Priorities + Week 7 Marathon Training

One thing I've learned from going through the marathon training cycle a few times is you have to have conviction in your priorities.

I suppose this is true in life as well, but when you have fewer hours of free time during the week because of training, it becomes even more obvious. I try not to become a complete hermit when I train, because I enjoy being social and doing fun things outside of running. But when I commit to something, I am super committed. I am taking marathon training seriously, especially because as the weeks go on, I am finding it to be one the more successful training cycles I’ve had. So what does this mean? I have to let some things go. But there are things I've learned along the way that are both good and bad. Do you want to hear about them? Okay then.

The Positives

I’ve trained my body to wake up before work and run, specifically for the purpose of being able to meet up with friends in the evening, or just lay on my couch and catch up on Project Runway. This has proved helpful so far, and I find on the days when I train in the morning I have a TON of energy the rest of the day. I make both my runs and my evening plans a priority, and everybody wins.

A photo of a happy, well-balanced runner.

Last year when I was training for the Philly marathon, I had a hard time balancing everything. I was burnt out from running all year, and my original training plan was pretty aggressive. Between running and work, I was stress city. Even when I was training for the tri in the spring, fitting in workouts 6 days a week was no easy task. I pushed a lot to the side, and focused on my training. Too much of one thing made me super stressed. But this time around? I feel great. It is the first time since last November that I’ve been able to devote all of my active time to my love for running, and I couldn’t be happier. I really try to use my time when I run to sort out my worries and let go of negative emotions, instead of letting it bring any added stress into my life (MOM ARE YOU READING THIS).

The Negatives (wah-wahh)

The reality of marathon training is that you will not be able to do everything. You can’t get drunk Friday night AND nail that 18 miler on Saturday morning. At least I can’t. It’s either a Harry Potter DVD and the 18 miler, OR getting drunk Friday and laying in bed Saturday morning while chugging Gatorade. During marathon season, I choose the former because that’s what I’m committed to. I’m very lucky to have a boyfriend and a family who support my training, because I know that my long training runs can be selfish.

While I know that my long runs can cut into weekend time, I try to adjust my schedule so training doesn't take over my life. For example: I’m going away to Keith’s house this weekend, where his mom, Keith and I are going to the Brimfield Antiques Market to scavenge for cool old knick knacks. I know we usually leave EARLY on Saturday morning to get good parking, so I chose to do my long training run last night so I didn’t have to worry about it over the weekend. Running 2 ½ hours on a Thursday night is not exactly my idea of fun, but now I don’t have to stress about when I’m going to fit it in over the weekend. Sacrifices, people.

Anywho! Let’s get down to how last week’s training went.

Monday : 6M, 3M @ Marathon Pace (kind of)

Tuesday: 5M easy

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Rest (and drive up to Portland for Labor Day!)

Friday: 13 Miles in Portland

AWESOME run. Well, awesome first half, when Keith joined me. Keith and I got to the apartment we were staying at around lunch, and strapped on our sneakers to enjoy the fresh air. Keith’s plan was to join me for the first half, and I would do the last 6 ½ on my own. We had a bit of fun.

Show-off.

Kind of showing-off.

 

VERY PLEASED.

The first half I felt really strong, despite the heat and humidity. I also didn’t fuel properly before the run. I had an egg sandwich at about 10, and half of a banana right before the run. So by the time I turned around for the second half of my run, I was HUNGRY. My clif shots and blocks weren’t doing the trick. The last few miles I could feel how drained and dehydrated I was. Plus, being by myself was not fun. I was ready for a weekend of drinking and playing.

I turned on my iPod, and kicked it into high gear for the last two miles. A little Miley Cyrus got me to do my last mile at 9:19, which I was really happy with. Then it was beer time.

Fall beer is LITERALLY my favorite thing.

And beach time.

And casual biking time.

Sunday: 4.25 Miles

Keith and I did another run on Sunday, and I was not really up for it. After a weekend of beer and fried food, I just wanted to nap. But we plotted our route so that we would end at a bar on the water. As I said before, it’s all about priorities.

Total Miles: 28.25

Here's to another week of being balanced and stress-free. And drinking all the fall beer I can get my hands on.

