A year in review...

On January 3^rd 2010, I moved to San Diego to start a new job, in a new industry, in a new city, where I didn’t know anyone.  The decision changed my life completely and I’m thankful that I took the risk.  San Diego, being the birthplace of triathlon, was also the perfect place for me to buckle down and get more serious about my personal athletic career.  After coaching swimming for 6 years, I decided that it was time for me to gain more competitive experience and expand my horizon as an athlete.  In the past year, I completed my first marathon, became more comfortable on my bike, gained a better understanding of my body’s nutritional needs, increased my overall fitness, and am now in the best swimming shape that I've been in since High School.

After a GREAT 2010, I’m stoked for the new challenges that lie ahead in 2011!

XTERRA CRYSTAL COVE RACE REPORT

It had been over a month since the Santa Clarita Marathon and I was itching for a race.  In the past month, I had backed off of my running mileage to give my legs a chance to recover. This was yet another excuse to spend more time in the pool (not that I needed one.) Lately my cardiovascular fitness seemed to be on point. I attribute this in part to the Encinitas Masters Swim practices that I’ve become hooked on.  So, I was very optimistic leading up to the XTERRA Crystal Cove 17k Trail Run.

I woke up at 6am to my roommate, Hunter pounding on my bedroom door.  Apparently I had shut off my alarm and fallen back asleep. I hate it when I do that!  I guzzled a canned dopio-espresso and quickly packed my bag.  Within 20 minutes we were on I-5 heading Northbound to Crystal Cove State Park, just South of Newport Beach.  Once we arrived, the parking and packet pick-up went silky smooth; the Perfect Foods Bars in the goodie-bags were a NICE surprise!

I went out hard, with the mindset that I had nothing to lose.  Shortly after mile 1, I found myself ascending the largest climb on the course.  I decided to take this one conservatively since it was so early in the race.  After finishing the climb up into the sky, I made sure to grab water and a Gatorade on my way through the aid station.  With the greatest challenge behind me, the race was on!

At mile 4 I set my focus on a pack of 3 runners, we’ll call them Red Shirt, Gray Shirt and Green Shirt.  I quickly caught up to them and we ran together for about a mile.  I was feeling invincible so I decided to put my body to the test.  I stepped on the gas and pulled away from the pack.  Between miles 5 and 7 I passed several more competitors.  I was beginning to fade so I switched to 2 cups of Gatorade at the mile 7 aid station.  Then at mile 8, Gray Shirt blew by me, but I decided that it was best to let him go.  Determined to hold my current place, I charged every hill and was sure to monitor my stride on the straight-aways.  Still strong, I flew down the last stretch of the course and finished in 1:20.43!

I placed 1^st in my Age Group and 12^th Overall.  The sun was shining and it was 80 degrees (in the middle of December!)  Great course, great race, great day!  I can’t wait for the XTERRA Boney Mt. Half Marathon on January 9^th!

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Santa Clarita Marathon Race Report

I had never felt the desire to run 26.2 miles, until I signed up for Iron Man Coeur d’Alene. I figured it would be a good idea to race a marathon before I had to run the distance after a 112 mile bike ride. Conveniently, Santa Clarita fit perfectly into my travel and race schedule. I took a relaxed approach to training, as my main goal was to gain experience. About a month before the race, I figured I could hold 8min/mi and finish under 3:30:00. It seemed a reasonable goal at the time. So, I carried on anxiously anticipating an AWESOME first marathon.

Saturday before race day, I drove up to Santa Clarita with two friends, Omar and Lindsay. They served as my coaches, PR team, motivational support, and groupies! We went to the expo, saw a movie, had dinner at an Argentinean restaurant, and then headed to the hotel. Amazingly we had an extra hour to sleep because of Daylight Savings. I was feeling more confident than ever! 

My alarm blasted at 5:00am (Jump by Van Halen) and I immediately drank a dopio espresso, stretched, and dressed. I was fired up and ready to go the distance! I ate my traditional pre-race meal: a chocolate Powerbar, banana, and Gatorade. With perfect weather, 52 degrees and no humidity, the day was already very promising. Then it got better… MOTOWN! The Tempations, Supremes, and many more were blasting over the speakers – I’m a closet oldies fan, but I guess the cat is out of the bag now. Haha! 

6:55am… took a Gel & 2 SALT tabs during the National Anthem, then before I knew it BANG! I was off, feeling nice and light! 7:26 at mile 1, way too fast but I’d planned to get into my groove after the first 4 miles, nothing to worry about. At the mile 3 water stop two-dozen cheering kids slapped my hand, I was a celebrity! Through mile 5 I was averaging a 7:20-mile pace and realized that I was being irresponsible, reckless, and naive. So, I backed off and settled into a brisk 7:50-mile pace, taking my gels and salt tabs as I had planned, and chatting with other runners. It felt like a routine that I had rehearsed endlessly.

