Prepping for a whole new year

Turning 50, taking Tamoxifin and living without ovaries has put a whole new twist in my training. I have had to make some changes in my workout routines due to fatigue, interupted sleep, weight loss and strength loss. My first change is mixing up my strength routine. I have always been a big proponent of body weight exercises for endurance athletes; but with my big loss in strength, I have headed back to the weight room, hitting the machines and free weights. Here is my new program: Exercise DAY I; DAY 2; DAY 3 1. Plank 2 x 30-60 secs; 1 x 60-90 secs; 2 x 30-60 secs Low Back 2 x 15 - 15; 1 x 15; 2 x 15 - 15 (can be machine, superman's or swis ball reverse curls) Calf raises 1 x 25; 2 x 25; 2 x 25 - 20 2. Squats 2 x 15 - 13; 1 x 12; 1 x 15 Bench Pr. 1 x 15; 2 x 15 - 12; 1 x 12 Seated Row 1 x 15; 2 x 15 - 12; 1 x 12 3. DB step-back lunge 1 x 12 each leg; 1 x 12 each leg; 1 x 12 each leg DB pull-over 1 x 15; 2 x 15 - 12; 1 x 12 High Pulls 1 x 15; 2 x 15 - 12; 1 x 12 4. Leg Ext. 2 x 15 - 12; 1 x 12; 1 x 15 Leg Curls 2 x 15 - 12; 1 x 12; 1 x 15 Wide grip pull-ups 10-12; 12-15; 10-12 (I use the "assited" pull-up machine) 5. Bridge with ball and band (pulse-squeeze and push out 2 x 30 secs.) Single Leg Bridge 2 x 15 Dead lift 2 x 15 ***Group 5 is done on day 1, 2 & 3... Each group of exercises is completed as a circuit and then you move to the next. It runs a three-day pattern, sometimes one set, sometimes two. If two sets the second set of reps is with a heavier weight. I will complete this phase for another 4 weeks and then switch it up. I am now two weeks in.

Post NYC IM

It has been about 11 weeks since I posted last—caught up in IM prep…. So here is my latest update: I turned 50 on August 8th and completed my 10th Ironman Race in NYC on August 11th, 15 weeks after my last radiation treatment. It was a great day on a tough course and although I missed my goal time by 45 minutes, it was the fastest IM I have done since I qualified for Kona in 2004 with an 11:26:02—this year I was 12:00:50 (I will post my full race report in another entry).

Once I recovered my energy from the radiation treatments, my training went really well and all was on track for a solid race. The only side effect from the breast cancer was tightness and discomfort in my pectorals on the side of my surgery—easily managed. About a month or so out of the race I began having some lower abdominal and lower back discomfort and decided to head to my OB/GYN (keeping my fingers crossed). An exam, ultra-sound exam and then an MRI confirmed a lime-sized cyst on my right ovary that needed to be removed, as the doctor said that it would continue to grow. Arghhh, another bump in the road to deal with…. My doc felt 99.9% sure that it was a benign cyst filled with fluid and that waiting a few weeks to do the surgery would be okay—one risk, it could burst if it got too big….great. So I charged onward with my IM preparation with my new “friend” Muriel (my sister in-law named my cyst) in tow. The back discomfort got a bit worse, she was growing, and I was a bit nervous on how things would feel come race-day. But, I had worked so hard for the race I was not going to let this derail the day. The swim was great, the bike was ok and the run was a bit of a challenge-when I realized that I was not going to hit my goal time, I did not let it get me down. I was just so happy to be out there competing, not for me, but in honor of my mom and in memory of my brother. Thoughts of them and what they went through (my mom is done with her chemo and is now having radiation and it has been just one year since my brother’s death) kept my focus on the finish line. The mind is a powerful thing, as it can talk your body in and out of a lot of things—positive thoughts can push you through tough times—I found this so true with my battle with cancer and in my racing. I did cross the line with a smile on my face, focusing on all of the positives—it was a great day! I had several clients also compete and everyone had a terrific day. Congratulations to coachbuxton.com athletes; Becky Sage, Phil Beane, David Tattan and Caroline Lettieri for finishing the IM. Below is Team TRI for HOSPICE members, Phil Beane, Becky Sage (and her daughter Addison) and the Coach at the finish line. (Missing is Dina Arceo who was sadly unable to compete due to a bad bike crash the Thursday before the race).

The race was not very spectator friendly, but at mile 20 on the run in Riverside Park there is a great outdoor bar, The Hudson River Café and this is where my wonderful support crew was waiting for me:

Stevie, Luke, Sam, Ben, B-Lee, Liz and Marty—missing is Terry who took the photo. It was wonderful to have family and friends at the race—we all had a great time in the City! My Tri for Hospice (www.triforhospice.com) teammates and I are excited to announce that we nearly doubled our fundraising goal of $15,000, which will be donated to Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro. We still have one other fundraiser, Ridgewood Try a TRI for HOSPICE (www.YouthTri703.com ); on September 10, 2012 that we hope will push us over the $30,000 mark. Thank you so much to all of our sponsors and donors who helped make this happen—we are over whelmed at the generosity of all….. I took a bit of a break from training 2 weeks following the race (walked a lot, easy short swims and short spins on the bike), battled a nasty cold (luckily no abdominal gunk from the Hudson) and had my surgery on Monday. All went well, I had the cyst and bad ovary removed as well as the other—no worries now about ovarian cancer…. The pathology came back and it is all good—the cyst was pretty big and filled with blood—Yuk! I cycled easy for 2 hours yesterday and ran for an easy hour today. It felt good to be out and about and I will slowly ease back into a routine, doing what I always tell my athletes about recovering “take things easy and listen to your body.” An oh-yeah, I signed up for an IM in 2013, Mt. Tremblant in Canada—I have some unfinished business to take care of….. Get out and make it a GREAT DAY!

Back on my game!

I am 5 weeks post-radiation and have been on Tamoxifen for 2 weeks. It took a couple of weeks after radiation to get my energy back. I realized how tired I felt during the radiation once I started to feel back on my game. My appetite has improved, I now feel hungry, but my weight is still pretty light (I am 10 or so pounds down from pre-cancer weight). I am working on packing in the calories and getting in a solid recovery drink and then meal after longer workouts. I do not want to get any lighter….. I managed to train through my radiation, long slow efforts, and I do believe that I came out of it with a really solid base. I competed in IM St. Croix 10-days post radiation and was very pleased with my effort. I had no idea what to expect, but I went into the race looking at it as a training day and if I had to stop, I would. The swim went very well (4th in AG out of the water), the bike was tough with rain and slick roads, but I just kept my pace under control—made it up the Beast! The run was what I was worried about the most as my longest training runs topped out at 9 miles. We were very lucky that the sun was not out—it was hot and humid, but not too bad. I had a great first 6 miles and then felt a little wobbly, so I just walked the hills and was okay. I was hoping to come in around 6:00 and ended up coming in at 6:11:31, 9th in the AG. All-in-all it was a great day-- I was just happy to be out there competing. My recovery went well from SC and next up was the FS 100 with two of my clients/tri for hospice teammates (Dina was 2nd over all female and Becky won her age group!). As with SC, this race was a training day for us in prep for IM NYC (August 11th). The race was in Washington, NC (very flat) and consisted of a 2 mile swim, 88 mile bike and 10 mile run. Again, I just took it easy and felt even better this day. I ended up the 3rd overall women with a 7:09:19 (57:16 swim, 4:41:09 bike, 1:27:53 run). Feel like my old self again…… Now to get used to the Tamoxifen….. I have heard from other triathletes who have taken it during training and racing and most do not experience any major side effects. I did find out that it is on the USADA (US anti-doping agency) list of banned substances, which is very interesting—need to mention that to my Doc! I have been getting some night sweats which interrupts my sleep, which makes me a bit tired during the day—also have been having a dull headache…. I have an appointment with my oncologist tomorrow to go over some blood work (taken last week) and discuss the Tamoxifen. I hope that these side-effects are just temporary. I continue to feel very lucky with my diagnosis and treatment and feel very fortunate to be able to continue to do what I enjoy so much….. My Tri for Hospice teammates, Becky, Phil & Dina, and I are off for a 120 mile ride this Sunday and I will enjoy every minute of it—because I can…..

