Perspective

I had a dear old friend tell me something important this week.  She is a relatively new mom - well, not new new, but compared to me, new.  Her son is 5 (4?), and like most 5 yr olds is a handful right now.  A wonderful handful, to be sure.  She told me that whatever I accomplish in triathlon is fine, but she will always admire me most for raising Kayla on my own.  Talk about putting things in perspective.  I certainly made my share of mistakes as a parent, we all do, and there is lots I would do different.  But that statement really hit home with me, and helped me focus back on the things that matter.

I also watched some of the Kona-dream entries.  And shed a few tears.  I remembered that I am grateful to be able to do this at all.  Grateful that I have been given the physical ability to compete, and the mental ability to persevere.

Today I got out there and put in 50 miles on the bike, and felt pretty good.  A few small twinges in the hip flexor, but nothing major.  The bike fit seems to have made a huge difference, as has the new saddle. It was nice to ride with Michelle and Mark for the middle hour of my ride.

I'm reinvigorated for the training I have left for Kansas, and continue to be grateful for being able to swim, bike, run and all the other things I do.

Thanks Jenann for the reminder.  xoxox

Happy Training!
Kat

This Triathlete needs a little AA

Attitude Adjustment that is.  Either be in it or don't be in it, but none of this half-assed bullshit.  Gotta shake this and get back to myself - and that means all in.  Cuz that's the way I roll.  :)

I've already decided that I'm going to Kansas, and I'm not planning on reneging on that...so come on Katie girl, if you are gonna go then stop whining and just get in it.  I feel great once I am out there, but getting my butt out the door seems to be a challenge these days.  So enough of that.  Got myself in the pool today, despite my 'no way in hell am I getting up at 530 am on a saturday' declaration to Brett, and then went right on through to a good healthy brick.  Felt good!  Nice ride in the mist with JLess, followed by a pretty strong hilly run.

So.  No more whining.  Just Do It.  I'm fakin it till I make it, April!  Six weeks is more than enough to get myself where I need to be for Kansas, and the truth is, wherever I am performance-wise, it doesn't matter, I am going to go with my PMA and have a great time.  Then it will be some time off.  Till then, I may be calling on some of you to be my accountability training partners :)  And KevIron, I'm excited you are in for Kansas!  Yay!

Now to the yard work that is waiting for me...

Happy Training!
Kat

Proper Bike Fit = Bliss

Like a good Agile practitioner I have followed through on my action items to improve.  This week I got re-fit on my tri bike.  Of course I've always known that a good bike fit is worth its weight in gold - doesn't matter how much money you spend on a sweet ride, if it doesn't fit you it is like throwing your hard-earned cash down the garburator.

http://thesportfactory.com/site/trainingnews/properbikefit.shtml

And of course I've had my bike fit, several times.  I haven't played with the fit in over a year. And the fit has been fine up until now.  Who knows what changed.  I think it is fair to say I am not the same athlete I was when I got my last fit.  What I do know is that for whatever reason, suddenly something was not working.  So, back to drawing board for me with an expert bike fitter.

Several hours and many tweaks later, I am riding with my new and improved bike fit.  We didn't change anything drastically, but we changed many things slightly. Which of course is the magic of the right bike fit.  It's obvious when someone needs a drastic overhaul - and believe me, even to my non-master eye, I see lots of riders out there who desperately need a bike fit.  The magic really comes when you are mostly there, but need a few tweaks.  My seat height and lateral position was the biggest change.  I can feel a huge difference in my ability to recruit my gluts, which along with my current weakness in that area (which I am also working on!), may have contributed to some of my physical issues.  I'm sitting more over the pedals, which feels better, and at least it seems to me like I am able to produce more power.  Hopefully this will also alleviate some of the lower back pain I've been living with.  We changed out my saddle too.  The Adamo I put on at the beginning of last season was certainly an improvement over what I had before, but it still wasn't right, and I think it has been contributing to my left leg issues. It was just too wide for my body.  I'm still not 100% sure this is the right saddle for me, but it at least has promise. The other 'big' change was my aero bars.  I seriously didn't even realize how wrong it was until it was right.  Now I fold down into aero and it just fits like an old pair of cowboy boots or my favourite pair of jeans.  Like it was meant to be!  I love it!  Curtis is the man!

So I've got a few road rides on the calendar for this weekend.  Certainly it felt better last night, with a lot less shifting on the saddle to find a comfortable position.  I'm excited to see how I feel on Sunday afternoon.  It certainly goes to show that regularly evaluating your bike fit is necessary.  Get yourself over to a good bike fitter, Curtis at Cannon Cyclery or Matt at Sport Factory, and Get Fit!

Happy training!
Kat

On The Loose

Just finished a really fabulous weekend...much as I enjoy my job these days, this was one of those weekends that you want to never end.  Took the motorcycles up to the Georgia Mountains and spent the night at the Amicalola Falls Lodge.  We had perfect riding weather.

