Reflections in the Pool

I got back in the pool today.  Our beloved Sakamoto Pool, which is right across the street from work (I know, how awesome is that?!), finally reopened after being closed for well over a year.

This particular pool is a special place for me since it's the one in which I really learned how to swim (thanks to Rebecca - I will never forget that!).  You know, when you actually put your face in the water rather than thrashing around like a long-armed puppy.  It was those first few lessons that really got me to the start line of my first triathlon.

Now that it has reopened, it's summer, and I'm done with Cycle to the Sun, I need to get back on a more regular training schedule, even though I have no races on the calendar right now.  This means maintaining my hard earned bike fitness, rehabbing my stupid left foot, getting back in the gym for weight training, and spending a couple of times in the pool each week.  And for me, right now, that means Monday and Friday at lunch.

I was excited about today - got my bag together, made sure I had all my fun pool stuff (including my Simmons BSC top (thanks, Michelle!) - nothing like a like sparkle to get you motivated!).  I was going to walk over, but my foot is still bitching so, yes, I drove across the street at lunch time and got right in.

I didn't do anything hard or fast.  Just 200 swim, 200 kick, 200 pull x 2, then finished with 300 swim for a tidy 1500.  Easy pace.  It felt good.  It was long course, too, which I like so much better.

At one point during my last 300 as I was approaching the turn in the shallow end I felt the sun shining on my back.  I thought, right then, how lucky I was to be in the pool at that moment, when everything felt right.

I hope I have more of those moments.

(I'm still finishing my Cycle to the Sun race report - coming soon.)

(By My)self Motivation

A view of the water and Molokai from somewhere in Napili - sweet backdrop for a ride!

A five-hour Zone 2 ride was on the books for Saturday.  A nice break (thanks, coach!) from all of the strength work trainer rides and climbing done over the past few weeks getting ready for Cycle to the Sun at the end of the month.  The only bummer - no one to ride with - but I was looking forward to it anyway.  The honeymoon is not yet over for the bike!

I got a later start than usual and was on the road by 9:45 headed to Paia.  I had mapped out my ride the night before so I had a plan for about 85 miles, which would take me across a lot of the island on a (mostly) flat route.

The trades were already picking up so I had a little bit of a headwind out to Paia, but nothing too harsh.  I turned around and headed back toward town, around the harbor and up to Waiehu - by then I was one hour in and things were going well!  I cruised across the base of the West Maui's toward Lahaina and tackled the Pali - it's not that big of a deal, but I've never ridden it by myself.  I'm a firm believer in safety in numbers and this stretch of road can be a little sketchy at times.  I just prayed everyone was paying attention.

I hit Oluwalu at about 2~ in, so I stopped to refill water and have a snack (mmmm....Amrita bars!) at the general store.  This is the first time I've ever taken my bike into a store - felt a little silly, but it was getting HOT and no one seemed to mind.  Back on the road, through Lahaina (where I veered off for a pit stop and took my bike into the bathroom with me - I have it on good authority that I'm not the only cyclist who does this!) and out to Napili.  As soon as I got back out on the road, my Garmin died.  Not enough charge.  D'oh!

Once I passed Ka'anapali, I hit the tradewinds that wrap around the west side head-on.  It was HOT and that's when the mental chatter began.  I told myself I could turn around at Kahana, but then I got to Kahana and kept going (really missing my buddies, POG and V, by then - POG usually pulls us through this section when the wind gets tough).  By the time I turned around at Napili, I had convinced myself that I was going to stop at McDonald's and get a vanilla cone and a Coke!  After all, I deserved it!  It was HOT, mid-day and it was going to taste AMAZING!  (If you know me at all you know this is crazy talk!)

I passed the Kahana McDonald's because I was on a downhill stretch, telling myself I would stop in Lahaina and spending the next few miles trying to figure out how I was going to manage this on my bike.  Would I go IN with my bike?  Drive-thru?  As I passed Ka'anapali I ran over a bit of tree debris in the shoulder, then THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.  Something was stuck in my tire.  The bike shop was up ahead and if I needed anything I could stop there.  I caught a red light just after, and as soon as I tried to take off - ha ha (insert sound from Simpson's kid here) - flat front tire.  Nice little kiawe thorn about the size of a thumbtack - the bane of cyclists on Maui.

This is the second ever flat tire I've gotten, and the first one I had to change by myself so I was a little panicked at first, but I set to it and was done in about 10 minutes.  NICE!  I stopped at West Maui Cycles and they were awesome - checked to make sure I did it right (because I still had a ways to go before I got home), checked my air pressure, then picked up a spare tube and C02 because I only carry one spare.

After this, McDonald's was completely forgotten.  Nutrition wise everything went rather well - I had water, diluted coconut water, salt stick caps, Amrita bars, a couple of Justin's almond butter packets and a banana for backup.  Right near the end, with about 12 miles to go I really got tired of anything sweet - I think I'll throw in some salted macadamia nuts for next time - they would have been perfect.

