Stroke & Stride, Auckland, New Zealand

I recently returned home to Fairfield from a 2-wk vacation in New Zealand with my younger brother. Amidst the hiking, biking, and bungee jumping, I really wanted to sneak in an ocean swim. Ever since my swim in Lake Zurich this summer surrounded by the snow-capped Alps and a beautiful city skyline, I decided that I want to run a great trail or do an open water swim everywhere in the world I visit.

While in Auckland, an old swimmer friend from college, Jen Sweny, who has moved to Auckland permanently pointed me to a Thursday night Stroke & Stride (swim-run) series at Point Chevalier. I didn't have any proper gear but that's the beauty of swimming and running, you don't need any. I jumped right in and raced 1980's Mike Pigg style in only my speedo's and running shoes.

Jen omitted to tell me that the small groups that show up to this Pure Blonde sponsored series are mostly a hard core group of athletes which included a couple kiwi elites and a couple Team Mexico elites training down south over the winter. This along with the cold waters way down south made for me being one of only two people on the start line without a wetsuit

The course was setup so that the athletes could race multiple distances, a short distance (0.5k swim - 2k run), a couple middle distances (0.5k swim - 4k run or 1k swim - 2k run), and a long (1k swim - 4k run). Ofcourse most people chose the "long" distance and so did I. Perfect distance for a Thursday evening race.

New Zealand is a beautiful country for those of you haven't been. Outside of Auckland it's basically dead quiet, hilly and with mild weather year around making it very conducive to spending time outdoors. This translates into a very fit population! You can't go far, even in the city, without seeing runners and cyclists racing through the streets. Needless to say I was one of the last ones out of the water (look, only a few people left behind me)!

While I hadn't run or done any real swimming since SOS almost 2 mths ago, coming out of the water I wasn't feeling too bad. While there were no splits, I was out of the water in roughly 15mins. After two loops in the water, it was up a steep ramp into transition and onto the run. With only shoes to put on, this was a very quick transition!

The run was two loops of a 2km road course. Not the prettiest course but as flat as you can get in Auckland so a reasonably fast one. I passed one guy in transition and was hot on the heals of another during the first lap of the run. Here's me at the turnaround after the first loop.

This is also when I started to lose the runner ahead of me (I swear someone was close even though you can't see them in this pic). Now I had to make sure to stay ahead of the guy I had passed back in transition. Ugh, I hate being chased!

After about 15mins of running I crossed the finish line smiling with pain but maintained my placing (6th out of only 13 men in the "long" distance and a couple women beat me too) with a total time of 31:20.

Maybe next time I'll be better prepared ... nah, that was a blast! Fast and minimalist, just the way I like it. We need more of these swim-run races here at home! I'll have pics from the rest of my trip on my blog in a couple weeks.

Ironman Florida 2010

Signing up a whole year in advance for a race sounds crazy, but you need to do that if you want to compete in one of the best Ironman Race in the world. So last year, I decided to sign up for Ironman Florida and a flat course appealed to me. Mark Carioto did it as well.

Training for it happened in the last 3 months or so before the race with longer rides, longer runs, not enough time for longer swims but figured it would be ok...

Training for it was fine, with 2 unusual training sessions, which happened to have helped me mentally and also physically:

• Reach the Beach Relay in June with team mate Mark Burton with 31 miles of running part of a relay, almost killed me but made me somehow more resilient to boredom I can get into when running for too long
• My last long ride on the computrainer for 6h, which also almost killed me but made the 112 miles on Saturday seem so easy!!!

I think I was well ready to go and mentally strong, it is only a long day in the beautiful outdoors afterall!

After a long trip down there from New York, as I missed my morning flight and could not find my luggage in Panama city, I also missed the mandatory pre-race registration on Thursday! The good news is I did it the next day in 4mn, and everybody else, 2800 athletes, had to get in long 1-2 hours lines!

Friday was good with a quick swim in huge waves, more fun for body surfing than swimming, I enjoyed it! The sand is white and fine, really beautiful and the water so clear blue green amazing! The best beach on the planet maybe. Panama City has nothing else: a beach and that is it!

And that was-it for the day relax, prepare the bike, meet people, nice pasta dinner and bed time.

Met an interesting Mexican Business man Luis who was doing ironman #9 for 2010, he started in April, went to France and everything. He is on the Timex Team. He has done 70 ironman, started in 1991, just count!!! The things I love about these races is that you meet interesting or crazy people!!!

Tomorrow will be a great day I was telling myself and it was!

It started so cold about 40F, but in the excitement of everything else it was hard to notice. The day was going to start. I decided to try a new thing and started quite in the front with all the men on the left near the buoys! Well that was an experience on being beaten up all over!!! No panic I did it, lost goggles, got scratched but survived!

Swim done, I thought, now some work is still ahead! Transition was slow because there were so many people everywhere. I had looked at my watch and saw 127 so thought it was my swim time! During the whole race I thought I swam in 1:27 and was quite mad at myself, that was slow! I only discovered after the race that it was my heart rate! My swim time was 1:10!!!

Anyway I put a new tight fitting lond sleeves shirt I bought the day before (with an ironman logo of course) on my wet jersey, put my newly bought Walmart gloves on and off I went!

112 miles on the bike, flat as a pancake bike course, hardly changed gear for the whole thing! Good speed, felt good, had my powertap on average speed not per choice just happened but liked that a lot. I biked with groups and on my own. It seemed hard not to avoid the groups, but they make riding more fun at the same time, you make some friends like that. I could have gone for longer on the bike honestly. Ate the power gels at the aids stations, they were very easy to squeeze and tasted quite good! Did not stop for the bathroom, well managed again...on the bike, not sure if I need to be proud of myself for that!

