Vermont Half Iron Journey Race Report

Here we go! This is going to be very long. If you want the short version, check out my previous post:)

Prerace:
I woke up on Friday morning with a sore throat, chills and an achy ear. Oh, no!!! I normally do not take any medicine when sick. I believe the body is good at healing itself. However, this time around I took mega doses of vitamin C, airborne, kefir, and garlic pills. I also did salt rinses (throat and nose) and drank hot liquids. We left on Friday afternoon, dropped Petru off to his grandfather's house (thanks Papi), and started the drive to Vermont. We arrived in the evening, got some takeout, and watched tennis the entire evening. I went to bed still feeling sick, woke up still sick, but pretty much in denial. I only mentioned this in passing to Chris. I kept doing my home remedies, hoping that I'd feel better by Sunday morning.

On Saturday I did a 10 min swim/bike/run and practiced transitions. The swim went great. I felt amazing. The water was clear and the swim was effortless. The bike and run felt great, too. Although I was achy and feverish, my energy was not affected. I met a few triathletes at the lake, and that was fun. I got lots of great advice and encouragement. Later on I took a nap, Chris went on a little hike, and we met up for an early dinner (I did not go to the pasta dinner because I don't like pasta) and a movie. We ended up seeing "Eat, pray, love" and it was boooooring (I loved the book, at the time!). Next up to the hotel, packed, got everything ready, and went to bed.

I did not sleep that well. I had dreams about falling teeth and water (???). But, at 5am when the alarm went off I felt rested. And I did not feel sick anymore. Oatmeal and coffee got things moving and I was so happy. We drove to the race, I set up my transition, did a warm up swim, and chatted with some people. Next I sat by the water and collected my thoughts about the race. I felt calm and ready. I met a nice woman who told me she tried to race Timberman but she panicked in the water and got pulled out. She was scared and I got very motherly with her (I love to encourage others at races, somehow it is like encouraging myself too!). She ended up doing well in the race.

This race was very small, with less than 200 people registered, and they had 2 waves for men and one for women. I don't quite get it why they are using a timing mat, when they have you wait around for over 2 minutes before starting to swim? I lined up in the back, hoping that we would cross the mat when our wave would start, but that did not happen. Oh, well.

SWIM: 35:13; 1:36/100
People talked about the swim being short. I believe it was. There is no way I can swim a 35. I mean, I swam hard and felt great in the water, but did not figure out how to draft (I tried, but I ended up bumping into the person's feet), and had lots of slow people in front of me that I had to pass.

My plan for the swim was to be aggressive. You see, every time I panic in the water, i feel helpless and vulnerable. It's like the water is big and strong and I am weak. I did not want to feel that way. I decided I am going to own the water. I also decided that if you hit me more than once, I am going to hit back. And I did. There was a woman, larger in size, who kept bumping into me and swimming over me and than slowing down, and I kicked her and swam hard for a while and lost her. That felt amazing in an odd kind of way. I was owning the water.

T1: 2:17
When I wrote that this was long, I did it because it was in comparison to other people's. Some had T1s as short as 56 seconds, because he transition area was close to the bike and run starts. I thought I moved quickly, but maybe I did not. I did put my bike shorts over my swimming bottoms, but otherwise I don't know why my T1 was so long?

BIKE: 3:12:30 (17.45 MPH)


I felt great as soon as I mounted on the bike. No dizziness. I started eating after 10 minutes. I managed to eat 650 calories on the bike (ate a gel before the swim, too), and drank about 60 ounces of water. I also took 8 Endurolytes (no Nuun since I figured the sorbitol might be bad for my stomach).
My initial plan for the bike was to stay at 16 MPH. You see, most of my training was done at 15 MPH, and only in the past 3 weeks did I pick up the pace during my long rides. But. I felt soooo good!! So I decided to go for it. Not crazy, but just go and see what happens. I took the downhills really hard (that was fun) and the uphills at a cadence of 80 or more (except a few steep climbs). I also stood up on my bike at the top of the hills. I know standing up is a no-no for triathletes, but I have been reading about how for someone my weight it is more beneficial to stand up on hills when MPH are lower than 12 and or cadence lower than 60.

