Turkey Trots, Jingle Jogs & Indoor Tris

I did both Thanksgiving races this year. The Southeast YCMA Turkey Classic, a 5 miler, was a beautiful day. Last year I ran in my woolies and this year I ran in my skirt! Gotta love Rochester weather! My PT and I did this one together. He has not run many races and seems to have a different strategy than me. We started together in the middle to back of the pack. Normally I start my race faster and than slow down a bit as the race goes on. He on the other hand starts at the pace he plans on running the entire race. For most of the race we ran together and this actually forced me to be a much more consistent runner - which is of course good! Ron pulled ahead on the last half mile and finished ahead of me, but I am still really happy with my finish. I pr-ed with a finishing time of 46:27! AND I felt great finishing!

Thanksgiving morning dawned and I was actually pretty well rested. The weather was beautiful - and once again, I was able to wear my running skirt - this time I rocked the camo one. Unfortunately, I was unable to find my trusty running iPod and had to run with the iTouch, which is too heavy and pulls down my skirt if in my pocket. A few minutes before the race, I noticed that my iPod was giving my the low battery warning. Needless to say, I was a little thrown as the race started. I felt like I was running alright, but didn't see a mile marker until mile 3. However, when I crossed the finish line, I discovered that I had pr-ed once again, finishing at 39:06! So: Two fall races, pr-ed both AND didn't feel like I was doing my best during either race. Strange, but awesome!

The Jingle Jog course on the other hand has become my nemesis. I will admit that I did not get enough sleep and did not eat enough the night before. The weather was deceptively warn at my house. Luckily I checked the forecast and dressed appropriately! I didn't pr this race and actually thought I was gonna hurl as I crossed the finish line. BUT I did discover that even a bad race/run is still much better than no run at all. When I got home, I felt better and actually grabbed my puppy Sam and went for a little one mile jaunt - which made it a pretty cool day, even if it wasn't an awesome race!

The night before the WeTri, I went to the annual caroling party. This year, I did not make responsible choices - ingested more than a couple of drinks and stayed up until 3 am. Obviously, I was not feeling too awesome when I woke up at 7:30 am! But, I couldn't let my choices the night before get in the way of competing! I ended up in the pool next to one of Rochester's fastest runners. I know the swim isn't her strong event, but also that she has been practicing. I was definitely feeling sluggish, however there was no way I was going to let her beat me! I ended up completing 33 lengths, 6.8 miles on the bike and 1.69 miles on the treadmill. If I had just completed 1/2 length more, I would have come in second in my age group! However, that does mean that I came in THIRD PLACE!!! Which is of course awesome!!! Let's see if I can improve even more for the YTri at the MetroCenter in February. . . .

Marine Corps Marathon 2009

Last Sunday I completed my first marathon. It was so much fun! For the first 18 miles, all I could think was, "This is so much fun! I am definitely gonna do this next year!" I was really surprised at how good I felt for the first 18 miles. I walked each water stop, but partially because they were so crowded that there was no other option. When I reached the half marathon mark, I was a bit slower than I wanted, almost 2 1/2 hours into the race. At that point, I became a bit concerned that I would not make my goal time of 4:30. But I really wasn't terribly upset about that. After all, I broke my leg 7 month ago and I am really proud of how hard I have worked to get where I am today. I didn't get to see my parents at the beginning of the race, but as I neared the monuments, I saw them for the first time.

Around mile 18, I started to get really tired. My inner dialog began to change to, "I have to do this again next year so I can do better because I am not going to make my goal finishing time." At this point in the race, I was almost to the castle building of the Smithsonian. I made a deal with myself that if I could just run to the castle, I could walk for a minute. Conveniently, there was a water stop right there, so I got my walk in at that point. I saw Anna & Neil at this point and that energized me a bit too. Unfortunately, I ran out of steam again around mile 21. This is probably the most desolate mile of the entire race. You are running on an overpass and suddenly there are no fans cheering you on. I was lucky to see my parents as I ran onto it, but as I looked in front of me everyone appeared to be walking. I struggled on for a while, but eventually I gave in and began to walk. I probably walked for a half mile before I was able to muster up enough mental power to force myself to start running again.

