June 3, 2012 Diamond Lake Open Water Challenge 5K Swim

http://www.swimdloc.com/category/dlocnews/

I wasn't sure what to expect from this event. Marty had printed it out and suggest I give it a try. So I signed up. (the theme of this year, not sure what it is I'm signing up for, looks fun / challenging, so going to sign up)

It was another event where I was going by myself (well not ever really by myself because God is always with me, and sometimes easiest to hear Him when I am doing these things on my own.)

Even when you are with a ton of people, it's still you and your thoughts. These last few weeks have been excellent for my mental focus to think about what my plan is, executing the plan, and reflecting on how it went.

(Nutrition in green again)

I woke up to give myself enough time to eat 600-700 calories before the start of the swim. I had 4 cups of applesauce (200 calories), 2 scoops of Melissa's protein (about 100), and a banana (90) to drink I had coffee in the car on the way (60), then I decided to mix 2 scoops of Carbo Pro into 8oz of Coconut Water to get the rest of the calories in (250) total 700 calories

Felt good and easy to digest

10 min before the "race" I had 1 - 100 GU Vanilla gel pack w/ caffeine (given to me by a fellow swimmer because I forgot mine in the car)

The word "race" was in quotation marks like that because it did not feel like a race at all. It felt like somebody was having a BBQ at their lake house, invited a bunch of people, and decided that everybody was going to go out swimming. 

The swim took place on pretty Diamond Lake in Cassopolis, Michigan. You have to park your car on the main island, and then take a barge across the island. Once you get there, packet pick up was one table long, and the athlete area to get ready was on somebody's porch :) The race start was off of the boat launch from her deck. :)

I was good on nerves as I'm usually a wreck before open water swims. I spoke to Coach Kris on the phone and she told me to pick up the arm cadence/stroke count every buoy so was going to try and focus on that. We get out to the start, there were MAYBE 10-15 of us, the race director blows a whistle and we were off. 2 - 2.5K loops- I was instantly alone in the water- as everybody swam ahead- something I'm used to so wasn't a big deal. The water temp didn't feel too bad compared to CDA last weekend. Looking back, I made this mistake in MOWS last year, but I was going way too easy. I don't know if I was nervous about getting too tired too soon, but focusing too much on my stroke, as I tried to stretch out every stroke, but on the way back from the out and back we hit some chop, not terrible but made it more challenging and tough to find a strong pull- I also found myself pausing a lot to sight- something I didn't do as much in Wildflower because I would get disorientated and couldn't stay straight. I was horrified to look down at my watch at the end of the first loop to see that 1:48min had already passed for 1.5 miles that was SUPER slow. My 1.2 at Wildflower was 54min so that means that I added 66min to 0.3miles?? What?? I didn't take a gel because Melissa told me not to, but I'm glad now that I didn't bother fussing with all that, time I couldn't afford to use any more time. As I was rounding the turn around, one of the kayakers shouted to me if I was on my 2nd or 3rd loops- I told him my second and he yelled back to "get it going" because I wasn't moving in the water. The slower I was the stronger the chop got and the more difficult it was to see the buoys. I swallowed a bunch of water as I would get slapped down from the chop, but my stomach was good! I stopped my watch when I rounded the buoy at the start. When I got out of the water I was beyond disappointed. to see that it took me 3:44:30. That's a long ass time to be in the water in less than tropical temperatures. My Garmin also said 4.87miles! Those things are often off, but could be a good indicator for how all over the place I was.

All I could think was "get me warm" so with help (everybody was super nice btw) I peeled off my suit and threw on my sweatshirt, I was super thankful for the sun out today. When I got out of the water, they were already giving the awards and all of the BBQ was finished and they were already cleaning up. There was some pasta left so I had one scoop of mostaccioli in red sauce and a mini bagel with crunchy peanut butter on it. 

People were commenting that it was a tough swim so felt a tiny bit better but spirits were low. I get back to the car and mix some of Melissa's protein in water for more food. I get out of my wet underclothes and start to feel better as I start the drive home. 

I found my eyes getting heavy on the drive so had to stop. Got some unsweetened ice tea and some freshly popped butter / salt popcorn- (emotional choice Melissa :/ but it was delicious.) It kept me awake and helped. I wanted to cry over my popcorn but the tears never came. I made another stop to get gas and make sure I wasn't sleepy and looked down at my phone to find texts from Coach Kris, Melissa and Lynn and felt grateful that they were checking in. I spoke to my sister briefly and told her it was a tough morning without going into detail. After I hung up, that's when the tears came. Not even sure what I was crying about, probably more about the fact that it didn't go the way I wanted and this can be an emotional sport. They were quick, and didn't go into a "poor me" attitude. I was probably also tired. It's also when I'm by myself I'm more likely to get emotional. I got myself together and called Lynn and we just chatted without judgement so that made me feel better. 

CDA is going to be choppy. CDA is going to be cold. But I know I can get out of that water in 2hours. After reflecting I think I just went to easy, the same mistake I did at MOWS last August. I need to do like Chrissie says and "smash" myself during training too, treat it like a race day. I need to go out way harder and rest only when I need to catch my breath. I think without thinking about it, I think I'll tire out. If I tire out, it'll be towards the end, and I know that I'll swim through it, but I can't afford to take so long in the beginning. 1hr 48min for just over 1.5miles is RIDICULOUS and NOT going to cut it. . The focus these next to weeks is going to be as much open water as possible. I have the stroke, I know what to do, I know what my body needs to do and look like to be most efficient, I just need to have the physical and mental endurance to be able to execute and sustain it. 

Veronica's Race Preview, Coeur d' Alene, Idaho- May 26-29

 Ok- I'm going to try and write every detail . For the sake of anybody ever traveling to CDA on their own and to be specific about nutrition as I try to dial in. Food will be in green, workout details in blue- I tend to feel self conscious about how slow my workouts can be, so including them anyways because they are what they are. 


