I should have listened

My alarm buzzed at 4:06 a.m. today. After realizing that I actually planned that most annoying noise to yell at me at that hour, I wavered. Usually, I am UP. It hurts... but I am a robot and just Go. I don't think. My pile of sweats lays at the end of my bed on the floor, easy to grab without effort.  Not today. Today, I thought twice. Instead of changing instantly, I walked into the bathroom. I had a little pep talk, came back out and got dressed instead of crawling back in bed.
Onward. I "need" to swim at least 3x week in order to make any gains. I've been swimming my entire life and because of that, it takes more than two 3000yd or so workouts for me to see any progress. My progress is always quite minute but it is progress nonetheless.

I hit up the coffee maker, grabbed my back, my post- swim snack and drove away.

Five minutes into my ride ( ~40 min ) I was proud of myself and happy I went. I was awake and writing a good swim workout in my head.  10 x200 today. That was my plan.  I was ready to rip 'em out and end the week feeling good.  ( Well... I still, as we speak, have another doozie of a workout ahead of me so I wasn't really ending my week. More like, starting the weekend on a good note. )

Five minutes after that, in the middle of some song I remember enjoying, I felt it. The car was shaking.
Huh? It's a new car. It rides smoooooooooooth. Something was up.
I turned off the radio. Put down my coffee.

damndoubledamn. I know that feeling.  I've felt it before......

Now... I live in a Very remote area.  I often think about my car breaking down on this ride and therefore, keep my cell phone ON and in my lap while driving. In the winter, I keep a warm down coat, boots, mittens, and hat in my backseat- just in case.

The first 1/2 of my ride is a dark dark dark wooded road. Not a single street light ( ok , a few when I go by Hebron Academy) and not a single place to stop, safely. No shoulders on the roads either. It's just dark and quiet. I love that I am usually the ONLY car out there because it's a nice way to start the day. Just me, the stars ( maybe), my coffee and some tunes.

But it's not so great when the car starts shaking.  LUCKILY I was basically AT the halfway point of my ride and just about at a corner with THE only store. And a light. PHEW!
I pulled in and got out. I knew it, a flat tire.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.  Yes, I swore. I almost cried. And then thought.. what do I do?
It hadn't been shaking too much... I decided to drive home. I'd just go slow. I'll be there in 10-15 min, go back to bed, and deal with it after. How bad could that be???
I started back. I drove all of 10 sec, maybe. The car was NOT going to tolerate this. It was worse and absolutely not able to be driven.
I went back and parked. And called mark's cell. nothin'. Home. Nothin' huh...

AAA.
I called. They had a place 6 miles away. Good! how long can that take?
Turns out, a long time when the station TURNS DOWN the call.  They wouldn't come!
I got up at 4:06. It was now 5:20 and I got a 2nd call from AAA saying they had to call another place and it would be 30 more min.
I was not happy.

Anyway...... you get the jist of my day thus far. I finally got home. I crawled in bed for 25 min.  I 'm not sure why. I was wide awake. I had already had a mug of coffee. I was wired and bummed out.  The kids were up.  It just made me feel a little better.

I knew this before, but today I really felt it.... Getting up at 4:00 just because and getting up at 4:00 to workout does NOT leave you feeling the same way.  In other words, I feel like I got run over by a truck. Usually, I run in the door at 6:30 after my swim days and feel ready to rock.  I always feel ready for bed at night after a 4:00 start but now, it's 9:40 and I feel ready for bed.

4.6, IM and 20 years strong

Two minutes after sitting down at the table for dinner last night... the house shook.  

Truly... it shook.  I have never experienced an earthquake in my life. After all, we live in Maine! Our weather is pretty tame. We are mostly spared by huge natural disasters such as tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes.  So... a 4.6  earthquake took Us by surprise! It was strange.  

I was putting my first bite of food to my mouth when a Loud rumble started. Mark's water glass was shaking. The two of us just looked at each other with wide eyes as if saying to each other without words, "WHAT THE  &*(^* ???"   My mind went to the furnace. And our pellet boiler. Or.. ? SOMETHING down in the basement was blowing up. I was sure of it. Either that or a huge truck was running into something next to our house.  One of my boys made a wimper of panic. He was scared. I am not sure, but I think it lasted about 10 seconds? Not long. But long enough to be alarming. I think there were 3 distinct rumbles.  It was loud. Mark and I ran downstairs and started searching for evidence of a problem. Smoke? Fire? Anything?? Nothing. 

That was the first time it crossed our minds.. earthquake?? Here? 

So what does someone do here in 2012? I admit, first I did say, "Call your parents."  ( They live 1/2 mile up the road from us.) I did have a small moment of 'old fashion' communication/ inquiry there. 

But the next second, I grabbed my ipad and checked facebook. I was ready to ask if others in our town felt anything. I was late to the game. It appeared that nearly all my other friends had already posted, "Earthquake" on their page. 

Ok- that's it! Strange... apparently it was felt in Vermont, NH, NY, and MA.  But the epicenter was about an hour from where I live.

That is that! My first earthquake.  

________________________

I was up early today and in the water by 4:55. Geez... I am not sure if I am proud of myself for these mornings or if I'm slowly coming to grips with how crazy I am.  

Regardless.. I was in the water and excited for the workout. 

