Andrea Mathias Lake Placid July 24, 2011

Training started in early January.  It started out not so bad, but the bikes and runs started adding up.  I was so busy, with limited daylight hours, a full time job, horses, BOD duties, a dog with cancer and a husband and family members that I regularly get to enjoy time with.  Some days I was not sure which way I was going.  And there were many early season sessions on the trainer watching movies J I just knew I needed to stick to the plan and be ready to modify if need be.  And some days, I did!  But the hours did add up and the stresses took its toll….just ask my husband how many times I did not clean nor do laundry nor go shopping nor did I cook J
But I can say I was truly blessed to have one heck of a strong support crew!  Not only did I have fabulous coach and training friends, but I also had a committed family supporting me and my goal – 150% and then some.  My coach understood that some days I would have to stay longer at work or to take care of the horses and the double or triple workouts that I had planned may not get done.  She also knew that I could get a case of the “FI’s” as I call them….and although that was not optimal, that was ok – life does happen.  My goal was to finish the best I could.  I did not “really” have a time goal, only the expectation that I did the best that ”I” could do…this saying stayed with me all season as I trained….
May 1st was quickly approaching and Bassman was my first race of the year.  It was a half iron in New Jersey that I had on my schedule.  Right off on the bike, I felt something in my lower hamstring, upper part of my calf start to ache.  I ignored it, but it was persistent.  I was very happy to actually finish the bike and get on the run, just so my leg would stop nagging.  The ride home I realized something was still sore, but fortunately it didn’t continue much past that day, but I remember the pain and the swelling.
I ran my half marathon, the following weekend.  It was a great day.  I actually felt like I could run!  Yea, that was me just saying that – I was starting to enjoy running J
Two weeks later, I completed my longest ride of the season.  109 miles.  Curdy and a few of us rode down to ride the Eagleman course.  Ken and I got to ride it twice.  I got to stop at about the half way mark, top off my fluids, stretch and repeat the loop.  Have to say, I hated Egypt Rd that day….
Training continued, Madalyn and I met a few times to go on our long rides, often taking 5-7 hours because we got lost so many times L but we got it done…I got to ride with Kopper on his easy days. He was the 4th BATC member signed up for 2011.  The journey and camaraderie with all of my friends made it so much more than just “training” for a race.
I am sure I could have trained harder, I am sure I could have done more hill repeats, and more longer bricks and longer rides and more runs etc…but every person has a limit on what they can jam in a day/week/month/year etc…and you have to find “your” balance.  It was nice to take the time to be with others who were having the same difficulties as me.  They had the same hunger all the time the same blisters on their rear end, the same uncomfortable saddle issues, the same nutritional problems, the plethora of running shoe problems and the same number of tire problems as you (although I don’t think that even all of us combined had as many tire problems as Ken).
Eagleman was here…. Kopper, Ken and I all had EM on our calendars and Madalyn had Rev3 and everyone had goals! 
Eagleman has love hate relationship with many people.  The swim is often choppy, the bike course is often windy and the run course is often hotter than Hades, but it’s a wonderfully run event and it’s close by so you just do it.
My swim was not so hot, I never really got into my groove and well, that’s ok – you just keep swimming.  And this was supposed to be a day to work on my bike and my run.  So I kept swimming, and as I was getting out of the water I put my foot down to go stand up and I felt my calf blow.  It just went ping on both sides of my leg.  Being the bone head that I can be, I just kept running out of the water and into transition to get on my bike.  It hurt like heck, but I convinced myself that as soon as I got on the bike it would go away.  I could stretch it, and get whatever it was to go away.  I can tell you it was no cramp, and there was no stretching it. 
As each mile passed, my calf got worse.  It started to fill up with fluid, it became immobile and I could not stretch, stand nor move it.  I couldn’t even wiggle my toes.  So by mile 15ish, I started looking for trees, bridges, or something that I could ride up too so I could get off…AHH, AN OFFICIAL!  I found him at about mile 21 and screamed “CATCH ME”  I think he thought I had to be kidding, but I was not.  He caught me, and helped me to get off my bike. 
After finally getting back to the medical tent the Dr said that I had blown my Gastronemus and my Soleus and that I probably needed to be immobilized with one of those boots.  I really thought he had to be kidding.  He must have known that I was entered in Lake Placid and this was a cruel joke?  Yeah, no…he was serious.   
The next day, I hopped on the phone with an Orthopedic and said I needed him to look at me ASAP.  He did and he said he really had his doubts.  But, he listened to me and the next day I started PT.  In between not finishing the race and calling for Dr’s the overwhelming response of caring friends asking “what happened” had taken place.   I had a very good friend, Ken Cote tell me that I had to go see Christina Lewis from Towson Sports Medicine.  I thank him for reaching out and urging me to go see her, because I am not sure anyone else would have been able to find the perfect balance that she did.  Since Chris is a Triathlete and a multiple Ironman finisher she knew first hand of the investment that I had already made and was willing to keep trying to get me to Lake Placid!  I continued having PT 3 times a week every week until Lake Placid.  Slowly I started to feel my leg get better and stronger.  She kept reminding me “don’t overdo it…it’s not really healed.  If it tears again, you won’t be doing anything for quite a while.”
My longest ride post Eagleman was 28 miles and my longest walk/run was 6 mi….clearly falling waaaayyyy short of my “optimal” training time and effort.  But that’s all I was cleared to do and really all that I felt I could do.  I watched all my friends go on long rides and runs and sat in agony because I wanted so badly to be out there with them…but I had to wait and heal and I had to be a good patient. Ugh.
About two weeks out, I spoke with Stacy and my family and made the call, I was going to Lake Placid and I was going to go as far as I could go until they dragged me off the course.  I was aware of all the cut off times and knew what I had to do if I was going to finish. 
It was time to go.  We packed up all of our stuff (even the crutches just in case), and we were loaded to the brim.  We went up in a caravan.  Ken and Krista drove up in one car and Curdy and I drove up in our car.  After a few hours we would have a Chinese fire drill and swap passengers.  Krista taking naps in each rotation. 
