tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62984883713557940802024-03-12T22:42:51.229-04:00Triathletes Journey: A "He said, She said" reporting on races and eventsElle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-8279181694063856902019-07-17T19:12:00.002-04:002019-07-17T19:12:09.258-04:00La Zanja in Fajardo, PR<i><b>Elle</b></i>: This morning, somehow, I managed to haul my butt outta bed at 6am for a 6 mile run. Honestly, every Saturday that I get up and out for my morning run I'm proud of myself, no lie. And I'm always a little surprised that I actually did it. But I got it done, and I gave myself some kudos and showered up. <br />
<br />
As planned, Sabrina picked me up around 10am, and we headed out for our Fajado day trip, east of San Juan. We wound our way into the beachy town and actually found a good parking spot right in front of the beach. Excellente. I had read about this hike, and I knew it was going to be a little challenging. And yeah, it was. Maybe even a little more than a little challenging... <br />
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If you plan on doing this hike, here are my tips to you.<br />Head to the beach and start walking along the beach to the right. This long stretch of beach is known as Playa La Matita. All along the beach were families camped out for the day. After awhile the throngs of people thinned out, and we kept walking. And walking. And walking. Around a bend, past the sandbar where all the pelicans hangout, through the mangroves. Then, at some point, there was a sign about a nature reserve. We kept walking past the sign onto the rocky portion of the hike. <br />
<br />
There was some climbing over boulders and rocks, and eventually we got to the tip. There is a path that leads up the hill from the beach. Luckily, at this point, we ran into some people.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>"Hola. Are we going the right way?"<br />"Yup, just keep going up, not far now!"</i><br />
<br />
So we kept climbing up to a grassy area. Where to now? We walking along until we saw some more people who pointed us in the right direction. And then we were there. At the trench. Success! But wait... there's more.... how do you actually get into the trench? Yeah, it's tricky. Effing tricky.<br />
<br />
From the top of the trench, you need to carefully make your way down the rocks, about 30 feet, to the water. There's no clear way of how to scramble down there, you just look, make a decision, and go with it.<br />
At the bottom, there is a cave, which is great because it gives you a nice dry and shady spot to keep your stuff. The floor of the cave is rocks, so having water shoes is a good idea.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The trench!</b></td></tr>
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We spent a nice while relaxing in the trench, watching the waves come crashing in and die, then gently roll water into the trench. It was delightful.<br />
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The walk back.<br />
Oy, the walk back was hot, sunny, and sweaty. We stopped to take a break and took a dip in the water, which was super shallow, and uber salty. Ack, the stinging! If you've ever been in the Dead Sea, or any body of water that is more salty than the (general) sea, then you'll know that it's is part cool, because you float like a beach ball, but part pain, because before long, things start to sting. Like, a lot. So we got out of the water and kept walking back towards the beach center. Sweaty and salty. Oh, but of course there were no showers. Arrgghh! I had to use precious water from my water bottle to get as much sweat and salt off as possible.<br />
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At this point we were pretty hungry. So we drove to the surf town of Luquillo, and via TripAdvisor, I found The Green Cactus, a great little place for lunch. Fantastsic coleslaw!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>At the Green Cactus with Sabrina, post-hike</b></td></tr>
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Good day. Good hike.Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-54976631699008753032019-07-17T18:15:00.001-04:002019-07-17T18:15:52.499-04:00Spelunking is Arecibo + boating to lunch<b>Puerto Rico day trip: <i>Cueva Ventana + Lago dos Bocas</i></b><br />
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<i><b>Elle</b></i>: <br />
Dear Diary,<br />
<br />
As I continue on my quest to explore the island of Puerto Rico, I planned out a fun day trip to Cueva Ventana in Arecibo, and got my friend Lisa to join me...<br />
<br />
I started the day by hauling my bum outta bed at 7am for a solid, albeit short, 15-mile solid bike ride on Big Bertha, my trusty road bike. Afterwards, I showered up and prepared for Lisa to pick me up to head out for our exciting day. We wanted to make it to the 10:30am tour for the sake
of the heat and also crowded-ness And after a short-ish 40 minute drive from our home base of Dorado, we arrived at the spot. There it was, just on the side of the road. We walked over to a hut and signed up for the tour. I got a discount because I had a PR license. Woohoo, glad my Puerto Rican license is really paying off.<br />
<br />
Lisa and I were instructed to walk up the hill to where
the tour starts. The forest was uber lush and tropical. Oh, and really effing hot. As we started the tour, the guide told us all about the nature surrounding us. It was a little annoying at first though because they make everyone wear hardhats. I have to say, when you are in the caves, it's not such a crappy idea, really. More than a couple of people hit their head on the
low rocks, so the hat wasn't so annoying then. The caves are truly
spectacular. I felt like I was on the set of the Goonies, I swear. Freaking amazing. And
when you get to the 'ventana', what a view! I'll go ahead and let the pics do the talking here.<br />
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The Cueva Ventana excursion was fantastic, interesting, stunning, and a little challenging at times. And by the time we were done and handing in our hard hats, we had built up a bit of an appetite.<br />
So, as I'm known to do, I had researched the heck outta this trip, and I knew that we could drive ~10 minutes and arrive at Lago Dos Bocas for a lake-side lunch. Which of course we did. There is a parking area where you can park and wait for the 'boat man' to arrive, which he did, after a time, and then he ferried us (and some other folks) to the restaurant, Paisaje Escondido. We all climbed out of the boat, up the (steep!) stairs, and got a table at the open air restaurant. Great menu, view, service and food. Lisa and I had a spectacular time.<br />
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I did a write up on TripAdvisor for the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1383492-d2335360-r685554824-Aventura_Cueva_Ventana-Arecibo_Puerto_Rico.html" target="_blank">hike</a> and the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1236992-d1553109-r685556841-Paisaje_Escondido-Utuado_Puerto_Rico.html" target="_blank">lunch</a>, just as a reference.<br />
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<i><b>Webb</b></i>: Did they have Rocky Road ice cream?<br />
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<i><b>Elle</b></i>: What is wrong with you? Yeah, I get your '<i>Goonies</i>' reference. Weirdo. Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-31395262533245110632019-06-24T20:13:00.000-04:002019-06-24T20:13:01.349-04:00Sunday Funday! kinda…<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Elle</b></i>: Dear Diary,</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sunday in Dorado is the day they shut down a section of road to cars, so runners and cyclists take to the road for a car-less workout along a stretch of road with a nature preserve on one side and the ocean on the other. Not too shabby.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m used to getting up with Webb and going out together for our rides. Being alone and having the discipline to get up at 6am and out of the apartment and proceed to cycle on my own takes a bit of mind strength for me. Most mornings my mind and body say, ‘No, I don’t wanna goooooo.’ But then I think, consistency is the key to gaining fitness success. And of course it’s hard. If it wasn’t then everyone would do it, right?!? So I drag my body out of bed and get to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Webb</i></b>: Oh yes, consistency is consistently the most important aspect to long term success. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">THE RIDE</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Elle</b></i>: Since my light + lovely Argon tri bike is in the shop, I’ve been riding Big Bertha, my heavier road/commuter bike. Honestly, It’s work to haul that thing around. Plus it doesn’t have shoe clips, so I’m losing power in the back half of my pedal stroke. Every stroke. So it’s truly a challenge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">HOWEVER, today I actually passed a couple of people... Yeehaw! I mean, yeah, they were going pretty slow, but hey, I’m calling it a win.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On my rides my mind wanders. Here are some of the thoughts that swirl around:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Look at all the guys (and gals) in full on kits. There are a lot of serious cyclists around here.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am so thirsty. Doh, I forgot my water bottle! Sooooo thirsty. Make a note for next time, DON’T FORGET A WATER BOTTLE.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I have a run after this (doing a transition run to train for triathlons), oy, that’s going to hurt. Stop thinking about the run! You’re on the bike, think about the bike!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now there are lots of big groups of riders out here every Sunday, but something AMAZING happened today - there was a super big peloton of ladies wearing pink. They came up on me and I got swept up in their peloton. Whether I wanted to, or not, I was in the peloton now! It was incredible! I could feel the physics of the peloton pull me along. Some of the cyclists going the other direction would yell out words of encouragement to the group, and everyone would cheer and yell. I think it was a breast cancer support group. Anyway, it was freaking great. This is what I get out of bed for!</span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Webb</i></b>: Dear Elle's Diary, Her cycling has really improved. Could you let her know? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Elle</b></i>: One thing about this ride is that, at the end, about 1.5 miles from the end, there is a killer of a hill. I mean super steep. Short, but steep as a mother. And every time I approach, I get a little nervous. And a little excited. But I am determined to attack and beat the hill. I was tired and still determined to win hill today. Ok, here we go......push, push, push. You. Can. Do. This.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">PUSH!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">PUSH!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">PUSH!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">.....yassss! Made it the top! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elle: 1 // hill: 0 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was done with my 25-mile ride, and it was time for a run. Ugh, I sooooo don’t want to run. But then I said to myself, ‘You can do this! Rock this run!’. More thoughts:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This is hard. This is hard. Stop thinking about how hard it is. This is easy! (not really)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Damn, I’m running a 10 minute mile. Stop! Stop the stinking thinkin’! You’re a beast!! You're a champ for even getting out here today!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You are strong! You can do this! Picture that podium on race day and know you're going to finish strong because you got up on these hard days and got it done!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This will be over at some point, just push through!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Strong. Strong. Push. Push.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I DID IT! Now lets go jump in the pool</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So glad I got out of bed this morning. Good job self!</span><br />
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Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-74161754269518390132019-06-24T20:03:00.003-04:002019-06-24T20:03:51.667-04:00Susan G. Komen - Race for the Cure 5K<i><b>Elle</b></i>: So I signed up for my second race in Puerto Rico, The Susan G. Komen 5K Race for the Cure. And although it was another race without Webb (*tear*), this time I wasn't alone; my co-worker Ashley agreed to race with me. Woohoo!<br />
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And as it often happens, before I knew it, race weekend was upon us. I planned to get a ride into San Juan for packet pick-up with my good friend Bridget.<br />
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First of all, I didn't even know when or where packet pick up was. Usually races send you emails about this sort of thing, and at least have info on the race site. Oh no, not this race. The only way I was able to find out how to get the race packet was through Ashley. She said the reason I probably didn't have all the info I needed was because the race site was all in Spanish. Yup, that was a problem. So she told me it was at the Plaza las Americas, just outside of San Juan, and give me all the details. OK, cool. <br />
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Now neither Bridget nor I had ever been to the Plaza las Americas, but we'd both heard A LOT about it. People rave about it. Neither of us are 'mall people', but we were interested in checking it out. So here's the story: IT'S HUGE. HUGE! There's a supermarket in the mall! So many restaurants! Pretty much anything you could ever want. And in one area there was a large group gathered, about 90 people. They were playing Bingo!<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: Who has seen <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077402/?ref_=nv_sr_3?ref_=nv_sr_3" target="_blank">"Dawn of the Dead"</a>? (Don't even try with 2004 - Romero 1978.)<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Ok, so I don't know what Webb is talking about. Moving on....<br />
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We headed to the place in the mall where the packet pick-up was located. There were over 1,000 people signed up for this race, so we knew it might be crowded. We got there, and stood in line. And get this. Without ANY planning or coordination AT ALL... who is directly in front of us in line? <b>Ashley</b>! What are the freaking odds!?!?!?!? This bit of serendipity gave me a good feeling.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashley and me at packet pick-up</td></tr>
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When I got home I explored my race packet. Wait. A. Minute. The race starts at 5pm? Is that true? Sooooo weird! Ok, well at least I'll have a lot of time to get ready tomorrow morning!<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: Race Start Times:<br />
Puerto Rico 1 - New England 0<br />
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<b>RACE DAY</b><br />
<i><b>Elle</b></i>: Having all time in the world to get up, get ready, and putz around was kind of nice. I called an Uber and got to the race site with lots of time so spare. Which was a good thing, because there was a decent race expo with lots of tents and a good amount of swag. Eventually Ashley showed up, and we got ready to race.<br />
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A little bit about me and my racing experience: Before moving to Puerto Rico, I'd never raced alone before. It's always been me and Webb or me and friends, but never alone. And not having Webb by my side at any race is kinda sad for me, since we've always raced together. But thankfully Ashley was there, and we walked around and got ready to race. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-race with Ashley</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun things at the race expo</td></tr>
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Ashley was planning to run a 10 minute mile, and then she told me... This was her first 5K! I felt so honored to be there for her first race! I gave her some tips, and told her I'd meet her at the end. And then I moved up close to the front of the pack.<br />
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Self talk: <i><b>"Just do your best. It's great that your even out here. Run your own race. Enjoy the experience. No matter what, it's all good."</b></i><br />
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Ok, ok. Here we go. And then the gun sounded, and we were off. I hadn't reviewed the course (bad runner!), but I figured I could just follow the pack. Everyone around me started off too fast. Myself included. I looked down at my watch, oh shite, I'm running a sub-7-minute mile. Woah Nelly!!! Slow it down, partner! Just calm it down, you'll thank yourself later...<br />
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Early on, I spotted a man in a red shirt who seemed to be running around my pace. So I stuck with him for awhile. Then, as often happens, we kept passing each other back and forth. Yeehaw, a race partner! I always enjoy having a race partner, a stranger who's with you for a bulk of the race. Good for pacing, and also pushing yourself that extra bit.<br />
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After awhile, things started to get harder. As it should.<br />
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<i><b>"You can do this. The pain is temporary. Winning is forever. You've got this. It's not a long race, it's a 5K! Go! Go! Go! The finish line will arrive sooner than you think! Leave it all out on the course!"</b></i><br />
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Back and forth, back and forth with my race buddy. Until the last 1/4 mile or so when I dug deep and kicked it up. Then I didn't see him again. And I finished strong.<br />
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Now, some strange things about this race:<br />
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- No email about packet pick-up or anything, really<br />
- No bag check (WTF?)<br />
- The 'Finish' arch was not at the finish line! The finish line was BEFORE the arch. Way before. So THAT was confusing!<br />
- The finishing chute for this 5K was almost as long as the frickin' Boston Marathon! It went on for at least a 1/4 of a mile.<br />
- Near the end of the finishing chute, just before you get your finishing medal, there is a HUGE bell that you can ring. What? But of course I'm ringing it. That was pretty cool, actually. Now I want that at the end of every race I do....<br />
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I circled back to the finish line to cheer Ashley in. I was so excited for her. And there she was, running in for her first official 5K. WELL DONE MY FRIEND!<br />
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We chatted a bit afterwards, and then she had to head home. I stayed behind, thinking I may have placed. So I waited. And waited. And waited. Until I figured out THERE'S NO AWARDS CEREMONY. WTF? Ugh, fine, I'll get an Uber home.<br />
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So there I was, in the Uber, heading home. Hungry. Tired. A little confused. I remembered that on one of the race info sheets it said that results would be posted on AllSports.com<br />
So I decide to check it out to see if the results were up (AllSports is known for their speedy postings). Lo and behold, the results were there! There were no age groupings, just all men and all women. That's fine, I'm sure I'll be able to find my name on the women's list. I started scanning the list....<br />
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YARRRRRRRRR!!!<br />
3RD OVERALL WOMAN!!!!!<br />
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I yelped, and pretty sure that I scared the crap out of the Uber driver. That's fine. I'll take my third place and go home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second race in PR, second time placing :)</td></tr>
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<br />Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-25092156147253481522019-04-06T21:23:00.000-04:002019-04-06T21:23:43.040-04:00A visit to the Puerto Rican DMV. Oh yeah....<i>(Disclaimer: A bit different than the posts of the past, I'm using this blog to not only document training and racing, but also as a kind of diary of my time in Puerto Rico. So if you don't want to read a long story about the Puerto Rican DMV, you might want to skip this one.) </i><b><br /></b><br />
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<b>Elle</b>: After much searching and some anguish, I bought a car in January. Halleluja! No more biking everywhere I need to go. Not that I didn't mind it too much. And it was a nice boost to my fitness. But being able to go further than 5 miles from my apartment and being able to purchase more items than I can fit into my backpack is a 'nice to have'. I think I mentioned my new (used) car in an earlier post, but just a reminder:<br />
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Sooooo, in Puerto Rico, you need to have something called a 'marbete'. And it needs to be renewed once a year. And apparently if you get stopped with an expired marbete, you can rack up a fine/fee of $700 (<a href="http://www.lifetransplanet.com/2018/02/26/never-let-your-marbete-expire/" target="_blank">here's a story</a> of a sad soul here who got caught with an expired marbete). Now, my marbete expires in May. But being the newly motivated gal I've become, I wanted to get on it early. So I looked up the process of renewing this thing. Holy carrots, what a pain in the arse.<br />
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<u><b>Step 1</b></u><br />
You need to get your new vehicle license/renewal notice. The Puerto Rico Department of Motor Vehicles should send renewal notices every year by mail; they seldom do. But there's a site you can go to and you can get the notice there. You print that out and then...<br />
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<u><b>Step 2</b></u><br />
You take your vehicle along with all copies of the renewal notice to an inspection center at an authorized gas station. They will provide you with an inspection certificate for $11.00. <br />