The course is a lollipop, and you have to turn around 4 times in the middle of the road. At the second turn around, which was in the middle of a hill (about mile 20sh), there was a guy in front of me going very slow, and I decided to make the turn from the road into a driveway and then back on the street. Except the driveway had sand and gravel on, and I slipped. I got up, told everyone I was fine, and proceeded to pick up all my nutrition from the ground. I had a large cut under my knee, and a few scratched on my quad. No biggie. Then I try to mount on the bike, and realize the chain fell off. I put it back on, and off I went.

Somehow the fall gave me an adrenaline rush because my pace got higher and higher. This was my first fall ever, and I was dreading it. It was such a relief to actually "get it out of the way". Plus it made me feel so badass (in retrospect it should have made me feel like a rookie, but I am glad for the badass feeling I had:)

I knew that toward the end of the bike there is a one mile climb. I knew that once I see a corn field on my left I need to be in a high gear and hammer before I get to the hill, to get some momentum. I did. But the hill was still tough. My average MPH was 18.5 before the hills, and was 17:96 after the hill. Honestly, I did not think I was going to make it up that little bastard, and a couple of people were walking it. But I did. But, I was fried after. I considered hammering it to get my average MPH to 18, but than I realized that my computer would not account for the fall, so I stretched my legs instead.

Something else happened on the bike. I got major back pain starting at mile 10. I knew this could happen. I get it only when I go over 17 MPH, and when I try to sit tucked in on the bike. I have a men's bike with a long tube; I have long legs and a short torso. So, I am too stretched out on the bike. I will change this before my next race. Needless to say, I had to ride standing up most of the time. I took 4 tylenols (more than I took the entire year!!) but they did not help (or maybe they did?). In any case, I did not pee the entire day, and I think the Tylenol might have been the reason.

T2: 2:56
Again, some people took 30 seconds...
This was long because I cramped when I put my socks and shoes on (I biked sock-less and it was great). Chris was there asking about my leg, but honestly I am so focused when I race that I don't want to talk to anyone. Chris's face reminded me of Petru's birth when he kept asking what to do and I told him to let me be:)

RUN: 1:42: 39 (7:48 pace)


I started the run very fast, at 6:45, than 7:16. I felt like I was running slow but apparently I was not. I tried to slow down, but I could not find my pace. My breathing was out of control. I could not breath. I got frustrated and turned the Garmin of. I walked a minute while taking deep breaths, and telling myself to just run. And I did. It was hot, about 95, I think , by the time I started the run 12ish. The run was shaded, but there was some areas that were very sunny. Lots of people were walking. Some were using headphones (which frustrated me because we were told no headphones and man, I would have loved my headphones). I took both my gels, I drank water and tried Heed (that stuff is gross, sorry!), and thought about every climb how it will be a downhill on the way back (it was an out and back course). By mile 10 I felt somewhat detached from my body. I could hear my breathing, heavy and snoring like (I don't know how to describe it, I was making a funny noise). The last couple of miles were downhill and I could see a woman in front of me, and I was getting closer and closer to her. She ended up being first in my AG, one minute overall faster than me, with an 18 minute slower run!
Somehow I made it to the park. I did not even look for Chris, I wanted to step on the mat and than sit down. I did, and it felt great.

Then I got tired and hungry. They had a nice spread of pizza, salad, bagels, cookies, bananas. But I wanted meat. I was done with carbs, I had tons during the race. But I had some of the food, chatted with some people, and checked the results. I was so tired and my back was hurting.

We left after the awards. We stopped so I could get some meat (for me) and icecream (for Chris - after all those gels, I have no interest in sugar/chocolate) and then we went to pick Petru up from his grandmother (thank you Margaret!).


****
I am so excited about this race. It was the perfect first HIM for me. It was small, not very competitive (1st place woman was 4:50), with an easy swim (you could see the bottom on 1/2 of it), and not too tough of a bike (that's what everyone said, I have no comparison).

Now it is back to marathon training (after recovery, of course). I confess I am not that excited about running now. I want to become a better swimmer. I want to get someone to look at my stroke and give me some pointers. It seems like swimming technique has changed over the years, and some of the things I read are contradictory (like entering with your pinkie versus flat hand, etc). I want to get my new bike, one that fits me well, and a power meter, and spend winter getting stronger on the bike.

