Eagleman Race Report

Here is the recap of my weekend. It is long but hopefully entertaining.

Adam and I drove to Cambridge, MD Saturday morning in preparation for the triathlon on Sunday. Traffic was great but the weather was not. It was so hazy visibility was limited on the bay bridge. By the time we arrived in Cambridge (around 10 am) it was sizzling outside. Our game plan was to drink as much water on Saturday as possible.

We went to the race expo, got our race numbers, had our bikes checked out and then met up with some friends. We went to the Hyatt where some of our friends were staying and used their beach to swim in the Choptank River. I swam without a wetsuit and the water was perfect. After the 10 min swim, we got on our bikes for a leisurely ride. We rode about 20 minutes and at one point we rode past a bank thermometer that said the temperature was 98 degrees.

After the bike we did a quick 10 minute run. The air/temperature combination was suffocating. Even though I had been drinking water and electrolyte fluids all day I immediately felt dehydrated. Not a good sign.

We then made our way to the race sight where we dropped off our bikes. The bikes would stay there overnight until the race.

We were staying in Easton, about 15 minutes away, so we headed back to the hotel to take showers, go to dinner, and call it a day. Once we were back at the hotel I shaved Adam’s head. The last time his hair was cut was before the wedding and it was looking like a mop. He thought this would be his secret cooling agent for the race. I am not sure if it even made a difference but at least he won’t have to get his hair cut for the next couple of months.

The next morning I woke to a text message from my sister wishing me good luck. I still never asked why she was up at 2 am Montana time. She did mention that she had a blind date in which they got into a fight over global warming. Only my sister - but I digress.

We got ready and when we stepped out of our hotel room it was hot and sticky. It was still dark so I couldn’t tell if it was hazy. Once we arrived at the race site it was very apparent this was going to be a hot one. The sun was shining and there was barely a cloud in the sky.

I set up all my stuff in the transition area and headed to our club tent. With every triathlon we have volunteers from our triathlon club that hosts a tent. There is always plenty of food and support for us nervous triathletes. It is so great because it gives us a place to hang out and leave all the stuff that we brought that doesn’t belong in the transition area.

We arrived at the race site at 5:30 am and my wave didn’t start until 7:45 am so I had a lot of time to kill. I was getting very nervous especially after Adam left (his swim wave was 7:08). I knew once I got into the water and started swimming I would be fine but I was struggling to remain calm. The race director was on the loud speaker trying to be motivating but I found it more annoying than anything. He was playing this awful music that made my heart race like I had just ingested speed plus he was talking about all the triathletes who had died training for this event. “Let us remember so and so who was hit by a car while riding his bike and was killed. Let’s not forget so and so who suffered a heart attack and died.” I know it is sad and I should keep them in mind but when my main priority is not to die in this heat I don’t want to remember all the people who were not successful.

Finally it was time to make my way to the swim start. I was in my wetsuit and sporting a pretty sexy sweat mustache. I made my way to the water and we were off. The water was the perfect temperature with little to no current. The only complaint I had is every once in a while I would swim through a patch that smelled like gasoline from the support boats.

I felt okay during the swim. I knew I wasn’t going to have a stellar swim time but it would be okay. 1.2 miles is the farthest I have ever swum in open water. I had guessed it would take me 45 minutes. I got out of the water and checked my watch 48:xx. I’ll take it.

I ran to my bike and started getting ready for the bike portion (56 miles). I kept checking and rechecking to make sure I had everything I needed in the back of my bike jersey: Fig Newtons, sport jelly beans, salt tablets, and a Power Bar. On my bike I was carrying water, and two types of nutritional drinks.

Once I was on my bike I found it difficult to gage how fast I should be biking. At times I felt like I could bike faster but I knew the run was going to be difficult. As I rode I watched my heart rate which stayed in the low 150’s. This is just on the edge of Zone 3/Zone 4 for me (out of 5 zones). I knew if I stayed at this pace I would be okay for the run (under normal conditions). How naïve of me!

Within the first 5 miles of the bike ride I saw a giant ice chest (the kind found in grocery stores with the big silver doors) on the side of the road! They were plugged with in with extension cords. They were not messing around!

For the most part the bike ride was uneventful. I tried to drink my nutritional drink every 15-20 minutes but towards the end this was difficult. It was hot and my body didn’t want it. I also took salt tablets every hour. My plan was to eat something halfway through the bike ride but I could only stomach half of the Power Bar. At every water stop I grabbed a bottle of water and poured in into the air vents in my helmet. This helped immensely.