The night before I took my bike to Get a Grip  http://www.getagripcycles.com/ to get my bike all packed up. One of the perks of being a Chicago Tri Club member is that you get to rent their bike boxes for free. http://www.chicagotriclub.com/ (Thanks Henry for the tip!) The guys are always great there, they did a race check and realized I needed a new chain and cassette. $! That's ok. $50 to pack it up.  (I really need to learn to just do it myself, but I don't trust myself enough)The also realized that the CTC boxes have been used and abused to the limit, broken strap here, faulty wheel there, so they unpacked a brand new box for me :)
SATURDAY- MAY 26
Woke up around 4amish, had about 8oz of cocunt water Zico brand. Around 6amish had a Vegn Whole Food Energy Bar-Berry Flavor with Orange Juice on the first flight.At the Denver airport 9:30am I needed something more- medium (10oz) coffee from Einsteins with honey and one splenda, an egg white and turkey sausage sandwich on a whole wheat thin bagel, and a rice krispie squar (oops), gingerale on the second flight, no snacks
I left Chicago early Saturday morning, flew Southwest airlines. http://www.southwest.com/ They are the cheapest when it comes to carrying on a bike box onto the plane ($50)
I googled and called the first bike shop that came up on google- Bicycle Sales and Service- http://www.bicycleservice.com/. The man I spoke to on the phone was very helpful and suggested a few tri clubs to try to contact while I was out there. I took my bike to them to get assembled $60- (common theme is being giving young mechanics money to do something that I need to learn for myself)
When I arrived in Spokane, got my rental car and headed right for the bike shop. (Yay gps maps on the iphone!- Don't forget your car charger if you're renting a car. For race day, I'm going to take the $50 shuttle instead and use their taxi cab services to go to and from the locations, the hotel is only about 3miles from race start and expo.

I dropped it off and went to packet pick up for my 1/2 marathon stuff - even though I wasn't going to run it- I decided I would run 13 on my own here, but use Sunday as a training day. http://www.cdamarathon.com/ 
The event was small compared to even the smallest Chicago 5K event with about 4 tents in an outdoor mall. While there I discovered a bike shop that also sold triathlon equipment. 
They were more high end then the other shop and cheaper to assemble ($50)- oh well, next time. http://www.verticalearth.com/ I was able to pick up a warm cap for swimming.  Lunch was a large pulled chicken sandwich, with very little bbq sauce- the kind where they give you the chicken (chicken was pulled, so not fried which was good) and you add your own sauce, plus some kettle corn.

I drove down to the lake to check the scene out. I started conversation with the various triathletes who were out and about, one guy told me that he's not swimming in "this shit yet" and another older man was putting on a wetsuit. I'll find out how bad it really is. I grabbed some food and by this time my bike was ready to be picked up. They let me keep my car there so that was good because me rental jetta was way too small for both box and bike.

Ironman CDA swim start

Once I had my bike, I decided  to drive the course. The route in town is a series of turns, so tough to really go super fast but once you stretch out there are places to coast. The course is two loops- and the loops are essentially two out and backs. It's a very scenic course, and I'm glad I got to drive and preview it because come race day, I won't be paying attention to the scenery. There are no hills that are above 6% grade, but there are a few long ones. There's a long 1mile climb or so off of lake coeur d' alene drive and then on the 95S there is about a 2mile climb- which you essentially go over each climb 4times. The decents are fast and if you're not careful you can catch a nasty cross wind. 
I was surprised to see so many cyclists on the course because I was under the impression that it was too dangerous to ride on the highway with the traffic- but by the looks of it, the shoulders were wide enough. I did pull over and help a guy who need a valve extender to blow up his tire. I got the chance to chat a bit and he said the roads were ok to drive on, just stay on shoulder, watch out for idiots, and careful for flats.

Driving south on 95

Once I finished driving. I parked, changed and did a quick up and back by lake coeur d' alene drive- the wind was surprisingly challenging for only a quick spin I put my running shoes on and did an easy hour- also surprisingly slower with the wind and deceiving false flats/ gradual climb.
Must have erased bike on accident- it was about 30min- a little over 8miles, the run was 1:03:29 for 6.01 miles
By this time it was already getting a little late and wanted to make sure I got food and sleep and checked into the hotel.Guesthouse Inn-  http://www.guesthouseintl.com/hotels/coeurdalene
Dinner was Scholtkey's deli and then a stop at the Safeway- Chicken Noodle soup with a large cobb salad (only ate about 1/2 of it, with flatbread- no cheese on the salad) with Carrot Juice (stubborn chest cough won't go away so trying to boost immune system) Coconut water and rice pudding (oops) I took a lactaid with it, couldn't resist, rice pudding is a favorite- and i figured I could use the carbs.
Decent hotel and price, only about 3miles from city park, and it has a fridge and microwave. 


SUNDAY - MAY 27
 I woke up at 5:40, late, took my medicine and started getting ready. About 6:30 I ate- 100 calories of natural applesauce, mixed with 2 scoops of your protein, 1 banana- and starbucks instant vanilla coffee (60 calories)
I had sent a few messages to some different groups- TriSpokane club, a local swimming club, and Lake City Tri. Tawnya was the friendliest and most helpful- she invited me to join her meeting at starbucks at 7:00 so we can see the start of the Marathoners and so that she can give me some helpful tips. I found them on facebook and they were great. http://www.lakecitytri.org/ 
One other rider, Will joined. us We rode the first 1/2, of the first loop, and then on Lake Coeur d'Alene drive, on the way down, we took a right onto Yellow Stone Train where we did part of the olympic course, extra climbing but SUPER pretty and a very fun descent.