Almost at the finish….

Today marked my 23rd radiation treatment and this is my last full week! The time has really gone by quickly and I am ready to be “done with it.” I will go three days the following week and “double-up” one day since I will be traveling on Thursday of that week. My symptoms (fatigue, breast soreness and rash) are very minor—every day I see other patients who are dealing with way more than me, I am the lucky one.
The fatigue is different than any other “tired” I have felt—I just get really worn out and nothing I do or don’t do makes it go away. I think that pushing through the fatigue with some of my recent workouts will really help me mentally during long races. I have been keeping up with my training and I am sure to take one or two complete days off each week or just go for a short easy swim. This is my last big build week to St. Croix. Next week I travel again and will only be able to run while I am gone and then it is off to SC on May 3rd. One of my Tri for Hospice Teammates, Becky, and I rode to Hanging Rock and back on April 7th (60 miles RT). It is a very hilly route and the climb up Hanging Rock is really tough—I made the climb and it was a real confidence booster for the upcoming half ironman in St. Croix. We will head there again this weekend and add one more climb up Saurtown Mt. (another tough one) and then do a short run off the bike.
I am 14 weeks into my cancer diagnosis, two weeks away from finishing radiation, three weeks out of St. Croix and 16 weeks out of the IM... I am 10 pounds lighter, a little rashy and tired, but fortunate that this is the “worst of it.”

Workout of the week:
30-30’s
This is a great “bang for your buck” workout, especially if you are short on time. Do this workout one time per week during the build period and build to 20 repetitions. I prefer to complete it on a trainer—you can focus more on the efforts and not have to worry about road hazards
Warm-up well and then do 10 to 20 x 30 seconds at 90% effort (9 on 1-10 RPE scale) with 30-second spin recoveries. Cool down easily and stretch.
This is a workout that I have used successfully in the past, but not so much now as too many anaerobic efforts zap me….
Get out there and get after it!
Karen

11 down....

I just had my 11th radiation treatment today. I go every day, five days a week at 8:50. It is about a 30 minute door-to-door trip so I try to tie it in with workouts and or errands. 3 days per week I leave a bit early and hit the pool for 30 to 45 minutes, 2 days per week I head to another pool that has a deep end and water run and then lift. Tuesday’s I have a set ride with two of my Tri for Hospice Teammates, Becky and Dina. They are nice enough to meet me at the Battleground Park around 9:30, right after my appointment and we head out for a 2 hour hilly ride.
Getting my workouts in early has been key, as I have been feeling a bit more fatigued each day. This Monday it really hit me and I just took the entire day off—no pep, no motivation, just blahhhh. This is really hard for me to handle as I am a “doer” and just “resting” is definitely not my style. But, the coach in me says, “Listen to your body” and I am doing my best to practice what I preach to my athletes. I have also found with my training these past couple of weeks that anaerobic efforts really toast me—so, I am trying to stay very aerobic (building a solid base for the IM). With St. Croix on the horizon, my hill strength is not where it needs to be, so I am trying to settle into a comfortably hard pace and spin up the hills as best as possible. If my heart rate goes to high, it generally settles down quickly after the climb—a good sign.
This afternoon will be my first “key” brick, a 1.5 hour ride followed by a 45 minute run… I have completed some short runs off the bike all winter, but this will be the longest and a real test of where my fitness is. I am 7 weeks out of St. Croix and 19 weeks out of the IM—time is flying by….
The nurses, technicians, aids and doctors at the Cancer Center are all really nice and upbeat. I generally see the same people who treat me each day as well as other patients coming in for treatments. It is a very sobering feeling to walk into the main waiting room and see so many people, from all walks of life in various stages of fighting cancer. Often, I feel like I do not fit in, as I do not look sick. As I have learned from Ironman racing, “just when you are feeling really bad during a race and start to feel sorry for yourself, you just need to look around because there is always someone else out there who is feeling worse than you or dealing with bigger issues….” This is how I feel when I go for my treatments—I am sad, frustrated and sometimes angry that I have to deal with this, but it goes away quickly when I see all of the other patients who are much sicker and dealing with much bigger issues than me. That is the point when I tell myself that I am the lucky one—mine got caught early…..
So about 19 more treatments to go—I will finish about 2 weeks before St. Croix. I will continue to train as much as my body allows and enjoy whatever happens in St. Croix. I am a lucky one—I am strong and healthy; my cancer was caught early; I have great doctors, wonderful family support, terrific friends and training partners. I will get over this “bump in the road.”
Train Smart,
Karen

Workout of the week:
One-Legged Drills on the Trainer:
Warm-up for 10-15 minutes of easy spinning
Then complete 30 seconds right leg (unclip your non-working leg), 30 seconds left leg, 30 seconds both legs focusing on proper form at a comfortable cadence (Aim to build the interval to one-minute as your form and fitness improves).
Repeat 3 times through.
5 minutes of easy spinning and repeat the sequence.
Cool-down for 10-15 minutes of easy spinning.
Total Time: Approximately 44 minutes

And I said that I would never get….

A tattoo and now I have three—well three tattoo dots…. These are markers for radiation, which I start this Thursday.
I am four weeks out of surgery—the recovery has gone much slower than I expected and I think that it is due to the two surgeries in one day and the loss of blood. I have found myself much more tired than usual (the doc said I am anemic) and am wiped out after workouts. From this I have learned that I need to get my workouts done early in the day. If I wait too long, I am just too tired and very unmotivated. Last week was a solid week with three swims, two long bikes (2.5 and 3.0 hours), three runs (with the “long” run at an hour) and a couple of strength sessions.
I am 8 weeks out of St. Croix and 21 weeks out of the IM…. I am focusing now on building back my base and building back some strength. I have lost about 5 pounds over the past month or so—good for running, but not so good on the bike as I am very “weak” on the hills. I rode last week with a group of five guys and just could not hold on---very frustrating as I am not used to having people wait for me (they were nice and did). I keep telling myself what I would tell my athletes, “be patient, it takes time and you will get your fitness back.”
So, I am plugging along, slowly increasing frequency and duration each week—I will keep St. Croix in perspective, looking at it as a workout, not a race and just enjoy being out there. I have two clients attending and it will be good to be there to support them. Spring is here in NC and my kids are home for spring break—life is good!
Enjoy,
Karen

Back on Track….

