Spun Out, Blistered, Sand Blasted, and Wind Blown

You may have noticed that I've fallen behind on my blog postings lately. I've been on the go and I've had a lot of late nights that haven't left me with much time for blogging. I'll attempt to summarize my latest progress and adventures...

On Saturday, we completed our final spin class and I am spun out! Our instructor was great and I appreciated the training support, but I am sooooo glad it is over. Indoor, stationary exercise is torture for me. I don't like staying in one place, breathing in warm sweaty air. Yuck. I'm looking forward to our first outdoor ride this weekend in temps predicted to reach the high 70s. Yippee! Let's hope it's uneventful.

I ran the Eastern States 20 Mile Race as a training run in Sunday. This race has become an annual tradition for several members of our RunWithJan running group. I must admit that my favorite part of the weekend is outlet shopping in Kittery, Maine. There are so many great deals this time of year.

Then there was the race part. The run was great...aside from the wind. We were fortunate to have partly cloudy skies and mild temps (high 30s, maybe low 40s), however we had a substantial 25 mph HEADWIND the whole way (with 35 mph gusts). The downside of a point to point course is the potential for headwinds like this.

I had a great first 10 miles and then my legs started to feel the work. It was right at that point that I heard a man's voice call my name. I was surprised to see a new friend, Steve. I met Steve when I was struggling in another race in the fall and we ran together for several miles to comiserate together. Out of the blue, we crossed paths again. We ran miles 10-18 together.

Around mile 15, I was struck by some stomach issues and I needed the race to be over. I tried to redirect my mind and just get through it. The last two miles were the worst as we ran along Hampton Beach. The wind was the strongest in this section as we were right up against the beach wall. The sand was blasting my face and I was thankful for my sunglasses.

I should back up and tell you about mile three. Right around mile three I could feel a blister starting to form on the arch of my foot. I tried to ignore the knife-slicing sensation that persisted from mile 3 on. At times, the pain was pretty intense--from a blister! When I finished, I cautiously pulled off my sock not knowing what I would find. Fortunately, my skin was still attached, but I had a blister that was about 2 inches in diameter (see pictures). Youch! My other foot had a smaller blood blister in a matching location. Not sure what these blisters were all about.

Please support our fundraising efforts for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Visit our Team Courcelle fundraising page.

My First Mile...I Did It!

I reached a new milestone (really, a mile) this evening. I swam a mile! Actually, with my warm up, I swam even more! I really did it! Three weeks ago, a mile would have killed me.

I'm not sure what my previous cumulative distance total was, but I'm pretty sure I've never reached a mile--at least not continuously.

Actually, today's mile wasn't completely continous. We were allowed 10-15 second breaks(I admit that sometimes these breaks crept closer to 30 seconds) in between each 100 yards. Even with the breaks, this is HUGE progress for me. Perhaps you have to see me to believe it, but trust me. Ask any of my team mates who saw me swim on day one (or week or month one). I think our coach, St. Maria, would agree.

And my breathing, you ask? My breathing was all of a sudden under control--no completely comfortable, but manageable. I have no idea what I'm doing different, but it just clicked tonight. This is good. I feel more confident about my ability to complete the swim portion of the triathlon. Now, I just need to get in gear on the bike and focus on my running.

For now, I'll celebrate and savor my first mile. I don't remember my first mile run (although I'm sure it was around the lower soccer field at Barstow Elementary School), or my first bike mile (although I'm sure it was around Eastridge Acres), but I'm sure I'll remember this mile for quite some time. I did it!

Please help us save lives one mile at a time and support our Team Courcelle fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Tri Training Hiatus Recovery at the Spa

For those of you who follow my blog regularly, you may have wondered why I haven't posted lately. I don't know that I have a great answer--lazy, busy, tired, working, enjoying the beautiful weather, or away? Yeah, a little bit of all those things/excuses.

I did train last week...just not as faithfully as all the previous weeks. I guess I must have needed some down time. I'm back on track and ready to push forward (after my Monday rest day, that is). Actually, I did my brick workout on Saturday (swim, spin, and run) and then Marty and I took a trip to the Stoweflake Resort and Spa to indulge in some R & R.

I did spend quite a substantial amount of the time in pools. I spent about an hour in the Hungarian Mineral soaking pool (recommended time=20 minutes) and another 30 minutes or so in the waterfall pool, followed by 30 minutes in an outdoor hot tub (while it was snowing).

Following pool time, I also spent a good 15 minutes in the sauna. I felt it was important to simulate high temperatures to be prepared for any weather conditions I might face in the tri. Now, I know that I'm ready to handle 140 degrees--for 15 minutes.

