Well, we arrived in Atlanta for the first crit around 6pm. Luckily, we both arrived with all our hair on our head. We always expect traffic but I guess Labor day + rush hour was not our idea of "typical" atlanta traffic. So, after an hour of moving about 2mph, and taking 45 min. to go about 9 miles....we finally made it in one piece. We just don't understand how people can sit in traffic, everyday. I'm sorry, no amount of money would be worth that. I would be so stressed coming home from (and going to) work everyday that I know my health, life with Karel and all extra-curricular activities would suffer. I guess Karel and I will tolerate a monthly trip to ATL for a nice change from flat Florida but we just dread the traffic!!!
Karel's race started at 7pm so after picking up his number he warmed up around the .89 loop course. The race was in an office park which made for a safe, but fast, rolling race.
The field was small but I'm sure it was hard for people to make it to a 7pm crit on a Fri night. However, Karel says a small field means more effort because you always have to respond to attacks and there will always be opportunities to bridge a gap.
There was a 2 man breakaway from the start and then another 4 man break. Karel worked really hard to bridge the gap to the 4-man group and with the help of another Pro 1,2 rider, the chase pack caught the 4-man group. The 2-man breakaway lapped the field with 3 laps to go so at that point, the race went down to 1 lap to go so that the lead guys would not have to do an extra lap. So, with 1 lap to go I had no idea what was going on because Karel was all over the place making the race really interesting. I am ready with my camera for Mr. Sprinter (AKA Karel, thank goodness someone in our relationship has fast-twitch fibers) and I see Karel sprinting to the line...with only 1 other guy. I do the math and figure out that Karel was 4th!
Actually, there is a small chance that Karel might be 3rd because we aren't sure if the guy in front of Karel was one of the 2-man breakaway. If that is true, then that one guy would have won the race (since he lapped the field and he beat Karel to the finish) and the other guy in the 2-man break would have been second. Then that puts KArel in third. However, if that guy who beat Karel to the finish was a guy in the chase pack, then Karel was 4th. Either way....Congrats to Karel for making for a great race after sitting in the car for 7 hours and trying to stay calm in traffic!
I'll post pics this afternoon....off to race #2.
Registered Dietitian.....M.S. in Exercise Physiology...Vegetarian...Writer...Speaker...5x Ironman finisher.....2011-2012 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year...Doggy-mommy...Wife to an amazing Czech cyclist turned triathlete...2x Ironman World Championship finisher...USAT level-1 coach...Oakley women, Brooks Running ID, 110% Play Harder and Hammer Nutrition Brand Ambassador.
8/30/08
8/28/08
Georgia
It's been a while but we are heading to GA tomorrow and not returning until mon evening.
Karel has 4 crits in 3 days...oh my!
Fri night through Sun (two races on sat) are part of the Atlanta Crit series in Atlanta/marietta, GA. Then on Monday we head to Marietta for the 100K classic. I will be running in the US10K classic about 30 minutes after Karel starts.
This should be a fun weekend for both of us and I'm sure I will have plenty of pics.
I'm wishing all those IMKY athletes the best of luck! Hopefully the weather will be nice and everyone will have a fun and safe race. Can't wait to watch on the computer on sunday to check up on everyone and hopefully on Mon I will get my spot for IMKY 2009!!! :)
Karel has 4 crits in 3 days...oh my!
Fri night through Sun (two races on sat) are part of the Atlanta Crit series in Atlanta/marietta, GA. Then on Monday we head to Marietta for the 100K classic. I will be running in the US10K classic about 30 minutes after Karel starts.
This should be a fun weekend for both of us and I'm sure I will have plenty of pics.
I'm wishing all those IMKY athletes the best of luck! Hopefully the weather will be nice and everyone will have a fun and safe race. Can't wait to watch on the computer on sunday to check up on everyone and hopefully on Mon I will get my spot for IMKY 2009!!! :)
8/26/08
Spicing up your recipes
Well, I'm back in school again. I was really enjoying my time off. Although I was a bit bored at times, having little to do one day is really a treat when you have to sit in class for 5 1/2 hours, two days a week. I'm taking two courses at Florida community college of jacksonville and after these classes I will only have two more pre-reqs to take for my dietetic program. I am taking microbiology and economics. Both classes have great teachers and I know micro will be tough. My micro class is 9:30-12:20 MW and economics is 12:30-1:45 MW. A tough schedule with back to back classes but I didn't want to make the 16 mile drive more than I needed.
So, to keep me occupied when I was enjoying my summer break I cooked a lot. Not much more than I would normally cook but I did a bit more baking than normal.
One of the best things about cooking is eating natural ingredients. I couldn't imagine popping a "meal" in a microwave and then pealing off the plastic and eating it out of a plastic container. Also, I can't think of a time in the last 6 years that I choose fast-food for dinner. The only time Karel and I eat fast-food is when we travel and the typical stop for us is Subway or the Publix grocery store Deli. Ok, after races we usually go to IHOP or Denny's but that is rarely, but the pancakes are well worth the wait. Eating out does not happen often for Karel and I but when we do go out to eat we always check on-line menus ahead of time to check for vegetarian and healthy options.
I think there is something great about having wholesome products in our fridge. I love cutting up my veggies, cooking them and then adding spices and sauces to change the taste of the veggies. I love mixing foods together and taking a recipe I see on TV and making it my own with foods that Karel and I enjoy.
Last Friday I made a vegetarian meat-loaf and it was really, really good. Sometimes I impress myself when I have no idea what I am going to make and then as I am chopping and cooking, it all seems to come together. When I make a meal, like the meat-loaf, I always have an idea of what ingredients I want to use. I always have a protein and carb. I rely on olive oil for my fat, when cooking veggies or I add cheese for a little extra flavor. What is so important to preparing meals is using what you have and buying what you need. There is never a time when I tell Karel we have no food or nothing to make. There are always veggies, eggs and some type of meat and bread in our place and from that, there can easily be a healthy and satisfying meal. However, there are no unhealthy foods in our place which cause us to snack before cooking or to have something unhealthy for dinner. My rule when cooking is to always have a veggie, a protein (meat or vegetarian) and some food which you enjoy. For me, I like bread so I might have 1/2 pita or a piece of bread. Or, maybe I'll make hashbrowns for my carb to go alongside an omelet. And I never start cooking or looking through the fridge until I have an idea of what foods I am going to use for a meal. Once I know what I think I will make, I then like to go to the computer (if I have time) to see some recipes for new ideas. Most of all, I know that meals should be healthy and appealing. There are little tricks, such as adding sauces, toppings and spices to a meal, which can make it taste like something familiar. For example, by adding tomato sauce and a little cheese to any veggie stir-fry you can make it taste like pizza and adding salsa to a salad or veggies you can make the meal taste like something from a mexican restaurant. Or, if you like pasta, you can cook a 1 portion of pasta and use that IN a recipe rather than make the pasta THE main meal.