IM day!!!!  Blast from the past! I was an IMer  ( fly, back, breaststroke, free in one race)  and butterflier back in the day. I swam both ALL the time in practice. I could do fly for  nearly the whole workout without thinking twice. Not anymore... 99.9% of the time I swim free these days. After all, my days of racing 200fly and 200IM are long gone. Triathlon is all freestyle so, that is what I swim.  Except for the occasional backstroke during warm up and warm down. 

Yet today was 6 x 200IM!! oooeee!!!  Bring it!

That is one way to get the HR up and boost your cardiovascular fitness!!! Do something you never do and do it hard! Wow, it was hard. But I am proud to say, I did all 300 yards of fly with no 'scooter.' ( aka- 1 arm fly. we called it scooter in HS. I'm not sure why.)  I had fun with this set.  

I will definitely be mixing more 'strokes' into my weekly swimming now.  

________________________

Finally, 20 years ago this past spring, I graduated from College at UVM. 

TWENTY??? sigh.. yes, twenty. 

On Friday, I'll travel to Ohio to spend the weekend with 4 women who are truly the best girlfriends anyone could have.  They were my roommates, my co-swim team friends and captains and my partners in crime. :)  We rarely see each other. We rarely talk. But when we do, it is as if not a day has gone by since we were living together back in our Carriage house on South Union Street.  These friends are the real deal. We have each other's backs. We listen. We care. I know, without hesitation, that if I needed anything, they'd be there.  I truly cherish these rare  friendships and I can not WAIT to spend a few days with them.  

Week 2

I've decided to try a new approach.    I have run out of time in my days lately.  I now have a full time job that    feels  squished into half time hours ( school days have shortened lately ), I'm Mom to 3 busy busy boys and I also make time to train myself.   As a result, I am having  trouble sitting to write lengthy well thought out blog posts!!!  I hope to find time for that some more as time rolls along. But for now, I am trying to turn over  a new leaf to write short & frequent posts instead.  Sometimes that's a good  approach to follow with training!! Lots of short & easy runs... that's how I plan to blog for a bit.

I'm at the end of week 2 of my new training season.  And, I'm happy to say, things are getting just a wee bit better.  Other than my painful and mysterious calf incident last week, things weren't bad per se, but they sure weren't good.  

Let's talk about that for a minute though.
Good. What is good?? Oh no.. I'm digging myself a hole for a long post here. And I can't do that. It's 7:38 and I have until 7:45 to do this.

I'll have to come back to this because it is important and it's the theme of the month with my athletes it seems.

In short... it is muy importante that you take time off at the end of a season. I feel this VERY strongly. For many many reasons.  Your mind, your body, your family.... your mind.. did I say that already?  Take a Break folks!!!  It's OK and it's OK to get out of shape.  The Goal is to decondition!! It feels strange and sloppy and sometimes quite bad to those of us who strive to be fit and ready to rock at the drop of a hat. But in reality, you can't do that. You can't stay in perfect racing shape all year. Why not? For one thing, if you do, when the big race arrives next July for example, you will be flat.  The goal isn't to be race ready now but to be race ready then. 

In other words.. Patience everyone! Patience.

3 minutes left!!!

My first few swims were slooooooooooow. But more than that, they were sloppy. My arms were moving in strange directions. I have no idea what was going on under the water but a strong effective stroke was not how it would be described.
That's ok. I've been here before.
How to handle it?
Go back to the pool another day. And then another. And then another. And.. you get the point.

Today, I swam for the 3rd time this week. No big deal. Except, I haven't done that since... Early September??

It's slowly clicking.  I cant' take a lot of time off my swim splits anymore. I've been at it too long and I'm on that end of the age curve. But I can maintain and here and there, I pull out some long lost speed.  The 200s I swam 3 weeks ago were just a bit off. :) That's a nice way to put it. last week, not as bad. Today, I did 5.  The first one, at a moderate-easy effort, was decent. The time was faster than the best times 2 weeks ago. Ahh.. Keep in mind, we're talking about 4 seconds.  That's all I get these days. But #5, that was better. Of course, I was working my tail off. I was pushing and focusing on the underwater pull, kicking off the walls ( doesn't  always happen. Hope my old swim coaches aren't reading. ) , Not breathing off the walls ( again, don't tell the old coaches!) , and pushing that 3rd 50 that always seems to be the worst. And, hey! I dropped down to my in-season 'decent' time. Not even with my best times... but my good times.  There.  And again, that's 8-10 sec between my worst 200 a few weeks ago and today's good one.
Not a lot of time. But that's all I got.

I will go back to the pool Monday. And Wed. And Friday. And then again, the next week. No matter what. I will run and bike and run and bike and lift and stretch and roll and massage.

If I keep it up, in a few more weeks I might even drop 2-3 more seconds! :)

patience.... one of the keys to success.....

Oh How I've missed that feeling!!!!

I really needed a break after my last hoorah out in steamy Vegas. I was done mentally and physically.  I am not one who dreads the post- season time off like so many. I need that time. I love having an undefined period of time when I can get up in the morning, shower, get dressed and go through my busy day without figuring out how to fit in the run I must do. I enjoy deciding after 6-7 days that I want to go for a run or a swim ( notice I am not saying bike) so I just go. I don't wear a watch. I don't decide before I leave home how long I will run or even what road I will take. I just go. I look around. I go slow. And, I don't care.  I enjoy staying up a bit too late on a Tuesday because I don't need to set my alarm for 4:04 a.m. on Wednesday. Instead, I get to sleep in 'til 6:15.  ( funny how life changes as we get older huh? Sleeping late is now in the 6:xx hour on weekdays.)  I will stay up and watch a fav show with Mark or just mess around online or read some magazines. I enjoy that time!!!

