Lewis& Clark Half Marathon: Maybe I'm crazy but I signed up anyway!

Coming off the high from my 6 mile run this week I've decided to go ahead and register for a half-marathon. I've chosen the Lewis & Clark half-marathon because 1) it's pretty flat, 2) they keep the course open a long time so even walkers can participate, 3) it's exactly 12 weeks away which fits in perfectly with a 12 week training schedule and 4) the North Face Endurance 50 crew are starting off there. For those not familiar with the North Face Endurance 50, it's a group led by "Ultramarathon Man" author Dean Karnazes (an excellent read by the way) who will be completing 50 marathons, in 50 states in 50 days! The start of his journey is at the Lewis and Clark marathon so it will be cool just to say I was there!!

I've looked over the half-marathon training plan and it's totally doable. I have 2 weeks until my Danskin race so after that I will be focusing mainly on my run training. Once I start lengthening my runs, we'll see if I'm going to adapt a run/walk strategy like the Galloway method. I have no qualms about inserting walk breaks here and there, especially if it gets me through the race strong and injury free. I'm really excited because so far the running has been my favorite part of triathlon training and it just blows my mind to think that I can do this ... because I know that I can!!!!

A kick-ass runner just dying to get out!

It came as quite a surprise to learn that apparently there is a long-distance runner inside of me that's been dying to get out! This week I've been determined to follow my training plan ... or at least follow my training plan in spirit. I always end up switching up the workouts and the dates, but my goal was to do ALL of the recommended workouts (and as long as I get to the pool after finishing this post and get on my bike this evening I WILL accomplish this goal!) So after working four nights in a row I woke up feeling really sluggish but there was no way I could get in all of my workouts if I skipped a whole day. So I drank my coffee, had something to eat and thought about working out ... then I thought some more ... and some more ... and next thing I know it's 11 p.m. Of course my gym is long closed at this time so my only real option was to run.

So at about 11:30 p.m., I grabbed my iPod and headed to campus to run on the track outside of the hospital. My plan was a 4 mile slow run and my podcast of choice was the Buffy Season 4 "Buffcast." The first 3 miles felt great and my heart rate was staying nice and low, when I hit the 4 mile mark I still felt awesome so I decided to take it to mile 5. At the 5th mile, I still felt awesome so I decided to go one more. This whole time I kept wondering, "So how far can I go?? 7? 8? 10 miles? My heart rate was staying exactly where I wanted it to be, my breathing was relaxed and I just felt like I could go all night. With two laps to go before mile 6, my right knee started to ache a bit so I decided that I would stop at 6 miles. I'm sure that was a wise choice given that this is the knee that plagued me after my mountaineering trip in 1998 and I don't want to push so hard that I injure myself. The awesome thing was knowing that I COULD HAVE run farther. On that track I could easily see my finish at a 10K and a half-marathon, and for the first time the possibility of a marathon became a definite reality. I'm obviously capable of it, I just need to train smart so that I don't hurt myself. The best part was that I felt so good after that run, that 6 mile, one hour, 7 minute 45 second run. Who would have thought???

Sometimes you surprise yourself .... race report from Wolf Creek

I don't mean to brag on myself .....

oh who am I kidding? I TOTALLY want to brag on myself because I KICKED ASS at my first sprint distance triathlon!! This past Saturday, June 10th I did the Wolf Creek Spring triathlon which was at Lake Shelbyville, IL. It was a 1/4 mile (a.k.a. 400 meter lake swim), a 10 mile bike and 3 mile run. As mentioned in my previous post, my goal was to complete it in 95 minutes and I actually felt like I was setting my sights high in even predicting that time. I also wanted to average 14mph on my bike and 11:45 miles on my run.

Well my friends, I completely surpassed those predictions and even surprised myself with how well I did!!! So now on to the race report in my typical verbose nature.

First of all it was a ridiculously cool day for Illinois in June. The temp was only 60 degrees at the 8 a.m. race start and hanging around beforehand it felt really chilly - especially for athletes competing in sleeveless spandex and shorts. I was nervous about getting cold on my bike because my race outfit was a tri specific tank top and shorts. (I did have a Pi Phi hoodie in my trunk but that wouldn't be very aero on the bike) I arrived about an hour before the race which is really good for those who know my normal tardiness and that even included a wrong turn that made me go through downtown Decatur as opposed to around it and a LONG wait for a freight train in Springfield.