After about 22miles I met went back with them to the car, refueled and went back out on my own. Tawnya was nice enough to give me an extra CO2 cartridge, just in case, but luckily I didn't need it. She was beyond helpful, inviting me to a club bbq after (I didn't make it because I spent the day riding) and  pointing out lots of great tips and suggesting where to swim the next day.

On the ride yes, I went through 2, 400 calories gel/water bottles and then 4 just water bottles- I took in about 4 salt stick tablets and 1 PowerBar Performance Vanilla Crisp bar throughout, and 3/4 banana in between (1/4 when I finished) for the total ride- felt hungry and sluggish- not dehydrated 

It was a very comfortable riding day temperature wise. Temperatures were cool- I started with a jacket and gloves, peeled later to just sleeves and the wind vest. I very much underestimated the difficulty of the wind. Totally slowed me down- Out on the 95- going 18miles south it was into the wind- on flat, struggling to go 14mph, on the way back on the same flat- easy 22mph- maybe there were more false flats then I realized. But the course is basically through town, an out and back up to Higgins point up Lake Couer d Alene drive, through town, South on the 95 for about 18 miles, back north on the 95, through town and repeat. The town has no climbing, tiny rollers- Lake CDA drive has one good climb at about 6% for about 1 mile. The 95 has a few longer climbs, one at about 6% for about 2miles- tricky with the wind- and another one at about 5% for about 1mile- so you essentially go up those 4times- nothing higher than that, but they're long and they slow me down :/ The descents were fast, but you need to be careful because the roads aren't that awesome. I think my max speed was about 34.3 because I'm a chicken (My max ever is 41.5 down Mt. Lemmon)

121.33 total miles for 9:02:12 hours, average of 13.4mph average- 5250 calories. Feeling pretty bad about that- I should've been faster at this point in my training. This was including the climbs at the beginning, so tricky to see what I'll do at Ironman- it should be enough for the cutoff times, just need to be careful about getting a flat. 

No run or swim after- shower and on my way to Sandpoint to hang out with Julie.

I had 2 scoops of your protein Melissa's rice pudding for recovery. 

Dinner I went to a friends BBQ and had a burger, no cheese, with sweet potato salad, fruit, 1 beer and a little desert, oh and a small bag of lays potato chips :/

Bike Special Needs Area

MONDAY - MAY 28

This morning I gave myself plenty of time before swimming. I allowed myself to sleep in a bit. I was going to try and swim right at 7am, but slept till about 8am. I took my medicine at about 6:30am, went back to bed for a bit then at about 8:30am I had a hard boiled egg, no yolk, a waffle with light syrup and peanut butter, a banana, 1 50calorie cup with 1 scoop your protein, and starbucks instant vanilla coffee.

Sander's Beach entrance near CDA library

I ventured out to Sander's Beach- where Tawnya suggested, no boats, along the shore so you can stand, and a marker for a half way point- to the doc and back is 1.2- My goal was to try and get an hour + in. Right before the swim I had about 8oz of coconut water. 

54degree-ish water- brr

There were 3 other swimmers there putting on their suits, so that made me feel better, we were chatting it up a bit. The swim was terrible. I made it about 36 min with warm cap like Coach Kris said, but it felt like it was choking me, swim cap and with vaseline on the face like Melissa said. Hands and feet suffered, the booties may be worth trying- I think the temp was about 54? 55? It was also a bit choppy. Tawnya said to expect chop. Chop plus these temps then I'm in big trouble. Silly. I'm hoping it goes up at least 10 degrees in the next 4 weeks. I didn't panic but  it was very difficult to get going and get breathing going. I tried to relax, I turned around right where I thought was the turnaround, but my watch said 0.65miles for 36:58min. yikes- I'm back at square one. Like I had forgotten everything that I learned. I know it will be better on race day, I have no other choice. I'm excited for the 3mile open water swim because I won't have the option to turn around early, or get out because I'm uncomfortable.  

I had to drop off my bike to get packed up (again, something I pay a young bike mechanic to do when I need to learn myself- note to self, learn to use those damn CO2 cartridges, I always mess them up)

After I dropped the bike off, went back to the hotel to get myself together- the swim zapped my energy and left with me a headache. Took in some carrot juice and some apple sauce with a banana Melissa's protein, 

Took a shower and ended up taking a quick nap. Woke, up got myself together, changed to get ready for a run- got the bike and headed for Lake CDA drive to get ready to run. Took in some water and a bite of the Performance Protein Bar Vanilla Crisp (I think I found the source of the rumbly tummy, ast time I get those. I also took a swig of some diet coke for a boost) 

Start of my run- towards HigginS

Started a very slow run. Decided I was going to do 13.1 so that I could wear my 1/2 Marathon shirt- I have a thing about wearing race shirts for races I didn't complete. So, I did the 1/2 Marathon, just a little late :)

lake CDA drive, I will prob be running part of this in the dark

I went up the drive so that I could get that in, (which is part of the course) and then part of the course through town. It was a beautiful 70degrees with a nice wind (tough at some points, this race is just going to be windy, I need to deal with it) but good running weather. After about 9miles, I was only taking in water so stopped at the car- I only had those Vegn gels that Melissa said to ignore, but needed something so took it. and finished up the run. I knew it was going to much slower. When running back towards the car, the sun hit me so that I could see my shadow on the ground. When I noticed it slouching, I would throw my shoulders back and my hips forward and I was able to comfortable get back to an easy 9:40 pace (still slow for a 1/2 marathon, this run was just EXTRA slow) - tried to think of Chrissie when she talked about smashing yourself even on training days when I wanted to stop after an hour. 13.21 miles, 2:19:46, 10:34pace- SLOW!! After the run I intended to find some "clean recover food" but found myself at Jimmy John's instead. I had the roast beef / turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, mayo and avocado spread on their class french roll- no cheese, no chips or cookie I went back to the lake, where the swim start is, and walked into the lake up to my hips to give myself an "ice bath" I watched a little boy play in the water in a full wetsuit. Pretty funny, in a few weeks there will be 2500 adults ready to play in the water in wetsuits. I tried to envision the start of the race, the buoys, running out of the water to loop, taking in a gel, and running back in to do another loops- then envisioned where transition was going to be and tried to get it all in. (I was really trying to take my mind off of the cold water on my now numb feet)

I went back and treated myself to frozen yogurt (oops) I know I need to clean up again so won't be having the dairy again for a while. 