But suddenly, without warning, or planning, it ends.

I STOP enjoying that feeling. Because instead, I start to feel, nothing.  No fatigue. No soreness. Just.. nothing.

I get a little restless. I start to feel lazy and ... weak. I slowly but surely move out of the 'I have been training   so hard for months I need a break' Ange to ' I think I've sat on my butt long enough I need to MOVE' Ange.  

I said to Mark one day,  I miss that feeling. I miss walking up the stairs and feeling my legs ache when I get to the top. I miss that whole body fatigue and eye burn because I rode my bike for 80 miles that day.

He just looked at me.  He knows by now. And, thankfully, he just accepts me.

Anyway.. it's BACK! My achy feeling is back. :) With a few unwanted pains I must admit.

Training kicked off a couple weeks ago. Slowly but surely I'm making my way back to the land of the wiped out Triathlete and I love it!!!  Swimming is slow and sloppy but this week, less so than last week. I had a super hard workout this morning that left me breathing heavy at the walls with my arms feeling heavy. I LOVED IT!!!!  There's no better way to start the day really.  I rode for 3 hours outside yesterday in very chilly Fall air but now, my quads are tired and I feel alive again!!!  Ahhh... It's all part of the cycle.  Work hard, rest & recovery, work hard again. Repeat. Over and over. Keep your head down and focus on the day to day details and jobs at hand and the big stuff will work it's way out when you get there. IF.. you stay focused and persistent with the details.  slightly off tangent there...

That leads me to my story about my 1 achy pain that is not welcome.  My calf. Details... I guess I was complacent and overlooked a few details that do matter.  Hard to know for sure but.. .I do have tight calves.
And finally, it came back to bite me.

Last Wed I was out for a relaxed 60 min run. It was slow and easy.  I was on the roads I always run... very hilly.  But again.. that's my norm. The weather was mild.. ~60F with some pretty heavy rain by the end. No worries. I love rainy runs.
So, about 3/4 mile from home , without warning ( ok, maybe a SLIGHT twinge 2 -5 sec before) my right calf SEIZED!!!!!   Oh it was bad. It was not a cramp cramp.. it was a painful baseball rock that formed in there. OUCH!! It hurt me SO so so much. There I was. Pouring rain, NOT that close to home, and on the clock to get my kids.  Damndoubledamn. 
I stepped out of the road and rubbed that knot as much as I could handle it. It hurt to touch. I couldn't even step on my leg. I really wasnt' sure what to do at that moment let alone what damage had just happened.  Alright... long story short, I got home. It hurt and I limped but I got there. I iced and stretched and rubbed. I was secretly a bit happy my son's away soccer game was cancelled because driving 90 min right then with that leg didnt' seem so comfortable or wise.  I limped around for a few days. It improved, but only a bit. And, no more running.
Until, today. Today I will try. It no longer hurts to walk or to rub or to go downstairs. I think it's safe to say I escaped something that could have been a lot worse. I guess I'll really know after I try to run today.

But... WHY??? Why did this happen??  I truly don't think I was dehydrated. I always drink a ton of water. I hadn't been completing any other long or hard workouts. (just started back... ) I am in Maine, in the Fall. It's not hot.  Hmm...??  Guesses?
All I know is that my calves are notoriously tight. I will and Have started rolling and massaging Diligently EVERYSINGLEDAY now. No matter what.

And that is that!!! The feeling is back and I love it.

Now.. to get back to this feeling... the Ironman Finish line joy.  That's my plan and I can't wait.

One more burst...

I did something on Saturday that wasn't necessarily the smartest athlete move but it certainly feels like it was the best thing for me.

Saturday was the annual Lobsterman Tri in Freeport, Maine. I do love the race. I've done it a number of times. Not last year, because I was getting ready for Kona. And this year, it wasn't on the plan because it was only 6 days after the Vegas race.  My husband Mark, however, does it each year without fail. My brother and sister in-law often do it and lots of friends too because it's basically the last Tri of the season here in Maine. ( it was in the 30s here last night..... time to get out of the open water!)
Also... In a way, I grew up in Freeport.  I didnt' live there but my Grandparents did, my parents do now, we have a cottage on the point across the way from where the race is held. The venue is gorgeous being right on the ocean. There's really no better place for a race in Maine.  You get the point, I hate to miss it. However, I was prepared to spectate and cheer for Mark this year.
But then.. my brother Jeff had a great idea! Let's RELAY it!!! YES! I honestly didn't hesitate. It was his 40th Birthday that day and for his own personal reasons, doing the whole SBR wasn't in his cards.  He asked our friend Paige to swim ( great swimmer ) , Jeff would bike and he wanted me to run.
Ok... well... hmm... 6 days post a Half Ironman. Yikes. I knew it wasn't ideal. Or Smart.  As hard as it sometimes is, I DO appreciate and respect the need for rest and recovery post- long endurance race.
Nah.. I'll do it! What a great way to help my little bro ring in his 40s with my parents there, my kids, Mark on the course, I thought it sounded like fun.

