Volunteer/Training Camp Lake Placid

So we (Jamie, Tuck, my parent's and I) are leaving for Lake Placid. I am not racing, just volunteering this year. I am volunteering in order to register for 2012 and in order to educate myself about race day as much as possible.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. Why am I nervous??? Because I am getting ready to commit to an Ironman that will take place in one year.This coming Monday morning I will be handing over my cash to race Lake Placid July 22, 2012!!!!! Yikes.The count down is about to begin. My race season is about to start. My Ironman is 12 months away. I have so much to do between now and then. I am feeling good about the base I have built thus far and feel it will definitely help me out this coming year but I have so, so far to go.

  The plan for the week-end is to ride the 112 mile bike course this Friday, starting at 7a.m. Then Saturday I might go for a run in the morning followed by my volunteer meeting at 9a.m. (Usually I do not train or go to triathlon related meetings on Sabbath. I might run this time since I will be going with people that know the course and can show me around. Also I  hope to focus more on just relaxing not racing. The volunteer meeting is mandatory and I must be there in order to volunteer Sunday. Saturday I receive my volunteer shirt and bracelet. As soon as my meeting is over I hope to spend the rest of the day with my family enjoying the Sabbath.) Sunday I will be volunteering as swim security from 5a.m. to 10a.m. Then the rest of Sunday I will be cheering on my teammates and I will be soaking up anything and everything related to the race. I hope to check out the transition areas, view part of the bike course and run course and watch as racer's finish. Monday morning I hope to line up early to register for 2012!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe I am about to do this. I can't wait for the new challenge.

   I hope to take lots of pictures of IMLP and to document everything I learned. I will blog about it when I return.

It's about to begin!!!

 

 

Smiles, Alicia

Presidential Traverse

After 5 hours of sleep Jamie's alarm went off and woke us both up. Needless to say we both wanted to throw the alarm clock out the window and keep sleeping, but we couldn't. It was July 16, a day we had been counting down to for many months. Not only was July 16 going to be a mini vacation for Jamie and I it was also going to be the weekend of the Presidential Traverse. My parents generously offered to watch Tuck for the weekend so Jamie and I could stay in a cheap hotel close to the trail head the night before. It worked out great since we were suppose to start our hike between 4:30-5:00a.m.

  Friday afternoon we dropped Tuck off at Grandma and Grandpa's and then we headed to Gorham N.H. Once we arrived in N.H. we unloaded our van at the hotel and then drove the van to the AMC Highland Center where we left it. Jamie's brother drove Jamie back to the hotel. The van would commute us all back to the start after we finished the traverse. Finally it was time to get some sleep. Before we knew it the alarm went off and we were up and going. I made Jamie and I each 3 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to go along with all our other snacks. We then finished packing our backpack's, loaded up in Greg's car and drove to the Appalachia Trail Head. We met up with 2 other friends, Mike H. and Daniel B., at the Appalachia Trail Head.

  We started our hike at 5:06 a.m. Mt. Madison was the first peak we had to conquer. It was a beautiful hike to the top. We then hiked to the Madison Hut where we had breakfast. The Madison hut was remodeled this past winter and is just beautiful. They did a great job. After a quick breakfast we continued on our way to Mt. Adams and then to Mt. Jefferson and then to Mt. Clay and to Mount Washington. We hit every peak, never taking the trails that dodge the peaks. Once on Mount Washington we ate lunch, filled our camleback's, used the bathrooms and then we were on our way to Lake's of the Cloud Hut. By the time we got to Lake's of the Clouds our feet were starting to feel the stress of the day. Daniel and I took our boots off and soaked our feet while we waited for the other's to stroll by. It felt so so good!!! Before we knew it we were off to Mt. Monroe, Mount Eisenhower and then to Mt. Pierce. We ended our hike at the AMC Highland Center.

  By the end of the day we traversed over 8 peaks, hiked 20 miles, and our cumulative elevation gain was 8,500 feet. The weather was perfect, the views were amazing and the temperature was just right. We couldn't have asked for a better day.

  Some of you may wonder how we felt after the hike. Jamie was exhausted, scraped his arm pretty good, and was badly sunburned but he was strong all day and finished without a problem. He did an excellent job. The next morning he found himself a bit sore and stiff but was proud of his accomplishment.

Greg was tired as well, burned his neck and says he might lose a toe nail. Greg also did an excellent job all day and covered the distance without a problem. I heard he was a bit sore the next day.

Daniel moved quick the whole day which might have caused his left knee injury.  But I am happy to report that as of today (three days after the hike) his knee is already feeling better. Daniel was born to hike. He is a crazy hiking machine.

Mike (or Sneaker's the thru-hiker-man) made the hike look like nothing. He wore his sneakers, a small pack and I didn't even see him eat much food. He had lots of energy all day and probably could have run the whole distance. I did hear him say that his knees were bothering him at the end of the hike.

 As for myself, well I felt great the whole day except for the rather painful blisters that I developed on both of my heels. My energy felt great and my legs felt pretty strong. I was exhausted though and really found out how exhausted I was the next day.  Let's just say I might have taken a nap the following day. :-)  I also burned my neck and the back of my legs. I woke up the next morning feeling stiff and ready for more sleep. I was able to get back into my training without too much trouble. 