I decided I am not going to do Boston this year. I want to race half marathons and see if I can go sub 1:30, and do some fun running races. I also want to do more running without my headphones. It was hard for me to race without music, and I think I need to practice that since headphones are not allowed in triathlons.

I want to end this by thanking you all for reading, for giving encouragement and training tips! I thought of you all during my race and that kept me going during those tough moments!

With blood and sweat

I am writing on my iPhone so this will be short. I had a great day!!
Swim: 35:12
Bike: 3: 12:20 including a fall,bloody leg, and dropped chain
Run: 1:42
Total: 5:35:33; 2nd ag
Transitions were v slow. T1 about 2 min and t2 3 min.
Thanks to you all for your support!

Final countdown...

This week I went from sheer anxiety to a sense of calm. I had some great workouts and felt myself ready to race. I yearned to bike longer, run longer, swim longer. I assume that is a good sign.
Chris and I went to the bike shop the other night to have Roostom take a look at it. I've been reading "Zen and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance" and worked on cleaning the bike, checking the tires, etc, but still wanted someone experienced to take a look at it. As Chris put it: "This helps you feel more in control during a fairly uncontrollable situation. You know, you can have brand new tires and still get a flat". You'd think he is the shrink in the family (LOL). Anyhow, Roostom looked at the bike for 5 minutes and said it looked good. I loved the reassurance.

Tomorrow we are off to Vermont. I am hoping to have a short swim on the course when we arrive. The more comfortable I am with the swim course, the better. On Saturday I'll do my workouts in the am and then Chris and I will sit around and read (and eat) the day away! Aww, I am so excited.

So that's it for me, see you on the other side. I can't quite believe that this is happening, that I am actually doing a HIM! But I AM, I AM!

Taper hits!

Oh, taper!
Combined with reading some awesome race reports on Timberman!
Combined with some PMS

Yes, not a good combo. I AM NERVOUS!

What does that mean for me?

It means that I am rehearsing the swim (mostly), bike and run over and over in my head, and try to have:1 ) transitions become rote, and 2) everything that can possibly go wrong accounted for (as much as that is possible).

It means that it is only Tuesday but I am almost 100% caught up on work! I hope noone from work reads this, but wow, training does take a ton of time!!!!

It means that I wrote my race plan, decided what I am going to eat for breakfast that day, what I am going to wear. I decided I am going to listen to everyone and eat more than I think I need during the race. Why? Because you all have been there, and I did not. You know better. I am hoping my stomach will not rebel.

It means that I stressing about drowning (LOL), falling off the bike (possibility) and bonking on the run. Since I am a runner, and have been doing a ton of running in prep for my Fall marathon, I feel 1) pressure to have a good run and 2) pressure to run a lot this week so that I do not lose fitness for my marathon (no, I am not running more than 20 miles this week!).

It means that I am facing up to the uncertainty of the triathlon. It is very different from running. With running, I can have more control. With triathloning, I have little control: I can get my first flat, my chain can fall off (again), someone can (will surely) kick me in the head on the swim. Further, when I run, I know exactly what pace to go after. I have some idea about paces in triathlon, but not enough experience to really have a clear pacing plan. But overall this is good for me. Getting more comfortable with uncertainty can only make me tougher. And tougher I need to get.

Lastly, I am concerned about being mentally tough during the race. I've practice working through pain, I have pushed myself in training, but will I be able to hold on to "whatever"
the run will bring? Is that worse than the last 6 miles of a marathon? I'll find out soon.

Overall I am doing well. I am sleeping well (I always do, no matter what, sleep has always been my friend) and mostly I am decatastrophizing and accepting that anxiety before a race like this is normal, maybe even helpful, some say. I am trying to make friends with it. I think it is working for now. Will see!

Games and first week of taper

* 1) I've been playing around with Jesse's triathlon calculator. Fun times! The calculator was accurate in predicting my performance in the Sprint I did in June, except the run, where is was wrong by over 1 minute (a lot for a 5K run).

So, just for fun, will I beat Jesse's estimation?

