2012 Ironman Oceanside 70.3

I should have documented my experiece at Oceanside 70.3 immediately, but I was in shock like a double edged sword into my heart.  March 30, 2012, I lost my most favorite job of my career -  a massive restructuring at LG Electronics where I had been employed for 5 1/2 years.  My job was sent to Korea. I was unemployed the day before attempting my biggest goal of my lifetime on March 31 - an ocean swim 1.2 miles, 56 miles of hills through Camp Pendleton , and 13.1 run - all within 8.5 hours.  I was hurting mentally before I even started on race day.... so 5 months later, I will try to put the pieces together so I can reflect before March 30, 2013 when I race my revenge.  Here's a quick preview of what it is like to race 70.3 miles in about 5 minutes (video from 2009) :

http://youtu.be/BOIQ9H_fniU

ARRIVAL TO THE RACE

My mom lives in Oceanside so we stayed the night so we were in close proximity, and you must arrive there about 4:30am. Coaches always say that it is always better to have more time than you need, than need more time than you have to minimize stress. The extra time allows for long lines at restrooms, traffic, body-marking, chatting nervously with others, and setting up your transition spot. This year, Oceanside had 2 transition spots.  I set my T2 spot up the night before so I went directly to T1. My race in Palm Springs really helped me understand how to race in the cold. The weather was overcast and misty so I knew it was unlikely to dryout on the bike after the 55 degree swim which can cause hypothermia. So, I added sticky hand warmers to the hoods of my bike and covered with a towel.  I added regular hand warmers inside my bike shoes, added toe covers and kept them under my transition towel to keep the heat in.  I wore arm coolers and calf compressions under my wetsuit so I could have this layer for the swim and the bike.  I transferred the heaters from my shoes to my back pockets of my trishirt for the bikeride.  I also wore 3 caps: thin latex to help keep hair dry, neoprene cap for warmth, and then the race cap. I loved my ProMotion 2mm booties which gave me superior warmth for my feet. These preparations absolutely made my swim/bike event the best it could be to beat Mother Nature.

WARMUP

I did all my swim practice at Bonita Cove because the beach entry to the first buoy is the same from the Harbor ramp to the first buoy at the race and this is the only warmup you get (about 200 yards) because you are not allowed to get into the water until just before the start . They will have all the athletes corralled by wave groups near the start and you can expect to stand there for at least 20 to 30 minutes. You won’t even get to touch the water with your toes until minutes before your wave starts! So I carried a small disposable water bottle with me right up to the ramp.  I ate a GU with a swig of water, since I hadn't eaten in a couple hours, and then a minute or so before entry, I poured all remaining cold water inside my wetsuit.  This loosened me up and eliminated the ocean ice water shock because the thin layer was already heating up against my skin before my entry.  It worked perfectly.  I had no hyperventilation due to cold water shock! I had a great casual swim to the start buoy and took a lot of deep breaths too! However, I could still hear my heart beating in my ears while I waited for the gun start.

SWIM

BOOM went the horn!!! More deep breathing required NOW!  I tried to just remain calm and start slow amongst the frenzy. However, women tend to really like their own bubble so I didn't feel any kicks to the body or pushing during the swim. The course turns are on the left, except the final turn of the swim, where you will turn right and go up the boat ramp you came down at the beginning of the swim. I breathe on my left side, so I saw the markings on the buoys about every 100M. I felt great until the turnaround at the mouth of the harbor toward the ocean.  It's like swimming inside a washing machine here.  I really tried to not stop the entire swim but I suddenly felt very nauseous and popped my head up. I felt like I was swimming in a different world!  No... it was just super choppy and I just had to fight the current and water in my mouth to get around the corner for  maybe a 1/8 mile with more kicking.  Then it was straight back to the boat ramp in much smoother water.  My goal was under an hour and was pleased with 53 minutes although that's quite slow for most swimmers. T1 Transition was about a 1/4 mile run to my bike but it was carpeted so it wasn't a problem.  It was exciting to see and hear all the cheering!  It made me so happy and proud that leg 1 was complete!