Here is my vegetarian meat-loaf. I cooked 1/4 cup brown rice and 1/4 egg noodles in boiling water and when soft, I added that to a stir-fry of corn, mushrooms, 1 pizza veggie burger, veggie crumbles, canned tomatoes w/ chilis and salsa. I put it in a baking dish and cooked it for about 20 min. at 375-degrees. I topped it with a little mozzerella and parmesean. I didn't add any bread to this meal since it went very well with a nice salad on the side.
Another suggestion I have for cooking is to switch around your idea of what you are eating. Have a bowl of fruit with a topping of ice cream or have a bowl of cooked veggies w/ a topping of pasta. Use smaller plates for the entree meal and serve a salad w/ all meals. Use a coffee cup to eat cereal in the evening and have a smoothie w/ cereal rather than cereal w/ milk. Have an open face PB&J and add a side of yogurt rather than adding extra calories with two pieces of bread.
Karel is the one who created this meal that we eat about once a month. We rarely order pizza (we haven't ordered pizza since we moved in May) but we love pizza. I love thin crust and I love toppings. When Karel and I were getting to know each other back in 2006, he use to make me home-made pizza with fresh bread. He would dress it up with great toppings and it was so yummy since it was fresh. Now Karel buys a frozen pizza and when we are in the mood for pizza (we only keep 1 in our freezer and we usually have it on the weekend if we are both really exhausted from training) we "dress up" the pizza.
We add corn, mushrooms, veggie meat, sauce, onions, scallions, nuts, etc. You name it, we add it! There is still the idea of cooking, when spicing up our pizza because I still have to cut and chop our own toppings. Sometimes we do 1/2 the pizza meat (for Karel) but we still by a cheese pizza.
We usually look for a pizza with the least amount of calories but since all frozen pizza's are high in calories according to serving size, we pile on the toppings so that we don't have to eat a lot of the pizza. If you just buy a regular frozen pizza, I'm sure any hungry male triathlete/cyclist could devour that pizza all alone. Well, with a large side salad and a tall glass of water, you only need about 1 or 2 pieces of pizza to feel satisfied.
I hope you enjoyed some of my ideas for "spicing" up some familiar recipes. If you have any concerns about foods you enjoy but don't know how to "spice" them up, let me know and I'll do my best to make a new creation for you!
So, to keep me occupied when I was enjoying my summer break I cooked a lot. Not much more than I would normally cook but I did a bit more baking than normal.
One of the best things about cooking is eating natural ingredients. I couldn't imagine popping a "meal" in a microwave and then pealing off the plastic and eating it out of a plastic container. Also, I can't think of a time in the last 6 years that I choose fast-food for dinner. The only time Karel and I eat fast-food is when we travel and the typical stop for us is Subway or the Publix grocery store Deli. Ok, after races we usually go to IHOP or Denny's but that is rarely, but the pancakes are well worth the wait. Eating out does not happen often for Karel and I but when we do go out to eat we always check on-line menus ahead of time to check for vegetarian and healthy options.
I think there is something great about having wholesome products in our fridge. I love cutting up my veggies, cooking them and then adding spices and sauces to change the taste of the veggies. I love mixing foods together and taking a recipe I see on TV and making it my own with foods that Karel and I enjoy.
Last Friday I made a vegetarian meat-loaf and it was really, really good. Sometimes I impress myself when I have no idea what I am going to make and then as I am chopping and cooking, it all seems to come together. When I make a meal, like the meat-loaf, I always have an idea of what ingredients I want to use. I always have a protein and carb. I rely on olive oil for my fat, when cooking veggies or I add cheese for a little extra flavor. What is so important to preparing meals is using what you have and buying what you need. There is never a time when I tell Karel we have no food or nothing to make. There are always veggies, eggs and some type of meat and bread in our place and from that, there can easily be a healthy and satisfying meal. However, there are no unhealthy foods in our place which cause us to snack before cooking or to have something unhealthy for dinner. My rule when cooking is to always have a veggie, a protein (meat or vegetarian) and some food which you enjoy. For me, I like bread so I might have 1/2 pita or a piece of bread. Or, maybe I'll make hashbrowns for my carb to go alongside an omelet. And I never start cooking or looking through the fridge until I have an idea of what foods I am going to use for a meal. Once I know what I think I will make, I then like to go to the computer (if I have time) to see some recipes for new ideas. Most of all, I know that meals should be healthy and appealing. There are little tricks, such as adding sauces, toppings and spices to a meal, which can make it taste like something familiar. For example, by adding tomato sauce and a little cheese to any veggie stir-fry you can make it taste like pizza and adding salsa to a salad or veggies you can make the meal taste like something from a mexican restaurant. Or, if you like pasta, you can cook a 1 portion of pasta and use that IN a recipe rather than make the pasta THE main meal.
Here is my vegetarian meat-loaf. I cooked 1/4 cup brown rice and 1/4 egg noodles in boiling water and when soft, I added that to a stir-fry of corn, mushrooms, 1 pizza veggie burger, veggie crumbles, canned tomatoes w/ chilis and salsa. I put it in a baking dish and cooked it for about 20 min. at 375-degrees. I topped it with a little mozzerella and parmesean. I didn't add any bread to this meal since it went very well with a nice salad on the side.
Another suggestion I have for cooking is to switch around your idea of what you are eating. Have a bowl of fruit with a topping of ice cream or have a bowl of cooked veggies w/ a topping of pasta. Use smaller plates for the entree meal and serve a salad w/ all meals. Use a coffee cup to eat cereal in the evening and have a smoothie w/ cereal rather than cereal w/ milk. Have an open face PB&J and add a side of yogurt rather than adding extra calories with two pieces of bread.
Karel is the one who created this meal that we eat about once a month. We rarely order pizza (we haven't ordered pizza since we moved in May) but we love pizza. I love thin crust and I love toppings. When Karel and I were getting to know each other back in 2006, he use to make me home-made pizza with fresh bread. He would dress it up with great toppings and it was so yummy since it was fresh. Now Karel buys a frozen pizza and when we are in the mood for pizza (we only keep 1 in our freezer and we usually have it on the weekend if we are both really exhausted from training) we "dress up" the pizza.
We add corn, mushrooms, veggie meat, sauce, onions, scallions, nuts, etc. You name it, we add it! There is still the idea of cooking, when spicing up our pizza because I still have to cut and chop our own toppings. Sometimes we do 1/2 the pizza meat (for Karel) but we still by a cheese pizza.
We usually look for a pizza with the least amount of calories but since all frozen pizza's are high in calories according to serving size, we pile on the toppings so that we don't have to eat a lot of the pizza. If you just buy a regular frozen pizza, I'm sure any hungry male triathlete/cyclist could devour that pizza all alone. Well, with a large side salad and a tall glass of water, you only need about 1 or 2 pieces of pizza to feel satisfied.
I hope you enjoyed some of my ideas for "spicing" up some familiar recipes. If you have any concerns about foods you enjoy but don't know how to "spice" them up, let me know and I'll do my best to make a new creation for you!