As I ran back into the crowds and off the overpass to enter the final four miles of the race, I struck a bargain with myself. For the rest of the race, I ran for 7 1/2 minutes and walked for 2 1/2 minutes. At this point, it was just a push to the end. As I entered the final shoot, I discovered the uphill run to the finish line. No matter how many people told me about it before, I guess I just blocked that little piece of information out completely. Well, it was really a tough way to finish, but I sucked it up and trucked up that hill and across the finish line for a finishing time of 4:56. Definitely not as fast as I had hoped, but that just means it will be easier to beat next year, right?

Redemption Run

Sunday I had a truly terrible death march, . . I mean run. It was one of those days where I should have just bagged the run and done it Monday. Of course I couldn't do that! I had to push through and do it anyway. I ran for 2 1/2 hours and only made it 13 miles, which I didn't know until I mapped out what I ran after I got home. Why did I have to wait? Well, because I forgot my receiver for my iPod. What else did I forget? To take my asthma medicine! I also earned a blister during the first five miles of the run. Good times!

Of course Sunday's misery did get redeemed. Yesterday I went for a nice nine mile run. I averaged 10:12/mile and honestly that's only because I took a walking break with my gel. I even made it to swim class later! It is amazing how a good run can erase the negative feelings left over from a bad one. I just have to keep remembering that I will be ready for this marathon October 25th. At this point, I just have to make sure that my head game is down. I have come really far in the 6 months since I broke my leg. I can't let a rough race or run mess with my mindset. I just have to remember what I tell myself anytime I am feeling the burn during a race, "I am strong, I am powerful, I am AWESOME!"

Finger Lakes Tri

Well last Saturday was supposed to be my big comeback. I trained hard all summer and really thought I was going to beat last year's time. The water was pretty rough, but I was able to beat my swim time from least year. I was 9th of 52 in my age group out of the water. I'm pretty proud of that. I was feeling pretty strong as I climbed on my bike. Unfortunately, my bike wasn't feeling the same way. I had taken my bike in for a tuneup the previous week because it was not shifting smoothly. This turned out to be a big mistake. As I climbed the first hill of the bike ride, I began to drop gears. I am not sure how much time I lost with this equipment malfunction, but I am pretty positive that I lost a bit of time. By the time I got to the run, I was steaming mad and really frustrated! The run did not go as well as it should have. I blame my emotions for getting in the way a bit, but I also believe that I would have performed better if I'd puffed on my trusty inhaler at this point. I ended up finishing 30 slower than last year, but ranking higher for my age group. I came in 24th out of 52. Not bad overall considering that I am still recovering from my injury in February - just disappointing because I had a goal of 1:30 and ended up finishing 1:42. Next year I will do better - I would like to compete at the Olympic distance at least once next year. However barring any further injuries, I think I should be able to complete at least 2 if not three outdoor tris in 2010.

Rochester Half Marathon

This year I completed the half marathon more as part of my training for the Marine Corps Marathon than as a race itself. I figured that it would be a good training run and have the benefit of water stops and fans to keep me going. It is always amazing how much better I run in a group than on my own. That being said, I hadn't really done any solid distance in about two weeks. I hurt my calf muscle right before school started and was forced to rest it. I did this race by myself and really didn't expect to have anyone cheering me on. The lonely part about being single for me is that most of my friends aren't into running and so I do most of these races on my own. Of course, in reality, you should always try to run your own race. That being said, it is nice to know that someone is at the finish line waiting for you. Keeping all of this in mind, imagine my surprise when I saw friends cheering me on at the 2 mile mark! It definitely perked me up! It was a cool morning and actually perfect weather for a long run. Much better than last year's heat!

I had a great first 7 miles and was on par to finish the race in about 2 hours. Unfortunately, I started to slow down in the last half. The Ford Street bridge seems to consistently be my nemesis - that and Exchange Street. I ended up walking most of Exchange, but then began running as soon as I turned into Corn Hill. Knowing I only had about a mile left to go, I kicked myself into that moment's version of high gear and finished the race strong. Turns out I beat last year's time by more than 15 minutes! I am incredibly proud of myself. Just seven month's prior to this race, I broke my leg. It has been a tough summer and a rough recovery. I can't believe that I have been able to not only get back into training, but come back stronger and faster than before. I am really encouraged by my performance in this race and hope to get enough solid training runs in for the marathon that is in just four short weeks from now.

