Fitness

Ironman Cozumel: The Bike

December 18, 2012 by Asia

The bike was the most challenging part of the race for me hands down. I’m a newbie cyclist compared to most of the field (first road bike experience was May 2011), and I am slow! That means I get to be on the bike for 1-2 hours LONGER than the average Ironman. But that’s OK. I can still conquer a 112 mile bike ride like it’s nobody’s business, even if it takes me 7:30 hours to do it!

I grabbed my bike just outside the changing tent and ran to the bike mount line. I saw my parents on the way, going crazy and shouting “Asia!” which made me smile and gave me an extra boost. I ran past the mount line and got over to the right side to jump on my trusty Trek (and not get run over by the people who were faster than me).

Does my helmet look crooked? It always does! Maybe it’s my head.

Sunny! It’s going to be a hot one!

Course Profile:

The course is 3 loops around the island (39.5, 39.5, and 33 miles), with the beautiful, deserted backside of the island home to the cross winds for about 15 miles each lap. (I went sloooow on this part.) The terrain is flat, and the roads are in good condition. No cars on most of the course since they recently added a paved side road. The upside to 3 laps is that you get to see your fan base a lot! The downside to 3 laps is that you don’t get to see your fellow Ironman competitors until the run (unless you’re together or getting lapped.) I couldn’t wait to see Jeremy again!

Lap 1: Split 34.4 miles / 16.14 mph

I got on my bike, turned on my bike computer, and looked at my Timex watch which was on the bike setting…without GPS, without heart rate. Nooo! Apparently my watch never picked up GPS during the swim, and now it wasn’t picking up my heart rate monitor either. So, I reset my watch and picked up a GPS signal, but my heart rate never showed up on my watch. I was a little worried since I was supposed to be monitoring my effort on the bike by my heart rate, but I kept on riding and decided not to stress about it.

The first part of the bike course was also the fastest part of the bike course. I topped out around 21 mph, but my average was around 17-18 mph on the first stretch heading south. I ate an Uncrustable pb&j, drank some water, and settled in. I skipped the first aid station since they were spaced out about every 6 miles and didn’t need water yet. I didn’t take any bathroom breaks on lap 1 because I wasn’t ready to get off my bike yet, and I refuse to pee on myself. (Chafing!)

I hit the bottom of the island and started to feel the wind. Then I headed north…and really felt it. I was in the big chain ring for all of 5 minutes before I realized that was a waste of my energy, and my cadence was too slow, so I went to the small chain ring. I might as well have been climbing hills! The wind really slowed me down, and I saw speeds around 12-13 mph. I was a little shocked by how much the wind slowed me down, but again, I didn’t stress over it. I think this was the point where several pro men athletes FLEW past me. (Pros started 20 mins ahead of the rest of us…oh and they are very fast.) Insane.

I mentally went into the windy section of the bike thinking it would only last for 9 miles because that’s what it said in the official athlete guide. That was false. It was at least 15 miles of mind numbing windy conditions on each lap. The upside was that scenery was GORGEOUS. The backside of the island isn’t developed, and there are only a few restaurants and beach bars. I don’t think anyone lives on this side, so crowd support is pretty limited.

Gorgeous! Simply gorgeous!

I passed the special needs area (since you get it on lap 2 if you need it), and shortly after, made the turn and finished the windy section of lap 1. Success!! Relief! AND FANS! Along the road into town, I passed hundreds of local supporters shouting “SI SE PUEDE! SI SE PUEDE”! (Yes you can! Yes you can!) Best. Feeling. Ever. Brought tears to my eyes, and made finishing lap 1 very sweet.

Lap 2: Split 73.5 miles / 15.14 mph

I was happy with my pace on the first lap and looking forward to seeing my parents on lap 2. I was achieving my nutrition goal of 300 calories/hour and at least 1 bottle of water/hour. Things were going well! The most exciting part of the bike ride was when I got to ride through downtown Cozumel. It felt like the entire island was out there watching and cheering me on. They had so much passion! “Vamos chica! Vamos! Vamos!” I wish I had written down all the amazing words of encouragement those people gave me. I couldn’t get enough of it.

Jeremy started his bike about 45 minutes ahead of me, so on his second lap, he stopped to talk to my parents and ask how I was doing while he refilled one of his water bottles. It was nice to have them there so he didn’t have to worry about me! He knew the swim was tough, so he was happy to hear I made the time cutoff and was making good time (for me) on the bike.

My parents were stationed outside our resort with a small group of others that were staying there as well. It was the perfect spot to spectate because they could go relax by the pool in between seeing me and Jeremy, and it was really easy to spot them. The both wore bright-colored shirts, and I saw them as I approached. They were screaming, cheering, and jumping up and down saying things like “You’re doing GREAT!” I smiled, waved, and said hiiiiii! It was so great having them there to support me.