I battled the last of the headwinds after I came back over the pali.  I had to take it slower than usual over the pali because the crosswinds coming down through the canyons and ravines were fierce and I almost lost it a couple of times.  I guessed the trade I hit head-on on the last few miles were in the 30mph range.  Slow. Going.

I'm proud of myself for doing it, but after the flat, the stops, and the headwinds I was out there for 7.5 hours.  That's a long freakin' time, midday, in Hawaii, near summer.  And I have the burn lines to prove it (even though I was wearing sunscreen):

Next time I need to bring sunscreen to reapply if I'm going to be out for so long - planned or otherwise.

Maui Stage Race Recap

Since I'm not doing very much any running these days, I'm spending a lot of time on my bike training for Cycle to the Sun.  I've always enjoyed competing in running and triathlon events, so I thought I should sign up for the Maui Stage Race.  My stepbrother is a very talented bike racer in Southern California, and even though I am nowhere near that level of rider, I still thought this event would be a good experience even though I had no clue what was involved.

Sunrise on Day 1 - we lucked out with perfect conditions!

The two-day race consisted of a time trial and criterium on Saturday, followed by a road race on Sunday.  With a Century and several other events under my belt, along with the more intense training I've been doing the last two months, I went into this event feeling pretty confident in my abilities and fitness level.  I didn't place any real expectations on myself because I had no experience with the TT or crit, I just went in with a positive attitude, ready to ride.

Time Trial
This was pretty cool.  I knew the course well because I frequently ride the Central Maui area, but I never did any practice runs of the specific loop leading up to the race.  The riders lined up and went off in one-minute increments.  I chatted with Jeffrey from South Maui Bicycles just before we lined up, and (showing my total and complete inexperience here!) asked him if it was OK to pass the other riders.  I knew you couldn't draft, but wasn't sure about passing - he told me the idea was to pass as many riders as you could and not let anyone pass you.  OK - good goal!


I went out strong and kept pressure on the pedals.  It's amazing the distance a rider can make with a one minute lead - I didn't see the rider who was just before me at all - I only passed one of the juniors at about the half-way point.  I would periodically check behind me but I never saw any riders approaching, so I felt pretty good and kept pushing just a little bit harder - not getting complacent and my coach warned me not to do.  I wore my Garmin but never looked at it the entire time - just tried to stay focused on how I was feeling and pushing the pedals.  Then BAM - not long after the third turn, the rider behind me passed me.  I picked up the pace and tried to keep her in my sights, but she had an extra gear I did not have at that point.  And right at that area of the course the climb began and I started losing speed.  That's when I got passed two more times. As hard as I tried to keep up with them, the continued to pull away.

There was about 10 minutes left to go and that's when I remembered what my coach said, "The last 10 minutes should REALLY HURT."  So I dug down, tried to rally, and then pushed as hard as I could after the fourth and final turn for the last stretch to the finish line and finished in 47:09.  I was really hoping to come in between 42-45 minutes, but I really lost my speed after the third turn.

Not long after I got home, I got an email with the results (amazing to get it so quickly!).  I told my husband I got 8th place - then giggled and said, "Well, 8th out of 8."  Even though I was in last place I was still OK with it because the overall times were fairly close together.  My optimism was still in check.  I ate breakfast, had a brief nap, then had lunch.  Before long it was time to head back down for the criterium.

Criterium
Again, first time.  Ever.  This was a closed-course race on about a 1/4 mile loop.  The start/finish line was at a fairly level point, then the course gently sloped downhill to the first turn and continued mostly flat into the second turn where you hit a slight incline to the third turn, then into a light headwind along the flat to the finish.

The women, children and men 60+ lined up at the start.  I picked an inside spot in the second row, thinking that I would be able to get up near the front (a key position, I was told).  A Cat 1 racer was going to be our "pace man" and get things rolling.  The idea was that no one would "attack" in the first 10 minutes, simply build some momentum and get the riders settled in.

My starting-line philosophy did not work.  After the first lap I ended up in the rear 3rd of the pack with about 3 riders behind me. I mistakenly assumed that people would ride toward the inside of the course, but really they rode the outside then cut into the corners (you could have a serious accident if you came up on the inside and got squeezed out!).  If you weren't tight to the group and able to keep up after the second turn into the uphill, you were really screwed when you hit the head wind.

Into the 2nd and 3rd laps, I realized exactly what my coach said: being at the rear of the pack you were at the mercy of the braking of the front riders into the turns. I felt fine handling myself in the turns and could have gone a lot faster, but I spent the next couple of laps trying to move up the line and the other riders were having none of it. I also realized that this was the "first 10 minutes" and I already felt like I was maxing out/redlining - it was a huge effort to catch up/keep up and each lap left me further and further behind.

I think I was into the 6th or 7th lap that I decided to DNF. I felt like I was burning the candle at both ends and it was either finish this and have nothing left for the road race, which is the event I was most looking forward to.