Arriving in Lake Placid we immediately got situated at our house and started to get re-organized.  We did a little exploring and had some more fun catching up with all the people we knew who were up there.  Slowly our house started to fill up with everyone who was staying with us.  Colin randomly popped in one day to say Hi!  So did many others.
Saturday before the race, we double checked our special needs bags, took our bikes to transition and our bags to our drop off spots, and we were ready….
Race day morning came and at 3 am Ken, Kopper and I were all up ready for coffee and breakfast.  Our laughter woke everyone up in the house, but I think it was good because none of us were nervous.  We were ready to get out and race and continue our voyage together. 
Kopper had already said he was starting front left.  Ken and I were starting front right and Madalyn said she knew of the perfect clear space in the middle.  We went to our perspective starting places and waited for the gun to go off.  We all had very different swims.  Mine was clear, smooth and about as good as I could have hoped for.  I didn’t spot once, barely got bumped around and really just got to enjoy it.  I relaxed and swam in the pockets and caught a draft wherever I could.  My calf didn’t ping, I got out of the water on the first lap and said, hey I get to do lap two….how exciting!  My second lap, I got right in on the cable and it was soooo cool!  I could feel the vortex that all the other swimmers had created.  I loved it!  I didn’t get bumped around too much and poof, my swim was over and done!
I got into T1 and there was Melinda!   I had actually forgotten that many of the women who came up were going to be volunteers in T1 and T2.  I was happy to see a familiar face.  She said “bye bye” and out of T1 I went…onto the bike.  Stacy said, “One lap at a time”.  And that’s what I did.  I took my time.  Mile 7 I heard a funny noise, looked all around. Couldn’t figure out what it was?  About an hour in, I realized OHHHH; those were my salt tabs that fell out.  Whoops!  I asked a gal on course if she had some extra salt tabs and she too forgot to pack hers and she was licking hers out. Ha-ha.  I saw Ken out on the course and a few other people that I knew.  They all looked like they were having good go’s. 
While out on the bike course on Rte. 86 there was an SUV with giant speakers pulled out – Alicia Keys/JayZ’s Empire State of Mind was playing…wow that hit the spot and really helped!  I just loved hearing it and seeing all the spectators and all of the volunteers at the aid stations REALLY helped to break up my ride.  It flew by.  It was one distraction after the next.  After the Cherry’s and before the Bear’s I saw Mike Schwing on the side of the road…so nice to see a familiar/friendly face!  And then it was up and over the Bears.  Team Madalyn was all there, screaming and cheering for me too…so nice to get that push and extra support!   Then it was off to special needs pick up whatever it was I may need, cause I finished lap 1!!!!
I had planned ahead knowing my stomach that I probably would not want my normal mixture so I modified my drinks so I could mix up what I thought my stomach would tolerate for lap 2.  Yea, I drank the Perform.  But I knew it had sodium and I knew I was lacking in that department from my drop off on mile 7.  So, I combined it with my mixture and kept drinking.  I knew I hated the flavor of it, but that my stomach would tolerate it, so I went with it…after all I made the cut off for the first loop and I just needed to finish the second by 5:30 pm.
The second loop felt slower than the first, but I wasn’t having any pain in my bad calf….
I made it!  I passed Mike again and then there was Team Madalyn.   Melinda and Colin were screaming, “You got this” at the top of their lungs as I came up Pappa bear….yea, I did J
Off to T2….there was Stacy.  Pheww, I was glad to see her.  All she wanted to know was “are you ok, how you feelingly?” that and she was just happy to see me.  Quick change of clothes, and right into my baggy for some salt tabs!  I knew I needed them.  Stacy assured me all I had to do was walk…I could finish!
And off I went for my “walk”.  Apparently while on the bike a blister started to develop on the bottom of my foot.  I also had an upset tummy.  I saw Kopper out on the course first.  He and I walked a bit together, and then he needed to press on.  But it was nice of him to stop, say hi and chat.  I got to see Ken and Madalyn and a few other people while out there too.  After settling my stomach down I started to actually be able to run a bit.  Not much cause that calf started to bug me, but I went back and forth between sore calf (the good one, not the bad one) and sore foot and then doing the math in my head….I can make the cut off if I walk…but I wanted to run a bit.  What’s a little more pain?  I did not care.  I was going to finish if half the skin on my foot fell off and if both calves started to bother me….I was that determined. 
On my last lap coming up the hill I heard this scream…it was Melinda – she was so happy and I think relieved to find me that she started alerting everyone via text message that I was ok and I was going to finish.  Stacy was there too.  In the back of my mind I was scared to death that I was going to get DQ’ed for having my cheerleaders being on the course with me – but they were only there for a few seconds and I did not.  The course at Lake Placid is a little sneaky.  You think you are home.   Then you have to turn right and go back down another road for your last mile or so.  For some reason it did not bother me at the time, but in hindsight I say, that was sneaky!  But I went over the last timing mat and I headed back to the High School to FINISH!!!
I could hear the crowds and I could see the lights.  I could hear Mike Reilly announcing everyone’s name as an Ironman finisher and all of a sudden my foot did not hurt, but calf did not hurt and all the pain was gone!  Just as I turned to enter the stadium I saw Rob Tisch (another friend who had already completed his first IM).  As I entered the stadium I saw Curdy and Daun and Stacy.  Daun wanted a hug, but there was no way I was stopping.  He and Stacy ran around the track on the outside as I came into the finishers shoot.    It was amazing seeing the crowds and hearing them cheer for everyone just as we did last year.
And, I finished!  Anything is possible!
Leslie, Courtney, Lisa and Stacy were all right there!  Hugs all around.
Once I crossed I got my finisher’s medal, hat and shirt.  I got some water and headed to get some food….I ran into Colin too.  We were both so excited!  I was actually starved so I did not linger long.  I hoovered two slices of pizza like they were air. 
Curdy, Ken, Stacy, Kopper & Kelly all came to find me at the food station.  I got to call my parents who were so exhausted, but so happy to hear from me.  They knew I was ok…I had completed my goal. It was wonderful to have finished, and to have had such support!   Thank you all for taking this awesome journey with me!  The big question people have asked….will you do it again?  ABSOLUETLY!!!