Back at the windy section, I was starting to feel a little bummed to be in the wind again, when I heard a voice behind me. “Asia! Is that you?” And then pro triathlete Beth Walsh flew by me on her bike (lap 3 of course). I said, “Yes, hi!” Then she gave me some words of encouragement that I only partially caught since she blew by me so quickly. 🙂 Another boost!

I was rolling through most aid stations at this point so I could pour water on my head and down my back the rest of the ride. It was hot! (Prob around 78-80 degrees.) I got off my bike for 1 quick bathroom break and decided not to stop at special needs because I didn’t want to get off my bike again. I was on a mission.

Focused.

Lap 3: Split 112 miles / 13.99 mph

When I reached the timing mat that signified the start of lap 3 (and saw a lot of people finishing their third lap – ugh jealous), I threw my hand in the air for a fist pump and shouted “LAST LAP FINALLYYYYYYYYYY!!!” The crowd cheered, even if they couldn’t understand me. I was pumping myself up for a tough final 33 miles. You don’t get the benefit of the “fast section” on lap 3 since you finish before it, which is why my mph looks like a significant drop.

Lap 3 was by far my most difficult lap for me personally, but I stuck it out and got through it with no major setbacks. My back was starting to hurt and I was dreaming of getting off the bike…but I kept bringing it back and focused on the present. It felt like there was hardly anyone left on the course at this point, and I went through stretches when no one was around me. Definitely an entirely new mental game when you can’t see other athletes. I was counting down the miles until I got to see my parents again (mile 88). I was so happy to see them! I smiled and said “FINALLY!” They said “No, you’re doing GREAT!” I love my parents. Always supportive and encouraging.

I started cheating on my nutrition sometime around hour 5. I had lost my appetite, but knew I needed to keep eating, so I had a bonk breaker instead of a pb&j, and ate more fruit snacks to make up for the third pb&j. I probably dropped to 200 calories/hour the last 2.5 hours, but it was better than nothing. I got off my bike 2x during lap 3 because I really needed to stretch, pee, and recharge my batteries. I was drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated which was a good thing. The first time I stopped on this lap, I read the note that Jeremy wrote for me on my water bottle. It was filled with love and words of encouragement. I really needed it.

The windy section on lap 3 was my lowest point of my entire race. I kept repeating mantras over and over and over and fought back tears. “Pain is temporary, pride is forever. Pain is temporary, Ironman is forever.” The mantras helped me get through that very long hour. I was feeling mentally drained and ready to sell my bike, but I knew it was almost over. I was definitely going to finish the bike!

My last rest stop was a little slow bc they ran out of water bottles, so I had to wait for them to clean(?) and refill a (used? dirty?) water bottle for me. I also saw a man laying on the side of the road in very bad shape. Cue ambulance. I was happy I didn’t feel too much pain, or have any cramping/stomach/dehydration issues like others. (I also ran into someone who had been puking for most of the bike. No bueno!) A lot can go wrong/happen to you over the course of 112 miles, so I was feeling fortunate that I was going to finish the bike in good shape. I gained a lot of respect for the Ironman distance that day.

The last 5 miles couldn’t go by fast enough. I was so close, I could taste it. Then, I saw my parents in town shortly before I got off my bike. They were SO EXCITED and proud of me! I was too! I did it! I conquered the Ironman bike!!!!!!! Now all I had to do was run a marathon! I knew I was going to become an Ironman that day. 🙂 🙂

Finally!!!

Bike Stats:

Pace: 15.00 mph avg

My time: 7:27:57

Age group rank in Females 25-29: 27/47*

*33/47 in my division completed the swim. (I don’t know how many officially started.)

Gender rank: 329

Overall rank: 1,660/2,664

Transition time from bike to run: 6:28

Ironman Cozumel: The Swim

November 29, 2012 by Asia

The day before it all went down.

T1 setup

The swim is probably the most spectacular part of the race. You start in a beautiful protected harbor in the ocean at Chankanaab National Park. There are 2 official practice swims before the race since normally no one is allowed to swim in this area. There’s no surf entry or exit to deal with, but there is a group of dolphins that greet you with leaps and twirls as you walk across the dock and make your way to the swim start. The course is one 2.4 mile rectangular lap, and it’s always a non wetsuit swim because the water can get up to 84 degrees. Luckily, the salt water helps you float!

First, you swim north against the current with the buoys on your left for approximately 800m. Then you u-turn and swim south with the current for well over one mile before you make your final turn and head back to the dock against the current again. There is a submarine at the final turnaround and plenty of divers, kayakers, boats, and paddle boarders on the course to keep athletes safe. In 2011, the conditions were so perfect that no one DNF’d the swim. This is traditionally a fast swim course! This year was a different story.

Passing time before the swim

: Getting ready to GO!