The New York City Triathlon Race Recap

There really was no better way for me to celebrate my 3^rd anniversary of living in New York City.

But before the happy end of the race came, I was a ball of nerves.

I’ve never had more mixed feelings about a race before. I was feeling the normal, equal balance of nervous and excitement. But I was also wondering, am I really ready for this? There was a part of me that had serious concerns about my ability to finish. Would I get a flat tire on the bike? Could I handle the Central Park hills? Would I look really awesome, or close to death in my race photos? (all questions will be answered in-depth later)

Meggie and I went to the Tri expo Friday afternoon and picked up some goodies before our final Team in Training dinner. We had a casual photoshoot as well.

We made our way to the dinner, only to find the entrance lined with a red carpet. As we walked in, our mentors were waiting for us, cheering us on with insane enthusiasm. I felt like a total rock star.

Cheering mentors!

The dinner was bittersweet. It was amazing to see the entire NYC chapter of TNT together, and hearing how much money we raised for LLS (over $1 million!!!!). We heard really sweet speeches from our head coach, and one TNT participant who is a Stage 4 Lymphoma survivor. It was a really great way to bring my TNT experience to a close, and got me super psyched for race day.

Megs and me carbo-loading.

My awesome mentor, Andy!

I woke up early Saturday morning to put together my race day necessities. I felt like a crazy person checking and re-checking all my stuff. Between three sports, there is a lot of random ish to remember.

I met Meggie for our long trek to the west side to drop off our bikes at transition. We were “those people” you hate on the subway because we clogged up all entry ways with our bikes AND got our bikes tangled up in each other so you REALLY couldn’t get off.

After a sweaty subway ride, we made it to transition. Huzzah!

My transition spot, with inspirational quote/pick-up line.

We took a quick tour of the transition area, and figured out where we would be entering and exiting for the swim, bike and run. After walking around most of the afternoon, we finally took our coaches’ advice and went to dinner and a movie to stay off our feet. We also lucked out and stayed at Meggie’s boyfriend’s Aunt’s house (are you still with me? ) on the Upper West Side. It was a real treat not to have to go all the way back to Brooklyn after our long afternoon. We body marked, painted nails, and settled in for the night by watching Sex and the City. We agreed that Samantha is much more outrageous and sexual in the movie than in the show.

At 3:30AM IN THE MORNING, we woke up for the big day.

Really beautiful shot of us.

We laid out our items at transition, and walked to the swim start. It was very cool watching the sun rise over the Hudson, when most of the city was just about to go to sleep. It was one of those rare New York moments.

I got to my corral with Meggie, and the race officially started. While the logistics of bike drop-off and walking to the swim were a hassle, it was exciting to watch everyone jump in and start their race. Here I am AMPED AND NERVOUS. (also, don't mind the next several shots that say "proof" across them. Stolen from marathon foto).

Nerd.

As we got closer to the dock, my hands began to shake. Meggie and I finally stepped up to the starting line, hand in hand, and jumped in to start our race.

All of the nervousness I felt that morning disappeared as soon as I got in the water. It felt really refreshing, and I kept reminding myself to enjoy every moment. Every time I turned my head to breathe, I saw the sun shining on the water. I was having a total blast.

SIDE NOTE: To answer your burning question – the Hudson was not gross (I KNOW! I was just as delightfully surprised by this fact as you). In fact, the first ¾ of the swim the current was pretty quick, and the water felt great. But as we got closer to the boat basin, where the swim exit was, the only thing I noticed was the smell of gasoline. A lot of boats + slow current = gasoline smell. Kinda gross but perhaps understandable.

By the time I neared the finish, my arms started to tire a bit. The current slowed, and each stroke took more effort. I started counting down the strokes to the finish, which helped. Then it was time to get out!

Swim time: 22:27

Best shot of the day?

I was prepared for the fact that the distance between the swim exit and transition was about a half mile run. I slowly jogged to my bike, and started the leg of the race I was most nervous about (Cue my serious, irrational fear that I was going to get a flat tire).

Transition 1 Time: 7:49

Once I got on my bike, I decided to just enjoy myself. I started out slow, and then picked it up to a sustainable effort. I caught up to Meggie, and by the best coincidence, we passed a set of photographers. 

