The day after Around the Bay

Happy Monday,

It is indeed a happy day as I completed the 30K run Around the Bay in Hamilton yesterday.  This is my first race of the five events I have signed up for this season.  I have decided I'll put a fund raising target beside each race thus starting to put in place the plan to raise my personal goal of $5000 for Gate 3:16 Outreach Center.

Back to the race.  As you know I was up before the robins and headed over to Whitby to meet my fellow racers for 5:30.  After stopping for coffee and food we were on the 401 by 6AM.  As traffic in Toronto is very hard to read we gave ourselves lots of time to arrive for the start.  We ended up being two hours early but the very positive side is we had the best parking in the house.  The van was parked the across street from Copps Coliseum.  We could not get any closer.  It was awesome !!! 

At this point I was still undecided if I was going to start with the walkers or an hour later with the runners.  With the encouragement of Lisa I decided it would be the run.  Off to see the limited display, take care of mother nature, back to the car and we saw our two walkers off. Then it was time to get ourselves ready for the start line.  And we are off....

Lisa and I ran together until around 22K mark.  I was actually running not plodding along.  It felt good except the blisters but if it isn't going to kill you suck it up.  I was starting to fade around the 22K mark not so much the legs/calves/ankles but was feeling woozy.  Somewhere around this point I started to walk and run - more walk then run. I'm naturally a fast walker so this helped.  This last 8K I counted down the miles but eventually after the HUGE hill I came up to the bridge and could see the coliseum.  At that point I knew I would make it.  I entered the finalist race shute and came over the line with a chip time of 3 hours and 45 minutes and a smile. The training was tough but it is worth it when you have made your goal.


Today I feel fantastic. The normal quad stiffness but no pain in the ankle, lower leg or calves.  Lessons learned:

• get a Garmin so I can monitor my pace and run at the same pace or more I ran with Lisa (its doable and I'm not plodding and I'm positive this is one reason I'm feeling good. 
• although the aid stations were billed as being 5K apart don't trust they are 5K apart.  Take a little bottle of water with you. 
• nutrition - the salts pills work to keep the cramping down but take more to keep the electrolytes in place, figure out what might of caused the wooziness and fix it before next race day
  

Overall I am very pleased with my time.  Based upon my longest training distance being only 26K and the constant nagging problems I thought I was hoping for 4 hours so doing it in less is very good.


Thanks to Lisa, Susan, Elaine and John for a day to remember.  This must do race was made even more special by having a great group of people and athletes to participate with.  When we made it home to Whitby that hot tub was awesome.


I'll say goodbye with a picture of the medal.

Around the Bay update

I did it !!!

The legs, ankles and calves were great however my nutititon was not.  Was on mark to run 3:30 however after about 22k not eating right kicked in.  Good news is I will know better next time. 

Still very pleased with my chip time of 3:45. 

Been up since 4:30 and crashing.

Will provide more details in a day or two.

Liz

Night before race day

Coach Paul and I were together the other day and its funny how well he know his athletes.  The number one rule for me is to not over think it.  I am one of those people my brain spins all the time.  I have everything at the door to go but still fussing on whether or not I have forgotten something.  

Tomorrow will see me up before the robins and over to Whitby by 5:30.  Lisa is driving a whole bunch of us to the event in Hamilton.  As a child I did not participate in any type of sports thus this will be another new experience as a result of deciding to become fit way back when. 

I won't be fast but if you would like to follow my where abouts I'm bib 7070 (very lucky number)  and there is a live link on www.sportstats.ca.

Enjoy the sunshine.  Even if its cloudy up there the sun shines above those clouds. (paraphrased from a Angie's facebook update today)

I love Mondays & Swim Story

Hi,

I don't usually post Mondays but thought it would be a nice change.  I just had to share how much I like Mondays.

Although not a formal rest day from training Monday's are almost a rest day.  Of the six days I train per week this is the only day with one activity.  It is an hour swim.  For the past two months Mondays have been comprised of 500M swim in 15 minutes max with a 2 min rest after repeat until the hour is up. 