Transition officially opened at 5:30am, but they let people in whenever the buses dropped them off. We got there arounf 5:15am which gave us plenty of time to prep. Everyone got body marked the day before the race, or paid for the temporary tattooes, so that was a timesaver.

The pros started at 6:40 (men) and 6:43 (women), and the rest of us started at 7:00am which is typical of any Ironman. During the 15 minutes in between the pros and the masses, everyone walked across the dock to make the jump into the water for the mass start. I’m not exactly sure where the official start line in the water was, but it was somewhere north of the dock and behind the paddle boarders. We moved like a herd of cattle trying to get close to the start line before jumping off the high dock. On the way, we saw my parents on the sidelines, and I got teary eyed as they cheered for me. Jeremy asked if I wanted to jump off the dock early and swim to the start like a few others were doing, but I wanted to save my energy and figured it would be slow going. When we got close enough, Jeremy jumped off the high dock, and I walked down the stairs by the dolphin pens when I saw that was an option and then swam over to him. (I don’t know why my fear of heights suddenly got to me because I was already expecting to jump.) As we swam towards the front of the pack, the horn went off. It was GO TIME! We kissed, and wished each other a great swim and a great race. Then I put my head down, and started swimming hard.

Cozumel was the most aggressive swim start I’ve ever experienced, much worse than Coeur d’Alene. There were approximately 2,000 men and 500 women in this race which is a 4:1 ratio so maybe that had something to do with it. I couldn’t find clear water the first 800 meters. I just followed feet and tried not to let people push me under. My mood was good and surprisingly calm, though. Looking down, I saw the divers filming us and taking pictures. I saw beautiful fish and corral. It was spectacular! The best part? The water was a pleasant 78-80 degrees. (The heat didn’t start to affect me until later in the swim.)

Athletes on the dock ready to jump in!

I didn’t notice the current during the first part of the swim. Maybe it was because there were so many of us swimming so closely together, and I just focused on sighting and following bubbles. I had to stop once, unfortunately, because 2 men started swimming into me from opposite sides, and I wasn’t strong enough or big enough to swim over them. When they wouldn’t stop hitting me, I stopped, and threw each one an elbow. That put an end to that.

Once I made the u-turn, I immediately felt the current helping me along. I relaxed my stroke a little bit since I was breathing kind of hard after the first part of the swim. Every once in a while, I would pick up my cadence like my coach and I had planned, and then I would cruise again. I always tried to find feet to draft off of, and I did a pretty good job of it during this race. At one point, I noticed I was swimming really far right of the buoys, so I came closer in where it got crowded again.

I saw the final buoy marking the turnaround point and got really excited. I didn’t look at my watch, but I felt like I made amazing time. Maybe I could get 1:30 on this swim after all! Those thoughts changed once I made my final u-turn and felt the conditions change. Hello, current!! Hello swells! It took me a while to realize what was happening. I wondered why it seemed like I wasn’t getting any closer to the dock. Then I realized the strong undercurrent was to blame. I focused on drafting the most during this part to conserve my energy. Unfortunately I kept picking the wrong people to draft off of because they would suddenly stop dead in their tracks, do the breast stroke or tread water, and look around, trying to find the buoys again. I always ended up getting kicked when that happened, and swam around them, looking for new feet. This was probably the most frustrating part of the swim because it felt like it took FOREVER, and everyone was swimming back and forth. I definitely did not keep a straight line. The top of my head started getting really hot, and I wondered if I was overheating. I tried to stay calm, not let it get to me, and focus on my technique (left hand and kick)!

I thought I was approaching the finish line of the swim much earlier than I actually was because the stand up paddle boarders had on the same neon green shirts as the volunteers on the dock. That was a disappointment to say the least! I kept tricking myself into thinking I was almost done. When I was finally approaching the end, I saw a banner at the bottom of the ocean that said “Fatigue fades.” I liked that message because I felt a little worn out from battling the current for so long. I didn’t see the Jesus statue underwater, but I did recently find images of both underwater items to share with you.

Fatigue fades! The glory, that lasts forever!

Has anyone actually seen Jesus while swimming at IMCZ?

I half walked/half crawled up the wooden stairs to make sure I wasn’t dizzy and saw my time was around 1:50. I was OK with it since the goal my coach and I had set was 2 hours considering it was a non-wetsuit swim (meaning slower), and because the current was tough that day. Like Coeur d’Alene, I was 30 minutes ahead of the swim cutoff time of 2:20. This time, however, I felt much better coming out of the swim!

I jogged down the dock back towards transition and saw my parents again. That was the best and gave me a boost! Apparently my parents were starting to worry because they talked to someone else’s parents who were expecting their son to come out around 1:16 and still hadn’t exited the swim. They knew the conditions were tough and worried about me making the cutoff. (Going into the swim, I was slightly nervous about that too because the conditions were very rough on Saturday, and we were only allowed to swim to the second buoy during the official practice swim.)