Race Report from John Heisler from Philly Tri on June 26th

Good Race.
Says Who?
If you’ve ever competed in some type of race, chances are pretty good that you’ve said or heard the words, “good race” at its completion.  I would probably go so far as to say you’ve definitely said and heard them.   But what do they mean?  “Good” is a subjective term and there are probably just as many different answers as to what constitutes a good race as there are people racing.  I suspect that most would agree that when spoken from one tired racer to another, the words convey a mutual respect for the effort and an appreciation of the shared experience.  How do you as the racer decide whether or not the words ring true for what you think of your race?  I raced in the Philadelphia Triathlon on Sunday while logging almost no running miles in the last seven weeks due to an injury in my lower abdomen, and after having missed the entire 2010 tri season while deployed overseas.  I went almost 4 minutes faster than I did in 2009 and placed 12th in my age group compared to 42nd two years ago.  I should have been very happy with the race and certain that it met the criteria for a good one.  I wasn’t.

It was the fault of one word. Expectations.  My own.  I thought that I could finish under 2:20 and that I would run sub 7 minute miles for the 10K.  I finished in 2:21:32 and ran 7:05s.  You could argue that it was not very logical to think that I would run faster than I did in ’09 given that I hardly ran in the weeks leading up to the race and I would not disagree with you.  I had a slick new bike though and ran a good Ten Miler on May 1, so I was still optimistic about my prospects for going faster and one of my first thoughts when crossing the finish line was disappointment.  My wife, being a supportive partner, reasonable, and unsaddled by the delusion of my own expectations, tried to convince me I had no reason to be disappointed.   It took a little while but I was able to eventually appreciate my effort and take away a valuable lesson that I should have learned many races before now:  time may be the measurement of choice for deciding a race but it should not be the only consideration when deciding on expectations. (It is entirely possible, and even likely, that I have learned this lesson previously and had it pushed to the portion of my brain that is turned off by the sound of a starter’s command like lights by the clapper.)  That said, I do not regret, nor do I intend to stop setting “result centric” goals, even ones that are not supported by any type of logic.  Just because the time it takes to cross the finish line should not be the only measure of a race, doesn’t mean that it’s not one of them.   That guarantees that there will be more disappointing finish lines in my future and I’m okay with that.  I just hope that my future self will also remember that there is always something good to be found in any race where you cross the finish line and it’s worth letting whatever that is take the top spot on the mental podium; appreciation looks much better than disappointment in the finish line photos.

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Rev 3 Quassy 70.3

June 5, 2011 Revolution 3 Half Iron Triathlon by Leslie Miller.  After the sweltering heat of last year’s Eagleman and ending up in the medical tent I decided to race a more northern spring half.  I had heard great things about the Revolution 3 races and was ready for the challenge of a hilly half.  I signed up along with two other club members (Lisa Cooper and Madalyn Cook).  It was a tough training season with lots of bad weather but we got out there on many cold and rainy training rides and runs to prepare for this tough and hilly race.

After battling 10 hours of NYC traffic we arrived in Waterbury, CT on Friday night.  Saturday morning was a very quick ride to check out the bikes and then a short run.  The lake was open for a practice swim at noon which was a good opportunity to decide about long or sleeveless wetsuits.  It was windy and choppy while we took a short swim to the first buoy and back.  Since it was my first beach start I was able to practice that as well.  From there it was back to the hotel to hang the wetsuits and to packet pick up and bike racking.  There was a large pro field so we checked out their corral which was lined with posters of all the pros.  Transition was asphalt with racks like you see at the big races where your back wheel slides into a slot.  Lots of amazing bikes and racers with 700 men and 300 women racing.

Race morning we were up at 4:30.  Lots to do including putting on the temporary tattoo race numbers and age.  Cool but very hard to get off.  I’m still walking around with my age on my calf!  On to transition where I had to stop and check out how the pros do it.  Set up and then down to the swim to see the pros go off.  The lake was a perfect 68 degrees and glass smooth so I went sleeveless.   The water was very clear with a rectangular pattern  nicely marked with plenty of buoys. The swim went great with plenty of room for most of it.   A short run to transition and then off on the bike.  The ride started out relatively flat for several miles and then the hills kicked in.  They were mostly rolling with a few short and steep ones thrown in.  At about mile 25 there was a 7 mile climb that just kept going.   I would have to say it wasn’t anything that I hadn’t faced in Baltimore County except for that long climb.  The temps were high 60s with plenty of shade and breathtaking countryside.   Back to transition and off to the run which couldn’t be too bad could it?

The run was ridiculously hilly.  It started out flat enough until about mile 4 when you turn off on this quaint Connecticut dirt road that was a continuous 2.5 mile climb.  There was also a significant hill near the end as well.  Again temps were low 70s and there was lots of shade, beautiful lakes, mountains and woods as you went along.