Race day came and while I could walk just fine by Wed, there was still loads of fatigue in my legs.  When I jogged to warm up, well, it wasn't pretty.  No light and fresh race day feeling for me!
That's ok.. I would the best I could.

Paige had a good swim and handed the chip to Jeff.
Jeff Rocked his bike and came in several minutes off his PR for that course and ahead of when I expected him.
My turn.

As soon as I hit the race course, something happened.

I had another chance. This was my official last chance to end 2012 racing on the note I wanted to end on. My race in Vegas was fine.  Sure. The times were quite a bit off my norm and certainly off what I hoped to do. I knew half way into that race to flip the  garmin around and not worry about it. I didn't realize nearly everyone was slower than normal but I did know the field was suffering. I knew after to keep it all in perspective. I am mostly happy with my 11th place finish at a big World Championship event. (The sting is the fact that girls #9 & #10 were RIGHT there within a min or two.... that bugs me... )   I walked away from that day knowing I gave me all I had, that day. I know in my head that 107+ degree heat for someone from New England, is simply, very tough.  And that is that. I was sucked dry and as a result...

I could NOT run hard!!!!  

THAT is what was bugging me. I wanted to RACE that run and push myself out of my own skin. That is how I race 70.3 races. I am running my heart out. I don't pace.. I don't hold back... I am racing hard.
On 9/9, in Vegas, I wasn't doing that. I was strong and steady and proud of that, but I was not racing with the push that I usually have.

So... when I hit that course on Saturday, despite my fatigued legs all body from the week before, lightning zipped through me and I took off.

I was a woman on a mission. I ran my heart out. Did I PR a 10K? No.. but I am really happy with what I did.  I pushed beyond what I thought I could do that day. In fact, around mile 1.5-2 my quad started to seize. The tired legs were there but I had pushed that so so far back in my brain that I didn't notice. But my left leg was rebelling. I was still moving 'fast' but I was limping. The pain was intensifying and the muscle was growing tighter and tighter. I wondered what would happen.. if I'd be forced to back way off and even walk. I tried to ignore it and magically, it loosened enough to hammer on.
Mile 4 is my favorite with a 6:07 split! I was psyched!!
I chased down anyone in front of me ( I DID have the R on my leg for the relay so it wasn't the same as really chasing them down but it was a game I was playing in my head.)
I wanted revenge.. revenge on that run last week. I needed to get out there, run my a-- off and prove to myself that yes, I can in fact, Still run hard and fast.  I got through that 10K in 42:20 and feel so so happy and like I redeemed myself a bit. In my own head... it just made me feel good. I was pushing hard and running out of my comfort zone for that day.  Just as a race should be...
THANK YOU Jeff for getting us on that relay!!! It was JUST what I needed.

Now.. I really rest....
Ahhhh..

Ironman 70.3 World Championships 2012--

What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas. Isn't that what they say? I'd like this one to stay there please.

______________________________________-
I was naive going into this race. I was level headed
and calm. The stories of heat and hills didn't worry me.  Why not? I can't answer that. I rationalized that the dry air vs humid air we have here in the Northeast and that I've dealt with twice in Kona is much worse so the desert heat would be tolerable.
Yeah, right.

Mark and I travelled alone and arrived Thursday night around 6:00. When we walked outside from the airport, it hit me in the face. HEAT! It truly felt like an oven door had opened and I was thrown in. We got in the car and it read 99. Ok..I'll get used to it in a few days.

Friday and Saturday were typical pre- race days.  I was really happy to have some Maine / NE friends there with me!!  Two TriMoxie Athletes ( Marisa and Tammy ) earmed spots to race at the Mooseman 70.3 in June so they were there and our good friends Mary Lou Lowrie and Nat Steele were there too!!  MaryLou raced there last year so they had some great advice and tips for us.  I really enjoyed everyone's company and support those two days.  The weekend was definitely fun because they were there.

Let's get to the race.
Up and at 'em at 3:40 and into the transition area for final preparations. Nat followed us down bright and early and got our tires pumped. (Thanks Nat!!!!! ) I was so relieved about that.. I am uneasy pumping my disc so this was comforting to have his caring hands on the rig before I hit the roads.
One snaffu....  my garmin was frozen. It turned on, but never left the garmin welcome page.  Hmm...
I wandered around trying to see if a new spot would activate it. nothing. I looked for Nat. He was gone. So... I had a chat with myself.  And actually, I was fine. I was completey calm about it. No power. Ok... Ange, you can ride your bike. Go out and just do what you know how to do. I know what it supposed to feel like. I know what to avoid and what to aim for by feel. I truly didn't really care!!! I was mostly annoyed that I wouldn't have the computer to tell me what mile I was on. THAT helps me. I plan fueling and aid stations and count down to the run.  But, it would be fine.  I was truly 100% ok with it.

I was heading back to T1 to snap it on the bike anyway when I saw Tammy's husband, Mike.  I said Hi and then remembered...HE is a computer whiz!  Suddenly, I cared again.  And, he fixed it. :)  Almost. It was completely reset and all data from the past erased. That's ok. The main thing is that it wasn't synced to my SRM so I would have to do that when I hit the course.

onward...

I got ready to go. We were lined up in order of waves ( I was #8) and let into the water with 5 min to go. The wave ahead would go... we'd line up at the in water start and then go from there...
Mark had a great view on the bridge of the hotel overlooking the swim course. Here we are lined up and ready....