Boilermaker 2009

A couple of Sundays ago, I ran the Boilermaker for the first time. Other than a half marathon, this was the longest race I've ever participated in. I was more than a bit nervous, as this would be my longest run since my injury. During the week, I ran 7 miles. I felt so good, I went directly to spin class for an hour. BIG OOPS! This was too stressful on my knee and I wasn't able to run again until the day of the race.
I boarded the bus to Utica at 4:15 AM and we arrived at 7:30, with thirty minutes to start time. We all went straight to registration, got our timing chips and then headed to the port-o-pots. Bib numbers for this race are color-coded based on your estimated finish time. As a complete newbie, I had a grey bib and started at the end of the pack. With over 10 thousand runners, it took me almost 10 minutes to get to the start. This is the largest race I have ever run and as always, I get more excited as I talked to other runners while waiting to make our way to the start.
Overall, I had a great race. I will definitely be doing this again. The race is incredibly well organized and there are fans cheering you on the entire way. I can only hope that the Marine Corps Marathon is similar in this fashion. It was really invigorating and motivating to have people cheering on the side of the road for 9+ miles. I finished in 1:34:21 which I feel is pretty respectable all things considered. If I had kept that pace for the half marathon, I would have finished a half hour earlier! I did make a bad nutrition decision in not taking a gu packet at the 10K mark, but hey, live and learn, right? Next time I won't make the same mistake. Actually, this week on my long run, I won't make that same mistake! I have to say, this race was really fun and did a lot in improving my overall morale. Just the days before the race, my surgeon told me I couldn't do bike-run bricks or race in a triathlon until August. This race gave me back some of my confidence in myself and my strength.

Brighton July 4th 4K

I did my first 5K since my broken leg yesterday. I was a bit nervous. Until last week, I had not run more than a mile since my broken leg in February. This past week, I did two runs - 1 one miler and 1 two miler. Yesterday's goal was to take it easy, 10-11 minute miles and finish somewhere between 31 and 33 minutes. I looked down at my watch at the one mile marker - 9:11!?! And I was feeling pretty good! I did slow down a bit as the race went on, but that's pretty standard for me too. As I approached the finish line, I was surprised to see that only 29 minutes had passed since I started the race! I knew I was too far away to cross the finish line in under 30 minutes, but I finished in 30:18. I am pretty proud of myself. I was surprised how easy it was to get back into the swing of things. Granted, my goal before the broken leg was to finish this fast course in under 27 minutes, but I am pretty proud to be doing this well all things considered. Now I have to get some serious runs in this week. Unfortunately, the Boilermaker is a week from today. 15k and the longest I have run since February is a 5k! I plan on getting two long runs (5 miles & 7 miles) as well as a shorter run in this week. Hopefully I can run the entire race, but I am ok with walking some of it. I know I have come a long way since last year - especially taking into account my broken leg. I am just trying to stay upbeat and not get discouraged by my current limitations.

Setback

Monday in physical therapy I was cleared to run for 10 minutes at a ten minute mile pace - on the treadmill of course. We agreed that it would be ok to spin the same day because I have not had any adverse affects from spinning recently. So, I hauled booty to the YMCA, battling Jazz Fest traffic in order to get there early enough to fit in the 10 minute run. I hopped on the treadmill and did my run. It was a little tough, but not painful. I was pretty proud of myself because I didn't feel as though I had been limping too much. My hip flexor and ankle were not in pain either. After my run, I raced downstairs and hopped on my spin bike. I made it just in time for class and had an awesome class. Unfortunately, that was the last time I felt awesome for about 48 hours. I will admit that I didn't stretch properly after class due to my desire to get to the Jazz Fest quickly. However, by 10 pm, my knee had swelled up and I had lost the ability to straighten my leg as much as I have been in recent days. I was in a fair amount of pain and actually opted to head home from the Jazz Fest early. I tied an ice pack to my knee and sent myself to bed. The next day? Still in pain and ended up icing it at work. Of course in order to get ice, I had to also take a 15 minute lecture from the school nurse about overdoing it. So I have learned my lesson: No running and spinning yet. I have to admit that I am getting a bit nervous. I have a 5k on the 4th of July that I really want to run and of course the Boilermaker is less than a month away now. I am confident that I can complete the 5k, but the Boilermaker is beginning to look like a no-go. Hopefully this was just a setback before the great leap forward. . . We will see.

