First Pack

My nerves were out of control. I was even shaking a bit. I kept telling myself to calm down and chill but self talk did nothing. I finally got on my bike and started to pedal. The pedaling helped calm me down a bit but I was still a mess. I stopped on a hill and peered across the river at a group of cyclist gearing up at the Fort parking lot. I tried to squint to see who was riding, what kind of gear they were putting on and what kind of bikes they were riding. As I continued to analyze I continued to get more and more nervous. I said to myself “this is ridiculous, you are over scrutinizing, over thinking, and totally blowing this whole thing out of proportion.” See, the group of people I was analyzing was the group that I spinned with all winter long, my Midcoast Triathlon Club friends.  I know these people pretty well and I loved riding with them indoors all winter long. So what had changed? We were about to ride outside which is a whole different animal from riding indoors. You may wonder what the big deal. Haven’t I ridden outside before? Yes, I have ridden outdoors for many years, I have raced outdoors for many years!!!  So what in the world is the problem? Great question. It’s simple: I was about to ride outside for the first time ever in a group much less a group of Ironmen and women!!!! For a little peon like me, riding with Ironmen and women is a big deal. I feel like I have, in some way, finally arrived. I have strictly been a lone rider and never road with groups. So a group ride was very intimidating especially with men and women who have completed a number of ironmen and train like crazy. I was stepping on new ground and wasn’t sure how I was going to perform or fit in.

  If I haven’t made myself sound totally absurd and out of control all ready just wait. It gets worse. I came up with a game plan. I would wait on the top of the hill until the group left. Then I would speed down, and at least stay close enough to see which direction they were going to ride. If I could catch up then I could ride with them. If I couldn’t catch up then I would do my own thing. I was able to barely catch a glimpse of their neon riding vests as they powered up Maine Street. As I continued to following them from way behind I decided it was time to hammer down. As a gained on the rear group I began to get nervous all over again. I kept telling myself if I caught up and passed the rear group I would have to go all the way and try my hardest to catch up with the front pack. Many times I told myself to stop but something else was pushing me forward. I passed the rear group and pushed hard to catch up to the front pack. I gained on them slowly and finally caught up. I only caught up with these Ironmen because they were taking it easy, thankfully. In the lead was Tom, Dominique, Kathy and Erik. They were so welcoming. Dominique filled me in on group riding etiquette which I was clueless about. I am very grateful to her.

  In the end I had one of the best rides ever. Group riding is totally amazing. For the first time ever I was able to draft…what a feeling. I have been on several group rides since and have enjoyed all of them. If my stupid nerves had gotten the best of me I would have missed out on one of my favorite training routines, group rides. Currently I ride with the group every Wednesday and Friday morning. I hope to catch up with them on the week-end too. It’s a bit of a problem since I don’t train on Saturday and the group does their long rides on Saturday. But somewhere down the line I am sure they will do a long ride on Sunday, until then my long rides are solo.

Smiles, Alicia

What to Or Not to Expect

Click, click…I was attached to my bike and it moved effortlessly with me everywhere I went, even into the ditch. Well, not really, but it sure felt like I was going to hurl myself into the ditch and still believe it will probably happen. What I don’t want to happen is an all out end-over-end crash while cruising as fast as my little legs will go downhill. So what’s the big deal you may ask…it’s called aerodynamics. Being in a tucked position with your elbows close together in the aerobars doesn’t give you nearly as much balance as the good old typical road bike position. I am making it into a bigger deal then it really is but it is honestly the only thing I am adjusting to on my tri bike. Everything else about my tri bike is far superior to my aluminum frame road bike. I absolutely love my Specialized.

  I wasn’t sure what to expect on my first ride out. I have heard so many mixed opinions. Some say that tri bikes aren’t as comfortable as road bikes, while others say tri bikes are way more comfortable then road bikes. Before my first ride I was of the opinion that the tri bike would be faster but not as comfortable. I was right and wrong. The tri bike is faster AND way more comfortable mostly due to the fact that I was specifically fitted to the bike. I have never been fitted to a bike before and never knew the importance of having it done. If you haven’t been fitted to your bike I highly recommend it. In fact, it will make your riding experience a whole lot better. It’s worth the extra cash.

  As I continue to ride my Specialized I will continue to update you on all significant experiences. See you on the road.

Smiles, Alicia

A Visit From Russ

 Alarm went off, packed my bag, threw a piece of gum in my mouth, filled my water bottle and ran out the door. I drove down the highway in the pouring rain, reached the YMCA, ran in the building, stuffed my belongings in the locker, got my suit on and jumped in the pool. I reviewed my swim routine and started my warm up. I was right on schedule. Everything was going as planned. The more I got into my routine the more I got focused. Then something exciting happened. My faithful swim coach, Russ, jumped in my lane. Bless his heart, he got up super early just to swim with me. It meant the world to me. He watched my stroke, gave me some awesome tips and then lapped with me, over and over and over again. He pushed me, he encouraged me, he totally made my day. After awhile Russ got out of the pool and watched my stroke some more from the pool deck. He again encouraged me and gave me some more tips. When I started to lose my focus he would yell at me and refocus my attention. It really helped me push and work hard. I can get a bit lazy in the pool and really need Russ there to keep me on my toes.  It was so refreshing to meet up with Russ again!!! It had been a month since we met on the pool deck…way too long. Thank you Russ!!! I look forward to our next swim!!!