Recovery, travel day tomorrow, back at it on Wednesday. Three weeks. 

Avia Wildflower May 5, 2012

Avia Wildflower May 5, 2012

Swim 54:46,   2:50 pace - better but not where I want it

 T1- 5:01- yikes!

Bike- 4:00:24 L -  13.9 pace- slow!

T2- 3:31

Run- 2:25:18- 11:05 pace- shuffling!

Total: 7:29:01

(I think this course was about 1mile short on the bike and 0.5 short on the run, so not confident It was a full 70.3) Here are the profiles:

http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/WildFlower2012-course_descriptions_long_course.htm

Wins, Lessons Learned, Things to Remember

I write this two weeks later as I haven’t had the chance to sit down and write. Would’ve like to do this as race is still fresh in my mind, but the lack of sleep has caught up to me. Things to remember, I’m not 21 anymore. Can’t run on 4 hours of sleep like I used to, I need to stop pretending like I can. After a terrible day of riding on Saturday (the heat, and wind on the course got to me, and 20mile run from the night before) trying to reflect as I’m in a higher volume push for the next weeks before CdA. Before Wildflower, I was already getting sick of training and just wanted to race, so this was a good chance for me to “reset”

Here goes, I’ll try to incorporate nutrition info into the recap as well. The last two weeks before the race, I had been cramping a ton. Every time I went in the water. Calf, shin, foot, hamstring, Melissa told me my muscles were pissed off at me and it made sense. She started having me take MG/Calcium pills, and I am horrible at taking vitamins. I need to remember to leave them out so I take them at night. She also had me put on MG lotion to help with. Even a week later I need to remember to take zinc so that sniffles turn into full blown colds with lack of sleep and travel.

The week leading up to the race, I basically tried to load up on calories. Probably not the best calories, but for some reason I thought I needed calories- Tried to still stay away from soy, dairy, and gluten, but culprits still snuck themselves in occasionally- I noticed in some post race pictures some pinchable belly fat that never used to be there showing through my tri top, so going back to really cutting back on the sugar for the next 6 weeks. When I was on top of it, energy was much better. Time to cut waaay back.  So really tried to eat more at meals, and suck down 2-3 bottles of coconut water a day. I took the salt in the form of salt stick vs putting it in the coconut water and also tried to add a few bottles of low cal Gatorade.

Friday am (day before race) Tara picked me up and had pizza waiting for me- took a little bit to be polite, I had eaten protein enough in the am to make sure that I wouldn’t be hungry later on. Everything bagel with egg and turkey with a coffee, apple juice banana

I actually felt good vs instantly hungry and didn’t feel the need to eat.

The journey wasn’t bad on the way down there- middle of nowhere California- get there and objective was to get organized before getting a brick in.

Got packet pick up- got my bike, yay tribike transport. Had a pretlze, a low cal large Gatorade and ½ a chicken burrito with rice and beans (no cheese)

Tried  out the blueseventy and hated it, felt heavy- Orca it was going to be- swam about 15 min total- actually felt good to be in the lake. It made me think about how far I had come since my first disaster race open water swim in 2008. I was actually looking forward to getting in the open water.

We took our bikes for a “spin” up Lynch hill and then down- got pretty nervous with turns and conditions and new wheels. I realized that I’m a big wuss and flying down descents still make me nervous.  

Packed up and made our way to Motel 6, King City- WAY further then we thought- if doing a hotel- try Paso Robles, if not CAMP- we should’ve camped- next time, also next time we’ll know what we’re doing and we’ll make a weekend out of it. Several people do the long course on Saturday then the Olympic on Sunday which actually looks pretty fun. (We drove back to San Fran right after the race)

For dinner we had a lovely Denny’s Dinner, I had my traditional spaghetti and meatballs, no cheese, salad, no cheese, and chicken soup- pancake balls for dessert- again, this race was going to see how much my stomach could take without getting sick- Still sucking down the coconut water- 2 large liters and the low calorie Gatorade because I didn’t want to cramp. Felt good

Woke up early took medicine, made coffee- got bottles ready. (One bottle- four scoops carbo pro- 6 capsules salt stick- salty!) packed enough gels for one an hour- plus a Performance brand endurance/vanilla crisp bar. Other bottle was water- forgot to bring a “throw away” for the water,  oh well, I’ll get another get a grip bottle. At 5am I ate- 1.5 cups apple sauce with 2 scoops Melissa protein. Still feeling good. 15 min before race- 2 salt stick- 10 min before- 1 gel- Tara already urging me to get going as I was still fussing.