The run to T1 was on the dock and boardwalk directly next to the crowds, so that was fun. I ran straight to the showers which are just before you pick up your bike bag. Feeling less salty and with my bike bag in hand, I continued to jog to the women’s changing tent where I applied sunscreen, used the bathroom, and did a quick change. DO NOT SKIMP ON THE SUNSCREEN! I lucked out and didn’t get burned on the bike course, but I saw some gnarly burns post race.

Long jog to T1

I kept an eye on my watch during transition because I knew how quickly the time passes in there, and I was on the bike in less than 9 minutes! (It took me 18 in CDA.) I was very pleased to see that there were still a good amount of bikes racked in T1 when I picked mine up. I wasn’t the last one out of the water! 🙂 I don’t know how many DNF’d the swim this year, but I heard rumors of 35-300. Unfortunately, the current was a little much for some people this year.

Swim stats:

My time: 1:51:00

Age group rank in Females 25-29: 28/47

33/47 in my division completed the swim. (I don’t know how many officially started.)

Gender rank: 347

Overall rank: 1,665/2,664 (Again, I don’t know how many officially started.)

Transition time from swim to bike: 8:37

Next up, the most challenging segment for me…THE 112 MILE BIKE!

Setting up T1 the day before the race

All smiles!

I am an IRONMAN!!!

November 28, 2012 by Asia

I did it!

Ironman Cozumel was my race. I did it!! I am an Ironman!!! Detailed race report to come after I leave Mexico, but now I want to thank each and every one of you for believing in me. You were there for me when I did not finish Ironman Coeur d’Alene, and you’ve been following my journey ever since, confident that I would finish what I started. So, this race was for you too!

Swim – 1:51
Bike – 7:27
Run – 4:58

Total Time – 14:32

My detailed splits

I loved the signage here

Race Week in Cozumel

November 23, 2012 by Asia

Jeremy and I arrived in Cozumel on Wednesday after a very long, tiresome trip. I was a bit nervous when the ferry dropped us off on the island because it was reallllly windy. So windy that the cab driver made a point of it to tell us how strong the current was going to be, and how much worse the wind was going to be on the backside of the island for our bike ride. When I asked him if it’s always this windy, he said no, it had just started today…but that it should be gone by Sunday. Senor, I hope you’re right!

We ate dinner and called it an early night so we could catch up on sleep.

A Triathlete’s Thanksgiving

Alarm clock goes off. Wakeup. Eat breakfast. Athlete check-in and bike pickup at Ironman expo. Eat lunch. Quick nap. Swim. Bike. Run. Shower. Thanksgiving buffet dinner. Quick nap. Refill water bottles at the bar. Mini Internet session. Bed.

Mexico is probably one of the best locations for an Ironman. The locals are friendly and everything about Cozumel Island just says “relax.” I don’t mind if I do! I feel a lot less stressed out here pre-race than I did pre-race in Coeur d’Alene. Jeremy and I get to spend quality time together in Mexico at an all inclusive resort on the beach. How could this not be relaxing?? Thanksgiving Day was less windy and nearly perfect weather. The temperature was in the high 70s/low 80s with not too much humidity. I loved my first swim in the ocean which Jeremy and I did just outside our hotel. There was 100% visibility, so I swam over corral and little fishies. I even saw a stingray. The water was quite salty, so I didn’t even miss my wetsuit. I noticed the current, but it wasn’t too bad. I didn’t get stung by any jellyfish.

The bike was encouraging too. The roads are in good condition, and on the side of the island that I practiced on, the wind wasn’t much of a factor. There’s actually a path around some parts of the island just next to the main road that is only for motorbikes and bicycles, so I didn’t have to worry about cars! Why can’t San Diego have something like that? Jeremy and I agreed that we’d ride much more in San Diego if we had a dedicated bike path. I spent a very short time at the expo as it was all business for me. I didn’t even look at the merchandise for sale.

I got one good piece of advice from someone who did Cozumel last year. She told me to eat as much as possible before the backside of the island because the cross winds can be very strong, and I might not feel comfortable taking my hands off the bike to eat. Good call!

Swim Course Practice

Friday morning there was an official swim practice at the Ironman swim start in Chankanaab National Park. Normally this area is not open to the public, so triathletes can only practice the swim Friday and Saturday morning from 7-9am. There were already buoys out on the short side of the course, so I practiced my sighting. I wore an extra pair of tri shorts and sports bra I brought with me to mimic my race day outfit and immediately noticed major drag in the water. So that’s why people buy those expensive speed suits! Tomorrow I think I’ll practice in my actual race day gear because if I feel the same drag, I might have to change up my plan and wear a one piece swimsuit instead.