Of course I had to balance out all this activity with a massage and LOTS of incredible recovery meals. Without all this, I never would have been ready for training this week. I highly recommend a spacation for any triathlete in training. On a side note, it's worth mentioning that this spa retreat wasn't completely a guilty pleasure--we won a spa trip through supporting a silent auction at one of our fellow TNT team mate's fundraisers.

Please support our Team Courcelle fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

An 18 Mile Detour

Yesterday morning Marty and I arrived slightly late, as usual to our swim session (6:55ish). As I was getting ready to hop in the pool I was summoned by another one of our team mates, Alison. Alison asked me to consider bailing on spinning class (after swimming) to go on an 18 mile run instead. She reasoned that the forecast called for rain on Sunday and it would be much more fun to run when it was nice and springy outside. So, I told her I would think about it, but I needed to get on with swimming.

I seriously pondered Alison's suggestion with few reservations. I was bummed that I had my OLD running shoes with me and my least favorite running attire (too warm and uncomfortable for an 18 miler). You see, I was only planning on running 3 miles after spinning, so I didn't really care what gear I had. However, shoes and clothing make a big difference on an 18 mile run. Comfort is everything.

After 450-550 yards of swimming (I'm not sure of the exact count), I knew I had to get out of the pool and get on with spinning or running. Marty and I decided it would be much better to run than to swim. Besides, who really wants to be shoved on a stationary bike, indoors, on a nice spring day??? So, we got ready for a run and gently informed our spin instructor we wouldn't be joining her because we had to get our mileage in while the weather was right. This left our tri spin class with a meager 4 participants. Sorry!

Let me clarify that I am not afraid of running in rain, sleet, snow, sun, wind, or any potential VT weather elements. I have run in temperatures ranging from -15ish to 95ish with all sorts of wind and precipitation. However, when given an opportunity to avoid inferior weather conditions, I will go for it. Afterall, 18 miles is a long time to be running in the cool rain when there's no sanctioned race involved.

We had a great run together. We ran from the gym to our house and back (with the addition of a few neighborhood loops on each end). The best part by far, was breakfast afterwards. We indulged in a king-sized feast at Mirabelle's--my favorite! Thanks for the detour, Alison! Grrrrreat idea!

This morning, we rose bright and early to join our running friends for a run...only 4 miles. I find it comical that we drove nearly 20 miles to run 4. That kind of dedication illustrates how important our Sunday running group is to us--we don't miss it for much.

I guess I'll get back on the bike another time this week. I may even have the opportunity to take my bike out on the streets if the weather cooperates as predicted. The forecast calls for temps reaching the 60s by the end of the week. Yippee!

Correction: One of my faithful blog followers, noticed that my training schedule was incorrect. I neglected to include my swim sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays--they were accidentally substituted with running. I have since corrected the schedule and you can view the corrections on my post from 3/8/10.

Please support our Team Courcelle fundraising efforts as Marty and I train for the Mooseman Triathlon as a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Stealth Like a Seal

Tonight started with cold, stormy waters for me. I'm pretty sure they drained the pool and refilled it with ice that just melted in time for our swim practice. Brrr! I had a tough time getting in and I procrastinated with all my might (and for those of you who don't know me well, I'm a master procrastinator). Several of us delayed our entry to the pool...at first on chairs poolside, then on the edge of the pool. Apparently, we caused quite the spectacle as we were offered margaritas by another coach who observed our social time.

This came to an abrupt end when our coach arrived--ready for business. St. Maria, directed us to hop in and start out swimming five 50 yard swims with decreasing amounts of rest in between. We started with about 30 seconds of rest in between each 50 and got down to about 5 seconds in between. This was quite the rude awakening for me. I was flailing all over the place, breathing in water like I had gills, and drinking water like a drought was imminent. My heart was pounding so strongly that my heartbeat was creating waves. Right around the time that we were doing this drill, I noticed that the lifeguard was circling the pool while carrying a life preserver. Was I making him worried?

Miraculously, I survived, regained a normal heartbeat, and caught my breath. We progressed with some more swimming and drills of 50 to 100 yards sets. Then, we switched to integrating a the breast stroke as a rest stroke for one length every once in a while. I still can't get the breast stroke to work for me. This means I have no rest/recovery stroke that I'm comfortable with. However, I've always been interested in sidestroke although I learned that it's not a competitive stroke...until tonight!