For me the race changed during the last 3 miles of the bike. This is where I could see the runners. I was shocked at the number of people walking! It looked like a death march; little robots moving forward. I finished the bike (my time was 3:20, I had guestimated 3:30) and it was all I could do to hold back the tears in transition. I think I was scared of what I had to do next. But I put on sunscreen, grabbed my water belt full of warm HEED (similar to Gatorade) and headed out for the 13 mile run. My legs felt good and I had to go to the bathroom which I took as a good sign. I stopped at the first port-a-pot. There is nothing better than to be inside a port-a-pot on a day when temps are over 100 degrees with 100% humidity. I continued running but my heart rate just kept rising. I would slow to walk and my HR would stay at 160. My average HR on the bike was 154 and it was 160 just walking. Not a good sign. I tried to run 8 minutes and walk 2 but that didn’t last long.

I finally saw Adam on the Cambridge West By-Pass or what I like to refer to as Death Valley. If you have read The Road by Cormac McCarthy, visualize the barren earth they traveled across. This was a section of the run where black asphalt was laid in the middle of a field. There was no vegetation, no shade and the black asphalt just radiated heat. I was so relieved to see him and to know he was okay that I just lost it. I tried to maintain composure but could not fight back the tears any longer. It was difficult to know that he only had 3 more miles left of this torture but I had 10. Adam told me this was the worst part and once I got to the end of the by-pass I would feel better. He was right and I just kept going from water stop to water stop. I would grab two cups of ice and a cup of ice water at each water stop. One cup of ice I put under my hat and down my shirt along with pouring ice water on my head and the other cup I would just hold, almost as if it was my lifeline to the next water stop.

At the turnaround point I started walking with another woman. She was my guardian angel. This was her 7th Eagleman race; she finished IM Florida and is training for IM Arizona. She said this was the worst conditions for this race that she had experienced. She was having stomach issues (she had already vomited once) and told me, “At this point, running is overrated.” She was walking at a great pace. She reminded me of my mom and sister who could easily qualify for the Olympic speed walking team and often point out how slowly I walk. I knew I had to stay with this woman.

One by one we completed the miles. We finally got back to Death Valley. I jogged through this part – I had to get through it as fast as possible. Once I was through Death Valley I felt like I returned to civilization. I was back in the neighborhood and knew I only had 2+ miles until I was done. Soon I heard Adam yelling, “JENNER!!!” I turned the corner and saw Adam, Kristen, and Lisa walking towards me. It was nice to see familiar faces. I wish I could say I was in a good mood but I was not. I was struggling with the impact of what I was doing. Is this good for me physically to be out in the sun this long? I felt guilty for putting the volunteers in danger just so they could give me ice and water. The whole concept of triathlons just seemed completely insane to me at that point.

With about a half a mile to the finish I decided to run to the finish. I started running and told Adam, “Come on, let’s go.” I didn’t ask him to run with me, I just told him. His response was, “Really?” As if really, you want me to run? He had just finished his own race, walked three miles to find me and then he ran with me to the finish. What a trooper.

I crossed the finish line with a scowl on my face. Adam was there and asked if I wanted to get my picture taken. The official race photographers had a podium set up for finisher’s photos. I said I didn’t because I really didn’t want to remember this insanity but he talked me into it anyway. I stepped up on the podium with Adam and stood there as the photographer took her sweet time. The last thing I wanted to do was stand in one place after 70.3 miles in 100+ degree weather. She took a picture but decided it wasn’t good. As she was about to take the second picture the back drop fell on us! The back drop was 12 feet tall, with metal supports and a giant white tarp stretched between the supports. Adam was trying to hold it up as I just hunched under it, not trying to get out, and instead complained that I couldn’t believe this thing had fallen on us. Finally, he yelled, “Get out!” I crawled out from under the back drop. Just then the photographer walked over to help us. That was the last straw for me. I went over, got sprayed down by a hose from a fire truck, and went to the club tent to regain my sanity.

Back at the club tent, I sat in the shade, drank some water and called my parents. My sister answered the phone and her first question was, “Did you poop yourself?” Okay, maybe my day wasn’t that bad. I kept control of all my bodily functions (except sweat), I didn’t end up in the medical tent with an IV poking out of my arm, and I was not at the hospital suffering from dehydration. The only thing I suffered from was sunburn and a bad mood.

Even though my time was slower than I wanted I keep reminding myself that my one true goal was to finish. I feel like I was smart about the race and kept myself out of danger. I felt good within 30 minutes of finishing and Monday felt almost perfect – I even went to work for the second half of the day.

