously helped my biking abilities..

RUN

Came off the bike feeling good about my position and lead on the rest of the field. I knew the girl ahead was a collegiate runner, and so my hopes of catching her were somewhat slim, but you never know. i was going to give it my best shot.

Immediately i started feeling my quads start to cramp up .I didnt panic and took a few salt tablets and a gu right away to hopefully stop them from getting worse. It actually helped! I could still feel my quads, but not enough to stop me. I could take alot of little steps and would be fine, but no attempt at really lifting my legs was going to happen, i've been here before..

Run was going great, i actually tucked in behind some guy that was 6ft something tall , and had the same stride rate as i did, and so got into a great rhythm behind him. We ran 3 miles like that and were going at a comfortable 6:30 pace. Then HE cramped up. Crap i thought, my wind blocker and pacer was gone.. now i got to go it alone. I kept my head down and thought "Light , quick and Tall" and it really helped. When i get tired i usually get super heavy on the feet , and this little mantra ( Thanks Tammy ) was helping. I managed to keep all my mile splits around 6:45 for the next 5 miles or so, and at this point was just counting the markers down and praying that at every mile i would look down at it would stay under 7's.. that didnt happen..

At mile 2 and again at mile 9 we climb the one hill, the first time i climbed it it was no problem, however the 2nd time -- i could probably have crawled up it faster. Needless to say , i never held onto that run pace. I was chug chugging along, slowing way down, and all of a sudden Chrissie Wellington comes runnin towards me. I immediately perked up , not wanting to look bad and all, and she gave me a "Hook em horns sign " and said " Go get her " since i was still in 2nd at this point.

That - as you can imagine, seriously perked me up and i started getting a 2nd wind going, and running "tall, light and quick". Miles were counting down and i was getting closer and closer to my goal...

At about mile 10 i needed to pee so badly,but didnt want to stop.. i thought this was a great thing since that meant i wasn't dehydrated and got excited about the prospect of being able to pee while running. So i did.. yes, you can pee while you run.. but i wouldnt recommend it .. why ? while my bladder was lighter, my shoes were so heavy. i know - ew ! but luckily i was wearing zoots which have little holes in the bottom to handle any "water" issues.. ( My husband , Steve, wanted me to write that "he does not approve this message" ) But , it was apart of my run, so i wanted to record it and laugh at it when i look back at this when i am 80.

To finish off, at about mile 12 there is turnaround and there was one girl closing in very quickly. To not have a "Cap Tex" moment again, and get passed in the final meters, I picked it up as best as i could and felt like i was literally sprinting the last mile. She luckily never passed me, and i came to see that when i ran in towards the finishing chute , she was headed out for her 2nd loop. Phew...

I crossed the finish line and looked at my watch excitedly. 4:41. I didnt care if two girls beat me, i thought, i had just had a Personal best time by 16 min, so i knew i was on my way to reaching my goal of turning pro, if not today. It was all out of my hands.. As soon as i stopped two Navy volunteers rushed towards me , and i fainted right as they got to me so they luckily caught me then carried me over to the medical tent. I came to almost immediately and had this huge grin on my face , which i think they prob thought was weird since i was in obvious pain.

I sat in the medical tent, eyes closed and thanking Jesus for the experience i had and for being with me every step of the way. i almost got very charismatic on everyone, but with me being delirious, my eyes half open and not being able to stand up, that wasnt going to happen. haha.

What a day....

TIME - 4:41.03

3rd Overall Amatuer - Pro Card Qualification !! YAY !!

And got advice from Chrissie Wellington, who as you all know, is the nicest ( for lack of a better word right now ) person and someone i wish to emulate as an ambassador for this sport that gives us so much, and can do so much for others.

Kristen, me and Tammy post race.

Cap Tex Tri Race Report

Why do we sign up for these things again .... ?

Today i definately asked myself that question many times. i might have prepared for the answer to this had i known that the conditions would affect me the way they did, and had i known that for the whole race i was going to feel like i had just been hit by a bus or had just fallen off my bike teaching a T3 cycle class :) ( yes that did happen, dont laugh too loud )

I had a great pre race warm up yesterday, a ok nights rest after the endless hours of visualizing , which i honestly wish that i had not learnt that skill at all since it seems like it is a neverending story that goes on in my head. But woke up ready to go and in good spirits.