I realized that I am not a sprinter/racer in this sense. These riders are really amazing! And one of the really cool things about bowing out was that I got to watch Kimberly (who has the same coach as I do) really kick some ass! She looked like a pro out there - she was working with this 17 yr old phenom - Tyler - and they dominated the race - and this was her first crit.  Amazing.

Road Race
This was a familiar course for me.  I ride it frequently in training - it's my own back yard.  I knew it was a tough course, though, with some good climbing in the beginning and at the end.  Despite the lasting sting of the DNF from the day before, I again felt pretty confident with this stage of the race.

I was cool (57f), clear and beautiful in the morning, with no wind.  It was a seeded start, so everyone lined up appropriately.

We were off...then before we made the turn to Kekaulike and the start of the climb the pack was gone and there were just a few of us stragglers at the back. I ended up leading our little pack up the climb, then the men passed me on the downhill, but they had their weight to help them go. HOWEVER - HOLY SHI*T - I can't believe I hit almost 40mph going down the hill at one point! I LOVE THE DOWNHILLS! I was clear, dry and virtually no cars, which was wonderful.

We made the turn and hit the rolling climbs and that's when I really started to eat and drink more - the road is wide and straight so its a bit easier to do. I wasn't too hot or too cold or to hungry, but I just didn't have any legs! Pretty soon I was by myself and that's when a lot of self-talking began.

You have to pass the finish line on the way out to the winery which is kind of demoralizing, because then I got to see exactly how many people had already finished, but I kept on going and again enjoyed the descent into Ulupalakua. I turned around at the winery, and that's when I realized that there was only one other person behind me. I just kept on going and pushing the pedals, then pretty soon he caught me and passed me, but was never too far ahead.

One insight I had was that it did seem a little bit easier/shorter the climb out of Ulupalakua than the last two times I've done it, so I think that was a good sign.  At one point I thought of this BLOG POST I read last week and kicked myself up a notch because what I was doing wasn't even close to what Andrew went through in his race.

The last 10-15' the motorcycle was following me which quite frankly totally sucks.  But I kept my composure and actually said thank you and blew a kiss at him after I crossed the finish line (which I hope he didn't find weird or offensive!), which they promptly tore down shortly after got there.

The post-race party was great - they had a guy with a portable pizza oven from Outrigger Pizza, a beautiful salad, lots of beer (of which I didn't partake because I was so tired I probably would have passed out - AND it was 9:30 in the morning, after all), water and massage, which was wonderful.  I've never been able to get a post-race massage at any event, and these women were truly magical!  I actually felt pretty light on my feet as I headed home.

In Retrospect
After talking to my coach, family and friends, I realized that I was an orange in a basket of apples and unfairly comparing myself to this group of very dedicated riders.  I knew it too, deep down inside, but I'm usually solid front of MOP in running and triathlon.  I've NEVER been last and I've never had a DNF in any athletic event and neither one of those things feel very good.  I'm a solid believer that good training will pay off in good racing - and it will in cycling, but just in a different way and perhaps after some more time in the saddle.

That's not to say that I've never had a bad race, or that every race turns out exactly the way I planned or expected, because I have and they don't.  But I certainly plan to make sure that I lessen the odds of it ever happening again!

I want to say a special thank you to a few people who were at the right place at the right time and helped me stay motivated and positive throughout the weekend:

• Dana - thanks for being there after the crit and allowing me to vent a little bit!  I very much enjoyed our conversation and would like to do it again some time.  I can't wait to hear how Honolulu goes for you...good luck!
• Debbie - it was such a surprise to see you at the finish line of the road race, and I have to say you were instrumental in preventing me from having a total meltdown by keeping me busy with conversation.  I hope you have a great time on your upcoming ride in the Alps!
• Jeffrey - Thanks for rooting me along the way - and for your support after the road race.  As tough as it was I had a great time overall and you helped me keep some things in their proper perspective.

And to my coach - who is amazing - and who I never thought had ever come in last in a race. 

Cycle to the Sun...

...and other new developments!




So what does any self-respecting triathlete do when she gets shut out of the two 70.3's she wanted to race in 2013?  Signs up for one of the toughest road bike races out there!  I'm so excited!

So excited, in fact, that I even got myself a coach. Although I've had reasonable success coaching myself through three triathlons and countless running races, cycling is still a relatively new sport to me.  And over the last few years it has always been in the back of my mind that I could probably do a LOT better if I had someone who really knew what they were doing taking charge of my training.

For CTS, there was no other option in my mind.  Training for a standard road race or triathlon to finish is fairly straight forward.  If you have some reasonable knowledge of endurance sports, are fairly self-motivated and can follow directions, there are thousands of "canned" plans that will take you through your races.  In triathlon training, I'd pick a plan then basically follow the "hours" recommended for each discipline.  I didn't really do (OK, I did zero) interval training, outside of swim sessions with my masters group.  I just S/B/R'd and hoped for the best.

