"Don't Stop Believing" Journey to Ironman

A Love Letter to 85%

 Here's a letter I composed in my head as I was riding on Sunday. For those of you who ride with a power meter, 85% of functional threshold is is the "work" effort we use over at Endurance Nation. We spend a lot of time on our long rides in that zone. For heart rate athletes, it's likely the effort you see at Z3. If you can learn to hold that level of HR up and DOWN the hills, you can have the same kind of fun I am. Read on.

Dear 85%,

I love you. Even though you can be a nasty, nasty effort at which to ride, I still love you. Why? Because I figured this out about you. 85%, you are the the magic number that lets me show those guy roadies what's what on the hills.

Granted there are a whole caliber of men riders to whom this does not apply--their sheer speed leaves me in the dust. And not one of my Endurance Nation guy teammates would be caught by your wiles. But I'm not talking about the clubbing-baby-seals level of rider either. I'm talking about the general fit roadie rider. The guys who hammer the hills--and do it stoopid.

Week after week now, I'm catching groups or pairs of men riders as I use you--85%--on the flats. Then off they go hammering up the hill, often looking back to be sure they are leaving me in the wake. As I continue to ride with my new love, I take you up the hills--then all the way down the hills. Who's looking back now????? And who is not catching up again either, as I continue to pedal my dearest % down the road?

85%, you are the magic number. It's you, always you. And I love you. :)

Triathlon Race Secrets--More Wetsuit Chat

Necessity, she's a mother! Here are a few additional wetsuit tips I'd like to pass on.

Says Olivia on Endurance Nation:
This certainly wouldn't apply to everyone, but I struggled for 2 seasons trying all sorts of ways to get my wetsuit off over my ginormous feet. I even resorted to asking some of my fellow racers in TA to help by pulling the suit off. Aside from that, which didn't always work out, nothing was solving the problem. I went to a local outdoor gear repair person who does a lot of work on dive wetsuits because I was going to have her add a gusset or something stretchier at the seams to give me something to work with. She suggested these 8 inch zippers at the calf.

Here's what Olivia did. I have so much trouble getting my wetsuit off of my right leg, I think I'm up for finding someone who can give me this fix!

 

Teammate John simply cut ~ 6 inches off from the legs of his wetsuit. He says, "Once the suit is past my waist the suit drops and I lift my legs and feet right out with almost zero resistance. Easy to get on, too."

He said he had no problems at the seam where he made the cut. If you decide to do this, however, you could use a small piece of the wet suit and Aquaseal to put a small, reinforcing patch on the seam.

More tips next time! Post yours in the comments. I'd love to hear what others do!

Triathlon Race Secrets--Tummy and Cramping Troubles

 Knock wood and anything else I can find, but I haven't had tummy problems in a race for quite a while. But just in case, I put a couple of the Gas-X strips either in my shirt or Bento Box. They are as thin as a slip of paper, so carrying them is a non-issue. You just never know. :)

Oh yeah, unpeel them just a bit so you don't have to fuss trying to open it on the bike or on the run. If you're reaching for it, you're in enough distress as it is. :)

What has saved me from stomach and cramping troubles--and I credit this product 100%--is Succeed S!caps. Stomach and cramping issues disappeared when I began using this product. I used to have terrible problems in both areas, so I looked to the ultra-running community to see what they used to stave off the nausea and cramping beasts. Do yourself a favor, and take the time to read these articles by S!caps owner/developer Karl King, as well as the FAQ on his web site. Karl's description of their efficacy reflects my experience exactly. It's incredible how well this product works for me. Do just as he says, and you won't need the Gas-X! (Old habits and fears die hard so that's why I still carry it!)

Triathlon Race Secrets--Wetsuit Chat

Here's some helpful wetsuit chat.

• Putting plastic bags on your feet helps get the wetsuit on really easily! I see people do this all the time, but I forget to do it myself most of the time. Have to remember this for myself. Also, the bags give you something to put nasty clothes in later!