BEST FRIENDS DO TRIS TOGETHER.

The bike was my favorite part of the race. I had an ongoing passing game with a 70-year-old woman, tried with all my might to stay well-hydrated yet NOT drop my water bottles, and smiled the entire time (there is a hilarious set of photos of me trying to put my water bottle back in its cage. Is this also hard for other people? Please tell me I am not alone. Or maybe I am. Whatever).

COOL SHOT.

The toughest part was figuring out what “race pace” was. I pushed it pretty hard on the hills, and then took it a bit easier during the last quarter of the course. I wanted to make sure I had some fuel left in me for the run.

By the time we got to the last turnaround, I didn’t want the bike to end. I can honestly say I never felt that way during training. I was always ready to be done. But this was a really cool course, with lots of racers around you to keep you going fast.

Bike time: 1:34:52

I dropped my bike in transition, threw on my running hat, and headed out for the last part of my first official triathlon.

Transition 2 Time: 1:34

The beginning of the run course is on 72^nd street, lined with energetic spectators. I felt like I was going really slow, but hearing everyone yell “Go Team In Training!” made me pick it up a bit. Not to mention, I saw Keith, which always perks me up!

I turned to go into the Park, preparing for the beastly hills. My legs felt really, really heavy. I noticed before the start that my quads felt sore, I think from all the walking the day before. And I had to pee. I was off to a good start.

I reminded myself that this was my strongest part of the race. I’ve pushed through worse, and I should enjoy this as much as possible. When we got to the first hill, I noticed other people starting to walk. I decided that was not going to be me, and it fueled me to go faster.

NOT smiling because I am running up a hill.

Despite the heat and humidity, and my lead-filled legs, I felt really energized by the spectators. So many people had a connection with my purple TNT shirt, and their words of encouragement kept me going. The TNT coaches were lined throughout the park, yelling words of advice. Two coaches even ran with me, saying how strong I looked and that I was almost done. I’ve never felt such support during a race, and it made all the difference in the world.

I started my garmin later than where the run technically started, so while I had my mile times, I was mostly running on feel. I knew I was pushing myself because my mile times were faster than how incredibly fatigued I felt. I wanted to enjoy it, but I was seriously counting down the steps by the last two miles. I was tired and ready to finish.

The crowds started to get bigger, and I knew I was close to the finish. I tried to sprint it out, and work hard to the last second. I crossed that finish line, and was so happy!!!

Run Time: 53:09 (8:34 Pace)

Exhausted, but still throwing some peace signs.

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I was given a cold, wet towel for my neck, water, gatorade, and my choice of excellent post-race food. A wet towel will never mean more to me than it did at that moment.

Keith found me right away, and I was beyond happy to see him. After an immediate trip to the porta-potties, we browsed the finish line festival, and I stopped to get my official time…

WHICH WAS 2:59:49 !!!

I had a top secret goal time of beating 3 hours. I had heard from other TNTers that 3 hours was a threshold to beat. I crushed it with 11 seconds to spare.

Keith treated me to breakfast, and my exhausted body caught up with me. I was ready for a day of napping, eating, and watching Scandal. And Corona.

I have a lot more thoughts about this experience, both good and bad. But for now, I’ll let this recap stand on its own. What an amazing, fantastic day. I wish I could do it again.

With One Week to go…

I’ve been training for 19 weeks for the New York City Triathlon.

It's been a journey from being cold and sad...

To feeling strong and happy! (and warm)

When I signed up for the triathlon in January, I was hopelessly naïve and had absolutely no clue what I was getting myself into. I’ll admit I was even a little over-confident about the whole thing. I had run two marathons already – a triathlon would be easy in comparison.

I was also looking for a new adventure, something to get me out of my comfort zone. I wanted to do something that didn’t just benefit me, but other people who were in real need of help.

I definitely feel like I am about to achieve something bigger than myself this weekend, but I was 100% wrong about thinking the training would be easy. It was really hard.

I don’t say this to elicit sympathy from anyone, but rather to remind myself that training for any race is supposed to be difficult. It requires a little sacrifice, a bit of discipline and a lot of sleep. While I think that having experience in endurance running helped me, it didn’t prepare me much for the swimming and biking portions of the training. I had to work really hard to build up my endurance for both.