Where it gets dicey is when you are going to be climbing straight up a mountain for several hours with a 10,000ft+ elevation gain.   And I knew I couldn't do it alone.  So far I think having a coach is AWESOME, and here's why it's working for me:

• It eliminates a lot of trial and error - I have a relatively short training window (the ride is June 29) so I need to maximize my training time and do the sessions that are going to get me up that hill (and I really know very little about the mechanics of a cycling training program).
• It's HUGE to have my workouts planned for me - I don't have to think about it...just do it.
• Although I've used a Garmin for a couple of years now, it was really for amusement purposes only and to get a guideline on time, distance and heart rate.  Now it provides useful information for my coach and guidelines for me to consider during workouts.

The big thing, though, is that it made me realize, almost from the beginning, that I never pushed myself hard enough in workouts before.  She is making me work HARD (and sometimes I swear during interval sessions), but I get off my bike every time with a sense of accomplishment.  I'm feeling stronger and stronger all the time.

I have two goals for this race right now:

• The "A" goal - finish in around 5 hours.
• The "B" goal - not to finish last.

I'll share more of my thoughts on having a coach in future posts, including why I picked mine.  If you want to get to know her, check out Simmons Endurance Coaching.

More soon!

Things I Discovered in 2012

A lot of people are writing about race results, training totals, and "goal completion" for 2012 on their blogs.  While I track these things too, it would take way too long for me to gather up all that info and post it on my blog. And my blogging time is extremely limited these days.

Basically, 2012 went by in a complete and total blur for me.  For someone who prides herself on being organized and together I quite frankly do not know how I got through last year.  But I did discover a few things along the way:

1. PODCASTS.  How come no one ever told me how freakin' awesome these were?!  There is a unbelievable wealth of information out there on virtually every subject you can imagine and most of it is FREE!  I know you (and everyone else) have known this since day one, but I feel like I have struck gold.  I love listening to them on my (albeit short) commute to and from work and when I am working in the studio.  My two favorites are:
   
   The Angriest Trainer

   Vinnie Tortorich with Anna Vocino

   
   

   Fantastic fitness and nutrition info following a #NSNG No Sugar No Grains philosophy with a Hollywood insider twist and liberal pinches of sassy explicitness make for a thought (and giggle) provoking podcast.  If you love a good rant and some spicy language, this podcast is for you.  It appears to be especially popular with the female triathlon community, but the #NSNG philosophy is for EVERYONE.
   
   
   Balanced Bites
   Diane Sanfilippo and Liz Wolfe
   
   
   If you are interested in nutrition or digestive health, this is the podcast for you.  Diane Sanfilippo is now the 9x NYTimes bestselling author of "Practical Paleo," the easy how-to Paleo book and outstanding cookbook I highly recommend to anyone looking to take charge of their diet and health.  Hint: on the podcast skip the first ten to fifteen minutes of banter and get straight to the question/answer section.
   
   
    Honorable Mentions go to Ben Greenfield Fitness, Garden Variety Triathlon and Rich Roll (who, along with Vinnie Tortorich, I now dub "The Great Men of Podcasting").
   
   
2. CARBON FIBER. Oh, how I love my new bike.  I started out in triathlon on a Trek mountain bike not knowing how much I was going to enjoy road riding (and hate mountain biking!).  In year two I moved up to a friends loaner Trek 2000.  It was a big difference and it gave me a chance to think about the road bike I wanted to buy.  It only took me a year and a half!
   
   
   Behold... the Mighty Pegasus (aka Trek Madone 4.7):
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   May he steadfastly lead me to victory in 2013!
3. TWITTER.  I resisted for a long time.  "Who needs it," I said.  "I have much more to say that 140 characters," I said.  Just as with the podcasts, Twitter provides a wealth of information (and a heap of crap, too, if you're not careful who you follow).  I'm sticking with my new #NSNG #fatadapting new triathlon friends for the most part.
   
   There were undoubtedly more that three, but I can't remember them now.  However, be certain I am going to be talking more about these three AND how I am becoming a fat adapted triathlete in future posts.  I hope you'll stay tuned!
   

Holiday Bike Ride

LOVE my new bike.  Love it.

I joined about 75 other cyclists for Go Cycling Maui's holiday pancake ride on Sunday.  In a word...AMAZING.

The weather called for gusty trades and scattered showers.  The wind howled all night and was blowing a good 25 mph when I got up, so I thought I was in for headwind hell, but it was blissfully calm by the time I got to Keokea park for the start.  It was also 54-freakin-degrees.