Today my goal was to have fun, be encouraging , excited and kind to others and just trust that all my hard training would show up for me and see what happens. I also wanted to race for Steve's Aunt Nelda , who raised him and is 80 ( dont let that fool you , she is sharper than i am now, and could ever wish to be ) , who came down from San antonio with Steve's cousin and their daughter to watch me race for the first time. She is one of those woman who brings out the best in you , and also shows you the impact that someone can make on anothers life. i remember the first time i met her, after Steve has been gloating about her for ages, i was silent all the way home, just still trying to take it in and feeling like i had this spark relighted in me .. so definatley a good reason to race hard..

Funny thing is - i almost crashed into them as i was taking a turn on my bike. that would have sucked..

RACE DAY

I was excited. i felt ready , i have had some great races and some amazing workouts recently for me to feel really confident going in. i also had this new nutrition plan that would hopefully stop me from cramping and give me the energy i needed.

SWIM

Swim i thought went really well. I got totally banged around by the boys for about 200 m. i remember getting hit in the jaw, and thinking, wow - thats a first. but then i got into a nice little pack for nearly all the swim. i was always behind someone or right next to someone, since i read in the latest Triathlon magazine that being a bit back and next to someone was the better draft zone. I was working as hard as i could, knowing that i dont have much time to make up the swim deficit on the collegiate swimmers ahead of me, and i think this is the main reason i officially dont think olympic distance is for me.. the swim to bike ratio is not in my favor, unlike the 70.3 distance. Got out in 29 min .. ouch.. and i heard Steve shout 6 min back.. holy cow. i am going to have to book it..

T1

was pretty good. i hate having to take my wetsuit off by myself, and usually fumble quite a bit, but this time it went off smoother than usual. the running with the bike was another story. we had to go over all these wood chips and my bike hit something and i lost grip and almost fell face down, but thanks to my "tiger like reflexes".. just kidding. i was able to recover.

Steve told me that as soon as we were mounting bike, two guys behind me did the "flying squirrel " onto their bikes, and then collided into each other - must have been quite a sight, but they missed me by inches.. phew..

Bike

Well, i was hoping to really get after it , but right off the bat, it was bbaaaaddd... my legs felt like bricks and if i had a heartrate monitor on , i think it would have shown 100 percent max , and i was struggling to breath to top it. when i tried to stand and sprint, there was nothing. so to my dismay, all the hills and turns i had to sit up and pedal as if i was on a paper route.

The encouraging thing was that i was going back and forth with some guys from the elite wave, and ended up dropping them, aswell as the fact that it looked like i was dropping the gals behind me aswell as catching the two infront of me. yes the ones 6 and 4 min out infront.

I finally caught Suzanne , who i know is a strong cyclist , so that gave me a glimmer of hope. now i was in 2nd. i remember passing her and instead of trying to increase the gap and keep pushing , i backed way down, just to try and recover, as if i had it now and i was going to lose her. but right as i let off , there she came again and tucked infront of me. i knew i had to suck it up and really pass her now on this 2nd attempt , and i did , right before the big turnaround on 1st street. I had so much speed going into that turn that my tire skidded and i missed the fence by inches hearing all the gasps from the sideline. what i sight that would have been. nevertheless , as that happened and i was digging myself out of the back corner, Suzanne had snaked in and passed me again with a smooth little inside turn..

right after that , i passed her up again, and was able to stay infront for the final loop . i think at this point we were stil 3 min behind the leader. and no one close to us from behind. so we were racing for 2nd and 3rd.

Run

The last few races, i have started the run and felt great, legs were there, and i was composed.

This race didnt happen like that. as i got off the bike, i knew it was going to be a long day since i was struggling to run through transition.

when the run started , i had no idea how i was going to make it to the end. not good thoughts to have when starting a 10k run. i was immediately looking for shade that i could go and collapse under and call it a day.. i was not ready to run today. Suzanne and i ran a mile together,until she left me and i had no response. my first thought was Dang - i had no idea she could run like that, but also thinking, i must be going at a snails pace. my 2nd thought was -i'm done. time to lay down on the side of the road and get wheeled out of here. i can honestly say that i had the most negative self talk i have ever had in my head . ever. and i was starting to feel really dissapointed with myself. Nevertheless, i put one foot infront of the other, just knowing i will get to the end eventually and knowing that i would be more disappointed with myself if i had to quit for the first time, especially when i am coming in 3rd in a big race. Crossing the bridge for the first time i actually got sick on the side of the road, i kept running, then i really wanted to stop. But then i thought of Aunt Nelda and the rest of the family all here to cheer me on, i couldnt quit. not today..