I remember the first weekend I had my road bike – I felt like I was flying. My new baby was so shiny and fast. I ended up doing a ton of mileage at a Saturday morning practice, more than I had ever done, and realized about ¾ of the way through that I was dog tired. I slowly made my way back to my apartment after practice, and was convinced that if my couch was a foot further away from my door, I would have collapsed on my floor instead. My right knee ached, and I slept for about 2 hours afterwards. I learned that day to respect the sport, and respect your ability level.

Showing some love and respect for my bike.
I did not collapse after this practice I will have you know.

I remember the stretch of weeks when I loathed going to the pool on my own. I would mumble curse words to myself on early Thursday mornings when I had to slip into my tight swimsuit, share a lane with another crazy New Yorker, and blow dry my hair in an insanely hot gym while sweat poured down my face. This SUCKS.  I couldn’t find anything positive about my solo swim practices. I wasn’t very good, I didn’t feel myself improving, and I couldn’t shake my frustration.

Then at some point, I started to KIND OF enjoy it. I started passing people at the group swim practices that I attended religiously. I patted myself on the back when I finished a set of long sprints and didn’t feel like dying. I successfully finished an open water swim and didn’t die. I learned that not everything is supposed to come easy or be fun. Sometimes you have to really work at it, and believe that it will pay off in the end. 

I'm smiling! Even though I'm about to swim!

I remember when I was cursing my body for not cooperating when I was recovering from injury. This was especially frustrating because while I might not be very good at swimming or biking, I felt like I was kind of good at running. I couldn’t do it as much as I wanted to, which I felt would have lifted up my spirits. I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to complete the race.

Finally, my injury let up, after some aggressive physical therapy and foam rolling. As I slowly built up my endurance, I savored every step. It felt amazing to be able to do the one sport that I feel most confident about.

Last Tuesday, I finally made it to a group run, which I had avoided all season because it is inconvenient for me to get to (plus, I really enjoy running alone! Not ashamed of it one bit). We were told to do mile repeats, but I just ran at a steady pace because I didn’t want to risk hurting anything. I let people pass me, and focused on my steady breathing. I felt strong, even if I wasn’t going as fast as everyone else.

After practice, I was talking to some fellow teammates, and we were sharing how we felt about the upcoming race. I said how I felt most confident about running, since I have done several races in the past. One girl, whom I had never met before said, “Oh you’ll be fine on the run. You looked so strong out there!”  It was such a small comment, but really boosted my confidence. Even if you’re not running as fast as everyone else, if you feel strong, chances are, you’ll look strong to other people too.

SO PLEASED TO BE RUNNING.

When I first signed up for this triathlon, I was most nervous about getting to my fundraising goal. I know asking people to donate their hard-earned dollars to my race is a bit of an imposition, but I hoped I would get close enough so I didn’t have to pay for the difference myself and have to live on ramen for months.

I have said before that I am truly amazed by the generosity I’ve been shown in the past few months. And two weeks ago, I surpassed my fundraising minimum. This was a huge part of my goal for this race – to raise enough money that would make a difference for families fighting LLS. Even if I don’t have a great race, I take great pride in knowing that I did something to help others in need. If you supported me in the past few months, whether it was by donating or just listening as I worried about training, thank you. Give yourself a pat on the back because we just did something really awesome together.

So here we are, a week away from my first Olympic Triathlon. After 19 weeks of insanely early Saturday morning practices, countless uncomfortable swim workouts and many moments of questioning my own sanity, I am just days away from putting myself to the test. It has been a crazy journey, but I feel ready for it. Let's go.

Birchwood Lakes Sprint Triathlon - Race Recap

This past weekend, I completed my first triathlon.

My lucky number is 8! This was a good omen.

I had so much fun, and it made me feel like all of the early mornings, long bike rides, and tough swims over the last several months were worth it.

I signed up for this triathlon as a test run for the NYC Tri in 2 weeks. I read it was a small, low-key race, which I figured would be a perfect way for me to practice transitioning and open water swimming.

I headed home Friday morning, and decided at the last minute to leave my road bike in Brooklyn. Trying to get my bike on the subway, through Penn Station, and home to NJ seemed like a lot of work. I chanced that I would be able to rent a road bike at home, like I did in Vermont. But unfortunately, I had no such luck.