If you have been following the blog in one of my old posts I mentioned at some point the story around swimming would be told.  I guess today is that day.

When I was a child I lived in the country in a village called Blakeney.  I would say at the most 25 homes and I might be exaggerating.  In the village one family had a swimming pool, at least when I was young, and the girls who lived here were my babysitters.  During one very hot summer day one of the girls decided we needed to leave my house and go to hers as a dip in the pool was needed.  I'm sure I was excited about this little adventure but don't remember going there.  What I remember is being told to sit on the second step of the pool.  I was not one of those children that would stay quite and had to move around all the time.  Mom always referred to me as a "can of angle worms". As I type this I now remember seeing that big bright coin molded in the bottom step. It signified the date the pool was installed.  I wonder if that bright shiny coin is what peeked my interest and I just had to have it.  Somehow I remember grabbing for the side of the pool and then seeing the bottom of the pool and then being on the ground facing up and being resuscitated by my babysitters.  Someone was watching over me as one of the girls was a life guard. 

Mom was a lifeguard, taught swimming and would take me once a week to the pool with my cousins.  I never felt comfortable in the pool and I spent most of my time in the shallow end.  Mom even sent me for private lessons but again I was never comfortable.  Once Mom stopped forcing me to swim I stopped and increasingly the uneasiness in the pool increased.  It was not my happy place and I avoided it as much as I could.

In 2010 my tri-buddy Ron suggested I reach out to Coach Paul for some private lessons. Giselle, another tri-buddy, told me about how Coach Paul had helped her husband to conquer his fear.  I did call Paul and our first class together was October 2010.  Instead of suggesting I get in the water right away we started with  baby steps.  How do you feel on the pool deck, how do you feel when we walk down the ramp into the pool, just float and feel comfortable, sit on the bottom of the pool and many other suggestions to get me over the fear.  Before I knew it was I was learning the front crawl and was in the beginners tri swim class in Whitby.  Then in 2011 I signed up for three triathlons.  Both Paul and Ron were there for my first.  Ron and I actually waded into the lake together.  Colburg was a challenge as the water was so cold I swam the 750M on my back but I did it.  Then the year finished up in Wasaga and that lake was like swimming in Pefferlaw which resulted in a very good swim.  I should mention as a member of the Durham Triathlon Club we have open water swims on Wednesdays and Saturdays at Holmes Point in Pefferlaw.  This is a great benefit of our club as open water is so different than the pool. (A commercial break if you are looking for a great club to train with)

I won't say that I am comfortable swimming yet but its getting better.  Today it was a walk around the block however my face was in the water and feet at the surface (I hope).  Now to get that same feeling in the lake.

I am so grateful Ron and Giselle suggested I go see Coach Paul.  Learning to swim has opened the door to so many new adventures.  And to top it off I received my first ever sports plaque at our club banquet - the most improved swimmer (another great benefit of the club).

So if you don't swim consider giving it a try and my advice is take it slow and find someone who is patient and helps you understand the fear and to face it rather than just jumping in.  No matter how shallow it is it can seem very deep when you are fearful of it. I know oh so well.  With baby steps we can all get over our fear of swimming.

I might be back before the big run on Sunday.

Have a wonderful week.

This is the Colburg Race and the water was so cold it was mandatory for wet suits.  I was last or second from last but that is okay.  That is Coach John giving me the high five.  John coached us on track night in the summers (bike & run).

 

Faith

Good Morning,
Hasn't it been a lovely couple of days? I can't believe my husband and I have had the bedroom windows open in March.  With soaring temperatures this week I anticipate the same will happen. 

Yesterday saw me begin the day at a very special place - Faith United.  Its awful to say but its like putting on a your favourite comfy outfit and sitting down in a big comfy chair for a time out.  The difference is you always learn something new.  Its not the cold church I remember as a youth but a vibrate caring community of people.  Our minister is around my age and references today culture in many of our sermons.  When I first saw Rev. Larry speak (yes he doesn't preach) all I can remember is the pop culture reference for the day was a rapper.  Larry picked up his ball cap, turned it backwards and started to rap as part of his sermon.  Beside my family and tri-buddies some of my Faith family are my biggest supporters.  Every time I see them they always ask what am I doing, what is the next goal, etc.  They don't know it but it helps.  Well maybe they do now. 