Overall Revolution 3 did a fantastic job.  It was well managed and amply volunteered.  This is no easy race.  We meet one Marylander at the hotel who correctly described this race as “Columbia on steroids” and that is no exaggeration.  It is a fantastic warm up for Lake Placid Ironman and I would highly recommend it for this purpose or if you just love hills and the New England Countryside.

Cascade Lake

I am not sure when I first realized that there was a very real possibility that I could be last in my first triathlon. My only other experience at a tri was as a volunteer at the Celebration Tri in Columbia, a large event with more than 2500 participants of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels. I volunteered at a water station to cheer on a friend who was doing her first tri. The water station was located at the top of a hill that participants negotiated twice on the run course. While it was a “run” course, I saw many people walking the course. It was then that I realized, “I can do this.”
I am a cyclist, bike commuting , touring, and participating in century charity events; I have always been a swimmer, so the swim didn’t intimidate me; but the run…I had given up running after an injury in my forties.  I have done two half-marathons at a “fast-walk” and I thought, if I am solid in the swim and bike, I can walk the five kilometers on the final leg and still finish in the bottom quarter of the field. I had no expectations of winning, finishing was fine with me. I registered for a local tri in the early fall. I spent the summer increasing my endurance on open water swims and continued my regular cycling. I bought a wet suit and in the cooler days of early autumn, I practiced the swim course with this new equipment.  My friend and I rode the course several times, and although I was riding my commuter bike, I was confident that I would be respectable. I read about “transitions”, sprayed myself with PAM and practiced peeling off my wetsuit and gearing up for the ride.
Race day arrived and as the participants racked their bikes and laid out their gear in the transition area, I looked around and realized that I didn’t see the range of ages, fitness levels, shapes and sizes that I had seen in the larger event. In fact, most everyone looked pretty “buff” to me. Someone told me that because the race was at the end of a season and a relatively flat course, many serious contenders chose this event to try and garner a “personal best.” Also, at the end of the season, most people were at their prime. I began to have a small sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I knew that it would be a challenge against this field, but I don’t think I really realized that I could finish LAST.
The race was small enough (about 200), that there were just two waves for the swim. I was nervous and swam the breast stroke so I could see; but still finished ahead of some of the men and in the middle of my age group. My transition was quick and my bike ride was solid. I racked my bike and headed out on the run with at least thirty or forty people still on the bike course. As I walked the run course, I enjoyed the beautiful day and greeting my friends who were running towards me at the end of their run as I headed out. One by one, people passed me on the run, but it wasn’t until the final quarter mile that I realized the woman closing in on me was the only other runner on the course. As she neared we trotted together for a few yards and she told me that she was excited because this was her third attempt at a tri and she hadn’t finished the other two. She offered to “run in with me”, so we would have the same time, and I wouldn’t be last. I told her to run ahead, she had earned her time and I was happy just to finish my first tri.
Surprisingly enough, I WAS happy. It didn’t matter that I was last. Not almost last….LAST; a hundred yards behind the nearest competitor.  I had followed my plan and had the race I trained for and wanted. I realized that LAST is only a position when you are comparing yourself to others, and a tri, more than other competitions is about setting and reaching personal goals. When I looked at the races stats on line after the race, I realized that I was the oldest woman to finish the tri, that my swim and bike times were solid and my run times were even better than I expected. The only thing unexpected for me about the race was the competition.  Being LAST at my first tri didn’t mean that it would be my last tri.
I set some goals for this next season and have joined a master’s swim class. I am more confident with my free-style. The interval training has also helped my cardiovascular endurance, and I have “walk-run” some five K’s and a half marathon. I thought long and hard about whether to sign up for a larger tri where I would definitely not be LAST, or to continue with the smaller events. So far, I am staying with the smaller venues. I may be LAST, but I’ll finish, and I’ll be happy. (One added benefit from participating in age group competitions is that I am very excited about turning 60 and moving up an age group.)