If you are reading this and you live somewhere where outdoor winter riding is not an option, and it gets freezing cold, you have every right to call me a wimp.  But geez, I am a tropical island girl and anything below 70F has me running for my sweatshirt.  I am always worried I am going to be cold, then 15-20 minutes into a ride or run I am calling myself ridiculous and thankful (usually) that I didn't bundle up.  With the ride starting at 3,500ft and a call for wind and rain, I added a couple of layers - my YMX long sleeve shirt, a sleeveless cycling jersey AND my new Athleta Quarter Mile Half Zip.  I was still cold for the first 20 minutes or so, as we raced downhill into Ulupalakua in the shadow of Haleakala, but I warmed up just enough by the turnaround to strip off the outermost layer.  It only got up to about 65 degrees, so was still a bit cool, but comfortable.

How most of the road looked.

I got a new bike in October - a Trek Madone 4.7 - and love every minute on it.  I was especially looking forward to this ride because I haven't had the opportunity to ride this route before.  It was SPECTACULAR!

At the turn-around, looking toward Kaupo.

Nearly the entire route was newly paved (a cyclist's dream!).  The twisting, winding roads meander around the southern edge of Haleakala, through Keokea, Ulupalakua and out past Kahikinui for what ends up to be about 40 miles.  It's  definitely not a beginner's ride, though - all that fast, steep downhill riding at the beginning means lots of climbing on the way back.  But if you've got the legs for it, you won't be disappointed.

Kahikinui Wind Farm

We started the ride at 7:00 a.m. and headed toward Kaupo.  There was virtually zero traffic in either direction the entire ride since most of the tourist traffic comes around from Hana in the early afternoon.  It was windless until we climbed out of Ulupalakua and rounded the curve far above Wailea, then BAM, smacked in the face with a good 20-25mph headwind.  The saving grace was that a good part of the start of the ride would be downhill, and we would have a tailwind for the uphill on the way back.

On the return we got a glimpse of the new wind farm going up on the backside of the island along with breathtaking views of Maui's leeward coast.  I was completely caught up in the scenery and enjoyed every minute of the ride.

Not long after I took the last picture, I was cruising up over a hill and just as a crested it I looked up at the brilliant blue sky.  I took my eyes off the road at just the wrong moment and hit a small pile of lava rocks that had spilled onto the road from the nearby hillside.  As my bike pitched over the pile I was immediately thankful I wasn't going any faster because I think I would have crashed.  It was bad enough, however, as I realized I had my first ever mid-ride flat tire.  Leave it to me to find the one pile of debris on an otherwise immaculate stretch of road!

I limped over to the shoulder, thankful I had a spare and knew how to change the tire, but also knowing that it would probably take me awhile since I can count on one hand how many times I've changed a tire in practice.  And since this ride was mostly unsupported AND I was near the back of the pack of riders, I knew help wouldn't appear any time soon.

Just as I was pulling over, another cyclist heading out (and not with our ride), stopped and asked if he could help.  Not 10 minutes later I was back on the road again - special MAHALO to Dave of Makawao for lending me his expertise!

I caught up to my friend Sarah on the way back and we rode together to the finish.  It was a bit of a trudge climbing back out of Ulupalakua, but an overall great ride.  

I can't wait to get out there again!

Happy Holidays!

Remember When Running Was Simple?

I discovered running in my 30's.  It was simple then.  I went to a shoe store, bought a pair of Nike "running" shoes, and away I went.  The uniform was baggy sweats and a t-shirt.  I ran and ran and ran in those shoes, and then I ran some more.  I didn't know how many miles were on them and I didn't care.  I bought a new pair when they wore out (like when I used to think that I didn't need to change my sewing machine needle until it broke, but that's a story for my other blog). Fast forward to today and you could quite possibly call me the Imelda of Running Shoes aka The Shoe Hoarder.  At least my husband does.

The fact is, I have a couple of problems.

The first is that since I keep pretty close track of my mileage I have a fairly good idea of when shoes should be retired.  I also get other hints, like sore feet or shins, or something "not quite right" and I know it's time to get a new pair of shoes.  So the old ones get demoted to yard work and walking around town.  And even though I live in Hawaii you will rarely see me in the ubiquitous "rubbah slippahs" unless I am going to/from the beach.  I am super cautious about my feet and like to keep them protected.  Therein lies the problem: even though they aren't good for running, they are still good for other purposes so they are piling up.

The second is a nasty little problem called Plantar Fasciitis.

It's MADDENING.  No one really knows that causes it.  No one really knows what cures it.  You can have it for a week or for years.  One day it will be there, one day it won't.  It gets worse when you run...or not.  I've tried rest, ice, foam rolling, self massage, massage therapy, physical therapy, running, not running, and acupuncture.  My podiatrist wants to give me a shot.  I want to fix the problem, although the longer this goes on the more enticing the shot sounds.  He promises instant relief.  I am skeptical.

So now I have stability shoes, moderate "minimalist" shoes, racing shoes, training shoes, trail shoes.  "Too many shoes for just us two."   (If you listen to Keb Mo, you may get the reference.)  I feel like if I keep switching them up, my PF will go away.  Or not.

What do you do with your retired shoes when they start to pile up?