• Spraying myself with a product called TriSlide also helps a ton with getting the wettie on. It doesn't contain the kinds of oils that can hurt the neoprene. There's no scent, and it doesn't leave you feeling covered in a heavy oil like spraying with Pam. I like it.

• Don't forget to lube your neck. You can do 100 triathlons and never have a problem. Then out of the blue in a race swim, you will get the worst neck chafe you can imagine! Ouch, it hurts. It takes five seconds to lube this area, and it can save you a world of pain.

• Here's a pointer that requires a little more Zen. Take a breath after you get your wetsuit on, and make sure it's on perfectly. And I mean perfectly. If there is the teeniest feeling of a twist, fix it. Make sure the crotch is pulled up all the way, and the underarms are in the right place; the neck is comfortable. Only when you stand there and do a head-to-toe scan and everything is exactly where it should be is your wetsuit "on." That little twist or gap in the underarm will come back to haunt you. Trust me.

• Assuming you are wearing a long-sleeve wettie, here's a great tip I had not thought of before! As you exit the water and run towards T1, unzip, then remove goggles and cap. THEN--as you pull your arms out of the top, leave the goggles and cap inside the sleeve! They stay there without falling out, and it's one less thing to deal with in T1. Bonus--after the race, you'll know where your cap and goggles are as you clean up the yard sale that had formerly been your beautifully organized transition area. :)

• From my personal point of view--spend the money, get the Aquaman Bionik. :) After four different long-sleeve wetsuits, this one went beyond my expectations. I don't even need to kick in it, and it comes off like a hot knife through butter. Love it.

Happy race day swimming! It's often my favorite part of the day!

Triathlon Race Secrets--Lube Your Socks! That's Right, Your Socks

I think this tip is a gem.

If you like to lube up your feet prior to running, and you wear socks in races, here is a way to save time on that in transition:

Put on your socks inside out. Apply Bodyglide (or whatever lube you use) directly onto the socks in the same places you would if you were lubing your bare feet. Remove socks, turning them right-side out. The lube is now on the socks, exacly where you need it. Pre-lubed, and ready to roll.

Great time saver in T1 or T2.

Great Weekend Riding, and a Little Bull Story :)

Great rides Sat and Sunday for me. I have to say, I'm enjoying the half Ironman raining as opposed to the full Kahuna. Nice challenging rides, but I still have plenty of free time on the weekends. I'm going to let myself enjoy this this year, before I tackle Ironman training again in 2010.

Saturday, May 23
3 hours ride. Went great. All my riding it done as percentages of my functional threshold (FT). I test for those numbers with my power meter, and Endurance Nation plans get me faster!
2 x 30' @ 85% of FT--I was right on
3 x (6' @ 100% of FT, 3' @ 105% of FT) Hit them all right on, or a little over.
Remainder at 80%--right on

Sunday, May 24
Sunday is an "always be pushing" (ABP) ride. After warm up, lock it down to 80-85% of FT. Ride consistently at that power for as long as you can. Break to drink, eat, then get right back to work. These are HARD. Deceivingly so. You look at them on paper and think, "that's no so bad." An hour into it, and you're thinking "WHOA BABY!" I love it. No doubt building up endurance in this way will pay dividends. I ended up with an average of 80% of FT for the ride. Next week I'd like to get that up a little higher.

My Run In with A Bull
The main story today happened during a pit stop. My hubby was messing with my clanging derailleur, and I went to use the bushes. I stepped over a wire and into a clearing. As I am, um, indisposed, I hear something crashing toward me from behind. I turn around to see this freakin' BULL coming at me!!!!! I nearly crapped my pants!!! I never flew so fast in my life. The wire was obviously an electric fence. This thing was HUGE!!!! The local national park keeps a herd of these Scottish Highlanders, and it seems that I was in his pastureland. I pass them all the time when I ride, and they are cool. But no so cool nose to nose!

Imagine this puppy coming at you! :)

Triathlon Race Secrets--Looking at Life Through Orange-Colored Glasses

Here's another cool secret I use all the time...really good for training too...