Riding By Myself.

I did my first long-ish ride by myself since my injury. . . I had a GREAT time! I had a meeting down at Camp Stella Maris, so I decided to ride around Consesus Lake. The ride is almost 19 miles long and is pretty flat. West Lake Road has a couple of wee hills, but nothing too challenging in comparison to what I was doing last year at this time.
I drove down to the lake, suited up in one of my awesome cycling skirts and took off. This was actually the first time I rode on the roads with my iPod too. Yes, I know it is a bit unsafe and generally not recommended, but I needed the pacing and let's face it: I live for music!
This ride was awesome! Did I mention that yet? Honestly, I really enjoyed the ride. I kept my cadence between 85-95, mostly 90-95. My average speed was 16.6 mph and I never got below 9 mph. Considering all I have been through since February, and the fact that I still can't straighten my leg. . . I am SO proud of myself! I made it around the lake in 1:07, without anyone to push me. I am really starting to be confident that I can complete a half iron next year. Who knows? Maybe I will be doing the Ironman Lake Placid in 2011 instead of 2012!

Pittsford Tri 2009

Well, a year ago I pictured this post looking a bit different. Last year, I thought I would be posting a victorious PR for this race. Well, I can say that I did PR the swim, which of course was the only part of the race I completed! However, Team Shea, aka Injured & Sick, did OK. I completed the swim in 6:06 (,which includes a run from the pool down the stairs to Thornell Farm Park!) and I am pretty happy with this time. I got out of the pool frustrated because I let head games beat me. I realized as I got into the pool that I forgot to use my asthma inhaler. Of course this time last year I did not know I had asthma, but it still got in my head a bit and I did not breathe as well as I typically do. Joel was sucking down Vicks prior to the race and definitely tasted it a bit on the bike and run. Considering the fact that he is on antibiotics, he did awesome. Next year we promised to both complete the race on our own and do even better. My father did fantastic, taking first in his age group! Maybe when I hit sixty, I can start placing for my age group too! That being said, he is in incredible shape and beat his time from last year by 4 minutes and change.
I will say this, I was up before my alarm at 5 AM this morning. I am not a morning person, but I just can't help it - I get those race day jitters and have to start moving! As I was driving into the Mendon High School parking lot, I thought of how much my life has changed in just one year. A year ago this weekend, I was embarking on my second tri (Keuka) and my first true 100% outdoor tri. I had only completed four previous races. I didn't know I would fall in love with the multi-sport lifestyle, but WOW! It really hit me this morning - I really love this lifestyle and feel like a kid who has been grounded. I know what I want to spend my free time doing (training & racing) and am counting the days until I am off restriction and can do it unrestrained! Race mornings are like Christmas morning for me! I am excited, a bit trepidatious, and exhilarated all rolled into one.

Corporate Challenge

Last night was the Chase Corporate Challenge. I am the team captain and so even though I couldn't run the race, I registered to walk it. My plan: Start with the runners and run across the starting line to the end of the gates, then pull off to the side and walk the rest of the 3.5 miles. Yesterday dawned with an ugly forecast and by the time I got out of my car at work, it was pouring. It had stopped raining by the time I got out of work. So, ever the optimist, I changed into my run/walk clothes and headed over to RIT. It was raining on and off before the start, but by the time the race started, there was a torrential downpour! I ran across the starting line and wow! NOT pleasant! Ok, now I understand why I am not cleared to run! Plus, my feet were absolutely swimming in my shoes. At this point, I decided that instead of walking the rest of the way, I should just bail. I really can't afford to slip and fall - and let's face it, sopping wet shoes in a crowd of 9,000 really does increase the chances of me having an accident. Instead, I went over to the finishing line and cheered on my friends as they crossed. This race really nailed home to me just how much I miss running and furthered my desire/will to do everything in my power to get me back to running as soon as humanly possible! July 4th is approaching quickly and I just want to be able to run the entire 5K that day. I'm not even concerned with a PR, just a running finish!