Last Thursday marked a week following my surgery (s) and it was a week of good news—my pathology came back with solid margins, so no more surgeries and I should be able to begin radiation treatments in 2 more weeks. I see the radiation oncologist this Thursday and my surgeon on Friday. Another piece of good news came from my mom who found out her cancer had not spread. However, due to the aggressiveness of her form of breast cancer (inflammatory) and the advanced stage (it did spread to her lymph nodes) she must undergo chemo and radiation.
So it feels good to be back on track. I cycled three days last week, water ran two times (tried to swim each time, but there is still swelling, so it was pretty uncomfortable) and walked the dogs every day. It looks like the weather will be really nice here this week, so I will hit the bike as much as I can, keep trying to swim and will give land running a go soon.
24 weeks out of IM NYC….
My workout of the week was a Deep Water Run:
In the deep end with a belt easy run for 10 minutes.
Then 1 minute straight leg kicking hard (be sure that your toes are pointed and that you "feel" the water on the front and back of your legs) and 1 minute easy and repeat this pattern 5 times through for a total of 10 minutes.
Then easy run for 10 minutes.
Total time 30 minutes

Not in the plan….

Well, Thursday rolled around quickly and I headed to the Breast Center for an 8:45 appointment. I only got in a couple of workouts that week—just did not have much energy. I was going to run before I headed in but I did not want to get any more dehydrated as I was thirsty enough from not drinking or eating anything since the night before. So a long walk with the dogs was my exercise for the day.
At the Breast Center they had to insert two wires into my breast to mark the two cancer spots for the surgeon—I will never complain about the discomfort associated with a mammogram again! With my breast in the mammography machine, I was numbed, 2 large gauge needles inserted, then the wires were thread through the needles, needles removed and pictures were taken at every step. I was wrapped up with two wires coming out of my breast and sent over to the day surgery hospital.
I was prepped and ready to go at 11:00 for what the doc said would be an hour or so surgery. He said that I could shower the next day, return to normal daily activity on Saturday, swim in a week and run in two—no impact for a while for the jostling could cause a hematoma to form in the breast and that could be a problem. So, did not sound too bad—I was already planning my trainer ride for Saturday and a swim and water run for a week from Friday. I awoke in the recovery room a bit groggy but feeling okay—I guess pain killers are a good thing. I was adorned with really cute tube top and sexy boxers—got to love the swag from surgery. The nurse said that all went well and that I would be discharged in a bit. All going as planned so far….
I got home around 4:00 and assumed my position on the couch. My friends Donna and Kristen brought dinner over—not so much for me, but for my husband, Terry. I am the cook in the family and they were afraid that he would turn to cereal or gasp, take-out; so, liquids for me and real food for him. My friends asked if I were in pain and I said “that a hot poker in the eye is painful, this is just more discomfort.” I have a pretty high tolerance for pain—guess this comes from having gone through child birth two times and completing nine Ironman races. Around 6:00 I felt a bit of a twinge in my breast and it started to swell and swell and swell. It did not seem like normal post surgery edema and it started becoming really uncomfortable.
I called the doc on call and he said that it sounded like I developed a hematoma and that I could come in to the ER and he could take a look or I could try to tough it out and come in to the office in the morning. Thank goodness I did not run too soon—no one mentioned reaching for a glass of water could cause a hematoma!!!! Not wanting to spend the night in the ER, I decided to try to “tough it out” for the night. He said to double up on the pain pills, so I tried that. He called me back around 8:00 and with my pain level (pills did not touch it) he suggested that I come right in—he would call ahead so I would not have to wait too long. So off we went to the ER.
They checked me in pretty quickly, gave me something for my nausea and finally for the pain. The doc took one look at my quadruple D and said he was rolling me into surgery. Ah two surgeries in one day—that was not in the brochure…..
So another hour in surgery, another wake-up in the recovery room and another nurse saying all went well. Still not in much pain—this time they were dosing me with morphine, but my throat was pretty sore from breathing tubes x 2. I arrived in my room around 1:00 AM and after a restless night, the doc came in around 8:00 AM and said that he removed a small grapefruit sized hematoma but could not find what caused the bleed—how could that fit in there?! My first surgeon also came in to check on me and said that I should take iron for a couple months after losing “so much blood.”--wonderful…. My husband broke me out around 3:00 PM on Friday after they weaned me from liquid pain killers to pills. I resumed my position on the couch and started “recovering” one more time.
I am not a big TV watcher and I have seen enough in the last several days to last a long time—thank goodness there were some college basketball games on this weekend and a Law and Order marathon. I finally had to turn the Food Channel off as I started seeing the same shows again. Today was a better day and I was expecting a call from the doc about the pathology of the tissue removed—I called him after lunch and no report yet. Hopefully he was aggressive and took large margins—I do not want to go in for round three, that definitely is not in the plan….
Make it a good day,
Karen

One down...

My surgery (lumpectomy) is scheduled for tomorrow AM and I will be glad to have this behind me. Last week my training was up and down, as is this week’s. My energy level is low---mental stress can really wipe you out….. I was under the weather this weekend and decided to take Saturday and Sunday completely off. I am feeling better this week, but have only gotten in one run. Walking the dogs seems to be my only certain activity each day—Merlin & Tanuki have become my “therapy dogs” and our walks are calming.

After the surgery, I am not allowed to run for a couple of weeks, so I plan to focus on my bike and overall strength. Once the incision heals, I can hit the pool and will deep water run, as well as swim. Yoga still remains on my list of to-dos. I missed it last week and hope to get a friend to meet me for a class at least once per week.
I am 26 weeks out of IM NYC and 12 weeks out of St. Croix….
Workout of the Week:
30 minute 200’s form work:
200 easy swim--50 kick (25 free, 25 breast)
200 drill done as 2 x 100 by 25s (right arm, left arm, catch-up, fast swim)--50 kick (25 free, 25 breast)
200 kick with fins (25 free, 25 fly)--50 kick (25 free, 25 breast)
200 scull with pull buoy done as 25 scull (front, mid, dog paddle), 25 pull--50 kick (25 free, 25 breast)
200 easy pull--50 kick (25 free, 25 breast)
**“Kick” is with a board, no fins and the rest interval between sets is 20 seconds.
For more on the drills and sculling, go to http://www.coachbuxton.com/Drills-FreestyleSwim.pdf and http://www.coachbuxton.com/Article-GetAFeelForTheWater.pdf
Train smart,
Karen

Good News!