up the swim ramp, stripping during the transition run

BIKE

I prepped for this leg the most I think.  I finished 3 courses of stationery bike classes over 6 months with loads of intense strengthening bike drills during the week (90 mins 2x week) which was great since the days are so short during the winter months.  I rode long miles on the weekend too and completed a Century 100mile ride in February. I also took one Computrainer class which mimicked the bike course route for the race so I would know where the difficult hills would be on Camp P since no one can preview ride the course.  This was the most difficult training I completed.  You had 4 hours to complete the TV course.  You are trapped on your bike, locked into a trainer with electric nodes attached to match hill intensity by automtically changing your gears, and you are inside a sweat box nearly suffocating from body heat by you and all the others in class reeking of sweat.  You must pedal the entire course. There's no wind in your face downhill or coasting when you are tired.  It's just full-on intense riding for 56 miles with all your will and might.  It took all my strength to complete in 3:57.  I was scheduled to run immediately afterwards.  Instead I slumped into the shower, made it home nearly in a coma, and slept the next 3 hours.  I awoke in horror that I would never complete Oceanside because the bike portion was too hard.  I was told the computrainer was 20% more difficult and that I would be fine...still it totally blew away my confidence. I was crushed. I read blogs, listen to veteran racers, and I set up my plan to conquer the route. Fear WILLNOT paralyze me!

I was told the biggest test of the bike is not the distance or nutrition, but rather pacing skills. Because the first 26 miles are mostly flat, I just needed to save something for the back 24 miles, which will be rolling hills, with three challenging climbs. I also decided to slip on padded bike shorts over my tri shorts in T1 for the 56 miles for added comfort.  I'm really glad I did because I never did dry out on the course.  The extra layer was nice. I felt there was only danger on one downhill where in 2000, a rider was actually killed by riding at too high of a speed and losing control. This descent was marked with warning signs:  “Do Not Pass” zone. The speed limit on this hill is 25 mph. They had officials checking, so just make sure you control your speed.

 

 

I ate and drank a lot the first 25 miles. On the bike, the first aid station was at about 13 miles. The second aid station was at about 26 miles (right before the hills), and the final aid station was at about 45 miles after the last big hill. As I grabbed some nutrition on the flat, to the right I saw the first large, corkscrew looking climb, and my heart nearly stopped.  You need a strong mantra for this hill!  It's only about 1/2 mile but I think it's like climbing the ladder to reach God.  Midway, I knew I hadn't practiced sharp steep hills enough.  I tried Pacifica in La Jolla and fell because the slope was too much for me so my confidence was weak already.  My technique just wasn't there and my confidence disappeared up 1/4 mile, so I unclipped.  Yep, I walked uphill the remaining 1/4 mile of the hill, but not with my head down as I saw others riding up the hill.  I gave  myself permission to breathe now and pour it on for the rest of the bike ride.  I promised I would give 110% after I reached the top and that I did.  I clipped in at the top, vowed to practice hills like that a lot and get my revenge in 2013, and pedaled as hard as I could.  I beat my computrainer time by almost 30 minutes finishing at 3:31.  When I checked my time, I had a HUGE smile on my face. I DID IT!!!!  and I also realized I had given myself extra time on the run which I knew I would need.  My left foot/bunion/hammer toe was screaming mad and so the final discipline was going to be painful, but if  I can give birth twice without drugs, then I can run 13 miles with a little foot pain right?

Camp P 56 mile elevation chart. Enjoy the first 25. Survive the next 25 of hills.  Push through final 6 miles of headwinds.

Immediate sharp short hill out of T1

As you near the end of the bike, you arrive near the pier with a quick downhill The volunteers are great at getting people to slow down on this little strip of strand, BUT don't clip out because you have a sharp left UP hill ride to T2!  I just stood up in my pedals and rode up and over to get to the top. I had a great landmark to find my rack at T2.  I threw my bike in the rack and jammed all my bike gear into my bag, grabbed my garmin and took off for the run.  Thankfully the portapotty was directly in front of me because I was about to burst...wow I had drank a lot on the bike... that's good though right???  Suddenly while in the portapotty  I see I HAVE PADDED BIKE SHORTS ON!!! I practically fell out of the portapotty trying to get them off!  I started screaming at a volunteer who came running... I threw my shorts at him, screamed my race number and luckily - he put them in my bag for me as I took off running! I can't imagine running 13 miles in padded bike shorts like a huge diaper between my legs! Thank YOU Mr. Volunteer!!