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<u><b>Step 3</b></u><br />
You may purchase your marbete sticker at the Inspection Center or any bank that has them in stock. I looked this up, but it's a little confusing as to which banks you can go to. Again, you must provide Insurance Vouchers to avoid the compulsory liability insurance charge of $99.00. You will pay $40.00 for annual rights, $35.00 for driver’s insurance (ACCA), $10.00 renewal fee. If you do not provide Insurance Vouchers, you will be forced to pay the $99.00 fee and choose from government insurance providers.<br />
<br />
Oy! I thought, "Well, I'll start the process and get this 'vehicle renewal notice', that way I'll be ahead of the game." So I went online and filled out the info. The last page opened up and I was able to roughly translate the Spanish enough to know that it said that there was no car available for renewal under my name/license, etc.<br />
<br />
<b>FARK</b>!<br />
<br />
After asking around, I was told by several people I had to go the Puerto Rican equivalent of the DMV. And when they said it, a look always come over their face. Not a good look. But a sad, condolences look. I was told to get there EARLY. One thing I've learned about Puerto Rico is that when you need to go to any government office, you've got to be prepared to wait A LONG TIME. Cool, I can get there early.<br />
<br />
I was on the road by 7am. Yeah, things are going well. But since my phone decided to not do the whole navigation thing (don't know why that stopped working), I had to write down the directions and do my best to memorize where I needed to go. (If you're itching to read more about days gone sideways, I put pen to paper - or fingers to key, the <a href="http://triathletesjourney.blogspot.com/2019/03/mama-said-said-there-be-days-like-this.html" target="_blank">details of this day</a>).<br /><b></b><br />
<br />
<i><b>Issue 1</b></i>: Somehow I forgot about traffic heading into San Juan weekday mornings. Oy! At one point I tried to count how many lanes of traffic were merging, and I stopped at 10. But I stayed strong and drove with confidence. Then a small miracle occurred, I actually got off at the right exit (a BIG feat if you've ever driven in Puerto Rico where a lot of exits don't even have a sign).<br />
<br />
One more exit, then my destination would be on my left. Coolio. I was able to find it and get off, woohoo, things are happening for me now!. I figured it would be an obvious building, and my directions said it was a bout 3km on the left, so I drove. And drove. And drove too far. Frick. I missed it! I checked out Google maps and saw I had overshot it, so I found some landmarks on the map, and turned around. Well, this isn't the first time I used landmarks on Google maps to find my way, and got lost. Here's a tip:<br />
<br />
<i><b>If you're driving in Puerto Rico, and you use Google Maps and rely on stores/businesses/etc. aka things on the map for landmarks, DON'T. Most of them just aren't there. </b></i><br />
And today was no different. The landmarks weren't there. And I missed it AGAIN! Arghgh! So I turned around <b><i>again</i></b>, and, with an eagle eye, drove slowly until I finally found it. Yass.<br />
<br />
I walked in, and there were hundreds of people there. I didn't know where to go or what to do (all the signs were in Spanish). So I got into the long, main line. And I came prepared. I had my Kindle with me, loaded with <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/review-do-your-om-thing_b_6782988" target="_blank">'Do your OM thing'</a>, a wonderful book by Rebecca Pacheco, a master yogi and an incredible person. So as I was standing in the line of hell, I was reading about the way of the yogis, peace and acceptance. I felt confident that I was the most zen person in that line. Finally, 45 minutes later, I got to the front - yay, it was my turn! I went up to the window, and despite a rough time with the language barrier, the man behind the counter explained to me that I was in the wrong line, and pointed to another line that I was supposed to be in. Breathe. Breathe. Yoga. Zen.<br />
<br />
Well, the line I got into next was much shorter than the original line that I accidentally queued up in. And in 20 short minutes, I was at the front. My turn! So after some some more time trying to bridge the language barrier, I basically found out that they couldn't help me, and that I'd have to come back in May. Oy. Breathe. Breathe. Yoga. Zen.<br />
<br />
Back in the car to head home. Oy, what a day. OH, and then the 'Check engine' light came on. Frick! And to make a long story short, on my adventure getting home, I took my first wrong turn. Oy. Then wrong turn #2. Ack. Then finally got safely on Route 22 and sailed on home. And by the time I got home, I saw that it was only 10:30am! How is that possible? Anyway, I'll take that as a win.<br />
<br />
And that was my day at the Puerto Rican DMV. See you again in May!<br />
<br />Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-42995925590114289452019-04-06T21:18:00.002-04:002019-04-06T21:18:34.521-04:00Hills, Glorious Hills<b>Elle</b>: When you want to get fast as hell and beat the competition at your choice triathlon, I've found (for me at least) that there are 3 essential run workouts necessary for each week:<br />
<br />
<i><b>1. Speed work (on the track or elsewhere)</b></i><br />
<i><b>2. Hill work</b></i><br />
<i><b>3. The LSD run (Long Slow Distance)</b></i><br />
<br />
I've been doing the speed work on the wonky track in my neighborhood (see past blog post, featuring a couple of nasty track workouts). And LSD runs are easy, just head and go long. But I hadn't found a hill to do the required weekly hill workout. That is, until my run buddy, Adam, told me about a somewhat hidden hill in our neighborhood. Oh, and what a hill it is! It's quite <span style="background-color: white;">glorious</span>. It starts gradually, but then gets into a nice steep climb. Then summits, and loops back around to the the start, because, hello, it's a loop. So we've started meeting up weekly (in addition to our weekly Tuesday speed workouts on the track) for hill workouts. It's no Boston Commons hill, but it has it's merits. It's a richly<span style="background-color: white;"> </span>lush and gorgeous route, with outstanding ocean views at the summit.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
I'm still working on figuring out some different workouts, but we recently did these:<br />
<br />
<b>- Walk/run/bike to the hill</b><br />
<b>- Hard effort 1/3 of the way up the hill, recover back down the hill</b><br />
<b>- Hard effort 2/3 of the way up the hill, recover back down the hill</b><br />
<b>- Hard effort 1/3 of the way up the hill, recover back down the hill</b><br />
<b>- Solid effort 1 full loop</b><br />
<i><b>Then do that 2 times</b></i><br />
<br />
AND<br />
<br />
<b>- 1/2 up one side (to the top)</b><br />
<b>- 1/2 up the other side (to the top) </b><br />
<b>Do that twice.</b><br />
<b>Then: </b><br />
<b>- 1 full loop with a run a bonus short, flat stretch <strike>to the Embassy Suites - back (which is pretty close)</strike></b><br />
<b>- I full loop</b><br />
<br />
(I threw up in my mouth a little doing that second one)<br />
<br />
Some good news, my long runs have gotten longer. I'm up to 6+ miles, woohoo! Now, this doesn't seem like a lot, but as anyone coming back from an injury knows, you gotta celebrate the milestones. So I am.<br />
<br />
<b>Webb:</b> Meanwhile back in Boston, I did my own hill workout of sorts: Le Stade. Where Elle's workout is lush and green, mine is drab and grey. Hers is warm and humid with ocean vistas. Mine is cold, windy and dry with concrete views. Stadium workouts are very popular here, mostly due to a pop-up fitness group that has spread across the country over the last five or so years. For me it is not about running or trying to do it faster each time. It is basically a step-up workout with more than 1,000 reps. You feel it the next couple of days for sure. Even if you are not running your HR will bump into that muscular endurance zone which helps both cycling and running. Or that is what I repeat to myself starting with the 500th rep.<br />
<br />
<b>Elle</b>: Stay strong Webb! And next time you come to visit paradise, you'll be able to enjoy the hill! <br />
<br />
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Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-3232264517560549582019-03-09T18:24:00.000-05:002019-03-09T18:24:01.014-05:00Baby's got a brand new bag <div dir="ltr">
<b>Elle</b>: Okay, so not a 'new bag', but new shoes, I'm of the brand of people who DON'T buy running shoes every 6 months, or whatever the running shoe companies tell you. When my shoes start to break down or fall apart, THAT'S when I buy a new pair (right Trent?!?) So I haven't bought new running shoes for a couple of years. But finally, I decided it was time. Mostly because I needed a new pair of tri shoes that would make my transitions speedy as hell (If I don't have one of the top 3 fastest transition times, then what the hell am I doing there...competitive much? Yup. Not apologizing). I've been looking for shoes like this for a LONG time. And no dice. And then one day, out of the shoe-ness blue, I found these, like a gift from above:<br />
<br />
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Integrated tongue, pull tight laces, high back and front for quick slip on. YES! Finally! After so many years of searching. See, sometimes dreams do come true...<br />
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So far, as I slowly get back into running, I've only been running short distances. One of my staples is an out and back from my apartment to the hotel in Dorado del Mar and back. When I run, I like to establish landmarks that I run toward, or pass, as a mental push that helps me along the way. The first and favorite is the kitten house. There are like, 5 - 6 (or more?) kittens that live at this house. I've been trying to make contact, and I'm determined to make friends with them. They are cute as hell, obviously. <br />
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Somewhere in mile 2 are the Egrets. Like a bunch of them. Ya just get used to their white feathered beauty after a point. And that's right near the 'Bird Tree'. A shite load birds live there. And they are always there. Right in this specific spot. Every day.<br />
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And there's also a couple of geese I pass. They're on the other side of a fence, always in the same spot. They live on the golf course near a pond with a smattering of other fowl. And a calico cat also lives there. Like a boss. I often see her sitting by the fence right where the goose couple are. She just sits there, hanging out with them. Her and all her fowl friends. The geese squawk at any one who passes by, and she just sits there. It's like her goose friends are protecting her. And she's like, "Yeah, you wanna mess with me? I don't think so.....".<br />
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So for my speed workouts, I use the 'track'. A term I use loosely, as it's far from a typical American track. But hey, at least I have a wonky track to use! No complaints here, it does the job. Here are a couple of speed workouts that I've done so far. Try 'em for yourself:<br />
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<u><b>Workout 1:</b></u><br />
<b><i>200 meters @ your 5k pace, 200 meters at your mile pace (x2)</i></b><br />
<b><i>30 second rest</i></b><br />
<b><i>400 meters @ your mile pace</i></b><br />
<b><i>rest: 2 miuntes</i></b><br />
(Now do that 4 times. If you're not completely gassed after that, you didn't run hard enough.)<br />
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<u><b>Track Workout 2:</b></u><br />
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<i><b>300m @ 10K pace, 100m @ 5k pace</b></i></div>
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<i><b>1 full lap strong</b></i></div>
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<i><b>(Repeat 3-4 times)</b></i></div>
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Now normally, I've been running in the morning, which is ideal on a tropical island. It's still relatively cool outside, and the sun hasn't had a chance to warm the ground up to 100-degrees. But one day, I had to postpone my workout (something to do with a bike ride in Old San Juan, which was fantastic), but lack of planning left my friend and I without food and water for about 5 hours, and we got dehydrated. And that sticks with you for awhile. Long story short, I ended up doing my run at 3pm. In the blazing sun + heat. The plan was to do a simple 6 mile run. But I couldn't even manage that. 4 miles and I was DONE. But hey, got a run it.<br />
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Meanwhile, here's a couple of pics from the Old San Juan excursion:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Y64RvgWNZdP2pAKuW6rJ0IFo4u4B3WUA5o3cMG4c04yGSvfCg-b7nFp_Gkh_udb3hjURQkJCHeo7DVd4CriFvTEiqL7E87orZK7Fj02_QeN-iTG4B-D0wPtcyT4Ri7PQNYPBWSP4B8JV/s1600/20190202_192419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Y64RvgWNZdP2pAKuW6rJ0IFo4u4B3WUA5o3cMG4c04yGSvfCg-b7nFp_Gkh_udb3hjURQkJCHeo7DVd4CriFvTEiqL7E87orZK7Fj02_QeN-iTG4B-D0wPtcyT4Ri7PQNYPBWSP4B8JV/s320/20190202_192419.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza in Old San Juan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famous side street of umbrellas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLkDhaf8cPqafVa2QUd1Y3lapnEXCA0EziOlQ9YTTdo5pTyHGpmx6sEkB5kVSaEefpw6R5PbfDaSy00OdMKm2dghjEviTVZYl-aBmA1pdUpn3EV8uEVdgaoUVjyxMCauvaKnCPj2X4ZCb/s1600/20190202_192640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLkDhaf8cPqafVa2QUd1Y3lapnEXCA0EziOlQ9YTTdo5pTyHGpmx6sEkB5kVSaEefpw6R5PbfDaSy00OdMKm2dghjEviTVZYl-aBmA1pdUpn3EV8uEVdgaoUVjyxMCauvaKnCPj2X4ZCb/s320/20190202_192640.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me + Bridget with whom I bike around Old San Juan...</td></tr>
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Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-65646801123112762432019-03-02T21:03:00.000-05:002019-03-02T21:09:13.531-05:00Mama said said there'd be days like this<div dir="ltr">
I'd like to tell you a tale of woe. Everyone has a bad day every now and then, and sometimes it helps to hear about someone else having a bad day to know you're not alone. Today was one of those days.</div>
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The day started out well. I got up early and headed out for my long run, which isn't long right now, since I'm still coming back from my knee surgery. I ran 6.7 miles, which is the longest run since the surgery. And I felt good. Hooray! Things were going well.</div>
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On last Sunday's ride, I had some serious problems with my bike. My back cassette wouldn't shift through the 4/5 middle rings, which was super frustrating. I basically couldn't shift up at all. Ugh. So I had to bring her to the shop. When I got home from my run this morning, I called Pedalea, the bike shop 2 towns over. They said I could bring it right in, so I put the bike in the car and headed over there. That's when things started to go downhill. I don't have GPS in my car, so I looked at the route on Google Maps and tried to memorize it and headed out. I missed the first turn. I thought something was wrong, so I stopped on the side of the road ( stop 1). Yeah, I had missed the turn. So I turned around and headed back, and made the turn. Wait a minute, this doesn't look right either. I pulled over (stop 2). I had turned the wrong way. Fack. I finally got on track, and got to route 2 where the bike shop was. I knew it was on an access road, so I turned into the first one. Nope, wrong one. And it was a dead end so I had to stop (stop 3), turn around, and got back onto route 2. Drove for a while, and saw another access road. This must be it, so I turned into it. Nope. Wrong one. (stop 4) Back onto route 2. I didn't even know what I was looking for anymore. So I turned into THIRD access road. Success! I brought my bike into the shop, and Sammy (the awesome owner) said he'd call me when it was ready. Great. So I headed out. And since I had no food at home, I decided to go to Costco.</div>
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The highway, route 22, was nearby, so I decided to hop on. I looked at my phone to see where it was and it was pretty easy, I took a left to get on, and there were a couple of roads on the right that look like they did go onto the highway, but I didn't know which one to take because there was no sign. Is that west? Is that one east? I glanced at my phone, which made it look like I should keep going. Maybe there is an exit up ahead. So I kept going for a while. This doesn't seem right. So I pulled over (stop 5). Blerg! I had missed the exit! so I turned around, and headed back. I'm sure there must be an exit on the other side of the road to get on route 22, right? Of course not. I ended up back on route 2, where the bike shop was. I wanted to turn around and try to get on the highway, but route 2 has barriers all along it so you can't cross the street, and I didn't know how far I'd have to travel to turn around. I didn't want to go in circles, so I just got onto route 2. Route 2 goes the same way as route 22, but it's a lot slower and has about five hundred traffic lights. And lots of people driving really slowly. So the trip that should have taken about 20 minutes took about 45-50 minutes. Flash back to when I finished my run this morning, I took a quick sip of water and headed out to the bike shop without eating. Remember? There's no food in my apartment. And as I drove on the slow as hell route 2, I started to get hungry. Very hungry. Hangry. And really really thirsty. My throat started to hurt, my lips were dry, and my mouth got all gummy. And it seemed like everyone around me was driving like an asshole. Or maybe I was the asshole. I figured I'd pull over some place to get a bite to eat and some blessed water. But I swear to God, there was nothing on the right side of the road where I was. And loads of restaurants, cafes, CVS, and Walgreens on the other side of the road, the side I couldn't get <u>to</u>. Arrggg! Soooo thirsty.....</div>
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After what seemed like ages, I finally got to Costco. Hallelujah! And there was a cafe across the street. Win! I went in and ordered a sandwich and a Sprite. Oh, glorious Sprite! I reached into my into my bag to get my phone, I had to tell Webb about my Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. But what's this? My phone wasn't in my bag. Fork! So I ran out of the cafe to my car, it must be in there, right? I looked all around, but it wasn't there. Are you fucking kidding me? I ran back to the cafe, maybe it was in my bag, but I didn't find it at first. So I emptied my bad. No phone. Oh. My. Gawd. WTF??? So I ran BACK to my car, it HAD to be there. I searched everywhere. Everywhere. Then I finally found it, wedged underneath the passenger seat. Of course it was.</div>
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I ran back to the cafe and enjoyed a very nice tuna sandwich and another Sprite. I was just across the street from Costco, but after the day I'd had, I was scared about what was going to happen to me next. I just wanted to go home at this point, but if you remember, <b>there was no food in my apartment</b>. Fack. I had to go to Costco. So I left the cafe and, with fear in my heart, headed across the street.</div>
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Things at Costco went relatively well. When I got to the cash register, she discovered that 2 of the items I had in my cart out had been opened, so I had to run back to get new ones. At this point, I wasn't even surprised. It was the least of the bad things that had happened to me today. I left Costco and headed home. Then, around 2 miles out, the car in front of me stopped short, and I almost hit it. And all of my groceries flew towards the front of the car. Again, I had surrendered that shit was just going to happen today and I had to deal with it.</div>
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I finally got home, put the groceries away, and then looked at my phone. Sammy from the bike shop had sent me a message. Great, my bike was ready! But then I read the message. He asked if I had crashed on the bike. I told him 'no', which is really funny, since I had crashed on 3 of my previous bikes, but not <b>THIS</b> one. He told me the bike was broken.<br />
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<b>WHAT??????!!!! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!</b></div>
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He said I could pick up the bike now. Honestly, at this point, I was terrified to leave the apartment. What the fack was going to happen to me now? I took route 22 to get to the bike shop with a post-it on my steering wheel with very specific directions to the shop. And I got there, unharmed. Sammy showed me where the bike was broken.</div>
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I had just bought this bike from a guy for A LOT of money. More money than I should have spent, really. And now I find out it's fucking broken. WHY ME?!?!?!</div>
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But Sammy said it wasn't the carbon that was broken (praise the freakin' lord!), but an aluminum part. And I could have some guys fix it for about $100. Well, at least there's that. I paid Sammy, put the bike in the car, and headed home, where I arrived without incident. Thank gawd for that. I was totally physically and mentally exhausted.</div>
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Next up, 6:30am bike ride tomorrow. Was I going to be ready for that? Doesn't matter, it's happening. And tomorrow is another day...</div>
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Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-76536800923571722452019-02-25T21:59:00.001-05:002019-02-25T21:59:41.828-05:00Run Like a Diva 5K - San Juan Edition<b>Elle</b>: So, first race of the year and first race after knee surgery. I wanted to break my racing drought and start the year out in a positive way. I wanted to get back into the routine of training. The past year or so I suffered from a stunning lack of mojo. I know how it feels to get down on racing and training and fall into a slump. But it was time to drag my sorry ass out of the pit of despair and get back on the speed wagon.<br />
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I've never gone to a race by myself before. Having someone or some people there with you makes it so much easier to get motivated and it's just nice to have the support of friends. So this was a new experience for me. I was a little nervous, but I just concentrated on getting into the mental state to run strong and do my best.<br />