The waves let out every 5 min, so the only chance to get in the water was right before your wave- Was able to swim about 100 yards, then stand there waiting for the gun to go off- I saw Elisa Litora and said a quick hello, nerves were pretty good.  I was trying to keep in mind- this is a training day. Race hard. Have fun.  I knew I had been working on the swim, and Coach Kris told me to shoot for 45min. I knew that would be hard, but it gave me a boost to know that she thought I could do 45min. I never panicked (win) and even was aggressive when people tried to swim into me, not letting my form get compromised (win). I did realize when I tried to start to “swim hard” , my form would go to mush and I would zig zag all over (lesson). After meeting with Marcia we worked on my head position when breathing to keep myself in balance. As I stretched it out and thought about strong and steady- lots of voices in my head, Fitz, Marcia, Melissa- I knew I just needed to focus on every stroke. When I got out of the water I immediately looked down at my watch and was disappointed with my 54min time- but realized it was 6min faster than my PR (win) and 10 min faster than Racine (win) I shook it off and tried to remember what to do in transition area! First race of the season leaves you a little out of sorts-  Oh and no cramping (win!) I felt twinges in the calves but nothing pulled, very relieved. I wasn’t exhausted coming out of the water, giving me confidence that  I could keep it up for another loop. CDA goal is to come in under 2 hours-no more of this “I just want to make the cut off times” crap- that’s not enough.

Got settled into the bike, trying to remember to stay on the nutrition.  I ended up taking a gel every ½ hour instead of hour, eating the power, and sipping the bottle every 15. It ended up being a good combo and never felt hungry (I notoriously feel hungry on the rides, and once you feel hungry you know you’re in for a long day- cycle of low nutrition, slowing down, etc) I also took in 2 pieces of banana when offered- no nausea, no GI issues (win) The bike took way longer than I wanted, but tried to maintain a decent pace, while catching up to others in my wave that passed me on the swim. (Two bathrooms stops- with the heat of the day- I knew this was good because that meant I wasn’t starting to get dehydrated)

T2 much better-Took in another gel, and got going. I’m glad Kris told me not to walk, there was shuffling for sure, but didn’t walk- MUCH slower run than I wanted- but hell of a course- mile 4 I was on my toes, pulling with my arms, determined to not walk- it was a slow shuffle up, but I also knew that if I started to walk I would cramp, so glad I didn’t- well one bathroom stop-

I took one gel every 4 miles, and ½ Gatorade ½ water when I could, plus electrolytes from a spectator, again tried to take in more than I usually would versus staying conservative.

Overall a good day. BEAUTIFUL course and a part of the country I don’t get to hang out in too often. It was just me and Tara- I knew that Dan Litorwa was racing so in my head pictured him yelling at me to have a higher cadence on the bike, and that helped, but not knowing anybody on the course actually wasn’t terrible- I focused on what I was doing, very different from marathons in the past where you know a ton of people and it’s a fun day- and in Racine where you have a ton of people racing with you. This was a different kind of race, friendly conversations here and there- but stuck to keeping my feet going. I was shuffling up a hill while others were walking, when one guy said “now there’s a hill runner, keep it up girl!” (win) People don’t say things like that about ME J My friends win things while I try to not get DNF next to my name. Every person racing participates for their own reasons. As I start the season, and I get tired of training or just want a weekend, I remember that I love to participate and I love this communityJ I’m ready for CDA. No doubt , no fear, only logistics. You can only hope for a perfect race day, and who knows the bumps that can get thrown at you, but I’ll be happy and grateful to line up at that starting line!  

The Cycling House

April 3-8, 2012
Tuscon, Arizona


www.thecyclinghouse.com




My first ever camp, and first every traveling / cycling experience was a complete success. I've traveled in the US for foot races before, but never for a bike trip. 
By recommendation of a friend, one of the perks of being a Chicago Tri Club member is that you can rent travel bike boxes for free with your membership- you just need to put down a deposit of $25. I was initially going to rent a bike, but am SO glad I decided to bring the bike. Get a Grip was great with the packing and Southwest is even better with carrying it on board- only $50 each way, compared to other airlines who carge $200+ each way for oversized luggage / bikes.


When I arrived I felt a bit odd traveling alone, and joining a camp where I did not know anybody else, but was instantly made to feel comfortable by the crew. The staff has an incredible amount of experience, athletic ability, knowledge, and overall spirit for fun. 


The week I went, the group happened to be particularly small, with only 7 clients so the staff to client ratio was great :) I am a triathlete and the in house pro triathlete and coach with especially great. 


Tuesday Day 1 everybody was settling in- the house was nothing shy of spectacular.
We went for a fun couple of hour spin, then I was able to get a good short hilly brick in. 
     

We get back and dinner was an impressive spread of nutritious, tasty selections. Everybody was extra considerate to help me with my gluten free / soy free/ dairy free requests.

Wednesday  - 45-65 mile ride (option to add or shorten, I did not add or shorten- just rode as is) nice 7 mile climb from San Manuel back to Tucson. Probably one of the best roads I've ever ridden on- I felt like I was in the middle of a magazine shoot. Another great day in the sun (oh yeah, also got incredibly sun burnt on this trip with some crazy tan lines- ouch)

Thursday - Gates Pass. 65 miles, hilly, options to shorten up if needed, Matis's Mexican 

restaurant for Mexican food

 Super fun, tough climb- some good grades in there, felt great to get the blood flowing. One of those rides where on some of the climbs you want to unclip and walk, but know you won't so just push to the top, out of breath and all. Beautiful view. 

Throughout the week we were also able to go to the local beautiful outdoor pool to get drill work and laps in. Made going back to an indoor pool pretty terrible! 

Friday - Mount Lemmon- one of those rides you have to do if out in the Tuscon area. 21 miles of climbing. The grades weren't terrible, but with patches of wind, and steady climbing around 5% or so for 20 miles, you felt it, and then feel great when you're done! The view were spectacular, changing from desert to pine as you increased in elevation and decreased in temperature. Unforgettable.

Saturday - Madera Canyon 50 miles, big climb at the end.

Last big ride of the week- Another epic ride with no easy grades- Super fun- Spencer let me hug his wheel the whole way back and we FLEW. Awesome. Followed by a stubborn brick in the heat after.But then a lovely welcome back to the house. Our swim time ended up being playing in the pool at the house :)

    

Overall walked away from this camp, sore, but a better, stronger, smarter rider. Thanks for a great week TCH!!!