St. Maria told us that on Tuesday she was chatting with a Navy Seal swim instructor. Guess what stroke the Navy Seals swim??? The sidestroke! They swim the sidestroke because it's stealth. According to the Navy Seal's Fitness Test Website you must swim 500 yards doing the Combat Swimmer Stroke, sidestroke, or breast stroke in 12 minutes 30 seconds (although 8-9 minutes is needed to be competitive). I wonder if the Seals send a recruit to triathlons??? There's still hope for me.

It's about time for me to wind down for the evening. I need to rest up to perfect my stealthiness. I'm sure stealth is the first thing that comes to mind when people watch me swim.

Please consider making a donation to our fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Visit our Team Courcelle fundraising page.

Only Approximately 59 Laps to go to Sink or Swim

Last night I arrived at swimming a little sore, tired, and very hungry from boot camp in the morning. This combination made swimming an even greater challenge for me. Nonetheless, I made measureable progress. I swam 100 yards (4 lengths) for the first time without stopping.

Wow! I know you are probably thinking one of the following:

• What's the big deal?
• Is she out of her mind signing up to complete a triathlon when she can't swim more than 4 consecutive lengths without stopping?
• Does she realize how much further she'll have to swim?
• She's in TROUBLE!
• She better arrange for her own rescue crew.
• This could be entertaining to watch.

Well, let's remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. I won't learn how to swim far or fast overnight (or over a month, apparently). However, I am making progress. My previous "record" was about 1.32 lengths.

This means that I will only need to swim approximately 59 more lengths to reach the equivalent of what I'll be expected to swim in the triathlon (.93 miles). At this rate, I'll need to swim approximately 1.6 consecutive lengths further each swim session (3 per week, assuming I don't miss any). I think it's safe to say that I have my work cut out for me. I'm hoping I start progressing at a faster rate.

The greatest barrier I have to swimming the distance is still my breathing or lack of enough air. I've tried numerous suggestions from my coach, team mates, and other supportive friends for improving my breathing. I haven't found any one "magic" solution. Although, something did click last night to enable me to complete the four lengths. Progress is progress and I'll take it. I guess this is where the saying "sink or swim" comes from.

Now, I'm off for a run in the sunshine!

Please help us save one mile at a time by supporting our Team Courcelle fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

I LOVE Mondays!

Yes, I never thought I'd say I love Mondays, but I have a newfound adoration for Mondays! Mondays are my only rest day and I love it. Don't get me wrong, I love my training too. I've just been exhausted. All I do is eat, train, work, and sleep.

On Saturday, we swam, spun, and ran bright and early. Then on Sunday we ran 12 miles. About five miles into our run, my legs reminded me what I did last Sunday. My quads are taking a long time to recover from Gasparilla. Hopefully today's rest and tomorrow's cross training (boot camp and swimming) will help with active recovery.

In case you are wondering, here's an example of the schedule we try to follow. I say try because some days we just can't bring our selves to do double workouts.

Sunday - Long run (12-20 miles)
Monday- REST
Tuesday - AM boot camp (Marty spins)/PM swim
Wednesday - AM spin/PM run (3-7 miles)
Thursday - AM boot camp (Marty spins)/PM swim
Friday - AM spin/PM run (3-7 miles)
Saturday - EARLY AM swim, spin, run

Please help us save lives one mile at a time by supporting our Team Courcelle fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Speedy Scadaddling

Wow! It's been a long, short week (following a week of relaxing in Florida). I have struggled to get in my workouts twice a day due to fatigue and muscle tenderness. The Wednesday after a Sunday marathon is usually the day that my pain and tenderness are magically gone. However, my quads are still sore. I'm not sure if it's from undertraining, running on pancake flat roads, or something else.

After I got back from Florida on Tuesday, I joined my fantastic TEAM mates in the pool for swim practice. The pool was perfect recovery for my tender quads. The highlight of swim practice for me was scadaddling. Another coach (the one who asked if I was afraid to put my face in the water on day 1) gave our amazing coach, St. Maria (picture on left), an idea for a drill. In order to get the feel of proper arm rotation, she suggested we scadaddle. Scadaddling is basically the advanced doggy paddle--my favorite! Just for fun (and slightly for my competitive needs) we raced each other. Of course, I got paired up to race Marty. Believe it or not, I'm actually faster than him when scadaddling. Too bad it's not a competitive stroke and it's not efficient for me to use in the triathlon. Just my luck!

On Wednesday, I squeaked in a short four mile run. My legs were having a tough time getting in the groove. I felt like I was in the final four miles of the marathon--still! I think I could have actually swam faster than I was running (yeah, I know, that's crazy).

My 5:00 a.m. alarm this morning for boot camp must have been a joke. I woke up to the alarm with a growing migraine and very exhausted. So, I bailed on boot camp. I needed sleep so much more than boot camp--especially if I wanted to get rid of my migraine.