Here is what he says I will do (transitions included):

Swim: 39:34 - I would be very happy with this!
Bike: 3:23:37, 16.5 MPH (the course has you climb 59 feet/mile) - this is way better than I think I can do on this course, my best pace for 56 miles thus far has been 17.7 MPH on a gentler course.
RUN: 1:50:27, 8:26 pace (I entered this course as very hilly, given the 104 feet/mile climb) - I hope to do better than this...
Total: 5:56: 39 - I would be walking on clouds to get a sub 6 on this course.

* 2) I love to play hypothetical games with Chris, and have him give me predictions (of race times, papers accepted for publication, conferences, rain estimates, etc, etc). He really struggles with these, which makes the game more interesting to me (you know this, Chris!).
So the other day I asked him to tell me when am I going to cry during the HIM. He said "toward the end of the bike". Hrr. At least he did not say during the swim. Can I prove him wrong and not cry until the end of the run? (LOL).

###
Taper is going well. Legs feel good. I did a 12 miler today, Garminless, easy to moderate, with pick ups. Felt great. My last long ride (72 miles) + 3 mile run was on Thursday and it went very well. I have been getting a big concerned that my post bike runs have been fairly short, mostly 2-4 miles (with only one 6 miler after a 30 mile ride) and at about 30 secs to 50 secs/mile faster than what I plan to do in the HIM. However, an article in the August's issue of the Triathlete's magazine talked about how this is a better strategy as opposed to the longer and slower post bike runs (assuming one does longer runs outside the bricks, which I did galore!).

I had a sucky swim on Wednesday, but 2 great swims on Friday (both short) so my swimming is still a hit or miss. Hopefully a hit in the HIM. I am still working out nutrition - I think I'll aim for 200-250 cal/hours on the bike (that is something like 600-750 or more given how slow I am) mostly from gels and bananas and cliff bars (solids between 30 min-2:30 only). I'll carry one bottle of Nuun and one of water, and will exchange the water bottle at the water stops. I'll be taking about 2 Endurolytes per hour, or more if it is going to be hot. I am yet to write my race plan, but hopefully this weekend! My race gear is picked - call me nuts, but I will change from bike shorts to running shorts! The top will stay the same.

This week I'll be doing next to nothing in terms of swim/bike/run, and that will be challenging. I plan on practicing transitions a lot, both in my head and in actuality. Plus I have a ton of work to do given that we are leaving for Romania the day after the race!

Good luck to all the Timberman racers. I'll be checking on you all tomorrow!

Running out of time...

Ah, if only I had more time....

I feel I am finally getting some "speed" on the bike, my open running is going super, my bricks are becoming more manageable, and my OW swims panic-free. Part of this all is that I have developed some sport specific confidence. The other part is that my body and mind have gotten used to training.

I continue to learn a lot - like how sitting tucked in on the bike gave me almost a mile/min increase in speed on today's ride, like how I swim faster and faster the longer the distance (if only my arms did not hurt!) up to a point, of course, like how pain comes and goes during workouts and I can just go with it, all in the present, without worrying that I am going to crash and burn.

Yet I feel I am running out of time. I would love to have another month or so to train before the race. The knowledge and experience I have gained would help me become a much stronger triathlete. And maybe with the extra time I would become more comfortable eating and drinking on the bike, without having to slow down as much. But, alas, it is what it is, and in 2 weeks I am going to toe the line and hope for a good day.

Taper started this week. My training plan (a combo of the HIM training from "Championship triathlon training, Advanced training for peak performance" by Dallam & Jones, which I used for swimming and biking, and Hudson's "Run Faster" marathon plan with 6 days of running and peak @ 60 miles) has me taper running for 2 weeks, and biking/swimming for 1 week. So this week I am going from 55-59 miles running on average, to 36. My biking is peaking at 2X40 miles and 1X72 miler + 2 mile run. My swimming is peaking at 2X3200 yards and 1X4000 yards. And then next week I do close to nothing, 24 miles running, 20 miles biking, 2 miles swimming. Good thing I have to prepare for a conference and pack for Vermont and for our work/fun trip to Romania.