And then, yes the dreaded run was there. I just needed 4h,  felt great at the beginning and maybe went too fast, I was excited. There were some fun cheer leaders, pretty course, but 26 miles still to go. I could feel my pace going slower, my heart rate dropping, but still 15 to go, 10 to go. I had to play mental games, had to look forward for the girls cheer leaders who were quite funny. and then with 4-5 miles left a woman looked like my age passed me and in my head I knew she was going to be 3rd, I knew about #2, did not know about #1 but had a feeling there was one. I lost a bit of motivation then.

Everything clicked again when I ran through the finish chute, a spectator was screaming to a man next to me that he did it under 11h! The man turned to me and told me let's go it is under 11h! I could not believe it!

The finish was great, better than the first ironman I did in 2008. There were amazing words on the ground printed in colors, archs, people and the finish clock 10:52!!! Mark Carioto's family was there and it was nice to see familiar faces. Mark did really well for his first ironman as well, I know he wanted to finish with me (or ahead!), he was not far off 10:55!

I was so happy.

I know I missed Kona, again, by one spot but that is life! I did not run in 4h but 4:07. No big deal. Who could have guessed the woman who won my AG was going to bike under 5h!? It always seem there is a crazy woman or two in my AG. Next time I will be the crazy woman I think!

I highly recommed this race to first timers or racers who want  a fast race. After all it is better to cover the 140.6 miles in less time on a flat course than more time on a hilly course don't you think?

bimbler`s bluff 50k

Here is a little recap of the longest run I have ever done...It took place on October 24^th , 2 weeks after I ran the Hartford marathon.

When I woke up early that morning after only about 4h of sleep and having spent 15h on my feet working a party the day before I felt like not doing the race, I had after all a very good excuse...I was pretty tired and my feet were already trashed!

I decided nonetheless to leave the house with all my gear and hit 95 to drive to Guilford CT. Rain started falling and I thought there was no way I would run a 50k today!

When I got there it had stopped raining and I then decided to check in and race. People started coming in and soon the parking lot was full of racers who seemed to..  have done this before and pretty much knew one another. I wore my marathon shirt and the race director asked me strangely if that was last year`s or this year`s?!  When I replied that it was the one I ran a few weeks ago, he said it was too soon to participate at this race!! I laughed and walked away slightly annoyed and pondering his words until a fellow racer came to me and said he had done Hartford too and it was also his first 50k trail run.

Soon it was time and we ran  one loop of a soccer field before entering the woods on a very narrow path full of branches. I felt good and stayed in contact with the lead group until the first aid station at mile 3 that I reached in 27mns. Then it started to get crazy at mile 6..I was running pretty fast ( you know like in a regular road race..) when my left ankle hit a rock and I suddenly fell down in pain. People were friendly as they passed me and asked if I needed any help. I got up and decided to forgo what had just happened and soon passed racers again ..The trail was very tough, leaves were covering tiny rocks and it was uncomfortable running at its best! Soon we had to tackle river crossings, rock climbing, and really crazy hills. Running was getting impossible, one could barely walk!

I reached the mile 12 aid station in 2h..and stopped for 2 mns to get some fluids. In front of me was a 200 yards vertical wall of mud and signs like “ the Bluff”, what you have been training for!”  Getting up there on my knees took forever, it was very scary and people were visibly shaken by it. I made it with difficulty and resumed my walk/run on a tricky path bordering a 200 yards fall. For the next 6 miles it was very difficult to progress, lots of steep hills, fallen logs on the way, mud patches, but the worst happened when happy to finally see some open space in front of me, I decided to go all out just to make up some time..  Terrible mistake because I hit a rock again on the same ankle and this time I had to stop for 10mns, unable to even put it down. At this stage you are pretty much alone..I was still far away from the next aid station and I was getting a bit nervous about how to get there. I made it after an eternity and I was ready to quit because it seemed so pointless to go on! Many racers were there, actually telling the officials they were dropping out….and I was about to do the same when my Hartford friend whom I talked to at the beginning arrived and started chatting with me. He too was really demoralized by the fact that one could not really run the race, you took your eyes away from the trail from one second and you would injure yourself! But he told me his wife was waiting for him at the finish, and that she had given him such a hard time for even registering that quitting was no option!!  He made me laugh and we decided to go on together for the next 13 miles! He had injured his knee falling off the mud wall and was walking fast at best. We calculated that it would take us about 8h to complete and we pushed through the dense forest. Endless trails opened as far as the eyes could see, pretty surreal! The landscape was boringly mesmerizing. We did not meet anybody for the next 3h, not a soul. We got lost at one point, because we were so busy talking we missed a turn and walked/jogged another 5 miles until we realized our mistake! I thought he would start crying….and me too!

At this stage my legs were hurting badly and I was getting really annoyed with the whole thing. We would talk a lot for 30mns then would not say a word for an hour, then would resume....it was weird, kind of a survival mode. At one point he told me he could see the parking lot with cars and that that was great! We had made it...but all I could see at the horizon was a large pond with ducks in there…I did not know what to say ..he kept talking about it, really excited...until he realized he was hallucinating! It was hilarious. I am sure the forest still echoes from my laugh!

Next I saw a house which was not a house but a large boulder and we laughed again. It was getting serious!  We finally found the aid station at mile 28,  volunteers were excited to see us ..and told us it was almost over, another 3 miles on the easiest portion of the trail. We disappeared in the woods, anxious to get it over with and after 45 mns we saw volunteers perched on a big rock and screaming at us that we had made it, it was almost over and a big crowd was waiting for us..