Best Spinning EVER!!

Last night I went to spinning class for the first time since the injury. I was really nervous. . . I planned on clipping into the bike and was worried that I would be able to get out. I spoke to the instructor ahead of time to let her know what was going on with me. I didn't want her to take it personally, or be worried about me, if I had to leave class early. I warmed up and stretched for ten minutes before class. Then I clipped in with my new gym/spin/MTB shoes. I noticed right away that I needed to move where the SPD clips were placed, but it was not bad enough to unclip. . . . Then the music/class started. I swear I had the biggest grin on my face throughout the entire class. The music was pumping, my classmates were all cranking, and I just had an awesome spin! I kept up with the class and had no pain at all throughout the class. I think that maybe I did not increase the tension as much as I would normally, but if that's the only difference, then who cares? I felt so good I wished I was capable of going to a class in the morning. Right now I am pondering attending another class on Friday. Just thinking about the class makes me smile! WhoooHooo!!! I am so close to getting back to normal training. I can't wait!!!! :) :)

First Bike Ride of 2009

Although my stomach was feeling a bit wonky yesterday, I couldn't resist the nice weather. My physical therapist cleared me for a short bike ride, as long as I didn't clip in. So I got my precious baby out of the basement, pumped up the tires and got on my gear. I could feel my pulse quickening just at the thought of a ride. Or maybe it was just the fear of falling. . . After all my balance is still not up to par and let's face it, I've never really had that awesome of balance before the injury. Without a lot of confidence in my overall awesomeness, I decided that I would just go for a light ten minute ride around my neighborhood. I rode for about 10 minutes, did just over two miles and man did it feel great! Hopefully I will be able to go for a five mile ride tomorrow. . . and ten the next day. Hmm. . . might have to check with the physical therapist about that. But honestly, I just wanted to shout, "Whoo Hoo, I'm back!" Give me a ride by myself on a country road this weekend, and that might just happen.

HydroPower!

So I went to my first water spinning class. . . a whopping three other people were in the class. I brought my aqua shoes with me and was easily set up with a bike. Then I waited 10 minutes for everyone to get into the pool. OK, I can be patient. I had my trusty heart rate monitor on and started pedaling slowly while everyone else get ready. This is actually the lowest I've ever seen my heart rate - 88! The pedaling itself was not a problem, but my right foot did seem to have trouble finding a comfortable place in the clip. Not sure if this is as a result of my non-straightening leg, or just the fact I've never been comfortable in clipped pedals. Either way, unfortunately, my heart rate never got any higher than 142. I have to admit that I didn't really enjoy the class, but I will give it another shot next week, maybe try to hit it with the other instructor and see if that makes a difference.
On the upside, after the class I did a quick 6 laps, kicking for the first time since the broken leg. I felt so great on the first lap, I almost forgot to breathe - I felt so fast! Turns out I did it in 5:42, faster than year ago and with the weak leg pulling me. My goal is to work my way even faster in the next month. After all, if I am going to only complete the first leg of the Pittsford Tri for a team, then I want to be an awesome member of the team!

Swimming Pool

After more than two months of only swimming, I have finally been cleared for biking & running . . . . in the pool. Ok, so it is just aqua jogging and hydropower bike class. But I have also been cleared for more strength training. Hip abduction and calf raises are now in my future. I can also now add a few more machines to my circuit training. Hopefully by strength training at the gym 2-3 times a week, I will be able to accelerate my recovery - or at least keep it on pace. I also noticed today that my cardio is simply not what it used to be. Five minutes/1.2 miles on the bike is leaving me on the verge of panting and definitely working up a sweat. I really need to get my strength back up. So, tomorrow I will do my first water spinning class and also strength training. I still can't straighten my leg completely, but I am crutch-free and am trying to be grateful for each small step.