RUN

Ok, I hate running. I hate my feet.  I hate bike/run bricks even more.  It's all just painful.  However, I switched to Newtons.  No, not on race day of course.  I had run a 10 miler in them and felt great on fresh legs and fresh feet.  UMMM I wasn't fresh. I poured myself into the bike.  My feet were pissed off and I paid dearly... not to mention... I had to pee... and peee... and peeeeee.  OMG 3x in 13 miles was a record for me.  I had run 26 miles and never peed once! and then the nausea came... I immediately stopped electrolytes and food to try to keep my bike nutrition within me.  My feet throbbed like I was landing on a bed of nails with every cadence.  I knew I just had to get to mile 8 by 3:08 pm for the cutoff and then I could walk the last 5 miles if necessary.   I was in agony. I walked/jogged constantly and swung my arms hoping to stretch my gait.  I looked forward and tried to get to little landmarks deliriously... see that light post... just run to that...see that 70 year old lady in front of you... just pass her...OMG another ramp?  My hips screamed, my gluts cramped, I had a helicopter in my stomach and for the first time in my life the thought of sugar made me sick....JUST LEAN FORWARD was my mantra.  Eventually I started taking in plain water and pieces of banana and felt better, well a little more alive...I walked through every aid station at every mile.  About mile 7 I think, I heard MOM!!!... I looked up like I was seeing a mirage!  It was my son Ryan who had been volunteering at the Kids Station and he had found me which of course made me just start bawling!!!  I said: I have to get to mile 8 for the cut off and he screamed it's right around the corner - LOVE YOU!!!  I'M PROUD OF YOU!!! I yelled at him:  I AM WALKING THE LAST 5 MILES !!! - as if this was all his fault!! He replied: NO PROBLEM!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!   then,  I couldn't see through the tears...or maybe the pain in my feet...until finally the mile 8 sign came into focus!  I yelled at Gina the race director!!! I made it!  I'm going to finish!!! AND THEN THE WALKING DEATH MARCH BEGAN...

I'm told the key to this run is very simple, RHYTHM! If you can maintain rhythm by being relaxed, but quick, you will do very well on this run course. If you run with poor mechanics, with your head down and pounding your feet loudly on the pavement, it will be a long day for you out there.  Those final 5 miles were like walking through wet sand while stepping on nails barefoot.  My technique was crap and my Newtons reminded me every single step! I want my Saucony's back.... I swore I was going to run A LOT more next time in my training.  Clearly my run base was too low to get me through 13 miles AFTER 4 hours of exercise.



Running the Oceanside Pier ramps in pain - faking a smile!

The most painful mental part of the run was seeing people finish the run while I still had the 2nd loop to go.  However, I got through it, in a death march with others along the way, leaning forward until I headed into the finish line on the strand and was greeted to sidelines full of cheering people.  Once I approached my Triclub Tent, my flood gates opened... I was near blackout pain in my feet, my breathing was super short and yet I was barely running.  I ran toward the noise because I couldn't see the light through my tears!  BUT I DID IT!!!  So, I'm now an unemployed half-ironman finisher. It's bittersweet but I will be back, better than ever, lessons learned, and hopefully employed by March 30 2013!



Sharon Chaix - my catcher at the finishline, draping me in my medal, and holding me up while we looked for a chair!

So happy to see my husband!

leaning into the Finishline banner

so proud of my Finisher's Medal

I gave it my all in 7:45 but I will return for revenge in 2013 with many lessons learned!

August Lessons

I started August off with a new swim attitude thanks to watching Finding Nemo.  "When life gets you down, ya know whatcha gotta do? Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

http://www.youtube.com/embed/CmyUkm2qlhA

So Dory and I have joined forces and up'ed our swimming mileage and finally signed up for the Tikiswiim 2.4 miles on Sept 30.  It's now or never... and I hired Rachel Willis to help me improve my stroke and teach me the other 3 strokes since now the Olympics are so motivating with all the racing and slow watch videos underwater!  I took 1 hr lesson on each stroke.  I fell in love with breaststroke and received compliments from complete strangers.  Rachel said she was amazed at how fast I took to the stroke and I didn't even know how good I was already.  My confidence soared.  I practiced it for 2.5 hrs straight.... I walked like I had been on a horse for a couple days though not realizing the breast kick used the inside thigh muscle A LOT!!!

Aug 10:  I tried a women's clinic at the SD Velodrome race track.  It was super scary as a I felt like Peewee Herman in the middle of a racecar track !  It was exhilerating and included a race entry for the following Friday, however, I was too tired and was concerned about the exhaustion prior to the Chula Vista Challenge Olympic triathlon.

Aug 19: Chula Vista Challenge Olympic Triathlon - Anniversary of my 1st Olympic level tri. Goal: finish faster than 3:30 overall.  It was awesome running up the steps toward the lit Olympic torch which happened to also be the last day of the Summer Olympics - 2012!