If you don't have glasses with orange or yellow lenses--get a pair. I call them my "sunny day" glasses. When the world is dank and gray, putting on regular sunglasses just makes it even more depressing. Riding 3, 4, 5 hours in the murk is no fun. Put on the orange or yellow lenses and--voila--instant sunny day! It really tricks the mind into feeling more upbeat.

My last six hour ride before my 2006 Ironman was done on a very gloomy day. My husband, who rode with me, was so unmotivated by hour 3--sinking deeper into the morass of blah. He was wearing regular sunglasses, which made the world even darker. I was fine, and kept telling him because I thought it was a sunny day. He tried on my orange lenses, and got a pair the next week.

Cheap, rimless ones from Nashbar work fine. You don't use that that often, but when you need them, they're a great item to have.

Triathlon Race Secrets--Let's Talk Heat

Following up on the race secret thread from yesterday, here are a few hints for hot-weather racing. I can't believe how many triathletes say, "I hate the heat"..."running in the heat is death for me". And I know one such racer very well. Moi. :) New England often doesn't get warm consistently until June, and I run at dawn when it's cool. I'm always looking for ways to mitigate the effects of the high sun on my triathlon run. Here are what a few Endurance Nation friends had to share:

Ice Cuffs
EN Coach Patrick McCrann is shown here running in Kona. Those funky sweatbands on his arms are simply the tube part of tube socks. He just folded some ice in there, and it was hands-free running while staying cool.

Ice Sleeves
Another teammate uses uses Desoto arm coolers as "ice sleeves." He says,  "AMAZING. I just grabbed two Gatorade cups per ice at each station, shoved the ice in the top of each of the arm coolers, and this would keep me very cool for 2+ aid stations." The funny guy that he is continues, "These won my 2008 Best Race Innovation award. This season, I'm trying the Craft stuff that Tjorbjorn uses as a further attempt in my 'better racing through clothing innovation' series."

Ice Hat and Shorts
Fill  your hat with ice at aid stations, and throw a handful down your shorts. Top and bottom cooling. I've done this, and while I don't like the rivulets that melt down my face and legs, it does help keep you going.

Ice Bra
Sorry guys, can't help you here. But ladies, wearing that annoying article of clothing can help cool you down. Shove a handful of ice down the jog bra. Ahhhhhhhh! Trick is, moving it closer to the armpits makes it instant air conditioning! I've seen pro triathlete Barb Lindquist do this in race coverage on TV.

Sunglasses
Sure, it's obvious, but shading your eyes and not staring at hot, reflected sunlight off the pavement can trick your brain into thinking it's actually cooler than it is.

Let's see what new tips come my way over the next few days!

Triathlon Race Secrets--Shoes to Take You to T1 in a Hurry!

Over in my team forum at Endurance Nation, we have a thread going about race secrets. Over the next few days, I'll post my personal winning suggestions. Here's one of my own I think isvery helpful!

This is an idea that I came up with in the mid-90s to save my feet at my favorite little sprint triathlon at the RI shore. The run from the swim to the bikes is over a rocky beach full of sharp stones and lots of shells. I would be in pain for days after since my feet would get cut up and bruised. Plus, my  bad feet make it difficult for me to run barefoot. So I came up with the following sneaker modification. I've never seen this in any magazine, nor have I seen anyone else do it. I think it's original material. :) Here's what you do:

Cut the backs off of a pair of old running shoes. Cut out the tongue. Use elastic laces to hold the uppers together really loosely. Place on the beach at the swim exit. Slip on when you come out of the water, shuffle two steps to get your feet planted, then fly by the people tiptoeing over hazards, or limping up hill in T1.



I use them in just about every race I do (where it makes sense). These shoes must be 10+ years old. No one has ever messed with them or taken them. Work like a charm. You're welcome. :)

Following Your Dreams over a 186-foot-high Waterfall! Cool video!

On April 21, Tyler Bradt, 22, kayaked over 186-foot-high Palouse Falls, breaking the waterfall world record of 127 feet. I'm the mother of four boys, and have lived through my share of physical adventures with them. This one I would not have wanted to even know about!

Following dreams and having a death wish--this one seems like a fine line.