8/25/08
Hammerhead Olympic Triathlon Race Report
I'd like to say that my race day experience started on sunday morning but it actually started on sat. I was full on nerves all day long. Probably cause Karel was going to watch/support me at the race and because it has been tropical storming here for the past week. I guess my Type-A personality got the best of me and without a typical pre-race routine, or what I wanted to do before a race, I was a little uneasy about my prep during my taper for the race. Furthermore, with the floading, thunderstorms and rain that we have been experiencing, I didn't even know if I would have a race on sunday. Part of me wanted to get psyched for the race and visualize myself racing but I had to keep in mind that there may not be a race. I then didn't want to get myself depressed if the race was cancelled....and I lost my $95 to pay for a race that I wasn't doing. Oh the stress on saturday. I was just a little miserable to deal with that evening but Karel and I watched a movie and did a little shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond to pass the time.
I did get a good night sleep even though I woke up a few times on accident, yet still caught myself looking out the window. The alarm went off at 5am and the first thing I did, after looking out the window to see no rain (wheeww, relief!), was turn on the radar. "Karel, the race looks good."
The morning was a little silent for Karel and I as we were each doing our own things to get ready for my race. We left our place at 5:45am and off we went for our 40-mile drive to camp blanding.
I enjoyed my coffee w/ my typical pre-race breakfast of oatmeal, raisins, a little banana and a little PB (all combined). As usual I ate it in the car but found it stress-free to eat it in the passenger seat. Luckily, Karel new where we were going so I didn't even have to bring out my GPS on the way to the race venue.
I had heard great things about this race and the venue and I was really looking forward to the race. Now that the sun was rising and the clouds in the sky were rain-free, I felt like I could finally smile and enjoy the race.
After checking the race participant list several times, I knew winning the race wouldn't happen. I had to stay realistic about my lack of speed for a 10K run but I was staying positive about my ability to swim and bike fast. Plus, with Karel there I knew I would bike just a bit faster than I would without him being there to cheer me on.
After picking up my chip and getting body marked, I racked my bike and just chilled for about 40-min. Karel's boss/teammate/friend/team manager was racing the bike portion for a relay and it was just a hoot to see Jeff get body marked. He was totally against it and all he wanted to do was just ride a TT 40K bike route.
After going to the bathroom about 3 times (silly nerves), I headed to the water with Karel. I was really happy to have Karel with me because he does something that I just need before a race. He makes me laugh and smile. When I'm with Karel at his races I know he gets in the zone and that is what works for him. As for me, I remove my nerves by smiling for the camera, laughing and just talking to others.
After taking in a Hammer Gel 15-minutes before the start, it was time to head to the water for the swim start and after 2 waves of guys, it was time for my All Women Heat. Feeling lucky in my pink cap I went hard from the start. I know I won't ever win a race from the swim but I can build a nice lead heading out on the bike.
The swim went great and I felt really good. Although lacking in a few swim sessions every week for the last few months, I felt like I had enough endurance and speed to stay strong during the swim. After 5 bouys it was time to make the turn to swim straight to shore but unfortunantly the sun was right in my eyes. I was sure it was in everyone's eyes so I kept following the feet in front of me. Luckily, everyone was on course and I headed out of the water in 4th place.
Karel was right there by my bike and talking to me as I transitioned for my bike. He was such a good coach and told me to go get those girls and that I had a great swim.
The bike was 2-loops and it was fun. Just a few rollers but I kept my cadence steady and just switched my gears as I stayed in the big chain ring. I kept playing cat and mouse with a lady from Palm Harbor who recognized me as I passed her on an incline. With one 180-turn about mile 8 or 9 of the 12 mile loop I could spot the girls in front of me. I sat in 4th or 5th place for the entire bike and headed out to the run in the same position. Not only was the race a lot of fun but I kept seeing Karel at different parts of the course cheering and taking pictures. I think karel was spectating on his bike faster than others were riding but it was great to have him out there. When I got back from the bike I was really glad for my 1:11 bike ride. Of course with Karel at T2 I decided to have a little chat with him as I was putting on my shoes. He said I had a great bike ride and that I was in 4th or 5th place. I told him that I didn't think I could run these girls down but that I would run the best I could.
I headed out on the run and although the heat hit me on the bike, the run was a bit hot. What did surprise me on the run was that the course was not flat. The run course (all new to me that morning) was up and down for the entire 10K. Not only rollers but a few climbs at each turn around. It was a fun course to keep each mile very interesting but the aid stations seemed like a century away to get to. Each aid station had ice water and I dumped the ice down my Zoot bra top and it really did the trick to keep me cool. I had gatorade at aid station 3 and 5 and that was the first time I had gatorade since May. Luckily, I stayed well-hydrated during the bike and since I knew it would be a hot run, I relied on my HIM hydration strategy of drinking every 15-minutes. Whereas in a sprint distance tri I would maybe make it through 1/2 a bottle of my amino acid's I decided on using 1 scoop amino vital + a little less than a scoop of the amino acids for this olympic distance. For any longer of a race than an OD I would only use HEED + amino's. For a "sprint" type race or one that requires max-out efforts like this race, I needed my brain to be just as energized as my body.
So, as far as the run I didn't use any gels but made sure I had as much fluid as I could get in during the run. I ended up only passing one girl on the run and got passed by two girls.
I think the only thing that saved me during my run was getting in tune with my body. I knew 6-miles would not go quickly and with a challenging course, I needed to stay focused on my running. Although I know my speed is just not where it needs to be to be a speedster in the oympic distance tri-scene, I do know that I have endurance and a lot of slow-twitch fibers. If I can find a comfortable pace I know I can sustain it. I found my ryhthm at mile 3 of the run and by mile 4 I was picking up the pace. I made quick looks at my watch to make sure I would come in at mile goal time of 2:25. Focusing on my run stride, breathing and form really helped me stay focused during the run and before I knew it I was seeing the crowd and the finish line. And of course..there was Karel!
This was a great race and I was really glad of my PR of 3 minutes. This was my 4th Olympic distance triathlon and a race that I really thought I didn't like. A sprint distance is fast enough for me but double the distance and it is a whole new, painful race. Give me a day to keep my body in motion for swim/bike/run and I will be a happy camper. Well, I did like this challenge and I would be up for doing another Olympic distance tri in my triathlon career :)
Thanks for everyone for my nice reply's on my blog. I appreciate your enthusiasm for me racing and it makes it a lot more fun to write a race report when I can hear that I have some sort of speed in these legs. And a big thanks to Karel for being at my race. And after 2 1/2 hours of watching me race, Karel needed to relieve himself from being inside for a week straight and then watching me race....so he bike the 40-miles home as I waited for the awards :)
Upcoming goals: Run faster!
*October 4th- Marine Corps 1/2 marathon in Jacksonville
*Dec 21st- Jacksonville Marathon
Enjoy the pics!