Corralled for the swim start 

that's me waving.... feeling nervous for sure... but ready to go

Transition...

I didn't know I was being watched with a zoom lens.... 

Focusing... or.... wondering if I REALLY had to get into that brown water.... 

Time to dive in and line up... this photo doesn't show it but the water is Brown... it's not  good. It smelled and was full of dirt and who knows what else....  I hesitated here before taking the plunge... 

40-44 women at the start 

And we're OFF!! That's my left arm right under the flag. 

that's me in the middle... my right arm is in the air...

Hi Mark!!

looking off the bridge at part of the swim course

 the swim course

THIS photo shows the water color a bit more.. That's my trying to pass someone from an earlier wave. You couldn't see anyone until you were ON them... there was zero visibility in the water.

The swim: 

I took off in the front of the pack and pushed really hard... I felt good. My body responded well and things were great. I was up front with another girl and worked to stay with her. I breathed on both sides here and there to attempt to find my position in the pack. I couldn't see very much. Besides the fact that the water was brown and smelly ( yes, it smelled ), it was dark. It was truly impossible to see Anyone until you literally hit them. No bubbles.. nothing. So, I tried to look around a bit but it was useless.  I just swam hard and sighted the best I could.  I got kicked or punched, not sure which, in the mouth and thought about how a fat lip would look. I forgot about that quickly but my lip is still sore.  The swim is always a bit of a punching match.  But after a few minutes I was alone. Again.  I had clear water 95% of the time which is nothing to complain about.  My pool was closed the last 3 weeks of the season so I did nearly all my swimming in open water. I felt natural out there because of it but wished I'd had more opportunity to push the speed. In the end, my swim was fine.  29:XX which is a min or two slow for me but who really knows. You never know what line you take, how it's measured, how the 83 degree water temp affects you, and so on... all courses are different so as long as I was under :30 and in the lead pack, I was fine. It's a long day and this was just the start. 

I struggled to get up the ramp at the finish because it went from Nothing to the edge which was way up in the water.. you had to climb up on it.  Oh well.
The run to T1 is Long!! I had a knack for choose long T1 runs this summer.  Mont Tremblant, Rev3 and now this. I gathered myself and got ready for the ride. The ride...that's the part that I stress about every time.  No looking back now.. time to ride. 

I took time to get arm coolers on and was out pretty fast after that. Again, another LONG run UP a steep hill with switch backs to the mount line. I was stuck behind 3 people who were basically Walking?! I finally  worked my way around them and ran out.
Good... let's go. 

you start UP a hill... for about a mile? Mark and Nat were on the side of the road and I yelled Hi.  They're awesome. Love those 2 out on the course together. They end up everywhere and are always so loud and supportive and it's just comforting to see friendly faces.  

I guess it was good to climb for a bit because I could mess w/ the darn garmin. I had to toggle through all sorts of pages/ settings etc to have it Search for my power and then had to reset the view so I could see the power instead of "Time of day" or "accuracy." Grr... WHY did it stop working on RACE day??? It worked fine the day before!! 

Finally, it was set. Though it wasn't correctly set to 'me' with my settings. Oh well... I had my distance, cadence, and power. I was fine. 

So.. off I rode.  In and around some loops to get us in the other direction and headed towards Lake Mead National park.  Uncharted territory.  

I was happy. Feeling good. I did have a cramp in my right side. Hmm... I ignored it. 

At the beginning of this ride, we go down...... and we go fast. As we entered the park, the terrain engulfed me. The mountains are massive. For as far as you can see it's the red rocks of the desert. I am not sure I can describe it and I have no photos because, well, I was riding and there are no spectators there. All I could think of was that it felt like a Ride at Disney's epcot center. You know those 'rides' that make you feel like you're flying through some landscape of the earth? It felt like that. I loved it. 

And then.... boom. The road turned and the descent was done. Time to climb... and climb... and climb... and climb. 

Did we Ever get to go down again? Not really. Maybe a little. There was NO point where we could just cruise and ride. It was the slowwwwwest ride of  my life. The temps were climbing  and there we were. OUt in the desert.  The park was open to the public for recreation and trucks w/ boats on trailers were flying by us with no regard. I was scared more than once.  Really? For this World Championship event they couldn't cut us a little slack for a few hours?  

I didn't feel bad... but I also didn't feel great. I just felt ...there. I was there. I was drinking a lot. One thing the Dry air did is cause my mouth to just feel parched constantly. I felt like all the fluid was being sucked out of my body. My lips were cracking... my eyes were stinging.  I was completely on top of taking salt, and gels and drinking loads of fluids.  

But when I saw the 28 mi mark on my computer and looked at the time... I swore. are you kidding me???? 

Can we please stop climbing so I can RIDE THIS BIKE FAST!!!????    

I was getting a bit grouchy... and then apathetic.... and then mad... and then apathetic.. and then I'd rally and see what I could make up and then I'd become resigned to the fact that this was NOT going to be a good bike split. 

was it just me? or... is everyone going slower than normal??

Finally... we were out of the park that wooed me 45 miles earlier. I wanted out. We were on our way to T2 which was in a different location than T1.  As a result, what went up didn't necessarily go down and the  elevation gain was in fact more.  Probably not by much but still.  Later, I was also reminded about the altitude compared with home. Ok... good to know that was another factor. And, of course, the heat. My garmin recorded a high of 97 on that part of the day. Just getting started.  