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I've also never started a race in full on darkness. Oh, and did I mention that I didn't preview or know the race course at all? Yeah, on the racing list of things NOT to do. I figured I could just follow the people in front of me. That strategy worked out well in the beginning, but around mile 2, after passing a bulk of the runners, there was no one left to follow. The race signage was good in the beginning, but then I was just out there, in the dark, not knowing if I was still on the 5K route, or if I had accidentally fallen into the half marathon race, which was happening simultaneously. And I was not in the mood or condition to run 13.1 miles today. So I kept running, but I starting asking the other runners, 'Hey, is this still the 5K?', but none of them knew. Everyone I asked said, ' This is the half marathon!'. <br />
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Eventually I just stopped. WTF? Where did I go wrong? I didn't know where I was at all. Did I have to run the half marathon now? Blerg!!! As I stood there, not knowing what the hell to do, a couple of guys, who must have seen me standing in confusion, ran up behind me and said, 'This is the 5K...'. Oh great, I've lost valuable time! To make up for lost time, I put my foot on the gas, and pushed to catch up with the guys who just passed me.<br />
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Meanwhile, I didn't know where the finish line was, but as I turned the corner back towards the start line, a couple of my friends who came to cheer me on yelled at me,<br />
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<i><b>'There are only 6 people in front of you, go, go, go!' </b></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>My friend Martha took this as I ran by, while she shouted at me to GO GO GO!</b></i></td></tr>
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What?!? Really?!? That can't be, I've only been back in training for about a month and a half... <br />
And right about then a guy came up behind me, hot to pass me. Oh, HELLS NO. I don't like being passed, especially not in the final leg. Now we've got a race on! I chased him down and got up really close to him, '<a href="https://www.velopress.com/books/iron-war/" target="_blank">Iron War</a>' style. Now I was motivated just to beat this guy. But I still didn't know where the finish was, and I couldn't see it. Again, WTF? Then I saw the reason I couldn't see it, just ahead there was a short, but STEEP hill. Ack! Determined to run this guy down, I gave it my all up the hill. We were both passing each other back and forth. This is racing! Oh, the excitement! Oh, the pain! At the top of the hill, the course turned to the right, and there it was - the beloved finish arch. Yasssss! I did my best to keep up with this guy and crush the finish. But then, Oh yes, then, just before the finishing shute, my adversary steps out of the route to the side. He was A FREAKIN' BANDIT!!! Whatevs, I finished the race feeling good, 6th overall runner, and 2nd in my age group. Yeaaaaaaahhhhhh.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkbptuMLHUZ2kspBrguXdDSNKRbMFbLw18Wolbl_FfbWLFyqh2x8fuDMVEltNJ5vCsj29Lkia9SdlAcxce33NbeD8znfgibTbzbIg97EK4VIAMbfjCFegnaV109_jXtvW6fUmk0Gkx4O9/s1600/IMG_20190210_105816_233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1371" data-original-width="1600" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkbptuMLHUZ2kspBrguXdDSNKRbMFbLw18Wolbl_FfbWLFyqh2x8fuDMVEltNJ5vCsj29Lkia9SdlAcxce33NbeD8znfgibTbzbIg97EK4VIAMbfjCFegnaV109_jXtvW6fUmk0Gkx4O9/s320/IMG_20190210_105816_233.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>2nd place in my age group!</b></i></td></tr>
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<br />Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-49220779627447266412019-01-28T22:31:00.001-05:002019-01-28T22:31:46.739-05:00Another day in paradise<b>Elle</b>: Since I moved to the lovely isle of Puerto Rico on December 1st, 2018, I've been <i>sin carro</i>, getting around via my bike, and asking my co-worker Bridget to haul my butt to and from work every day (muchos, muchos gracias Bridget!). But finally, with much in the way of trials and tribulations, I nabbed a sporty little car - the Mitzubishi Outlander Sport (ooooohhhh)! It may seem like a small feat to many, but for me it was a huge milestone. I've never had go on my own to get a car loan and buy a car. I know there are a ton of questions I should have asked before layin' down the cash for New White (yes, there was an Old White, a trusty, white Honda Civic Hatchback, may ye rest in peace) but daaaaaamn, I own it now, and I'm free! Free to explore the places my bike can't take me. <br />
So that was kind of a big deal.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5WFfdyMXzfHvyYKbrst7hInV9kVgf0bePN-gfXXclngsoQGP5F7kKImQWwEmAR3XzgJ3UeTjAsuSpVgv8xNjTs1DqWuftAXm8cvtw2sTCtAUks-y69bQaMthYJ3MDU3RVLt1cslPltjq/s1600/MyCar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5WFfdyMXzfHvyYKbrst7hInV9kVgf0bePN-gfXXclngsoQGP5F7kKImQWwEmAR3XzgJ3UeTjAsuSpVgv8xNjTs1DqWuftAXm8cvtw2sTCtAUks-y69bQaMthYJ3MDU3RVLt1cslPltjq/s320/MyCar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New White in all it's glory</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Elle</b>: In bike news:<br />
- I was so excited to finally test out my new-to-me Argon 18 TT bike (sexy-ass bike, yo)<br />
- I was on my short test drive and just returning to my apartment when, what?!? The left aerobar fell full out! Oy!<br />
- To remedy the unfortunate situation, I msg'd Iron Danny (the seller of this magnificent beast of a bike) and told him about the snafu. He felt bad and came to pick up the bike and bring it to the shop. Ok, I can wait for the bike to be fixed...<br />
- Ironman Danny brings back the happy, healthy Argon in time for me to take it out for the Sunday ride- YAZZZ!<br />
- Sunday morning I leap out of bed at 6am, giddy to finally ride the majestic Argon. I gear up, put my cycling shoes on, and take it just outside my front door for a little test drive. I stood over the bike, and tried clip into the pedals.<br />
- And tried.<br />
- And tried.<br />
- And tried.<br />
- Arrrrggghhh! Are you kidding me? Really?<br />
- Sooooo... Webb had shipped my cycling shoes to me, plus clips and pedals. BUT guess which clips and pedals are NOT compatible with my Sidi cycling shoes...go ahead, guess....oh yeah, THE ONES THAT WEBB SENT. So another weekend was to go by without riding the Argon. Frack! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cM1aoeh8oEsowd1Deg53YrzYmXIWEAyxc7r9UjcWwpWv63aj6zyEMsn5o7EKkZ1ehCR0bU7oc1QTYzzt7zB1FkfCvQyQy4ftgI0WI30lU6R3_XsxfJOkRee2r8A41GTSfwmlhOju3oPf/s1600/20190105_163047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1600" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cM1aoeh8oEsowd1Deg53YrzYmXIWEAyxc7r9UjcWwpWv63aj6zyEMsn5o7EKkZ1ehCR0bU7oc1QTYzzt7zB1FkfCvQyQy4ftgI0WI30lU6R3_XsxfJOkRee2r8A41GTSfwmlhOju3oPf/s320/20190105_163047.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The badass bike that I DIDN'T ride this weekend...</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Webb:</b> Ugh. That was totally foreseeable on my part.<br />
<br />
<b>Elle:</b> Looks like I'm ridin' Big Bertha <b>again</b>! Oh well, it's still a good workout. And I wasn't going to waste a good workout, so I headed out on the big gal and made sure to stop along the route to take photos for all the folks back home...<br /><br />
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<i><b>Addendum 1</b></i>: You may have noticed that Webb did not contribute much this week. But don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't shirk his blog duties in the future. Hear that Webb? I'm comin' for ya... <i><b><br /></b></i></div>
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<i><b>Addendum 2</b></i>: For anyone who was wondering about the fate of Robbie, the ambiguous amphibian who was playing tag with me in the shower, here's what happened: He was still in the shower the next day. I was sad because I thought he was dead. But lo and behold, he still had some life left in him! Once I realized there was still hope, I use the tried and true method of paper and glass (which I once used to save a bat who flew into our apartment in Brookline, MA), and was able to capture and release Robbie back into nature where he belongs. Hooray for happy endings... </div>
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<br />Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-1893102333079972642019-01-17T20:19:00.002-05:002019-01-17T20:19:50.051-05:00Triathlete's Journey: Puerto Rico EditionAaaaaaand we're baaaaaack!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Elle</span>:</b> Yes, after a HUGE break, we're getting the band back together - <b>the Blog is back!</b><br />
<br />
So there have been some changes lately. Mostly that I moved to the island of Puerto Rico! Webb is still holding down the fort in Boston with the cats, but for the next year, I'll be soaking in the sun and palm trees.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Webb</span>:</b> Holding down the fort means, I'm staring at the bike trainer afraid of the outside, dreading cold walks to the pool and telling myself, "...this time, I'm definitely going to do that run workout," all while Elle works on her selfie-at-the-beach game.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Elle</span>:</b> I have to admit, I <i>have</i> upped my selfie-at-the-beach game... <br />
I haven't been training all the much lately, and I had knee surgery this past fall, but I'm ready to get back into it for 2019. I've signed up for my first race, the <a href="https://www.runlikeadiva.com/Events/Divas__Half_Marathon___5K_-_San_Juan__Puerto_Rico.htm" target="_blank">Run Like A Diva</a> 5K in San Juan. I'm on a big team of women, of whom I know only one person,a co-worker who got me connected to the team. Apparently I won't meet any of them until race day. And I think the plan is for us all to be wearing the matching tutu thing. Oh well, it'll be nice to be with a group of runners anyway...<br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<i>But today I want to talk about bike rides.</i><br />
In the suburb-y town of Dorado, Puerto Rico, there is a fabulous thing that happens every Sunday. They close off a section of road that runs along the ocean and a nature reserve. And from 6am to 11am, there's a tropical 10 mile loop. I've done 2 rides along this route. From my apartment to the loop and back is about 18 miles. The first bit from my apartment to the start of the nature reserve is a little dodgy, through the center of town with bad, narrow roads. So I try to get up early to avoid as much traffic as possible. However it doesn't get light enough until about 6:45am, so I have to wait until then to head out.<br />
<br />
It's pretty amazing, having the road all to yourself (along with a bunch of runners + cyclists). And there were a bunch of nice, NICE bikes out on the road, and even a couple of legit, 25-man pelotons. <br />
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<b>Insights - the Sunday bike ride</b><br />
<ol>
<li>It's a beautiful, car-less, 10-mile loop training course, 5 miles out, 5 miles back</li>
<li>I forgot to put on my Chamois Buttr this past week....</li>
<li>My bike shorts are over 3 years old....</li>
<li>OUCH</li>
<li>I think because it's between the ocean and a humid nature reserve, there is an abundance of these tiny black bugs. SO MANY. I smashed a BUNCH with my face and legs. And I definitely ate at least one.</li>
<li>The route is basically flat. Except one hill I hit on the way back into town. It's very short. And very steep. The first time I rode it, I didn't think I was going to make it to the top. 9.3% grade! But I did make it that day. So the second time I attacked the hill with more gusto, and basked in the glow of reaching the top with aplomb.</li>
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Next time: PHOTOS!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Webb</span>:</b> While Elle is enjoying tropical nature reserve bike rides, I've joined the <a href="https://thesufferfest.com/blogs/training-resources/do-the-plan-with-dan-from-zero-to-hero-in-10-weeks" target="_blank">#DoThePlanWithDan</a> training. It is a <a href="https://thesufferfest.com/blogs/training-resources/do-the-plan-with-dan-from-zero-to-hero-in-10-weeks" target="_blank">10-week bike plan</a> built to bring Dan Lloyd, former pro-cyclist and current <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/globalcyclingnetwork" target="_blank">GCN </a>(Global Cycling Network) presenter, back into fitness. I'll leave it to Dan to tell his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLOg2DtcdV8" target="_blank">story </a>and why a guy whose job is cycling has fallen out of shape. You can follow along on Strava and Facebooger or if you are simply curious about how effective <a href="https://thesufferfest.com/" target="_blank">The Sufferfest</a> is, check back with the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/globalcyclingnetwork" target="_blank"> GCN YouTube channel</a> to see how Dan fared.<br />
<br />
I'll be using it for similar purposes. My fitness has been up and down over the past two years. This structured approach will give me four hours on the bike each week which should allow me to squeeze in some run and swim workouts. At the end of the 10 weeks I hope to have some target races so that I can pick a proper training plan and be ready to go.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Elle</b></span>: Elsewhere, I took my life in my hands recently and biked to work. Which normally isn't a big deal. But on this island, people drive a tad bit crazy. There's a shoulder for part of the way, but not the whole way. And with all of the monstrously deep pot holes, drivers often have to swerve into the other lane or shoulder to avoid them.<br />
When Webb was here, we drove the route to see if it was safe to bike. Due to the conditions of the road, etc., Webb forbade me from riding it. But after a month of having to ask my co-workers to drive me to and from work everyday, I was craving some autonomy. So, despite my fear, I finally took the plunge and rode my bike to work. I don't know the deets on the ride because I didn't wear my sports watch. Was it because I didn't want Webb to get the auto alert from Strava that I had biked the forbidden route? Or did I just forget to put the watch on? You decide....<br />
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<i><b>Addendum</b></i>:<br />
This morning I shared my shower with this guy:<br />
<span id="goog_1735126461"></span><span id="goog_1735126462"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0W9fvv5A_MJkKME44HRDM3MgD-8A6Gyoykwq_Np7be_vrD1zJ0pEKKQbOfq7hjMRHHl-u4nxPvMDj4Fv6QbXK8GGx3Y8PEVPIPWDvTNfO8tPFFspoDckE17-r_HRhs5ZyRuPiSOyQsgCi/s1600/20190117_090252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0W9fvv5A_MJkKME44HRDM3MgD-8A6Gyoykwq_Np7be_vrD1zJ0pEKKQbOfq7hjMRHHl-u4nxPvMDj4Fv6QbXK8GGx3Y8PEVPIPWDvTNfO8tPFFspoDckE17-r_HRhs5ZyRuPiSOyQsgCi/s200/20190117_090252.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
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Don't know how he got in, because he couldn't seem to get himself out. So we played chase around the shower, as I tried not to step on him. Ahhhh, island living..<br />
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Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-22431690883779465332015-08-27T22:13:00.002-04:002015-09-05T16:59:34.825-04:00Race Report: Patriot Half (MA)<br />
<i>June 20, 2015</i><br />
<i>E. Freetown, MA</i><br />
<br />
<b>Swim: 1.2 miles</b><br />
<b>Bike: 56 miles</b><br />
<b>Run: 13.1 miles</b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i>: </b>So I liked our pattern of doing one Half Ironman a year. And I really enjoyed Challenge St. Andrews. And since so many people talked about how they really liked this race, we decided to do the Patriot Half.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I was persuaded. For me, it was supposed to be the commitment that kept the off-season from becoming too long. We signed up in October and before you knew it, winter laid upon us like a heavy, cold, frozen blanket. Not making excuses, just telling it like it was: there was infrequent and inconsistent training in the Triathletes Journey household from December through a good portion of February.<br />
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<b><u>The SWIM</u>: 1.2 miles (2km)</b><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: We arrived early at the race site to grab a preferred parking spot near the transition area (TA). With plenty of time, low expectations and some good planning, we took our time making our final preparations before heading to the TA to rack our bikes and set up our gear.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWQTHwUyheXVBOde5VPoRsNyglDKdBXuNCWzxo01wsQm6c_rNmvgXpOBTWmNJ5m9ppuU5oE6kV-kjw8dPEFJhlg5kt9Qtw-Uy8hAS9knhND3dIyR47W7PfbQbYaZTjhyphenhyphenmDfRK0FEbDKEX/s1600/1323_photo_20779621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWQTHwUyheXVBOde5VPoRsNyglDKdBXuNCWzxo01wsQm6c_rNmvgXpOBTWmNJ5m9ppuU5oE6kV-kjw8dPEFJhlg5kt9Qtw-Uy8hAS9knhND3dIyR47W7PfbQbYaZTjhyphenhyphenmDfRK0FEbDKEX/s320/1323_photo_20779621.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This is a great way to mark your row</b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: I like to arrive early, get everything taken care of, and get in a pre-swim. But alas, that didn't happen. So we set ourselves up in TA, chatted with other athletes, spirits high, ready to enjoy the day. <b>Tri tip:</b> Try to find something unique about your row in TA so that you can easily find it when running in from the swim and bike. Some triathlete had done this in the most delightful way that I want to use myself for the future. It involved a monkey...<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i></b>: On this day I purposefully resorted to the old ways of using the swim as my warm-up. For one, I was not feeling particularly strong going into the <strike>race</strike> event. Second, in the 4-6 weeks prior, I had developed some serious soreness in my right shoulder that kept me out of the pool. I had no idea how it would react. I decided to drop any goals and just swim nice and easy.<br />
<br />
That same lazy attitude led to some early tense moments. I took my time getting into my new <a href="http://www.rokasports.com/" target="_blank">Roka wetsuit</a>. Elle zipped me up and we started making our way over to the swim start. There were a number of people exiting the swim warm-up area where I also noticed a small pack of swimmers heading out in haste. I asked Elle, <i>"Is that the first wave?"</i> Uh oh, I was in the second wave. I had to hustle.<br />
<br />
Luckily, race management (i.e., <a href="http://www.sunmultisportevents.com/" target="_blank">Sun Multisports</a>) was continuing an experiment where each wave sent off three competitors every ten seconds. That gave me the extra time I needed to zig-zag through everyone to jump on the back of my wave. I really like this format. Being able to swim free of a pack was exactly what I needed to have some confidence with my shoulder. It was sore from time to time but held up fine for most of the 1.2 miles. Thankfully, I did not have to jockey for position or alter my stroke to navigate a crowd. As it was, I ended up only swimming about 2 minutes slower than my normal half-iron distance pace.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> I started my swim about 15-20 minutes after Webb. I was excited to try this new 3-at-a-time start. Granted, I don't have a problem with the group start, I oddly like the insanity of it. But this was good too. Now to the bad news: I felt my extreme lack of swim training, and struggled a bit. OK, a lot. <i>Note to self</i>: stop skipping swim workouts!<br />
<br />
<b><u>T1</u>: Or, when to get out of your wetsuit</b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> Recently I read a wetsuit review by QR founder <a href="http://www.slowtwitch.com/aboutus.html" target="_blank">Dan Empfield</a>, a pioneer in our sport. He recommended getting out of your wetsuit as soon as you get out of the water (without obstructing your fellow athletes). Since I have had problems extracting myself from my wetsuit, I gave it a try. I think it worked better. The better solution may be to cut the legs at an angle to create a larger hole for my feet to escape. (This is apparently a thing triathletes have been doing for ages but does not get a lot of press.)<br />
<br />
<b><u>The BIKE</u>: 56 miles (90km)</b><br />
<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> The bike is a fast, <i>New England flat</i> course, meaning, rolling hills without any hills that are difficult. Let's be clear though that flat in other parts of the country means no hills. It is also not a particularly technical course. There are about six turns in the first couple of miles and two hard right turns that warrant caution. Other than those it is a great course to settle in and drive a steady effort.<br />
<br />
My plan for the bike was to take it easy on the first lap and just go with how I felt on the second lap. Since the training was not there for this race, I wanted to ease into each leg and try to negative split. That was not going to happen. Right out of T1 I paired up with another guy and we began working together. I knew it was not sustainable but I was having such a fun time. About 15 miles in, I decided it was a really bad idea because I could ruin my whole day. I let him and another guy who had joined us pass. Soon enough I had caught them again as they had come up on six guys riding questionably close. I hung back, sat up on my saddle and moved the left to catch some air so I would not be drafting. Frustrated, I dropped the hammer and attacked, passing all eight guys. That took a lot out of me but I figured if we caught those guys to begin with, they would not follow suit. My race buddies passed me and I was happy to let them go. Within a few minutes, the six hangers-on came racing up and fell in line between me the guys up front like we were doing a <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=team+time+trial&espv=2&biw=1347&bih=1296&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ab6QVbLJKInl-QH-z7mIAw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg" target="_blank">team time trial</a>. I attacked again. Hard. It worked; we finally dropped them. It took its toll though, as I needed a few miles to recover.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The calm before the storm.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> As usual, I was just really happy to be done with the swim. We had done a couple of practice rides on this course before, so I knew what I was in for. And things were going A-ok. Alright. I'll just cut to the chase here. At the first bottle exchange (around mile 18), I was ready for some more water. So I grabbed a bottle and started to pour it into my handlebar-mounted water bottle, as I've done before in other races. No big deal. But then, all of a sudden, catastrophe hit. Like a brick wall. All of a sudden my biggest race fears were realized as I found myself, seemingly for no reason, flying over the handle bars of my bike, diving head-first into the pavement.<br />