We came out the woods sprinting ( for the crowd and the photographs..), and saw 5 persons waiting for us at the finish.. The parking lot was literally empty...people had probably already showered and were taking their naps..! but it did not matter, we did not give up and we made it...in 9h 04mns 40s!   Of course we were among the last ones to arrive!

I will never race this one again but I would maybe try an easier one some day...just to see how it is. The distance is not really scary...it is more the frustration of not being able to run normally, always scared of getting injured.

By the way my ankle was so swollen the next days...it was unbelievable!

Kelly I don`t know how you do it so well..

Making New Friends - George Washington Bridge to Bear Mountain

A great part of cycling and triathlon is that there are many opportunities to make new friends.  There’s something about riding that creates an instant connection among total strangers.  And when you spend so much time training or thinking about training, it seems like you want to surround yourself with people who share your enthusiasm (and feel your pain!).  Saturday an impromptu century ride was on tap.

If you’ve ever ridden around the NYC area you know that the classic NYC ride is actually outside of NYC – it’s from the George Washington Bridge to Nyack and back by way of 9W.

There’s plenty of great scenery and while there is traffic on some of route, most of the way it’s calm with nice views.  Just about any morning (or afternoon) you can find plenty of riders heading out from the Jersey side of the GWB, either down to river road and across to Route 9W at Alpine or just straight up 9W from the bridge.

It was chilly in the mid 40s at the 8AM start but warmed up nicely as the LONG day went on.  This is the kind of weather where some people decide to stay indoors, but with the right gear you can be really comfortable.  Don’t let a little chill stop you from riding outdoors.  Base layer,jersey, armwarmers, vest, full finger gloves, bibshorts, knee warmers, oversocks and cycling cap under the helmet are a good formula for 40-50 degrees.  If it’s a little colder you can go long sleeve jersey and windbreaker.  Anyway, after about 10 minutes I was toasty!

Our group was around 11 strong and we set out nice and easy in a double paceline.  With an orderly group we cruised easily at 20mph without much effort.  That’s the benefit of a ride in a paceline -cover the distance faster.  Who wouldn’t want to go faster with less effort anyway?  More on this in a future post!

We crossed from the state line and passed through the towns of Piermont and Nyack.  Both towns are beautiful with nice cafes and worth a visit.  Bear Mountain is about 40 miles up from the GWB.  Apart from a quick stop to change a flat the group made it without incident.

About 2 miles from the base of the mountain there’s the warm up climb and the group splintered a bit.  No worries since we certainly wouldn’t be staying together on the 4.5 mile 1300 foot climb up to Bear.  I made it up in around 28 minutes and found 5-6 of the guys and about 100 camera-toting tourists.  The views were awesome

.  We waited around 10 minutes for everyone to make it, snapped a few photos and started the descent.  There were some cars around so you couldn’t really bomb down the mountain but it was still a blast.

On the way back we hit the warm up climb in the other direction at which time I immediately realized that I had just ridden up a freaking mountain! 50 miles into a 90-mile ride and the legs were not happy.  Some guys were antsy to get home.  The flat tire change and some waiting at the top of Bear and you’re starting to cut into afternoon plans.  

The group was strung out on the descent from Bear and 3-4 guys took off while another 5 of us were together with the last 2 trailing behind.  Only problem was that I had to slow down for some traffic and the 3 guys in front of me were just far enough ahead that I couldn’t chase them down.  They had the power of the draft and I had none.  I chased for about 20 minutes but tried to control it to avoid a major blowup.  Afraid that I would be riding 20 miles to Nyack by myself, luckily they stopped to see who was behind and I was able to regroup.

Here’s where fatigue sets in and things start to get fuzzy.  One of the guys pulls out a plastic bag containing his wallet and proceeds to drop it accidentally right into a storm drain!  It was 3 feet down and that drain was not coming out.  Next thing you know one of the guys comes out of a nearby store with a wire hanger and actually fishes the wallet out. It was like a magic trick.  A few laughs and back slaps and we were off back toward Nyack where we could stop for a quick lunch.

A couple of miles north of Nyack lies a nasty climb from Rockland Lake. We were all pretty cracked from 65 miles plus the Bear climb but it was smiles all around as we regrouped at the Runcible Spoon, a well known Nyack café where at any time of day you can find 10 to 50 cyclists chowing down.  It was so packed there wasn’t even space on the many bike racks.  

We lingered for 30 minutes over coffees and sandwiches and rolled out as a group of 7 or 8. Twenty miles back to the bridge.  What was left of the group worked together and while we were pretty wiped we made good time down 9W.  Back across the bridge to my car and DONE-ZEE.  90 miles.  Hard but not awful.

The drive each way wasn’t bad – about 45 minutes, and there is plenty of free parking near the bridge on Riverside Drive.  If anybody wants to try this ride some time let me know!

 

Virgil Crest 100 Mile Ultra Marathon

Arriving at Hope Lake Park in Virgil NY there is amazing energy from the other ultra runners that are slowly trickling in and setting up camp. I immediately start getting excited for race morning. I introduce myself to Ian, the race director, and offer any help setting up. Soon enough I run into Johnny, a great ultra runner that I met a race earlier this year. We set up camp and relax in the afternoon sun with a beer and good conversation. Pre race meal hosted by the Virgil Crest fire department is your typical spaghetti with meatballs and a salad. Then Ian sets up for the pre race briefing. He opts not to go into a detailed course description as we will most likely forget it, but reminds us to stick to the white trail markers, respect and thank the crew at the aid stations, ignore the coyotes, and most importantly have FUN!!

I slept well that night. The camp sight was beautiful on top of a hill overlooking a little lake with The Greek Peaks just off to the left. But I must admit, spending an afternoon with those peaks in my peripheral made me a bit nervous to think I'd be running up and down them multiple times.