Karel's bike
Karel's bike in the spotlight...again
Another pic of Karel's bike
I told Karel he shouldn't touch me cause I was all sweaty and gross so he gave me the two-finger hug.
I did get a good night sleep even though I woke up a few times on accident, yet still caught myself looking out the window. The alarm went off at 5am and the first thing I did, after looking out the window to see no rain (wheeww, relief!), was turn on the radar. "Karel, the race looks good."
The morning was a little silent for Karel and I as we were each doing our own things to get ready for my race. We left our place at 5:45am and off we went for our 40-mile drive to camp blanding.
I enjoyed my coffee w/ my typical pre-race breakfast of oatmeal, raisins, a little banana and a little PB (all combined). As usual I ate it in the car but found it stress-free to eat it in the passenger seat. Luckily, Karel new where we were going so I didn't even have to bring out my GPS on the way to the race venue.
I had heard great things about this race and the venue and I was really looking forward to the race. Now that the sun was rising and the clouds in the sky were rain-free, I felt like I could finally smile and enjoy the race.
After checking the race participant list several times, I knew winning the race wouldn't happen. I had to stay realistic about my lack of speed for a 10K run but I was staying positive about my ability to swim and bike fast. Plus, with Karel there I knew I would bike just a bit faster than I would without him being there to cheer me on.
After picking up my chip and getting body marked, I racked my bike and just chilled for about 40-min. Karel's boss/teammate/friend/team manager was racing the bike portion for a relay and it was just a hoot to see Jeff get body marked. He was totally against it and all he wanted to do was just ride a TT 40K bike route.
After going to the bathroom about 3 times (silly nerves), I headed to the water with Karel. I was really happy to have Karel with me because he does something that I just need before a race. He makes me laugh and smile. When I'm with Karel at his races I know he gets in the zone and that is what works for him. As for me, I remove my nerves by smiling for the camera, laughing and just talking to others.
After taking in a Hammer Gel 15-minutes before the start, it was time to head to the water for the swim start and after 2 waves of guys, it was time for my All Women Heat. Feeling lucky in my pink cap I went hard from the start. I know I won't ever win a race from the swim but I can build a nice lead heading out on the bike.
The swim went great and I felt really good. Although lacking in a few swim sessions every week for the last few months, I felt like I had enough endurance and speed to stay strong during the swim. After 5 bouys it was time to make the turn to swim straight to shore but unfortunantly the sun was right in my eyes. I was sure it was in everyone's eyes so I kept following the feet in front of me. Luckily, everyone was on course and I headed out of the water in 4th place.
Karel was right there by my bike and talking to me as I transitioned for my bike. He was such a good coach and told me to go get those girls and that I had a great swim.
The bike was 2-loops and it was fun. Just a few rollers but I kept my cadence steady and just switched my gears as I stayed in the big chain ring. I kept playing cat and mouse with a lady from Palm Harbor who recognized me as I passed her on an incline. With one 180-turn about mile 8 or 9 of the 12 mile loop I could spot the girls in front of me. I sat in 4th or 5th place for the entire bike and headed out to the run in the same position. Not only was the race a lot of fun but I kept seeing Karel at different parts of the course cheering and taking pictures. I think karel was spectating on his bike faster than others were riding but it was great to have him out there. When I got back from the bike I was really glad for my 1:11 bike ride. Of course with Karel at T2 I decided to have a little chat with him as I was putting on my shoes. He said I had a great bike ride and that I was in 4th or 5th place. I told him that I didn't think I could run these girls down but that I would run the best I could.
I headed out on the run and although the heat hit me on the bike, the run was a bit hot. What did surprise me on the run was that the course was not flat. The run course (all new to me that morning) was up and down for the entire 10K. Not only rollers but a few climbs at each turn around. It was a fun course to keep each mile very interesting but the aid stations seemed like a century away to get to. Each aid station had ice water and I dumped the ice down my Zoot bra top and it really did the trick to keep me cool. I had gatorade at aid station 3 and 5 and that was the first time I had gatorade since May. Luckily, I stayed well-hydrated during the bike and since I knew it would be a hot run, I relied on my HIM hydration strategy of drinking every 15-minutes. Whereas in a sprint distance tri I would maybe make it through 1/2 a bottle of my amino acid's I decided on using 1 scoop amino vital + a little less than a scoop of the amino acids for this olympic distance. For any longer of a race than an OD I would only use HEED + amino's. For a "sprint" type race or one that requires max-out efforts like this race, I needed my brain to be just as energized as my body.
So, as far as the run I didn't use any gels but made sure I had as much fluid as I could get in during the run. I ended up only passing one girl on the run and got passed by two girls.
I think the only thing that saved me during my run was getting in tune with my body. I knew 6-miles would not go quickly and with a challenging course, I needed to stay focused on my running. Although I know my speed is just not where it needs to be to be a speedster in the oympic distance tri-scene, I do know that I have endurance and a lot of slow-twitch fibers. If I can find a comfortable pace I know I can sustain it. I found my ryhthm at mile 3 of the run and by mile 4 I was picking up the pace. I made quick looks at my watch to make sure I would come in at mile goal time of 2:25. Focusing on my run stride, breathing and form really helped me stay focused during the run and before I knew it I was seeing the crowd and the finish line. And of course..there was Karel!
This was a great race and I was really glad of my PR of 3 minutes. This was my 4th Olympic distance triathlon and a race that I really thought I didn't like. A sprint distance is fast enough for me but double the distance and it is a whole new, painful race. Give me a day to keep my body in motion for swim/bike/run and I will be a happy camper. Well, I did like this challenge and I would be up for doing another Olympic distance tri in my triathlon career :)
Thanks for everyone for my nice reply's on my blog. I appreciate your enthusiasm for me racing and it makes it a lot more fun to write a race report when I can hear that I have some sort of speed in these legs. And a big thanks to Karel for being at my race. And after 2 1/2 hours of watching me race, Karel needed to relieve himself from being inside for a week straight and then watching me race....so he bike the 40-miles home as I waited for the awards :)
Upcoming goals: Run faster!
*October 4th- Marine Corps 1/2 marathon in Jacksonville
*Dec 21st- Jacksonville Marathon
Enjoy the pics!
Karel's bike
Karel's bike in the spotlight...again
Another pic of Karel's bike
I told Karel he shouldn't touch me cause I was all sweaty and gross so he gave me the two-finger hug.
8/24/08
Race Result
http://www.altavistasports.com/results/2008results/hammerheadolympictriathlon082408.html
Race report (w/ pics) to come!
Hammerhead Olympic Distance Triathlon
Finish time:2:25:41
Swim: 24:06
T1:1:49
Bike:1:11:20
T2:0:53
Run:47:35
PR by 3 minutes!!!
2nd age group (25-29)
30th overall
6th overall female
Race report (w/ pics) to come!
Hammerhead Olympic Distance Triathlon
Finish time:2:25:41
Swim: 24:06
T1:1:49
Bike:1:11:20
T2:0:53
Run:47:35
PR by 3 minutes!!!