White Lake Challenge

White Lake Half Iron Man Race, Saturday, May 7, 2011 from Penny Quinn
Swim 1.2 Miles, Bike 56 Miles, Run 13.1 Miles
Arrived on Thursday, mid-day.  Walked around the race site, drove the bike course (road construction had the road closed – hope it’s open by race time), and drove the run course.  Made notes of landmarks at 20, 40 and 50 mile marks (and the 28 mile mark – the halfway point).  For me the 56 mile course is made up of 3 legs, the first 20 , the next 20 and the final, well not quite 20 (a psychological game that makes the home stretch seem faster....).  The half way point, reminds me that I should be halfway through my nutrition.  The water stops were at 18, 32 and 45 – so additional mile markers for the ride.  The run was an out and back, so easy to gauge from the turnaround point with water stops at each mile.
Friday morning, I got up at 7am to check out the temperature and the lake conditions.  It was a crisp 53 degree’s outside and the water in the upper 60’s, clear as a sheet of glass, calm. White sandy bottom. Gorgeous.  I put on my sleeveless wetsuit and swam for about 20-30 minutes. Very relaxing. 
Package pickup at 2pm.  Dinner was chicken marsala and pasta.  Up the next morning at 4:30am, breakfast of oatmeal and hot tea.  Car is packed, half a bagel toasted with butter for the ride over (ended up not eating the bagel-nerves/excitement).  Took a banana and carb shake to race site and ate during set up over the next hour.  Sipped on Gatorade. 
Temps in the mid 50’s, heavy fog.  Set up transition area, walked transition site to get familiar with run/bike start and finish’s and my location in the transition (counted the racks both directions).  At the lake, could not see the end of the dock – how are we going to see the buoys??? This is not good.  You could barely see the lights on the boats out on the lake.  Buoys get blown off the dock and start floating out onto the lake and have to be captured and returned to the dock. 
At 6:45am they send the first 3 waves to the beach to warm up and line up for the start.  I’m debating when to get in for my warm up swim.  It’s chilly and I’m wearing a jacket over my wetsuit.  I’m the last wave, so don’t want to go in too soon and end up getting cold while waiting for my wave to start.  Good thing, I waited.
The race was supposed to start at 7am but was delayed to see if the fog lifts.  7:30am – still waiting.  At 7:45am they announce the swim is cancelled, it will be a bike/run - - it will still count for nationals.  We head to transition to take off wet suits.  After much confusion over whether we are allowed to wear our bike gear – and putting it on, then taking it off and then putting it on - - - they finally announce that we can wear whatever we want.  Most people wear their bike gear, some wear their running shoes.  I wear all my bike stuff – including a long sleeve bike shirt that I brought just in case it was cool out.  Good thing, it was much cooler than expected and many people were trying to round up an extra layer.
They are lining us up in corrals down by the beach, when everyone starts chanting “swim, swim, swim” because now the sun is coming up and the fog is lifting and we can sort of see the other side of the lake.  They try to round up the lifeguards and support staff, but after 10 minutes, they say they’ve all left, so there is no swim.  At about 8:15, they start the race – chip start – from the corrals.   
Really bummed that there is no swim, but at this point, I just want to get started.  I’m in the last wave, so now I’m a little concerned about my nutrition, since my last calories were 2 hours prior and I know I need 300-400 calories right before I start, so I’m starting from a negative nutrition at this point.
T1 was a 200 yard run from the beach to the bike and out.  Very glad I have my long sleeve shirt, it’s chilly out. 
My bike plan is to target my power between 110-115 watts (which usually ends up averaging around 108 watts) and keep my heart rate at 148.  I’m having no problem with the watts, in fact they’re creeping up to the 120’s and occasional 130’s.  I back it off – remembering to work the plan (and my transition neighbor’s advice to not get perky on the start of the bike, that the second half has an awful headwind).  Feel like I reach the first water stop pretty quickly and before I know it, I’m going over the little bridge at the 20 mile mark.  At 28 when I planned to stop and pour my second bottle of nutrition into the aero bottle – I realize my time is really good, and I don’t want to stop – I’ll just keep riding and reach down to grab the bottle for nutrition.  Shortly after this, the wind picks up, trying to sustain my power level is getting harder and I start to get a pain behind my left knee that radiates up the back of my leg and into my glute (what the heck is this?  This is new? Hmm….).  I try to stand up in the pedals and push my heels down to stretch the muscles - - a little better but not quite the right stretch.  My heart rate is starting to spike a little – don’t know if it’s the pain in my leg or trying to maintain the power in the wind.  I gear down and spin easy getting my heart rate down and power comes down too – bummer.  I check my time and realize I’m making very good time  - my best training ride so far was 28 miles in 2 hours, anything faster than that would be great.  At 28 miles, I’m at 1:39 (wow! 20 minutes faster??)  At 2 hours, I’ve finished 33 miles (woo hoo!!), but the going is getting harder and I know this head wind will stay with me until the finish, so I’m hoping everything balances out and I don’t slow down too much – just keep your power consistent.  So far, everyone has been passing me and I haven’t passed or been able to see anyone ahead of me (typical of the bike leg for me – usually a very long and lonely ride – I just enjoy the scenery J).  At about mile 36, this little 73 year old lady (cute as a button) passes me saying she’s been trying to catch me for MILES.  As she goes cruising past, it’s so incredibly hard not to punch it and say – oh no you don’t! – but I’ve got a plan – stick to the plan - - - stick to the plan….. Just about this time we have a little out and back down a dead end road – so I get to see who’s in front of me and who’s behind me.  