Race morning I woke up around 5:00. Made myself some oatmeal and tea using my little camping stove, then geared up to head out for a 6:00 am start. Clad in basic running shorts, a tank top, arm warmers, my camelbak and headlamp I felt ready for the adventure to begin. For nutrition I had filled my camelbak with water and a couple nuun tablets. Packed with me I had several organic food bars and a few gels, I also anticipated eating real food at the aid stations and restocking my pack when needed.

There we stood, all 82 of us (50-50 mile racers and 32-100 mile racers), in the grass some with head lamps, few brave enough to go without. For some this would be a first 50 or 100, for others it's another tally in the books. One thing we all had in common was the courage to get to that start line, and the determination to cross the finish. With Ian's final words of encouragement, "don't get lost in the woods, and if you do get lost in the woods at night we won't come look for you till daylight", the horn blows and we are off. I had a huge smile on my face heading out into the darkness.

The course was an out and back format (doubled for the 100). The first portion of the race was around the lake on a gravel road then out into the woods. Everyone quickly dispersed into smaller "packs" and you could start to see the leaders head lamps dancing in the darkness. The first section was 5.4 miles to the 1st aid station known as Gravel Pit, and this would be the easiest section in both directions. Flat around the lake followed by a nice wide trail path with very small hills to help warm everyone up for the rest of the course.

I didn't need anything at the first aid station so I passed right through and headed out to Lift House 5. Section 2 of the trails got a little more technical slowing things down a bit. Runners are spreading out at this point and I fall in with 2 other runners, Jimena (1st place female, 3rd overall 100m) and Steve (6th overall 100m). Although its tough at this point to run side by side we stay close and are able to chat and get to know each other a bit. The last part of this section is a little over a mile on the road so I decide to pick up the pace while I can before hitting the peaks. Cruising into Lift House 5 aid station I refill and grab some solid food to take with me for the hike up the peaks.

The Lift House loop is just 3.9 miles, not knowing what to expect I start out in a light jog across the flat grassy area before I come to a complete stop and just stare up the ski slope that I'm expected to go up. I can't even see the top!!! For those of you that are number junkies this section brags 1,431 feet of elevation gain with a 14% average grade. I climb up the 0.6 mile hill to reach a slight descent only to find there is a monster of a peak waiting for me to climb, and thats not all, I have to get back down the other side. But I make it, even comfortably jogging the downhill remembering to keep my stride nice and short to keep from pounding my knees too much. Back at Lift House 5 aid station I need nothing so I press on to section 4 up to Rock Pile. This 6 mile section takes us out to the highest point in the course (because the ski mountains weren't enough) Virgil Mountain Summit at 2,131 feet. Lots of up and little down in this section. Also very technical with roots, rocks, and gullies.

Coming into Rock Pile aid station I'm still feeling very strong but hungry. The leaders have already hit the turn around and are heading back through, as you pass each runner coming the other direction there is an exchange of encouraging words, a high five, and in most cases we know each other by name. Covering about 21 miles in around 4 1/2 hours I'm feeling good about my pace. I refuel with some amazing vegan lentil soup and hit the trails again. Section 5 is 5 miles up to Daisy Hollow Rd. At this point I'm mostly running the ups, walking only the steepest sections, and cruising the descents. Daisy Hollow is the turn around point, so I refuel quickly and head back the 5 miles to Rock Pile. Continually seeing other runners coming the other direction, this section keeps me motivated and smiling. 50 mile racers have red bib numbers and 100 milers have black. Mine is red... but I've decided to go for the 100 at this point. I soon cross paths with Johnny, excited to see each other I let him know I'm "bringing home a buckle!!" with words of encouragement I press on.

Back to Rock Pile for more soup ;) I have now made the decision to go for the 100 mile, so I ease up a little, but not too much. I knew I would have plenty of time in the dark and wanted to get as much ground covered in the daylight. Section 7 covers the 6 miles of more technical terrain so I fill my pack and take some food to go and head off to Lift House 5. Now its time to hit the peaks again, just as hard in the reverse. This section I group up with a few other runners. Chatting with people makes this section so much easier, before you know it your back at the aid station. With just 10 miles now to the turn around I stop at Lift House 5 to let Nancy, one of the head volunteers and pacers for the race, know that I'm going for the 100. I had a drop bag at Lift House, so she made sure I had my headlamp, and something to keep warm for when the sun went down, I wouldn't be back at Lift House where my drop bag was for 4 hours, so she wanted to remind me to take what I needed now to be prepared. With more encouraging words I head off again.

Section 9 back to Gravel Pit has the 1.5 mile of paved road going up in this direction now, so I choose a walk run pattern to get up this section as to not burn all my energy. Then into the trails again. With a quick in and out at Gravel Pit my energy is buzzing and I'm excited to hit the halfway and turn around for the 100 mile. Johnny catches up with me and we chat a bit while running. He commends my decision to go for the 100 and assures me that he'll be available if I need anything, knowing I have no crew or pacer its encouraging. Reaching Hope Lake Park again I'm greeted with cheers as everyone thinks I'm finishing the 50, then cheers again after I inform them of my decision and head back out.

At mile 51 now heading to Gravel Pit I'm crossing runners again. Many of them notice my red bib and cheer me on for going for the 100. I'm feeling great at this point super excited for the night running and for the rest of my journey to hit 100. After Gravel pit is when it starts to get dark so I put on my head lamp and gear up for the night shift. Back at Lift House 5 I'm not looking forward to the peaks, but it gives me a chance to really take it easy and absorb some calories while I walk up the peaks. Once at the bottom again I change into pants as its starting to get cold, I already have my arm warmers on. Fuel up with soup and head out for what will become my mental and physical test of toughness. Shortly after leaving Lift House 5 I cross paths with Angus, the leader, and his pacer Nancy. They are cruising, no time to stop and chat just a quick "hello, looking good" and they are gone. (To give you an idea of the toughness of this course Angus had plans to bring in 100 miles in under 20 hours, he barely finished in under 24 hours!!)