I drove to a bike shop that rented road bikes, only to find out that they had none available. And neither did another place. They were all already rented, and I remembered that there were several triathlons happening in the area this weekend. Uh oh.

I quickly came to the conclusion that I would have to use one of my family's mountain bikes for the race. I was really bummed and nervous about it. I've been training on a road bike, and they're LOADS faster than mountain bikes. But I had no other choice, and pouted much of Friday evening about it.

My amazing parents agreed to come to the race with me, and we drove down bright and early on Saturday morning. I munched on my english muffin with PB and banana, chatted with my parents, and became super nervous as we got closer to the race.

My race-day nerves were somewhat diminished when we got to there, only to find that it was RIDICULOUSLY low-key. 

The "start" line

I checked in to the race, and putzed around on the beach where the swim started. The atmosphere was so relaxed that there were babies and dogs playing on the beach. It was so cute.

Next, I set up my transition area.

I became a little intimidated at this point, because I was about 1 of 5 people with a mountain bike. I was really wishing I had gone through the hassle of bringing my Raleigh home.

A huge upside to a small race is having access to warm-up in the water before the start. I threw my wetsuit on and went for a little swim out to the first buoy.

The water was a great temperature, and I was happy to get the chance to swim off my nerves a bit. I chatted with my parents for a few more minutes, and then the race began.

The swim was a half mile out and back, with about 8 buoys lining the water. I started out in the middle-back of the pack. Because there were so few racers, I didn't encounter any kicking or punching from other swimmers. I got into my stroke, and started to race.

After a few minutes, I started to feel pretty tired. The lake water felt really thick. It took a lot of effort for me to go a short distance, and I became a little nervous. But I put the thought out of my mind, and told myself to get to the end of the buoys.

At the turnaround, I just kept swimming and told myself I was halfway there. I also started counting down buoys - 5 left, 4 left, 3 left... and then it was finally over.

Me coming out of the water!
I'm second from the left... I think.

I felt REALLY tired at the end of the swim, more tired than I though I would feel. But I made my way to transition, got on my bike, and went.

The bike was a 13-mile out and back. The course was pretty flat, but it felt like everyone was passing me on their fancy road bikes. I pushed myself really hard to try to go as fast as I could, but it wasn't easy.

I just kept telling myself what my parents had said before the race - this is a test run. Don't worry about how long it takes you, just enjoy it. So at about the halfway mark, I got into a groove and stopped worrying about other racers passing me.

Starting the bike race... with a mountain bike.

I made it back to the transition, and saw the majority of the bikes already back in the racks... which meant I was probably in the back of the pack. But I knew my body was ready for my strongest leg, the run.

My legs felt tired after getting off the bike, but after a minute or so I was ready to race.  I didn't know how fast my body would be able to go, so I took the first half mile at an easy pace, but picked it up a bit for the last half... and clocked in my first mile at 8:22.

I started to feel really good, and was finally passing other people for once. I could feel the temperature rising, but just tried to enjoy the last two miles of my FIRST triathlon.

That's me! I swear!

I finished the second mile in 8:15, and was surprised at how fast my legs were going. I had a huge smile on my face, and focused my attention in the last mile on passing one more person. I turned around the final bend and let my legs go, clocking in the last mile at 7:35.

And just like that, I finished my first triathlon!!!

I was so happy that I did it, and that my parents were there to share this experience with me. They were the best cheer squad a gal could ask for.

Shortly after the end of the race, the beer-b-que started, and we enjoyed some well-deserved beers and burgers.

Papa! And keg beer.

I attempted to stretch, because I could feel that my hips were thrown off by the bike-to-run transition. Aside from feeling hot and a little dehydrated, I felt pretty good.

I saw on the website that they would give out overall awards and age group awards after the race. I had a dream last week that I won an award, so I secretly wanted to see if I had some small chance of winning in my age group. 

They announced overall female and male winners, and then worked their way up to the winners in the Female 20-29 bracket. I crossed my fingers when they announced 3rd place... and my name wasn't called. I knew it was silly to hope for, but thought I might have a chance. 