to finish it off, Suzanne ended up dropping out, with about 1.5 miles to go, while i was concerned for her , i knew that if she was hurting , it was ok for me to feel as bad as i did, and so just kept moving foward , determined to finish, and now i was in 2nd. Right as we were about to turn for the straight away on BSprings and Riverside. Leslie passes me with a sounded like a grunt but i think was a c'mon to me. Easy for her to say, as she looked like she was floating across the road, and my feet were getting deeper into the cement. i had played out this moment in my mind and how i was going to respond and kick it in if it had to come down to this, but my mind would not let me put any of that "wishful thinking " into action..

So ran in 30 sec behind Leslie, for a 3rd place finish..

I thought , i did it !! i got my pro card. i was ecstatic. and i was super proud and happy for Leslie too. we had both done it .. We sat and waited to see if any age groupers had bettered our times.

30 min - none , 1 hour - not so far, i thought it was done. Hammer ( Scott H ) then came over to me and said , i think someone just went 2:16 which beats our times.. no........

went to go and check.. it was true. i was out of top 3 .. and i wont deny it , that sucked.

to feel as if i had done it, and go through all the emotions, and then lose it, and go through all those emotions. yes, i do realise that me just sneaking in at 3rd today with a terrible race, means i really shouldnt be pro anyway, but to have a big dream accomplished and then lose it like that . well just plain sucks.. i really wish that those gals had entered the open wave so that i could have known that i was going to be sprinting in for the actual 3rd place. dont know if that would have changed anything, but i would like to think it might have...

anyway, Kansas 70.3 on Sunday. lets try again...i will be hoping to report that i didnt cramp...

Nutrition - when you think you know what you are doing...

I am going to go ahead and start with saying that i feel i have a good grasp of everday nutrition , but when it comes to eating for endurance events - i had no idea ....

Here is my 2 cents in everday nutrition to start and what i have learnt....

With everyday nutrition and when it comes to general weightloss ,most of us all know what to do in order to lose those unwanted pounds, it is doing it that is the hard part. I feel i have found the key for me. It was finding the right motivation !! Running is SOOOOO much easier !! And i am doing this to be more competitive and faster, and not to fit back in those skinny jeans which i have kept in your closet since high school.

Being 13 lbs heavier just 4 months ago, and having trained at that weight compared to now burned fresh in my memory. i know i dont want to go back there. As the weight starts to come off and you feel lighter and quicker, and workouts become easier not to mention not injuring myself, it is much easier to continue on the weightloss plan then it ever was to start in the first place. when you feel blah, it is hard to be gung ho about being diligent with eating well and exercising . When you feel great, it is easy. But honestly it only takes a week or two of feeling on the fence before it all clicks and becomes easy. yes, skipping the snacks you eat every night like clockwork become a distant memory.

So for all those on this everlasting struggle ( it seems ) , i encourage you to A -find the right motivation for you , just trying to look good doesnt usually work - a goal to be a better athlete and PR on that next race you do,might work , so give that thought process a try.
Why this worked for me is because when i am just trying to lose weight to be skinnier i tend to take on all these crazy diets. the no carb one is a good example. All of a sudden you have this crazy obsession with food and that is all you can think of because you are worrying about not being able to eat the bun of your burger.

When you are eating better to perform better. You cant cut out a certain type of food. your body needs it to function. The mindset of FOOD = FUEL and that is it, is going to help you make the right choices everyday. I eat so that i can fuel for my workout , then recover for my workout. If i know something is going to make me feel blah for a later workout or tomorrows workout, i dont eat it. enough said..

Another thing i have found is that cutting out my favorite foods that are not good for me, is the only way to go. You lose the taste for that food after a week or so, and all of a sudden your favorite treat is oatmeal and fruit instead of ice cream. We are creatures of habit , and whatever you eat day after day , you will end up craving. so give it up already. If i can give up chocolate and bread , which i honestly thought i would stop breathing without, so can you ...

Onto the nutrition, i thought i knew about, but really didnt - FUELING DURING ENDURANCE TRAINING AND EVENTS ...