There’s about 5-6 riders ahead of me (1-2 miles) and at least 2 women behind me.  I’m so excited when I hit the 40 mile mark.  I’m more than 2/3’s of the way there and still ahead of schedule.  The pain in my leg is bugging me big time, can’t decide if I should stop and try to adjust my seat (no way - -not now).  I convince myself that since my pace is so good, that my total bike will be much shorter and that if I’ve made it this far, I can make it another 16 miles.  At mile 50, I see the satellite tower and know that I’m on the home stretch and I’m out of nutrition and could really use a little more.  I planned my nutrition for 4.5 hours (in case my ride was longer than my goal of 4 hours) and knew that I had used more to play catch-up after the long delay of the start.  I had my emergency ‘goo’ and decided I should use it to get me the last 5 miles – especially since the muscle pain was still bugging me.  I was hoping that whatever this was – that it didn’t impact my run.
T2 was great!  No problems, everything smooth, shoes, switch helmet for visor, grab race nutrition belt out of the cooler (ice cubes sticking to it – yeah! Other racers were admiring the ice belt that I wrapped around me), emergency goo slipped inside the leg of my shorts, garmin watch in my mouth and trot on out the area.  A very long way until the timing mat – but taking it easy.  Absolutely no issues with legs, no cramps, no rubber legs, nothing!  Wow, this is way cool! Weather is much warmer now, sun is shining and skies are clear blue (I ditched the long sleeve shirt).
Got the garmin watch turned on, strapped to my wrist and ease on out the first 3 miles.  Execute the plan - - run 1 mile, walk 1 minute, run 1 mile, walk 1 minute.  The water stops were not exactly each mile so sometimes my walk was slightly before or after the water stop.  I always took a sopping wet icy cold towel and draped it around my neck and tucked the ends into the shoulder straps of my top.  2 cups of ice cold water – one I poured on my head, the other I poured on my chest.  Whew! – shockingly cold, but after about a half mile, it felt great.  A few miles of this and I was soaking wet and my shoes and socks were squeaking as I ran - -no problem – keeping my feet cool too!  Made sure to maintain steady intake of nutrition and water.  I had 3 bottles of nutrition and 1 bottle of water on my belt.  When I would get low on the water, I’d refill my bottle at the water station.  My emergency goo kept sliding out of my shorts, so I tucked it in my race belt.  It kept slipping out of my belt so I finally put it inside my sports bra (and NO, it didn’t fall out there – the heart rate monitor kept it in place!).  Passed 2 people on the first 3 miles.  Then no one for a long time.  Because it was an out and back, there were tons (it felt like EVERYONE) of people coming back.  It turned out to be a good thing.  About every 3rd or 4th person would tell me “good job” and it felt great to thank them as I smiled and kept moving – stick to the plan, stick to the plan.  I was watching my heart rate and didn’t let it get above 147 – hold it steady.  The volunteers at the water stops were awesome – another good thing about being at the end of the race – there are no crowds, I was the ONLY one at the water stop and had all 3-5 volunteers tripping over themselves to hand me water, towels, etc.  Pretty cool J  Made sure to thank them profusely for their help!  Danced a little to their music as I boogied on down the road.  At 5 miles, I reminded myself I had already run a 5k and now I was up to a 5 miler  - and in almost the same time as I did the 5 miler in December (without the 56 mile ride) – good job, Penny (it’s okay to talk to yourself on these races – just don’t answer, that’s when people think you’re nuts).  Next up, a 10k and then the half way point – it’s all downhill after that (well, not really, but it’s the home stretch).  At about 6 miles, I passed the little old lady who commented that I was probably one of those she passed on the bike.  Whew, as sweet as she was -  I could NOT let a 73 year old lady beat me.  At the turnaround point, my knee’s were starting to ache and I knew from past runs that if they were aching now, they’d be really bad in a few more miles.  I remembered the aspirin I had scotch taped to the goo that was now soaking wet inside my sports bra.  Pulled it out and saw that they were still okay, so took the 2 aspirin.  I figured it would take 30 minutes or so to work, which would put me somewhere between 9-10 mile mark and that would be right when I needed it.  Plus I was a little hesitant to take it during the race, didn’t want any stomach issues.  It must have worked, I never thought about my knee’s after that.
The next 3 miles were great, because that’s when I started passing groups of people walking.  Always looking for someone in my age group, I passed two of them – yeah! The last 3 miles were the best.  I knew I was coming in strong and still hesitant to push too much too fast.  Not completely sure how to gauge what I can do and don’t want to push hard for 1 mile and then have to walk the last 2.  So I slowly picked up the pace.  People are leaving the race and packing their cars, cheering out their windows at me.  I see a guy about 300 yards ahead of me walking.  If he keeps walking, I know I can catch him - I pick up the pace and pass the guy who has now started to run and then I sprint the last 100 yards over the finish line.  I am so happy!  I finished strong and feel great. 
All I wanted to do was finish this race in 8 hours or less and not be last.  I was real concerned about my times and the race cut off of 8 hours.  I knew I could do the swim in 50 minutes, but had allowed myself up to 60 minutes – just to keep the pressure off.   My best bike was 4:07 and I figured my run would have brought me in around 2:40’ish, so with transitions added, I knew I would be very close to the 8 hour cut off. 
My official time was 6:14:31 (Swim CANCELLED, T1 1:31, Bike 3:39:26, T2 2:37, Run 2:30:58).  For overall women I finished 104 out of 127 and 7/9 for my age group.  I also finished ahead of 13 men – so I wasn’t LAST J.