<br />
1. I didn't crash into another athlete<br />
2. I don't remember seeing anything in the road that would have caused me to lose control <br />
<br />
<br />
What I do remember with clarity is the suddenness of it all. I remember the distinct feeling of pure dread and fear as I felt my body hurdling toward the earth with force, unable to stop, knowing that what was about to happen would be bad. And I couldn't do anything about it.<br />
<br />
And then I hit the ground.<br />
<br />
I remember lying in the road, unable to move. Since it was at the water station, there were a number of people there. I remember them all around me. I couldn't speak at first. But when I could, the first words out of my mouth were:<br />
<br />
"Is, is, is, MY BIKE OK???"<br />
<br />
Eventually they moved me off the road and into a chair. Then things are a little fuzzy, but I recall people doing some superficial cleaning/treating of my wounds. And people talking to me. They wanted me to go to the hospital. I wanted to keep racing. They asked me if there was someone I was there with. I gave them Webb's full name and race number. I was told that I was disqualified because my helmet was not longer regulation, since it was cracked all the way through. Crap. And as I refused the option of going to the hospital, I distinctly remember one woman saying, <b><i>"If you could see yourself, you'd want go to the hospital."</i></b><br />
But at this point, I was just so emotional about the idea of not finishing the race, I wasn't thinking rationally. Finally an EMT convinced me to get in his van and go back to transition, since I had to accept that my race was over. I can't tell you how devastated I was by this. My emotions regarding not finishing the race were overriding the clear physical problems that my body was trying to broadcast. One of them being that I couldn't stop shaking. My whole body was just shaking, and it wouldn't stop.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> Elsewhere, I had intentionally and considerably slowed down for the second lap, unaware of the drama unfolding.<br />
<br />
<b><u>T2</u>: Going different places</b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> The transition to T2 was painfully long, running with my bike in my shoes was difficult. This was the first time I had wished I learned how to transition keeping my shoes in my pedals. I think it would make it a lot easier.<br />
<br />
After racking my bike and putting on my shoes, I surveyed the racks to estimate how many people were already out on the run. Lots of bikes were still on the course, except for one notable Trek. I saw Elle's bike and recognized it immediately. Thoughts started running through my head:<br />
<br />
<i>She could not have passed me on the bike. I don't know, that second loop felt really slow. But there is no way; she started 15 minutes after me! How slow was I going?</i><br />
<br />
I started to run out and decided to double-back to see if her run shoes were there. Yep, there they were. That set off a new series of thoughts as I walked down the 'Run out' chute:<br />
<br />
<i>Oh no, I hope she's ok. Did something happen in the swim? No, no, no, that is too unlikely. She wasn't feeling great this morning, maybe she abandoned. Maybe I should check? Don't overthink this. If you don't go out and run and she is hanging out, yucking it up, making the best of a bad day, she'll just feel bad. Just get this run over with.</i><br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> So I got back to race headquarters. The nice EMT
guy pulled my bike out of the van. And a race official was there, ready
to take my timing chip. Again, this was a very emotional thing for me to
do. The final, "Yeah, your race is f*cking over today" moment. Again,
they asked me if I was at the race with someone, and I gave them Webb's
info. Then I walked my bike over to the EMT truck, because I said I
would. The guys there tried to get me to go to the hospital, but again I
resisted. At this point, the most acute pain I was feeling was in
my calves, from stopping so abruptly after intense stress, the muscles in my calves had seized up. So I headed
to the next tent over (the massage tent) to see if they could do
something about it. The race was still going on, with no finishers yet,
and they had nothing to do, so they told me to lay face-down on the
table and they started to rub my calves. It wasn't even 60 seconds in
before I started to awkwardly sit up and mumble, <i>"I don't feel so good"</i>. I was getting nauseous and dizzy. <i>"I feel kinda nauseous..."</i><br />
And
before I knew it, the EMT's were all over me, sticking things to my
body and hooking them up to a machine, and shining a light in my eyes. I
could hear the massage therapists behind me, whispering to each other, <br />
<i>"She doesn't look good..."<br />"She's only going to get worse..."</i><br />
<br />
And the EMT's were now pressing me harder about how I should go to the hospital.<br />
<br />
<i>"We can't force you to go, but based on your vital signs, we HIGHLY suggest that you go to the hospital. Now."</i><br />
<br />
I wasn't feeling good at this point, so I finally relented. With the simple utter of, <i>"Ok, I'll go,"</i> before I knew it, I was strapped onto a gurney, and was in the ambulance on my way to the hospital.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The RUN</u>: 13.1 miles (21km)</b><br />
<br />
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<i><b>Webb</b></i>: We did not preview the run course at all. I had no idea what to expect, other than it was a single 13.1 mile loop. Right away I was feeling fatigued. The first few miles were marked by rolling hills. I struggled from time to time wondering what was up with Elle, which was actually a really good distraction to my shuffling, tired legs. Three miles in I actively tried to push thoughts about Elle and running out of my head. <br />
<br />
I started counting steps: <i>1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, </i> ... You get the idea. It worked like a charm for the next four miles. Between miles seven and eight, I stopped being able to count. I considered asking aid station volunteers to see if they could get on the radio and find out about Elle. I figured it would be easy to say, "<i>Hey, I'll be at the next station in about 10 minutes or 20 for the one after that. Please send word ahead."</i> I did not do that. Hindsight still doesn't tell me if that was the right non-decision.<br />
<br />
At mile 8, I bypassed the aid station and saw that the course was heading uphill again. The course basically climbs gradually from mile 8 past mile 9. My race fell apart during that stretch. It is possible I have never walked more during a run than in those 4 final miles. If I thought I was having a bad time of it ...<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: I won't go into all the details, but here's the
crux: I had hit my head hard, and had a huge lump on my forehead. So
they performed a CT scan right away. Good news - CT scan was clear. Next
up, x-rays for the huge, discolored lump on my right forearm, just
below my elbow. More good news - no break. Woohoo! However, I very
probably had a concussion, and due to my unfortunately long history of
concussions, I was in danger of post-concussion syndrome (PCS). So they
redressed my wounds, gave me a packet about PCS, and released me. Now
let me draw you a picture:<br />
All I had in my possession was the race suit I was wearing (a skin-tight onesie), and nothing else.<br />
That
was it. I didn't have a cell phone, a wallet, ID, or even shoes. In
fact, they had to give me hospital socks so I could use the bathroom.
They told me they'd pay for a cab to take me back to the race site.<br />
<br />
So there I was.<br />
Standing on the sidewalk in front of the hospital.<br />
In my race suit, and nothing else.<br />
No shoes.<br />
Nothing.<br />
Nothing.<br />
Wondering if Webb had any idea of where I was or what I had been through.<br />
<br />
The cab finally showed up, I climbed in, and we headed back to the race site.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Post-RACE</u>: The Aftermath</b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I crossed the finish line and went straight for an empty chair that I spotted in the shade. I drank water, ate a banana and began searching the finishing area for Elle. When I didn't see her within the first minute, I knew something had happened. If she had abandoned for a minor reason she would have met me at the finish line. I struggled to stand and made my way to the TA to check out her area.<br />
<br />
I saw all of her stuff still undisturbed. That was unsettling. I grabbed my car keys and headed towards the car to check my phone, thinking she would have found a way to contact me. As I was walking down the 'Run Out' chute, I overhead a man say, "I'm trying to find this guy to tell him about his wife."<br />
<u>Me</u>: Excuse me! I'm looking for my wife!<br />
<u>Race Official</u>: Are you number 595.<br />
<u>Me</u>: Yes. (<i>Oh hell</i>.)<br />
<u>Race Official</u>: Your wife is okay. (<i>oh I don't like the start of this.</i>) She crashed and hit her head. She is at the hospital and she's fine.<br />
<u>Me</u>: She's at the HOSPITAL???<br />
<u>Race Official</u>: Yeah, she's fine. She wanted to keep racing. (<i>that sounds about right</i>) But we disqualified her because her helmet was cracked.<br />
<u>Me</u>: Her helmet was cracked??? (<i>he said she was fine, he said she was fine, he said she was fine.</i>)<br />
<u>Race Official</u>: Yeah. She was ok, but the EMT's wanted her to go the hospital. You'll need to go pick her up.<br />
<u>Me</u>: Okay. Great. Thanks. Wait! Which hospital? (<i>Is there a hospital around here?</i>)<br />
<u>Race Official</u>: She is at St. Luke's.<br />
<u>Me</u>: Okay, thanks! (<i>Do I know what town I'm in?</i>) Wait, where is St Luke's?<br />
<u>Race Official</u>: New Bedford<br />
<u>Me</u>: NEW BEDFORD??? (<i>I was not in New Bedford</i>)<br />
<br />
At this point, he pulled out his phone, looked up the number, called the hospital, and handed me the phone. I navigated the phone system searching for her. I talked to about 5 people in about 5 minutes. The staff was professional and efficient as I was passed from department to department. There was no point where I felt frustrated. When I finally landed at the right department, the staff person informed me she had been discharged. I said, <i>"What does that mean? I mean, I know what it means. Should I come get her or has she left the hospital???</i>" The hospital staff person told me to hold. A minute or so later she came back to tell me that she had paged Elle and since there was no response, she had probably left the hospital. (<i>Holy. Shit.</i>)<br />
<br />
I thanked the Race Official and headed down the chute towards the car. <i>She must have tried to reach me. I need my phone.</i><br />
<i><br /><b>Elle</b></i>: I finally reached the race site, and I stepped out of the cab, still in my hospital socks, not really knowing what to do next. During this whole incident, I had made a concentrated effort not to cry. I thought about <a href="http://www.chrissiewellington.org/gallery/photo/6268343032/_aaawary1390.html" target="_blank">Chrissy Wellington, who won Kona after a devestating bike crash</a> just weeks before the race. And about <a href="http://www.kathrynbertine.com/#/athlete/" target="_blank">Kathryne Bertine</a>, a pro cyclist who has suffered much worse, and still raced. And about Chris Horner, who finished a stage of the Tour de France after a devastating crash, and didn't even remember finishing the stage. He kept asking, as he was being gurneyed into the ambulance, <a href="http://www.bicycling.com/video/chris-horner-post-stage-7-crash" target="_blank">"Did I crash? Did I finish?"</a> The strength of these heroic athletes circled in my mind and helped me to put my situation into perspective. And to keep me from crying. But as I walked (bare foot) towards transition, all of a sudden, I saw Webb walking towards me. And I couldn't keep it in any longer. As I approached him, we embraced, and a waterfall of tears streamed down my face.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Webb</b></i><b>:</b> After skirting through T2 and running 13.1 miles telling myself not to worry and then listen to a race official tell me that Elle went to a hospital in another town, only to learn she had been "discharged," it was almost incomprehensible to see her walking down the chute towards me. How was that possible? And what relief to see her walking and looking no worse than anyone finishing a 70.3. I took a moment to acknowledge that despite how awful the crash was, I was grateful she wasn't lost and we didn't have to go through the anxiety of trying to find each other.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Elle</b></i>: You learn something from every race. Things don't always go your way. And when they don't, you need to find something to take away from that. It could have been a lot worse for me that day. It takes strength to remain positive and keep moving forward, but that's what I tried to do. A lot of the experience of racing triathlons is the mental game. How do you react in the face of adversity? You can learn a lot about yourself in those moments. I'd like to think that I learned a lot that day.Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-1345490929044037772015-06-28T20:55:00.000-04:002015-07-03T15:14:10.933-04:00Race Report: TriZona Starr Pass<b>Race Report: <a href="http://www.trizonatri.com/sp-home/" target="_blank">TriZona Starr Pass</a></b><br />
<br />
<i>March 29, 2015</i><br />
<i>Tucson, AZ</i><br />
<br />
<b>Swim: 550 meters?</b><br />
<b>Bike: 15.6 miles</b><br />
<b>Run: 3.1 miles</b><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqa6FEt2UcDUOB_mLp2M0lGT5aM-9klIWGqWfq_bRNK6JmVicf49HiyxqGkZwJzJG3jGfD5_fWfoVsr9zOJguYSbz4r-YKm1HHrntRrUkQOskENoIcVT8lSVvwED-phMw-wqOYXD2hzADO/s1600/starr-pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqa6FEt2UcDUOB_mLp2M0lGT5aM-9klIWGqWfq_bRNK6JmVicf49HiyxqGkZwJzJG3jGfD5_fWfoVsr9zOJguYSbz4r-YKm1HHrntRrUkQOskENoIcVT8lSVvwED-phMw-wqOYXD2hzADO/s200/starr-pass.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Starr Pass Tucson</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> For the first race of 2015 we decided to leave the giant mounds of dirty snow behind us and head for the desert. The plan was to see my family and squeeze in an early <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lE2IWGyazE" target="_blank">sprint</a> at the Starr Pass resort. We learned about this race from a friend on the <a href="http://ontri.com/">ontri.com</a> forum. I was intrigued; Elle was more excited.<br />
<br />
<b>Elle:</b> O. M. G. I just wanted to get the heck out of the cold, dark, hinterland formerly known as Boston, Massachusetts.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The SWIM: 550 meters?</u></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> The swim takes place in the resort's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazy_river" target="_blank">lazy river</a>. Prior to race day we submitted our estimated 700 yard swim times. The race directors then placed us in order from fastest to slowest. I was lucky number 13 and Elle was number 17. Before you start thinking that we must have spent a lot more time in the pool than blogging in the preceding months, the race was limited to 50 competitors. Neither of us had swam much and the early season race had us wondering if we should have been numbers 49 and 50.<br />
<br />
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I was intrigued by this race because it begins on a waterslide. I will write that again:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lE2IWGyazE" target="_blank">This race begins on a waterslide.</a></b></div>
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> Holy crap every race should start on a waterslide! I can't explain how fantastic it was, you just have to take my word for it. Or sign up yourself...<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I could not agree more: Waterslides are the best way to begin a triathlon - no contest. We queued up according to our numbers and one by one flung ourselves down the waterslide every ten seconds. Race officials were clear that all competitors must go down feet first. After splash down you had to reorient yourself on your stomach and get your body pointed the right direction. Once that was accomplished, you had to head out for two laps around the lazy river against the current. Even though the current was not strong, my <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latissimus_dorsi_muscle" target="_blank">lats</a> were screaming the whole time.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUT4bWCcP-j29MS42bc2ZZIjei3WFwQu4JlFi3-T0zK262oU7rZkI9-tW8NW1iRCj0eYBoSRN23dOBQR1kWKalu1dIIsC1nScpu3kpn1NG1plWoAAuTkkBkK0uAufU3xaNW3Z2DhlvQj6/s1600/lazy_river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUT4bWCcP-j29MS42bc2ZZIjei3WFwQu4JlFi3-T0zK262oU7rZkI9-tW8NW1iRCj0eYBoSRN23dOBQR1kWKalu1dIIsC1nScpu3kpn1NG1plWoAAuTkkBkK0uAufU3xaNW3Z2DhlvQj6/s200/lazy_river.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The 'Lazy River'</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> You'd be surprised how hard it is to navigate a lazy river. Even though we were technically in a pool, I almost swam straight into the wall a couple of times. On the bright side, this was by far the shortest swim we have done. And it was over before I knew it. Sweet.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The BIKE: 15.6 miles</u></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I was more confident in my bike fitness than my swimming since we completed the <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/sufferlandrian-community/tour-sufferlandria-2015/" target="_blank">Tour of Sufferlandria</a> at the beginning of February and had continued with our <a href="http://thesufferfest.com/">TheSufferfest.com</a> workouts. Still, we had not been outdoors on a bike in months, so there was a question as to how the body would respond. <br />
<br />
The course was a down-and-up affair. Star Pass sits atop of a hill. We rode out of the transition area (TA) down the hill about a half-mile and then onto a looped course for three laps (each being a touch under five miles). After the third lap we returned back up the hill to the TA.<br />
<br />
Each lap started fast and ended slow. You begin with a fast descent, followed by a right turn continuing downhill. Your next right initially descends further, but then it levels out after a punchy hill. Your last right takes you on a gradual climb back up to begin your next lap or your return even farther up the hill to the TA.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> Honestly, I was just so happy to be outside in the sun and the warmth, you couldn't have wiped the smile off my face. I passed a number of racers, men and women, young and old. I think it's possible that the long, harsh winter had actually given me a mental edge. Most of the racers were from the area, and maybe they took it for granted? Meanwhile, I was high on sunshine.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I loved it. After all that time indoors on the trainer (which I also love unabashedly), it was good to get out and race with people. Immediately out of T1 I found myself working with a guy who came out of the water just ahead of me. We yoyo-ed back and forth for the first lap. I was certain I was working too hard but just could not help myself. It was so much fun to race outside. About a quarter of the way into the second lap I realized that my race buddy was no longer keeping pace, but whoa! I had a new race buddy who came up alongside and passed me. At first, I did not think I could close the gap on him, however, within a few miles I was passing him and we began working together. (A note for new readers: I abhor drafting. By working together we forced each other to keep up the pace. If the lead rider begins to slow down, the back rider overtakes him and forces the pace anew. It will force you to work harder than if you were alone, but it can break you too.) After the final right turn up the hill he began to pull away from me. A few times I narrowed the gap but I could not get close enough to pass him or to keep up. I decided to settle down and see if I could run him down.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The RUN: 3.1 miles</u></b><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphVGCNl4TYud7UC2rC5Brn8yKzSDP-cg9Iz-99Ai9MohbuloELzrd-RbBhL_EWPhLACUOmD_kmZ1jFoQdeYYKWHdO72l_Ly0GZNywNKyDUEW9mwTNEs3o8FGYsK-3iv8jyxXZzrSUlkzS/s1600/Webb_StarrPass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphVGCNl4TYud7UC2rC5Brn8yKzSDP-cg9Iz-99Ai9MohbuloELzrd-RbBhL_EWPhLACUOmD_kmZ1jFoQdeYYKWHdO72l_Ly0GZNywNKyDUEW9mwTNEs3o8FGYsK-3iv8jyxXZzrSUlkzS/s320/Webb_StarrPass.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Webb crosses the finish line with fervor.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i>Webb</i></b>: This was the part of the race we both found daunting. It was pretty simple: Run 1.55 miles down the hill, turnaround and run 1.55 miles back up the hill. That's it!<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: That's it. Oh, and it's 80-degrees. And sunny. And there's <i>zero</i> shade. But even so, I was still really excited to be there.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i></b>: Coming out of T2 I could really feel how much fun I had on the bike. Even though it was mostly downhill at the beginning, my legs were fried enough that I was still having problems. I focused on keeping a high turnover and hoped that I would recover enough to push harder soon enough.<br />
<br />