My anniversary Olympic tri event changed from October to August so it's actually a 10 month anniversary. Wow what a weather difference though!  October is dark at 6am and cool.  August is hot before we start the swim and the water is 75 degrees! How hot was it??  Like swimming in a jacuzzi if you were in a wetsuit, riding into a blow dryer, running inside a volcano!!!! The swim was a bit choppy and impossible to see the buoys facing the sun.  I sighted other swimmers hoping they were not as blind as I was and eventually I saw the buoy myself.  I was disappointed that my swim was slower than last year because I felt stronger so maybe the current? maybe that I was in a sleeveless suit? I just don't know except last year my swim time was adjusted by the race timing officials online so maybe it was wrong last year?  no clue :(   I had previewed the ride route again to refresh my legs of the hills on this route.  I definitely felt stronger and I decided to take advantage of the water station on the bike ride so only brought 30oz on the ride to save weight.  Well, it was hotter than hell and the water station had been eliminated!  Luckily a guy gave me his spare bottle when I complained at the La Media uturn with drymouth!  Marcus nearly turned into a raisin however!  I guess always bring extra water but I've never raced without water stations on a bike route at a  tri.  My speed/cadence went crazy on my bike so I could not tell which mile I was on for 25 miles so I had no  time on my Garmin for the bike leg and sadly Gemini timing decided to randomly add the bike leg with the T1 time so I can't separate them for comparison.  I just know it was faster because I had a stripper for my wetsuit and a helper handing me stuff for the bike so that saved time too.  The run route was a little shorter but it was oven air hot and hilly as expected but beautiful around the Olympic Training Center.  I was so happy to carry my little handbottle of water that I could sip the entire run and grab ice water at the stations to dump on my steaming head.  In the end I got 7th place of 7 in my age group.  I was sad but then I realized the other 6 were in the top 20 of 60 females!  I had a really tough group of women that were faster than the younger age group! I was 35th of 60 females so 58%  and 3:18 is not so bad and overall I improved 12 minutes over last year so that is good even with a slower swim! I'm still waiting for a freestyle lesson with Rachel who has had strep all last week.  Hopefully she can help me make a difference soon.  We earned etched drinking glasses instead of medals which was pretty cool.

Aug 29: America's Finest City Half Marathon AND Finisher of the Triple Crown award! (Carlsbad, LaJolla, AFC in 2012) and I advance to Uranus moon level with my Half Fanatics running club for completing 6 halfs in 6 consecutive months!  It will take me until November to advance to the next moon level but I will achieve both Saturn and Jupiter levels at the same time!

Half Fanatics Criteria

To become a member of the Half Fanatics you need to complete one of the following. Depending upon which streak you have completed will determine your Moon level.

http://www.halffanatics.com/criteria.html

Love the AFC shirt design and especially the Triple Crown finisher medal!  The key to this half is the lean forward for the first half of the race as it is all downhill to mile 5, then  try to hold on to the momentum through the flats to mile 11 using the harbor beauty as distractions, because then it is a painful straight up for mile 12, then it's a beautiful flat run across the Prado Bridge into Balboa Park.

The downhill wasn't as drastic as I expected but I did take "Sport Legs" pills just in case my thighs would be thrashed.  What I didn't realize was that over half of the race is facing the sun.  Even though it still wasn't too hot, the sun was beating down on us hard!  And it was especially disgusting as we ran through downtown as the heat provided us with potent urine and fish gut smell...which didn't help at mile 10.5 where some "volunteers?" were passing out 1/4 pieces of cheesburger patties to the runners...seriously I expected to see vomit any minute and got out of that area as fast as I could!  I saw a lot of runner friends but it was especially nice when I saw a lot of first timers completing the 1/2 marathon for the first time.  I saw an 80 year old that had fallen and broken his nose but crossed the finishline bloody with the help of two others and a lady limping in tears and still crossing the finishline...I just love seeing the will to finish, the determination to reach a goal.  The human spirit to push to the very end, through whatever it takes, is so beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes for them!  It was my special moment to achieve the Triple Crown and also advance to Uranus in my Half Fanatics Running club.  I felt good on the run and only stopped to fill my bottles quickly and to let the damn train pass!  Thankfully it was a short train! My training of running at least 6 miles every run day is working well for me.  I'm very comfortable with half marathons now, even with the foot pain. I think my run plan will really pay off for Oceanside 2013.  I finished 2:21 with the stops placing me at 38% of my age group so I'm always happy with above the average finish times!