My body has been so strong through this training. It can take a lot. I am proud of it. I managed not to get sick (so far) except a little sore throat for the past few days, but nothing that affects my energy level. I feel so strong and fit and healthy, and I love it. I am excited for the race, though nervous and underprepared (even though I trained a lot!). These 2 weeks I am going to work on getting myself mentally ready for the race. Hopefully, that will help me feel less underprepared. Will see!

Broken pedals, a dead squirrel, and finally a good brick!

Have you ever broken your clipless pedals? Well, I did. It was a gradual process, I suppose. About 2 weeks ago I noticed that sometimes I would easily unclip of one side of my R pedal. At home, I discovered that the pedal was broken on that side. We are talking broken metal. So I just put red nail polish on that side, and figured I could clip on the other. That worked until last night. 90 min into my trainer ride, I could no longer clip in. I took the bike to the shop where they were amazed that the pedal got broken, and replaced my pedals with a different type of clip system (still recessed type) free of charge. Love my bike shop! Phew!

This morning bright and early I headed out for my 65 mile ride + 4 mile run. It was still dark when I left the house, and the darkness did not help get me excited about the ride. The little birds and dead mice on the side of the bike path did not get me excited either. As I kept biking along, the sun came out, endorphins started flowing, and I was feeling good. And then I heard a scream behind me, turned my head, and saw a dead squirrel, a terrified woman, along with blood on my bike. Yes, I killed the squirrel. I knew this would happen one day. These guys are not v smart and I often have to brake hard to avoid them. Not this time. I mumbled an "I am sorry" and went on my way. Should I have stopped? I don't know, everything happened so fast! For the next 10 miles all I could think about was the dead squirrel! Until I said enough is enough and I pulled out my ipod.

I believe that the squirrel incident made me bike faster. Don't get me wrong, I was still slow, but I was fast for my standards. Chris met me for the last 25 miles. He showed up in cotton pants and shirt, running shoes, and no water. We had a ball, though. Watching him ride up the hills makes me want to have minus body fat like he does. I would surge in front on him on the downhills, and then he'd ride by me on the uphills.

Check out the difference in biking attire. Funny, ha? At least he has a helmet!



My plan for the run was to stay at race pace. That did not happen. I did not look at my Garmin and ended up running the first .5 mile at 10k pace (feeling great), and then settling into lower than planned marathon pace. That felt comfortable, except that I got lightheaded (too little food, I know) toward the end. Still, it was one of the best runs off the bike. I might have turned a corner!

And did I mention how much I love my bikerides? A lot. I am already sad I will have to give them up soon so that I could focus on marathon training...

Off bike running vs open running

Remember that run that kicked my a$$ a couple of weeks ago? Well, I had a tougher version of it today, and nailed it. I had 6 easy miles, then 5 miles of 90 sec 10K pace/90 sec easy, 2 miles easy and 3 miles hard. It was not easy, but it was not super tough. In fact, my pace for the intervals was more like 5k pace, and the easy pace between intervals was a little slower than MP (not planned, I just worked on going by feel). Instead of the lactic acid accumulation, I felt warmed up by the intervals, and ran the last 3 hard miles @ faster than my HMP, with last mile at 10k pace. And I could have kept going.

I am still amazed as to how great I am running now in open training runs, and how badly I am running now off the bike (OK not badly, but I just don't have the flow, the ease, the enjoyment that I have when I run openly). I know this will change when I become a stronger cyclist (like Michelle inferred in her comment). I mean, until May this year my longest bike ride was 20 miles! It takes years of cycling to develop the leg strength and efficiency (not to mention a good bike), and I need to be patient. I need to somehow separate my open running ability from off the bike running ability. I can run slow off the bike while still running well openly. We are talking different types of running. I need my brain to get that. Otherwise, I will start my off the bike runs too fast, like I have been doing, and turn the runs into a sufferfest - not great reinforcement! One more tough week and then I am going to taper my running a bit, and then the following week taper the biking and swimming! I can't believe I am going to do a HIM in 3 weeks!!!

On a different note, Chris inherited a road bike from his bro, who upgraded. It's an older model, as heavy as mine, but nonetheless a road bike. He took it for a spin yesterday and came back with a face that screamed happiness! I love that! He kept talking about how amazing it was to be able to go fast! Yes, I know! So now we can do some long bike rides together and he can push me to go faster (because, lets face it, Chris and I are always having friendly competitions going) and I am thrilled!!!