Almost immediately I encountered the first two men coming in hard for the finish. (Wow, they were fast.) A half-mile later, the lead woman ran past me and offered me some encouragement. I started to count. My race buddy from the bike course was in front of me, which put me in fourth, if there was no one other men in front. I tried to maintain contact with him while also attempting to recover. After we passed the 1-mile aid station, the 3rd-place male passed me on his way to the finish line. He looked strong. That put me in 5th with a hope for 4th. A little before the turnaround my race buddy passed me. We high-5'd. He only had 200m on me and I was feeling better. Unfortunately, so was he; that was the closest I would get.<br />
<br />
I started to run like the prey instead of the predator. I had seen a couple of guys behind me after I made the turnaround and had no idea how much, if any, of a head start I had on them from the swim time trial start. I pushed hard up the hill. Eventually the racers running the opposite direction stopped saying, "good job" and started saying, "good job you guys." <i>Guys</i>??? Then the footsteps behind me became more audible. I tried to run harder, desperate to hold onto 5th. He finally ran by me and to my great relief I saw the "R" relay marking on his calf. Relief was soon replaced with realization that another might be behind me; I pressed onward.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: This was my time to shine. I can't beat Webb on the swim or the bike. But I can often get him on the run. I started out hard. It was hot. But I took the free speed that comes with running downhill. So I went full gas. About a quarter of a mile in, I saw the 1st place woman running towards me. Holy cow, she was fast! As we passed each other she said to me, 'Good job.' To which I responded, 'You too!'. That was nice. Then at about a half a mile from the turn around I saw Webb running up towards me. 'I think you're the 4th woman!' he called out. That got me excited. I made the turn around and started the 1.5 mile climb to the finish. I was going hard, and passed a lot of people. But ended up stopping, not once, but twice! I never stop during the run on a sprint. But this course was a little severe. As I approached the finish line, I gave it all I had, and crossed, fully exhausted, with Webb yelling out encouraging words. As soon as I crossed, Jodee, the race director immediately came over, she looked concerned. 'You're not sweating. That's a problem. You need water, now!'<br />
I was really surprised by that. I hadn't even noticed that I wasn't sweating. Hello, dry heat!<br />
<br />
Oh and by the way, I beat Webb by more than 40 seconds on the run.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The RESULTS</u></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I was taken aback by our results. I finished 5th male (and 6th overall, not counting the relay team). <u>Spoiler Alert</u>: Elle did not win, that honor would go to a <a href="http://www.lisajroberts.com/" target="_blank">pro triathlete</a>. She did finish 4th female (and 10th overall, again, not counting the relay). My goal coming into the race was to finish in the top 25 overall, Elle's was to finish top 10 among the women. I was especially surprised with the result considering that the top three were a <a href="http://toddwells.com/about/" target="_blank">MTB national champion and Olympian</a> (doing his first triathlon), a <a href="http://www.brandenrakita.com/" target="_blank">pro XTERRA triathlete</a> and the aforementioned pro woman. One of the great things about our sport is that even small races can bring great athletes.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: I was really surprised and pleased with my results. It was a fun race, and I was really glad we made the trip out there. The race directors, husband and wife duo <a href="http://www.trizonatri.com/about-us/" target="_blank">Barry and Jodee Siff</a> did a great job. They were super friendly and have created a fun, unique race at this venue that I would definitely recommend. The race has already expanded to 75 athletes - they are taking it slowly to make sure they can successfully accommodate the number of racers, which is smart. We give this race 2 thumbs up!<br />
<br />
<br />Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-77291025528853229002014-12-25T13:36:00.003-05:002014-12-25T13:36:29.163-05:00Sufferfestukah 2014 - Day 6 (the final day!)<b>DAY 6: <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/islagiatt/" target="_blank">It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time</a></b><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>Webb</b></i>: Day 6 of Sufferfestukah was so tough, it's taken us a few days to post this blog entry. The first five days were fun in that accumulating fatigue sort of way. Angels, The Wretched, Half is Easy, The Rookie and Nine Hammers all led to ISLAGIATT. Four climbs of 15:00, 20:00, 20:00 and 8:00. Each is different and none are real grinders. They are like real climbs with pace changes, stem-chewing tempo and, of course, some big gear work. <br />
<br />
This workout began with some difficulty. I opened <a href="http://www.trainerroad.com/" target="_blank">TrainerRoad</a> and saw that it still could not find Elle's ANT+ USB stick. We had this problem on Day 5. She rode <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/nine-hammers-dec-18/" target="_blank">Nine Hammers</a> blind to power, relying only on her speed and cadence on her Garmin, you know not old school, older school. Meanwhile, <a href="http://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/202034840-TrainerRoad-Companion-Application" target="_blank">TrainerRoad Companion</a> worked fine for me. Except on this final day when TrainerRoad Companion could not find my ANT+ USB stick either.<br />
<br />
It turns out that Elle had installed the new Garmin Express which causes problems with the ANT+ USB communication. The real issue is that it runs in the background all the time. It is an easy fix to shut off that feature in your system settings. Garmin Express now no longer lurks in the background so TrainerRoad works fine. I figured this out after ISLAGIATT which might have been a good thing.<br />
<br />
For the first five days I set TrainerRoad to 80% and came out of each workout increasingly more tired but never crushed. It felt great. I decided to ride ISLAGIATT hard, maybe not 100% hard, but testing myself nonetheless. The plan was to ride at my honest RPE and if I faltered, to continue riding at my RPE, even if that meant my watt output decreased as the workout progressed. That definitely happened. Afterwards, I compared my distance to the last time I did ISLAGIATT in June (when I was in shape). That time I had ridden at 90% and only went about 1/3 of mile farther. That feels pretty good.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Elle</b></i>: Holy lava snow, Batman! Ok, so this day was hard. Real hard. Super hard. Didn't know if I was going to make it. Really. But I turned my brain off, closed my eyes, and accepted the 2-hour cloak of misery that was about to consume my life. But instead of focusing on all the ways this workout is awful and painful, I'm going to list my 5 favorite things about ISLAGIATT:<br />
<br />
<u><b>Elle's Top 5 Favs for ISLAGIATT</b></u><br />
1. Synchronized nose swipe!<br />
2. The minions can't stand Gloworm. No one can.<br />
3. Trying to count all the logos on Billboard. You can't! There are just. too. many.<br />
4. At 55:15 minutes in, a spectator off to the right takes a big fall down a hill. Ha! Probably a Couchlandrian...<br />
5. Hurtado-ing. Lots and lots of <i>hurtadoing</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I will add to the list the moment where the music, video and workout come together perfectly. It is not only my favorite singular moment of ISLAGIATT but of all Sufferfest workouts. There is something about the tempo riding up the mountain with an increasingly anxious techno-chamber music, the drop below tempo as the music also settles down, then back into the climbing and again a short respite. The music begins to subtly build once again as you climb at RPE 6.5 then just as the electro-bass drops Team Sky comes around a turn in a pace line. It is impossible not to drive the pace yourself.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Hope all had a happy and healthy Sufferfestukah, see you all at the end of January for the <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/sufferlandrian-community/sufferlandrian-national-events/" target="_blank">Tour of Sufferlandria</a>!Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-52988807580524730352014-12-20T22:20:00.003-05:002014-12-20T22:20:50.294-05:00Suferfestukah 2014 - Days 4 and 5<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Day 4: The Rookie</b></span><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>: </b>This is new one. The plot: After winning the Tour of Sufferlandria you garner the attention of Team Giant-Shimano who gives you the opportunity to make the team. The workout: Three "races" where you need to show you belong. Good luck.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: <a href="http://vimeo.com/22342619" target="_blank">I've made a huge mistake.</a> Even though I tried not to be cocky and to start out the holiday conservatively, I clearly did not do that. Well, this morning my quads had a message for me:<br />
"Too much! Too fast! And now you will pay!"<br />
Oh the pain. But it was day 4, and the suffering must go on. So '<a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/rookie/" target="_blank">The Rookie</a>' beat the hell out of me today. And at 80%, no less! I can't wait until I'm fresh to do this workout properly.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i></b>: Meanwhile, I'm feeling tired and confident. This was my first full experience with The Rookie. I attempted it shortly after it was released when I was definitely out of shape and stupidly trying to hit my inflated FTP targets. I bailed after the first race. This time I once again set the effort at 80% and plodded along. The difference is that I made it to the end and hit all the targets. Confidence swells once again.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18Xzngijgd0QGtVmPziz-PDCmgTIcwOXAFYEsE1PNY6olHeJH8f1fVsWiEUtQ5AJ-O-N-28wd5GpeeTxhsQsZ9rS5MzuJ51ck_ruAhj2zcnGzCBBEBCExJ1AenKBQe1CzRzChB0tUQ_ms/s1600/IMG_0899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18Xzngijgd0QGtVmPziz-PDCmgTIcwOXAFYEsE1PNY6olHeJH8f1fVsWiEUtQ5AJ-O-N-28wd5GpeeTxhsQsZ9rS5MzuJ51ck_ruAhj2zcnGzCBBEBCExJ1AenKBQe1CzRzChB0tUQ_ms/s1600/IMG_0899.JPG" height="200" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rookie literally cracked<br />
my dork disc!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><b>Elle</b></i>: This video has everything: an exquisite display of cyclists acting, Kittel's flawlessly gelled coiffure, super pumpin' music, and possibly the best interval of any Sufferfest video EVER: dropping Jens freaking Voigt!!! Is that a polka I hear? <br />It's hard not to get caught up in the action during this workout, right in the middle of the peleton, all the action, all the yelling. So much excitement! So much suffering! It was all too much for my 'dork' disc, which I found in pieces on the floor when I got off my bike.<br />
<br />
<i>Next up:</i> <b>Nine Hammers</b> (shudder!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Day 5: Nine Hammers</span></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> Another new workout! <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/nine-hammers-dec-18/" target="_blank">Nine Hammers</a> released just a few days ago. The Knights and Dames have been hotly anticipating it. One of the perks of gaining Knighthood is being mocked early.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: There's always an air of excitement and anticipation whenever a new Sufferfest is released. What will the music be like? How many intervals will there be? How much climbing? How much sprinting? Only one thing is certain. There will be suffering.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i></b>: Will you be the hammer or the nail? This one hour workout features nine intervals structured as three sets of threshold, V02max and V02max with recoveries between each. I'm not gonna lie, I was intimidated and now that I'm done, I'm still intimidated. Once again I set TrainerRoad to 80% and took the workout one pedal stroke at a time. The time will come (next month) when I'll ride this correctly at 100%. It will hurt badly. I will feel like the nail. But I will succeed and in so doing feel kinda like the hammer too.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: There's a nice sense of humor sprinkled into this workout amidst the suffering, which is nice. It's always fun to watch pro cyclists push each other around. What I really wanted to do was hand that BMC rider a drink - seriously, how long did that dude have his hand up? I especially enjoyed all of the comments by the cyclists and motorists on the cols during the rest intervals (oh, that pesky hamster!).<br />Oh, and something that both Webb and I have been doing for pre-workout nutrition are these <i>super</i> tasty stropwafels from <a href="http://www.ripvanwafels.com/products.html" target="_blank">Rip van Wafels</a>. I highly recommend getting your hands on some. In bulk. Seriously. Webb has a subscription with them.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i></b>: Next week I am going to plan out the first three months of my training. Right now, I think I will put Angels, The Hunted, ISLAGIATT, Blender and Nine Hammers in the rotation. Hills and endurance with that nasty threshold and V02max workout.<br />
<br />
<i>Next up</i>: <b><a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/islagiatt/" target="_blank">ISLAGIATT</a></b> (ugh.)Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-10094395445099905812014-12-18T20:06:00.001-05:002014-12-18T20:06:08.417-05:00Sufferfestukah 2014 - Days 2 and 3<b>Day 2:</b> <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/rubber-glove/" target="_blank">The Wretched</a><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> Let's kick this post off with a quick plot summary of the <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/the-wretched/" target="_blank">The Wretched</a>. It is sooooo appropriate given my current state of fitness. Here it is: You had a good season and got a little cocky. There were donuts. And laziness. You became <i>wretched</i>. Now you are in the Tour de France based on qualifying points earned when you were strong and fit. Not surprisingly you have not shown well, so on this final stage of Le Tour, your only attempt to bring honor and glory to Sufferlandria is to bring home the stage victory.<br />
<br />
I can relate. My FTP in TrainerRoad is inflated. If I did <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/rubber-glove/" target="_blank">Rubber Glove</a> right now, I don't know if I could finish it. For this reason, my goal is to attempt to complete each of the workouts at 80% (based on my out-of-date FTP). This might be a bad plan. Angels went well on Day 1. I felt good (i.e., not totally wrecked). Tonight with about 15 minutes to go in the 35:00 set I began to waver mentally. Thankfully, I had the typically great visual and music to help me push through. Of course, it is also easier having my suffer-buddy spinning along next to me. Especially when she decided to up the ante right a game time. <br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: I wanted to be smart, and so I planned to be conservative about this workout. But you know how it goes, you get all wrapped up in the excitement of suffering, and I basically rode this at 100%. Although I haven't been doing many Sufferfests in the past couple of months (known to triathletes as the 'Off Season'), I have been keeping up with my weekly BootCamp and Spin classes. So I'm not totally 'wretched' at this point...<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaq7TpqIpmRcDTE4Ehn2YbvNEeDx8bFzIXyKpL3R8ro_iz6VKM8OB4sn-sufwrMLzZ9d3GOYPXwev0eIM4EYJm9tIXU2K3ixioF9bzv8-30GEzoaO8nkBmsBefv6k-NrYUQ2Ih2XGHoGz9/s1600/sufferfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaq7TpqIpmRcDTE4Ehn2YbvNEeDx8bFzIXyKpL3R8ro_iz6VKM8OB4sn-sufwrMLzZ9d3GOYPXwev0eIM4EYJm9tIXU2K3ixioF9bzv8-30GEzoaO8nkBmsBefv6k-NrYUQ2Ih2XGHoGz9/s1600/sufferfest.jpg" height="173" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Day 3:</b> <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/half-easy-speed/" target="_blank">Half is Easy</a><br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i></b>: Here we are the morning of Day 3, some nine hours after unsaddling ourselves from The Wretched. Oh boy. With the full authority of the Scheduler's Prerogative, I chose Half is Easy knowing Thursday morning was going to be tight on time. A 40-minute workout would be preferable for both of us if we intended on making our <i>jobligations</i>. I foolishly thought I might still be able to squeeze in Extra Shot. That did not happen.<br />
<br />
I was under no illusion that it would be easy. Any Sufferlandrian knows "easy" is only used with sarcasm, as in ... <i>The Other Half is Not</i>. Forty sprints with forty paltry recoveries: HR up. HR kinda down. HR up more. HR down less. Even at 80% it took me the first five sprints to find my legs. I won't talk about the last five. Suffice to say that in the beginning and end I wasn't sure I would finish and yet I did.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Ahhh, the early morning Sufferfest. I was absolutely feeling last nights workout in my legs, which felt a little bit like lead. Although I started the video at 100%, that didn't last long. This is one heck of a heart rate spiker. I gave it everything I had, which declined throughout the workout, as I lost <strike>my will to live</strike> power. Thankfully, we have a full 24 before the next 'fest to rest up and prepare for more glorious suffering.<br />
<br />
We are half-way done. Next up: <b>The Rookie</b>.Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-25807587044461440762014-12-16T23:41:00.001-05:002014-12-16T23:41:28.620-05:00Sufferfestukah 2014 - Day 1<a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/angels/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><u><b>ANGELS!!!</b></u></span></a><br />
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<i><b>Elle</b></i>: As some may know, <b><a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/angels/" target="_blank">Angels</a></b> is one of my most favorite ways to suffer. Everything about it is <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Webb prepares to suffer, Angels style.</b></td></tr>
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pretty fantastic. The music, the workout (what a killer!), Contador getting dropped, thumbs up from Mr. Frank Schleck, and, as always, climbing the Alp d'Huez (shudder!).<br />
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<i><b>Webb</b></i>: For the return of Sufferfestukah it only seemed proper to start with Elle's favorite workout. I dig it too. Plus this is the right time of the training year to do it. Climbing builds strength, specific strength that leads to improved endurance and speed. <br />
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<i><b>Elle</b></i>: I tried to keep myself in check today. With this being the first of 6 straight days of suffering, it's important not to get too cocky. There's a lot more suffering to come!<br /><br />Here's where I'd like to give a shout-out to Chris W., a friend and new citizen of Sufferlandria, who has informed us that he will be joining in Sufferfestukah this year. Congrats Chris, enjoy the <strike>suffering</strike> ride!<br /><br />Also, let it be known that it was Webb's idea to do <b><a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/extra-shot/" target="_blank">Extra Shot</a></b> before every workout for this Sufferfestuakah. I did not necessarily agree to this. So I didn't do it today. But I will give it a try tomorrow...<br />
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<i><b>Webb</b></i>: There is no doubt that my fitness (and FTP) are in a reduced state. Rather than subject myself to Rubber Glove to reset my FTP, I am reducing my effort on Trainer Road to kickstart my base training for January. Right now my goal is to develop consistent training habits to prep myself for the first eight months of 2015. If I try to crush a workout, especially based on an outdated FTP, then it will only produce a set-back which also means inconsistent and infrequent training. As of right now, I think I nailed it. I finished the workout feeling tired but not devastated. One of these workouts, perhaps The Rookie on Friday, I will test myself. <br />
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Next up....<a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/training-video/the-wretched/" target="_blank"><b>The Wretched</b></a>Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-90044515113241044452014-12-14T20:28:00.005-05:002014-12-15T08:23:23.592-05:00The Return of Sufferfestukah in 2014!<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> Hello everyone! We are pleased to announce the return of Sufferfestukah for 2014. Before we announce the Schedule of Suffering and other pertinent news, we must apologize for doing a lousy job of maintaining the blog. Both of us have been very busy these last several months with new and changing things in our non-training lives.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> Since our last race report on Challenge - St. Andrews half-iron distance race, we competed in three more races, the Massachusetts State Triathlon (Olympic-distance), the Appleman Tri (sprint) and the Boston Triathlon (sprint). In fact, we raced the Mass State tri the weekend after St Andrews and Appleman the week after that. We won't be doing that again.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> The <b>Mass State tri</b> was the best triathlon ever. I didn't place particularly well since it was the regional qualifier for the Age Group National Championships. It was my best because it was the closest I have come to having everything click in every discipline. Other than my swim being a little off, I executed everything else nearly perfectly. I applied a steady level of effort through the bike and run and had my best splits for an olympic. The sense of accomplishment of putting everything together far outweighed how I placed.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> The <b>Appleman sprint triathlon</b> was a new one for us this year. The swim is in a lake (not the chilly Atlantic Ocean!), the bike is hilly & challenging, and the run was tough, with an honest-to-goodness vertical trail run thrown in. This must be a good combo for us, because it was the first triathlon where we both ended up on the podium!<br />