The past two weeks have flown by with more visits to doctors and tests than I have ever had—surgeon, oncologist, gynecologist, genetic counselor and radiation oncologist……
I received good news on Friday from the genetic counselor—I am negative for the breast cancer gene! The was a huge layer of stress that was peeled away and now I can move forward with a lumpectomy and then 6 weeks of radiation. Hopefully I can get my surgery scheduled in the next week or so, as I will have to wait 3 weeks after that to begin the radiation treatments. I cannot run for a couple of weeks after the surgery, but can do low impact exercise—cycling and swimming—deep water running (once the area has healed). During the radiation I can continue to do my regular workouts as tolerated—fatigue will be the biggest side affect from the treatments….. I want to at least maintain my base as St. Croix is my first “A” race in early May.
Over the last two weeks I have hit my goal of cycling at least 2 times per week (either spin, trainer or outdoors), but have missed a run each week and missed one swim last week. This week is the last week of prep and my two goals are to go to yoga once this week and hit the pool three times. The weather will be nice and I should be able to get out on the bike a couple of days and will do my usual 3-4 runs and 1-2 strength sessions. This may all be a bust if I can get my surgery scheduled this week…..
With each blog entry I am going to include my favorite workout of the week. Last week I needed to be by my phone so I did my hill repeats on the treadmill.

Hour Treadmill Hill Workout:
30 minutes easy at .5% to 1.5% incline—slowly increase speed until you are in high zone 2. Then:

2 minutes @ 2%, 1 minute @ 1%--2 minutes @ 3%, 1 minute @ 1%--2 minutes @ 4%, 1 minute @ 1%--2 minutes @ 5%, 5 minutes @ 1%. Then:

Increase your speed .25 to .5 MPH every couple of minutes so that you negative split the final 10-15 minutes of the workout. After the hour slow the speed and walk for 5 to 10 minutes for your cool down.

Make it a great day!
Karen

Priorities....

I spent the first part of this week in NJ to be with my mom while she had her surgery (double mastectomy) and get her settled in at home. She was admitted on Monday and home on Wednesday—she is one tough woman! My workout schedule took a bit of a hit while I was traveling and I was only able to get in two short (35) minute hilly runs while I was there. Thursday as I came into town, I went right to the gym and swam easy for 30 minutes and then a short core session. Friday was an early biopsy (in the MRI) so workouts were a bust as I am a bit sore. Once I find out the result of this biopsy and that information, along with a genetic test later next week, will determine the course of treatment….
Since my last tri in October, I have been staying fit, exercising more that working out. My training has been “run” heavy and I have competed in a couple 5k’s and a ½ marathon. The Myrtle Beach ½ is on my upcoming schedule as is the Winter Flight 8k, but all is dependent upon when I need to start treatment/have surgery….
This week finishes my 2nd week of Prep and I have three more weeks at 10 hours of training before things ramp up a bit. I am being very flexible in my schedule, not fretting if I miss something or need to move things around. I am home all week next week with just a couple of appointments, so working out will be a priority—it feels so good to accomplish the workout, happy that I can get out and do what I love to do.
Training goals for next week are:
1) Hit the pool three times
2) Cycle at least 2 times
3) Strength train at least 2 times
4) Run four times including an 1.5 to 1.75 hour run
Get after it,
Karen

Three words I never thought that I would hear....

This week I was to begin my focused training for the 2012 NYC Ironman. I signed up for this event, my 10th IM, to compete in memory of my brother Jeff who died this past July from colon cancer at the age of 55. One of my local clients, as well as one from CA and one from MI, will also be competing. My local client, Phil and one of our training partners, Dina and I have decided to “race for a cause” for this Ironman. Our cause will be hospice—they spent 8 weeks at my home, helping me care for my brother and I could not have imagined caring for him without their help. So, we have created Team Tri for Hospice and will look to raise money that will go to a local hospice (triad region of NC) to help patients with necessities that insurance and Medicare will not cover. More information on this as we move forward…..
I had planned on blogging about my training for my 10th Ironman in my 50th year—I turn 50 on August 8th, three days before the IM. My training for long distance events has evolved quite a bit since my first IM in Florida in 1999, and I thought that I would share my preparation as I attempt to qualify for Kona (my last time at the big dance was in 2004)—yes, I am going for it! But as 2011 came to a close things changed a bit—a routine mammogram (I have been getting them once a year for about ten years due to dense breast tissue) caught the attention of radiologist (with luck on my side it was my training friend, Dina) who just didn’t like what she saw. After another mammogram and with Dina’s pushing, a biopsy of my right breast, I found out on December 29th that I have breast cancer….
I never imagined in a million years that I would hear those three words, “it is cancer” and I am still not sure if it has sunk in…. I am active, healthy, eat well, have all of my routine medical exams, love my work and have a wonderful husband and two great kids. So, as I learned through my brother’s cancer, the disease is indiscriminate—you never know…. To add more stress to the pot, my mother (81 years old) was diagnosed with breast cancer two days before me and will have a double mastectomy on Jan. 9th. Her diagnoses really put mine in perspective and what I will go through pales in comparison of what she will have to endure.
I am generally a private person but felt that writing this training blog, “with a twist” might help athletes and non-athletes who have breast cancer the deal with the disease---that it might bring to the light the importance of early detection (my mother had not had a mammogram in 30 years)--and that you can’t let bumps in the road deter you from your goals, hopes and dreams. I am looking at this cancer as an “inconvenience” and will continue training for the August IM. What I will have to do to adjust my training, I do not know yet. But I will forge on, doing what I need to do to “take care of this inconvenience” while supporting my mother while she deals with her cancer.
It would be great to hear from others who have been diagnosed with cancer, not just breast, and how they managed their treatments while training. My plan is to update this blog at least one time per week. I am off to the surgeon on Friday, to NJ on Sunday to be with my mom for her surgery and then another biopsy (MRI) for another spot in my breast on the 13th.
Take charge,
Karen

Belews Lake Sprint

On April 17th I competed in the Belews Lake Sprint Triathlon in Stokesdale, NC. Here is the race review:
Belews Lake Sprint: 750M swim, 14 mile bike, 5k run
April 17, 2010
Stokesdale, NC
Entry fee: early $55, late $65
Hotels: Most are 20 to 30 minutes away, either in Greensboro or out by the Piedmont Triad Airport
Travel: 20-30 minute drive from Greensboro, NC
Restaurants: Not much around the lake—need to venture into Greensboro where there are lots of choices
Race Goodies: T-shirt and Hammer Gel
Course:
Swim-The swim is in a clean lake with a sandy bottom and the water temperature ranges between 69 and 74 degrees all year round (thanks to Duke Energy)! The race was an in-water start time-trial start with participants swimming a triangular-shaped course. Participants exited the water at the end of the boat launch and had to run about 50 yards to the transition area.
Run—The run is a rolling out and back on mostly paved road (a short portion is on a gravel road). The finish is a speedy ½ mile downhill to the finish line.
Bike—The bike is a rolling loop course on low traffic roads.
Aid Stations: There were two aid stations on the run.
Volunteers: Friendly, helpful volunteers.
Expo: At the race site—Inside Out sports were set-up at the site with the basics….
Timing: Chip timing—Benji Jones does a great job with the race.
Awards: Awards were visors and socks…
Post Race Food: Drinks, pizza, hot dogs, chips, fruit….
Parking: Plenty of parking available at by the lake—the earlier you can get there, the better.
Porta Potties: Lake facilities and porta potties by the transition area.
Transition Areas: There was a large paved transition area with good flow—some small rocks/pebbles throughout the transition area. The racks were numbered, as were the individual spots.
Waves: Time trial start for the swimmers, going off in pairs…..
Synopsis: This is a great home-town race that is well run on a fun course. It is so nice to just roll out of bed and head to a race that is just 20 minutes away!!!