It's now after 11:00 pm and I've been up since about 5 am, I'm feeling alert and strong. About halfway through this section the fatigue starts to hit me. I'm no longer passing runners coming the other direction so its just me, the trail, and the coyotes! I am so tired my running is more of a shuffle. It seems to be taking forever to hit the next aid station, but I've been reduced to a brisk walking pace. At 75 miles in to the race my body is starting to shut down. I'm now feeling pain in my left knee on the descents, so I struggle to get through those. At one point I find myself so tired my eyes cross, then shut, then I trip... That wakes me up instantly and I realize at this rate I'm never getting to Rock Pile, let alone the finish. I pick up the pace and start jogging the flatter sections and some of the easier ascents, moving faster helps me stay awake as well. There are tons of sounds coming from the woods, at one point my head lamp shines right into the green eyes of what I assume was a coyote. Off in the distance I see the flicker of a light and think I'm at Rock Pile!! So happy. But no, it's the head lamp of Shane, 2nd place runner, about an hour and a half behind Angus. I ask him how far to Rock Pile... he says about 50 minutes. With a thanks and good luck I head off into the darkness alone again. I'm getting closer. I hear some shuffling behind me. I turn around to find another runner catching up with me. It's Jerome, I move to the side to let him pass, but he says "no go ahead, its nice to have some company" I agree!!! Happy to have someone to chat with and keep me awake we jog to the next aid station together.

Finally at Rock Pile I opt to actually sit down and eat and rest a bit. I ice my bum knee and just zone out. But not too much resting, it will be hard to get back up. The aid crew members fill my pack for me and offer me all the goods they have. I stick with the soup and away from the candy. Jerome heads out on his own, I thank him for the company and wish him luck. Back on my feet gearing up to head out here comes Jimena, lead female and 3rd overall, bouncing into Rock Pile with her pacer(husband). With only one water bottle in hand and a huge smile on her face I am in complete awe of her energy. When she sees me she comes running up to me and gives me a big hug, introduces me to her husband. She tells me I'm looking great and expresses her excitement and amazement that I'm out here doing the 100. Jimena does not sit down and rest, only grabs a few twizzlers and refills her water bottle and moves on. Her positive energy gets me going again. Off to Daisy Hollow in a jog. I'm feeling energized and good now. Knowing that I will start passing some runners heading to the finish is motivating as well. And soon enough I run into Kelly Wilson. Kelly was the female winner of Virgil Crest 100 the last 2 years in a row out defending her title. In 2nd place for female, 4th overall she seems set on catching up to Jimena. A quick hello and her and her pacer head off. Now I start going through in my head the other racers that I will be running into on there way back to Hope Lake. I realize that I'm in 3rd place for females right now and probably close to 7th overall. I'm not super competitive by nature but I definitely want to hold onto that 3rd place. I keep up the steady pace and soon I hit Daisy Hollow. To my surprise Johnny is up there waiting for me. He is too beat up from his race at the 50 to pace me at this point, but seeing a friend out there really rooting for me brings my spirits right up. I lingered at Daisy Hollow a little too long chatting but eventually headed off for my last 25 miles of the course. Now I'm buzzing, my second wind has hit me. Quickly trotting back to Rock Pile I cross paths with Yukiko and her pacer/husband. Now I know I really need to run smart if I'm going to keep 3rd place female. The descents are still jarring on my knee so I choose to run as many of the ascents as I can and go slower on the descents. Complete opposite of what I did for the first 50, conserving energy by walking the steep hills and making up ground on the flats and downs. I think this is a good strategy for me, and its my only option at this point. I don't want to focus on who's behind me, so I let that thought fade into the trails.

This section back to Rock Pile is really technical and I need to focus on one foot in front of the other, not tripping, and not falling off course!! And I really mean not falling of course. There is a good stretch here that the trail runs right along a steep drop off. I know that if I had a pacer at this point I would be moving much faster. 2 sets of eyes navigating the trails would make running in the dark so much easier. And just someone to talk to and keep me awake would be nice :) But I'm alone, and will have to deal with it, so I'm just moving a little slower. A quick pass through at Rock Pile setting off to Lift House 5. I'm getting so much closer!! In about an hour the sun will be coming up. With a lot of up and down in this section I'm slowing down again, and with my legs slowing down I start to feel sleepy. My mood is still very positive, there is a lot of pain in my body at this point, but the excitement of finishing this major journey has put a huge smile on my face.

As the sun starts coming up the trail becomes more runnable. Now I have another issue, I'm stopping to pee much too frequently, and when I set out jogging at a good pace I get extremely nauseous. My nail beds have turned paper white, which is a sign of serious dehydration. I don't get it, I've been drinking regularly and keeping my nutrition up, and taking salt tablets at a mostly regular rate. The only thing I changed was adding gu brew in my camelbak at the last aid station instead of just water hoping the calories would boost my energy. No, instead its not agreeing with my body, and its completely flushing me out. (Note to self, never change nutrition, especially mid race!!!) Soon I'm not just peeing, everything is coming out. But what am I going to do? I can't stop running now. Next strategy is run 1 minute walk 1 minute. I know the up and down heart rate is burning my energy but the nausea sets in with too much consistent running and I just can't walk the entire way back. I will have plenty of time to walk when I reach the peaks at the next section.