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Next up, the <b>Boston Triathlon</b>. Even in August the Atlantic Ocean is cold. We did this race last year for the first time. One of the best parts is that it is less than 2 miles from our door, so we can roll out of bed and bike on over. It was a good day, I finished third in my AG. Webb was outside of the podium in fourth, but not so close that he could have done anything differently. (<i><b>Webb</b></i>: There is some comfort in that.)<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> And now Sufferfestukah. We decided to reduce the number of days from the original eight in 2011 to six this year (and likely for years to follow). Back when we first started this tradition, there were only eight videos. The Sufferfest catalog has since grown to more than 20 (counting the new running videos). Our decision to reduce the number of days is based primarily on keeping things a little fresher for the Tour of Sufferlandria in late January. We are confident it will still provide a kickstart to winter training.<br />
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<i>Tuesday</i> 12/16: <b>Angels</b><br />
<i>Wednesday</i> 12/17: <b>The Wretched</b><br />
<i>Thursday</i> 12/18: <b>Half is Easy</b><br />
<i>Friday</i> 12/19: <b>The Rookie</b><br />
<i>Saturay</i> 12/20: <b>Nine Hammers</b> (to be released on 12/18)<br />
<i>Sunday</i> 12/21: <b>It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time</b><br />
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Our plan is to precede each of the above workouts with '<b>Extra Shot</b>' as a warm-up. As always, this holiday is about what you want it to be. Crush it if you like. Add to it if you desire more suffering or only join us for part. It is up to you. We just hope you join us.Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-83347326179026019692014-07-23T12:15:00.000-04:002014-07-24T15:59:05.508-04:00Race Report: Challenge St. Andrews (1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlon)<u><b>Sunday July 6th: Race Day!</b></u><br />
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Race morning.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> 4:00AM ... <i>So now I come to you ... With open arms ... </i><br />
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> The power outage from Saturday was still causing cable and TV problems. So we had to listen to the radio as we struggled to wake up and prepare ourselves for the day. No problem, I like listening to the radio. We had found a pretty good station the day before that played mostly classic rock. But when I turned it on, we were in the middle of the DJ's personal 3-for-3 set. And it was Journey. Oh. My. God. My least favorite band of all time. One Journey song after the other. Really? C'mon! Ugh, hopefully this wasn't an omen of things to come.<br />
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The race organizers had been up all night, clearing hurricane debris from the road, setting up the course and getting the transition area (TA) ready. It was pretty impressive how they came together and got it done after a day of having to just sit inside and watch the town get roughed up by <i>Arthur</i>. But it was a beautiful morning, and it was on! Transition would only be open for an hour, so we got down there and set up. There were no assigned spots on the bike racks, just put your bike where you can find a space. So Webb and I positioned our bikes right next to each other, which we never get to do. By the time we were done setting up, we didn't have time for a bike or run warm up, so we made our way down to the swim start.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A gorgeous race morning dawns over Katy's Cove</b></td></tr>
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<a href="http://challenge-standrews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Challenge-Map_SWIM-1.pdf" target="_blank"><b><i>The Swim:</i> 1900m/1.18 miles</b></a><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> When people weren't discussing how amazing the post-hurricane set-up was, they were wondering whether wetsuits would be legal. The swim venue, Katy's Cove, is not only protected, but shallow and managed by gates. The effect is a surprisingly warm water swim. Apparently in the days leading up to Saturday the water was in the 26-28C (79-82F) range. Some were saying the rainstorms would lower the temps while others were sure that the water would warm up quickly. Shortly after 6:00AM we received the official announcement: Wetsuits MANDATORY. There were definitely sighs and exclamations of relief rippling through the TA as well as some audible groans. My fear was, <i>how cold does it have to be to be mandatory?</i> I don't know what the official water temp was. I thought I heard 16 or 17C (60-63F). It certainly felt that cold.<br />
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The swim course was creative. The competitors began between two large red buoys, swimming with the shore on our right before turning left at about the 600m mark. We then swam another 200m or so before turning left again and swimming straight for another 600m or so. We turned left once again to head back to the two red start buoys. Once there we swam through the start line, angling left and heading towards the center of Katy's Cove where we took about a 240 degree right turn around the buoy and then straight to the shore for the run up to T1.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> We all started in the water. And we were there for awhile, treading water. Through the national anthem, and all of the swim waves, not that there were many. This was basically a mass start. First the pros. Then all the men. Followed by all the women. And it was a battle. The whole way. My super foggy goggles weren't helping at all.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I have never battled for so long in a swim. Normally, the melee settles down as the wave stretches out. Not on this day. And I don't know why. While the positioning was not intense as most mass-start races, it was persistent for the first half of the course. As much as I wanted to draft off stronger swimmers, I needed a break and finally got one as we returned to the starting buoys.<br />
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It was about that point my left calf began to stiffen. To keep from cramping, I resorted to the dead leg defense. I simply did nothing with it, hoping to release any tension in the leg. It was literally a drag - though better than sinking to the bottom of a cold cove. It didn't work. The calf seized on me a few meters before the buoys. I soft-paddled to the left buoy figuring there would be a place I could grab hold. As I approached, the cramp released. I eased back into the swim and headed for the center buoy. I made the turn for shore and decided to crank it up a little. BAM! The calf cramped immediately. I had to tread water for a bit and just try to let it release itself. It wasn't long before it did and I quietly and patiently stroked to the swim exit.<br />
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<b><u>T1: It's a long way to the top</u></b><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> There are triathlon transitions and there are life transitions. This one falls somewhere between the two. The TA is at the top of a hill 400m in length from Katy's Cove. How far in height? I don't know. To put things in a little perspective, it took me about 3:30-4:00 to reach the TA. (For those of you familiar with <a href="http://triathletesjourney.blogspot.com/2013/10/race-report-pumpkinman-half-iron.html" target="_blank">Pumpkinman</a>, I ascended that pre-T1 hill in 1:33.) Officially my T1 time was 6:26. My T1 times are under 3:00 when I have to deal with a wetsuit. This day I had a particularly rough time getting out of my new suit. I opted to remove it at the base - not sure if that was the right move or not. Ultimately it doesn't matter; I wasn't going to challenge for the fastest time up the hill. That person won a fantastically large gift basket of chocolate from Ganong.<br />
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<a href="http://challenge-standrews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Challenge-Maps_Bike.pdf" target="_blank"><b>The Bike: 56 miles of ups & downs</b></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>New bike shoes!</b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> The course description used words like "scenic" and "rolling hills" and maybe even the single appearance of "challenging." It was all of these things amplified. When we drove the course during <i>Arthur</i>'s torment, we noted the near total-absence of any flat sections outside of St. Andrews. I think Elle was a little aghast as we previewed the course. I told her it always looks worse in the car than on the bike. No one knows why. It is just true.<br />
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The course is broken into six natural sections. After a few initial turns out of the TA, the course goes straight out Rte. 127 for about 10 miles to Highway 1 to make up the first section. Once on the highway - <i>Wait, what? Yes, <u>on</u> the highway!</i> - we completed two out-and-back loops or, if you will, four sections of about 9 miles each. These make up sections 2-5. That also meant we would see each other three times, if I stayed far enough in front of Elle. The sixth and final section is the 10-mile return trip back to the TA via Rte. 127. The highway's pavement was fast and smooth. The pavement on Rte. 127 was fair, with several touchy spots. They certainly weren't bad, especially if you have cycled in Massachusetts.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> Whoa, this was a challenging, über hilly bike course. While it was cool that we got to ride on Highway 1, it was also kinda brutal. All hills, all the time. It did not look worse in the car. I was exhausted and relieved to finally get off the bike. It was just a tough course.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tough bike course...</b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I had a race buddy for most of the bike. Although she gave me a 3 minute head start in the swim, she made it out of the TA before me. I caught her on the early flat section and moved right on by her. On the first notable hill, she floated past me. I then flew past her on the descent. It was my <a href="http://obree.com/" target="_blank">Obree</a> tuck on a tri-bike cranking a 53x11 versus her light and nimble road bike with a compact gruppo dancing up the hills. (I suppose her superior fitness and climbing ability may have been a factor too.) We did this back-and-forth ascend-descend thing for 40 some miles. I even noticed at one point we were on the same snacking schedule. She finally dropped me on a climb when I dropped my chain. It was totally my fault. I smashed the gear lever too far in my desperation to get out of the big ring, sending my chain between my inner ring and bottom bracket. I had to stop in the middle of a tough hill to deal with it. <i>Tip</i>: Consider a proper rear cassette when taking on Challenge-St Andrews and take care not to shift while panicking.<br />
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I had a lot of fun on this course even though some headwinds robbed us of some fast descents. I did have one moment around the 50-52 mile mark at the top of one of the last hills where I thought, <i>I'm done and even if I get through this, there's no way I'm finishing the half-marathon</i>. Instead I slowed down to take an extended recovery. After a couple of miles I found myself ripping through the flat sections back to the TA. Sometimes you just need a little break.<br />
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Meanwhile, I did not know where Elle was. Even though we did see each other three times I had no idea how she was doing. I can easily lose myself in my own thoughts of pedaling. As such, when I saw her, I didn't make note of a reference point to judge if she was a closing the gap. Given how hard my return trip was on Rte. 127, for all I knew, she was off my back wheel.<br />
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<b><u>T2: Helmet off, shoes on</u></b><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> My thoughts coming into T2 were: <i>Wow, that is a lot of bikes</i>. <i>Time to get moving</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://challenge-standrews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Challenge-Maps_Run.pdf" target="_blank"><b>The Run: The Predator stalks her prey for 13.1 miles</b></a><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> Who has the shortest hamstrings off the bike? I do! While I shuffled out of the transition area, I went over my run strategy: <i>Stop at every single aid station to drink and walk. Don't hurry, don't delay. Drink, walk then run</i>.<br />
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The run course is an out-and-back loop, run twice. If you want to break it down strategically it is four 3.25-mile sections. The first aid station comes up quickly out of the TA just past the resort. The next aid station was on Water Street in the downtown area. The third aid station is at the turnaround. Since this was a double-loop run, you hit each station twice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hooray, we're on the run!</b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: I was just happy to be off the bike and tackling the run. Because, hey, all I have to do now is run. Let's do this!<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: Pretty soon after the first aid station I saw TO running towards me on the other side of the road. After him I saw Karen Smyers. That was probably two miles in and I was starting to feel ok. Then I saw Nate on his way to a 3rd place finish (yes!) and yelled something encouraging. I found my stride coming out of the Water Street aid station. That was unexpected. I stuck to the plan and stopped at the turnaround. Again, I came out of the aid station feeling strong. I started watching for Elle.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: What a lovely course. All along the water and through the quaint town. I was concentrating on my breath to stave off my enemy, the evil Dr. Cramp. I was actively looking out for Webb, and finally saw him near the downtown area. We did our usual hand slap, which always energizes me.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: The 3.25-mile stretch back towards the TA was fun. I found a rhythm and was super-chatty with aid station volunteers and town residents. Things were good. This reminds me that there should be an antipode for the cliche <i>"it's always darkest before the dawn."</i> Perhaps, "<i>it's always cheery and wonderful before the darkness consumes you</i>"?<br />
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After completing the first loop, I concentrated only on the next 3.25 mile section. Things started going poorly. I began searching for the downtown aid station, trying to will it to appear sooner than I knew it should. It finally arrived and not a moment too soon. I drank. I walked. I ran.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFutK4ap3tjudcCLvCWLhF9c2_bCP9TpBWfiM4tUyZGUHUm4RzO-ZwJx0qi5T4iRiM41_hOAYaWIkCJflvAJ9vdicWI1KxFllHQpb5Z1SmGUS8b4VrCB0djU_AVoWRSg3A1ajFCJ2cGJ3W/s1600/20x30-VSAE0414.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFutK4ap3tjudcCLvCWLhF9c2_bCP9TpBWfiM4tUyZGUHUm4RzO-ZwJx0qi5T4iRiM41_hOAYaWIkCJflvAJ9vdicWI1KxFllHQpb5Z1SmGUS8b4VrCB0djU_AVoWRSg3A1ajFCJ2cGJ3W/s1600/20x30-VSAE0414.jpeg" height="320" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>On the f*&$ing run</b></td></tr>
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And then I stopped and walked to the curb to stretch my calves. I took a deep breath and began shuffling. It was rough going from there.<br />
<br />
My driving thought was, <i>get to the turnaround</i>. About a half-mile from the turnaround my peripheral vision began to disappear and I started tripping over my feet. I walked briefly to collect myself. I knew this could go in a dangerous direction in a hurry. My other thought was, <i>don't hang around to make this last any longer than necessary</i>. Somewhere in the functioning part of my brain I realized I needed glucose badly. I needed to get to that aid station. I walked the last 50m to the turnaround. I grabbed a Hammer Nutrition Montana <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh3xpSJwmk4" target="_blank">Huckleberry</a> gel, walked through the turnaround and back to the aid station for a few cups of water to wash it down.<strike> I am not a fan of gels</strike>. I am now a fan of gels.<br />
<br />
I shuffled on and within a mile I saw Elle for the third time. My legs may have been running, my mouth certainly wasn't. We caught each other's attention and Elle ran towards the center line.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i></b>: I was feeling good. It was a great day, a great race, and a beautiful course. Huzzah! I had no idea what Webb was going through, but I was clearly gaining on him. As we approached each other, I pointed right at him with a harassing message, <i>"I'm comin' for ya!"</i><br />
Now that I know what he was going through, I feel a little bad about it...<br />
<br />
<b><i>Webb</i></b>: My thought was, <i>cool, I'll be sitting down right over there</i>.<br />
After seeing Elle, the gel's wonders continued to work through my system.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCb_bpQIkUQyl7v5w8PvjAzFwjRGxxYfY1z-4xSSqbLmIJGPyQZ7YrTPjVU5TYH8-3CXnpAHV-oRS9G82f4T5iDbnDpLToOtfoHzJweLuP20FALdXdN15W7ZjWFPECKisJxyGw3SsW05t/s1600/standrews_finish2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCb_bpQIkUQyl7v5w8PvjAzFwjRGxxYfY1z-4xSSqbLmIJGPyQZ7YrTPjVU5TYH8-3CXnpAHV-oRS9G82f4T5iDbnDpLToOtfoHzJweLuP20FALdXdN15W7ZjWFPECKisJxyGw3SsW05t/s1600/standrews_finish2.jpg" height="320" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The finish line</b></td></tr>
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I kept pushing, thinking of the finish line. Challenge would be good to call this a summit finish. The final stretch is up a long hill that feels much steeper the second time. I ran from telephone pole to telephone pole, not allowing my gaze to look any farther. Eventually the crowd grew thicker and the hill fell behind me. I had nothing left when I crossed the finish line.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: All in all, I think I had a pretty good run, passing a lot of people I had seen pass me on the bike. I wanted to finish strong, but as Webb explained, it was a tough final stretch. There were big hugs from Webb at the finish line, which was really great. I couldn't believe it was over.<br />
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<b><u>T3: Transitioning back to life</u></b><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: That race smashed me. I had to sit down just beyond the finish line and attempt to stretch a little. Afraid Elle was right behind me, I forced myself to standing and leaned on the barricade to watch for her. It was not long before I saw her heading up the hill. My happiness for her made me momentarily forget the pain in my legs.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: After we both recovered a bit from the race, we returned to the transition area to collect our stuff. Webb was moving pretty slowly, so I got my stuff and went up to the hotel room for a much needed shower.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> While Elle went back to our hotel room, I collected my things in slow motion and chatted up the other athletes in the area. There were a few of the pro bikes still racked. Sitting on the pavement in the TA I spotted a unique Trek. It was painted an almost navy blue with chrome accents. I also noticed it was set up with a <a href="http://www.campagnolo.com/US/en/" target="_blank">Campy gruppo</a>, an oddity in the triathlon world - or at least I think it is. I then saw TO's signature on the bike.<br />
<br />
A few moments later I was able to stand. As I was making my way out, TO was returning to the TA. I said, "Hey, great job today and by the way, you have a hot %*$!%#^ bike." He laughed out a <i>thanks</i> to my unexpected comment. Rinny looked ... perplexed?<br />
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<b><u>The Banquet: On average finishing times and above-average people</u></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> After we both showered, we went downstairs to hang out before the banquet. Lots of laughing, congratulations, and war stories, the best part of a half-iron distance event! The banquet, like the transition area, was free-for-all seating. We secured a table with a good view of the small, awards stage. We saved seats for Nate and our Sufferlandrian friends (Richard & Jane). Some other people also sat down. Just after I explained to Richard the story of how we met Karen Smyers for the first time and how, ever since, we always seem to run into her, guess who grabbed the last seat at our table? You guessed it. Karen Smyers. As it ended up, our table was made up of a pro (Nate), hall of famer (Karen), age group winners, Richard (who finished under 5 hours) ... and the slow couple - us. Webb and I really brought down the average finishing time of the whole table.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> The awards ceremony was good. The food, which included a salmon appetizer and a salmon entree, was excellent. There were several awards and prizes presented. The most moving in my opinion was the Most Inspirational. That was not the name of the award. It is actually named after a man whose name I did not catch. It was a terrible story about a local athlete who showed commitment and perseverance only to be taken from his family and the endurance community at a young age. The award was presented to a woman named Mary Beth, whom we met the next day. Later Ryan from Hammer gave away a spot to Kona for the best bonk story and acknowledged some people he met during the weekend who had their own stories of perseverance. For his last prize, he asked Rinny to help him. He claimed it was better than a trip to Kona. He handed a Rinny a slip of paper and asked her to read the name of the lucky winner. Rinny nodded her headed as she looked at the paper and exclaimed, "Wow, this is better." The room was quiet with wonder as the reigning World Champ just confirmed that Ryan was not messing around. What would it be? Rinny then called Sarah's name. She seemed to be bewildered to have her named called. It turns out that she idolizes Rinny. Oh that crafty dog. Oh wait! What's this? Then he came out with it: The Ring. He professed his love for Sarah, how she has changed his life and asked her to marry him.<br />
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After that we spent more time with Nate, Richard and Jane. Eventually fatigue got the best of us. Getting up at 4:00AM, swimming, cycling and running for nearly 6 hours and then eating and drinking had finally worn us out. We went upstairs and passed out in our room while watching Stage 2 of the Tour de France. What a great day.<br />