After arriving I set up my transition spot and racked my bike between two expensive looking tri bikes, at this point I was really glad I didn't bring my mountain bike to race today ... I *almost* look legit. Everyone was really close together in the transition area which I guess is how it is in the triathlon world, but in Jenn-world I'd like about a five foot square area of space to call my own. After getting set up, I went to say hi to my cousin Travis who was also racing and his wife Micaela. I decided to forgo a serious warm up because I honestly don't have enough energy to waste - I need to save what little I have for the course. I did go down to the beach and get in the water and was pleasantly surprised at how warm it was with water temps in the low 70s. The water felt MUCH better than the cool morning air. About 15 minutes before the start, I ate a Hammergel ... raspberry flavored for those who care .... then headed to the start.

SWIM - 1/4 mile or 400 meters
The swim course was set up as a large triangle with a beach start and large orange buoys for navigation. Travis pointed out where he went in the wrong direction last year and showed me the helpful orange flags on the beach to sight for after the last turn. There was quite a crowd, bigger than last year according to Travis. Quite a few folks were in wet suits which I found surprising, but per USAT rules it was wet suit legal and apparently they give you a huge advantage for buoyancy and speed but I can only imagine the scene I would make trying to get out of one ... but I digress. The race director announced it would be a mass start which seemed like a lot of people to be heading in the water at once so I hung out in the back.

The race started and I moved pretty slowly to the water letting the lead pack get off and going. Even though I was probably in the back 1/4 of racers, I still got kicked a few times, but it wasn't bad and I never was nervous or scared. I swam to the first buoy with pretty good form (for me) and even though I hadn't practiced sighting (i.e. looking up and making sure you aren't swimming completely off course) I figured it out quickly. Rounding the first buoy there was quite a crowd and there was a little more kicking and occasional flailing arms to my body but it everyone was nicely spaced out after the turn. From the first buoy on I had MAJOR problems breathing. I can only breath to the right and little waves of lovely green Lake Shelbyville water kept hitting me in the face & filling my mouth. I wasn't getting particularly fatigued, I just kept sputtering water which threw me off. I spent a lot of time breaststroking on this part of the swim, but I was still passing people floating on their backs and completely floundering so I still think I was doing great. After turning at the last buoy I spied the flags on the beach and was able to switch back into my freestyle until the finish as there were no waves in my face probs in this direction. I could see Travis heading up the beach as I was nearing the end of my swim so I was thinking that I couldn't have done *too* bad. Before getting all the way out of the water I had my cap and goggles off and I did a quick walk/slow jog up the beach. I saw my Aunt Kaye and Dave (he doesn't like being called Uncle), cousin Kimmie and her baby, and T's wife Micaela and I waved to them and smiled because triathlon is fun and I was having a blast!!!

In this pic you can see I'm passing people, but truth be told the chic in the wet suit BLEW past me on the bike so I guess she knew she had time to walk. However, the guy on the left didn't pass me until the run. Also note that there are still people coming out of the water in the far right so I was not last!!!

My Swim time = 11 mins 1.7 sec (includes run up the beach and to the transition spot)

This was a family affair, so I want to include my cousin Travis! He was not pleased with his swim, but doesn't he look awesome??? His time was 10:38.4

TRANSITION 1
I had a great T1 (a.k.a swim to bike transition). Since I'm still a slow biker and runner I really can't afford to lose any time here. I threw my sunglasses & helmet on and put a gel in my pocket for the ride. I had an extra water bottle to squirt the sand off my feet and I had my socks powdered with Gold Bond hoping it would help them go on wet feet. Also, before the race I had put them on then rolled them off and left them on top of my shoes. It worked like a charm because they rolled right on without a problem then I slipped my Asics on like slippers due to my new elastic speed laces. All in all this was a vast improvement over my first race. TIME = 1min 25 sec

