Things have been pretty quiet here. The weather went from 90s to 60s and rain in less than a week and it looks like fall is just around the corner. We even started pulling the pool covers tonight, a sure sign the seasons are changing.
After receiving confirmation of my Kona invite last month, I was pretty pumped, perhaps overshadowing the lingering fatigue from my July IM and early August half IM. I could tell mentally that I needed a little break from racing and everything that comes with it, but training was going well and I was able to push up the volume again soon after Boulder 70.3. Doing 3 IMs a year is tricky, especially when you need to be on top of your game for each one. I pushed my limits this season in trying to get to Kona, which I did, but my body isn't too happy about it. However, the way the KPR worked this year, it made it necessary for most pro women to race more than 1 IM, something I really don't recommend. Chrissie W. wrote a nice blog post about it all and I have to agree with all the points she brings up. I just hope the WTC takes it to heart and implements some changes next season. We are athletes, not machines. IM should be a distance respected and rewarded accordingly, especially when it comes to points and prize money.
Anyways, I am 4 and a half weeks out from Kona now and I am confident that I will be racing, even if my preparations at current time aren't ideal. I have come down with my first injury since starting triathlon in 2006. It's keeping me from running for now, but I can still bike and swim and I am doing everything I can do to make it better. Patience and listening to my body are key, even though time is running out. My primary objective is to run pain free, then worry about running fast. Hopefully my running background has given me enough base to pick right up where I left off once I am back on track. It's a little frustrating since all year has been built around this 'magical' race called Kona, but I am also trying to keep things in perspective. It will make crossing that finish line just that much more meaningful, come Oct. 8 :) Fingers crossed.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Kona-Bound (At Last)
Today I received an e-mail formally inviting me to race in the Women's pro race at the Ironman World Championships this year. This is a pretty big deal to me because:
a) the qualifying system got extremely tough this year with only about 30 women being allowed to race at Kona, having to accumulate points throughout the year to be considered one of the top 25 (July qualifiers) and 5 August qualifiers.
b) After my disappointing race in Germany I had no idea what would happen to my dream of racing Kona after having come pretty close- I got bumped out of the top 25 and out of the July qualifiers. Luckily for me, someone declined their slot, passing it down to next in line, who also declined, making me very, very happy :) I will not need to accumulate more points in trying to be one of the top 5 August qualifiers and will be spending most of the next 8 weeks preparing for the Big Show :)
c) Whether we admit it or not, to race the Ironman World Champs is a pretty cool thing, something almost every long distance triathlete dreams of doing, at least once. I raced Kona as an amateur 3 years ago for my first IM and like to think I have learned a lot since then and can't wait to give it another go.
d) Like every other pro out there trying to grab one of the top 30 spots, it has been race-packed year with ups and downs and highs and lows. I have had the pleasure of racing alot of these women over the past few months and Kona will be the ultimate icing on the cake for all of us.
e) I'm going to Kona! Aloha :)
a) the qualifying system got extremely tough this year with only about 30 women being allowed to race at Kona, having to accumulate points throughout the year to be considered one of the top 25 (July qualifiers) and 5 August qualifiers.
b) After my disappointing race in Germany I had no idea what would happen to my dream of racing Kona after having come pretty close- I got bumped out of the top 25 and out of the July qualifiers. Luckily for me, someone declined their slot, passing it down to next in line, who also declined, making me very, very happy :) I will not need to accumulate more points in trying to be one of the top 5 August qualifiers and will be spending most of the next 8 weeks preparing for the Big Show :)
c) Whether we admit it or not, to race the Ironman World Champs is a pretty cool thing, something almost every long distance triathlete dreams of doing, at least once. I raced Kona as an amateur 3 years ago for my first IM and like to think I have learned a lot since then and can't wait to give it another go.
d) Like every other pro out there trying to grab one of the top 30 spots, it has been race-packed year with ups and downs and highs and lows. I have had the pleasure of racing alot of these women over the past few months and Kona will be the ultimate icing on the cake for all of us.
e) I'm going to Kona! Aloha :)
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Red, Hot Boulder 70.3
During my two weeks of post IM recovery, I did little to nothing in the first week, as it involved travel days and seeing family in Germany. After some initial heat acclimatization failure on my part, I finally got back on the sweat train by the middle of last week and good thing, because Boulder 70.3 was going to be as hot of a race as you can imagine, and I'm not just talking about the competition. I love this race, although I am not sure why; it's a tough race with no shade and temps usually in the 90s, plus a swim that hurts only the way a swim at 5400ft elevation can. I think it's the fact that it takes place on the roads I train on all year, with the people I know and who know me..I did lots of listening to my body and since recovery was going well, I decided to toe the line Sunday, with no idea what to expect just 14 days post IM.
The swim was wetsuit legal for us pros, although the water temp was a toasty 76 degrees. I nearly boiled during the swim part, and I actually hope this rule changes as it poses a serious safety concern to racers. (several pros did not finish and I think the wetsuit on the swim might have contributed to some overheating issues) My swim was a little disappointing and really aggressive at the start, and I came out of the water way behind people I have been with in the past. No biggie, I had the next 56 miles to get into a good position.