On the way home from Cambridge I saw a bumper sticker that read, “A bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work.” Is the same true for triathlon racing? I am not sure.

Michele, me, Adam, Heidi, Lisa and Harold at dinner after the race.

I finished Eagleman!

I finished the Eagleman triathlon yesterday! It wasn't pretty but I finished. I will post more details in the coming days.

Hazy, Hot and Humid

Yep, that is the forecast for this Sunday which also happens to be the day of my half ironman triathlon. It wouldn’t be so bad if we hadn’t had such a wet, cool spring. Where did this weather come from? Well, it is what it is and I will just have to deal with it. I just have this image of me crawling across the finish line because I am so hot and dehydrated.

I am trying to remain calm and not get too crazy about this race. I am trying to look at it as an adventure. This is the first time I will be doing something like this.

Here is what the weekend holds:

Friday

• Leave work early
• Get my haircut (I need to look good as I am losing control of all my bodily functions at the finish line)
• Finish packing
• Participate in the Relay for Life.

Saturday

• Drop Izzy off at Adam’s parents
• Drive to Cambridge, MD (hopefully we won’t get stuck in traffic – the bay bridge can be nasty)
• Go to packet pick-up to check-in for the race
• Get bike checked out
• Drop off bike at transition area
• Check into the hotel
• Eat dinner and have a glass of wine!
• Call it a day

Sunday

• Race day! I expect for the race to take me between 7 and 7.5 hours. I probably won’t be done until 3 pm.

Monday

• Drive home – hopefully I will be able to walk and get myself in and out of the car without help!
  

Weekend Recap

Well, it seems like my race strategy worked. I improved my time by 11 minutes from 2006. I was shocked!

I really concentrated on being relaxed and smooth on the swim. It was a very crowded swim. I was kicked and punched several times. I don’t mind this too much as I find comfort in knowing people are around me. I always second guess myself that I may have swum off course when I feel alone in the water.

I felt really strong and confident on the bike. I know I pushed it harder than I normally do but I felt fine. I think I even past more people than past me. Also, it is a great feeling when I past a 20 m.p.h road sign and I was going 30 m.p.h :) I improved my bike time by almost 4 minutes and really enjoyed the ride.

The run was difficult for me. My calves were really tight and the run course is really hilly - not a good combination. It took me 4 miles to get my legs to feel normal. But with each mile I knew I was that much closer to the finish. Again, I improved my run time on this course by 4 minutes from 2006.

I feel very ready for Eagleman. I am going to take the same approach for this race: only think positive thoughts, don’t force it and have fun!

Any Given Sunday

Tomorrow is the Columbia Triathlon. This will be the third time I am doing this triathlon. This was my first "real" triathlon and right in my backyard (so to speak) so it is a special race for me.

I am trying to take a different approach from past years though. The first year it was all about crossing the finish line. I was unsure if I could even do something like this. I remember being so nervous. The next year, 2006, I think I was even more nervous. I had become more involved in the triathlon club and I felt like there were more expectations of me. I wanted to do better than the previous year. I was actually in tears as I drove to the park the morning of the race because I had put so much pressure on myself.

This year I am approaching this race as a means to an end. I know I can to the distance and I know I can finish the race (barring any drownings, bike wrecks, or complete meltdowns on the run). Can I complete it faster than in years past? I don't know, but that is not my goal. My goal this season is to complete a half-ironman triathlon. I see this race as a expensive training day (entry fees for triathlons are not cheap). Here are my goals for tomorrow:

1. Only think positive thoughts. I have a tendancy to be really hard on myself and beat myself up. My inner diaglog during a race is often about how slow I am. But none of that tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a good, positive day. I do triathlons to stay in shape and keep my sanity. I am going to be thankful for the ability to compete tomorrow.

2. Don't force it. When I first started swimming, Adam told me that the more you force your stroke the slower you will swim. Swimming requires a fluid and graceful motion. The more one flails, the slower one swims. I try to take that approach in other areas of my life. I always try in every situation, but sometimes forcing it just makes it worse. This means I will not be wearing a heart-rate monitor or a watch tomorrow. I am going to listen to my body and let it lead me.

3. Have fun. If it is not fun, why do it? Yes, it may be painful at times but my goal is to walk away from the race knowing that I had fun.

One cool thing about this race is the number of pro triathletes that are competing. Chris McCormack will be competing tomorrow. He won the Ironman World Championship last year in Kona, HI. Desiree Ficker who took second in Kona in 2006 will also be racing tomorrow. And Linsey Corbin who is a pro triathlete from Missoula will also be racing. I met her briefly at packet pick-up today. Very cool girl.