Setback # One

About 3 weeks ago I woke up in the morning with a slight sore throat. No big deal, I thought. I will just be sure to drink lots of water, eat healthy, and sleep. The sore throat slowly continued to get worse, at which point I figured I was getting my usual spring cold. It wasn't too much longer until I started to get a runny nose and cough. A week later I still had the same symptoms so I began to think I actually had allergies not a cold. Then I got a fever and a terrible cough. Next I started to tell that I had fluid in my chest. My cough was terrible sounding and my fever was annoying. I would totally soak through clothes and then I would freeze. I lived in the shower it seemed like.   Come-to-find-out I had developed bronchitis and since I waited too long to see a doctor I also got an ear infection. My mom got bronchitis as well but treated it ASAP so as to avoid the ear infections (smart lady). Two weeks later I still feel sick'ish.
   It's been a rough 2 weeks. I haven't been able to train at all and I can tell I have lost some of my cardio fitness as well as muscular strength. I feel like I am going to have to start my training all over again. It's such a frustrating feeling. Deep down inside I know I won't have to totally start over but it's still discouraging to feel the setback!!! I am sure this is just 1 of more setbacks to come in the next year of Ironman training. The important thing to remember is to keep going. Don't let setbacks get the better of you. Learn from them and use them to fuel the fire within to push harder and reach higher.
 So, setback number one, I can't wait for you to be history and to look back at the mishap and see how much you fueled my fire.
  My hope is to start training again this coming Monday. Hopefully by the end of the week-end I will finally be feeling 100%.
Stay well everyone.
Smiles, Alicia

The Ride: Specialized Transition and Bronchitis.

I had mixed feelings when I went to the store to finally pick up my first ever tri bike. I was excited and yet also hesitant spending that kind of money on a bike. It's important to mention that I did get an amazing deal on the bike but spending more than a couple hundred bucks is alot of money for me.
  It has been a dream of mine to get a tri bike for years. I never thought it would come true but would spend time dreaming about the moment. I always imagined myself being out-of-control excited and not able to sleep at night. That isn't exactly what happened. I was excited but was coming down with bronchitis. My first ever ride on the bike lasted about 5 minutes and ended with me gasping for air. I love the bike but just wish I could ride it. I haven't been able to train for about 7 days now due to the bronchitis. I just wheeze and sneeze and cough and hack and so on. It's miserable. I feel like all my hard training has gone down the toilet. Real bummer!!! Oh well, as soon as I get better I will push on!!!
 More about the bike...the bike is full carbon fiber and I ordered a special seat post to fit my body type and I ordered a female seat. Jay, the guy from the bike shop, fitted me to the bike and made many cuts on the bike to make it fit just right. We spent lots of time getting on and off the bike before bringing it home. He did a fantastic job meeting my needs, and making the bike comfortable. The bike isn't close to the top of the line but it's just perfect for what I will be doing. It is fully capable of giving me a great ride at Lake Placid!!! Yahoo!!!
  As soon as I get rid of this bronchitis I hope to hit the road and start conditioning again for my trial Lake Placid ride this summer.

  By the way, I bought the bike at Center Street Cycles. I love the shop and highly recommend them. We bought Tuck's first Specialized bike there and way back when I bought my first pink bike there. Pretty cool to keep going back to the same shop. Support locals!!!!
 I will write about my first ride as soon as the ride happens!!! I hear the first ride is painful, the second is sore and the third is fantastic!!! I will keep you up-to-date.

 For now I continue to make nasty noices with my cough...go away already bronchitis!!!!!!!! I don't hate much but I hate you bronchitis.

Smiles
:-)

Russ

Once again I find my alarm going off at 4:15 a.m. I hit the alarm and have my prayer. Next thing I know I am some how pulling my self out of my warm bed and leaving sleep behind for a swim. When I really think about it I just don't understand how I can leave my warm pillow, sheets and comforter for the cool early morning air. Most of the time I don't leave myself enough time to think about what I would rather be doing; instead, like a robot, I turn the alarm off, have prayer, get dressed and start training.

  On swim days I have to drive to the YMCA in order to get my laps in. I usually always show up at the Y around 4:50 or 5:00 a.m. and start my laps around 5:05-5:15a.m.  I don't swim in any particular lane or on any particular side. Mostly it's fun to just mix it up. Usually swimming laps at 5 in the morning allows you plenty of lane options since not many are swimming yet. By the time I'm finished with my training all the lanes are filled and some people are waiting for a lane. 