Rating: 4.0 CRANKS

Scale:
1 CRANK = Don't even think about doing this race...
2 CRANKS = Hmmmmm, a last resort...
3 CRANKS = Not bad, you get what you pay for...
4 CRANKS = Solid event all around...
5 CRANKS = Can't miss, a must-do race...

Powerman Alabama Race Review

On March 28th I competed in the Signature Duathlon (5k-40k-5k) at the Powerman Alabama Multisport Weekend. Here is the race review:
Signature Duathlon: 5k run, 40k bike, 5k run
March 28, 2010
Oak Mountain State Park, Pelham, AL
Entry fee: $65 by 1/31, $75 by 2/28, $85 by 3/24
Hotels: Lots of choices and all are fairly close to the Park—all of the popular chains right off the Interstate. We stayed at the Comfort Inn about 2 miles from the park.
Travel: 8 hour drive from Greensboro, NC—Closest airport is in Birmingham, AL
Restaurants: Lots of choices along the same strip as the hotels—chain and independent restarurants. I had good Italian at La Dolce Vita and a great post race breakfast at The Egg and I.
Race Goodies: Very nice black long sleeve shirt, finisher’s bottle opener/key chain and water bottle.
Course:
Run—The run was a shaded out-and-back in the park on a gravel/paved road. It was challenging course with lots of ups and downs.
Bike—The bike was also an out-an-back, two loop, on a low traffic road. As with the run it was very rolling---you were either going up or down….
Aid Stations: The run had one aid station with water and Heed, so you could hit it two times and there was a water bottle hand off at the end of the first loop.
Volunteers: Friendly, helpful volunteers.
Expo: At the race site—a couple of tents with the basics.
Timing: Chip timing—some times were missing in the final results…
Awards: Very timely ceremony, with great overall prizes to the top three finishers. Age group winners also received product as prizes. There were lots of door prizes given out before and after the ceremony.
Post Race Food: Drinks, pasta, pretzels, cookies, fruit….
Parking: Plenty of parking available at the park.
Porta Potties: Park facilities and porta potties at the transition area.
Transition Areas: There was a large paved transition area with good flow. The racks were numbered, but individual spots were not—it was first come, first served. The lack of individual marked spots lead to some crowding on some racks—too many people racking their bikes all on the same side….
Waves: The short course went first, followed by the Signature Duathlon and finally the long course PM event.
Synopsis:
This was my first time racing at the new race site and I loved it. Team-Magic did a great job organizing and running the Powerman Multisport Weekend. It was a great show-case for duathlon, with junior, pro, age-group and off-road race options.

Rating: 4.0 CRANKS

Scale:
1 CRANK = Don't even think about doing this race...
2 CRANKS = Hmmmmm, a last resort...
3 CRANKS = Not bad, you get what you pay for...
4 CRANKS = Solid event all around...
5 CRANKS = Can't miss, a must-do race...

USAT's Art and Science of Triathlon Symposium

I recently attended USA Triathlon’s Art and Science of Triathlon Symposium in Colorado Springs, CO. It was held in conjunction with USAT’s Race Director’s Symposium and Hall of Fame induction at the Broadmoor Resort. It was a full 2 ½ days of keynote speakers and break-out sessions. USAT did a great job organizing the event and it was a wonderful opportunity to network with coaching professionals, race directors, visit with vendors, listen to terrific presenters and gain continuing education units. Here is a brief overview of the sessions that I attended:
Johan Bruyneel, key note speaker—
Wow, what fun listening to Lance Armstrong’s team manager tell stories about his road to 7 Tour de France victories. He did a great job weaving in “the ingredients for winning” throughout his presentation and following, signed copies of his book, We Might as Well Win.

Bill Burke and Ben Elder—“Linking coaches with events and race directors”
Bill and Ben discussed the importance of developing partnerships between races directors and coaches. It can become a win-win situation as the partnership can increase participation in the event and in coaching services. Athletes are better prepared, making for an overall safer event and both the director and coach expose themselves to greater marketing opportunities.

Ben Greenfield—“Maximizing you income as a triathlon coach”
Ben pointed out different options for coaches to add additional income streams to their existing coaching business and provided tips on how to market their business online and locally.

Vern Gambetta—“Following the functional path to building the complete triathlete”
Vern highlighted that movement revolves around and through the core and that the core is the transmission and relay center of the body. Once you can recognize its’ role in function, you can train it accordingly. His message is to integrate, not isolate movements. This presentation was just a teaser for his next session the following day….

Alicia Kendig—“Women specific nutrition”
Alicia discussed “The Female Athlete Triad” (disordered eating, amenorrhea, osteoporosis), its’ consequences and the importance of prevention of this common occurrence in endurance athletes. The key to success—energy availability…. Female athletes must adjust eating patterns to high training and competition loads.

Erik Weihenmayer—keynote speaker
This was an inspirational presentation given by the first blind man to ascend Mt. Everest. Erik captivated and entertained the audience with his story of reaching the highest peak on earth. He looks upon his blindness as a challenge not a disability and he feels that “each of us has a light, which feeds on adversity.” He feels that the most important part of leadership is “how we pass it on to others.” His talk was worth the price of the symposium!!!!!! He was also gracious enough to give out and sign copies of his book, Touch the Top of the World.

Vern Gambetta—‘Beyond the core—training for the ground up”
Vern highlighted the importance of strengthening the core (hips, abs, lower and upper back) before working on extremity strength. Endurance athletes operate in the saggital plane and it is important that they also work on rotation exercises that stabilize them in this plane. Functional training relies on body weight, bands, balls and free weights to provide resistance while performing “multi-dimensional movements that requires acceleration, deceleration and stabilization in all three planes.” I like to call these “bang-for-your-buck” exercises—walking lunges, body weight squats, step-ups, pull-ups etc.—perfect functional exercises for the time-strapped multi-sport athlete.

Stephen McGregor—“High Tech Running”
Stephen discussed the use of technology to optimize training—it should be used as a tool, not considered an obstacle. He highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of heart rate monitors and speed and distance devices (GPS). This presentation also explained using the training stress score (rTSS) to quantify training load in an individualized fashion for athletes. Lots of science here….

Joe Friel—“Stress based periodization”
Joe talked about the importance of making training more ‘race-like in intensity’ the closer one is to an A-priority event. Joe piggy-backed off of Stephen’s presentation further and discussed using TTS to effectively gauge effort in key workouts leading up to the A-priority event.

Sue Enquist—key note speaker
As a player and coach of UCLA’s NCAA championship softball team, Sue has 11 National Championships under her belt. She did a great job weaving her coaching philosophies and methods into the multi-sport coaching world. Her 33% rule was spot-on—there are 3 kinds of people:
Top 33% are the “doers” (anything is possible!)
Middle 33% are the “fair weather friends” (they are with you when all is well, but when things go bad…)
Bottom 33% are the “life suckers” (the glass is always half empty or just plain empty…)
Be a top 33% and surround yourself with them!!!!