At Lift House 5 I refill my camel back with just water and the nuun tablet that had been working for me since the beginning. I need to eat something, but nothing is appetizing at this point. I choose soup again, this time pumpkin. Its actually really good, so I help myself to 2 servings and take a couple turkey sandwiches for the climb. I had also prepared for the climb by finding a good walking stick in the last trail to help power up the hills with. And it does help, using my upper body to really propel me up the peak is a good strategy. But I still have to get down, and thats a problem with my knee. I know I will finish, I have plenty of time with a 36 hour cut off to make it even if I have to walk the rest of the way. But still in the back of my mind is that 3rd place female finish that I don't want to loose. My stomach if feeling much better after some water and food. At the top of the peak I'm ready to head down, so I turn around and start trotting down backwards!! It's working beautifully. I couldn't be happier, I'm covering serious ground with no pain by running the downhill backwards. Back at Lift House 5 I find my drop bag and grab my emergency water bottle filled with about 500 calories of carbo pro. I knew if I had stomach problems the liquid calories would help me to the finish, and with just 10 miles to go its exactly what I needed.

No stopping now, I just grab a handful of pretzels and head out running. With the hardest sections behind me now I know I can suffer through the rest at a steady jogging pace and with little walking. I'm loving this right now. Its the hardest thing I've ever set out to do, and the most painful by far. But nothing can bring me down now, I'm smiling, loving the trails, and making my way to the finish. Coming into Gravel Pit I only stop to give them my bib number and assure them I'm feeling great and move on. with 5.4 miles of the easiest stretch to the finish I see no point in stopping to rest with the finish so close. I'm running fairly consistent again until the pain in my knee comes back. I manage to block it out for a while, but soon have to alternate run / walk again. But it's ok, I figure I'll do this for a little while that way I can really run into the finish. I crest over a little hill and see a runner in the distance. I can't possibly be catching up to Jerome again, he passed me hours ago. It's a runner coming towards me!! It's Johnny! He's come out to pace me to the finish!! With a quick hug we set out together to the finish. He encourages me to keep it easy and comfortable, only about 2 miles to go. We continue in the run / walk fashion.

Soon I can see the lake. With a short jaunt around the lake to the finish I'm almost in tears realizing what I'm about to accomplish. Johnny tells me this is my race and he'll see me at the finish. He cuts through the grass with his camera ready to capture my finishing moment. 3/4 of a mile to go I'm really running now. There is no pain, only triumph in my endeavor. Even from 1/2 mile out I can hear the cheers from the finish line. My new friends that I've made along this journey are waiting for me at the finish shouting my name and I start going even faster. The adrenaline is pumping, the smile on my face is huge, I'm laughing and almost crying all at once. I run through the finish at 31 hours and 14 minutes.

Greeted with hugs from everyone including Jimena and Kelly Wilson, and some of the other top finishers I feel honored to now be a part of an elite group of endurance athletes, I'm a 100 mile finisher!! And I'm bringing home a buckle! Not only was I humbled by the trails in this race, but I take with me a feeling of accomplishment, new friends, and the knowledge that if you set your heart and mind on doing something you absolutely can do it!!! I will definitely be racing more 100 mile ultras in the future so stay tuned for my next adventure in ultra running.

Black Bear Rampage

Hi everyone,

Rickey here. For those of you who haven't met me yet, let me give a quick introduction. I am a professional mountain bike and cyclocross racer from Fairfield. I race for the Justice Madison Cycles / Scott's Bikes mountain bike team and the Echappe Equipment Cyclocross team. I have been racing pro for 4 years now, and have won the CT Elite u23 state championships and last year, I was ranked as high as 136th in the world for elite men.

I also do a little road racing for Exodus Road racing, and have won the Fitchburg stage race as well as the GA State Road and Criterium championships.

Back to the story at hand, the Black Bear Rampage is a 40 mile mountain bike race in Ducktown, TN put on by Scott's Bikes and Justice Madison Cycles. My weekend started Friday with 13 hours in the car to drive down to Cleveland, TN. Work began Saturday with an easy spin around then off to registration to help fend off the madness.

Sunday was game on. The gun went off and everyone fired out of the start like we were racing 5 minutes. I tucked into second wheel as we came off the road and went into the woods. In the woods, the games begin.

The rider in first place flatted towards the end of the first hour. I would say that this is where the race got really exciting and gripping because I'm in the lead, but it didn't really work that way. I moved into the lead with a rider from another class on my wheel. Then I rode my tempo on the front. Nothing terrible exciting, stayed composed rode a pace that was as fast as I could ride and still make it over the finishing climb with some pop.

Finally, about 90 minutes later, the race got exciting. The finishing climb comes 6 miles before the finish and it is a beast. Not long, but it is steep and loose and you will pay for any mistake that you make with hours of racing in your legs. I worked on staying smooth and made it up without incident. This was the first time I got a gap on the rider who had been glued to my wheel for the entirety of the race. With some free space, I began to drop down the 6 mile descent to the finish. Through the twist in turns, I could see the rider behind me, never really sure exactly how far back he was, so I kept my head down going as fast as I could to the finish.

Coming into the last mile, I risked a look back and thought I was in the clear, knowing all I had coming up was 500 meters or so of paved climb. I make the turn out onto the pavement ready to cruise up and throw my hands in the air, but surprise, the rider rockets out of the woods about 5 seconds back. That's no good, I pray I have one more good surge and put my head down again. I remember from last year that the little finishing speed bump is deceptively hard. There is no way to manage a sprint and hammer it out entirely. My plan to stay smooth and save my sprint payed off as I glanced back to see the rider behind me stand to try to close the gap and promptly sit back down. I made it to the line with enough room to comfortably throw my hands up and enjoy my win.