For the love of cereal

        Of all the things that I've been having trouble cutting out, I have found my cereal to be the most difficult. Beer and cupcakes and chips have been also hard, but I never realized how much I actually go through cereal.... I was told to cut gluten/soy/dairy. I was given a very specific plan with approved food lists and meals. I have obviously been having trouble sticking to the plan. This week may give it a shot because it's recovery week. I noticed that with my workouts averaging 15hours a week, the portions were not enough, but this week is less, so will give it a shot again.
      Back to my love of cereal. Since I can remember Honey Nut Cherrios have always been a favorite. I was told if I'm going to eat starchy carbs, go gluten free- I'm not allergic to it, but after the most disgusting cereal experience I've ever had, I started looking at the nutrition labels and starting thinking why? The gluten fre had more calories and more carbs per serving- but my favorite Honey Nut more sugar. Again, I sat there thinking why? I decided that Ironman is my goal this year, but an occasional bowl of delicious honey nut cherrios is not going to destroy my race. I will continue to make good choices about what I fuel up with, how much I'm eating, and the effefts it has on my body and energy, but Mr. Honey Bee- I'm glad you're back in my life.

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

Had an extra can of pumpkin from the Thai Style Chicken Pumpkin Soup so thought I would try this out. Not bad, tastes a bit like pumpkin bread.
I also added a little molasses for some more flavor- and I didn't have "pumpkin spice" available so used this recipe for pumpkin spice:
Measure 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon into a small bowl or cup.
Makes 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger.
Add 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice or ground cloves.
Add 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
Stir to blend. (makes 1 tsp of pumpkin spice blend)
I followed the rest of the recipe pretty closely (only I doubled it)
ORIGINAL RECIPE:
Paleo Pumpkin Muffins from PaleoPlan.com
Makes 6 muffins.
Approximate cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1½ cups almond flour
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (or cook and puree pumpkin yourself)
3 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raw honey (optional)
2 tsp almond butter
1 Tbs sliced almonds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Coat 6 muffin tins with coconut oil (or use paper muffin cups and add 1/2 tsp melted coconut oil to batter).
Mix all ingredients and pour evenly into tins.
Bake for 25 minutes on the middle rack.
Sprinkle almonds on top immediately after taking them out of the oven.

Thai-Style Chicken Pumpkin Soup

Not sure how crazy I am about this one. I did have two generous bowls and it did make me pretty happy though. Not sure if it cooked too long and the citrus / vinegar was too strong, or not creamy enough for your typical pumpkin soup? Overall not bad. I'm going to try the butternut squash soup next as far as soups go- so this one is good for a different taste.
(Again adapted from Best Loved Slow cooker recipes)- I need to order that Paleo book....

Ingredients (as is makes 4 - 6 servings in a smaller crockpot- I have a 5qt so I also increase ingredients)
*1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes (I used about 12)
1 large white onion, thinly sliced ( I only had red in the house, it was fine)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 6)
1/2 - 3/4 crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp minced fresh giner (I only had ground so had to follow the conversion- and used 2 tbsp)
*2 stalks celery trimmed and diced (I used four)
2 carrots, peeled, trimmed and diced (again 4)
1 can (15 ounces) solid- pack pumpkin ( I used 30)
1/2 cup mango nectar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice- I put almost a full cup- probably too much
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter- ( I used almost a cup- could have substituted for almond butter but wanted to use up the last of my peanut butter)
4 cups low- sodium chicken broth (almost 8)
*3 tbs rice vinegar
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro, divided
*1/2 cup heavy cream- (I took it easy on this- not supposed to have it, but oh well)
1 tbsp cornstarch
*2 to 4 cups hot cooked rice (I used Jasmine)
3 green onion, minced
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
lime wedges (optional)


First heat the oil over medium heat, adding chicken to cook, stirring occasionally only about 3 minutes (doesn't need to be completely cooked) Add onion, garlic, giner and red pepper flakes, cook for 1 or 2 minutes longer until mixture is fragrant.

 

        Transfer chicken mixture to slow cooker. Add celebry, carrots, pumpkin, mango nectar, lime juice, peanut butter, broth, and 2 cups of water, stir to combine. Cover; cook on LOW 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. 

          Stir in rice vinegar and 1/4 cup cilantro, mix cream and cornstartch together in small mixing bowl. Stir mixture into soup. Turn setting to HIGH. Simmer, unconvered, 10 minutes or until soup thickens.

      
     To serve, put rice in soup bowls. Ladle soup around rice. Sprinkle reaming cilantro, green onions, and peanuts. Squeeze fresh lime juice over soup if desired. (enjoy with Tostitios lime chips if desired :) ) Not exactly on the approved food list- oops!

               

  

 

Slow Cooker! Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

I had a late start today and thought it would be perfect to try out the new slow cooker. Most recipes call for about 8hours- I ended up leaving it for 10 and it was ok. I won't be able to do this during the week because 10hours is usually the average so any am or pm workouts means I'll be away from home from 12+ hours, no good for a slow cooker. I'll probably be able to get it ready on Sunday mornings, do the workouts for the day 4-5 hours on a different setting if I want to try out different recipes.
All ingredients were bought from whole foods (Jewel would be just fine I'm sure but I was already at the WF, I'm sure Jewel would have been cheaper, but the turkey sausage I used was really fresh and yummy)
Recipe taken and modified from "Crock-Pot Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes"

The longest part was the chopping which I did the night before. I ended up doubling the recipe, but not using all of it when I put it in the pot.