Stephen McGregor—“Training Myths”
Stephen discussed current myths in training including the role of lactic acid (friend or foe?), pedaling efficiency (circles or squares?), base building (all aerobic or include intensity?). This was an interesting presentation on the science that debunks the myths.

Tim Crowley—“The triathlon swim—improving technique and training with power”
Tim presented an integrated and power-based approach to swim training. He echoed Vern Gambetta’s stance on the importance of core stabilization strength utilizing weight training, yoga, Pilates, stretch cords and swim benches (VASA trainer). Power production results in start speed, increased turn-over, fatigue resistance, and a decrease in injury. He is a big proponent of the use of swim benches—they provide instant feedback, specific training, power development, stroke technique, fatigue resistance, deliberate practice and are time efficient. I want one…..

There were other break-out sessions that I could not attend—I believe USAT’s weekly e-newsletter will highlight the symposium weekend…….

While all of the key note speakers were terrific, my favorite was Erik Weihenmayer. He was engaging, inspirational, funny, and moving and a great example of the power of the human spirit. If you ever get a chance to listen to him speak, jump at the chance. I was impressed with all of the speakers and gained knowledge from them all, but my favorite was Vern Gambetta. He had a great way about him, got right to the point and was not afraid to let you know where he stands (not a big fan of Cross Fit….). I have his books and follow his principles of functional training with my athletes and with my training and will incorporate more in the future.
All-in-all a very worthwhile trip and I look forward to more Art and Science Symposiums by USAT.

IM Cozumel Race Review

On November 29th I competed in my final race of the season, the inaugural IM Cozumel.
Here is the race review:
Ironman Cozumel—2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run
November 29, 2009
Entry fee: $550
Hotels: Lots of choices and all are fairly close to the start (the Island is not that big). We stayed at the Residencias Reef Condos about 3 miles from the start and on the bike course. Go to http://cozumelvillas.com/
Travel: We flew into Cancun and then took the ferry to Cozumel. This worked out well and was less expensive than flying into Cozumel. Go to http://www.travelyucatan.com/cozumel_ferry.php We also rented a car while we were there, which worked out great.
Restaurants: Just what you would expect in a resort town—no issues with eating out or from the food bought at the grocery store. Be sure to stick with bottled water…
Race Packet: Very nice fleece jacket.
Course:
Swim—Non-wetsuit, open water start in the ocean. One loop along the coast against the current and then turning back finishing with the current. There was a long carpeted run to the transition area.
Bike—The course was three flat, windy loops around the island. The wind picked up with each loop. There were spectators throughout the course and lots in town.
Run—The run was three loops that took you through town (lots of cheering spectators) and out toward the airport and back (a bit lonely out here). It was flat and hot—wind in your face on the way out and a vacuum on the way back.
Aid Stations: The bike had aid stations every 10 miles or so, fully stocked. The run aid stations were every ‘K’ with plenty of choices (water, Gatorade, coke, gels, bars, etc.)
Volunteers: Friendly, helpful volunteers.
Expo: Usual Ironman branded expo—pricey…
Finisher T-shirt: Very nice black dri-fit short sleeve t-shirt.
Timing: Chip timing
Awards: ? Did not attend the ceremony…
Award ceremony: Dinner the next day--did not attend.
Post Race Food: Drinks, pizza, fruit.
Parking: This was difficult as the course was closed to traffic. We were able to park at the swim start and then our support crew was able to drive close to town to set-up shop around the bike-to-run transition and finish area.
Porta Potties: Facilities at the swim start and porta potties at the transition area.
Transition Areas: There were two transition areas. At the bike check-in the day before, you were to leave your bike and both transition bags at the start (they transported bike-to-run bag to T2). T2 was located in the center of town. Then on race morning you just had to drop off your special needs bags at the start.
Waves: The pros went off about 15 minutes before the age-groupers.

Synopsis:
What a beautiful venue for an Ironman!!! The course was really nice and very challenging with the wind and heat. We were pretty fortunate as the sun was not too hot on race day—the clouds were in and out all day and we had some drizzle on the run. It was great to have a closed bike course and the fan support in town was terrific. The Island did a great job hosting the race—everyone we came across was very welcoming and helpful. If you are looking for a “destination” IM race, this is it!!!!

Rating: 4.5 CRANKS

Scale:
1 CRANK = Don't even think about doing this race...
2 CRANKS = Hmmmmm, a last resort...
3 CRANKS = Not bad, you get what you pay for...
4 CRANKS = Solid event all around...
5 CRANKS = Can't miss, a must-do race...