The last few miles were strange. I just couldn't move fast. I felt fine but I wasn't going fast... power was low and well... blah. I rode into T2 and was happily surprised to see Mark and Nat again.  Again, they lifted my spirits.  

They took my bike and yikes.... the body was trashed. My lower back had been hurting during most of the ride and when I got off, that + my legs both hollered NOPE! NO running for you!! great.

I went into the tent and regrouped. I got a bunch of ice into my shirt and started to head out.. and get this. That garmin read: Low battery. WHAT???  It was fully charged when I dropped the bag off. I am guessing it got bumped in the process and ran low. Luckily, I guess, it did work through the whole run. 

I took off from the tent and yay! I could in fact run. I was ok!! I ran out with a girl in all back whose bib read: Amy. She was FLYING!! I mean, Flying.  I even said something to her because I was so impressed and expected to see her disappear. And, she did. temporarily. 

It's a strange run course. You start down hill, turn back about a mile later and head up hill for 2 miles, back down for 2, up for 2... three times. Something like that. It winds around here and there. Some parts are worse than others. At one point you run around the amphitheater near the finish on concrete and it's Scorching hot on that surface and SO bright.

The run went something like this.... 

I felt good at first. I was surprised.  I knew I had 3 loops so I made a plan. I'd run the first loop and get my legs in run mode, get cooled off, start with calories and see how I was doing. Loop 2 would be hard, the middle miles always are. So I would concentrate and focus and work on digging deep. This would be the fight.  Loop 3.. .bring it home. Give it all I had and get in there.  The big picture plan was to start picking off the girls that had passed me on the bike. I wanted it back. 

It started out just like that.  First, I started passing some men. Tall skinny fast-looking men that I KNOW had passed me on the bike. It always happens.  byebye... :)  Mark and Nat were standing on the road at the beginning of the loops so I saw them a lot.  I smiled some, told them I was hot, told them it was kicking my a--, and tried to find out how Marisa and Tammy were. I had been seeing MaryLou so I knew she was ok.  

Up the first section and time to go down... yay! Down hill running.. .time to go fast. 

Um.. Legs? Let's GO! Instead.. I felt like I was running in molasses.  sigh... 

This must be at the beginning...

I just persevered and hoped it would get better.  Instead, it got hot. Very very very hot. Hotter than anything I've ever felt. No, it wasn't humid. But the heat and sun were So incredible intense.  Turns out, it was107 degrees. I have never run in air like that in my life.  It sucks you dry.  

I stopped and walked at every aid station. I was very aware of keeping myself cool and hydrated. For performance and for safety.  I put ice where I could and carried it in my hands, I dumped water on myback on my head and drank some, and I drank perform every single time. I popped salts too.  Over and over and over.   

My running was ok. It wasn't fast, but it was good. I was very very steady and felt quite strong. I felt in control. Again.. I couldn't turn on my speed like I like to in the run. I usually run So hard in these half ironmans but that day, I knew I had to just stay consistent so I could survive in the heat. 

I'm not sure exactly where, but around mile 5, I passed fast Amy! Ha! I was psyched. I passed a few more ladies in my group as well.  Our ages were nearly all worn off so I was going by memory and gut feeling.  I was definitely passing a lot of people who were shuffling along. The whole field was wearing down in the sun.   So while I was slow, I felt like I was holding on stronger than many.  

ouch

I wonder now if I was too careful? Was I too conservative with it? Did I really need to take so much time cooling? At the time, I do think it's what I needed.  I kept with my plan too. I ran every single mile, I ran up all the hills and I pushed harder on the way down. But boy... those stops added up.  Around mile 8 I moved to coke. I wasn't miserable with the perform, in fact, it tasted pretty good. But, I thought it might give me an extra burst. Unfortunately, I got to the next mile and they were out. Out of ice. Out of coke. Next station.. same... grrr...
Mile 10 came along and without warning, or change in effort, my heart started racing. Things got a little blurry and I felt sick.  oh oh..
An aid station was within 1/2 mi so I got myself there and did the whole cooling thing again. It helped.
Alright Ange,   5k. Bring it in.
I ran as hard as I could at that time. It wasn't fast but again, I was moving. My pace was hugely decreased by all my stops but it was what had to happen in those temperatures. It was an inferno. It was intense and absolutely burning hot air.  This Maine girl, with 3 kids who need her, had raced a smart and careful race in that heat and I had to respect myself for that. I had to cut myself some slack for the results.

I was finally left with 1 mile to go and I pushed so hard.  I had a feeling I saw 2 ladies my age JUST up ahead but I couldn't quite get them. If only... if only I hadn't slowed for all that ice. No Ange...don't go there. I had to get that out of my head. I did what I had to do at the time. I did the best I could at that time.