Triathlon is the only sport I know of where both ametures and professionals race togehter. It can be a little intimidating but so cool. In my head I always imagine this conversation:

Me: We have a co-rec softball game tonight. You should come by and watch.

Co-worker: Maybe. Are you guys any good?

Me: Yea, we are okay. Our shortstop is pretty good. His name is Derek Jeter.

Never gonna happen :)

What a Difference 9 Miles Makes

Saturday the triathlon club I belong to held it's annual Bric-N-Pic. A brick is where you bike and then run. Then we all have a picnic afterwards. It is a great way to get in some training with some great people.

I was excited to brick the Columbia triathlon course (upcoming race this weekend) as I have yet to do that this year. I have biked and run the course independently but haven't combined them yet. Usually by this time of the year I have done this at least once. But this year I am concentrating on Eagleman and have both biked and ran more than I have in years past.

As usual, it was raining on Saturday. I think this is the 5th weekend in a row it has rained. The Bric-N-Pic started an hour later due to the rain and I was going back and forth if I wanted to ride or not. Even though the rain has stopped there was still standing water on the course. I have ridden a couple time in the rain this year and it is not something I enjoy. Also, it can be dangerous. I didn't want to be a weenie yet I want to stay safe and not get injured.

Friday night a member of the club got caught in the rain on his bike. He wrecked as he was crossing the railroad tracks. He ended up in an ambulance. He didn't brake anything but is one crutches. After all the training I have done, this is not the outcome I want.

The decision to bike was really eating me up inside. Finally, someone said to me, "It just doesn't matter." And it doesn't matter. This one workout was not going to make or break any upcoming races I have. So I ran the Columbia Tri course and added another 3 miles after that. Even though it was not my planned workout I felt very accomplished afterwards. I can get so obsessed with my training plan it can be hard to change it sometimes. Yes, I am Type A.

Yesterday, I rode 3.5 hours and then ran 20 minutes. This was my last long ride before Eagleman! Yippee!! It is a relief and also scary at the same time. Am I ready, have I trained enough? Only time will tell.

Another Wet Weekend

This weekend was a big training weekend for me. I really needed to have some good training days because my training during the week last week was less than stellar.

The best part of my training weekend was I was able to get out of bed this morning - ON MY OWN. I heard Izzy whining around 6 am, I got out of bed and was halfway down the stairs before I realized I wasn't in pain and was able to walk! And who says Monday mornings can't be good. That was until Izzy pooped on the floor - right after I had just let her out to go to the bathroom. A short lived good Monday morning but I will take it.

Quick recap of my weekend:
Saturday morning I met my friend Michele at the 7 am and we ran 2 hours. I wasn't sure how I would feel because I have been biking so much lately I haven't put in a long run for a few weeks. The first hour and a half was great. The last 30 minutes not so much. But I did it and still felt like swimming for an hour in the afternoon. The weather was great on Saturday and I just assumed Sunday would be the same. When will I learn?

Michele was at my house at 6:30 am on Sunday so we could drive to the eastern shore of Maryland to ride in the Wildgoose Chase. This was a supported group ride with 4 different distances to choose from (10, 25, 40 and 62 miles). The ride raised money for the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Of course we chose the 62 mile bike ride because we are gluttons for punishment. We arrived in Cambridge and the weather was much colder than at my house and it looked like it was going to rain. Michele and I sat in my car for at least 30 minutes with the heat on trying to figure out what to wear. We were 100% sure the weather was going to change and become sunny so we didn't want to dress too warm. Again, when will we learn? We decided on our attire and hit the road around 9:15 am. Once we started biking it wasn't bad at all. We were holding a good pace and were enjoying the scenery. About 2 hours into the ride it started raining and the wind started blowing. My legs were already getting tired and the wind did not help. Plus, it seemed the wind blew even harder when the road was uneven and bumpy. I was not in a good place and couldn't believe that in 4 years of biking and never riding in the rain I had now managed to ride in the rain for two consecutive weekends. This by far was the worst bike ride I have ever had. We finished 60 miles in about 4 hours.

While yesterday wasn't a great ride for me I feel good about it today. I plan to do another 4 hour ride on Friday (yes, I am taking the day off of work) and then I am doing the Frederick Half Marathon on Sunday.