After service I came home had a wee lunch and decided it was time to get out there for the run.  Dr. J taped my leg up on Friday with kinesiology tape.  The great news is the extreme pain that prevented me from completing my run last week is gone.  I kept Coach's schedule I did the 12K.  Next Sunday is Around the Bay (30K run).  I'm looking forward to running with my tri-buddies.  I tend to train by myself most times so this will allow me to catch up with them, find out how their training is going etc.  One of these ladies is Lisa who is training for a full Ironman distance in May.  Saturday saw her on her bike for 5.5 hours and then I would think it was a 28 or 30K run yesterday.  Her race is in May and all training is indoors.  A true inspiration.

This week I have been wondering what would I blog about and then the word Faith came to mind.  As you see I have a family at Faith and we all have Faith there is something greater out there.  I came to realize that to participate in this crazy world of tri we have faith in many other things.  Faith our coach has the skills and knowledge to train us to prepare for our big day.  By the way Paul is a four time Ironman finisher.  Faith our bodies will survive the constant training we do but then we faithfully believe our Dr. J will keep us healthy and body limber.  There is a silent faith of just knowing our family and friends are behind us supporting us and encouraging us to get the job done.  As triathletes we must keep the faith all this work will get us over the finish line.

Its going to be an awesome warm week in March.  I have faith you will get out and enjoy some of it with a walk, stroll, run or a bike around your block. 

Have an awesome week.  Next time I'm back I'll let you know how Around the Bay went.

Hello

Hi Everyone and a special Hi to those who are reading this for the first time.

Just a quick note to say I usually post on Saturday or Sundays.  As of late its been Sunday after the long run.  I get in my happy place after my two hour spin on Saturdays. Sundays posts always provide a more realistic picture of the run portion of training.  The Monster Ironmotivation spin class takes a break during March break.  Things are a bit backwards today as I'll start with weights, then yoga and then a big spin after my nephew's hockey game. I anticipate it will be a Corrie marathon while I'm on the bike. 

It is going to be a beautiful day.  Have a bit of green beer to celebrate our Irish heritage but most important get out and enjoy the birds singing with a walk around the block. 

More news tomorrow.

the story of the calves

Amusing little story, well at least to me.  Dr. J suggested I purchase full length compression stock versus sleeves and it was really time to retire my four year old running shoes.  I was at the office and decided to go to Running Free in Markham which has a better selection and more knowledgeable staff than the one in Ajax.  To be honest I have only been to Ajax once so I should not base my opinion on one experience.  This knowledgeable salesman asked if he could help and I explained my requirements.  We headed over to look at the stock and he explained how I should be looking at medical grade compression versus the lower level compression offerings.  Once we figured out what I needed the discussion around size was next.  He asked what size is your foot and I said well I have big calves.  He politely told me several women state they have big calves but in reality they don’t so he decided to bring the small size sock.  Well he gasped as I rolled up the dress pants and he saw my calves.  I caught him almost saying you do have big calves but then he stopped middle sentence.  It was all very amusing.  I did purchase a new pair of full length compression sportsocks by CEP.  

I decided on the white version of the sock not the hot pink and test drove them on Sunday.  They felt wonderful and the calves were fine however it brought out another issue and after 60 minutes of walk / run my husband picked me up.  Although training for Around the Bay has been challenging there is a silver lining.  It has allowed me to better understand what my body requires for hydration, nutrition and what limitations I currently have muscularly.  This is all good as we have until September to get fine tuned for the big race and without this race I would not have known all this.  I say we as this is very much a team effort which includes Coach Paul, Coach Christine and Dr. J providing me valuable guidance and direction along the way.  Until Friday I’m resting from running and applying lots of ice. The race is on the 25^th so I have a bit of time to heal and we will decide if I run the distance closer to the date.  I did meet my objective of knowing I can run 21K but I really would like to say I ran Around the Bay.  Its one of those races that needs to be checked off the list of must do events.

