Melissa - Vain Triathlete

I wanted to share my adventure with you as I headed up to race the Timberman 70.3 in NH this past weekend. Kathy and I went up on Friday around 4 PM and checked into the Holiday Inn Express. Ahhhh. So nice to be in a clean, comfy hotel. Saturday was the highlight of the trip when we visited the Tilton Diner. They really know how to feed me. I continued my eating frenzy throughout the day consuming lots and lots of pretzels, and other carb laden foods. The night before the race I was able to have a really nice, albeit slow, dinner with friends from my local area in MA. Kelly, Mary, Andy, Linda, Kathy and I met up at the O'pechee Inn. We ate dinner at the O Steak House on Lake Opechee. A very beautiful lake in NH. It was great to finally see everyone and talk about the race. Saturday morning was spent trying out the bike and adjusting the seat. Something you never want to have to do the day before a race.  My seat had shifted a few days before for some unknown reason. Scary, bu...

I am looking forward to racing at Timberman. It will be interesting to see how I do considering how my training has gone. For one thing - I have probably missed one workout each week since January. It's just the way things are right now with my new commute. Did I mention I have lost 7.5 hours from my life now spent in a car? This used to be time spent training!  I think I did mention that before. Sorry for the redundancy but it's just so huge to me.  It's all going to be just fine. I feel that I am in good shape and quite frankly I am not all that concerned about having the best race of my life, I just want to have a good race!  I haven't raced since June. This is only my 2nd triathlon all season so I am chomping at the bit to get out there.  I see several other people racing while I train all weekend long.  It's time! I'm going up with Kelly, Linda, Mary, and we might even get to see coach Carrie. Fun fun fun!!!

Here is how I view my race. I think the swim was short. I do not swim 1:30/100 yards. My time was 26:42.  I have never ever swum that fast for 100 yards, let alone 1760.  That said - I was 3rd out of 10 in the swim in my age group. Yes, I am satisfied with my 3rd place finish on this swim. The swim itself was lovely. A little choppy but nothing too annoying. It took place in very nice reservoir. I will say that the exit was hard to find. Here is some juice. I started at the front of my swim pack. Why you ask? Would I do that KNOWING I'm not one of the stronger swimmers? Because I wanted to push myself and Carrie has been giving me these little drills to do.  Go out really hard for 30 strokes then settle. So that's what I did. I went out really hard for 30 strokes then settled in. Well - I probably shouldn't have done that because soon after I settled in I felt like I was being swallowed up like a guppy. Nemo comes to mind. Someone kicked my goggles so I had to fix t...

I have nothing to say about triathlon except - it's a blast. Finally, the Ashland Olympic is next weekend and I get to try out my new Zip wheels for the first time. I'm going to KILL it! If all goes well of course. I have not even done a triathlon yet this year. Mostly because I was focused on training for the Boston Marathon and I really could not handle anything more than that.  2013 was off to a slow start racing wise because I have chose to endure some major adjustments in my life.  Mostly my commute to the office. It has gone from a mere 10 minute ride to a 45 minute - 1:10 ride. Ouchy. I used to waddle into the office at anytime of the day - I look back now and realize - I was spoiled.  I had flexibility as needed during Ironman training. Of course I did plan it that way but still.  I could swim in the middle of the day if I wanted to. I could leave work early or come into work late.  Then, January 1st 2013 it all came to halt when Kathy and I deci...

Although it's been an entire month since Boston it is still hard to get to excited about racing. I have been following the victims and their recovery.  Just to see them smiling is in some strange way a relief to me.  Sometimes my catholic guilt really gets me and I wonder - why did those people have to lose a leg? why did that family have to lose their child? why didn't that happen to me?  Then, eventually, I think - if I was suppose to be the one injured I would have been. It wasn't meant to be.  I still get sad when I think about the victims,  their injuries, and the trauma they must have experienced.  I wonder about that moment when they were suddenly struck with the thought that they just lost a limb. What were the thoughts that went through their minds at that moment?  I would imagine that they were very scared. I have been watching them on Facebook.  Looking to make sure they have happy moments. Watching them being surrounded by ...

I'm 48 years old this year and going for a PR. That's a very tall order. But I am going to go for it regardless. (does this make me an ageist?) The excitement is building! Soon I will be surrounded by thousands of runners all lined up for the Boston Marathon in little ole Hopkinton MA.  These are the days when panicked phrases dart in and out of my head - "what have I done",  "I'm going to puke", "why am I doing this to myself", "what if I have a bad day", "what if my quads blow up".... stuff like that.   I allow those thoughts to happen and then pass.  It really is part of the process.  I've already had at least two anxiety dreams as well in which I have either forgotten my number or have gotten lost on the course even though I've run this course 5 other times. For the next three days I will rest, eat, visualize, run a little bit and that is it. Whatever happens on Monday, happens on Monday. I hope everyone ...

Ok the boring part:  I wanted to do better than Hyannis 3 weeks ago where I did 1:36 something in the rain.  Today it was sunny and 38ish. Perfect conditions except for a little head wind at times.  I prepared carefully eating all the right foods leading up to the race, hydrating, sleeping….  I filled up on some pre-race drink just before. I ate Cliff Shots every 3 miles for the first half then 2 caffeinated GUs at 6 and 9.  The race – I started off towards the front and when out strong.  My local competitor friends Maria, Rose, Maureen, and Debra and I all lined up together.  First mile was sub 7:00.  I felt OK but settled into a more comfortable pace of 7:05 – 7:08 for the following 6 miles.  I was instantly overdressed and had to remove my hat and gloves and tuck them into my capris.  At the middle point I noticed this woman about my age running right next to me, then slowly pulling away, then pulling up to the girl in front of ...