1 Triathlon Down, 2 To Go

Yesterday was my first triathlon of the season. It was a sprint distance which consisted of a 750 meter swim in a lake, an 18 mile bike, and a 5k run (about 3.1 miles). This race took place at Lake Anna State Park in Virginia which is about 90 miles away from our house. Adam and I woke up at 4 am to be on the road by 5 am. We arrived at the race site around 7 am. Along the way we hit patched of rain which really messed with our heads. Once we arrived at the park though it wasn't raining, there were patches of blue sky and we even saw a rainbow. I started to think things were going to be okay. Boy, was I wrong.

We checked in for the race and walked near the water and the transition area to familiarize ourselves with the area. It was about 60 degrees - not too cold but it could be warmer. Around 8:00 it started raining. We stayed in our car for the majority of the time just waiting and praying that the weather would pass. Finally, at 8:45 we needed to go put all of our stuff in the transition area (bike, shoes, and any other clothing we would need for the bike and the run). It was really raining at this point so I just put all of my stuff in a plastic bag and dropped it by my bike and returned back to the car. Normally, I would lay everything out it an organized manner but not today. The goal was to try to keep things dry.

We returned back to the car to put on our wetsuits. We made our way down to the water around 9:45 am (the race started at 10 am). The rain had stopped and I really thought the rain storms were done for the day. I now realize this was just a dirty little trick to get us into the water. I was worried that the water was going to be cold but it didn't feel too bad. They said it was 65 degrees.

When it was time for my wave to go I waded into the water and tried to get into some kind of rhythm. The start of the swim portion is always a little difficult. There are limbs flailing and water splashing. I have heard some people describe IronMan swim starts as what it would be like to swim right after the Titanic sank or swimming in a washing machine. This races was not that bad at all but it is still a contact sport. I have always felt my years playing basketball has helped me in this area. My wetsuit is sleeveless so my arms were a bit cold at first. But with each stroke I just repeated in my head, "I'm warm, I'm warm". I think it helped because I soon forgot about the water temperature. The water in Lake Anna was really clear and didn't taste bad. That is not always the case with triathlons.

Once I was out of the water it was on to the bike. I ran to the transition area, took off my wetsuit and tried to get my socks on (always difficult when the feet are wet). At this point it started raining again. It took me a little longer than normal because I didn't know what I wanted to wear now that it started raining. I opted for a long sleeve shirt (which was instantly saturated).

I had told myself to be conservative on the bike. Road bike tires have zero tread and I knew there were be a lot of standing water on the road. My main goal was to keep my bike upright and not wreck. Within the first 3 minutes on the bike I was absolutely drenched. The rain had really picked up and spray from bike tires was everywhere. But I surprised myself and really tried to push it. I completed the bike in less than an hour which is really good for me. I even hit 30 mph on one downhill.

After the bike it was back to the transition area to get ready for the run. By this time the transition area was one big mud pit. Mud was everywhere. This transition was a bit faster than the first one. While I was on the bike I never got cold and I usually stay very warm on the run so I decided to just wear my bike shorts, a tank top and running cap. The run starts up a hill which is always nice when you have just gotten off the bike. I felt like I was running so slow but once I got to the top I found a better pace. The run wasn't too bad except my shoes felt like they weighed 10 pounds each. At one point the rain really increased and I just lifted my face to the sky to feel it hit my face. I don't think I have ever done that before.

I finished the race and was pleased with my time and performance. Before the race I was really scared because I didn't know what to expect but it really wasn't that bad. I feel better prepared if I have to race in the rain again. I just hope I don't have to!

Once I was done with the race (Adam finished before I did) we grabbed one of those metallic blankets and made our way to the transition area to pick up our stuff. Everything was soaked. We put everything in our plastic bags, grabbed our bikes and walked back to the car. By this time I could tell the high of my race was wearing off and I was getting cold. I was walking so slow that Adam had to come back to help me. As Adam loaded the car I just stood there shivering and repeated, "I want to get a picture. I want to get a picture." He just looked at me like, "You know, you could help." Instead, he just said, "You are such a freakshow sometimes." But I got my picture (click to enlarge)!

Weekend Update

My training this weekend went very well. Saturday I woke up at 4:30 am to get ready for a 56 mile bike ride. Everyone met at my house at 5:30am and we were on the road around 5:45am to head to Cambridge, MD. We were going to ride the bike portion of the Eagleman Half Ironman Triathlon. We started biking around 7:45 am with a nice easy pace. My training plan called for a 4 hour ride so if we averaged 15 miles per hour that would have us cover 60 miles in 4 hours.

All week there had been a threat of rain on Saturday but I didn't give myself the option of cancelling this ride. Even if I only rode 20 miles I was going to ride part of the course. I didn't want to spend another day riding my trainer indoors. But lucky for us the weather was almost perfect - low 60's with some cloud cover.