(I'll include original recipe, and what I added to fit the 5qt size)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I cut about 10)
4 spicy Italian Turkey sausage links (not in recipe, I just added it)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (I peeled and cubed 2, but only about 3 fit into the pot)
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed. (I peeled and cubed 2 small potatoes and about 1 cup of cauliflower)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices (I peeled 4)
1 can (28 ounces) whole stewed tomatoes, undrained (I used 4- 14.5 cans- too many, too soupy and wanted it more stewy)
1 teaspoon salt (I added 2)
1 teaspoon paprika (I put about 2)
1 teaspoon celery seeds (2)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (1/4)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (0- I didn't have it, oops)
1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth (2)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (used it to taste for serving)


Combine chicken, (turkey), potatoes (cauliflower), carrots, tomatoes with juice, salt, paprika, celery seeds, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg (oops) and broth in slow cooker. Cover, cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours (10 for me and the apartment didn't burn down) or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours. To serve, sprinkle with basil
(This was for the original recipe for 6 servings- for the 5, 6, or 7 quart double all ingredients like I did for my 5 qt)
I served over a leftover quinoa / brown rice / lentil mix so that it was more like a stew instead of a soup and I liked it this way. You could also add rotini pasta to make it more filling, but not bad served with the rice mix :)

Race / Event Calendar 2012- WOO HOO!!!

January 3-7, 2012 - Puerto Vallarta with Mallory- we're turning this trip into a detox, yoga retreat. Plan is to drink a ton of WATER, eat tons of meat, veggies and fruit and sweat in the SUN- I'll be bringing my goggles and running shoes as well. Travel bumps along the way- but a much needed rest. Felt good to stretch on the beach and swim in the ocean.

Sunday January 29,  2012 -1/2 Marathon distance- F3??? Miami??? Not registered for either yet, but goal is to get a race in. Silly sprained ankle will be fine. I hope. Looks like a no go. Bummed it didn't work out.

April 3-8, 2012- The Cycling House, Tucson, AZ - http://www.thecyclinghouse.com/ My first camp experience.  My spring dates from work don't match VQ camp dates. Should still be fun.

Saturday May 5, 2012- Wildflower 1/2 Ironman- REGISTERED! Need to work out the details of flight, stay, another day off :/ etc...
http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/WildFlower2012-main.htm


May 20, 2012 Gran Fondo- not signed up yet- had a blast last year so giving it another shot (tough ride!)

May 26-29, 2012- Veronica's Coeur d Alene training weekend. Flight booked, hotel booked. Need to figure out how to rent a bike. Goal of the weekend is to preview the course
May 27, 2012 CdA 1/2 Marathon- might as well get a race in!

Sunday June 24, 2012 BAM! Can't wait. Flight booked, hotel booked, Bike Transport booked. YEEHAW!! http://ironmancda.com/

July 15, 2012- 70.3 Ironman Racine? probably a terrible idea- not registered but we'll see http://ironmanracine.com/

August 11, 2012- Dairyland Dare! http://www.dairylanddare.com/

August 19, 2012- 70.3IM Steelhead? http://ironmansteelhead.com/

Sunday, September 9, 2012- IM Wisconsin. Yeah- I signed up again. IMCdA is my A race and this is supposed to be my "fun" race- we'll see what my body does on this day. Would love to be able to start and finish this race, smiling the whole time, enjoying every bit of it.  http://ironmanwisconsin.com/

PHEW!

Lox and Eggs

Inspired by breakfast at Eleven City Dinner with Henry, made this tasty breakfast. Again, cheated the portions.

-2 eggs, with yolks
-About 1/2 cup of fresh smoked salmon, cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 1/4 cup of Almond Milk
- Salt to taste
-TBSP olive oil.

Basically hit up a small frying pan with oil. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Fry in pan, could have been scrambled, but did it more omlette style, hold the cheese, flipping once a little brown and cooked. The rice crackers were instead of toast, and only had 3- adjustment from usual love of toast and butter and jam with my egg breakfasts.

Salsa!

So only Day 3 of new eating and already starving and bored with food options. I've been cheating on the portions, because they really aren't enough-  hungry all the time, and a VO2 and SE workout hungry blows. Still adjusting, and I know it's going to lead to more muscle, less fat, more energy. (That's the plan)

Lunch was more chicken, but topped with a chunky salsa / guac- plan says only 1/4 avacado, but used about 1/3

- 1 tomato
- 1/2 red onion- I prefer the taste to white
- 1/3 avocado
- 1 TBSP lemon
- Salt to Taste
- 1/4 cup cilantro
(I didn't have any jalapeno- but also good to add)

I started chunky chopping and decided to try it in the blender- not as good- gotta fine chop this one yourself.
But the whole amount on a chicken breast and it was good amount of lunch. I will probably be hungry again in 30 min- but working through the cravings!

Chicago Marathon 2011

Not as fun. Could have been I was still sour from Ironman or that I was missing some of my friends. Or that Jenn didn't race with me because she's preggers (super excited for the future Team Familia member) but this Marathon I forgot to pack my heart. It was for sure missing. I had caught a cold and remember wiping Vic's vapor rub all over my neck and chest instead of sunscreen.
I couldn't shake that this was supposed to be a fun victory dance after racing IMMoo- yeah it wasn't. It wasn't a PR and while I started off at race pace, as usual, I lost steam. Couldn't get it together, and ended the day with my grumpy pants - I should have gotten over it, it was perfect weather and the DNation team was as awesome as ever. Kris said no marathons before IMCdA so I need to listen. Entry to Big Sur 2012 for sale!