  On a typical swim day you have people swimming that are faster than you, about your speed and then some that are slower. It poses a problem when I swim next to someone that is about my speed or a bit faster. Instead of sticking to my training I go off on a tangent trying to just keep up with the swimmer next to me. This is not good for several reasons. First of all, I'm going to get the most out of my swim training if I stick to my swim workouts. Second of all, when I merely try to keep up with someone I lose all technique and replace it with something called a spin wheel. See, I have never had a swim lesson before in my life and it shows. When people see me in the water they can tell that I'm not a "swimmer".

  When you walk into the pool you can easily spot all those who have been on a swim team or who have grown up taking swim lessons. They are beautiful to watch. They glide through the water effortlessly, pulling their bodies at great speeds. They are reaching, rolling, and flip turning. They are keeping their head down, their hip/butt kisses the surface of the water and their arms are relaxed above the water's surface and pulling hard beneath the water's surface. The swimmers rule the pool!!! Then you have me.... I stand out in the pool and not because I'm good. I wear a colorful swimsuit called Dolphin Uglies and I also stand out because my head isn't down like it should be, my left arm crosses over my midsection, I don't roll as much as I should, my left arm enters the water flat and my legs kick like mad. Oh and I do not do flip turns. So there you have it...I do not look like a swimmer and that's because I am not a swimmer. Swimming is survival for me.  :-)

   I use to think I was an okay swimmer until I was taught what "real" swimming is suppose to look like. The more time I spend in the pool the more I learn. I honestly never grasped how important technique is in swimming until just recently. In fact technique is everything in swimming. Swimming is a skill; a skill that doesn't come easily to everyone. I have been figuring out that I don't really have the swimming skill but I'm working on it. Thankfully a retired swim coach saw me in the pool and had pity on me. He has been my saving grace. 

  Russ is his name. After my swim one day Russ asked me if I wanted any help. I had no idea that he had been watching me for awhile and that he was very anxious to help me. I jumped on the opportunity and told him I desperately needed help. Over the past fall/winter Russ has been helping me every morning I swim. He has given me so many pointers, so many drills, so many words of advice. I owe him BIG time!!!  Russ is a truly amazing man. He has given me days and hours of his time. Russ not only coaches me from the side of the pool but he will jump in the pool and illustrate for me, etc. My swim stroke has improved but Russ would completely agree with me when I say I have lots to work on. I still don't look anything like the "swimmers" but I look alot better than I use to. Russ has helped me improve my time, he has helped me make my stroke more efficient and he has helped me understand my bad habits. 

  Unfortunately last week I went into the pool, like usual, and saw Russ but he informed me that he would no longer be there in the mornings. He was leaving for a couple weeks and when he returned his schedule was changing. I became instantly very sad cause I know that without Russ I won't push myself like I should and I will lose track of my stroke. Russ has kept me on track. I am completely bummed. The good news is that Russ is going to take time out of his schedule to meet me at the pool when possible. He knows I have a long road ahead of me and he wants to be there the whole way. Russ is my swim coach (whether he realizes it or not) and he will get all the credit for my swim performance the day of Lake Placid Ironman. Russ has never asked for pay for all that he does for me; he helps me out for free due to his love of the sport. If I had money to pay him you can be sure I would pay him well...he deserves it. Some day, some how, I will repay him.

THANK YOU RUSS!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Open water swim practices will be starting soon. Time to get the wetsuit out and ready. By the way, I hate swimming with my wetsuit on. I feel like I can't breath since it's so tight against my neck. But, it's about time I get use to it. Floatation baby!!! Oh yeah!!!
Smiles, Alicia

The Current Training Routine

Training in a nutshell:

A triathlete’s training plan is his or her map to race day. The map may have detours, it may have bumps and sharp turns, it may have long flat boring roads, or high head winds. In the end the map better prepare you for race day or you will pay for it somehow. The cool thing is the map can be re-written, re-created or simply adjusted. I have found that I am constantly making improvements to my map. I have not yet found the perfect training program yet. I think it’s going to take a lifetime of constant adjustments. My daily life schedule is constantly changing thus affecting when and where I can train. Half of the fun of training (for me) is making the “map”. I love to get all my references together and scheme up a new and revised way to improve my training.  Currently my training plan is prepping me to ride and run the Lake Placid distance by this coming July, improve my time on the Pumpkinman Half Ironman by this coming September, and to run the Maine Marathon this coming October.  

Below you will see an overview of what my weekly training schedule looks like. It’s important to remember that I do take one day off a week (Saturday) from all training. I do not do any planned swims, bikes or runs. I do not monitor my exercise that day and I do not worry about intensity. I have found it refreshing both physically and mentally to take a complete day off of training. I am still active on that day just in a very different way.

Every four weeks I try to do a recovery training routine. I still train just with fewer miles and/or less intensity. My schedule is also weather dependent which means that sometimes I switch the days up so I can do my long run or bike on a sunny day or something to that nature. But for the most part my current training schedule looks something like the following (it will change once summer arrives):

Sun: Long bike

Mon: Long run

Tues: Long swim

Wed: Bike ride followed by run

Thurs: Swim followed by a run

Fri: Bike followed by an optional transition run.

Happy training everyone!!!

Smiles :-)