2nd age group (25-29)
30th overall
6th overall female
8/22/08
Dear Fay,
Hello Fay. You have been here for almost three whole days and I think it is time for you to leave. I have always loved the rain and an ocassional evening shower makes for a great movie-night with Karel, but I think we've had enough.
I had a routine that worked for me and now I find myself bored by 7am. The Y is closed, the roads are floaded and the trainer is no fun. Ok, so I only rode it once but I rather be outside, on the road. Sorry Fay but bikes are not suppose to be stationary. Luckily, I am tapering for a race right now but because of you...I might not have a race on sunday. I'm not mad, just a little upset that you had to come right now.
Although this is a recovery week for Karel he does not like the trainer. After I rode the trainer yesterday morning for 45 min, Karel took his turn on the trainer. Coach Troy did not entertain Karel and I don't think he enjoyed the workout on his TT bike. I did take a pic and it was cute to see him training on his "tri-bike" :)
We are very lucky that we didn't lose power but the fish are not happy that the electricity flips on and off. Our fish get scared just like anyone and they do not appreciate what you are doing to them.
Smulda does not like it that there are no cars moving in our parking lot and that all the animals and creatures are gone. However, Smudla had an entertaining night last night when Mr. Squirrel came onto our pourch and cleaned the wood floor. Smulda wished so bad that she could go outside but we told her that it was unsafe because of you, Fay. However, we were only kidding. We knew Smudla would chase that squirrel down a tree, from our 3rd story apartment until she could come back with a dead present for us.
Well, Fay. Although I have been really bored, having finished all my articles for next month and catching up on lots of emails and nutrition forms, I did get into a little baking and cooking. I know, I'm not a baker but with a little extra time on my hands I thought this would be a good time to make some food for Karel. While everyone is out buying water and canned food for the tropical storm, I have been making many quick stops (in the pouring rain and 40+mph gusts of wind) just to pick up canned pinapple, walnuts, what bran flour and chicken. You don't scare me Fay and if anything, I am going to make sure Karel and I eat well right now in the case that we have to live off PB&J for a few days and we are forced to eat all the ice cream in our freezer.
I have had a lot of fun making breaded chicken for karel and my own version of "chicken" for me. Ok, you got me Fay, it is nothing like Chicken but I did sculpt my veggie meat and egg white look like Karel's chicken. The chickpeas and veggies were great and I even made my own sweet potatoe casserole out of only 1 sweet potatoe! I cooked the leftover egg white wash from karel's chicken and we both split 1/2 whole gran Hala pita.
I also stir-fried a bunch of veggies with salsa and veggie meat and when I added a little brown rice and put it all over some crisp romaine lettuce it tasted just like it was from a mexican restaurant.
I even made cinnamon raisin bread and carrot cake bread. All very healthy and without sugar or white flour.
I'll make you a deal Fay. If you leave now so I can do my race on Sunday and Karel can get off the trainer and ride outside, I will make you some oatmeal raisin and walnut cookies. Ok, so they are more like oatmeal drops than cookies but they are really good!
I look forward to hear from you.....ASAP!
-marni
I had a routine that worked for me and now I find myself bored by 7am. The Y is closed, the roads are floaded and the trainer is no fun. Ok, so I only rode it once but I rather be outside, on the road. Sorry Fay but bikes are not suppose to be stationary. Luckily, I am tapering for a race right now but because of you...I might not have a race on sunday. I'm not mad, just a little upset that you had to come right now.
Although this is a recovery week for Karel he does not like the trainer. After I rode the trainer yesterday morning for 45 min, Karel took his turn on the trainer. Coach Troy did not entertain Karel and I don't think he enjoyed the workout on his TT bike. I did take a pic and it was cute to see him training on his "tri-bike" :)
We are very lucky that we didn't lose power but the fish are not happy that the electricity flips on and off. Our fish get scared just like anyone and they do not appreciate what you are doing to them.
Smulda does not like it that there are no cars moving in our parking lot and that all the animals and creatures are gone. However, Smudla had an entertaining night last night when Mr. Squirrel came onto our pourch and cleaned the wood floor. Smulda wished so bad that she could go outside but we told her that it was unsafe because of you, Fay. However, we were only kidding. We knew Smudla would chase that squirrel down a tree, from our 3rd story apartment until she could come back with a dead present for us.
Well, Fay. Although I have been really bored, having finished all my articles for next month and catching up on lots of emails and nutrition forms, I did get into a little baking and cooking. I know, I'm not a baker but with a little extra time on my hands I thought this would be a good time to make some food for Karel. While everyone is out buying water and canned food for the tropical storm, I have been making many quick stops (in the pouring rain and 40+mph gusts of wind) just to pick up canned pinapple, walnuts, what bran flour and chicken. You don't scare me Fay and if anything, I am going to make sure Karel and I eat well right now in the case that we have to live off PB&J for a few days and we are forced to eat all the ice cream in our freezer.
I have had a lot of fun making breaded chicken for karel and my own version of "chicken" for me. Ok, you got me Fay, it is nothing like Chicken but I did sculpt my veggie meat and egg white look like Karel's chicken. The chickpeas and veggies were great and I even made my own sweet potatoe casserole out of only 1 sweet potatoe! I cooked the leftover egg white wash from karel's chicken and we both split 1/2 whole gran Hala pita.
I also stir-fried a bunch of veggies with salsa and veggie meat and when I added a little brown rice and put it all over some crisp romaine lettuce it tasted just like it was from a mexican restaurant.
I even made cinnamon raisin bread and carrot cake bread. All very healthy and without sugar or white flour.
I'll make you a deal Fay. If you leave now so I can do my race on Sunday and Karel can get off the trainer and ride outside, I will make you some oatmeal raisin and walnut cookies. Ok, so they are more like oatmeal drops than cookies but they are really good!
I look forward to hear from you.....ASAP!
-marni
8/20/08
The final product
I love watching sports. Although I am not a fan of ball sports, I LOVE individual sports. Ok, i do love watching beach volleyball which counts as a team, ball-sport.
Anyways, there is something about individual sports that is really exciting. Just seeing someone in the olympics, standing at the starting line, thinking about all the work that went into that one day gives me chills. That one day which will determine if they win the gold, siver or bronze or just that one day that an individual gets to represent their country. It doesn't really matter for me who wins or loses when I am looking at someone in the olympics because I enjoy watching all individual pursuits.
What is so amazing about individual sports is that each athlete has to commit to their sport of choice. Yes, there might be other athletes around but each athlete is training only one body...their own body. Each athlete has a training threshold, each athlete has a pain threshold and each athlete is vulnerable to an injury. Each athlete has a coach and possibly a team. But in the end the coach trains each athlete and sees each athlete for his or her own individual strengths and weakness's.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that checks out the bodies of the athletes. Coming from an exercise physiology background, I absolutly love looking at bodies. I do find myself checking out the female bodies more than the male bodies (who needs an olympian when I have a Karel :)) because it is a body I can relate to.