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Oh yeah, Sarah said yes.</div>
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: When I woke up Monday morning, everything hurt. But that didn't stop Webb and me from going to check out the hotel pool, heated whirlpool and water slide, located in a separate building right next to the main resort. I kept moving back and forth from the steamy whirlpool to the refreshing pool.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: This may have been the most anticipated moment for me since I noticed the water slide when we arrived at the Algonquin. I had never been on a water slide. Before I hurled myself down that twisty tube, I also allowed myself some time in the whirlpool. O man, those jets felt good on my calves. We ended up talking to Darren from Hammer Nutrition and the most inspirational Mary Beth.<br />
<br />
Mary Beth had been training and losing weight when she decided to throw caution to the hurricane-force winds and enter her first triathlon, the very same Challenge-St Andrews half-iron distance race that drew the rest of us. For many people I would say that was unwise; however, if you met Mary Beth and saw first-hand her abundant positive energy you would agree with me that she can tackle anything. <br />
<br />
As it turns out, she did not make the swim cut-off. She swam for 1 hour and 20 minutes, partly with <a href="https://twitter.com/Stef_at_TGI/status/485930722054905857" target="_blank">Simon Whitfield cheering her on from his SUP</a>. Finally they told her they needed to bring her in. Most of us would have climbed dejectedly into the boat. What did she do? She asked if she could barefoot waterski to the shore. Once on dry land she asked if she could volunteer. So there she was at the finish line cheering in all the athletes as they ended their day. <a href="http://instagram.com/p/qHcwkzF4_s/" target="_blank">I agree with Simon Whitfield that she is 'truly the spirit of triathlon.'</a><br />
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I was proud to race with her that day and even more proud to dominate that water slide with her.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Knowing this was Webb's big moment, a small group gathered at the end of the slide and all clapped as Webb slid his way to his first water slide experience ever. Fun times! After Webb got a few more slides in, we finally said 'goodbye' to Darren, Mary Beth and Tressa, and sadly bid 'farewell' to The Algonquin. Back to the USA!</div>
Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-56984849040398427392014-07-20T18:33:00.001-04:002014-07-23T11:55:37.311-04:00The Days Leading up to Challenge St. Andrews<b>The Journey takes us to Canada for a half-iron distance race on July 6, 2014.</b><br />
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<u><b>Thursday July 3: Off to Vacationland!<i> </i></b></u><br />
<i><b>Three days before race day.</b></i><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> By all estimates, it was going to take us 6 hours to drive from Boston to St Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. We decided we would break the drive in half by visiting Elle's mom in Maine. We had a nice visit marked by a gift of beer (<i>Trap Stacker</i> by <a href="http://monheganbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Monhegan Brewing Co.</a>), the first of many appearances of salmon at a meal and a visit by her neighbor Ginger, who brought a gift of ginger from her garden. All of these things are true.<br />
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<u><b>Friday July 4th: Happy Birthday America! Hello Canada!</b></u><br />
<i><b>Two days before race day.</b></i><br />
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> It had finally arrived. I've been excited about this trip ever since we first met Tressa & Scott, the race managers, at the Boston Triathlon Expo over a year ago. And here we were. Driving to Canada. And driving. And driving. And driving. Sadly, no moose sightings.<br />
<br />
We finally arrived at the border and it was eerily quiet. It was 2-o'clock in the afternoon, and not a single car in sight. So we just pulled right up to the gate. <i>There was definitely a race happening, right?</i> We even asked the border patrol guy if he had seen any other cars with bikes on them, and he said, "Nope, you're the first today." But then as we pulled away, we saw another vehicle heading our way with a sick triathlon bike on it. I said to Webb, "Look! That's someone going to the race, for sure." At which point Webb took a look at the car and said, "Um, I'm pretty sure that's Nate. I know that bike." Nate, as in my coach and our South End neighbor. Really? What are the odds?!? So Nate & family pulled in behind us on the highway. And then I sent him a text: "Nate, if you keep drafting off us you're going to have to serve a penalty."<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: That's triathlon racing humor. (Note: Nate was responsible and did not see the text until he arrived at the hotel.)<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Less than 30km later we drove into St. Andrews, a beautiful peninsula that runs south into the Bay of Fundy. We took a right at Tim Horton's junction, much to Webb's delight.<br />
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<i><b>Webb</b></i>: I do enjoy visiting Tim's.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: The <a href="http://algonquinresort.com/" target="_blank">Algonquin Resort</a> is beautiful. I was so excited. There were triathletes, bikes, and sponsors everywhere. It was great. We had an hour before the <a href="http://simonwhitfield.com/" target="_blank">Simon Whitfield</a> talk, so we checked in, registered for the race, and checked out the Expo. We started to head over for the talk, but, <i>d'oh!</i> Apparently we were in a different time zone and thus had just missed <a href="http://www.trimes.org/2013/10/24/trimes-digs-simon-whitfield-a-new-role-model/" target="_blank">Simon Whitfield</a>. Bummer! Instead we ended up talking to Ryan and<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Sarah </span>from Hammer Nutrition-Canada. They were in a big, pimped-out Hammer RV they had been driving on their tour through Canada, and this was their biggest event. We headed back to the expo (I needed to pick up some Body Glide) and checked out the <a href="http://www.ganong.com/" target="_blank">Ganong Chocolate</a> booth. We learned some interesting history about the company and the chocolate. And, hey, free chocolate!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Mmmm, butter</b></td></tr>
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After the expo we went down to Water Street, a quaint area full of shops, restaurants and other attractions. We had dinner at Harbour Front. Um, the fish was good. There were other athletes there, and just about everywhere you went. The town isn't big, so we were running into triathletes everywhere, and they were usually pretty easy to spot. After dinner we returned to the resort and relaxed in the grand hall/lobby/lounge area, a beautiful space with comfy couches and chairs, a piano player, and a host of board games to choose from. There was a Scrabble board set up on one of the tables, so we sat there to play. Just as were were settling in, who walks by but <a href="http://mirindacarfrae.com/" target="_blank">Rinny</a> & <a href="http://www.timothyodonnell.com/" target="_blank">TO</a>. Triathlon royalty. I was star struck. They were heading out to the porch with drinks in hand. Everyone was having a good time! Just as we started the game, a couple walked up and asked to join. Of course we said, 'Sure!'<br />
Then who walks by, but <a href="http://www.karensmyers.com/" target="_blank">Karen Smyers</a>. Of couse. We said 'hello' and had a quick chat about whether or not Webb's new triathlon suit was race legal for Tri Canada/ITU rules. Turns out it was. So we drank, played, and chatted with our new Scrabble friends (Cameron and Kirsten) for quite some time. Long enough for Karen to walk by some time later and say, <i>"Are you guys still drinking?"</i><br />
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<u><b>Saturday July 5th: <i>Arthur</i>.</b></u><br />
<i><b>The day before race day.</b></i><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I awoke early Saturday morning. Elle, one of the great sleepers of our or any era was not going to get up. I grabbed the iPad mini and my headphones to kill sometime with Netflix. The wifi was not cooperating at all. Eventually I walked into the bathroom and flipped the light switch. Nothing. I looked outside through the rain spattered window and saw the wind bending trees. <i>Hurricane</i> <i>Arthur</i> was here and the power had gone out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzX-O5d8f2TmlOingE5kF5LnArgU-XGNP2o3WhJ5EtkodywTGbyo7Ffed2Z3Srp_8Kzrcgnyoy1mGgr935MVGNPnHk_mMwfP3ny1nP3VqatXltFRO4Th3O8cXWbqqiUhK3_7L9oUagNdB/s1600/standrews_hallway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzX-O5d8f2TmlOingE5kF5LnArgU-XGNP2o3WhJ5EtkodywTGbyo7Ffed2Z3Srp_8Kzrcgnyoy1mGgr935MVGNPnHk_mMwfP3ny1nP3VqatXltFRO4Th3O8cXWbqqiUhK3_7L9oUagNdB/s1600/standrews_hallway.jpg" height="200" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Creepy, dark, hotel hallway</b></td></tr>
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We all knew we were at least close to<i> Arthur's</i> track. The question was how close. The race organizers had already postponed the sprint triathlon from Saturday to Sunday to run concurrently with the long course race. I opened our door and stepped out into the near pitch blackness of the hotel hallway. <i>Yep, power was definitely out</i>. I returned to the room and slowly became stir crazy while Elle slept peacefully, unawares. I decided to go down to the lobby to see what was what. I peered into the darkness looking for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">twins and tricycles</a>. Not seeing any, I worked my way down to the quiet bustle on the first floor. Surprisingly the hotel staff pulled together a nice buffet of fruit, granola and various breads and were setting up for scrambled eggs and crêpes. I'm not sure how they cooked them. Probably sterno fuel and patience. After eating breakfast and socializing with the Buttricks and other stranded triathletes I went up to rouse Elle.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> The next morning was a little rough. As I was sleeping off drinks from the night before, a <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The downed trees, responsible<br />for the hotel power outage</b></td></tr>
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hurricane was ravaging the coast of Canada, taking down trees and power lines with it. And resulting in a loss of power for the resort, along with most of the town and whole region. Now it was an adventure! The staff finally set up candles in the long, dark hallways of the hotel, while most people congregated in the grand hall area. Everyone was playing board games and cards while the piano player just played on. It seriously felt like we were in some strange movie mix-up of "The Titanic" and "The Shining". The storm raged outside, dashing any pre-race swim/bike/run plans. But we were all in it together, so NO ONE got to workout. Webb and I jumped in the car to drive the bike course. What a mess. There was tree carnage everywhere. We went to a neighboring town, St. Stephen, to a diner for some lunch, which apparently everyone else was doing, because the diner was among the few places with power.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> The diner may have been the only place with a working generator because it was mad busy. The menu did not have many appetizing options for this pescatarian. Despite most pre-race nutrition advice, I opted for the plate of ruffage. How long could it take to get a plate of raw vegetables? About an hour when an entire town is crammed into the same diner.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> Later we returned to Water Street to have dinner at the Red Herring. As we were sitting there, another couple walked in, clearly there for the race. The man had on a <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/gear/t-shirts/" target="_blank">Sufferfest shirt</a>. We raised a glass to him and waited until after dinner to introduce ourselves: Sufferlandrian's unite! Richard and Jane had traveled from Nova Scotia to do the race. And it turns out that <a href="https://twitter.com/rubhadubh" target="_blank">Richard</a> was not only a Sufferlandrian, <br />
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he had done Sufferfestukah with us! The Sufferlandrian community is a tight one, for sure.<br />
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We got back to the hotel room to get ready for the next day, putting all the race number stickers where they belonged, packing our transition bags, and applying race number tattoos. Which I'm usually pretty good at doing. But in the rush, I applied my leg tattoo upside-down. <i>Classy!</i></div>
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Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-60193340802043214962014-07-18T20:58:00.000-04:002014-07-18T20:58:01.200-04:00Cohassett Sprint Triathlon<i>*** LATE POST #2 ***</i><br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Our friend Lenny, who lives in Cohasset, and who watched us race last year, decided to take the plunge and do the Cohasset sprint triathlon this year. For some reason, this race sells out ridiculously fast, usually in just one day. The town holds special spots for anyone who lives in town. So Lenny got in. I was reluctant to sign up, considering how cold the water was last year, and missed the big rush. But Lenny insisted I put my name on the waiting list. Which I did. And about a week later, got an email, "Congratulations, you're in!"<br />
So I guess I was racing Cohasset this year!<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: I made the decision not to race. As Elle mentioned, it sells out fast. In fact, it is the fastest selling sprint race in the country. As registration day approached I was not confident my back rehab/training would have me ready for a high-intensity effort on<span style="background-color: white;"> June 29th</span>. Plus, the weekend after was the Challenge-St Andrews half-iron distance. It may sound odd to some, but a long slog over 70.3 miles sounded easier to manage for my back than a hard, short effort. Doing the two <ahem> back-to-back did not sound smart.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrn_G9TgwjvNA0sXeVu9s_wpihLCSORyyam_N8lkUwOyNLOghxsmsNqP1mmlAhKEOWVra3M30LQFxkzXrpcEHbqVXLO7BJDJvhFNPjxoMStEgKcSupEHZcd_R8XJ04sVWxw7cBPZV2j8R/s1600/cohasset_morn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrn_G9TgwjvNA0sXeVu9s_wpihLCSORyyam_N8lkUwOyNLOghxsmsNqP1mmlAhKEOWVra3M30LQFxkzXrpcEHbqVXLO7BJDJvhFNPjxoMStEgKcSupEHZcd_R8XJ04sVWxw7cBPZV2j8R/s1600/cohasset_morn.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A beautiful morning for a race</b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Webb and I packed up the car Friday after work and drove down to Cohasset to stay at Lenny & Lisey's home. It's like being at a lovely, boutique hotel, but nicer.<br />
Saturday morning we all (Lenny, Lenny's neighbor, Webb and I) did an easy pedal along the bike course. We returned, took showers, and enjoyed a fabulous brunch that Lenny & Lisey hosted at their house. After a great brunch, some drinks, and schoomzing all afternoon with the locals (some of whom were racing the next day), we headed out to pick up our race packets.<br />
<i>Here's a first</i>: a race t-shirt that I'd actually wear! In public! Yes, the race shirt was high quality, with a nice design. Kudos to the race directors for this one.<br />
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<b><u>Race Morning</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmAf9FDG144v17sV2PpzCzR7sB7jNGJ_B04xwZmuXh511CqPlY7khESCqyuv5UUYemdXHmcCXNoooE6fZdOn8xh6lds7JwZDmNg_dZ3-P71f3nIdXQwvSD2zGkl7I3OL8qMKV_0UBExG5/s1600/KyleDamon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmAf9FDG144v17sV2PpzCzR7sB7jNGJ_B04xwZmuXh511CqPlY7khESCqyuv5UUYemdXHmcCXNoooE6fZdOn8xh6lds7JwZDmNg_dZ3-P71f3nIdXQwvSD2zGkl7I3OL8qMKV_0UBExG5/s1600/KyleDamon.png" height="200" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hey there, Kyle</b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: We were actually up and on time this morning, which is always a small victory. Lenny, Webb and I got on our bikes and rode the 3/4 of a mile to the race site. I was anxious to get my area set up, so I got to it. As I was doing my thing, I ran into some of the usual suspects, including <a href="http://team.water.org/" target="_blank">TeamWater.org</a> team captain, Kyle Damon.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: While Elle was setting up in transition, I wandered around taking pictures and basically just killing time. Surprisingly I did not have an ounce of regret about not racing.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: After getting everything set up in transition, Webb ran me through some warm-up drills, and sent me out for an easy jog. As soon as I got back it was time for the race meeting and then it was down to the beach. Of course I ran into my good friend and triathlon goddess, Beth Allen. We were both reluctant to test out the water, but I just barged right in. It was chilly, for sure, but actually not as bad as last year, which was a pleasant surprise. Beth was less excited and opted to just splash her face rather than go all the way in. No matter, she still beat the pants off me.<br />
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<b><u>The Swim</u></b><br />
<i>.25 mile ocean swim</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPRuGBhjDBbxUVPvRc-gZSJmM-LTM5xH8CwQNNcgIgygKd-vXm6pgHERDWlvwnRGPJespvSsi9tX8w2h73U35fdakFgM4VExEpmTE7dJE2VgzdLPWVPCml2ZFFYkQvKobVjvRtRRjd8ue/s1600/cohasset_swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPRuGBhjDBbxUVPvRc-gZSJmM-LTM5xH8CwQNNcgIgygKd-vXm6pgHERDWlvwnRGPJespvSsi9tX8w2h73U35fdakFgM4VExEpmTE7dJE2VgzdLPWVPCml2ZFFYkQvKobVjvRtRRjd8ue/s1600/cohasset_swim.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Yay, the swim is over!</b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> The swim is a point-to-point. It is a dry-start with each wave collecting on the pebble-and-sand beach awaiting their call-up. Unlike most races, the swim waves have approximate start times. The race director (I presume) waits until the last swimmer of the previous wave reaches a certain point and then sends off the next wave. It is a pretty smart way to manage the chaos of the swim. The drawback is that it can be a long wait if you are in one of the later waves.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> This race attracts a huge field for some reason, so Lenny's swim wave started over half an hour before mine did. But finally it was my turn, the starting horn sounded, and we were off. The swim went by fairly quickly, I was able to do some drafting, so that was nice. As I ran up the beach, I heard Webb yelling at me, "Beth isn't too far in front, go, go go!"<br />
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<b><u>T1</u></b><br />
I got my wet suit off and as I adjusted my pony tail from high (for the swim cap) to low (so my bike helmet would fit), my hair tie snapped and broke. But since I always keep an extra on my wrist, I was able to avert a hair disaster, and quickly remedied the situation.<br />
<i>TIP</i>: Women, always keep an extra hair tie on your wrist for such a situation!<br />
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<b><u>The Bike</u></b><br />
<i>12-ish miles of rolling hills</i><br />
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<b><u>Webb</u>:</b> We know this course fairly well. In addition to training and racing on it last year, we put in a couple of training runs this year too. This year the race organizers had to change it to detour around a church. The result was some added distance. More importantly, the different route was more technical, including a rough patch of nasty pavement on a twisty part that slowed down the riders.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl60BpcpVFn4THfIEo4QIj_3hEsQWwQY_hofuwTGQuU-B1qhNyA9UFT3dRZSgkodXuEsFcKiBxPHzzcenK82d-kUd7dBnMlxbbA1-Tc19fwR_CirTsz2z8i-9CTcmt6wZf50v8nFFVzax4/s1600/cohasset_bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl60BpcpVFn4THfIEo4QIj_3hEsQWwQY_hofuwTGQuU-B1qhNyA9UFT3dRZSgkodXuEsFcKiBxPHzzcenK82d-kUd7dBnMlxbbA1-Tc19fwR_CirTsz2z8i-9CTcmt6wZf50v8nFFVzax4/s1600/cohasset_bike.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Killing bugs on the bike</b></td></tr>
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Officially the course is 12 miles. I'm pretty sure I measured it at 12.35, give or take a few dozen meters. Last year I remarked how beautiful Cohasset and Scituate are. That has not changed. There is one hill that is somewhat challenging a few miles out of transition. For the most part the rest of the course takes you up and down a variety of rollers. Without question there is a super fun section adjacent to a golf course that was newly paved and very fast. The bike course ends with a gradually stepped climb that is neither easy nor a killer, unless you've been hammering the first 10-11 miles.<br />
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<b><u>Elle</u>:</b> Webb pretty much summed it up there. I guess the only surprise was just how many bugs I managed to kill with my face during this race.<br />
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<b><u>The Run</u></b><br />