Once I jumped in, I was happy to be in the warm 84 degree water with the pretty blue fish. Such a contrast from a freezing cold lake with no visibility! No matter how deep it got, I could always see the bottom. You start the swim against the current, so I got to experience what swimming in slow motion feels like. (I wasn’t supposed to swim hard today anyway.) I didn’t mind the current too much, and just as I was starting to settle in, I was stung by a jellyfish. It didn’t hurt much and just reminded me of the prick of a needle when you get a shot at the doctor’s office. I kept swimming, not bothered, when I got stung by another jelly fish on the top of my foot. I yelped underwater because this one hurt much worse than the first! The swim went on like this. I would swim for a few minutes, and then yelp because I would get another jellyfish sting. The worst was the one on my cheek. These jellyfish are so tiny that you can’t even see them, much less avoid them, so you have no choice but to just keep swimming. (“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”) About 15 minutes into my practice swim, I cut across the path of the buoys into the deeper water so I could practice my return swim which is with the current. It wasn’t as nice as I expected because there were some pretty big rollers coming in towards shore. The current and the rollers push you partly the way you want to go, partly the way you don’t want to go – into the shore. Hopefully it’s not that bad on race day. Someone told me that the lifeguard said those were from the cruise ships and they won’t be there Sunday. Jeremy said he noticed the conditions change when the clouds came overhead. Regardless, I just hope the conditions are a bit calmer on race day! If they’re not, I’ll still get through it, jellyfish stings and all.

In a few minutes I’m off to the mandatory pre-race meeting, followed by the welcome pasta dinner. Tomorrow is the bike and gear check, and my parents arrive! Sunday is race day!!!!!!!!! Ahhh!!! I better go finish packing my transition bags now.

Nos vemos! (See you later!)

P.S. As I expected, the food here isn’t vegan friendly, so I’ve been eating vegetarian on this trip. So far, so good. (Meaning, no stomach issues). 🙂

Mentally Preparing for Ironman Attempt #2

November 16, 2012 by Asia

It’s nearly game time!! Ironman Cozumel is November 25!! I’ve put in the work, and my body is READY. Now, along with my taper, I need to make sure I am mentally prepared for what lies ahead. (i.e. Don’t freak out!) I’m considerably calmer 9 days from the starting line than I was in June, so that’s a good start! I also haven’t lost weight…in fact, I’ve gained a couple of pounds. Last time I had a difficult time eating leading up to the race since I was so freaking nervous.

Race profile

With my ongoing training and a flat bike course, I should have a wayyyyy faster bike! When I do the math, I know I’m no longer at risk of missing the 10:30 hour swim/bike cutoff, but race day always presents its own unique set of challenges, so it’s important to be prepared for anything.

My Mental Prep Checklist:

1. Know your mantras. (My go to is “Pain is temporary, pride is forever,” which can also be “Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.” I also like “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!” You talk to yourself a lot out there.)

2. Set your playlist. (Before the race, I listen to motivating songs on my “Ironman Pump-Up” playlist. During the race, I like to play songs to myself in my head since I can’t use an iPod. Eminem is the most motivating to me, particularly “Till I Collapse” and “Lose Yourself”.)

3. Plan for at least 3 things to go wrong on race day. (I got this tip from pro triathlete Beth Walsh, and it’s super valid!)

4. Find your inner calm. (For me, that means avoid spending too much time at the expo . For world champion Chrissie Wellington, that means taking time to sit quietly by herself on race morning.)

5. Write out your race day plan and stick to it! (I have specific things to think about and monitor on the swim, bike, and run.)

6. Don’t worry about the things that you can’t control. (The 10 day weather forecast currently predicts a 50-75% chance of rain, and a high of 82. How much rain? During the swim, bike, or run? I don’t know, and I cannot stress over it!)

I’ve been trying to picture myself crossing the finish line at Ironman Cozumel, and it feels SO GOOD. I get really, really excited just thinking about it!! Ironman Coeur d’Alene was a weird/sad experience for me because I got to be both a participant (for roughly 9 hours before they stopped me) and a spectator to watch my friends cross the finish line. (Go Team WODS!!) I saw all sorts of creative finishes. There were the serial high-fivers, the painful/limping finishers, the dancers, the sign holders, the flag holders…I even saw a girl with a large mustache (fake, don’t worry.)

So here is my question to you. If I can logistically pull it off…

LET’S DO THIS!!! Any other mental prep tips for the big day?

3 Weeks until Race Day!

November 4, 2012 by Asia

Ironman Cozumel is 3 weeks from today, we leave for Mexico 2 weeks from Tuesday, and TriBikeTransport takes my bike 1 week from today! That sh*t CRAY! The good news is that I feel way more prepared than last time and therefore less nervous. I’m also trying to eat a TON so I don’t lose weight before race day again.