In the end, I was 11th in my age group. I've done 10 Half Ironmans if I am counting correctly.  My time was about the same as #1. Hmm...
I'm a much much stronger athlete now. So, that stings. And yet I know that if I did this course, in these temps  way back, that time would have been waaaaaaaaaaay slower.
I am frustrated that the conditions resulted in a bike and run time that I can't even really look at. And yet, I also appreciate that it wasn't just me. I spoke to many many others after the race and it was across the board. We all said the same thing.  This World Championship course in Vegas is Not a PR course.. it is tough. I think possibly, the toughest course I have ever done. Yes, the course is harder than Kona.  It had the feel of an Ironman.  A 140.6 mile Ironman... I can only speak for myself but my mind was on survival mode. It was all about staying strong and steady and tough.  Fast racing had to take 2nd fiddle that day.  It wasn't meant to be.  I wish I could walk away from it feeling 100% satisfied and psyched to end the season that way.  Instead, I feel accomplished and proud to have held on. I am being forced to think of this race with my head rather than my heart. My heart wanted more. I think I had more. I know I let myself off the hook here and there while on the course because I knew I couldn't win against those elements. I backed off in order to be smart and safe.  I guess that means I'm growing up a little? Or, did I weaken? No.. .I am not weakening.  I learned a few lessons and I conquered something new and harder than ever before.  Days like that drain me. Some of my love for racing  was sucked out of me that day. I felt powerless when I couldn't fight back even though I wanted to.  It confused me and has left me wondering... what's next?

As each day passes, I feel myself being pulled just a bit back in the right direction. The direction I am familar with.  I need a break right now but I am not done yet. I have a bit more fight left in here and that's what I intend to do.

Sunday humbled me.  I've had a number of great races over the past couple years and I guess in some ways I was due for a wake up call.

It was what it was. Not my fastest and not perfectly executed but I know I was strong mentally and somewhat physically that day so I have to walk away with my head up.

I have the greatest family... and this is what matters most.  thanks Cameron, Tommy & Nick 

Race Report! REV3 Old Orchard Beach, Maine! Remember the waves!!! And I'm not talking about the Ocean!

Rev3 came to Maine last weekend and we had a superb day for the big race.  Look at this photo....

 You can't beat it!  This  gorgeous sunrise on the beach was taken at the start of our race. Maine truly is the best place to live.





My day started in another awesome location... our little secret island on the lake.  There's Tommy on the dock.. you can see a glimpse of our camp up the stairs.  ( just a random note, those stairs are NOT so fun post- race or post-workout for that matter. ouch) Anyway.. I'm mentioning this because on our lovely little island hideaway, we live without electricity.

Don't worry... we have lights. But they aren't bright and there aren't many. When it's dark, it's dark. My day started at 3:20 a.m. Yup... that might be a record for race day start even with my Ironman races. The first wave went off at 6:15 so we had to get movin' nice and early. Ouch. The fun part wasn't just getting myself out the door with 1 dim gas lamp it was Boating my way across the lake on this big old party boat!! ( that's Mark and my Mom some other day.. in the light!) It was pitch black, I had a flash light and a little lantern and off I went. I know my way, I know where the other boats are moored, but docking was a disaster. It took me 4-5 attempts with lots of swearing ( quietly..shh...it's only 3:45 a.m.....) and frustration wishing I had just made Mark drive me over and dump me off on the dock. Oh well.. I made it eventually.  Now on with the race. ( I was just pretty proud of myself for making it out of there that way and that early!)

 I was pretty excited to race on Sunday. It had been a long time. I raced a small race in July here in the town I live in. It was fun but it was small. Rev3 drew a huge crowd and the field was potentially full of great competition. I had Tons of friends racing and we had Lots of TriMoxie Athletes on the course too. The day was pretty exciting actually.  To see a production set up like that here in Maine was great. Finally!!  The pro field was deep too. Karen Smyers, Becky Lavalle, and our own Mike Ciazzo were just a few that were there.  The Half Ironman ( ok, It's not IRONman because it was Rev3 but you know what I mean... ) race went first.  Their waves were earrrrrly. I watched and warmed up in the WARM ocean. Yes, warm. Maine waters are warm right now and the temp was about 68. Lovely. That may not sound warm but trust me, it is for us!! It felt great. The sea was calm and clear and the sun was rising. Perfect. My parents were there, my brother's kids, my best buds Mary & Alina and while Mark & my guys couldn't make it ( soccer) I was not alone.

Finally.. My turn! I was nervous and yet in control. I was ready to get out there and fight for it. To race hard and see how my fitness is shaping up. I'm gearing up for Vegas in two weeks and this race was all about moving fast & staying sharp.

I lined up at the edge of the water with men around me ( mixed wave) and OFF we went. I dove 3x into the small waves, climbed up and over a few swells.
I felt strong and comfortable. I pushed hard and yet stayed in control. ( kind of need to work on NOT staying in control on this... I need to swim with others more... not sure how..)  I saw 1 girl take off next to me. Hmm.. who is this? I worked to stay on her feet and did stay pretty close but she was ahead. I was ok with it because I could see her the whole way...she was close. And, I felt confident about my bike and run. The race was just beginning.
Into the shore and a wave flipped me in and pushed me onto the sand. It was fun actually. I love the ocean.
Up the beach, I tried to smile as my name was cheered but I was admittedly a bit disoriented and dizzy from the ocean.
The run to T1 was LONG! I hated it. It was Hot already and with the wetsuit at my waist, I was miserable. It measured 1/2 mile someone told me. Not sure if that was true but it was long. The hardest part was running on the road that far in barefeet. It was hard on the feet...
Ok---
into T1 There she is! I knew she was close. I was in and out of transition fast, struggled with my shoes ( still perfecting the flying mount haha) and off I went. Eh.. I felt okaaay... but not great.  We were climbing up a mellow long gradual hill and I was semi-ticked because people raved about the Flat fast nature of this course. Nope. It wasn't flat. I lost sight of girl #1 and lost my umph to go after her. Temporarily.  I rode and rode and pushed as hard as I could but... I was alone. totally 100% by myself alone. Ick. It didn't feel like a race.  Eventually, a few super fast guys flew by. Oh yay! IT's a race! I'm racing!!! And then, they were gone too.  Ladedadeda.....
No.. I didn't really act like that. I was working  my tail off but I really did have to keep telling myself it was a race since I didn't see a single sole for about 14 miles.