Ironman Cozumel Race Report

IM Cozumel Race Report


On race morning I woke up at 4:30 and consumed ½ cup black coffee, Boost, wheat toast with peanut butter, and a ½ of a banana. I usually eat an oatmeal walnut Cliff Bar (my favorite), but my stomach was feeling a bit queasy and it did not appeal to me---I did all I could to get the toast down….. I was a bit worried as my client/friend Rebeca had some stomach issues a couple of days before the race and I was hoping that it was not my turn—we were very careful about our food consumption, especially the day before. We ate all of our meals in the condo and had pasta for dinner. After three trips to the bathroom, we headed out the door, fingers crossed….
We left the condo for the race-site, Chankanaab Park at 5:30 (about 4 miles away). It was warm already with a light breeze, the calmest it had been all week. We dropped off our special needs bags (bike—two bottles of frozen Infinit Nutrition, 300 cals. in a soft cooler, granola bar and a 5-hour energy and run—3 espresso love Gus and a 5-hour energy) and then did a quick check on the bike and review of the transition exit route. While I was moving around, I was sipping on a bottle of water. We headed to the pier for the start and were entertained with a dolphin show and the singing of the Mexican National Anthem. Ten minutes before the start, I drank a 12 oz. bottle of Lemonade Cliff Drink and was relaxed and ready to go—I love ocean swims!!!
The swim was an in-water start and one big loop in crystal clear warm water (about 84 degrees!!). The course was a big rectangle that ran along the coast, then turned left for approximately 200 yards, another left and you were moving parallel to the coast again, past the start, left for approximately 200 yards, another left and then with the current all the way to the exit. I positioned myself to the inside of the rectangle and found clear water after a couple of hundred yards. The first turn was really crowded and pretty much full-body contact swimming—fought my way through this (just got kicked a couple of times )and then it was smooth swimming the rest of the way. The longest stretch had you swimming with the current—very fast! The water was wonderful—fish, sand dollars, fields of star fish, a barracuda (yikes!—he spotted me for a minute and my pace really picked up!) and periodic cold spots to cool you down. Divers were in the water, holding the buoys and were waving and giving the swimmers the thumbs up—very nice.
The exit of the swim was up a few wooden steps (swim time 1:03, 6th in my AG—very pleased) to a carpeted board walk that led to the T1 bag pick-up and changing tent. The run was lined with spectators, yelling in Spanish (VAMOS—I heard that all-day-long) and English. I quickly changed into my cycling shoes (no socks), glasses and helmet and I was quickly off to grab my bike—the sun was fully up and it looked to be a party cloudy day with the breeze picking up slightly. There were lots of cheering spectators as you headed out of the park. Then a period of open road (the entire course was closed to traffic!!!) and then a stretch where our condo (Residence Reef) and other hotels/condos were, where there were lots of people cheering (my crew was positioned here for the bike).
The back side of the course was beautiful and isolated, along the beach and through mangroves. Every once in a while you would go past a beach that had a bar/restaurant and a handful of spectators—but this stretch was pretty quiet. The wind picked up a bit here and the roads were fairly smooth. Aid stations were every 10 miles and well maintained. They had water, Gatorade, Power Bars and Gels—they said that there would be bananas, but there were none…. At every aid station, I grabbed a bottle of water, drank some and poured some on my back to cool down.
The course was a bit crowed the one the first loop, but with the entire road open, it was not a problem. After cutting across the island, a nine-mile section, you came to the “local” part of town. The fan support from the locals was unbelievable---they lined the streets cheering everyone that passed. The course was very spectator friendly for all, with the loops on the bike (and run) and it was great to have my crew (husband, daughter, son and RR’s family cheering each time I passed).
My first lap on the bike was spot-on, ~1:50 (I was shooting for a sub 6 bike and that had me right on target) and I was feeling very strong—the course was terrific and it was a beautiful day. The second loop was a bit more difficult as the wind really started to pick-up and was either hitting head-on or cross. I just stayed aero and kept my RPM’s up. I stopped at the aid station that had the special needs bags (almost missed it as it was not well marked) and it took a bit of time to find my bag. I grabbed two bottles of Infinit and was on my way—they were still cold and went down well. I started to feel a bit hungry so, I ate one fig Newton and that seemed to quell my hunger.
My pace on the second lap was a bit slower, but I was still feeling good, passing riders and not having anyone in my age-group pass me…. On the third lap the wind was really blowing, and my sub-six went out the window and I came into T2 with a 6:08 (18.26 MPH and now in 1st in the AG) split. All-in-all I did prefer the wind to a blazing hot day—the temperature hovered around 87 degrees and the sun was in and out all day.
A quick transition, after a volunteer took my bike, had me on the run course at 7:15. It felt good to be off the bike and I knew that the run was going to be my biggest challenge. I had a few set-backs with my running leading into the race and unfortunately missed several key long runs. So, off I went prepared for a mentally tough marathon.
The run was three loops and headed off in the opposite direction of the bike course. As with the bike, there was great spectator support as you headed out of town along the water. The road here in town was a decorative concrete and it drizzled a bit on the first lap making the footing fairly slippery. While the brief shower felt good, I was glad it stopped as I did not feel comfortable on the slippery road. There were aid stations every ‘K’, with Gatorade, water, ice, Power Bars & Gels, coke, bananas and on the last lap crackers (more about these later).
After you passed through the down-town stretch, the road continued along the coast toward the airport and another hotel area—solid spectator support here also. There were street lights along most of the run which was helpful as the sun set around 5:00. While the early sunset did cool things off just a bit, the darkness also brought mosquitoes---whoa, this was something that I never dealt with during an IM. I waited as long as I could before getting doused with repellent (aid stations and spectators were prepared) and when I stopped to get sprayed, I was swarmed!!!!! After a quick application on my arms legs and neck I was off—but they kept biting me now, through my suit!!! The next couple of aid stations were out and the attack continued, but I found a generous spectator to stop my blood loss and was bug-free for the rest of the run. I got into a pattern of taking in a bit of gel and then water and ice at every other aid station and then coke and water at the others. This went well—no stomach issues but I did need something to chew on and I never thought a saltine cracker could look so good. It was like a little piece of heaven especially when chased with an ice-cold swig of coke---ahh the simple pleasures…..
My first 10K was about 5 minutes slower than I was hoping (still in 1st place, so feeling pleased) and on the second loop I began to struggle a bit and had 2 women in my AG pass me. Heading out of town, the wind was in your face, so you had a bit of a cooling effect. But then, on the way back into town the wind was now at your back and it was like running in a vacuum—not a breath of air and hot. So the run/walk began and after being passed, I knew that my IM slot was out of reach. I re-adjusted my goal time and went from aid-station to aid station trying to stay positive. I found my special needs bag on the second lap and grabbed another 2 gels and a 5-hour energy and just kept putting on foot in front of the other. Back through town for the last lap and I was recharged a bit from the crowds and my cheering section. As I approached town on the final stretch, I could hear the finish line announcer and that put some spring back in my step. I forged on and was able to run the final 2 miles through town. The crowds were still cheering loudly (it was just a big party in town) and I knew my crew was waiting for me at the finish. I crossed the line (my 8th IM finish) at 12:45:46 and 6th in the AG (my second best AG finish) feeling good about my effort and already thinking about my next IM, where I WILL nail the run….

Here is my total calorie intake for the day:
Race-morning:
½ cup coffee (0)
Boost (240)
Wheat toast with peanut butter (50 + 100)
½ of a banana (55)
Calories—445
Pre-swim:
12 ounce of Lemonade Cliff Drink (80) and water
Calories—80
Bike:
3 ½ bottles Infinite Nutrition Drink (1150)
1 fig bar (100)
3 + bottles of water
5-hour energy (4)
Calories—1254
Run:
3 Espresso Gus (300)
Water at every aid station
5-hour energy (4)
2 saltines (60)
½ of a banana (55)
Cola at every other aid station (120)
Calories—539
Total Calories—2318

On September 26th I participated in the Duathlon World Championships in Concord, NC. The race was a B-race for me with IM Cozumel coming up in late November. My goal for the race was to really get after the bike, shooting to average 20+ MPH.
Here is the race review:

ITU Duathlon World Championships—10k run, 40k bike, 5k run
Lowes Motor Speedway Concord, NC
September 26, 2009
Entry fee: $200 (must have qualified for the event)
Hotels: Lots available within 5-10 minutes of the race site. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express right off the Interstate—great breakfast bar and very friendly staff.
Restaurants: Plenty of chain and fast food restaurants available. Concord Mall is close by with a food court.
Race Packet: Dry Fit T-shirt
Course:
First Run—a challenging 2 loop course that went through the infield of the track, out a tunnel, over 2 pedestrian bridges and on access road around the track. No mile markers…
Bike—a fast course on a mix of flats, rollers and steep climbs with a few technical areas. 2 loops that brought you onto the track twice for a loop around the speedway—very cool!
Run—one loop of the first run with the finish down the straight-away on the track.
Aid Stations: There was not a water bottle hand-off on the bike. There was an aid station as you were leaving the transition area and then 3 more on the loop--water and sports drink.
Volunteers: Friendly, helpful volunteers.
Expo: Small at the race hotel and at the race on race-day.
T-shirt: Very cool Carolina blue with checkered flag theme.
Timing: Chip timing
Awards: ? Did not attend the ceremony…
Award ceremony: Brunch the day after the race.
Post Race Food: Good choice of drinks, fruit and the usual bagels, pretzels etc.-under cover in one of the garages on the infield (Very welcoming with the rain pouring down).
Parking: Plenty of parking at the track.
Porta Potties: Real bathrooms at the track.
Transition Area: Pavement-well designed, easy in and out-had to rack your bike the night before, numbered racks and spots. Mechcanics were available for help.
Waves: Juniors and Elites went off in the morning with the age-groupers in the afternoon. There were 6 waves for the AG’s.