 

My total August Workouts:

SWIM 13 miles

BIKE 347 miles

RUN 72 miles

HOURS 52

WKLY AVG 13 hours

 

July Lessons

I rode in the Scripps Ranch Old Pros 50miler on July 4.  There were about 11 hills per my Garmin. I was pleased that I felt physically good since I have been in PT 8 times now working on my neck and shoulder strength.  I also added one more day of weight training to compliment the 2x a week PT.  I want to get in the habit of going 3x a week.  I finished the 50 miles avg speed 15.6 which is good for me.  I always want to stay above 15mph avg because I need that minimum pace at Oceanside's 56 miler to finish in 3:30.

My next July event was on the 29th running the 1st half Marathon in San Francisco.  I was quite worried about the hills in SF but my excitement to run across the Golden Gate Bridge twice was greater!  We stayed .9 mi from the start so we decided to jog to the start line and that was a perfect warmup since it was 58 degrees and misty.  I trained hard to mimic the hills at grade elevations by combining treadmill runs for the 3 biggest hills/grade and outside hill runs for long and gradual false flats.  It worked perfectly.  The hills were exactly as I expected except at mile 11. After pounding downhill mile 10 we then ran gradual rollers up to the near end. That was exhausting and I kept pleading for them to stop. The finale was awesome as we were wrapped in aluminum foil blankets and handed irish coffee and wonderful baked treats, greek yogurt, fresh fruit, etc.  The shuttle line was hell to return to the start since we only ran half and we unfortunately put our bags in the marathon truck instead of 1/2 marathon so we didn't have our stuff until after the shuttle. Lesson learned when we return next year for 2nd half Marathon (and Father's Day 6/16/13) and earn our Half It All medal.  We wore our Half Fanatics shirts proudly and the arm warmers were perfect for SF weather!

 

JULY MONTHLY TOTALS

SWIM 13 MILES

BIKE 366 MILES

RUN 66 MILES

TOTAL 53 HOURS

AVERAGE 13.5 WEEKLY

June Lessons

June 2: Another bike training ride for 120 miles.... REALLY??  It's just another 10 miles extra. Oh yea, I crashed and stopped at 85 last week so I'm probably not as tired as the rest of them so LEGS - just shut up and pedal.  My bruise is beautifully colorful but my thigh doesn't hurt at all. I have no excuses.  Let me just say at mile 105 when we climbed Torrey Pines hill for a couple miles, I again reached near blackout level of pain in my neck and shoulders.  I really had to go to a far away place in my mind to push to the top.  We were in a tight paceline and I just let the flow pull me forward.  I just about became religious and PRAISED JESUS for saving my life and ending the ride at mile 116. I almost kissed the coach for shorting us 4 miles.  Instead, with tears in my eyes, gritting my teeth in excrutiating pain... I looked at my husband and said, "I QUIT." He has never heard me say that before.  He was in shock and  I felt like a failure.  I was crushed. I hurt beyond anything I had ever experienced and I couldn't even fully describe it.  I just wanted to lay flat on the ground forever to relieve the pressure or simply cut my head off. Either option would work at that moment. All I kept saying in my head was atleast I surpassed the Ironman 112 mile bike mileage, atleast I can hold on to that accomplishment with pride.

June 4: I woke up and decided to see my family doctor. WTF is wrong with me? She looks at my thigh in blues/purples/yellows... NO not that...that's fine!!!! I want to cut my head off!  why can't I ride long like everyone else?  She says, well...did you know you have really bad posture? no... sniffle sniffle...well maybe.... I think we need you tested in physical therapy, she says.  I take the prescription for muscle relaxers and a PT appt.  The lady measures my strength, says I need to come 2x a week for 6 weeks.  WHY?  Your neck strength is 37% below average so when you are riding a bike with a 10 lb head and you already lean forward with bad posture, you are actually holding up 20 lbs. Like if you were to lift a 2 lb wt with your bicep 1000 times... at first it is nothing but eventually you exhaust the muscle and it gives up into burning flames... now THAT seems familar.  Then add the miles of swimming I'm packing in between rides, trying to hold my head/neck still, using my arms/shoulders to rotate... yea that just preps the intense flames to arise even sooner. Conclusion: I need to take a step back and really add STRENGTH TRAINING to my life.  PT will teach me the exercising I need to incorporate into my training. I'm pushing my body now further than it has ever gone but I'm not adding any strength workouts to help me achieve the goal. Wow I guess that part is really important, especially if you already know you don't have much upper body strength.