Yesterday was beautiful sunshine and blue sky, not too hot, and not too cold.  I haven't been on the bike for over a year, but it was amazing how quickly it all came back to me.  Enjoyed a delicious lunch in Dahlonega at our regular place - Crimson Moon Cafe.  After checking in to the Lodge, we went for a quick hike over to the falls, sat in the sun for a bit, and then rode back to Dahlonega for dinner.  I rode on the back of my own motorcycle so I could enjoy a glass of wine with dinner - Very different perspective!  Tried to watch a movie back in the room, but that mountain air did its job and put me right to sleep within about 15 minutes, and I had a fantastic night's sleep.  But not before I looked out the window to see one of my favourite constellations, Orion, as big as all get out, fully framed in my window view.  Stunning!

The Falls at the top

This morning I got up and had a really nice run, albeit HILLY, down and around the campground and forestry road.  I was surprised at just how warm it was; I'd been expecting a cold morning up in the mountains, especially given how cold I was yesterday morning back in Alpharetta on my bicycle ride, when I had to tell myself to stop being a pussy and keep riding.  lol.

After breakfast we packed up the bikes and headed out.  Definitely did not want to leave, and next time I will have to find a way to make it a full weekend.  If only I could figure out a way to strap the tri bike to the motorcycle!  It was a little chillier today without the sun, but still a wonderful ride.  Stopped at Starbucks back in the ATL, mmmmmm, and then headed home to do some more work in the garden to continue trying to make this yard of mine liveable.

I had thought before I took the scooter out this weekend that it might be time for me to sell her and buy a smaller bike.  Now I've ridden again, and I just can't.  I love my bike!  Instead, my plan is to ride more and get more comfortable so I feel good about taking it out on my own.  I really just love riding it, and want to do more of it.  Really brings me back to me, and what I want out of life.  When I was a girl, I spent about 9 years in Guiding (Brownie, Girl Guide, Pathfinder...aka Girl Scout for my American friends), and when I was about 12 I went to Doe Lake for a sailing camp.  It was one of the highlights of my childhood, and our camp song for that year was called On The Loose.  All these many (many) years later, it still rings true for me, both figuratively and literally, and continues to define the wanderlust that has always been at my core.  It's weekends like this that remind me of that, and really do make me very happy.

Have you ever watched a sunset turn the sky completely red, Have you slept beneath the moon and stars a pine bough for your bed, Have you sat and talked with friends though a word was never said, then you're just like me and you've been on the loose.... 

On the loose to climb a mountain, On the loose where I am free, On the loose to live my life the way I think my life should be, For I've only got a moment and a whole world yet to see, I'll be looking for tomorrow out on the loose. 

There's a trail that I'll be hiking just to see where it might go, Many places yet to visit many people yet to know, For in following my dreams I will live and I will grow, On a trail that's waiting out there on the loose...

So in search of love and laughter I'll be travellin 'cross this land, Never sure of where I'm going for I haven't any plans, So in time when you are ready come and join me take my hand, And together we'll share life out on the loose...

Thanks David.

Happy training all
Kat

Welcome to the Dark (Roast) Side

For 44 years I have been a non-coffee drinker.  In fact, I've taken quite a bit of pride in declaring that I don't drink coffee, and have enjoyed the shocked looks on people's faces.  And truthfully, I don't take in caffeine in any way, with the exception of some occasional dark chocolate.  No pop, no black tea (I only drink peppermint), no coffee.  I'd only ever drunk coffee twice in my life - once when I was 12, and my family were volunteers at the Pope's visit in Toronto, where it was so cold and miserable and raining cats and dogs, that even the children were being given coffee to keep them warm, and once when I was in University, and I had one of those exam weeks from hell where all 5 exams were within the first 3 days of the exam period.

Then two weeks ago, April happened.  :)  And Galveston.  And a 15 hour car ride the day after the race.  And she introduced me to the White Chocolate Mocha at Starbucks.  MMMMM.  Non-fat and no whip, of course. And a few days later I had another one.  And another one a few days after that.  I was worried.  I'd now officially drank more coffee in 10 days than I had drunk in my entire life.  <GASP>.  "when do I officially have to stop claiming to be a non-coffee drinker" I asked my wise teacher.  "Once you start drinking latte's you are a coffee drinker".  Problem is, I looked up the calorie count to that oh so good WCM from starbucks.  Even nonfat nowhip, it was an ungodly 350 calories.  Holy Mackerel!  So yesterday, on my 44th birthday, which also happened to be Friday the 13th, it happened.  I officially crossed over to the Dark Side when I ordered a Grande Non-fat Latte.  I am now a coffee drinker.

Hello, my name is Katrina, and I now drink coffee.