Go see a good sports nutrionist - NOW .
I have worked my butt off to go into big races, and then blow up because of stupid nutrition issues. Think about all the sweat and tears, early mornings, early evenings, hard workouts till you want to puke, missed nights on 6th street ;) with your friends. All to be gone in the blink of an eye because you didnt nail nutrition. I have learnt that not only what i do on race day , but everyday until race day - matters !! yes , every morsel. Now i realise all of you dont want to be professional athletes, but honestly, if you are investing as much time and money as you are getting to that ironman race at the end of the season, why not eat right and make the whole process even easier on yourself.

But seriously, go found out how many calories and how much sodium you need to train and race efficiently.. and say hello to PR"s galore.. i have no doubt. Just from training on this new nutrition plan, i feel so much better, and have been able to push myself harder and longer to reach a new level.. and this is only week 1. world watch out ;)....

I am doing my first race this monday , with the correct nutrition and i will let you know how that goes but i feel really good about it . i can't believe that i have done as many races as i have, weekend after weekend, no joke, on water alone.. Be curious how it will feel not to suffer like i have in the past.

Nutritionist in Austin i would suggest :
Meredith Terranova -www.eatingandlivinghealthy.com ( endurance athlete know all and my nutritionist )

Christine Marquette - www.marquettenutrition.com ( if you want to eat all natural all the time, have food allergies, and are vegeterian )

Jess Kolko - T3 nutritionist - jesskolko@gmail.com , new to the nutritionist scene but sure to be a headliner soon.