<i>3.2 mile single-loop</i><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> This is a tough run. Not far out of transition you run up Beach Street. When I say up, I mean vertically. At the top you take a right and make your way to Jerusalem Road for a gorgeous view off to the right as you make two consecutive climbs, or one long one with a short reprieve. On the back end of Jerusalem, you turn right onto Atlantic for the return trip which seems way longer than it should.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRmZG1VYsQiVllRM_5kxGGldZRfuMXfzeVRElKxFaGWtw3CUoLv9i9ltVNLDj6bPtYr60QGlRTFjiBu8p6_sp8BnUrMoYJF7FtckJVVAM-gO1rjRWIWTibuk4BxCzKPAE0uCST0b6EXle/s1600/cohasset_run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRmZG1VYsQiVllRM_5kxGGldZRfuMXfzeVRElKxFaGWtw3CUoLv9i9ltVNLDj6bPtYr60QGlRTFjiBu8p6_sp8BnUrMoYJF7FtckJVVAM-gO1rjRWIWTibuk4BxCzKPAE0uCST0b6EXle/s1600/cohasset_run.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cramp, cramp, cramp</b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Elle</i>:</b> As usual, I was glad to finally be on the run. But it is hilly. And it was hot. And even though things started out fine, soon my old nemesis, The GI Cramp, showed up to throw a monkey wrench into my race. It was very frustrating. I wanted to go faster, but the sharp, stabbing pain in my gut just wouldn't let me. I did the best I could, even passing a bunch of people. But of course it wasn't enough for this tough, fast field of athletes. I ran in to 9th place in my age group. You know it's a tough day when Beth Allen only comes in 3rd. So I tried not to beat myself up too much. It was a gorgeous day and a great race.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4u2dul3ibJOR-XpErgK4xiH0gfTrf6pWx_1kxxM8JD4lrP6e_XWUuorDgojx84iTt_qkusL5YEhP9b88BbUl9FhfEcEAGYnYbyjHNh2reOFaxPcv-1Cp4S027Q3Let21nNVWc7kWL0maL/s1600/cohasset_finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4u2dul3ibJOR-XpErgK4xiH0gfTrf6pWx_1kxxM8JD4lrP6e_XWUuorDgojx84iTt_qkusL5YEhP9b88BbUl9FhfEcEAGYnYbyjHNh2reOFaxPcv-1Cp4S027Q3Let21nNVWc7kWL0maL/s1600/cohasset_finish.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Finished!</b></td></tr>
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<br />Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-73222576997977539442014-07-08T23:02:00.000-04:002014-07-08T23:02:05.138-04:00Race Report: Wrentham Duathlon<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*** LATE POST ***</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Elle</u>:</b> The Wrentham Duathlon, April 27, 2014. Our first multi-sport race of the season. Well, my first multi-sport race of the season. Webb decided to opt out of this one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><b>Webb</b></u>: I ended last season with a new herniated disc in my lower back. After sitting out November and December, I began training at the beginning of the year. The training has been heavily focused on strengthening the posterior chain and base fitness. Even my so-called build period has lacked consistent intensity. As such, I felt it was prudent to put off any racing a bit longer. Plus, it sounded cold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Elle</u>:</b> Our luck with race-day weather hasn't been so great, and that morning was no different. The weather forecast was cold with possible rain. It was tough to find proper race apparel, I actually didn't know what to wear. It was cold. Really cold. I ruffled through my sports gear to find arm AND leg warmers. And on the way out of the apartment I grabbed a wadded up, old bike/wind jacket. And a hat. And gloves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Webb</u>:</b> I like to make race-day playlists for those times when we drive to race sites. On this day I decided to put together a playlist made up exclusively from TheSufferfest.com workouts. The plan was to put Elle in a <i>drop the hammer</i> frame of mind. Pavlov would have been proud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Elle</u>:</b> After getting slightly lost, we finally arrived to a small, cold, damp race site. It was clear from the beginning, this was not going to be a big race. The weather, to be honest, was shite. And I was pretty sure that only the hard core competitors would show up in these conditions. Transition area was low key; the competition was not. Webb was great acting as race-site coach/soigner. He sent me out for a bike warm up, but I had to turn back because my fingers were stinging and going numb. He then sent me out for a shake-out run, which went a little better. He then led me through some drills. And before I knew it, the athletes were rounding up to start the race. I was trying to figure out where to stand, I assumed that the men would start and then the women, like in the last duathlon we did. So I tried to move back in the group. But no, this was just a plain, old, m</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ass start - men, women, all age groups. Things were rough from the start.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The course consisted of: run (3 miles), bike (11 miles), run (2 miles)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Run #1 - 3 miles</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cnVoA3A3tF2syu_uy-d4ID3jpKbrhPmpPh-bdYy4SGST4NsBI11KT4Aehz4g2mjdojIlRUWuP79Mmh9j4epmg4Qibg3p84ki6JD2IN4V1RizK5_rVZpo6Vp5sW3my4NoXtfsLVsh9D-9/s1600/IMG_0610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cnVoA3A3tF2syu_uy-d4ID3jpKbrhPmpPh-bdYy4SGST4NsBI11KT4Aehz4g2mjdojIlRUWuP79Mmh9j4epmg4Qibg3p84ki6JD2IN4V1RizK5_rVZpo6Vp5sW3my4NoXtfsLVsh9D-9/s1600/IMG_0610.JPG" height="180" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started out fast. At least I felt like I was running fast. But I kept getting passed, which I'm not used to. I started to talk to myself, "It's ok, you can't beat 'em all the time, sometimes you just have a bad race. Don't worry about it, run your race and do the best you can." As I was consoling myself about not going as fast as I had planned, I finally glanced down at my Garmin. I was running a sub-7 minute/mile pace! WTF? Now I was just confused. I decided right there to just go as hard as I could and see where the chips would fall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I entered the transition area in 6th overall (for women). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>T1</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a decent transition time I think, considering it was the first of the year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bike - 11 miles</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll call this the 'Sailing' section of the race. The wind/rain jacket I had grabbed while running out of the house didn't fit. At all. It flapped and ballooned like mad, acting as an opposing force to my forward movement. Great. Meanwhile, it was so rainy and misty that my sunglasses were covered with water droplets, completely obscuring my view, so I had to pull them down the tip of my nose, making me look like</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a grandma looking over the tops of the lenses.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIK3lTzq20kUiGb8D-iUwUZmSdkpB_SIbom4Dd8z_iPXkOZ9YQ0_xhOXS2e-RJRZyfqH3HnE6pUlyzsNuQRxSxPqvZdFb1eSs8skFc3dxcUKCRQsaunw1QIShGsEV6e17XRChybHXdeXiE/s1600/IMG_0591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIK3lTzq20kUiGb8D-iUwUZmSdkpB_SIbom4Dd8z_iPXkOZ9YQ0_xhOXS2e-RJRZyfqH3HnE6pUlyzsNuQRxSxPqvZdFb1eSs8skFc3dxcUKCRQsaunw1QIShGsEV6e17XRChybHXdeXiE/s1600/IMG_0591.JPG" height="160" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Look at that wind jacket! Sooooo big....</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I Entered the transition area still in 6th place. It was a small miracle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>T2</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I flung that *#$!*$ jacket off faster than you can say 'boo'!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Run #2 - 2 miles</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was such a weird day, I just went all out and hoped for the best. I ended up finishing 6th, I had closed on 5th but needed a little more running room. She was too tough on the bike. Plus she didn't have a wind sail holding her back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So today, 6th overall woman meant 1st place in my age group. I'll take it.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>It was so cold, I had on<br />at least 3 layers, gloves<br />and boots.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Run 1</b> (3 miles) = 20:13</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>T1</b> = 0:49</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bike</b> (11 miles) = 35:48</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>T2</b> = 0:55</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Run 2</b> (2 miles): 13:23</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>TOTAL: 1:11:10</b></span></div>
</div>
Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-64321906843065497822014-02-13T22:58:00.000-05:002014-02-13T22:58:52.592-05:002014 Tour of Sufferlandria - FINAL Stage 9<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-transform: uppercase;"><b><span style="color: red;">THE 2014 TOUR OF SUFFERLANDRIA</span></b></span><br />
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<b>Stage 9: <u><a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/violator/" style="color: #0b5394; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Violator</a></u></b></div>
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: What better way is there to end a Tour than with a mad dash to the finish line? Or how about 64 mad dashes? <b>64!</b> I could tell you how they are broken down. Do you really want to know before hand? You don't. Best not to ask. It is best just to do them.</div>
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Day 9. The last day of the tour. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'll be honest, I was glad as hell that it was all about to be over. But oddly, I was a little sad too. There was an odd magic in knowing that people all around the world were suffering just like I was. There was a sense of camaraderie, even though none of us have ever met.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Webb, representing.</b></td></tr>
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: I had never completed this workout before. We bought when it first came out, which was pretty close to my Knighthood attempt. It was also during a time that my back and hip were temperamental. We picked a day for me to test it out to see if it would end up on the Knighthood schedule. I lasted 30 minutes. The big power jumps and high cadence was too much for my hip. I abandoned that day with two thoughts in mind: 1) No way in HELL was that going on the schedule, and 2) I would be back for it some day. Thanks to GvA that would be Stage 9 of the Tour.</div>
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: This video definitely has the best visual, on screen cues. And with a workout like this, that really helps. Another thing I like about this one - Cavendish being interviewed... "stupid fast hamster!".</div>
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: I started the Tour with three new personal bests: new FTP (20:00 power), 15:00 and 10:00. Stages 2-8 saw no more personal bests as I was basically cooked. On the final day I saw the sprints as multiple opportunities to grab some short-interval personal bests. Before the workout I wrote by best watts for :05, :10, :20 and :30 bouts and posted them next to the computer. At the end of Violator, I had improved my :05 personal best by more than 120 watts and bumped up the :10 personal best too.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Wel done, Mr. Over-Achiever. Meanwhile, it was finally time to shower up and enjoy a celebratory brunch at <a href="http://fivehorsestavern.com/south-end" target="_blank">Five Horses</a> with fellow cyclist Natasja. We ate and drank and talked cycling. Both glad as hell but also sad to arrive at the end of the 2014 Tour of Sufferlandria. Long live Sufferlandria!</div>
Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-17736540114537838392014-02-02T17:12:00.002-05:002014-02-02T17:12:47.813-05:002014 Tour of Sufferlandria - Stage 8<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Here were are: The penultimate Stage 8 - </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/blender/" target="_blank">Blender</a></span><br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> How does one describe <i>Blender</i>? Let's see, you start with one bag of intervals and then you add another bag of different types of intervals then you complete it with a third bag of a different type of intervals. Yay! Intervals! Damn you <a href="http://apexcoachingco.com/coaches/neal-henderson/" target="_blank">Neal Henderson</a>!<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: I normally enjoy suffering through this workout. I like intervals. But not today. There was just so much soreness in so many places.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I know the Sufferlandrians were all freaked out about Stage 7. I get that. I was too. Stage 8 worried me more because <i>Blender</i> is damn hard and I could not imagine doing it the day after a double-session of <i>Angels</i> and <i>The Hunted</i>. Just to make it more difficult, we had to be on the bikes about 30 minutes after waking up. Such is the life of a Sufferlandrian.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: Here we are, in the final days of the tour. Everyone is hurting. Everyone is tired. We may be starting to go a little crazy. My pre-workout nutrition was 3 full on spoonfuls of Nutella. Meanwhile, Webb had left-over fries from last night. Yeah, we're cool like that.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i>:</b> I dialed this one back to 70%. I was too tired from the previous seven days, finishing the double-session about 12 hours earlier and just waking up. Even at a recovery effort the legs were not moving the first 15-20 minutes. Like a sprinter in the mountains, I just kept the pedals moving and willing myself to the finish line.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: I had done <i>Rubber Glove</i> at 100% and then all of the following videos at 80%. That made each workout challenging, but allowed me (I think) to go strong for the whole Tour.<br />
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<b><i>Webb</i></b>: That was a good way to handle the Tour. I, on the other hand, opted to do <i>Rubber Glove</i> and <i>The Wretched</i> at 100% and then pick and choose which videos I would scale back and by how much depending on how I felt at the time. Of course that also means I could exceed my targets on a given day if I ended up feeling better as the workout proceeded. That happened on Stage 8.<br />
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During the dreaded <i>pain shakes</i> - thanks again <a href="https://twitter.com/nealhenderson" target="_blank">Coach Neal</a> - something happened. The legs began to stir. By the time we arrived at the third set of <i>shakes</i>, I decided to climb the ladder. With each of the six :20 intervals I increased my watts. I didn't break any records, but I did break up some junk in my legs. I followed the same model for the final TT intervals. No records were harmed in this set either. Instead, my reward was sitting on my bike after the workout ended wondering how I was going to dismount.<br />
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<b><i>Elle</i></b>: This stage hurt (obviously), but it's always fun to see Cavendish almost get clocked in the head. And then the blender shows up on the screen, and I start craving smoothies like you don't even know. Luckily Webb just bought me a Magic Bullet blender, so I made my own 'pain' shakes. Mine were way more enjoyable...Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6298488371355794080.post-64400524709287084802014-02-02T09:56:00.000-05:002014-02-02T10:39:48.244-05:002014 Tour of Sufferlandria - Stage 7<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;">Stage 7a: <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/angels" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Angels</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><i>Webb</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">: I think this was the second, maybe third, <a href="http://thesufferfest.com/" target="_blank">TheSufferfest.com</a> video we purchased. (<i>Downward Spiral</i> was the first. That was like a punch in the teeth - until we bought <i>Revolver</i>.) Back before we bought every video as soon as each became available, we bought this one to improve our climbing. <i>Angels</i> features three 8-minute climbs at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li%C3%A8ge%E2%80%93Bastogne%E2%80%93Li%C3%A8ge" target="_blank">LBL</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris%E2%80%93Nice" target="_blank">Paris-Nice</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crit%C3%A9rium_du_Dauphin%C3%A9" target="_blank">Dauphine-Libere</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><i>Elle</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">: Everyone has their favorite. And this one is mine. I love every song, and sing them out loud (how lucky for Webb). If I could buy a CD (yeah, I'm old school) of the entire playlist, I would. And I just really like this workout. I love riding with Contador and the Schlecks (and I'm a sucker for Frank's thumbs up). And there's the lady on the side of the road in the full on, florescent pink jumpsuit. </span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><i>Webb</i></b>: Hey kiddo, you can build a playlist from the soundtrack listing or just check out the Spotify link, both can be found <u><b><a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/details-angels/" target="_blank">here</a></b></u> (just scroll down a bit).</span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br></span>
<span style="color: #2a221a;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">In other news, I knew I did not have another 100% effort in me. Sure it had been 48 hours since <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/the-wretched/" target="_blank">The Wretched</a> and about 36 hours since <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/a-very-dark-place/" target="_blank">AVDP</a>, still, the legs weren't there. Plus, everyone has had this day circled on the stage calendar. <i>Angels</i> AND <i>The Hunted</i>? This was going to be a tall order. I decided to try 80% and see what happened. Pain happened. The entire time I felt like my RPM and power windows were very small. If I found a rhythm at 82 RPM, 80 or 84 might be too little or too much. The same was true for power. My cadence and gears danced with each less gracefully than <a href="http://albertocontador.org/en/" target="_blank">Contador</a> on his pedals while I tried to find the right combination.</span></span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><i>Elle</i></b>: During the 'warm down', Webb and I had made the decision to order dinner to be delivered after we finished the next video. So while he was setting up <i>The Hunted</i>, I grabbed the iPad so we could easily order online and picked out a Mexican restaurant we've never ordered from before. We quickly chose a bunch of things off the menu, but they didn't have descriptions, so we didn't know exactly what we'd be getting. </span><span style="color: rgb(42, 34, 26); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Nevermind that now, back on the bikes...</span><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://thefeed.com/2014/01/28/road-cyclist/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfZwu-15EkJoK2TS1okEDQruUMSp98XSM3sW87GetFPGNJ2cSzSSnTpNC_yVQ3-A02LgygXjInuRXKPJX2N_mrEjsDeBQ93fzpifcI8RgYs4ViSSplH0XFdhdEnvhIqvNAHT2g9h1pGX3/s1600/howtobeacyclist.jpg" height="113" width="200"></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thefeed.com/2014/01/28/road-cyclist/" target="_blank">For your viewing pleasure: <br>Click here to view<br>How to be a road biker</a></td></tr>
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<h4 style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;">
Stage 7b: <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/thehunted" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Hunted</a></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><i>Webb</i></b>: Whew! Thank you GvA! Those three climbs in <i>Angels</i> just didn't hit the spot. It is a good thing <i>The Hunted</i> has a 20-minute climb followed by a fast finish. When I say my heart goes out to you, I mean, I thought it was actually leave my body.</span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><i>Elle</i></b>: Aaaaaaand the party is over. Spread some jam on me, because I'm TOAST. As we suffered through <i>The Hunted</i>, I noticed that the room had gotten quiet. Everything hurt. No energy for speaking. So much pain. I seriously didn't know if I was going to make it. And when it was all over and I finally got off the bike, I almost started crying. Not even the 'Happy Birthday' song, which usually puts me in good spirits could save me. I was D-O-N-E, DONE.</span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><i>Webb</i></b>: During the prelude to the climb, I was counting myself stupid for thinking I could handle this one at 80%. Did I not just struggle through the first hour-plus? Why on Earth would I think I could do it again? Unfortunately, we were already in it and there was no way I was getting back on the bike once I unsaddled myself. I don't remember when it happened on the clock, but I remember shouting "Whoa!" when Robert "I'll throw everything at you including the kitchen" Gesink escaped from our hard tempo with Andy Schleck. Feeling GvA peering at me across the tarmac from the team car, I met Gesink's acceleration and stayed with him to the summit. And then thought every muscle fiber in my quads was going to cramp. </span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">After the fast downhill and recovery, I sorted myself with some pack riding. Looking at the TrainerRoad graph, I finally remembered the final five minutes that everyone has lamenting: Inverse intervals. Ugh. Best thing to do is close your eyes, go to the drops and listen to the sound cues. Don't even bother looking up.</span><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEwqwLM1Wbmf2s4tGOp3dbklf0u-hcWKYRBYWrGgkwiALAv6zmW0Q6PeMhG7cDdX5VTNAM79WWlgpmftvtETZyN6zhgXfUKuMUtuH3HDiMfkmP2JRRxY4OB3eZNpbZ0mAStHxzrGdXLR0/s1600/fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEwqwLM1Wbmf2s4tGOp3dbklf0u-hcWKYRBYWrGgkwiALAv6zmW0Q6PeMhG7cDdX5VTNAM79WWlgpmftvtETZyN6zhgXfUKuMUtuH3HDiMfkmP2JRRxY4OB3eZNpbZ0mAStHxzrGdXLR0/s1600/fish.jpg" height="91" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish w/ red peppers</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a221a; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><i>Elle</i></b>: Moments after we finished the second video, there was a knock at the door. Lo and behold, the delivery guy had arrived just in time. Webb grabbed a Heddy Topper beer out of the fridge, and we went to town on our Mexican fiesta of a meal. I had order something called 'fried fish', which I thought would be like fish and chips. NOPE. It was literally a full on fish that was fried whole. That was interesting. Luckily the rest of the dishes were delicious. And we had survived what some would say is the hardest day of the Tour. Huzzah!</span></div>Elle and Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16471360474487390185noreply@blogger.com0