I got to thinking about the many women (or men) watching the olympics and seeing the strong, toned, buff bodies of athletes. Oh yeah, the FAST bodies. All that individual effort transformed a body into a lean mean fighting machine and a gosh darn nice looking body.
Now, I wonder how many of those athletes are concerned about their body weight. Well, I'm sure the olympians are just like any individual and good food = successful performances and the body should be healthy and lean to avoid unnecessary body weight. However, I doubt these athletes got into the olympics thinking "I am going to run repeaters on the track at 110% max HR to lose 5 lbs" or "I'm going to swim 5 hours a day so I can have buff arms and a 6-pack of abs." I'm sure these athletes had a dream to be in the olympics and the body came with the training. Furthermore, the olympics isn't a yearly event. These athletes have been training for years just to reach the day to compete (and qualify) in the olympics.
So, with all this individual effort to train a body to make it to the olympics I wonder how many of these athletes read magazines of what other athletes are doing? "Coach, this runner is doing this workout, I think I will do this tomorrow" I don't think that would go so well with the coach of Lolo jones or natalie Coughlin. I assume that a 100 butterfly athlete is not doing the same workouts in and out of the pool as a 1500 meter swimmer. I am sure a track athlete is not doing the same workout as a marathon runner.
So, how does nutrition relate to this matter of reaching the final product?
Aside from wishing that we could have the arms of a rower, legs of a runner and abs of a gymnast, it would be hard to assume that good nutrition didn't play a part in transforming the bodies of the athletes. Sure these athletes may have great genetics but each athlete is different and each athlete is an individual.
It really concerns me that athletes (normal athletes like us) feel the need to focus on what others are eating. Athletes want to eat what the pro's eat or want to eat the latest and greatest sport product. It really concerns me when athletes come to me and ask me to tell them what to eat. I know I say it a lot but eating has to be concious. It takes work just like any training session but it is an individual effort. Given the right tools or right coach, the template can be formed. However, success and the final product, whether it be weight loss or performance gains, is an individual effort and as much as you may want it to happen over night, results don't happen over night. However, if you can truely recognize the changes and steps that are taken to reach your goal, I think you will find yourself getting to the final product a lot sooner than you had imagined.
Anyways, there is something about individual sports that is really exciting. Just seeing someone in the olympics, standing at the starting line, thinking about all the work that went into that one day gives me chills. That one day which will determine if they win the gold, siver or bronze or just that one day that an individual gets to represent their country. It doesn't really matter for me who wins or loses when I am looking at someone in the olympics because I enjoy watching all individual pursuits.
What is so amazing about individual sports is that each athlete has to commit to their sport of choice. Yes, there might be other athletes around but each athlete is training only one body...their own body. Each athlete has a training threshold, each athlete has a pain threshold and each athlete is vulnerable to an injury. Each athlete has a coach and possibly a team. But in the end the coach trains each athlete and sees each athlete for his or her own individual strengths and weakness's.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that checks out the bodies of the athletes. Coming from an exercise physiology background, I absolutly love looking at bodies. I do find myself checking out the female bodies more than the male bodies (who needs an olympian when I have a Karel :)) because it is a body I can relate to.
I got to thinking about the many women (or men) watching the olympics and seeing the strong, toned, buff bodies of athletes. Oh yeah, the FAST bodies. All that individual effort transformed a body into a lean mean fighting machine and a gosh darn nice looking body.
Now, I wonder how many of those athletes are concerned about their body weight. Well, I'm sure the olympians are just like any individual and good food = successful performances and the body should be healthy and lean to avoid unnecessary body weight. However, I doubt these athletes got into the olympics thinking "I am going to run repeaters on the track at 110% max HR to lose 5 lbs" or "I'm going to swim 5 hours a day so I can have buff arms and a 6-pack of abs." I'm sure these athletes had a dream to be in the olympics and the body came with the training. Furthermore, the olympics isn't a yearly event. These athletes have been training for years just to reach the day to compete (and qualify) in the olympics.
So, with all this individual effort to train a body to make it to the olympics I wonder how many of these athletes read magazines of what other athletes are doing? "Coach, this runner is doing this workout, I think I will do this tomorrow" I don't think that would go so well with the coach of Lolo jones or natalie Coughlin. I assume that a 100 butterfly athlete is not doing the same workouts in and out of the pool as a 1500 meter swimmer. I am sure a track athlete is not doing the same workout as a marathon runner.
So, how does nutrition relate to this matter of reaching the final product?
Aside from wishing that we could have the arms of a rower, legs of a runner and abs of a gymnast, it would be hard to assume that good nutrition didn't play a part in transforming the bodies of the athletes. Sure these athletes may have great genetics but each athlete is different and each athlete is an individual.
It really concerns me that athletes (normal athletes like us) feel the need to focus on what others are eating. Athletes want to eat what the pro's eat or want to eat the latest and greatest sport product. It really concerns me when athletes come to me and ask me to tell them what to eat. I know I say it a lot but eating has to be concious. It takes work just like any training session but it is an individual effort. Given the right tools or right coach, the template can be formed. However, success and the final product, whether it be weight loss or performance gains, is an individual effort and as much as you may want it to happen over night, results don't happen over night. However, if you can truely recognize the changes and steps that are taken to reach your goal, I think you will find yourself getting to the final product a lot sooner than you had imagined.
8/18/08
Trek Clinic
Karel and Cason (the GM) had a great time at the Top 100 TREK conference in Wisconsin.
I think he had a bit too much fun. I received many text messages during his trip as he test rode many demo bikes behind the Trek factory. What a rough life, attend clinics in the morning and ride in the afternoon.
Although I wanted pics of WI so I could see the IM course, I only received a few city pics while most of the pics were of bikes.
In the evening of one of the talks, Karel took lots of pics of the new line of custom bikes where you can pick your colors for almost every part of the bike.
I was a little bummed when I didn't see a WSD madonne by Karel's side when he arrived back home but that's ok. Instead I got a lovely coffee cup :)
Well, my off-season hasn't begun quite yet and Karel still has a few more months until I can make use of a new Women specific road bike. And if you think Karel buys me bikes and bike parts I have to tell the truth. I have to say that a shared bank account is how I (we) afford bikes but a fiance who is a manager at a Trek store is a fabulous thing. :)
So, amidst all the talks and tours, Karel came home with two surprising comments.
1) Karel now understands women. There was a talk (by a woman) about how to read a women and how to be a good salesman when speaking and understanding women. Well, that is a good thing that Karel now "understands" me. :)
2) Karel has found his next bike. A Trek mountain bike. Karel rode a full suspension carbon mountain bike at the clinic for 2 hours on Friday and fell in love with mountain biking. He is looking forward to the off-season and doing a lot of mountain biking. Apparently, I am getting a mountain bike as well and I will be joining karel for some trail rides and races. Maybe mountain biking will help me with my worries of cycling.