For the rest of the month, I cut back on biking and swimming.  I went into a slight depression.  My schedule had been derailed and my husband continued on and achieved the 200 mile Finishline without me on Jun 23. I was just sad.  I lost my mojo.  I was a quitter.  However, I threw myself into a very expensive last minute tri race called SDIT and bought a transfer bib so I had something to do while he was in Malibu. It was a shorter distance than I like which fit my physical condition perfectly. I had 3 weeks to train and get stronger.

Jun 16: Marcus skips the 85 mile ride and we bike 25 together for his taper ride.  We saved the date to volunteer at the TCSD Beginner Tri!  We decided to be run buddies for those last few bikers that feel like they might die on the run!  We had been there a short time ago.  It was a real pleasure to see them experience my obsession and enjoy crossing the finishline. I loved running the 2 miles back and forth helping 3 ladies to reach their first goal.... and it allowed me guilt free bread pudding. :)

Jun 24: San Diego International Triathlon.  I did the training swims around the Harbor for 1000M...far off my swim training goal ( .62 mi) but I knew I needed to heal. I did the Bike training rides up to Cabrillo Monument...wow 18 miles in total ? how depressing... cutting back is good; be nice inner voice...I can run right?  Damn that left foot still hurts even after the shots... and then my right foot suddenly cramped on a training run! oh no not my GOOD foot! Back to the podiatrist who prescribed Naprocin... in 7 days the foot feels good and I break out in severe hives from the medication...I go off the meds cold turkey and its gone in 3 days.  I survived the race without any crises besides taking off on my bike without a helmet and having to go back and get it! ?)....Still can't find my swim mojo... NO we didn't PR the swim at SDIT like EVERYONE was talking about! The swim was supposed to be 1000M but they cut it short and it was about 870M ( .54 mi) per my Garmin...so disappointed. I was sad crossing the finishline without Marcus though.  It was my first event without him...I still felt like a loser for not being strong enough for the 200 miler.  I went home, threw the medal on the rack, and slumped in a chair sniffling.  Marcus came home that night with loads of pictures but NO MEDAL! I was appauled and made him one out of the stupid patch they gave... don't they know it's all about the BLING? Well my BLING was just amazing ;)

Double Century ride I missed :(

my substitue for the Double Century :(

My beautiful medal for my short tri and race substitute

Our homemade medal for Marcus's double century

We had one week to train for our monthly half marathon and we had no idea just how tired Marcus was until he pushed through this race.

Jun 30: Mojave Narrows Half in Victorville.... luckily it didn't get over 100 degrees until after 10am and we ran by beautiful scenery and homes with their sprinklers on so we could soak our hats!  Marcus was dead tired so we walked through aid stations and pushed through... I wasn't about to miss another goal of one half per month!  I didn't care how long it took!  We FINISHED.  The medals were icky small, the tshirts were a bit boring and cotton, the race food was crappy, but it was the only race I could find the only weekend we were available due to the bike training so it was worth it! We learned that running in really soft sand is really exhausting even if it is great for horses! Thankfully it was only a couple miles and then we got the pavement or dirt trail. I started to get the bug for destination racing!  (can you see my husband rolling his eyes?)

JUNE TOTALS

SWIM 13.5 MILES

BIKE 267 MILES

RUN 67.5 MILES

TOTAL 42 HOURS

AVERAGE WEEKLY 10 HOURS



May Lessons

May pushed me on the bike leg and I swam as much as possible.  I had long bike rides preparing me for the SD Century and I was really struggling with foot pain, foot numbness, neck and trapezoid pain. Marcus really wanted to ride a double century.. .yes 200 miles on a bike... I wanted to support his goal; I wanted it to be my goal; the little voice inside me said....oh you just go ahead and try it....Boy did I ever....

May 6: We convinced Ryan and his girlfriend Aliyah to run their first half marathon and try to complete the Beach Cities Challenge with us... 3 halves in May, Oct, Feb'13 and you earn a 4th supersized medal! GOOD NEWS:  they agreed.  BAD NEWS: it was the last time to run the series and you had to run it consecutively starting May 6, which was one week after La Jolla Half!  Well, we thought it was a bit insane but we were actually very prepared since the terrain was so flat.  We all four crossed the finish line without a problem.  It was great sharing it with them, especially since it was their first half.