  We can't wait to do the hike again some day. Who wants to join us????

 

Smiles, Alicia

 

 

  Two years ago Jamie and I attempted to do the Presidential traverse but were discouraged from even starting the hike since the clouds above were throwing inch thick chunks of hail down at us. The weather can change so fast on the Presidentials. It's a great idea to have a couple back-up plans just in case.

Long Bike Rides and Long Runs

  The long bike rides, though far fewer than what I need to be doing this time next year, are going well. In fact I find myself enjoying riding in the saddle for hours on end. It's fun to really cover mileage with your own man(woman)-power. Biking is definitely my favorite of the three tri sports.

 

  So what is a long bike ride? Is it all about mileage, time or both? I use to only watch mileage and keep track of my training using only mileage but now I mostly use time. It's a whole new method for me. The Ironman is one long day in the saddle so the more I train, the more I sit in my saddle, the better off I will be. A long bike ride ranges from 4-7 hours in the saddle.

 

  You may be wondering why I am worrying about long saddle rides a year from Lake Placid. Great question. In less than two weeks my family and I will be going to Lake Placid for the 2011 Ironman. I will be volunteering Sunday during the event in order to register for Lake Placid 2012. Since I will be in Lake Placid and possibly not return again until 2012 race day I have decided to bike the entire 112 mile course. I have not yet ridden 112 miles on my bike and am a bit anxious about it. I hear the course has some good hills and downhills (stating the obvious). I want to ride the entire course and begin to memorize the miles that are ahead of me.

Once I know what kind of a course it is then I will know how to train.

 

  Have I mentioned yet that I absolutely LOVE my Specialized bike?! It's an amazing machine. I have put hundreds of miles on it, each mile better than the one previous. The bike is ready for it's first tune-up but I am having a hard time parting ways with it even for a couple days. I need to do it before we leave for Placid though.

 

 

  Running has been going pretty good. It's definitely not exactly my "cup of tea" but once I am out there doing it I enjoy it. I am starting to figure out that half marathon distance is my favorite (I think). This marathon distance increases risk of injury and exhaustion a bit more. My 6-10 mile runs are quick and short. I do not carry a fuel belt and usually finish the run feeling energized and good. My 11-18 mile runs are a very different story. I definitely use my fuel belt when running anything over 10 miles. My fuel belt carry's 4 small water bottles, fuel and my phone. I love having the belt and wouldn't be able to cover the distance without it unless I planted water bottles and electrolyte drink and fuel along the way (what a pain that would be). My long runs can be daunting when I first start but I remind myself to just put one foot in front of the other. Also, what works for me is to just think about the first half of the run. So if I'm running 18 miles I focus on the first 9 miles only, which isn't a big deal. Once I get the 9 miles covered then all I have to think about is getting home. It works great for me. I usually feel pretty good during my runs and haven't had any problems. The trouble comes after my run is finished though. I have been having terrible GI trouble. After my run I will start to get terrible stomach cramps to the point I feel like I'm going to throw up. Also, I find myself running to the bathroom many times. It feels alot like the stomach flu except with a bit more pain. This lasts for about 4 hours then I feel fine and start thinking about my next long run. :-) You might be wondering what my problem is. I believe it is fuel related. Either the Perform electrolyte drink isn't settling well or my Shot Blocks. Not sure which one yet but I am in the process of figuring it out. I just recently bought different chews to try.  

 

   I have been increasing my run mileage in preparation for Lake Placid as well. My goal is to bike the 112 mile bike course on Monday and to run over half of the marathon on Tuesday. That should give me a good feel for what I have coming in a year. Once I finish my Lake Placid training I will decrease my running mileage for a bit and then start to build again just in time for my marathon in October. 

 

 

  Until next time happy training.

 

Smiles, Alicia

Kancamagus Highway

Kancamagus Highway

 

  Several weeks ago my husband, son and I found ourselves relaxing in the White Mountains with my husband's family. We were staying at Loon Village in Lincoln, NH. If you are familiar with New Hampshire you know that Loon Village is situated at the beginning or end (which ever you think) of the Kancamagus. It was a no brainer that I had to bike the Kanc while there. We arrived in Lincoln Thursday night. I waisted no time and jumped on my bike Friday morning. I was so excited to crank the Kanc. I left Lincoln and biked to Conway then turned around and biked back to Lincoln. It was only 63 miles but included some great uphill. The climb wasn't too bad, just slow and steady. I felt like the climb from Lincoln to the top was shorter but a bit steeper and the climb from Conway to the top was much longer but not so steep.

  At the end of the ride my husband asked me if I stopped at all and I told him I didn't and there wasn't any need to. Once you get to the top of the pass you have 15-20 minutes of downhill. The downhill allows plenty of time to rest. It's a beautiful thing.

  I definitely recommend the Kanc to any bike enthusiast. The Kanc not only gives you a great little climb (both ways) but also some beautiful views and some wonderful downhills.

 

  So go crank the Kanc.

 

Smiles, Alicia