Enjoy the pics!
8/16/08
I was wrong
OK Phelps.
You Win.
After a finish like that and making history...you can eat whatever you want Mr. Phelps.
Only kidding. A diet of a swimmer who puts out a finish like that and a noteworthy Olympic performance is only putting the best into his body right now.
GO USA!
*BTW - I thought the olympics was suppose to make us better athletes?? You know, insipre us to wake up and work a bit harder than the day before? Instead I am finding myself staying up until way past 11pm and then waking up super early so I can rush through a morning workout to catch everything I missed on the DVR. Errrr, I just feel guilty if I miss anything!!! :)
You Win.
After a finish like that and making history...you can eat whatever you want Mr. Phelps.
Only kidding. A diet of a swimmer who puts out a finish like that and a noteworthy Olympic performance is only putting the best into his body right now.
GO USA!
*BTW - I thought the olympics was suppose to make us better athletes?? You know, insipre us to wake up and work a bit harder than the day before? Instead I am finding myself staying up until way past 11pm and then waking up super early so I can rush through a morning workout to catch everything I missed on the DVR. Errrr, I just feel guilty if I miss anything!!! :)
8/14/08
Not buying it
12,000 calories a day???? Ok, I will believe 8,000-10,000 calories a day but even with all those golds you have to watch what you eat Michael Phelps.
Before I go off on my rampaged of sports nutrition I want to talk about swimming as a sport.
Having spent a mere 10 years of my life swimming competitively, I know the life of a swimmer. Sleep, eat and swim. You add in a little school, homework, extracurriculars (piano lessons for me) and an occasional night out with friends, swimming was my life from my 8th grade year until I graduated from college.
I know what it is like to swim a 5 x 2 hour afternoon swim practices a week and 1, 3 hour swim practice on sat morning, after having swam an hour at 4:30am, 3 days a week, and then an hour of dry land 3 days a week. And that was just in High School. Life got a bit more challenging when I was spending 4 years in college trying to balance 4 x 1 hour morning swim practices at 5am and then 5 x 2 1/2 hour afternoon practices and 4-5 dry land sessions a week, all while working for a bachelor degree. Oh, and then there are swim meets when I could swim anywhere from 9 races in a 3-day USS meet or 3-4 races in a one-day collegiate meet. Since I choose the mid-distance and anything but freestyle, I can almost remember many painful swim practices where I only thought about how many hours I had until the next swim practice. Did my shoulders have enough time to recover and why does my back hurt so bad?? I do remember several horrible swim sets which had me really wishing that I was a 50 freestyler. However, I absolutely loved swimming and I really can't remember a time when I asked my parents not to take me to swim practice and if something interfered with swim practice, it was an awful feeling to miss even 1 swim practice.
Here are a few of my favorite swim sets:
- 20 x 100's free repeaters on 1:15. If you missed a cycle, you start back at #1. I remember having to start over at #12. This set was on a sat morning in HS and all I wanted to do was finish the set so I could go home to eat and sleep.
- 8 x 400 IM's. I don't remember the cycle but I remember my USS swim team (in HS) going to meet Janet Evans at a swim shop so we did a set that she would do. Lucky us.
-8 x 50's no breath. Yes, you heard me right. This was a set we did in college every several weeks. It was more mental than anything since lung capacity is a given when you are a college swimmer. You had all the time in the world to do each 50 and you had to dive off the block and do a flip turn.
-8 x 200's butterfly. This was a big set for me every year of college and HS. MY best time was at the KY state swim meet when I placed 7th in the final heat of 200 fly and swam 2:19. I'd probably die if I tried to swim more than a 50 butterfly all out right now. Thank goodness I am an IM athlete :)
-8 x 100's fly on 7 min. Each 100 had to be below 1:10. Ouch, that's all I remember from this one.
But in addition to swimming, there is also dryland. This is where triathletes, cyclists and most other athletes differ from swimmers. Dryland is another component of the sport of swimming. Whereas triathletes spend time swimming, biking and running and leave very little time for weight lifting and other exercises, an hour a day on most days of the week is left to dryland exercises. This is where swimmers probably burn a lot of calories because the training is all about working the muscles. Triathletes train to be efficient and unfortunately, we train are bodies to NOT burn a lot of calories. That is just part of the training so that we can race efficiently for 1,2, 5 or 12+ hours. We aren't training our bodies to race for 20 seconds, 2 minutes or even 3 minutes. However, with swimmers, most of the training is anaerobic and the supply of energy is limited. The 2000 calories worth of stored carbs in the muscles, that triathletes use during high intensity workouts is what swimmers use for almost the entire workout. Training for 2-hours a day for months and months and months is like the feeling of having to do an IM every week for a month straight. It is hard to properly fuel and the need to eat everything in site becomes normally. Therefore, most of the calories burned during a swim practice (which can easily be over 2000 calories in a 2-hour swim practice) need to be replaced whenever possible after practice. Also, swimming is a sport that really increases the appetite and with 2 a day practices, burning calories is a day long affire.
So, do I think Michael Phelps needs 12,000 calories a day? Well, if you break down 5 hours of swimming and an hour of dryland a day, I would guess he could easily burn over 10,000 calories a day with most of that being stored carbs...and very little stored fat (even though a lean person can use stored fat for fuel). Adding to his resting metabolic rate of over 2000 calories (I am guessing because of his muscle mass) he does need a lot of calories to swim like a fish. However, it is important that a high calorie diet is also a healthy diet for the body and the heart.
I do not believe that Phelps eats, or needs to eat, fried onion rings, eggs, mayo sandwiches and french toast (totalling 4000 calories a meal) everyday. This is the media playing up his diet because he is super lean and they probably compiled several of phelps favorite meals and put it together as a daily diet. Just like the Tour riders, I do think that Phelps eats a lot and just like any athlete, I'm sure he indulges and eats whatever he wants at times. But, he is just eating like a young male who has learned he can eat whatever he wants when he wants.
Now is this the right diet for him? Well, I can't debate about this because I am not swimming 17 races in the Olympics and shooting for 8 gold medals. However, I can look at the diets of other athletes, such as Dara Torres, Amanda Beard and Natalie Coughlin and I can see a lot more moderation with a combination of healthy meals that you and I would eat, in addition to some sweet treats that we all deserve due to our training.
If I were the nutrition coach of Phelps I would take out greasy, fatty and fried food. Too add in calories, he should simply do the opposite of what people do to lose weight. You add in juices, higher calorie whole grains, more calorie dense foods and of course a few sweet treats because, well, he can.
I believe if Phelps ate his typical 12,000 calories on a daily basis he would feel like crap and he would swim like crap. I think Phelps eats when he is hungry and stops when he is full. We know he needs to sleep at night, take naps and spend 5+ hours a day swimming (in addition to media stuff) and the body can only take in so much food before the stomach gets full. However, we don't know what his insides look like and an uncontrollable diet to feed the demands of swimming may work now but it would be interesting to see what changes he would need to make with his diet after he stops swimming. I will be happy to help you, Mr. Phelps, when you decide to make the transition from eating like a swimmer to eating like a "normal" person :)
I do think that performance is the ultimate goal when eating to fuel an Olympic swimmer but just like any individual, it is important to eat for health and longevity.