I continued immediately the day after the run with an 87 mile coastal bike ride because we missed the team ride and Marcus had to travel the rest of the week.  Wow I was wiped out, especially when the first half was 40 miles into headwinds.  But that meant a lot more coasting on the way home.  My neck and shoulders were screaming at me... innervoice...shut the hell up and pedal. Ignore the pain.

May 13: For Mother's day I requested another bike ride up Scripps Poway... yes madness but my husband grumblingly agreed.  I just have to test things out in advance and I knew this was a monster hill and I needed to do it before the event.  It wasn't really a problem on fresh legs but we did it at noon for extra suffering in the heat! Well ya gotta be prepared.

May 19 SD Century... ok, I'm not going to lie.  IT WAS FREAKIN' HARD!  6000+ feet of climbing.  Since I was still having neck/shoulder pain, let's add salt to the wound and change our bike fit the day before the event... yes lets get MORE aero as if a 45 degree angle isn't painful enough.  The foot pain? Lets FORCE your feet level with wedges under the cleets even though you are a super pronator.  So apparently my goal was to see how much pain I could tolerate in the heat and climbing too.  After I mashed my way up the 2 miles of Scripps Poway in sweltering heat, I knew there would be food and drink as a reward at the next SAG.  It would be my reward for surviving the hardest part to mile 60.  I'm popping more pain relievers, throw off my shoes, rub bengay on my neck and see all the food is GONE!  oh so sorry, have an orange wedge... :) WTF??? At this point I can't speak for fear flames may exit my mouth as my head spins in circles like in the Exorcist... I pour ice water over my arm coolers to take down my temperature.  I get back on the bike with the hope of feeding at the next SAG stop only 20 miles away.... we head towards HELL aka Ramona which is close to the center of the sun and then loop back to the Scripps Poway hill but most will be down hill.  However by mile 70 and facing another slight incline, I pullover, get off my bike, lay down in the bike lane of hwy 67 on my back and start BAWLING.... Marcus has no idea what to do but I scream TAKE OUT THE WEDGES!!! I can't take the pain in my feet any longer. Luckily we had a tool in his bike kit and he removed the little yellow flat pieces of plastic that were supposed to fix my numbing and burning feet.  Instead, they almost made me drive into traffic so I could kill myself.  For the next 10 miles, I had the wind in my face, and the intense pain in my feet calmed. Never change anything before race day REMEMBER?  I ate everything in sight when we arrived at the SAG stop mile 80.  WHAT? you added 5 miles? why? I only paid for 100. OK Fine. BUT did they have to add 3 hills in those last 5 miles... I think I screamed the entire last 5 miles... and those were the fun times.  We made it to the Finish and I think my shoulders had grown into my ears.  I was in such pain that I can't even describe it.  I would rather have given birth to twins ala natural. Next stop back to the bike shop to convert out of tri and back to road position.  Why am I in such pain???? It must be the bike right?

May 26: Training ride 110 miles... we are working towards the Double Century ride so we have 5 weeks of additional century rides for preparation....The refit improved my pain but not completely.  I got cortizone injections for my foot because of the intense forefoot bruising, I changed to a shorter neck on the bike and moved everything to more road like positioning... I was determined to try again.  It was hard although not that hilly.  My body was pissed off and it let me know... but I didn't actually make it to the finish of this ride because I had a head-on collision on the Coronado Strand!  We were in a double paceline and I was at the end.  A couple was blocking our lane and suddenly the group slowed but I was too close to react maybe because I was already gripping my hoods in intense pain and near blackout anyway. I swerved left to not hit the person in front and slammed into a very very large man intensely hugging the center line of the shared bikepath.  I immediately shot over my handle bars on impact.  I shut my eyes and landed in a bed of iceplant.  The other man went postal violent and was screaming at all of us while I was just trying to get my breath back and check that I still had limbs. hmmm all was good.  How was the bike?  My aero bike arm pad broke off but why?  Oh it broke on impact INTO MY THIGH!!!!  WTF... I made it another 20 miles using my arm to help me pedal to 7-11 for ice.  My day ended sadly at mile 85 and got a ride back to the car so Marcus could finish the ride.  I hate not reaching my goal.  It just crushes my spirit. But I had a nice smiley face bruise from the shape of my arm pad!

April lessons

April immediately started off with a swim lesson TWO days after completing Oceanside 70.3 2012!  Jenny Caine was on the Olympic swim team that was boycotted in 1980 so she didn't compete and injuries prevented her efforts 4 years later.  I took one lesson a week and vowed to swim often to work on technique.  Clearly my left and right arms are not even siblings on the same body. What a mess... but hey I couldn't swim 25 yards 10 months ago and I survived 1.2 miles with time to spare so it only gets better and I'm not at rock bottom! April was my swim month.