This year been a bit rough, starting with knee surgery in January, to getting Epstein Barr the beginning of June that limited my riding until mid August, and that really made this even sweeter. It was an awesome feeling to be able to take a victory on basically home turf. The 13 hours in the car to come back on Monday couldn't even knock the smile off my face.

That's it for now, rubber side down.

Survival of the Shawangunks Triathlon

I have a list of 5 races that I've decided I must do at least once in my life. They are unique and challenging races like Escape from Alcatraz. The Survival of the Shawangunks (SOS) triathlon is one of those races and the first that I would attempt to cross off my list.

I've been racing tri's on and off since I was a teenager and calling SOS a triathlon is grossly understating it. The race starts with a 30mi bike where you climb from New Paltz, NY into the Shawangunk mountains. From there you alternate between trail running (a total of 18.7mi) and lake swimming (2.1mi in very cold water and with shoes but no wetsuit) until you get to the top of Skytop Tower in the Mohonk Preserve. This was THE most difficult race I have ever done, even harder than an Ironman. But it's definitely the most beautiful, unique and fun one I've ever done too.

The journey to SOS began almost a year ago when registration opened on October 31, 2009. They limit entry to 150 people and you must qualify by finishing a half or full Ironman under a specified time. Regardless, the race filled up in 15mins!! I remember waiting until registration opened at midnight to submit my online entry as soon as possible.

From there I ran into a few road blocks. Immediately in January, within a couple weeks of getting back into training, my left knee started hurting. No one was able to diagnose the issue so I went 7 months before being able to bike and run again. This left me with only 7 weeks to get ready for the longest race (by far!) since my Ironman in 2002! Next once I finally did get back to training at the end of July, I ramped up too quickly and my right ankle started bothering me after a trail run. Ofcourse this was my fault but too late to cry over spilled milk.

The beauty of triathlon though is that fitness from one sport carries over to the others. Since I had no other options I'd ramped up my swimming (as my only way of staying in shape) this year

with the hope of being able to race a tri before the end of the year. This definitely worked for me because getting back into training proved relatively easy. And SOS would be my first real race of the year and would prove to be an unbelievable test of whether this plan worked.

Come race morning I was all of excited, anxious, and scared. Excited to get to race such an amazing event. Anxious because I always get anxious before a big race (and see it as a sign of mental readiness). And scared because I wasn't sure which previous injury was going to rear it's head today to keep me from finishing this dream race.

Race day was cool (highs of just over 60) and overcast so good conditions for most long distances races but on the cold side for this one given the altitude and the cold lake swims that if anything beg for a warmer day (you'll see why in a moment).

As with any long race, you want to start controlled and build throughout. So my goal on the bike

was simply to keep it feeling easy including on the 5mi, 1200ft climb at the end while also taking in plenty of food and fluids before we had to head off into the woods for remainder of the day. Everything went according to plan here. I'm not strong on the bike so was content to let people go by and finish in the middle of the pack. I knew I'd catch many of them on the runs and swims.

Into the first transition I felt good and was excited to hit the trails. This was also another unique portion of this race. You need a crew member to be with you to take your bike and give you your supplies for the rest of the day. Kelly Bird was my crew for the weekend and met me at T1 to help take my bike and get me off and onto the run (in fact, these pictures are what she captured while in the middle of her own 30mi run that day). Off into the woods with a big smile on my face!

Even though the first run leg (4.5mi) was mostly uphill and not easy, the going didn't really get tough until the first swim. What I will say about the run (and really of all of the run legs) is that they were beautiful. Imagine running through the woods and reaching the top of the hill to find these amazing views of the valleys around you and the clean, crisp mountain lakes. Breath taking! I couldn't help but smile every time I caught a view like that.

The first swim was 1.1mi to cross Lake Awosting. Amazing, clear, blue/green waters, what's there to complain right? Well for starters they were around 65 degrees, and we had to get across with our shoes (which I stuffed into my shorts and tri top) and no wetsuit. Now at the pre-race athlete's meeting they warned about leg cramps as your blood shifts from your legs (after running) to your arms (while swimming) all while dealing with cold waters. I figured I was immune to that (for whatever reason). Boy was I wrong! About half way into the first swim, my core started to really cool down and my legs felt the twings of cramping. About a quarter mile from from shore, that's when it hit - my left hamstring seized and I had already started shivering. I couldn't swim and had to tread water. This is when I first contemplated dropping out. What was I thinking? I was freezing cold, in agony from a major muscle cramp, and treading water in the middle of a lake! "Ok, pause for a minute, relax. If I just keep moving, maybe the cramping will go away." That's what I told myself and luckily it did. I made it to shore shivering and barely able to put my shoes back on but at least I made it. Onto the next run.

The rest of the day was just plain grueling. For the next 5.5mi run, I kept my swim cap on for warmth and drank hot tea at the aid station (I was still shivering while running for at least a couple miles). At the same time, I really opened it up and let 'er rip on the last half of this run. A few people passed me in the early part of this leg and then I got my legs back and passed them all back and then some. I was smiling again!

Next swim was a half mile to cross Lake Minnewaska. Although this swim was shorter, it was colder and had a rocky exit. I had a great swim but again had a hell of time getting my shoes back on because of the leg cramping. This alternating between running and cold water swimming really messes with your body!