I had an interesting (sh*tty) week in Vegas for work at the SEMA show, but was able to come back home and get in a solid training weekend, despite my setbacks earlier in the week (sick w/ a cold and a bum foot.) Here’s my recap.

Monday 10/29: Flew to Vegas. Realized I was super sick with a cold and spent the afternoon in bed. This is normally my rest day anyway.

Tuesday 10/30: Took an extra rest day and loaded up on Zicam and emergen-c. Was already starting to feel better! Worked the show from 9-1…then realized I had resurfaced my foot injury from August. Noooo!

Wednesday 10/31: Had a spooky swim in the hotel’s rooftop pool that is most definitely NOT a lap pool and swam back and forth for about 40 minutes. It felt good to be moving again.

That night, I dressed up as an angel for Halloween.

What? We got bottle service so I could stay off my foot, AND I’m wearing flats – in Vegas!

Thursday 11/1: I had this day off from the convention, so Coach Trevor gave me extra work to do. The morning was 1:40 on the hotel spin bike, and the afternoon was a 3,500m swim. I brought my bike pedals and shoes so I could manipulate the hotel’s spin bike, but I didn’t have the proper pedal wrench to get their pedals off, so I was stuck using standard equipment. At least I found a 25m lap pool to swim in, even though it was in the ghetto. I normally swim in a pool that is 25y, so it took me a little longer to complete my sets in the 25m pool.

– Bike: 20 mins HR zone 2-3 at 95+ RPM, 20 min zone high 3-4 at 70rmp or less. Recover 2-3 mins and repeat, only with HR zone 2-3 at 70rmp and zone 3-4 at 95+.

– Swim: 25 x 100 (at various paces), then 1 x 1,000 comfortably fast

Friday 11/2: I was supposed to work out in the morning and try running on my foot, but I literally got out of bed, got dressed, realized I was exhausted, and got undressed and back into bed for another 90 minutes. 4 nights in Las Vegas will do this to you. I had to stand on my feet for the convention from 9-4 and then head straight to the airport, so I justified skipping this one.

Saturday 11/3: Back in San Diego for my brick workout!

– Open water swim: 75 minutes

– T1 practice

– Bike 3 hours: warm-up 90 mins, 4×5 miles at 88% effort, cool down

– T2 practice

– Run 5 minutes

OUCH! At least I won’t have to wear a wetsuit in Cozumel. Apparently I can’t put on the Glide correctly.

After my workout, I had my first ART session to address my hurt foot. It was a little over a 60 minute session, and this guy seriously knew how to make me hurt! It was worth it, though…

Sunday 11/4: …My foot felt so much better today! My calves and right foot were sore from my session, but I was ready for my 2 hour run. (Think of ART as an extremely painful deep tissue massage, targeted towards everywhere you HURT.) Nicole and I ran together, and Mike and Jeremy ran together, for a united Team WODS training session!

I decided to put both of my feet in a 20 minute ice bath post-run, even though my right foot is the injured one. I am a big believer in ice baths for recovery. I also iced my calves today. (It wasn’t convenient to take a full on ice bath.)

Tomorrow I don’t get my typical rest day since I took an unintentional rest day on Friday, so I better get to bed now. Spin in the morning, and a run at night!

How do you workout on the road?

Return of the foot pain & how to cope

October 31, 2012 by Asia

25 days to go until Ironman Cozumel and I’m trying not to FREAK OUT. Why? My foot pain has returned!

I’m in Las Vegas for work Monday-Friday this week, and I was already worried about how this trip would affect my Ironman training. I brought my bike pedals, bike shoes, and a pedal wrench so I could hopefully turn the hotel spin bike into something that more closely mirrors my bike that I couldn’t bring with me.

As soon as my plane touched down in Vegas, I realized I was sick. Crap. That was what I thought was going to be my biggest problem of the week. I hit up Target and bought a variety of cold meds and Zicam. Monday night was the worst of it, so I decided to work the SEMA show Tuesday morning.

I was literally on my feet from 8am-130pm before sitting down once. I wore TOMS thinking those would be a perfect comfy option to wear at the show. After I got back to my hotel room, had lunch, and went to stand up again, it felt like my heel was bruised. WTF? Not again! I stayed in bed until I had to walk back to the show and wore Converse this time. Still no relief. The pain increased all the way to dinner, and I was limping. I tried to stay off my foot as much as possible, and as soon as I got back to my hotel room, I went straight to the ice bucket.

My hotel room doesn’t have a bathtub (shower only), so I decided to make use of a trash can for my DIY ice bath.