The Big Injury

Skiing at Whiteface was supposed to be a mini-vacation. A friend and I had discussed how we didn't like to take big risks skiing because we didn't want to harm our training for the rest of the year. Saturday was a beautiful day and the conditions were awesome (for Whiteface). I felt like a rockstar the first run from the top and suggested that we go back up for another. Onto the second trail from the top, I felt great, but was worried that I was going too fast. I slowed down and made a right turn. This is where things went terribly wrong. My fall felt like it was in slow motion and I felt something pop when I landed. I tried to stand but the world went black when I stood leaning against my dad. I decided that I needed help and my dad went off in search of ski patrol. When Brian reached me, I voiced my hope that with a day off and lots of icing that I could ski the rest of the weekend. This was not to be. Ski patrol strapped me in and we made our way pretty much straight down the mountain. I was amazed to discover that they take you down head first! I felt lucky to have my helmet with me at that point. A few hours later, and a trip to urgent care complete with x-rays revealed a serious unnamed injury. Monday's trip to Urgent Ortho back in Rochester revealed two very usual fractures to my right tibia and possibly an acl surgery in my future. Needless to say, I am going to be sidelined from training for the foreseeable future. I am hoping they will let me swim soon, but as for now, I am not allowed to drive or even work.

Update on Athletics Weekend

Y-Tri - February 1, 2009
I was in the first heat of the morning which turned out to be awesome, because we were allowed to set up our bikes ahead of time. This turned out to be a huge advantage as the rest of the heats had to adjust their bikes when they got out of the pool. My fifteen minute swim in the pool was a bit disappointing. I could tell I was just not going as fast as normal. I finished my fifteen minutes with only 14.5 laps. This is a lap less than the last tri and slower than my average training pace. I was disappointed but these things happen and I didn't let it bother me too much. My transition went smoothly and the five minutes seemed to fly. Here is where it would have been nice to have a later heat. I think I have a rower's heart - I really thrive when someone is cheering/egging me on. All I could think was "Where's my coxswain?" It was too early for the volunteers to be to enthusiastic. Sunny, one of the spinning instructors, was in my heat and she tried to encourage as she pedaled. I finished the bike leg with 7.36 miles which was respectable based on the sluggish feeling I seemed to have. Next came the most killer part of the entire race - walking up two flights of stairs to the track! Once up there, I handed my water bottle to my personal counter and started running. I was easily the slowest person on the track and the smell of soup/chili wafting up from the gym was unpleasant to say the least. I just kept reminding myself that I was gonna run a 5K in a few hours. I ended up running 22.5 laps on the track - about 1.5 miles which is my standard pace! Overall I was happy with my performance, but a little puzzled at my less than par swimming.

Mr. Ed's 5K
Right after the Y-Tri, Brian and I hopped in the car and drove to Buffalo for a 5K which started at 11:30. I was dressed but not convinced that I would actually be crazy enough to run another race today. However, by the time we had arrived, I felt recharged and ready to run. I figured, "Why not? I'm already dressed for it." We met up with a few of Brian's friends and got numbers, long sleeve ts, and timing chips. The first half of the course was on the road and the second half on the canal path. I forgot to take my asthma inhaler, again, but seemed to be able to push along well enough. As a matter of fact, I finished in 30:17! That's a 9:46/mile pace, right after an indoor tri! I was pretty pleased with myself and I have to admit that the beer and chili were an excellent end to my crazy racing day. On the way home, we found out that Brian had won the master's level of the tri, so we felt as though our day was very successful.

Athletics Weekend!

Hearnish 10K
Last night I went skiing for about 3 hours. Afterwards, a bunch of us went out to celebrate my birthday. That being said, I woke up ready refreshed and ready to run this morning. . . until I set foot outside! It was a bitter 13 degrees out and just bitter cold. I was more than a little worried that I would not be dressed warmly enough. I just kept telling myself, and anyone who would listen, "It is warm out, the roads are dry and it is just a 10K."
Then I began to talk to other runners and heard that this is a nasty hilly course. So, I changed my mantra to "It is warm out, the roads are dry and this is a flat course." People just laughed at me and one man asked me why I didn't have shorts on. Ha, Ha! I know I need my headgames in order to psych myself up. NO ONE is allowed to mess that up for me :)
Overall, I had a good race. My original goal was to complete the course in an hour. However, that was before I discovered that the race was a 10K-ish, and almost all up hill. On the last big hill, I had to walk because I had an asthma attack. In the future I need to remember to use my inhaler before the race, and maybe carry it with me for long races. I finished the race in 1:04:43. Considering the conditions, and the asthma attack, I am really happy with my race. AND I know what I need to do to do better tomorrow.