Devilman


Mark Elky’s Noobie Race Report for the New Jersey Devilman Triathlon

           http://www.piranha-sports.com/media/racelogos/njd_small.jpg
Race Date:
5/7/2011
Description:
Half Lite 50™: 0.80 Mile Swim~40.3 Mile Bike~8.8 Mile Run 
Sprint: 0.4 Mile Swim~20.5 Mile Bike~4 Mile Run
Race
Category:
Half Lite 50 Triathlon

I am writing this race report the day after finishing my first triathlon, so some of these comments may be no-brainers for the more experienced triathletes.  But at least I can say, been there, done that… and smile.
Getting there (and back):
·         Get (or borrow a friend’s) easy pass http://www.ezpassmd.com/en/signup/facility.shtml
·         Tolls - $5 and $4 on the way there and $3 and $4 on the way back.  It’s good to have exact change to help speed you through the toll booths.
·         Parking was at Myron L Powell Elementary School, 225 Main St., Cedarville, NJ. (helps if you navigate by Garmin).  Arrive early if you want to park on asphalt.  After the parking lot is full they open up the fields to park on.  I arrived about 5:30 as I didn’t exactly know what to expect.
Pre-race:
·         Race Packet Pickup opened on time and was on the morning of the event rather than the day before
·         There was a place to rack your bike as they asked that you not bring your bike through the small packet pickup tent
·         Race bag schwag consisted of a running hat (actually pretty nice – I’ll have to fight my daughter for it), a tech t-shirt, a hammer gel pack (never tried Montana Huckleberry – and still have not.  Don’t experiment with your stomach on race day!), a magazine, and a few fliers for other races.
·         They said in the pre-race information that they had running race belts for sale at packet pickup but I didn’t see them out anywhere (I didn’t look hard as I already had one)
·         Make sure you bring your USAT membership card and photo ID with you to packet pickup
·         Make sure you check that all your numbers match in the race packet (Helmet sticker, Bike, Running race belt, and especially, the timer chip)  - There was actually an issue with this as they kept announcing over the loudspeakers for everyone to check their timer chip number as the wrong person had #20… they eventually found it.
Transition Area:
·         Big transition area with plenty of room
·         Decent security with lots of race officials around
The Swim:
·         The swim was in Cedar Lake – The sprint was one lap and the half-light 50 was two
·         The start had everyone heading down a dock using a set of metal stairs at the end to enter the water (It felt a little like getting off a plane)
·         Once everyone from your wave was in they started (actually they started the wave on time so if you were at the end of the line getting into the water you may have started a few seconds late)
·         Water seemed clean enough, although you couldn’t see more than a few inches
·         Mirrored or shaded goggles would have been better as the buoys were a pain to sight with the sun still rising.
·         The big orange buoys were easily sighted across the water (other when looking into the sun’s glare)
·         The run back from the water to the transition area was a little gravelly
The Bike:
·         First thing… hit the spot-a-pot before you head out if you need to as you will not see another one for 40 miles (or 20 if you did the Sprint).  There are none on the bike course.
·         The course was flat.  Garmin tells me that it was 2,355 feet ascent and decent overall.  There were no real hills just some long gradual inclines/declines.
·         The wind was a bit brutal.  As the course was an out and back (once again, twice for the half-Light 50), the “back” part was into the wind.  …but wind and flat beats hills any day.
·         There were a few sharp turns along the course but nothing that wasn’t on the course map that was a surprise
·         At mile 10 (and 30 on the second out and back) they handed out bottles of Gatorade, water, and gel packs
·         There was little vehicular traffic during the race
·         The shoulders and marked bike lanes were fairly broken glass and other debris that would cause flats
·         Only one road kill (poor kitty) was spotted on the trip (I also spotted wild turkeys and a snake)
·         Once warning… there were a few spots with sand deposits.  STEER CLEAR!
·         The truck that drives around the course and picks up any bikes that can’t make it the “draggin’ wagon”
·         The mount/dismount line is about 150 yards away from the transition area (and add another 25-50 yards until you can rack your bike as the transition area is large)
The Run:
·         Lots of sun (make sure you put on the sunscreen)
·         The run went past some farms, so did the bike for that matter)
·         There were 2 spectators for the run.  A couple little girls sitting in folding chairs in their front yard that would get up and run with the runners for a little bit before going back to their chairs.
·         I saw a few MP3 players on runners, there was even one guy I say running out of T1 with a MP3 player (A race official was on-the-ball to spot that and tell him “No”)
·         About every mile they handed out cups of Gatorade, water, and gel packs
·         Pretty flat run course.  Garmin said there was 633 feet of ascent/descent overall
Other Comments:
·         The race was low-key and had a great small-town flavor.  This is a great event to start the season with and a good tune up to the ½ Ironman I’m signed up for later this season.  (Hey – I may be new at this but when you aim high the payoff is that much sweeter).
·         The BATC had 3 racers (their times are below).  Bob finished second in his age group!
·         The finisher medals were cheap.  Just a little medal that says Piranha Sports.  The ribbon has http://www.piranha-sports.com on one side and 2011 NJ Devilman on the other.  It would be nice if the race name and year was actually on the medal.  They actually had nicer medals that they gave to the winners.
·         I would like to come back next year
http://www.baltimoretriathlon.org/images/18565740.pngBaltimore Area Triathlon Club Enrants = 3
Club
Place
Overall
Place
Name
City
State
Race Age
Gender
Division
Time
GACC
Points
Bib#
1
50
Villanueva, Robert
Cockeysville
MD
38
3:26:48
4
555
2
149
Poray, Michael
Ruxton
MD
38
3:54:27
1
442
3
262
Elky, Mark
Reisterstown
MD
40
4:39:02
1
452

 Points:
6



Bassman Blog

Bassman Duathlon - 5/1/11 from Kelly Joslyn

This was my first multi-sport event ever. As much as my triathlon-savvy boyfriend (Michael Kopper) tried to prepare me and offer his words of advice, I still felt clueless about what an event like this entailed. Race morning was significantly colder than anyone had intended. I brought shorts and tank top to race in and it was only 35 degrees when we got out of the car. At the start line I look around and everyone else has pants, hats, and gloves on…smart people. I had no choice but to suck it up and run my first 5K freezing. I passed a few girls and envied their toasty fingers in their gloves but then I realized, “hey I’m frozen and I am passing people, this is great.” The run portion was fairly flat through the state park on paved roads which were well marked by signs and volunteers. I came into transition and I heard my boyfriend cheering me on as I’m trying to change my shoes and put my helmet on, which proved to be quite a difficult task when you have frozen fingers. The bike portion was 12 miles of fairly flat terrain on paved roads compared to the roads I had been training on so it went by quickly and I was dismounting before I knew it. This was the hardest part for me, trying to run after coming off the bike with my bike shoes on, in sand, for what seemed liked forever. Despite my jello legs I made it to transition and got ready to run again; it was much warmer at this point, luckily. Had to run another 5K and shortly after, I crossed the finish line and realized I finished second overall for females and had a blast doing it! Bassman was a great first multi-sport event for me.  I then got to spend the rest of my day supporting my Mike and a close friend as they conquered the Half Ironman distance. I admire people who can do that long of an event and do it as well as they both did!

New Triathlete Program for 2011

Your first “Try to Tri!”-BATC New Triathletes Program 2011 

The daffodils are blooming, the grass it turning green and the fields are filled with, well they’re filled with mud, but spring is here.

At the BATC we want you to succeed and as the saying goes, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  The New Triathlete Progam will help you reach that goal and realize, you can do it! 