Then I heard the announcer say, "and in 2nd place, from Brooklyn, New York..." My parents and I started yelling, realizing that I had won 2nd place in my age group!!!

The cutest parents anywhere.

I was over the moon, so surprised that I had done well enough to get 2nd place. My parents told me not to sell myself short, that I worked hard for this day, and that I deserved it. That's why they are the absolute best.

And the splits for my second place finish were...

Swim: 15:31
Transition 1: 2:28
Bike: 48:40
Transition 2: 0:55
Run: 24:14
Overall: 1:31:48

Once we got home, I was ready for an afternoon of rest. I took a shower, got into comfy clothes, and turned on a movie. I had the best snuggle buddy to enjoy the afternoon with...

Morgan, the most adorable cat.

Two days later, I am still overjoyed by how fantastic this experience was. I feel really good about the NYC Tri in just TWO WEEKS. But this race, as my first tri ever, will always have a really special place in my heart.

Week 17 – NYC Triathlon Training

2 and a half weeks ‘til race day! Eep!

Here’s how this past week has shaped up:

Monday: 1 Hour Swim at Group Training

Tuesday: 5.7 Miles of Running

Wednesday: 1 Hour Bike

Thursday: 2.7 Miles of Running

I feel pretty good overall today about where my training is at. Could be because I got some solid outdoorsy training in Vermont last week…

I DID IT.

My dad has a tradition of bike riding “the notch” when we’re up in Vermont. It’s essentially a 3-mile STEEP uphill that I did last year, and swore to myself and anyone who would listen that I would never do again. It was one of the hardest endurance workouts I had done to date.  But since I discovered a new love for biking in the past few months, I thought I would give it another chance.

My dad is one tough cookie.

This year’s trip was loads better. I rented a fancy road bike, and I REALLY enjoyed the change in scenery. My typical bike rides are either inside a hot gym or circling around Prospect Park again and again and again. There was just no comparing this ride to anything else.

I rode with my cousins and dad, and then my cousin Pat and I did an hour run once we got to the other side of the notch (the dreaded BRick of the week). I was nervous about the run because of my IT band, especially since my physical therapist told me to take it easy. I respectfully ignored his advice because I was more concerned about getting this key workout in before the triathlon.

The first 4 miles I felt GREAT. My cousin Pat is one of my absolute favorite running buddies. He makes the time fly by with good stories and advice. But by mile 5, I could feel my IT band beginning to throb again. We took some walk breaks, and then with only a few minutes left til the end, I told him I needed to walk the rest of the way.

I wondered whether I had pushed it too much, but I did some good stretching right after and felt okay. PLUS, I did some really healthy post-BRick fueling.

My awesome family!

My time in Vermont was so needed. I got lots of fresh air, quality time with my family, and even managed to squeeze in a few photo shoots.

Crazy face with Molly.

Wacky face with Molly and Pat.

Smiles with the cutest kid ever.

Separate photoshoot with my cute sis!

I got home on Sunday with a killer case of the blues, and a full-blown head cold. I immediately laid down on my couch, and watched a DVRed version of Big with Tom Hanks. That movie is not as good as I remember. It’s actually kind of bad. When did that happen?

After Big put me to sleep for a few minutes, I woke up went into an unpacking/cleaning frenzy in my apartment. Cleaning somehow energized me, and I decided to go for a short 2-mile shake-out run to see how my IT band was feeling…. And miraculously, it felt just fine.

I went for a run again on Tuesday morning… and still felt fine. And again this morning… no issues. I don’t want to celebrate yet, but I’m feeling pretty good.

Plus, I have this crazy thing to look forward to this weekend:

This is perhaps one of the tiniest races I’ve ever participated in. There were about 140 people who participated last year, and it’s projected to be about 200 this year. When I emailed the race director, asking whether there would be a “general” note sent out about parking, start times, etc, he wrote back: “Maybe, good idea. All the info is on the website.” He was also quoted in a local newspaper article about the triathlon saying that the race would be canceled only if there was “snow or zombies.” I gotta meet this guy.

I’m feeling oddly confident about the swim, good about the bike, and so-so about the run. I know it’s going to be low key, and there’s a beer-b-que following the race, so the odds of having a good race are pretty high. Check back next week for a race recap for my first triathlon! Eep!