This evening's swim practice consumed all my remaining energy. I started practice absolutely starving, which I knew was a bad sign. Our coach had us work on swimming longer distances tonight. We did numerous 100 yards with some drill work mixed in. I could really feel that I was making some more progress. My lungs (breathing) is still lagging behind my legs. I think I've made some moderate improvement in my breathing. St. Maria complemented my "strong kick" tonight. Yippee! I'm telling you, if I could only have a kickboard or a snorkel, I'd be golden. Rules cramp my style.

Please visit our Team Courcelle fundraising page.

The Great Gasparilla

I was the sole Vermonter to complete the Gasparilla Marathon yesterday in 4:00:44. It's too bad that this was the last Gasparilla Marathon, because I had a blast. I was blessed with perfect weather, a great FLAT course, and sunshine!

It was rough waking up at 3:15 a.m., especially after a night of pre-marathon tossing and turning. I was nervous on my way to the start because navigating through Tampa when so many roads were closed for the marathon was a challenge. I knew that I needed to be at the convention center and I could see it, but I just couldn't get there. I circled the one way streets of Tampa for a 1/2 hour before I made it to a parking garage. I met up with my friend Rich (the only other Vermonter--picture on right), who was running the Gasparilla 1/2 Marathon, at the convention center (race headquarters). Neither of us were really sure where the start line was, so we dropped our stuff off at the bag drop and followed a pack of other runners at about 5:40 a.m.

We faced the moon at the starting line--a spectacular site. I ran the first seven miles or so in the dark which was really cool. It was as though the miles didn't really exist because I couldn't really see where I was going and I was still a bit sleepy. The first loop of the course was around Davis Island. An island of beautiful homes that you couldn't really see yet. It was flat and friendly, except for the bridge we had to run over to enter and exit the island. The bridge was very congested, crowded, and we all bottlenecked.

The second loop went through the downtown skyscrapers. I enjoyed being able to see the runners ahead of me and behind me throughout the out-and-back sections of this part.

The third loop of the course was a long out-and-back along Bayshore Blvd, which runs all along the bay. I started to really feel my legs around mile 15 or so which is where I typically run into trouble (usually mile 16), so I avoided looking at my watch. I tried to get in a zone and ignore my legs.

I was trying to maintain a relaxed 9ish mile pace throughout the marathon. In the first half, this meant really holding myself back. I wanted to finish the marathon feeling strong and consistent. So, I ran with the 4 hour pace group for miles 15ish through 20ish. This was a challenge for me because I'm not a pack runner. I felt boxed in and had trouble seeing where I was going. In hind site, staying with the pace group was probably the best thing for me. It kept my mind off my cramping quads, my pace relaxed, and enjoying the marathon.

Right around mile 20, the pace group picked up the pace (or so I perceived). My quads were cramping and the run felt tougher. Then, I noticed another girl, Christy, who started walking. She was part of the 4 hour pace group and couldn't keep up with their pace. I patted her on the back and told her to hang in there and run with me. Thank goodness she did. We both motivated each other as we picked up the pace and engaged in great conversation. Christy dropped off again after mile 21 and I ran the rest on my own.

Just after Christy dropped off, I approached a spectator-crowded intersection of the course. I looked up at the crowd and saw my mom. I was so excited to see her (picture below). I knew she was coming down to watch me, but I didn't expect to see her until the finish. My mom took a couple pictures of me, I gave her a hug, and told her I'd be at the finish around 10. That was all the motivation I needed. Off I ran with a smile on my face.

The final 5 miles weren't easy. A headwind picked up and the sun beamed down on my face. My quads were still cramping, but I kept pushing. I tried to stay relaxed and focused. I picked off one mile at a time. I could see the finish area from about a mile away. I slowly reeled in the finish and picked up my final push through the line. I wanted to finish around 4:00:00 (yet, really sub 4:00:00) and I squeaked across the line in 4:00:44--close enough!

This was one of my strongest mental races. I ran the first 20 with my head so I could enjoy (relatively speaking) the final 6.2. I ran an exceptionally even paced race. My mile paces ran from 8:51-9:37, but mostly right around 9:10. My half split was 2:00:00...doesn't get much closer for a equal first and second half.

So, this was not my fastest marathon and not my slowest. It was one of my greatest though. To top it all off, I got the coolest medal. My new favorite (and Riley's too). Now, it's time to rest, and refocus on my VT City Marathon and Mooseman Triathlon training.

Please consider supporting our fundraising efforts for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Visit our Team Courcelle web page.