The bike course consists of 2 loops and mostly flattish, rolling terrain. I enjoyed the first loop as the roads were still pretty much empty and I made several passes, feeling pretty strong. The one thing that was off was my stomach, I couldn't get myself to take on any nutrition, so I kept sipping on my mixture of carbo pro and The Right Stuff, as well as water. Knowing it was going to get hot, this was a smart thing to do anyway.
The second bike loop is usually crowded as all the age groupers are now on the course. This year was downright crazy. I was riding in the road on US-36, passing people who were riding the outside of the shoulder, or riding 2 deep. Cars were at a standstill as bikes were taking over the road. I could not wait to get off the highway, although the craziness of bikes everywhere didn't stop. I even had a few AG men clingers, who tagged along, as no refs were in sight. (lets be honest, they had no place to fit) I forced down a caffeinated Powergel as I started to get a bit woozy and wasn't so sure if I could do a half marathon after a pretty hard effort on the bike. ( I ended up riding the same time as last year, not bad)
Off the bike and into T2 I was told that I was "in the money", which was anything from 1-8. Alright, not bad, not bad at all 2 weeks post IM. I ran out of T2, following closely behind Marylin McDonald and Whitney Garcia. Whitney was on fire and put a gap on us right away. I reeled in Marylin right after the first mile marker, but only after a detour because I dropped my salt and turned around some 30ft later to pick it back up. (turns out I never needed it, The Right Stuff on the bike did the trick)
The run was hot as can be. I put arm coolers on but had to throw water on them at every aid station because they dried within 5min it seemed. At one point at the end of lap one of the run, I caught up to Whitney and realized we were 4th and 5th. She passed me back right away and I couldn't match her speed, so I sat back and focused on making it to the finish line as the fatigue of the day was starting to wear on me.
In the end I came within a minute of 4th and 3min of third. I couldn't be more satisfied with the result, as I finished in nearly the same time as last year, only a bit less fresh. I was also really happy for Angela winning her first 70.3 title, and for Caroline sticking it out on this tough course and finishing in the money as well. And the cheers on the course and from the side lines made my day, really. Special thanks to also to Kerrie and Glenn for reminding me to take out the sponges before crossing the finish line, hahaha.
My plans for the remainder of the season are still to be determined. Thanks to Saucony, Blue Bikes, TYR, The Right Stuff, Powerbar, Rudy Project and Lifesport Chiro for getting me to another finishline! Most importantly, I managed not to get stung during the race, a huge success if you ask me. Especially if you consider yet another wasp sting earlier in the week that left a swollen 6x4 inch red itchy mess on my quad. The best is yet to come!
Lastly, late Sunday night as I read up on the day's news online, I came across a shocking headline about yet another car/bike crash near Boulder. This time I knew the person, which really affected me, as Erin (who reads this blog every once in awhile I believe), one of the nicest people around, was the victim and was described to be in serious condition. Needless to say, my happy post race mood quickly turned sad and concerned. Luckily Erin will heal from this. She has several injuries that are pretty serious, but she won't need surgery and I am sure that her positive attitude and her strong body will let her heal all the more quickly and rise above this. All her friends are here for her to help her through :) It is a terrible thing to happen to anyone, and when it's someone you know, it puts it in a whole new perspective. Please ride safe and ride defensively out there.
The swim was wetsuit legal for us pros, although the water temp was a toasty 76 degrees. I nearly boiled during the swim part, and I actually hope this rule changes as it poses a serious safety concern to racers. (several pros did not finish and I think the wetsuit on the swim might have contributed to some overheating issues) My swim was a little disappointing and really aggressive at the start, and I came out of the water way behind people I have been with in the past. No biggie, I had the next 56 miles to get into a good position.
 |
| On my pretty Triad SL |
The second bike loop is usually crowded as all the age groupers are now on the course. This year was downright crazy. I was riding in the road on US-36, passing people who were riding the outside of the shoulder, or riding 2 deep. Cars were at a standstill as bikes were taking over the road. I could not wait to get off the highway, although the craziness of bikes everywhere didn't stop. I even had a few AG men clingers, who tagged along, as no refs were in sight. (lets be honest, they had no place to fit) I forced down a caffeinated Powergel as I started to get a bit woozy and wasn't so sure if I could do a half marathon after a pretty hard effort on the bike. ( I ended up riding the same time as last year, not bad)
 |
| T2- cool shot, no clouds= 95 degree run |
 |
| The heat was rough |
In the end I came within a minute of 4th and 3min of third. I couldn't be more satisfied with the result, as I finished in nearly the same time as last year, only a bit less fresh. I was also really happy for Angela winning her first 70.3 title, and for Caroline sticking it out on this tough course and finishing in the money as well. And the cheers on the course and from the side lines made my day, really. Special thanks to also to Kerrie and Glenn for reminding me to take out the sponges before crossing the finish line, hahaha.
My plans for the remainder of the season are still to be determined. Thanks to Saucony, Blue Bikes, TYR, The Right Stuff, Powerbar, Rudy Project and Lifesport Chiro for getting me to another finishline! Most importantly, I managed not to get stung during the race, a huge success if you ask me. Especially if you consider yet another wasp sting earlier in the week that left a swollen 6x4 inch red itchy mess on my quad. The best is yet to come!
 |
| Top 8 (-1) Pro Women |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)