Synopsis:
Unfortunately the rain rolled in the evening before race-day…. The temperature was okay, low 70’s, but a driving rain during the bike made the course a bit dicey.
The tough conditions made my 21 MPH ride that much more satisfying! I saw one really bad crash at the bottom of a hill… Even with the rain it was a fast and fun course. The loops brought you into the track several times, so it was very spectator friendly. The race crew produced a top-notch event even with the unfortunate weather. I hope that they are able to hold more duathlons at this venue.

Rating: 4 CRANKS

Scale:
1 CRANK = Don't even think about doing this race...
2 CRANKS = Hmmmmm, a last resort...
3 CRANKS = Not bad, you get what you pay for...
4 CRANKS = Solid event all around...
5 CRANKS = Can't miss, a must-do race...

Cardinal Harbour 1/2 IM, Prospect, KY

This past weekend I participated in my second half of the season, the Cardinal Harbour 1/2. My goal for this race was to break 2 hours on the run (which I had not done in quite a while) and I hit a 1:49. All of the therapy (electric stim, ice, exercises, sessions with an Active Release Therapist and patience with my running paid off---My goal for this race was to break 2 hours on the run (which I had not done in quite a while) and I hit a 1:49. The ankle held up, but it is still not a 100%. This race was a great confidence builder as I focus on building speed for the upcoming Duathlon World Championships in September and muscular endurance for IM Cozumel in November. More on this balancing act in future posts....
Here is the race review of the CH 1/2 IM:

Cardinal Harbour ½ IM
Prospect, KY
July 18, 2009
Entry fee: $100 early, $120 late
Hotels: Lots available within 20 minutes of the race site. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express—great breakfast bar.
Restaurants: Plenty of chain and fast food restaurants available. We lucked out and found “Corbet’s, An American Place” after the race. There were also lots up super markets in the area.
Race Packet: Bare bones with T-shirt, endurolytes and a packet of Heed
Course:
Swim—a warm murky swim (77 degrees) in the Ohio River upstream and then back, current was not much. Three waves were 5 minutes apart. I did not wear a wetsuit and was very glad—it was warm!
Bike—a challenging course with a great mix of rollers and flats. It was a bit dicey on one portion on highway 42 with lots of traffic. The course was well marked, but had a couple of intersections un-manned. Mileage was marked on the road every 5 miles or so. No bike support and no USAT officials. Saw several people riding and running with head phones.
Run—a good mix of hills and flats. Three laps on one section. There were lots of trees, so if the sun was out it looks like there would be some coverage. The finish was one mile along the river in tall grass—fairly uneven surface. No mile markers on the course.
Aid Stations: 2 bottle hand-offs on the bike with water (water was really cold!) and Heed. On the run you passed two aid stations multiple times and then one close to the finish—water, heed, gels, coke, bananas. Not much at the end of the race—the water cooler was empty when I crossed and had to wait till I walked back to the club house were the food and awards were.
Volunteers: Friendly, helpful volunteers.
T-shirt: Colorful
Timing: Chip timing
Awards: Overall winners—trophy and towel. Age group winners—towel
Award ceremony: “Self-serve” on the honor system—check the results and then go get your award—definitely no frills
Post Race Food: Variety of home-style goodies….
Parking: Ample at the neighborhood swim club—5 minute walk to the race start.
Party Potties: Lacking—only 3 at the start and none on the course
Transition Area: Grassy (really long), tight racks with no numbers—a “free-for-all.”
Pre-race meeting: Great rendition of the National Anthem, followed by a “non-miked” talk from the race-director---could not hear a thing.

Synopsis:
Overall, a great training day—the weather was perfect with a low of 62 and a high
76, breezy and overcast. It was a fun, challenging course, a great prep if you are doing IM Louisville. The race director limits the number of participants to 300, so it was not too crowded. If you like a race with a down-home, no frills feel, then this is the race for you.

Rating: 3 CRANKS

Scale:
1 CRANK = Don't even think about doing this race...
2 CRANKS = Hmmmmm, a last resort...
3 CRANKS = Not bad, you get what you pay for...
4 CRANKS = Solid event all around...
5 CRANKS = Can't miss, a must-do race...

Ankle test two, White Lake 1/2 IM

This Saturday I competed in and finished the White Lake 1/2 IM (more on that suffer-fest in another post), the second big test for my recovering ankle. I signed up for the race two days after my injury--having the goal of finishing that race, four months out, provided extra motivation for my recovery.
After two days of staying off my feet, icing and elevating my ankle I decided to get up and get moving. Even though I could not run for six weeks I was determined to make the best of the situation, focusing on other aspects of my fitness. First stop was the pool where I swam easy with a pull buoy for 20 minutes--the water was very therapeutic for my ankle and I was feeling better already.
I was on crutches with my ankle immobilized (with two completely torn ligaments this was to allow scar tissue to form to stabilize the joint) as I still could not put any weight on the ankle. The boot provided solid support and protection so I headed to the weight room. Upper body and core exercises were no problem and I was able to do some single leg exercises with my right leg (curls, extensions and calf raises). My goal for the next several weeks was to work on my swim (had to slowly build duration since I pulled all the workouts) and build strength.
After a week of this, I was able to ditch the crutches and walk in the boot. I then hit the pool for deep water running. As with the swimming (pulling) I eased into these sessions, starting with 20 minutes easy and building to one hour for my "long run." Other key workouts included 30/30's where I would warm-up easy and then go 30 seconds hard and 30 seconds easy, building up to 20 repeats. Another workout that I did once per week was 20/10's. I would warm-up and then go 20 seconds hard and 10 seconds easy for a total of 8 repeats. After 10 minutes easy I would repeats the set and then warm-down. This mix of easy endurance building workouts and interval training kept up my "run fitness."
The Deep Water Running was my savior--with planned workouts and a water-proof MP3 player the sessions went by very quickly--I still hit the pool at least once per week for a recovery run. Check out this article for more information on DWR:
http://www.coachbuxton.com/Article-DeepWaterRunning.pdf
After two weeks in the pool, I saw a huge reduction in the swelling of my ankle--it was still very sore but improving. The start of the third week I saw the doctor again and he said that I could begin therapy in a couple of days. He gave me a different ankle brace to begin using around the house, but out and about, I still needed to wear the boot. He said that once the therapist saw and evaluated me, I would have a much better idea on when I could begin any weight bearing activities (cycling, elliptical etc).
I was ready to start working with the therapist and moving on to the next stage of my recovery.
Following doctor's orders, staying active (focus on what you can do and don't bum-out about what you cannot do), listen to your body (if it causes discomfort or pain, stop!) are all key when dealing with and recovering from an injury. There is light at the end of the tunnel....