So my ride for the day is finished.  As I was showering, I found myself thinking how nice it would be to have a latte waiting for me.  Yikes!  Perhaps life is about to get better - after all, people keep telling me life is better with coffee.

I think I need some java.

Happy training!
Kat

Galveston 70.3 - Another one in the books

Well, I should have written this race report days ago, but I've been too busy napping.  LOL.  So here it is, better late than never.  This was an interesting race for me from many perspectives, and overall the best race experience I've ever had - surprising to hear, I know, for many of you, since my placement overall wasn't that great, and certainly not what people have come to expect from me, nor me from myself.  But racing is more than just your placement, and I think that may be the biggest thing I learned from this race and the last 4 months.

The Swim:  I went in, pretty much accepting that I was going to have a slow swim.  I figured 40+ minutes, and maybe a little heavy on the + side ;)  So as I had to JUMP OFF THE DOCK (I guess that will teach me not to go to the pre-race briefing since I had NO CLUE), and I treaded water waiting for the gun, I thought to myself, we are going to take this steady and slow Katie, if you have to hold back on the bike, no point in jacking your HR on the swim for an extra minute or two, and just have to hold back even more on the bike.  So out I went, nice long smooth strokes (thought of you Klafter and that conversation we had about IM last year), and just kept my focus on that and my stroke.  The hard truth is I have not spent nearly enough time in the pool, certainly not enough to claim I am training for half ironman races, and there was a little part of me that honestly wasn't sure I'd be able to do it.  Seems silly after all I've done, but that is the truth.  And while I did have that bicep tendonitis, that is no excuse for all the times previously that I didn't get in the pool.  Anyway, I passed people from 4 additional age groups, which kinda surprised me, since most of them were men.  And imagine my surprise when I got out of the water in 37 minutes!  Absolutely thrilled me, and tells me that if I actually spent time in the pool, that 34-35 minute goal for the swim is in my reach.

T1:  My transitions were awful time-wise.  I limped out of the water to my bike - ankle was hurting badly and I simply could not run on it. It killed me to walk! Me, the queen of transitions, walking to my bike.  That really messed up my time in T1, where I normally am first or second.

The Bike:  Good Lord.  And it didn't go well for the reasons you are thinking if you read my pre-race blog.  First 30 minutes were great.  I was doing very well on my mission, and keeping it below the HR and power targets that Brett had given me.  I was quite encouraged, and felt like, ok, this will be doable.  My average power was 151 and climbing. Target was 155-160, and I started out a little easy to bring the HR down.  My heart rate, for the most part, was staying below my threshold of 153.  Then it all went to hell in a handbasket.  The pain that I had experienced the day before turned out not to be a phantom pain.  I thought it was a run issue because it started there, but I realized, it was not a run thing, it was a bike thing, I just happened to get off the bike 30 minutes in on the Saturday.  Left hip flexor I think is the culprit.  Never had an issue with it before.  It just hurt to turn the crank, and applying any kind of real power was excruciating.  And we were riding into a pretty good headwind, so that made it even more challenging.  I tried shifting position, I even came out of aero to help it, but I could not make it go away.  I was literally crying in pain by the time I got to the turn around.  I actually thought I would have to DNF, because I did not see any way I would be able to run with this. With my PMA, I tried to find something good, and the only thing I came up with was that beer would start sooner, and maybe I'd get to see Lance in the pro tent after all (which thanks to April I had a VIP wristband for).   I took every ibuprofen I had with me - only 3.  Once we turned around and had the wind at our backs, it got a little better, but I could only push 90-120 watts for the most part.  The sad thing is that even only pushing that (and my FTP is about 210), I was cruising along at 22 mph in sections.  Imagine if I had power!  One interesting thing to note - somewhere around 45 miles, some guy went by me and said 'lookin strong Katrina!', and it really lifted me.  After that I started to encourage everyone I passed.  I have to just tell you that my pain subsided a bit when I started doing that.  The power of PMA!!  That's probably what kept me under the 3 hr mark - yes, shocking, I just made it under 3 hours.  2:56.  Although, we all showed 57 miles on the garmin - the course was long, so even still, it would have been 2:53 then.  Just to show how bad it was - my swim placement was better than my bike placement!  24th out of the water (again, amazing!), 26th off the bike.  I'm usually top 3-5 on the bike.

T2: I could not walk when I got off the bike.  I stood there for a good 10-15 seconds once I got through the mats, and then limped/hopped my way over to my rack (which was a long way away).  On the bike I had thought to myself, okay, there is pain you run through (mental) and there is pain you do not run through, or you make things worse.  Which is this?  I really wanted to be able to call Brett.  But of course I couldn't.  So I had decided that I would start the run - no way was I DNF'ing without at least trying.  I took every ibuprofen I had in my little ziploc bag of goodies - 5 this time - and I limped out of the transition area.