At mile 12.5 the course split, sending the half marathoners toward the finish. Great! I was almost half-way to finishing my first marathon… so I thought. With fewer distractions, I was able to notice the awesome creek side path on which I was running. Still feeling like a champ, at mile 13 I started sucking on the Organic Gummy Pandas that I’d been carrying. They served no nutritional benefit BUT they tasted good, so I had figured they might as well become a part of my nutrition plan.

At mile 16 the dreaded aches, pain, and cramps slowly started to set in so I popped two Advil Liqui-Gels and instantly felt fresh again. The rejuvenation was probably due to a placebo effect, but it worked so I was happy. My pace slowed slightly and began to teeter between 7:55 and 8:00min/mi. I was still on track! Then, mile 20 hit me like a BRICK WALL! “Uh-oh…?!” This was a fatigue unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I had started to pass participants who had succumbed to the pain, but I was dead-set on running every step of the race! Finishing sub 3:30:00 seemed of less importance as I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Then I checked the Garmin and began to panic as my pace had slowed and became inconsistent. 8:24, 8:18, 8:11, 8:41… my quads were on fire! After mile 24 I tried to make myself cry, because I thought it would take some of the pain away. No luck, no tears. DARN! Oh well, 2 more miles. Almost there! At this point I passed a couple of competitors, who had been ions ahead of me but were now walking. 

FINALLY I passed the mile 25 mark. 1.2 miles to go; I was in more pain than I had experienced in my entire life.  I tried to muster some confidence, but nothing could have possibly prepared me for what was about to happen… suddenly my hamstrings cramped to a point that I almost didn’t have control of my legs. Still, I kept running. At that moment I was all alone, literally and figuratively. So, in a Tony Soprano fashion, I muttered a string of obscenities. 

“I should stop- but I can’t. No it isn’t that I can’t, I have a choice…” 
It was a choice that I made quickly… “Ehh, what the Hell?” I was back in it for a sub 3:30 finish! It wasn’t too late! I clearly started saying aloud “YOU WILL DO THIS! YOU WILL DO THIS!” I repeated it two more times, struggling to hold onto my momentum. I had a sea of voices flowing through my mind, those who had given me advice, those who had encouraged me, those who had challenged me:
“3:30?! Psh, You’ll be able to do that, no problem!” 
“Of all people, I’m not worried about you!” 
“That’s what I ran at the end of my IronMan.” 
“ You’re going to hit the wall!”
… then all the voiced stopped! I was focused, determined, and on a mission!

The course went up and down a few overpasses, which might as well have been Mt. Everest! Then I was back on the road; my legs had long since gone numb. Spectators cheered me on, and soon I was at the end of the stretch, then one last left turn, and I was on the last straight away… FINALLY! I heard the announcer bellow my name over the PA and then I saw the Finish Line clock, 3:28-something! HELL YEAH! I crossed the finish sub 3:30, with time to spare! I punched my fist with excitement!

After a can of coke, “The CureAll,” I finally started to feel semi-normal again. I checked the results and saw that my chip time was a 3:28:00! FIRST IN MY AGE GROUP?! Even better! I stuck around for the awards ceremony and then went to celebrate with Omar and Lindsay at BJs. Pizza and beer takes all the pain away!

I had successfully completed my first marathon, under my goal-time, without stopping, and took first in my age group. It was a great race! I gained a crucial amount of experience as an athlete and now have a much greater respect for the marathon distance. It’s a good thing, because the next time I run that far will be during Iron Man Coeur d’Alene.

THANK YOU to everyone who gave me the much needed advice and encouragement which lead to my success. A special thank you goes out to Omar, Lindsay, Hunter, Aaron and Erin; I couldn’t have done it without you!

The Ice Breaker

On May 9, 2009 I won my age group in my first (sprint) Triathlon, The New Jersey Devilman in Cumberland County, NJ.  Now I find myself about 8 months away from my first IronMan (Coeur d’Alene, ID) and think back at how drastically the sport of triathlon has changed my life in such a short period of time.

 

It began on a trail-run in Northern Delaware, when a friend convinced me to purchase a road bike.  With a telephone-book of international competitive experience to back her, I could not argue.  I broke down and got a Trek 2.3, the first bike I’d owned since I was in 6^th grade.

  

Since then I’ve moved to San Diego, the mecca for triathlons. I work for Competitor Group, the leading media and event company in the endurance sports industry.  Most importantly, I now know that bricks are not used in masonry, blocks are not for children, and Hawaii is not a place for relaxing.

 

I’ll be tracking my multi-sport journey via this blog, in hope that it will inspire/assist/motivate others, just as so many people have done for me.  Thank you to everyone who helped me get where I am today, and a special thank you goes out to my friend in Delaware who convinced me to look past my own stubbornness and get on a bike.