Na Holo Wahine 5K Race Report

                The Na Holo Wahine is one of the only 5Ks I regularly run, since I generally prefer 10K and ½ marathon distances for a stand-alone race.  I never ran track in school, outside of mandatory PE, and my recollections of running the 100-yard dash are vague.  Let’s just say I’m an endurance junkie, in it for the long haul, and sprinting (aka speed) has never really been my thing.  Until recently.

                When I began running in my 30’s, I never incorporated speedwork into any of my training.  I didn’t know anyone else who ran, did all of my training by myself, and learned what I could from reading Runner’s World and Hal Higdon’s Marathon Training Guide.  They all recommended speedwork and track sessions, but the track intimidated me and I felt like the workout descriptions were written in Greek.  Besides, like many new runners, I figured I didn’t need to work on speed since I was in it to enjoy running and finish each distance on my feet…not win.  I had simple time goals – mostly wanting to finish with what I thought was a “respectable time.”  I didn’t want to be a 10-hour marathoner.

                Fast forward 10 years and that mindset was OK until I start racing, and reading the results, and comparing my rank to those in my age group.  The more I trained, the faster I got (albeit slowly) and I was inching closer to the FOP (front-of-pack) runners.  Suddenly, it wasn’t enough to just “finish respectably.”  I wanted to WIN!

         I still hadn’t actually incorporated any track workouts or serious speedwork into my training outside of the occasional interval session.  I just followed the mantra of one regular BT forum poster who advocates “run lots...mostly slow…sometimes fast."  Well, it's paying off!

        Race start wasn't until 8:00 a.m., so I didn't have to get up early.  I had half a smoothie and a cup of coffee for breakfast.  Didn't see any reason to pop a gel prior to the race, but did take along my new Nathan Quickshot to carry HEED with me on the course.  I also made a new playlist since I was going to run with music this race.

        I thought about riding my bike for about an hour prior to the race as a warm-up.  I've been doing a lot of bike/run bricks and my legs have been responding well, but I thought it might rain and that was an extra factor I just didn't want to deal with.  My plan was to do a little light running drills instead, but I ran into a friend of mine and we started chatting to catch up, then all of a sudden it was time to race!

        I fumbled with my iPhone trying to get it set up to play, but I have a very awkward carrier for it and can't access any of the settings once it started playing (note to self: get a new armband!).  No wonder I don't usually run with music!

        I moved up to the front of the pack to avoid the bobbing and weaving - I wanted a quick start - and we were off!  The first stretch of the race is a gradual downhill for about a 1/2 mile, so it was easy to stretch out and get ahead.  I just kept my eye on the leaders and tried not to get too far behind.  I planned to open up and run this race as fast as I could sustain.  At about the 1/2 way point on an up-hill stretch I realized how freakin' hard it is to run a 5K!  My exact thought was, "I am NO SPRINTER. No wonder I am an endurance runner!"  But I kept at it.  I never really lost sight of the leaders and only one woman passed me the entire race.  Toward the end I heard footsteps closing in behind me, but that just spurred me on to the finish.  I was determined not to be caught.

        My first surprise was at the finish line - the top 15-20 (I'm not sure the exact number) got ti leaf leis - at #13 I was thrilled.  Something so simple yet so meaningful - I've never been in the front before.  I already felt like a winner.  Then they started announcing the age group winners and I came in 3rd in the 40-44 AG!!  WHOO HOO!!  It was my first ever podium finish!!

        I was in good company, too.  Several of the women who are part of a triathlon training group I just joined also placed in their respective divisions.  We are all racing in the upcoming South Maui Triathlon in June and I hope we can create the same picture in the winners circle there as well.  It was a great day - beautiful weather, new friends, and great finishes.  I can't wait until next year!

        I looked at my results for the past four races:

• 2008:  35:28  53/83 overall
• 2010:  31:21  35/76 overall
• 2011:  29:23  35/104 overall
• 2012:  26:07  13/72 overal, 3rd place 40-44 (AG results not available)

I'm going to shoot for sub-25 my next 5K or next year, whichever comes first!

Valley-to-the-Sea Race Report AND Lessons Learned

John, Sherri, Yolanda and me, pre-race.

Recent training has been sporadic at best.  Each week I start off with good intentions, then work, drama, life, etc. all conspire to prevent me from making a workout.  

I didn't run any appreciable mileage for the 3 1/2 weeks prior to the Valley-to-the-Sea race.  I knew going in that it would be difficult and, despite my irrational hopes, that I would probably not make my PR goal of a sub-2 hour 1/2.  I tried to tell myself that I had enough run fitness to make it work.  

Lesson #1 - You will lose fitness if you do not run the appropriate mileage before a race.

Still, I was optimistic.  I felt good on race day, had my pre-race smoothie, drank my coffee and water.  It was cool (chilly even, for Maui!) at the race start and there was cloud cover the entire race, which helped keep temperatures in check.

Lesson #2 - Don't mess around with the hydration/nutrition systems you KNOW work for you.