Bike - 10 miles
This was my first race with my new road bike Lola and I was really glad I had brought her. Travis raced her at this tri last year so I think she was happy to be back :) The bike start was on a wee bit of an uphill which I had been warned about so I had my bike in a low gear. I was able to get on and get going about as gracefully as it gets for me (i.e. not very). The course was nice and flat with a few little hills but nothing compared to the streets around where I live. I was really worried about using up too much energy on the bike so I tried to keep my heart rate in the high 160s while pedaling a fast cadence. I felt really comfortable and I had to kindof hold myself back because I was really scared I wouldn't have enough left for the three mile run. I was passed a few times early on by people on fancy bikes, but then I found a good pace and kept ahead of everybody behind me. I was even able to pass two people myself!! On the way out I saw my Mom and Ted driving in and waved to them, also since it was an out and back course I saw Travis tearing up the road heading back after the turnaround. Near the end of the bike I ate a hammergel - tropical flavored with caffeine for those who care. Overall, I had a good bike leg. I shifted well, drank well, and felt like I handled the bike nicely given how rarely I've been on her. Also, I wasn't cold which was a plus! Towards the end, I geared down and spun a little getting my legs ready. In this picture, I'm nearing the dismount area and I have my feet on top of the pedals ready to get hop off in my special ungraceful manner.

Bike time = 35 min 29.8 sec (includes the time for transition 2 )
Avg mph = 15.6
It should be noted that this was the only leg where I was faster than the other person in my age group.

Travis also had his new bike with him, a Cannondale Ironman which made him pretty damn fast on that bike leg! He had a 28 min 45.7 sec time with avg mph of 19.2

TRANSITION 2
I was superman fast here because I already had my running shoes on. I kindof half fast walked/half hobbled with my bike to the rack because I couldn't quite feel my legs. Then it was just a matter of racking the bike and grabbing my race belt and visor. I immediately headed out and put them on as I went. I'm most confused because in the picture above I can see a guy behind me entering the bike dismount area. This dude was ahead of me from the beginning of the run and I just assumed he was ahead of me on the bike as well, but it turns out that apparently he somehow got out of the transition faster and that was where he passed me ... and I thought I transitioned so fast!

RUN - 3 miles
The run was a flat out and back on the road. As usual, my legs felt like lead coming off the bike so I was pretty much shuffling for the first mile. Even though I was shuffling, I felt good - my heart rate was in control and I was breathing hard ... race pace hard but not out of control hard. Early in the run I saw Travis tearing up the course on his way back - DAMN HE'S FAST! I also saw someone wearing a Beginner Triathlete.com tri suit. I use this web community a lot so I yelled out "GO BT'er!" Right at the first mile my legs started to feel normal again and I was able to get into my running groove. They had a water station right after the first mile and I CHOSE to walk through it. I'm a klutz trying to drink and run and I really needed the hydration here. I walked just long enough to drink the water - probably 5 - 10 seconds. I honestly didn't need a walk break, I just decided to get the water in effectively ... it's a matter of pride to point out I didn't *have* to take a walk break!

I wasn't keeping really close track of my mile splits (I need better gadgetry!) but I felt like I was going pretty fast and I also felt like I was in great control of my body. There was a second water station at mile 2 but I skipped it. I decided to kick it up a notch after mile 2 if I still felt good, but as soon as I did I felt the slight beginning twinge of my dreaded side stitch, so I decided to keep my same pace. I should note that the same guy was ahead of me the whole time .. the guy who passed me in transition. The distance between us was pretty even but I started to close in between miles 2 and 3. The last 1/2 mile he kept looking over his shoulder and saw me closing in, he said "I can't be beat by a girl!" so I good naturedly told him, "then you'll have to run faster!!" Right about this time, my stepdad Ted was on the sidelines cheering me on as well. I felt great so I kept building that last 1/4 mile and as I kicked it up, the guy in front of me did as well. We were sprinting towards the finish and I called out "I'm coming, you better hurry!" I saw the rest of my family yelling for me as I ran through the fabulous finish line!! I congratulated the guy in front of me on a great race and I walked a bit and grabbed some water.

I recovered very quickly and I felt super strong and energized! After seeing my splits I was shocked, this is the fastest I have ever run, I've never even come close to it in training or in my 5K races. Truth be told, I probably could have run faster but I was afraid of pushing it. Next time though .... WATCH OUT!!!
Run Time = 29 mins 28.8 sec
Pace = 9:49/mile!!!!!