The course did a lollipop so finally I was heading back to town and passing the others coming in my direction.  It was fun to look for my TriMoxie athletes racing.. I saw a few and yelled! I hit town, was feeling fast and excited to run and see what was next.

OFF to run! My favorite part! I felt good heading out of T2.  The best part? I found her. She was rightttt up ahead. 

I'm going to say.... 400 yards? I'm not sure but she was in my target range.  

I started running and started thinking. 

Alrighit Ange, what are you going to do? She's running hard. She really does look strong. Her stride is quick and she wants this. Do you? Yes. I do. Ok..can you get her? Or, will you die? What's going to happen? Are you going to take a risk here? You could just get 2nd. You have that wrapped up. No! I want this. I want the win!! It's mine this time. But how.. how do I do it? can I? 

I ran through mile 1 and felt awesome. It felt easy. I was way sub 6:30 and my HR / breathing were completely mellow. Don't get me wrong, I was working. But that work felt very manageable. She was still ahead. The gap had closed. I am not sure anyone but me couldn't notice that. But I felt it. I could feel that I was gaining on her 

Time to play games.
I decided to run with reserve for 3 miles. I'd hang on, stay right behind her, but keep my gas in the tank. I'd keep the turbo charge off ... and then at the end... I'd take over. 

that was plan A. 

So... I ran through mile 2.  I was keeping my pace even but... I got her. I closed the gap before I expected. Mile 2 ish came along and I cruised up next to her and casually said, "good job" and kept going by.... 

Well...that part was easy. But NOW what was going to happen? Was she going to follow??
I just kept looking forward ( never let them see ya sweat...) and pushed pretty hard. I took some water and gel at mi 3 and Gagged big time. I even had to stop for a second... I was coughing and choking... pathetic. I regrouped and made the turn around at 3.1 and there she was... on my heels.  

I felt strong and my head was still Focused. No way girl with the bathing suit tri kit this race is mine. I want to bring home the gold to the kids this time.  

The way back to town felt great. I ran hard and felt super. I saw friends and yelled or in my case when my breath was gone, I just did thumbs up back to them. ( I can never talk when I race... ) 

Mile 5... I felt confident. I was psyched. Yes! I'm taking this thing.. it's my day. 

And, then.... I did what I never do. I looked back!!! I wanted to know if I was 'safe.'
I was. She was out of sight.  I think I turned the gears down juuuuust a hair. Just a small bit.  I ran it in and ran strong but I saved a wee little bit in there knowing that my biggest day of the year is coming in a few weeks.  

Finish line! yes!  My day. I was pumped. Mary Miller ( pro triathlete from Maine ) was working at the finish and took my name and told me I was 1st age grouper. I was so pumped. The woman I beat finished and I went to her to say congrats.  Shortly thereafter.. another woman. 3rd place I just imagined... 

We talked too. OH! I knew her... Amanda Kourtz. Awesome athlete. We raced Lake placid a few yrs ago together. She told me I just beat her there. ( need to go look that up and remember...)  That was that! I smiled for Dad's camera. I chatted and celebrated with Mary. And, then I made plans to go cheer on our TriMoxie racers and my friends.  Just as I was walking away, Amanda stopped me again. She was super serious... "what wave were you in?" she asked me. ( oh oh... wave? oh oh.... I forgot about waves.. ummm....) I was in the wave ahead of her. ooohh..... how close to us did she finish after all???

Instead of going off to change, first I  checked the Rev3 computer scoreboard. Sure thing! 1st overall! yay!!!! sigh of relief. CLose one. I  knew she must have been close!  

Hours went by and the day was SO fun!!!!  All the TriMoxie athletes: Mike, Kim, Mike, Joanna, Kristin and Beth did amazingly well!!!! My friends had good days and I had a blast cheering for everyone.  

Later.. just before award time, I stood in line and checked the official results again. 

bubble burst... 2nd. 

She DID get me! By, only 1 minute.  ARGH! SO close!!!! If only... if only I'd known she was out there too. Never ever let your guard down Ange!!!!! Lesson learned!!!!! 

But I did find out this, and it took the sting away. Amanda is going pro. In fact, that win for her was crucial for her in order to get her Pro card. So, I am happy for her. She even complimented me by asking Mary if I was going Pro too. Mary grinned and informed her that I am actually turning 43 in several months so no, my time has passed. But it was a nice thought Amanda!! :) thanks!  

I wish her the best and when I looked up her splits... woah. She ran me down with a 37:5x 10k!!! Smokin'. Yes, she will do Well as a pro!!!  

And that is my story!!!! 

I raced the race and closed it out with a Strong run and I feel GREAT about that!!! I was sore and exhausted after so I know I gave it my all and what more can you ask for. Now.. I'm recovering and training and my head is spinning with nerves and excitement and the business that accompanies travelling across the country to a World Championship event. 

I can't wait.