I didn't wear my Nathan water carrier this race.  The course was mostly downhill/flat.  I wanted to run it fast (see previous PR goal) and didn't want the extra weight.  I decided that water at the aid stations and 3 gels would be enough.  But I'm used to carrying my own HEED and having it whenever I want.  I was thirsty and the aid stations were too far apart (not really, but that's how I felt).  

I started off fast (for me) but you can see why - steep descent at the beginning.  I figured if I kept up a good pace at the start it would see me through at the finish.


Lesson #3 - Negative split, negative split, negative split!  Don't go out too fast.

Would I have been better off to slow it down at the start?  Probably.  I should have kept it more at 9:00 mm.  Mile 5 was a long, gradual uphill, which really dropped my speed and where my attitude started to go bad.  Miles 6-9 were downhill again and when I really started talking to myself and giving myself a pep talk, and you can see it in my average pace, which was back on track.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	2:11:55.2	13.08	10:05
1	8:22.0	1.08	7:43
2	8:02.4	0.98	8:11
3	9:09.0	1.02	8:59
4	10:03.5	1.01	9:55
5	10:23.8	1.00	10:25
6	9:40.1	0.99	9:45
7	10:29.5	1.11	9:29
8	8:27.2	0.90	9:24
9	9:14.5	0.98	9:25
10	12:43.5	1.07	11:57
11	9:50.4	0.94	10:31
12	12:02.3	1.00	12:04
13	13:27.1	1.01	13:20

For the record, my actual finish time was 2:10:34 - I forgot to press STOP on the Garmin.  AGAIN.  #74 out of 107. 

At Mile 10, where the ground leveled off once again, the wheels started to come off.  I was done.  I'd had my last gel at about Mile 8 and thought it would carry me through, but I really started to lose it.  At one point I just wanted to sit on the curb and cry like a baby.  I don't know what got into me?!  Yolanda and Sherri passed me at this point and I told them I was fading.  They were encouraging and that kept me going for awhile.  I really tried to HTFU.  My legs were starting to cramp, but I kept up a slow jog until the end.

Here we are at the finish. I am so proud of Yolanda - it was her first 1/2 and she did great!  I was just glad it was over, which makes me sad because I love to race and this one was on a beautiful course, on a great day, and had great volunteers and was run exceptionally well (thanks Rudy!).  Which leads me to:

Lesson #4:  You can't fake a 1/2 marathon.

My quads hated me for three solid days.  I. Seriously. Could. Not. Walk. 

My new Brooks PureFlow shoes, however, were AWESOME!  I still had a couple of blisters, but they were minor.  I will have to tape my feet in a couple of places, I think, to eliminate them, but my feet were not sore and neither were my calves. 

Lesson #5:  Some things DO work, even on a bad day.

Loved my Brooks shoes, Injinji socks ROCK, and even though I missed wearing my water carrier, I liked wearing my Zoot tri top for the race (the back pockets are awesome!).

VIRR Turkey Trot Race Report - 16 miler

Sometimes it's best if you don't know the race course in advance...

For most races, I haunt the website, review the race course and decide on a plan of action well before race day.  I like to run portions (if not all) of the course prior to race day so that I have a strategy and can be mentally prepared for the tough spots.  I like to look at the previous year's race results, check times for my AG, and think about where I might end up in the standings.  I'm sure a lot of athletes do this.  At least the Type-A athletes do, even if they know they aren't going to place in the top (that would be me, chaser of the FOPs (Front-of-Pack'rs).

This race was going to be a little different.  It was my first time entering.  It was a fun run.  It was FREE.  It fit fabulously into my training schedule and took the place of my long run for the week.  IT WAS FREE!

The course map was not posted until a couple of days before the race.  I've run races with VIRR from Rice Park (the start), so I assumed it would probably be an out-and-back to Grandma's, with two loops to get to the 16 miles (they also had an 8.4 and a 2.6 mile run that day).  When I finally glanced at the posted course map, I did not zoom in, and I assumed it would be down Kula Highway, then back up Lower Kula Road.  OK...different, but extremely do-able.  Then I got the surprise.

A group of us were standing around at check-in and I overheard someone say, "It's the same course as last year."  So I told him this was my first time and asked "what, really, is the course?"  Turns out the "down Kula Highway" part was right, but then we turned right at the high school and ran UP AND AROUND Kekaulike Hwy.  Oh, s%@t!  This is an approximate 2,000 ft elevation gain.  It is an uphill run from about Mile 7 to about Mile 13.  (FYI - I chickened out and didn't sign up for a 10K in May of this year because it was primarily THIS section of the course - billed as a "one hill" race.  Ha Ha!  The entire race is that one hill.)

But the race was FREE.  And my training was going well.  And I completely rescheduled my training plan for the long run on Thanksgiving.  And I was there.  What the hell?  It would be fun, right?