Here's what it consists of: 

  • THE PLAN 
    • Training plan for a race – The training starts on March 28th and ends 12 weeks later on June 19th.  However, you can start any time in the first three weeks.
  • THE MENTOR
    • You will be matched up with a mentor from the club. This is someone with more triathlon experience who you can email and talk to when you have questions, and you WILL have questions.
  • THE RACES
    • That end date of the program will set you up nicely for one of four local sprint tris or any other one you choose.
      • June 12th is the date of the Tri it Triathlon in Delaware, a sprint race setup for new triathletes.
      • June 19th  is the St. Andrews sprint triathlon in Delaware
      • June 19th is also the South Carroll Sprint Tri on the 20th. The South Carroll swim club tri is a pool swim for those folks still a little unsure of their open water skills.
      • June 26th is the celebration sprint in Columbia.
  • THE STRATEGY
    • Your training plan will be a complete plan covering swim / bike / and run training with detailed instructions. 
      • You'll get a race execution guide that will leave no stone unturned and let you know what to expect and how to conduct yourself on race day.
      • Two controlled course bike rides in case you are getting back into the swing of biking. Controlled course means either on closed roads or in a state park.
      • The first target race will be the Cascade Lake Duathlon in May. Duathlons are run / bike / run events that are excellent stepping stones into the sport before you get involved in any open water swims.
      • Course preview ride of the Cascade Lake Duathlon and Celebration Sprint Triathlon Courses
      • Open Water Clinic with the rest of the club.
      • Volunteering at a local race before your goal race to see what it is like from the inside out. 
      • One of the weekend workouts on the training plan every week will be a hosted workout, at least two mentors or other volunteers will be there to help guide you along and offer whatever help they can.
  • THE REWARDS!
    • New Friends! Great Fun! Good Health!

Who is it for?

Anyone who thinks they may benefit is welcome to join, experienced triathlete or not. If you’ve never had a training program you might find this a good way of getting into that sort of training mode.

With the help of your mentor you will easily be able to modify the plan to get ready for an Olympic distance race.

Previous graduates of the program have gone on to longer distance races later that same year. For example if you are thinking of doing the Diamond in the Rough Tri in July or perhaps the Diamondman or Bethany Beach Tris in September, this can be a good stepping stone. If your sights are set a bit higher than a sprint tri we will do our best to match you with a mentor who has experience at the longer distances.

Program Requirements – Read this PART!
The New Triathlete Program is open to BATC members. BATC membership costs $30 and can be done online (http://bit.ly/hY4Qyc).

The New Triathlete Program costs $25, to register please email batcregistrar@gmail.com and you’ll get instructions.

All members of the New Triathlete Program are REQUIRED TO VOLUNTEER AT THE COLUMBIA TRIATHLON ON MAY 22nd

This is not flexible, if you can’t volunteer that day for whatever reason, please don’t sign up for the program.

All races depend on volunteers, we volunteer at races so that others can have the fun. By the same token some days when we race others are volunteering for us. We all do our part to keep the sport healthy and thriving.

When does it Start?

There will be get acquainted meetings on the following days, each get acquainted meeting will have some of the mentors there and other members from whom you can find out more about the program.

March 25th at 7 PM – We will have a meeting downstairs at the Falls Road Running Store (http://dev.missionmedia.net/fallsroad/comps/home.html). The store is extending a special price of 20% off anything in the store on Friday.

March 27th at 8:50 AM – A short, flattish run at the Willow Grove Entrance of Cromwell Valley Park (http://www.cromwellvalleypark.org/) followed by coffee and bagels at Einstein’s.

March 30th at 7 PM – We will have a meeting inside the Lutherville Bike Shop (http://www.luthervillebikeshop.com/lbsnew/).  

Even if you don’t come to the get acquainted meeting, you will be able to start any time in the first three weeks or so of the program.

Please tell your friends who may be interested and email me with any questions you might have.

Thank You

 

water temp is 45

Hi everybody,

I have a single daffodil whose bud had started to open, so it's time to see how much longer till open water swim time.

The buoy at the inner harbor says the water temp is 45, that is roughly the same as the water temp at the Hammerman area.

For most people, 55 is swimmable with a wetsuit, so keep an eye on the temperature, with a few sunny days you might be able to get in a weekend swim. I got my first swim in during March last year. It was quite miserable, but I got it done.

You can find the water temperatures at www.weatherunderground.com

Baltimore Area Tri Club Swim Clinic At the Merritt Athletic Club

The Baltimore Area Triathlon Club will be hosting a swim clinic on February 27th at 8 AM.
Curriculum
The clinic will consist of 90 minutes of classroom session discussing freestyle swim technique and establishing an overall model of what freestyle swimming looks and feel like. As part of this we will address head position, rotation around your long axis, timing of your pull and arm recovery, breathing so that you don't disturb your stroke, and how to shape your arm and hands for maximum propulsion.
These five areas address the most common mistakes seen in freestyle swimming.
Following that will be 2 hours of in pool instruction with multiple coaches to establish what your particular deficiency is and fix it.
There will then be a lunch break. After lunch there are a limited number of video analysis slots available. The video analysis will go from 1 PM to 3 PM and include a before video, more correction time and an after video.
Instructor
The head coach will be Kevin Joubert. Kevin has been coaching triathletes and masters swimmers for 9 years. He is certified by the American Swim Coaches Association as a level 4 masters swim coach and is certified by USA Triathlon as a level 2 triathlon coach. There will be several assistant coaches also on deck to make sure you get ample feedback on your swimming.
Agenda
8 AM - 9:30 AM - in meeting room discussions
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM- in pool demonstrations and practice
1 PM - 3 PM - optional underwater video analysis
Location
Merritt Athletic Club in Towson
Date
February 27th 8 AM
Prices
Registration: 
BATC Members - $30 / Non Members $70 **
Underwater Video $40 In addition to the registration fee 
Registration
Send an email to batcregistrar@gmail.com to register. Registration will be done by paypal, you will receive a paypal invoice.
** If not yet a member of the BATC for 2011, you can register at lin-mark.com (http://www.lin-mark.com/RaceDetails.aspx?guid=cd75a6f4-d8c9-49e5-a412-cf4184179538)
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