The course is pancake flat. It is at sea level so there is not one hill, not even an incline. I didn't know if I would like this but I loved it. The course itself was great although not very scenic. All you see is swamp/marshland. Although at the beginning of the ride I did see a bald eagle. I have never seen a bald eagle in Maryland before.

For the most part the ride was uneventful. We stayed together as a group and just motored on. At times I was biking 22 miles per hour with very little effort and then the wind would pick up. I would be really working and look down to find I was only going 13 miles per hour. That can really mess with your head!

We finished the ride in 3 1/2 hours. I was pleasantly surprised. This ride felt effortless compared to some other long rides I have done. After the ride we ran for about 20 minutes just to let our legs get used to the feeling right after the bike. This is called a brick workout. My legs felt really good. I could have kept running so that was a good sign.

Within minutes of getting back to the car the skies opened up and it was a torrential downpour with thunder and lightening. I felt as if I had just won the lottery! We got in our workout and the weather cooperated. I was so excited with my performance and the weather conditions!

Sunday I woke up and took Izzy for a walk. Again, I was surprised at how good I felt. I really wasn't too tired and my legs felt good. I look forward to these walks because it helps my legs get warmed up. Plus Izzy is pretty funny to watch on these walks. I got back from the walk, loaded up my bike and gear and was off to a hill climbing clinic. It was put on by the tri club I belong to. The Olympic Distance race I am doing is challenging (see article here and here) and biking is my weakest event. The clinic was great but I realized just how tired my legs were. After the clinic I met up with my friend Michele and Adam and we ran the Columbia Triathlon run course. Again, this course is very hilly. My legs felt good but my body was tired. I took a gel half way through and that helped immensely. Even now I am proud of myself that I didn't walk up any of the hills. It was tempting but once you walk up a hill it is easier to walk the next time.

All in all it was a great weekend of training. I can only hope the actual races goes this well.

Two Months from Today

Two months from today I will be competing in my first Half Ironman. Surprisingly, I am looking forward to it. I feel with each day I am getting stronger physically and mentally. For me, completing this triathlon will be such an accomplishment. I have always liked setting a goal and then working towards it - I am a very results oriented person. The funny thing is if you had asked me three weeks ago how my training was going I would have not been as positive. My training ebbs and flows and three weeks ago I was not very motivated. I didn't want to work out and when I did I felt like I had to. I didn't enjoy it and it felt more like a job than a hobby. Three weeks ago I would have preferred to lay on the couch eating ice cream and watching The Biggest Loser. But today I am actually looking forward to watching The Biggest Loser as I ride the trainer (it is raining today so I have to ride indoors). Today I feel strong and am actually surprised how well my body is responding to all the training.

Saturday Adam and I swam for 45 minutes, biked for 1 hour and 10 minutes and ran for 1 hour and 5 minutes. We didn't go out hard or fast but simply set out to cover the times. Then Sunday we planned to ride for 3 1/2 hours outdoors. The weather didn't cooperate and we ended up riding our trainers inside for 3 1/2 hours. Yes, we are crazy. At 2 hours and 45 minutes I actually said, "This is insane. We are absolutely insane for doing this." But I did it and it felt good to get the time in on my bike. During our ride we watched the 2006 NBC recap of the Hawaii Ironman, the 2007 NBC recap of the Hawaii Ironman, and an hour of The Office. Watching the Hawaii Ironman is always motivating to me.

So with each day I am getting that much closer to my goal of competing a Half Ironman. I have no other goal than to finish...oh, and to have fun :)

Play List

My sister is training for the Missoula Half Marathon. On one of her training runs she said all the music she put on her iPod was too slow and not motivating. I recently made her a CD of some of my favorite songs to run to. My friend Debbie also asked me about music. Here is a list of some of the songs I have been running to lately:

What Goes Around - Justin Timberlake
Teenagers - My Chemical Romance
Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler
The World's Greatest - R. Kelly
The Pretender - Foo Fighters
U + Ur Hand - P!nk
Rock Star - Nickleback
One Week - Barenaked Ladies
Perfect Situation - Weezer
Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing - SHeDaisy
Settlin' - Sugarland

And So It Begins

This past weekend was my first big weekend of heavy triathlon training. Technically I have been training since December but it has all been manageable. An hour cycling class here, a 30 minute run there. Nothing too extreme. But not this weekend.

Saturday I went for a ride with Adam and my friend Michele for 3 HOURS! I have ridden this long before but this was the first long ride of the season. I so badly wanted to get off my bike at the end. I even made a detour at the end to cut out the last hill.