Lonestar 70.3 race report - warning - long again

A few good quotes that were in my mind going into this race :
As Sam Wariner quoted to me“ I was born to be an athlete, this is all I know “ .
Another quote that my husband’s good friend , Chad sent – Don’t try to please other people, do what makes you come fully alive. The world needs people that come fully alive”
“ I don’t want to be standing at heavens doors and tell God that I didn’t use up all the talent that He blessed me with “
The reason I got into triathlon is because I feel that God has led me to be doing this and has opened every door possible. I am here to bring Him glory and point people to him – through my actions , my attitude, and trying tolove on people .
I feel I didn’t do this as best as I could this weekend.
My attitude – I feel ,was not the best. I was so self focused and then disappointed that I didn’t realize all those around me, some that had not even been able to finish the race , had a bad race, etc. and here I was complaining because I was leading then lost , yet set a personal best time of 4:57 , which most people dream of breaking 5 hours.
I was really hard on myself after the race, yes, tears and all, and I am sure to many out there, it seemed as if this is all that mattered to me, etc. yes, I am hard on myself when I don’t achieve my goals but personally I think this is what make me work so hard and makes me the athlete I am .
So ,me laying this all out there for you all to see , is because I need some accountability with my friends and fellow triathletes. If anyone sees me like this again, slap me upside the head. Please !
My goal for the rest of the year – to do what God has gifted me to do in an attitude of gratitude that I am able to race and be out there with all my friends. And my focus needs to be on others , not myself. That is what brings the most joy ! truly !! In the past when I have had down times, the first advice I get given is that I need to go and do something for someone else and get out of myself. And it works everytime.
Now to the race if you are still reading after all that rambling……
So the mindset from my coach Siri, was to have no expectations and just try my best. I don’t know if this mindset worked for me. Last year I went into each race wanting to win and by a lot, and mostly I did, and I had that fire that I felt was missing from the race. It was almost as if I was my best friend out there saying “ you are doing great, so proud of you “ when really what I needed to hear was “ get your butt up to the front and win this thing” …
Swim –
The bay, the wind , the speedboats going by made for really choppy water. I started out in front of the pack next to Carla Uribe, who I know is an strong swimmer. I thought with all the time in the water and with my improvement on my times in the pool ,that I would be able to stick with her, but I unfortunately found out that no matter how fast I am in the pool , if I cant swim in open water and sight properly, I am still going to be slow. So note to self – more open water swimming and learn to sight. Immediately once the gun went off I was probably in the front pack for 50 m before I lost any feet that were in front of me. And then if you can believe it, I swam completely solo for the rest of the way. The good news is I swam straight in line with buoys and most people were getting pushed too far to the right because of the current and waves. I swam as hard I could for that day ( again that “kind” voice was holding me back a little knowing I had a long day ahead ) , so it was really about at 80 %.
Came out of the water in 35 min or so . Brutally slow . But I didn’t let that get me upset since I had that feeling that everyone had a bad swim because of the conditions. And I was being my “best friend “,remember .
Bike –
Got out of T1 quickly and started passing people immediately on the bike. There was some head and side wind going out , but not too bad. I was still holding around 21 mph. My hope was too average out around 22 or 23 mph, so I was thinking that on the way back with some tail wind , I would make that up .
After the turn around .Tailwind ? Where had it gone ?? so I was averaging about the same on the turnaround. I was thinking with this slow bike I was going to start getting passed up, but didn’t , so everyone must have been having a hard time out there? I felt pretty good about that coming into T2 but had no idea how many gals were still in front of me because I didn’t have Steve to call that out like he usually does as I come out of T1. I usually like to know how many girls are in front of me out of the water So I know how many I need to pass on the bike, which gives me that extra motivation.
I had taking in my nutrition religiously so that I would be ok for the run . I had Lime Puresport and Carbo Pro mix with Nuun for some extra electrolytes, and then I was taking in salt stick tablets every 20 min. The goal for this race was to not cramp up like I did in Longhorn 70.3 last year.
I wanted to push and go harder on the bike, but I had something holding me back. I kept on having this fight in my head – do I hammer the bike – my strength, or be conservative because i kept on thinking that I still had to run 13.1 miles and that is where it will be won. The second thought won and I kept it rather conservative on the bike. I think it was also this voice in my head being kind to me and saying just to try my best, instead of it saying “go, go , go, no matter what it takes “
So into t2 I come, no cramps so far, except for some minor hand cramps I had throughout which was followed by me popping some salt.
Run
Got to the end of the bike and didn’t take my shoes off on the bike as usual , I bent down to try but felt myself starting to cramp up in my back – oh no.. so I just left the shoes on , flaps open.
I got off and ran with them as fast as I can – which was slow. Next time I have to get those shoes off no matter what .
Racked my bike , grabbed a gu and one more salt tablet and took those immediately as I got water heading out for the run.
I heard Logan on the microphone saying that I was the 3rd age grouper to head out on the run. And I could see two woman just 100 meters in front of me, and they were moving slowly. I passed the first girl that was in my age group at the first corner, and I felt effortless. All the t3ers were on the side screaming and all excited. i was going to do this. By the next turn I had already put 100 meters on her and was feeling good. The next lady had left in the wave in front of us and I passed her at about mile 1. When I looked down at my watch to see the mile 1 split. 6:20 . whoa – I thought. Seriously ?I thought I was running 7:15’s at best .I got so excited. Right after the first water stop I could feel my quads starting to cramp up . please ,please ,…no…. I kept on, just not picking my legs up like I was for the first mile. Mile 2 – 6:35 and feeling great except for those quads which I could feel tighten every step of the way.
Still holding the lead, I could see one girl closing in. Mile 3, 4, 5 I checked my watch. Was holding 7min miles all the way, which I could not believe because I was really feeling my quads now, knowing that at any moment it would lock up. I kept my steps small and short , so that I would not encourage a full blown cramp. At Around mile 5, I finally got passed up by girl 1 .crap …..
I kept on thinking , pick It up , you are not working hard enough! Especially since I really wasn’t breathing hard. So I tried to surge and go harder but the body would not respond at all. I was starting to feel cramps in my feet and at one point my left foot locked up and I hobbled for a few steps until it released again. This happened a few times after that . I got water and Gatorade at every stop, but nothing was helping, I was starting to fade ,and fast, and there was nothing I could do about it . My mind wanted to go harder, but my body was not agreeing.
Right at the end of the 3rd lap and 4 miles to go , 2 more girls passed me , I wanted to cry right then . I was out of the “top 3 – pro qualification”. I tried to put on a surge and stay close to girl number 3 , but that is when full on cramps started happening. My surge ended up with me having to back way down. I was going to stop and stretch but I really didn’t want to walk so I kept on with a slow crawl.
Last lap to go, and I was slow close. Still in 4that this point. I was praying that I could somehow pick it up and selfishly I was praying that someone ahead of me had blown up. Both didn’t happen. I ended up getting passed by two more girls with about a mile to go. At this point I looked at my watch once more as the new goal was to break the 5 hour mark that everyone talks about breaking. Please let me at least do that. I was able to hold steady and deliriously picked it up for the last half a mile. I remember thinking how ridiculous I must look because my head and arms were flailing everywhere as I ran then hobbled because a cramp would overcome me, then run into the end.
4:57 … so close yet so far. A 4:48 would have got me top 3. 9 min !! - A little harder on the bike , a steady pace on the run with no cramps and I would have had it..thats what I am telling myself anyway.. Next time
I couldn’t Thank to Lindsey Holtkamp ( my Steve replacement as she put it ) for taking care of me as I was in the medical tent for 2 iv’s and hyperthermia( No wonder I couldn’t pick it up during the run) She held my hand , as I am seriously scared of needles , and she really went above and beyond to be kind and loving as I was beating myself up over the race.
Thanks to Matt connor for speaking some truth into me as I lay there with tears in my eyes, Phil for trying to stretch me out before he carried me over to the medic tent. Kelly for getting my bike when I couldn’t walk. And Jennifer for being the driver to and from Galveston , and for the great conversations we had.
Thanks to Red licorice events, jack and adams, under armour,Puresport, Sweet leaf tea, and T3 and all the teammates, and of course my husband who keeps on believing in me and supporting me.