Pre-Race
Standard pre-race smoothie at 4:30 a.m.  Race started at 7:00. FYI - I've pretty much decided that the 2-hour window is too short.  It leaves me feeling a bit sloshy.  Next time I will get up earlier and drink the smoothie prepared the night before, then go back to bed for a little more snooze.  It works!


Warm Up/Race Prep
Ha ha!  It was 53 freaking degrees at the race start!  That is downright COLD for us Maui folks.  I kept my sweatshirt on, did a little light jogging to stay warm.

After hearing about the real race course, I added 10 minutes to my "guessed" time.  Those who come closest to their guess can win a prize (no watches, garmins allowed).  I originally planned to go for 3:00, but added 10 minutes for the serious climbing.  (I was going to wear my Garmin as this was supposed to be a training run for me and I wanted to watch pace, heart rate, etc., but one of the long-time runners cajoled me into leaving it in the truck.)

We also found out at check-in that there were no "official" aid stations on the course, but that someone was going to leave water at about Mile 6 and Mile 12.  Although I had my Nathan carrier with my bottle of Heed and two Hammer gels, I decided to grab an extra water bottle from my truck just in case there was no water.

Off came the sweatshirt, but I wore my new YMX Yellowman long-sleeve dragon shirt underneath (more about that in a later post).


Race
There were 24 of us in the 16-mile group.  The ultra-runners (one only clad in black running shorts and shoes) took off and never looked back.  I ended up with a group of about 4-5 runners at the tail end of the pack, but I was OK with that.  This was supposed to be a long training run, not a race, and I was perfectly content to let everyone else take off.  I figured this would be a good way to practice pacing and see if the rumors were true: that I would eventually pass some of the runners who took off too fast and paid for it at the end.

The first 6 miles were mostly on a gradual downgrade, a pleasant way to warm up.  Several of us chatted as we ran along.  I felt good and even though I felt I could pick up the pace, I tried to stay slow.  This is where I sort of missed my Garmin, but I realized it was probably very good for me to run by feel for a change.  Mentally I felt good because I wasn't DFL in the pack, which is a driver for me, for better or for worse.

We made the turn at the high school and started the climb.  There was no water at the first "drop" but I was OK - I popped my first gel as planned and finished the bottle I was carrying.  We began the ascent, and this is where some runners started dropping off in pace.  I was still feeling good and elated that I felt so strong...in the tougher sections I reminded myself that it was OK to walk portions.  My pace slowed and I walked what I thought was quite a bit, but I still felt good and strong and ran as often as I could.  I enjoyed the beauty of the day, the fact that I was out running sixteen miles (which still amazes me - it was the longest distance I have ever run in my life!), and kept a positive mindset.  I even stopped to take a couple of pics:

A friend of mine says I look like I was hitchhiking in this photo!

I thought I knew the stretch of highway fairly well as I've driven it many times, and I got excited when I saw the houses just before Kula Lodge because I thought I was near the top.  I wasn't and it was still quite a ways to the Haleakala Crater turn-off where the second water drop was.  When I got there I was glad so see there were still plenty of bottles because I'd burned up my HEED on the climb.  I took a quick break, took my second gel and topped off my water bottle so I wouldn't have to carry another, and took off.

After this stop my legs protested a bit.  There was still a bit of climbing left to do and I got back to it.  This is when I noticed that I was getting a blister under the base of my big toe (at the top of the ball of my foot).  I stopped to adjust my sock, which was bunching a little in that area, and took off.  Side Note:  I noticed that I am getting more blisters as my runs get longer. I thought my feet would toughen and callus up, but they aren't.  For this race I wrapped my 4th toes with bandaids to avoid the nasty blisters I got in the Harbor-to-Harbor, and really rubbed my feet up with Body Glide.  I wore socks with my Mizunos.  Mostly a winning combination.  I still have several long runs to test shoe/sock/no-sock combinations before race day.

I caught a few more runners in this last climbing section, then the glorious downhill began!!

About Mile 12-13 my quads started getting cranky with me, but I told myself the same thing I told myself at Mile 10 in the 1/2 marathon: as long as the pain doesn't get any worse, I am fine.  I can run with this.  I can deal with this.  I still felt strong, and if I hadn't had the blister really yelling at me at this point, I could have even picked up the pace a little bit.

Soon I saw the intersection at the highway and made my turn for the home stretch.  As I came up the last little hill before the finish, I saw my family on the sidelines cheering me on.  It was awesome!  I left them all, still sleeping, that morning (I had told them the night before that I would finish at around 10:00 IF they wanted to meet me at the finish line).  It was great!

I finished in 2:59:58!  If I wouldn't have added that last 10 minutes, I would have only been 2 seconds off my time and would have probably won a prize.  I can't believe how consistent my pace is, even without the Garmin to check.  And that was despite that crazy incline!

My uncle said he couldn't believe I wasn't even breathing hard at the end and I looked as if I barely broke a sweat. 

I am very pleased with this race and the results. It did wonders for my self confidence - I know I can tackle just about anything with good, consistent training.

Can't wait to see what happens next year!