Then Sunday I ran for 1 hour and 45 minutes. The first hour I ran with my mentee (yes, I am mentoring a woman in my triathlon club). I showed her a new running route. It wasn't too bad - a nice easy pace. Then once we were done I headed out on my own to get some more miles in. I realized it has been a long time since I have run alone outside. I run by myself on the treadmill but usually my long runs outside are with Michele or Adam. It was nice to be out there by myself listening to a new playlist I created.

I was supposed to swim yesterday too but I just didn't have the time. I was barely home this weekend as it was so I decided to lay low yesterday afternoon. I will swim this evening. It will be a good recovery from this weekend.

The good news is I feel great today. I am not sore and actually not very tired. So maybe, just maybe, I can do this thing.

Nutella is the Devil's Handiwork

This weekend Adam was in North Carolina coaching a swim meet so I had the house all to myself. This also meant I had to train by myself. I woke up Saturday morning and wanted nothing more than to crawl back in bed. I am usually bright-eyed and busy tailed in the morning but not this morning. But I told my friend Michele I would meet up with her to bike. I knew I would feel better once I got some exercise but I just wanted to pull the covers over my head.

I drug myself to our meeting place and really was in a foul mood. But we got on our bikes and off we went. This ride was quite humbling for me. It was only the second time I've ridden outside this year. I have determined that indoor cylcing classes do carryover for riding outside. The ride we did on Saturday kicked my ass. Do you know how disheartening it is to bike up a hill and look down to see you are only going 6 mph! And this was just on average hill - nothing major. The course we rode has several hills so I was humbled many times. We ended up riding 31 miles and I felt so much better after the ride. It is days like this that I am so thankful I became involved in this sport.

Sunday morning I woke up and took Izzy for a long walk. It was raining but I walked on a new trail and she had a lot of fun. By the time we were done she was the size of a squirrel because her hair was all wet, shivering and completely brown. She was disgusting. I brought her back home, gave her a bath, and then I was off to meet Michele for our 6 mile run. When I woke up Sunday I felt much better than I anticipated. My legs were not sore and I really was not that tired. I think the walk helped to loosen me up for the run. Michele and I set out running the Columbia Triathlon course. Again, this course is hilly! For living near sea level there are some monster hills in Howard County. I had a great run though. It was still a bit rainy and I was cold for the first mile. But then I got into a rhythm and it was a good run. Conversation is always great with Michele which is such a bonus. I know when we are not having a good run - we don't talk. We just run side by side in silence. In these times I know the silence speaks volumes. But Sunday we were chatting up a storm and solving all of the world's problems.

After the run I went straight to the grocery store because we were in desperate need of food. This brings me to Nutella. I love this stuff but never buy it because I can eat an entire jar in one sitting. I am blaming it on low blood sugar but this chocolaty-nutty deliciousness found its way into my cart. I have decided there is nothing better after a run than a big spoonful of Nutella and peanut butter. I was in heaven. I am considering eating a diet of nothing but Nutella. Okay, maybe an occasional graham cracker or spoonful of peanut butter here or there. This stuff is out of this world! Now that this jar of Nutella is in my cupboard I am going to have to step up my training. I have also discovered why I do triathlons - so I can eat Nutella!

90 Days From Today

90 Days from today is the Eagleman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon. 90 days seems so soon! I feel pretty good about my training so far though. The half marathon last weekend was a huge confidence booster. I had great plans this weekend to ride my bike outside but the weather did not cooperate. It was just too cold, windy and wet to brave the roads. For me that is one of the most frustrating parts of training during this time. The weather does not always cooperate and I am forced to either take an indoor cycling class or ride my bike trainer. Sunday I opted to ride the trainer (while I watched One Tree Hill and LOST) for an hour and a half. Thank goodness for TV because it can get boring. After the ride I met up with some friends we ran about 3 miles. The run was cold and windy but it felt good to be outside. Soon I will be riding for 3 plus hours and running for over an hour but for now this was a good workout.

Back into the Swing of Things

Yesterday I ran my first half marathon of the new year. My only goal for the run was not to injure myself. I had not run since February 2nd due to the flu, a two week trip to Costa Rica, and a very busy week last week. I would not recommend this training plan to others but the run was not as painful as I thought it would be. Today, however, is a different story. This half was the slowest half marathon I have ever run. It was also the first race I ran with my new name: Jennifer Rutz. I blame my time on that.

I Placed 12th!!!