my off season - 1st race is Sunday !!

So , it is Thur . I race on Sunday . My first race to put all the work i have done in the off season to the test. And truthfully it is all the work i have done from January 21st till now. I took a long off season after my very full schedule last year of racing around 22 events. yeah, i know.

so i needed the break. What was going to be a month of laying low turned into 3 months of laying low because of the Winter months and it being a struggle to get outside, and then tack on a 1 month trip to south africa to visit my family that i hadnt seen in a while. This all concluded to a few runs and swims here and there without much intensity and focus. But i knew when i set foot on american soil after my trip back home that there were going to be no more excuses. I had gained about , wow - i think 10 or so pounds , and honestly looking back, i dont know how i didnt gain more, because i drank all the wine i wanted and ate everything i had deprived myself of last season. and why ? just because i could. I am not an emotional eater by any means or any of that other crap that people blame for eating alot. I just eat because i enjoy it and i can. All family gatherings , special moments, etc, etc all revolve around eating and drinking, and in return bring even more joy to the occassion. And instead of saying no to these moments. I enjoyed them to the fullest - just because i could. "More wine Natasha ? " - "sure , why not".

So January 21st i started saying "NO" to almost everything i enjoy. And i am totally fine with it, because i know i enjoyed it to the max and more for 3 months. anything worthwhile comes with a price, and while i have started really late to get my game face on for my triathlon season, i was 100 percent ready to put all my chips in . Part of racing to my full potential is that i need to be in the best shape to do that , and i needed to lose all that weight i gained off season and more. I was in ok shape last year, but it was time to take it to another level in training / nutrition/ recovery , etc

So far i have lost about 14 lbs in 3 months. and even better news - i fit into those "skinny jeans" that i have had in my closet for 6 years and held onto for this very day. Is it worth it - definately.

Now the training - Since January 21st , i have been able to follow my coach Siri's plan almost perfectly. I know that her plan will fully prepare me for the races and to reach my goals, so i know i am shorting myself when i dont do a workout. But you know how it is, some days life gets in the way , and you can only do what you can do . this seemed to be the case alot last year, and i had alot of " i dont feel like it " moments. But i can honestly say that this year that hasnt been the case at all. I think i owe that to having a coach who writes a prefect program for me , and knowing what i have to do everyday has purpose and structure, makes it more motivating for me to do it . I feel that i have done what i could so far , and i am as prepared as i could be at this point. Do i have alot of improvement ahead of me - without a doubt. I am prob about half way to where i think i can really be at my full potential, but it is a start, and it is gonna take time. I am not going anywhere...

So Sunday will be the first test to see where my fitness levels are, and what i really need to work on . It will be a celebration of all the hard work i have put in over the last few months . I will sign off with this quote that my coach posted today that i think is fitting to the weekend ahead.

To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” Bernard Edmonds

Back home after camp - more to come

It is so good to be back in Austin , and in our new duplex that my husband lovingly moved us into while i was training in CA.
Once i get unpacked, rested, and back in the swing of things. I look foward to writing more about the experience at training camp ....so stay tuned.