Well, that's all I have to say about that.
GO USA!
8/12/08
Interval Tuesday!
I am just pooped.
I woke up this morning anticipating a very hard run. 2 weeks until my olympic distance triathlon in Jacksonville (at camp blanding). I never thought this workout would be as hard as it was for 52 minutes. 52 minutes of sweating like crazy, my legs feeling like they will run away from me and breathing a bit heavier than I have in previous runs. But I loved every moment of it....well, now I do. At the moment...not so much. I kept asking myself "is this really what I have to do to get faster?" I think watching some recaps of the Olympics on the treadmill TV re-confirmed how hard you have to push your body if you want to see serious results.
I got the set from Karel's coach, Shawn, who owns Velocity Multisport coaching. He has some great blogs on his site http://vmscoaching.blogspot.com/
Shawn is training for Kona right now and putting in some serious hill work. Instead of doing the percent grades on the treadmill, I took some of his intervals and kinda made up my own set. Here is it:
10 min warm-up at 7.3 mph
5 x 40 sec pick-ups at 8.5 mph w/ 15 sec recovery
Main Set 3x's!!
1 min @ 9.5mph (5K pace)
2 min @ 8.9mph (10K pace)
3 min @ 8.5mph (HIM pace)
2 min walk @ 3.5mph (had to walk or else I would die)
2 min jog @ 7.5mph
Repeat set
5 x 40 sec pick-ups at 8.5 mph w/ 15 sec recovery
Cool-down
Total: 52 min, 6.5 miles
As you can see, there are NO rest breaks in the main set. That is why I had to walk after the set. I really thought I wouldn't get through the first set if I knew I had to keep running before the next set. The hardest part of the set was the 3 min @ 8.5mph. I kept looking at the time for each part of the main set and it was just an awful feeling when I would painfully see that I had 2:40 left at 8.5mph. But, I made it all and I feel a bit stronger.
I headed to the pool and did a short tempo swim. The yardage was short again but I will put in more time in the pool tomorrow morning.
500 warm-up
600 pace
300 pace
200 pace
100 pace
100 warm-down
Total: 1800 yards
As for the rest of my day, I will get some work done on the computer (did I mention I am LOVING not being in school right now!!!). Later today I take Karel to the airport for a clinic in Wisconsin at the Trek Corporation headquarters. He will be learning all about the new Treks, Trek concepts and other Trek stuff which will really help out his store. Maybe he will come back with some freebies as well...like a WSD Trek madonne for me???? :)
8/10/08
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!!!!!
You helped me reach my goals after you let me have big goals.
You told me to always be happy, even if it took a little more work than the easy way out.
You never questioned my ambitions and most of all you have always supported me. I LOVE YOU MOM AND I'M SO LUCKY TO HAVE THE BEST MOM EVER!!!
Being a spectator in Kona
Running the Ironman World championships...with me :)
Watching Karel's race with me
Entertaining Karel :)
You helped me reach my goals after you let me have big goals.
You told me to always be happy, even if it took a little more work than the easy way out.
You never questioned my ambitions and most of all you have always supported me. I LOVE YOU MOM AND I'M SO LUCKY TO HAVE THE BEST MOM EVER!!!
Being a spectator in Kona
Running the Ironman World championships...with me :)
Watching Karel's race with me
Entertaining Karel :)
A successful weekend...
Did I mention Karel got a new bike? No more Cervelo, moving on to Trek. He LOVES his super fast ride...the Trek Madone 5.2.
Of taking pictures. :)
Ok, so I guess I have some races to talk about.
Saturday morning I had a road race. Yes, you heard me right. My third weekend in a row of racing and my 2nd cycling road race in the past 3 weeks.
My race started at 7:30am and I think that made me a little less nervous. Since the race was 20 miles from our place and early in the morning, I kinda felt like it was just a morning of training. A morning of training with around 50 other guys and girls. The race was a combination of the 50+ men and all the women (cat 1,2,3 and 4). This was a big group but it actually made the race a lot more enjoyable. We averaged 25 mph for most of the race and there were a lot of attacks.
The course was around 6.5 miles and almost completely flat. I just loved it! What a difference compared to the GA races. There were 4 turns on the course and I felt a lot more confident with my sweeping turns. We did 6 loops to give us around 42 miles and with the words of my coach (karel) in my head "Stay on a wheel!!!" I ended up finishing with the pack. There was a small breakaway group of 4 people (2 girls, 2 guys) but we couldn't catch them. I even did some rotations and tried to stay in the front. Again, no sprinting legs for me so I finished with everyone, but 8th in the cat 4 group. I was still happy with my finish and I couldn't wait to watch Karel and the Linder Capital team. There are two new riders on the team (temporary riders from the Sweet Bay team) and the team is even stronger than before!
Since I don't have many opportunities to run after a bike race (except in a triathlon) I decided to put on my running shoes and go for a run. My legs were super tired and I took little breaks (to cheer of course) and I finished with a 40 min run. It was a great feeling to run right after pushing as hard as I could to the finish, whereas in a bike training ride, I usually end with an easy spin or warm-down.
So, after the 40 min run I drenched myself in water since I was burning up and super thirsy. I then headed to the feed zone so I could hand water bottles to the thirsty cyclists. The guys did 9 loops of the 6.5 course and every loop the field was changing. The finish was super exciting because Karel was in the breakaway group. Just like in all road races or crits, the team works together to cover attacks and make moves so that the strongest rider for the day (on the linder team) can try to get a win or a top place. It was Karel's turn on sat for the sprint to the finish. Karel's strength is sprinting and if it wasn't for a cramp in his leg, as he was sprinting, he may have taken the sprint for the win. But, Karel did get his highest finish for the year and placed 5th and brought back some money as well. The team did well and Karel was happy (and exhausted) with the race.
So, I passed on racing on sunday but I got in a great run in the morning. Not sure why I am putting in these long runs but I really enjoy seeing myself get stronger with each run. I ran 1:48 and felt great. Very hot and thirsty (even with my fuel belt) but I still enjoyed my hot run.
I passed on my spin post-run so that I could relax and eat my breakfast before we headed to the crit.
Again, it was super hot and I didn't think I would make it for Karel's race. I had shaky legs and I was SOOOOO hot and the races were running behind. But that is ok, I couldn't wait to take pictures of the guys. The team did great once again but this time the team worked together for a win. Curtis won the race (and the 35+ race as well) and the team also had 2 other guys in the top 6!
Karel and some of the other guys covered attacks so that the chase group wouldn't catch the breakaway group (curtis and shawn) and Karel said the team really worked well together. Sounds good to me!!
Well, back to watching the Olympics.
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