Travis on the other hand was faster than a speeding bullet on his run! He ran an amazing time of 20 mins 17.1 sec and had a pace of 6:46/mile. That is one fast dude!!! You would never know that he just started running seriously a little over a year ago!!!

So Overall times
Jenn = 1 hour 17 minutes 26 seconds

Travis = 1 hour 1 minute 18 seconds

and my goals??
14 mph avg on bike ... DONE!
11:45 minute miles ... SHATTERED!
race 95 minutes ...CRUSHED! with plenty of time to spare

See how cool I look after the race? I probably had 2 more miles in me easily! :)

After the race, I met the other racers from the BT (beginner triathlete) website and they were awesome! Very encouraging and friendly and all-around great guys! The best part was that each of us got hardware (aka trophies) for our achievements!! From left to right using our BT aliases:
"oneslowdoc" -the fastest BT'er placed 5th in his age group and 25/80 overall,
"tliles" -4th place in age group and 33/80 overall,
"GennX,"
"Writebrained" - first place Clydedale! and 47/80 overall.

For my part, I was given the third place trophy for the 30-34 women's group but looking at the preliminary age group results there were only two of us in the group so I'm confused on that one. Overall I am listed as 76 out of 80 which I'm not sure of because I KNOW there were more than 4 people behind me on the run (not many more, but I swear I counted more than 4?!?). In the age group ranks, it says I was 71 of 80 so who knows? Either way a trophy is a trophy and I had a KICK ASS race!! I am still in shock of how well I performed and I would never have thought that I could be a triathlete ... but look at me now!!!!!
In the end, this picture to me states it best because Travis has really been an inspiration and even though he is so far ahead of where I am, he has been a great supporter of my efforts to become a triathlete. I'm thinking that the family who "tri's" together stays together!

Thanks for reading and thanks to all who support me!

I may be slow, but I'll look cute!!

This weekend I'm doing my first sprint distance triathlon - the Wolf Creek Sprint at Lake Shelbyville, IL with a 1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike and 5K run. I hadn't originally planned on debuting at sprint distance until my Danskin in July and the 12 week training plan I'm following will be peaking for that race, but I just couldn't resist! My supersprint was so much fun that it made me anxious for more and my cousin is doing this race (go Trav!) and the entry fee was cheap and it just seemed like it would be a good idea. Now I'm a little worried that I'm undertrained BUT I need to keep remembering that this is supposed to be a fun race and a good training experience. I'm not crazy enough to think that I'll be anywhere but the back of the pack, but I need to use this race as an opportunity to learn how I can improve to be more confident for the Danskin race.

The great thing is that I have my supercute race outfit all ready for the weekend! A pink and purple desoto tri top with purple shorts, my Asics with new pink yanks speed laces, and my pink headsweats visor ..... seeing a pattern here?? I may be last out of the water and walking part of the run, but at least I'll look cute doing it and isn't that in the end what it's all about :)

As for goals, even though I'm a little undertrained I might as well push myself. Dream big, think big - right??
Overall race: 95 minutes
Bike - average 14 mph
Run - average 11:45/mile

(but in all honestly, I'll be happy with anyone under 105 minutes ... )

Pitiful, pathetic and sad!! - best descriptors for Jenn's biking

I SUCK beyond all belief at road biking!!

After many days of walking right past Lola in my garage, I decided to take her for a spin. I even drove all the way out of town to a nice country road with minimal traffic and some rolling hills so that I wouldn't have the white knuckled fear of townie drivers and stop lights. It was a pitiful display, there's just no other word for it. I had to stop briefly after 2 miles because I thought I was going to die, not from cars mind you, from my ridiculously beating heart!! All in all, I went 6 pitiful miles in 23 minutes, certainly nothing that will cause intimidation in a race.

So I've done all this swimming - great now I won't drown! and all this running - wee, look at me I can run 4 miles!! But it won't mean squat if I can't even walk after getting done with the bike leg!!

On a positive note, I didn't let the passing vehicles - mainly trucks with duelies, freak me out. I persevered and was able to ride in a relatively straight line, I seem to have unlocked the mysteries of shifting AND I even spent some time in my aero bars which taught me that I need to do a little seat adjustment, perhaps a little downward slope of the nose so that I don't paralyze my tender girl parts :)

well, if I can swim and run ... that's something isn't it??