DIY Hotel Room Ice Bath

1. Fill ice bucket completely with ice from hotel vending machine

2. Line a trash can (or 2) with a plastic bag

3. Dump ice in trash

4. Fill trash can with cool water to desired height

5. Stick foot in ice bath for up to 20 minutes

makeshift ice bath

I was in tears for the first 4 minutes because my foot was stinging so badly and because I was very afraid that my foot injury had returned. I haven’t had foot pain in a good amount of time. It originally started on August 17th, and I couldn’t even walk without pain or limping. It lasted for about 1 month, and got better week by week. Now, I’m back to trying to do everything in my power to keep it from getting back to how bad it was back then.

I got Jeremy on the phone, and he gave me an amazing pep talk on Ironman Cozumel. (He always knows how to calm me down.)

I need to:

– Stay positive. Worrying won’t make anything better. It will only cause unnecessary anxiety.

– Take it one day at a time. I shouldn’t worry about how many days are left until my race. (25. ah hem.) I need to focus on today and tomorrow, and just take it day by day.

– Remember that my body will know when it’s race day. The body is capable of incredible things. Even if I have foot pain on race day, I will get through it. I don’t care if I am crawling across the finish line, as long as I FINISH!

– This is part of the journey that will make finishing the Ironman even more incredible. The race is going to be one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. The journey to get to race day is also not easy. (Juggling work, injuries, 15 hour training weeks, illness, travel, lack of free time, no money for anything other than triathlon, etc). It is probably why so few people attempt such a distance…and why those people think I am crazy. 🙂

And with that, I’m off to find a place where I can swim laps before I’m on my poor foot again all afternoon for work. Ohhh Vegas.

Do you have any other tips to share on how to stay mentally strong until race day?

Makeshift hotel lap pool

108.8 Miles on Fiesta Island

October 10, 2012 by Asia

I recently had a BIG training milestone. It was both physically and mentally demanding and gave me an indication of what race day could look like at Ironman Cozumel. I completed a 7 hour brick workout on Fiesta Island. I rode my bike for 6 hours and then ran for 1…all around the same 4.1 mile teeny tiny loop!

Fiesta Island

For those of you unfamiliar with this “island” in San Diego (it’s connected by a tiny strip of land), let me fill you in.

1. It’s only 4.15 miles around its largest point. Think about how many times you could bike around a small island in 6 hours…

2. There is a strong headwind on at least one section of the island. In my case, it was windy for most of the ride and got worse in the afternoon. Great practice for Mexico.

3. There’s not much to see besides campers, porta potties, and a large body of water. Bring your own drinking water, though, because there are no facilities on the island, and porta potties will become your best friend.

4. It’s next to Sea World and Mission Bay, 2 beautiful places that attract many tourists.

5. It is popular among cyclists, runners, dog owners, fishermen, and people with campers that like to water ski, jet ski, etc.

The workout

I was both excited and anxious for this long day. It would be flat and windy, like IMCZ, and I wouldn’t have to deal with stop lights and San Diego traffic. I could just ride and ride and ride with no major distractions, without stopping, for as long as I could handle it…except for when I’d have to go pee. (Me and my tiny bladder!) I will not pee myself on the bike. I’ve heard that can cause chafing.

While cars are allowed on this island, they typically go very slowly since the island is packed with outdoor enthusiasts. Signs say “Vehicles, Cyclists, and Pedestrians Share the Road” so it’s a friendly place to do a time trial lap or two…or 25 in my case. The Tri Club of San Diego has club races there, there are bike time trials held there, and the Rock n Roll full marathon has its last 2 miles there. It’s a popular place!

The night before my workout I was tired but couldn’t sleep. I got nauseous and restless and then teary eyed. I think I started having an anxiety attack. Why was I panicking over a TRAINING SESSION? I started psyching myself out. If I was panicking now, what would I be like on race day? On race week? I definitely need to figure out how to manage my emotions! I think part of me was worried I was going to fail at this workout. It was my first true test to see how fast I could maintain my speed on a long, flat course. All of my other long rides had some kind of hills involved or were recovery rides along the coast. This was supposed to be a race simulation. This was going to be a true test. At Ironman Coeur d’Alene, I couldn’t even hold a 13mph average. Granted, it was extremely hilly, but that’s how slow I was that day. I am NOT a fast cyclist, and no, I am not being modest. It’s the truth. Cycling did not come easily to me.

Saturday morning we rolled out of bed at 5am (goal time was 430am, but I think my lack of sleep didn’t help), arrived at Fiesta by 630am, and were riding at 7am. Look at the beautiful sunrise we had waiting for us when we arrived on the island!

Sunrise looking out from Fiesta Island

getting ready to ride!

The ride went WAY better than I expected. I completed 102.8 miles (25 laps) with an average speed of 17.19mph!!!! This is a huge milestone for me! My biggest fear going into Ironman attempt #2 was missing the bike cutoff – again. At this speed, I will not be in danger of the 10:30 hour swim + bike time cutoff. WOOOOO! pushed through the windy parts and hammered the fast parts. All the time thinking positive thoughts, positive thoughts. Sometimes I would sing to myself too, (99 bottles of beer on the wall…) but usually I was focusing on calories, liquids, speed, and cadence. Time went by somewhat quickly because I stayed extremely focused.