I began the week in North Carolina and was greeted by tulips, pansies and colour we are so lacking right now however if the weather man is correct and we get temperatures in the teens this week we just might have some colour popping up in our yards.  Here is the garden at the hotel. 

And I will leave you this week with one last photo of my four year old running shoes. I’m sure this will result in some comments from my triathlon buddies.  I had these while I was training for the YMCA Peterborough half marathon. As I wear arch supports I don’t like shopping for shoes but finally broke down and purchased a pair for general requirements.  Actually I don’t like shopping all that much except if it is for a new bike.  Don’t worry I replaced these with others when I started to put distance on and used for general purpose only.  Dr. J was happy to see grey this morning versus orange.  

Have a wonderful week.  Enjoy the warm weather if you are in Ontario and try to get out for a walk, run or bike this week.

Challenging Run

March has come in like a lion with freezing rain and snow on the 1^st.  Although I know this lack of snow is not good for the farmers I won’t complain about it as running outside is much smoother.

 

Mentioning running I was scheduled for 28K last Sunday.  I was in my happy place as I posted my blog after spin and saw no reason why I would not complete it. I have learned the hard way I need to take better care of my nutrition and ensure I’m stretching.  I started my third loop (I have a 6.6K loop I usually run) and essentially stopped dead.  My body was saying I’m not running anymore but my mind was saying lets get it done.  After three attempts to restart the engine it still would not happen and I ended up walking home with 16K done.  I’ll admit I was extremely upset. When I got home I e-mailed Coach Paul for some encouragement along with facebooking a few members of my”supporting cast”.   The turning point was a pep talk from Dr. J who made me realize its okay and its part of training. It happened on a training day not race day.  I reached out to Coach Christine who has many Ironmans under her belt – an amazing athlete.  Christine and I discussed the run along with my nutrition and reviewed it again at Wednesday night spin.  The conclusion is water.  I know I was down a pint or two of water on Saturday and yes those few glasses of wine caused even more dehydration.  Net result the engine was down a quart or two of oil and the engine light was on (severe calf pain) giving me the indication that something was just wrong.  Now I’m back to monitoring my water intake. My previous trainer, Dan, pounded the need for water in my brain but for some reason I needed another reminder of how important it is.

Coach Paul and I agreed I should hold off on the mid week run while my calves loosen up as the distance run is most important.  This change saw me on the elliptical for an hour on Thursday versus a 10K run.   Today’s run started rough with the calf (only one) telling me that it lives in my leg however after about 40 minutes and taking a shot block it decided it was happier.  It tightened up again with about 5K to go but I did complete my 26K.  Coach Christine had some more advice which I’ll add into the training plan this week with regards to mineral intake.

At the end of each month I evaluate my training calendar to see how I did following Coach’s schedule.  I completed 84% of all my scheduled training events which equates to 6 hours of weights, 5.5 hours of swim, 6 hours of yoga, 14 hours of spin (indoor cycling) and 132K / 13 hours of running.  Now that I’m posting these stats I had best increase that percentage. 

I’m pleased to confirm things are moving along with my fundraising initiative from an administration point of view.  The Canada Gives web site has been tested and is functioning.  Last week I sat with the Board of Directors to outline my fundraising goal and upcoming events.  When I walked into the facility I could feel the good vibe and energy this place exudes.  It is a most welcoming environment for those who desperately need the services.  Services include breakfast and lunch, counselling, support groups, computer use, access to a phone, photocopier and fax machine, clean clothes, shower and laundry facilities and literacy training. Last year an average of 80 to 100 clients visited the Oshawa-based homeless outreach centre each day as of December 2011 it's between 100 and 125.  Learn more by clicking on the link to the Rogers TV clip. Next goal let people know about it.