The Run:   First mile actually went well - probably in part due to the initial ibuprofen from the bike, and partly from mental determination that I was not dnf'ing.  I actually slowed myself down to keep the heart rate in check.  I have run only 123 miles since Jan 1, and only 260 since Oct 1.  With all my injuries, that is literally it.  You guys know that is ridiculously low.  And, aside from one 10miler the week before taper, the longest I've run since November is 7 miles, and most runs have been in the 4-6 mile range.  So I had no idea what the run was going to be like in the race.  The plan of course was to have an easier bike, and then kill the run.  Killing the run was not really on the table anymore, but I was going to do what I could.  So the first lap went well.  The airport section sucked, the wind was so strong and we were running straight into it.  It was also getting hot, and humidity was high.  The second lap I planned to raise it up a bit.  Although I seemed to be putting out a lot more effort, the numbers weren't getting better :)  And I was watching the HR trying to keep it lowered, and out of zone 4.  With the humidity and heat, this was hard, but I did it, though pace suffered.  All I could think after the 6 mile mark was how much I wished this was my last lap.  I was doing no walking, except through the aid stations and this was not intentional really, it was just so damn crowded you had to walk/slow way down to get anything.  I started on coke around mile 6 - first time I've ever had to do that.  I just kept focusing on my run form, and I have to say I think I looked pretty good out there, certainly better than most I ran by.  Final lap, I was still running, and I planned to just throw it down, HR be damned, and if I went too hard oh well, I'd walk to the finish.  And I did pick up my pace.  I managed an 8:30 at the start of that loop.  About halfway through that final loop, I just kept telling myself, you have less than everyone else behind you know, and many of those in front of you.  Just keep going.  I hit mile 12 and really just started to bonk I think.  The last bit through the airport, where the wind had gotten ever stronger, I felt like I was barely moving, literally, but there was no damn way I was walking now, and I pushed through.  I seriously thought to see a 13 minute mile when I looked at TP, but it was not nearly that bad, and as I turned out of the wind, I picked it up, and that last mile ended up being a 7:20 pace! Perceptions!  And where my final burst in the chute came from I have no idea, but I saw some woman racing me into the finish, and I was like, no damn way anyone is passing me now, and I found some rocket fuel from somewhere and brought it home.  Not sure how, but I managed to run 1:53, and I was SHOCKED.  Less than a minute off my best run in a 70.3.  So again, with the right training, this is very encouraging and bodes well for my run if I can get healthy.

So in my daily life, I am an Agile Consultant and Coach.  Agile is a different way to develop software (vs the waterfall method.)  One of the things we do is at the end of every Sprint (usually two weeks long), we look at what went well, what didn't, and what we are going to do to improve.  Pretty cool eh?  So I think I am going to do my race report as an Agile Retrospective.

What Went Well:

1. I had the most fun ever for a race.  My roommates were Awesome - Janet, April, James, Sylvia, Missy - thanks for such a great pre-race experience.  No drama, no stress, just good times and a shared passion for triathlon - AAAAWEsome.  My driving partner was even more Awesome ... aprilisawesome is not just a website name people!  April and I sure did get to know one another during our almost 30 hours in the car.  :)  I'm sure she was like, uh, why did I think driving would be the way to go?  Bah ha ha ha ha. 
2. My swim rocked.  I mean, for me.  Let's face it, I'm never going to 'ROCK' the swim, but for me, this was a great swim.  
3. The run.  What the hell?  Not sure how I managed to finish, never mind in 1:53 so this was great.
4. My PMA.

What Didn't Go Well:

1. The Bike.   Really, the pain on the bike.
2. Transitions.  It's not that I really did anything wrong here, everything actually went quite smoothly.  Reality is, injuries were the issue.  

What I'll Keep Doing and Change to Improve:

1. Keep having fun!
2. Continue to improve my PMA
3. Get in the pool and take the swim seriously - time in the pool will get me to my goal time.
4. Get my bike refit - although I believe there are several factors at play on the bike, this is probably one of them.
5. Get with Sadri and figure out what the hell is wrong with my hip flexor.
6. Rest and recover - basically get healthy before we add any speed or volume.

This was a great race. I had so much fun. I love the course.  I definitely want to come back here and race it to my potential, as I think it plays to my strengths, and I could do VERY WELL here.  Next year, Galveston is definitely staying on the race list.   Overall, I placed 24th in my AG.  top 19%.  Given what I've been through, and the issues I had, that actually is very good.  I just have to keep convincing myself of that.  :)   I truly am quite encouraged by both the swim and the run.  The bike is a health issue, and hopefully we can fix that soon enough to get in some quality training for Kansas.  #PMA.  Oh, and Hey.  I learned how to tweet for real.  Thanks April.  Makes it all worth it!  LOL.

Happy Training!

Kat