Normally I would not be proud of a 12th place finish, but today I am. Every month the triathlon club I belong to, Mid-Maryland Triathlon Club, and another triathlon club, Cambridge Multi-Sport, participates in a Virtual Training Camp Challenge. This is a friendly challenge where members submit their training time for the first seven days of the month via the internet. Each minute of swimming, biking and running is worth 1 point and all other exercise is worth .5 point.

In the past I haven't participated in this challenge because I didn't think I could post big enough numbers. Some people in the club are absolutely crazy when it comes to training. Several are members of marathon maniacs, others compete in ultra-marathons , and still others are able to do an Ironman distance triathlon once or twice a year. It seems like nothing for them to go out on a 4 hour training run.

But this month I put my fear aside and posted my numbers. I placed 12th out of the 31 people from our club who took up the challenge! I averaged 79 points per day. I usually try for an hour a day anyway but since December I have been working on heart rate training. Based on calculations I have a set heart rate and I don't (or at least try) go over that set heart rate. With this new training method I don't wake up the next morning feeling dead tired and my body doesn't feel beat down. I will probably stick with this training method until I leave for Costa Rica (and then it will be shot to hell with all the drinking and laying in the sun I plan to do). After that it will be time to punish myself again. But hopefully this heart rate training will provide me with a good training base so I will be able to push myself a little farther and a little faster.

The other benefit of posting my numbers for others to see is it is a great motivator. Maybe next month I will try to move up in the ranks. I may have to take the week off of work though. The person who finished first for our club averaged just under 3 hours a day!

27 Weeks From Today

27 weeks from today I will be competing in my first half-ironman distance race. Training officially starts tomorrow. What a commitment! I am following a training program from Training Plans for Multi-Sport Athletes. I like the structure of following a plan - knowing what I need to do for each day. Each day is one baby step and before you know it, race day is here!

Adventures for the Cure

Yesterday afternoon I went to my first movie premier! The movie is a documentary of 5 guys (3 on bikes, 2 were in a support car) who traveled from Bellingham, WA to Ocean City, MD on fixed gear bikes. They call themselves Adventures for the Cure and did this ride to raise money and awareness for the American Diabetes Association and Kupenda for Children. They raised over $20,000. What is even more remarkable is one of the bikers has Type I diabetes and another biker had his thyroid removed due to cancer 2 weeks prior to the trip. Simply amazing!

The documentary was so inspiring! They were even able to get Greg LeMond (three time Tour de France winner) to narrate. The coolest part about this whole thing is this is just a group of guys (early 20's) who had an idea and acted upon it. How many times do we get an idea but before it is even formed in our heads we find a reason why we shouldn't do it?

If you get a chance check out Adventures for the Cure and look for them at film festivals. They are even trying to get into the Sundance Film Festival.

More Pictures From Last Weekend

Baltimore Half Marathon

Saturday Adam, myself, and my friend Michele (pictured above) ran the Baltimore Half Marathon. What a great day for a race! The weather was perfect. The morning started out cool but by the time we ran at 9:45 am it was in the 60's. Not too warm, not to cold. The plan was for the three of us to run the race together but after two miles Adam decided we were too slow for him :) He went ahead and Michele and I had a great race together. Our goal was to finish in a time of 2 hours 10 minutes (about 10 minutes per mile). Neither one of had ever done this before but we knew we were capable of it.

This was the first race that I had ever set a goal and actually told people..out loud. I usually have a bunch of numbers in my head but they are more times I hope for instead of times I strive to reach. I usually tell people I will be just happy to finish. Now that I have been running for 4 years I think I am past that. Running for a certain time also gave me something to do during the run. With each mile I was striving for that 10 minute mile time. I ended up just thinking, "Okay, if we get to mile x by xx:00 then we are on track." Once we passed a mile marker it was all about getting to the next mile within 10 minutes. With each mile we were always just a minute or two under so I knew we were doing well.

The finish is great on this run. It leads you through Camden Yards and the finish is between the Raven's and Oriel's Stadiums. I was so happy to see the finish line and to see the clock hadn't reached 2:10 yet. We crossed the finish line in 2:04:30! Over 5 minutes faster than our goal time. It was nice to take control of the run instead of having it control me. This race was 9 minutes faster than my time from last year!

Adam had a great race too. He finished in a time of 1:57:38. Not bad for someone who had only done a 10 mile run and a 5k since September 8th.

This is the second time I ran this race and I really like it. It is pretty hilly but for some reason on this course it doesn't bother me much. There is such great crowd support and I love running through parts of Baltimore that I never visit.