Bricks are killing me!

I started my 60 mile ride today bright and early, at 6am. I was excited. I packed all my snacks and drinks the night before, set up my transition area for my 3-4 mile post bike run. My plan was to eat something every 5 miles, and take 1 Endurolyte pill per hour, in addition to my Nuun.

The ride was great. I felt strong, stronger than ever. My quads and calves started to show signs of lactic acid accumulation around mile 30, but the discomfort stayed the same until the end of the ride. I felt so great that I was excited about the run. In fact, I am always excited about the post bike run. Somehow I am delusional that the run is going to go great (it never does, really, it always hurts, I always start too fast). Of the bike I had a fast transition (nothing like having worked scheduled 1 hour post planned end of workout to make one rush!) with a few sips of coke and a change of pants (had to be done!). I decided to try to run by feel, so as to find my pace. At mile 1 I was at PMP, but did not feel good. Too fast. I slowed down in mile 2, and mile 3, but my legs were jello. Grr! So I ended up running 3 miles and walking 1 mile. Next week I vow to start the run slooowly and turn it into a progression. Of course, that run will be post 66 mile ride, but I am hoping the better pacing will help. I am also going to get in more calories. I just ordered some Accelerade to try as a way to get in easy calories, so will see if that helps. I am feeling a bit discouraged about how tough it is to run well off the bike (though I bet I'll forget by the time next Thursday rolls around). I mean, I can easily run 20 miles at sub 8 pace, but it is so much harder for me to run 3 miles off a 60 mile ride, at the same pace. i guess my legs need to get used to off the bike running... or, as it is being said in the blogosphere, I need to HTFU!

What do I eat?

Petra asked me what I eat while HIM training. And how could I resist, since her name is the feminine equivalent of my little man's name?

Here is how I eat...

#I don't count calories so I have no idea how many I eat daily.
#I eat when I am hungry (mostly) - though I believe in comfort food (I eat chocolate every night), and in using food as reward (frappuccino is my mantra during the last miles of a tough run).
#I try to eat mostly unprocessed food, but I do eat cereals, breads and lunch meats, which are all processed.
#I believe in moderation. I don't believe in completely eliminating foods/drinks that I like (ex., diet coke is not healthy, but one/day is not going to kill me).
# I try to eat a balanced diet of proteins, carbs and fats (though I try to eat mostly good fats).
# I eat a ton of vegetables, because I love them. We get a farm share, so every week Chris and/or I make a huge stir fry, and during the week I use it to top salads for lunches.
# I rarely have fat free anything. I tend to go with low fat - the fat keeps me full longer, and I don't like the extra sugar added onto the fat free things.
# I don't like pasta or rice, so I don't eat them unless they are served to me by someone else. But, I love bread and eat a bagel every single day, as well as loads of cereal.
# I never eat dessert on my own, but I always eat a few bites of Chris's (he does not mind, he uses this as an excuse to get seconds-=. In general, a few bites are enough for me.
# I eat"all the time" (that is what Chris says), but I eat small portions.
# I can't stand being hungry and can get quite irritable when hungry. Some people can skip meals, I can't even skip a snack.

Here is what I eat....

* Kashi go lean crunch cereal with LOTS of low fat milk. I eat about 2 bowls a day. In the winter I have oatmeal instead.
* low fat whipped cottage cheese with blueberries.
* peanut butter (I know almond butter is healthier, but I like the taste of the peanut butter better, so I go with what I like)
* salads with grilled veggies and turkey, chicken, salmon or grass fed beef (I try to have at least one of each weekly).
* hummus with slim pretzels (TJ's everything slims).
* whole wheat or cinnamon raisin bagels with pb and jelly.
* fruits: cantaloupe, bananas, blueberries, apricots, plums, peaches, apples. I have at least 3 fruits daily.
* all fruit popsicles.
* Starbucks frappuccino light, coffee kind.
* dark chocolate, TJ's dark chocolate covered slims, a few icecream bites, a cookie, something sweet at the end of the day.
* Cape Cod natural potatoes chips - just a few at a time.
* almonds.
* Zbars (cliff for kids, taste much better than regular cliff bars) and Luna bars.
* smoothies - I mix blueberries, banana, ice, kefir and voila, I have my recovery drink!