Chicken with Kale and Quinoa Lentil Pilaf

adapted from Bon Appetit- January 2012 issue

I should have added more chicken, and read my plan more carefully about the portions. My plan includes only 1/2 a cup of "List D" - the lentils and quinoa. I also mixed up the lentils and grains and then scooped a cup so that I could save the rest for a different meal.The Quinoa was also a brown rice mix- not just quinoa.
The recipe actually calls for Freekeh- which whole foods did not have. They suggested a wheat barley- but I'm supposed to be careful with wheat- so stayed away.
I also did not make the vinaigrette and bought Cindy's Kitchen Lemon and Shallot Vinaigrette instead- which was pretty tasty.  Anyhoo, here is the recipe from the magazine :)

Viaigrette
2 Tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped Hunza raisins
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt

Pilaf and Chicken
4 Tbsp (or more) olive oil, divided (actually didn't need this much- 2-3 was fine)
1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" thick cutlets- (only used about 1lb)
Kosher salt
1 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used substitute and didn't really use this much- found it was too much for the Kale and had to get some of it off with a paper towel)
1 garlic clove, smashed ( I used two, I like garlic)
1 lb Kale, large center ribs and stems removed, torn into pieces (probably only used about 1/2- I like the Kale fresh and didn't want to make more than I would eat tonight- when I eat the leftovers I'll sautee some fresh Kale)
1 cup cooked freekeh (used the Quinoa / whole grain blend)
1 cup cooked Lentils
(I cooked the two separately and then combined them in one pan, only scooped up a cup in the last part of the recipe- but it should have been only 1/2 a cup. I will use the mix in dishes for the rest of the week- watching the portions)

Vinaigrette
Stir cumin in a small dray skillet over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add vinegar and garlic. Let stand for 30 seconds. Transfer to a blender; add oil and next 3 ingredients. Puree. Season with salt.

Pilaf and Chicken
-Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt. Working in 2 batches and adding 1 Tbsp oil between batches, cook chicken in single layers until browned on both sides and just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm (I skipped the foil and it dried out a bit :/)
Remove pan from heat; add 1/4 cup water. Stir, scraping up browned bits. Whisk in 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Scrape sauce into a bow.
Melt butter with 1 Tbsp oil (way too much) in same skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook until just beginning to brown, 1-2 minutes. Discard garlic (I kept it) Working in 3 batches, and adding more oil as needed, add kale to skillet and toss until wilted 1-2 minutes per batch. Transfer to a large bow. Season lightly with salt. Cover to keep warm
Add freekeh and lentils to same skillet (I dished out a cup of lentil/ quinoa mix- the way this is written it would end up being 1 cup grain and 1 cup lentils- which is probably too much), stir until warm, 2-3 minutes.
Spoon pilaf onto plates. Top with chicken. Whisk juices from plate with chicken into sauce. drizzle over chicken and pilaf. Top with kale.
Calories 550 Fat 29 G Carbs 28g (this is for full portions of course)

more pre-Melissa- not terrible, but better

This was a summer salad I put together. Had the right idea, but should have left the blue cheese out. NO DAIRY. At all. It's for the best. Pretty tasty salad!

Salad included-
-Baby Spinach
- Garbanzo Beans
- Crumbled Blue Cheese- mistake!
- Smoked Salmon
- Glazed Nut mix
- Tomatoes
- Bacon Bits
- Honey Mustard Dressing


This actually would be Melissa approved.
-8oz smoked chicken sausage with portabella mushrooms
-Quinoa with brown rice pilaf
- Sauteed Spinach.

Nothing fancy- basically sauteed sausage with garlic and onion, made the grain and spinach and mixed everything together.  I used too much olive oil this time, note to self, ease up next time or move sausage to a paper towel before mixing in with grain.

Pre-Melissa

I'm titling this "Pre-Melissa" because in the first few meetings with meeting with Melissa, from physiolife.  http://www.physiolifestudios.com/
I've already learned a ton of info and I'm hopeful. I've said I could never diet, but going to give this an actual shot. If it means feeling better it's worth a shot. So including these dishes, but again, these are all pre-Melissa. Not all that terrible, but for sure have some adjustments to make!

Carbo- whoa.
Buca di Bippity Boppity Boop.
Tray of Pumpkin Ravioli, Chicken Penne Artichoke, Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes. Yup. Did I eat this all on one sitting? Almost. Yikes. Delicious? Absolutely. No more starchy carbs- Unless it's gluten free according to Melissa. Sigh. Ok, again going to give it an honest shot. That's going to be trickiest, trying to say good bye to gluten. I won't say that I won't cheat every once and a while. But my days of starch starch starch have to end. She noted patterns in my glucose / sugar levels and tied it to my energy levels and my thyroid. My constant hunger- before, during, and after workouts was not because I was not eating enough, but really because of what I was eating. So again, trying different foods/habits in hopes that the constant hunger subsides and that the energy levels go up. I need to remember that if I am hungry, that it's my body burning fat. "Belly fat" more specifically- the target area and focus for the next four weeks.


Adjusting the smoothies- Bye Bye Soy
One of the first things that Melissa pulled was soy. She noted that it has probably been interfering with my synthroid for my hypothyroidism- which levels were super high last time, hence the constant desire for a nap.
So yup, no more Soy milk either- only Almond, Rice or Coconut.
So while I will still be doing the smoothies, I threw away the soy powder to replace with a different protein powder. I have also been visiting the yummy juice bar peeled. Yes, it's expensive, but they have delicious ingredients and have dairy free milk options like Almond Milk and Coconut Milk. They also have Hemp powder available.

http://getpeeled.com/?page_id=62

Ironman Wisconsin 9/11/2011

Over 3 months later and the DNF still stings. While I didn't get pulled from the water, I came in at 2 hours 22min 20 sec. 2 min and 20 sec is a long time. It's a 100+ yards. While it was way better than the MOWS, wasn't enough.
I've learned a bunch in the last 3 months, have gained strength on the bike, and shaved time in the pool. Still have a long way to go but Lynn reminded me that I need to believe it for myself. Believe it now, yesterday. Wipe out doubt. Now.