If I thought things had gotten difficult before, now I was into the mental stage of the race. I came out of the water around 25th overall but little did I know this was really the beginning of the end for my body. I was in pain, my legs wouldn't stop cramping and I had an 8mi trail run in front of me before getting to Lake Mohonk. Kelly was in the middle of her long run and snagged the picture above. You can tell I was cold and I'm telling you I was in a lot of pain. Seeing one of your best friends who's also exceptionally inspirational in their own right when you're in that state was a huge help. It wasn't long before I got my legs back and started pacing with someone who had just passed me. I pushed really hard through the pain in the middle stage of this leg and held my own. That didn't last though, the pain was screaming in my head - my hips, my adductors, my knees, my ankles all hurt like hell and it was still cold out. In the final 3mi, I was reduced to a limp-walk and that's when a barrage of people went by and there was

nothing I could do. Sadly I had no other excuses either, my stomach felt fine and I felt hydrated too.

Finally to Lake Mohonk where the only thing on the other side was a 0.7mi run up to Skytop Tower. Getting out of Mohonk was going to be difficult though. We had to scale a rock wall while dealing with the leg cramps. I somehow made it over with only a cut and it wasn't until then that I knew for sure I would finish. A quick hike up a very steep hill to Skytop Tower and then a sprint down the finishing chute. 5:34:20!!

What an amazing day and what an amazing experience. This was the 25th anniversary race and the organizers did a great job (and obviously have some experience doing so). You get a unique group of athletes showing up to something like this and it's a crowd that can't be beat. And ofcourse, what an absolutely beautiful part of the world to have the opportunity to race in. All of this adds to a great day!

I can't believe I finished and I can't believe I was close to 5:30. I feel like I deserved a massage at the end, but too bad for me the masseuse spent most of her time feeding me soup and trying to warm me up as I lay there shivering.

Will I race SOS again someday? Maybe. Would I recommend it to anyone, absolutely!!

Trifitness Studio Renovation - Update

The studio is almost ready! We just need a few pictures up, the projector on the ceiling and then cyclists and triathletes!

The place has been transformed into a training heaven, come and see us and let us know what you think.

Indoor Classes will resume next week and our Fall Programs will start officially on October 4th. We are going to have  a great year in 2010-2011!

Studio Renovation - Update

The studio is finally looking more like a training studio with the floor and walls painted. One more coat of paint on everything and we are ready to start again our computrainer classes.

Screen wall

Stop by whenever you want and check it out.

Bathroom

We will be putting everything back together on Wednesday and Thursday.

We have a nice shower facility as well and changing rooms, so you can get ready after a hard workout to go to work.


Don't forget our next events at the studio:

• September 14, at 7pm, Club Presentation by Dan Wiland, MD, Sports Medecine Specialist, Triathlete, Cyclist and Trifitness Member "Common Triathlon Injuries"
• October 2, 11am-5pm, Grand Opening, indoor time trials, door prizes, refreshments and more!

Painted floor

Timberman 70.3- I did it!

1.2 miles of choppy, panicked (at least the first half!) swimming, 56 miles of biking through NH hills (and more hills!) in the rain, and 13.1 miles of running along some scenic lake-side roads with some more hills thrown in....that is Timberman 70.3 2010! There really are no words to describe the feeling of finishing my first half Ironman...my guess is this picture explains it all!

Trifitness was well represented at Timberman this year, with at least 15 of us racing, and many more friends and family members there to support. It was extremely motivating to see so many friendly faces on the bike and run course, and to have an almost college-dorm like atmosphere with so many of us staying at the same hotel!

Race morning brought cool temperatures and gray skies, and had me hoping for no rain. I set my transition area up and then had a long time to wait for my swim start as I was wave 11 out of 18. I watched the pros take off, and then headed back to the car to keep warm. I spent about 10 minutes warming up in the water and then nervously stood with my group. The gun went off and I headed in close to the front of the pack on the inside near the buoys. After a rough 1/4 mile or so start where I had to talk myself out of the panic, and talk myself into staying in the race, I settled in and then began to enjoy the swim.


After the swim, I headed out of the water to my first ever experience with wet-suit strippers! I'm glad I had asked Gus what to do- I took my wetsuit off to my waist, flopped down on my back, had the wet suit pulled off, and was quickly on my way. What a time saver! Quickly headed out to the bike....and that's when the rain began to fall....

All in all, I really enjoyed the bike course. I love hills, and this course was full of them! I was having a great bike split until about mile 40, when I had my first crash. A man in front of me was wobbling up the one of the steepest climbs, I went to pass him, and down he went...taking me along with him. I found out later from a girl behind me that I flipped over him and somehow managed to escape with just some scrapes on my elbow and knee (and my bike is fine!) That shook me up a bit and took awhile for me to settle back in, but I managed to finish the rest of the bike in a decent time.

The run, for me, was solid. Long distance running, after my college sprint/jump career, is always a challenge, but I did as many 10-15 mile runs this summer as I could. My goal was to walk the aid stations and steep hills, and run the rest, and I pretty much accomplished this. The run was actually a lot of fun, filled with an a capella group, snow ball tossing, music at every turn, tons of spectators, and my Trifit crew! Only tough part is coming thisclose to the finish, only to head back out for your 2nd loop of the run...so tough mentally!

I enjoyed this race more than I could ever have imagined. I learned a lot about myself and my limits, about patience and pushing beyond my comfort zone, about getting back on the bike (literally) when it is most difficult, and most of all, about enjoying the experience and taking it all in while you are out there. There were times when I thought there was no way I would ever be able to finish this race, let alone do well, but I truly surprised myself.

What's next? How many 70.3's can I fit in a year?! I really found that I love this distance, and am planning which races to do next year...definitely Timberman again....other races TBD!

Special thanks to Gus for getting me through my first half IM, for waiting for me even though he finished 2 hours ahead of me, and for patching me up post-crash :)

Results:

Swim: 40:59

Bike: 3:14:17

Run: 2:25:15

Overall: 6:26:18