April 15: so excited to ride with our son Ryan (who I repeatedly say he is 25 so he doesn't need to train.. JUST DO IT!)  We rode the Medio Fondo ride for his first 60 mile ride.  Hubby and I really enjoyed it and I had no idea how much food my son could eat at a SAG! Ryan hung with us pretty well until the last 10 miles when he stopped speaking to us and almost stopped pedaling because he was over it! We survived it, and with big smiles crossing the finishline together... my neck and shoulders were killing me... more on this later.

Why I Tri

After suffering some 600 miles of training runs over 5 months and surviving SD RocknRoll Marathon in June, 2011, I decided the single sport of pounding the pavement was just not worth the glory so I reached out to triathlons.  I watched the Mission Bay Sprint and was amazed at the variety of fitness but the transitions scared me the most.  I was terrified and excited to figure out this puzzle as soon as possible but I am a type A scheduler so I needed a plan.  I started with TCSD Cares through the TriClub San Diego. With a charity donation of $350, they mentored and taught me everything about triathlons over 8 wks.... Coach Steve even held on to me when I was jumping in over my head! My first beginner club race in June was the greatest adrenaline rush ever! I thought I was an Ironman after 250M swim, 7 mile bike, and 2 mile run!  It was exhausting and I probably ate more calories than I burned at the incredible breakfast buffett where I was introduced to Dawn's bread pudding and now I race for it every time we have a club event.  It literally gets me around the last loop knowing I need the calorie burn to eat the bread pudding without guilt! Since my first baby tri in June 2011, I finished my first half ironman 10 months later and 70.3 miles in Oceanside March, 2011.  Looking back, I feel like I learned at the speed of light from so many wonderful TCSD mentors and blogs and Facebook groups. TCSD is the most amazing connection of people that I have ever found.  I feel so priviledged to be part of this group and I just love giving back too.  After the TCSD Cares team completed their Sprint in Solana Beach in July, suddenly the peer pressure got strong to race at the Oceanside 70.3 event.  I was terrified but eventually gave in and worked really hard to step up my game.  I really need to go back and build that race report so I can reflect on it when I repeat it in March, 2013.  I can say I did a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong and that's what I'm working on in 2012!  here's my path to revenge....

1. SWIM: Try a variety of swim coaches and focus on learning technique for efficiency and speed. Goal: swim 2.4 miles within 2:20 cutoff at the TikiSwim on Sept 30, 2012 (secret goal unde 2 hrs). Get a structured swim schedule. Learn all 4 strokes for variety. BEAT 53:29 at Oceanside 2013
2. BIKE: Conquer short sharp grade hills. That first hill at mile 28 kicked my ass. I had to walk up half of it during the race. GOAL: Ride repeats on Randall/Pacifica until it seems easy. Ride atleast 112 miles at one time. Raise comfort base to 40 miles minimum rides. BEAT 3:31 at Oceanside 2013
3. RUN: Push harder, further, hillier especially when you are tired.  Time to finally get that foot surgery so running isn't so painful. GOAL: Run a half marathon every month. Run one back to back weekend (2 halfs in 48 hours).  Raise base by running 6 miles minimum every run. BEAT 3:08 at Oceanside 2013 (and run foot pain free)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
April 2012:  Medio Fondo 60mi ride, La Jolla Half run
May 2012:   OC Half run, SD Century 105 mile ride
June 2012:   Training Ride 116 mi, SDIT tri, Mojave Narrows Half run
July 2012:    Scripps 50mi ride, SF First Half
Aug 2012:    Chula Vista Challenge Oly tri, AFC Half
Sep 2012:    Disney Half, SD Classic Oly tri, Giro di SD 66 mi ride, SD Women's Half, Tikiswim 2.4mi.... and celebrate my new age group bracket! Go 50's!
Oct 2012:    Long Beach Half
Nov 2012:   SB half/Malibu Half... Foot surgery :(
Dec 2012:  Recovery, water exercises
Jan 2013:   Recovery, water excercises, stationery cycling
Feb 2013:  Surf City Half -Huntington Beach
Mar 2013: Superseal Oly tri (revenge on Mother Nature), Oceanside 70.3 Revenge and BEAT 7:45

Let the rewards begin.....

"MY BODY IS IN TRAINING....IT WILL ADJUST... OR I WILL KILL IT!"

by Sharon Chaix