Here is what I think about weight...
I don't think thinner is better. I did, when I was younger, I don't anymore. I'd rather sacrifice a few minutes (yes, minutes) in a marathon, then get skinnier! I don't think women marathoners look good (Kara G is the exception). I do think women triathletes look much better. Chrissy Wellington weighs in at 135 lbs and 5'8'' (her BMI is higher than mine) and she is super fast without being super skinny. As I age, I get nervous about sagging skins or breast or butt (and I like my butt), which can happen if you lose too much weight. I don't think that is attractive (for me). I would never want to be known as the skinny old lady. I like to be strong and fit and happy.

July stats

RUN: 233 miles
BIKE: 465 miles
SWIM: 22.75 miles

Bricks: 30/6; 60/2.5; 51/3

Core/strengths: 6 20 min session.

###
July was a great month of training. I had some really challenging runs and bricks, and I can tell they made a huge difference. I feel strong endurance wise, and I hope the endurance I gained is going to serve me well both in the HIM and in my fall marathon.

I overreached one time, felt super tired, backed down weekly running mileage by 30% that week and was back to myself shortly. I also had one day when I was absolutely exhausted and went to bed at 8pm and woke up refreshed.

I am becoming a stronger swimmer. Swimming is still unpredictable for me - I have great swims and I have bad swims. During bad swims I try to focus on form, and sometimes I can turn a bad swim into a good one, but not always.

I am in love with triathlon training. I am serious. I think my dopamine is in overload - I get flooded with joy when I think or talk about training. Whatever is going to happen during the race, I have no regrets!

Training goals for August:
Run: I need to skip easy runs if I need to. They don't matter much at this point - they will after the HIM. I need to be focused on the key workouts and keep them fun and tough! I also need to figure out what my planned half iron run pace is going to be. The course record is 1:37!

Bike: Keep logging the miles. This month I have: 60, 66, 77 long rides before I taper. I need to practice nutrition during these rides. I typically eat a gigantic banana with peanut butter, and maybe a gel, but that will not be enough for the race. I have a pretty tough stomach, I think, but I still need to practice nutrition. I am going to turn all these long rides into bricks, but most likely will keep the post ride runs on the slow side, maybe 3, 4, and 5 miles before taper.

Swim: I need to start visualizing the course during my Walden long swims. I need to prepare myself for potential panic, etc. I have some really long (for me) swims this month: 3000m, 34000m, 4000m, so plenty of opportunities to practice.

Core/strength: I need to find time for 2 sessions/week.
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Any advice for my last month of training?

Good and bad

Lets start with the bad...

On Friday I used my Garmin to measure my OWS course at Walden. I have a 204, which is water resistant not water proof. I tucked it in under my swim cap (check here how to do it if interested) , pressed start and did my 1 mile loop. I felt strong even though it was early, not too many people were swimming, and I had thoughts of some serial killer pulling my legs and drowning me (lol!).

I pressed stop at the end of the swim, checked the distance and it was .73. Grr! This means that all these past weeks I swam 1.5 instead of 2 miles. Grr again! I went back in and finished the mile, happy that I have a few more weeks to build my swim up to where I want it to be.

The good...

* I swam those .73 5 minutes faster than I have ever swum it. I believe that my Garmin made me a faster runner. Can my Garmin make me a faster OWS? Will see.

* I did a transition to bike (just 20 min ride) and did not have any issues with a high HR. I know it is different in a race situation, but still, it was nice. I think I am going to do these swim/bike transitions some more.

* I rocked my 20 miler on Saturday. It was one of my bests. I needed to do 20 easy, which typically is hard for me (I tend to race myself!). So I did not let me look at the time or pace until the 10 mile turn around. The weather was gorgeous up in NH. with cool temps, and no humidity. I had the ocean on my side the entire time. At turn around I ate a gel, bought some water, and was happy to see my pace. On the way back I decided to keep the pace comfortable but push it a bit the last few miles, not a lot, but push it. I felt great. It was one of those rare runs where everything seems perfect the way it is, and there is a sense of peace and contentment, and joy.