My back felt funny when I tried to get off the bike after 6 hours (even with my 5 pit stops in between), so I almost fell as I unclipped. Note to self: Do not fall off the bike during dismount during the actual race. I might need a catcher earlier than I thought! My body was not used to being in the aero position for 6 hours. Again, good practice. I grabbed a handful of pop chips and started my run. We were both pretty slow going during it, but we hung on. I ran 6 miles.

Here are some key metrics from my ride so I can compare it to my next Fiesta Island ride. That’s right. Coach Trevor has asked me to do it 1 more time, and this time, try to increase my average speed by 0.5 mph. Ironman Cozumel, here I come!

Summary

Fluids: 6 bottles of water (1 bottle per hour): 4 straight H2O, 2 with CarboPro (400 calories per bottle) + Nuun fruit punch tabs

Calories: 300 calories per hour (the most I’ve ever managed to take in! Apparently, that is good for my energy levels.)

Food Consumed in addition to CarboPro calories:

– 2 PB&J uncrustables

– 2 packets Amy’s fruit snacks (Changing it up from GU Chomps. These were easy to shove down my throat, but I dropped a couple of them.)

– 2 Bonk Breaker bars (Apple and Fig flavors)

Salt: 3 tabs (1 every 2 hours)

Run: Ate a handful of pop chips before the start. Ran out of water, so was extremely grumpy and dehydrated during the run.

Another note to self: Next time, bring 2 gallon jugs of water! Maybe bring Coke too since that will be available on the run course.

What has been your biggest training milestone?

Still Alive and Training!

September 24, 2012 by Asia

No one has ever drowned in their own sweat…well I almost did during this super sweaty long run post-spin!

I just realized that nearly 1 month has gone by without a blog post from me. To make matters worse, the last blog post I wrote was titled “Mini Training Meltdown” which probably left many of you wondering what the heck has happened to me since then. Well, I’m happy to report that it’s all good news!!

Every week, my foot injury got better, and it no longer hurts when I bike or run! My weird knee pain went away too. I’ve been focusing a lot on my mobility (especially in my t-spin) and strength training, and built everything back up slowly with direction from Coach Trevor. (I also had a lot of ice bucket time.) My foot isn’t 100% perfect, however, so I have to be careful that this pain doesn’t come back.

Two weeks ago, I had my first really big week with over 16 hours of training and a lot of intensity (plus all the mobility work)! Last week, I had my first real recovery week with only 5 hours of training and a lot of metrics (lactate threshold heart rate from a time trial run, 1,000yard swim time, 30 min bike tempo). It was also my birthday week, so that coincided perfectly.

Vegan Sprinkles Cupcake! Red Velvet!

I’m pleased with my current state and can tell I’ve gotten a lot STRONGER on the bike (#1 training goal!) Next thing I need to work on? Calming my pre-race anxiety. Ironman Cozumel is only 2 months away!!

How do you keep yourself calm the days leading up to a big race?

Mini Training Meltdown

August 27, 2012 by Asia

Answers.com defines a meltdown as “an emotional breakdown”

Urban Dictionary.com says a meltdown “describes what happens when a person freaks out, cracks, loses control of themselves. Life – reality at large – becomes overwhelming. They just can’t deal with it all. The person may act out, withdraw, become emotional, run, etc.”

Well, today I had my first Ironman training mini meltdown.

Due to a recent foot injury, I had the option of 2.5 hours of aqua jogging or 3 hours of elliptical instead of a normal long run. Shoot me, right? Well I decided elliptical was the way to go because I would access to music, books, tv, my iphone, you name it. I wouldn’t have access to any of those items during aqua jogging. Plus, the 2 pools I normally swim at were closed for maintenance. So, I made my decision and prepared 2 bottles of water, 3 GUs, various sources of entertainment, and headed to the gym. I was mentally prepared to spend 3 hours on the same damn machine from 5-8pm. It was going to happen. I was going to prove to myself (and my coach) that I had enough mental toughness to survive a mundane, boring, elliptical workout. (No offense if you actually like the elliptical.)

The second I started moving on the elliptical, however, I felt pain on the top inside of my right knee. Wtf!? This was the same spot I experienced my first bout of knee pain the second I got off the bike at IMCDA. I limped around for a few days, and then it went away. Then it came back during a couple of bike rides later. Trevor and I addressed it, and it went away. It has been gone for several weeks in fact, so to feel it again now on a machine I never even use just freaked me out.

I tried changing my foot position. I tried changing the resistance. I tried going faster. Slower. Forwards. Backwards. Nothing was working. I had constant knee pain. It didn’t hurt badly enough to make me stop, so I stayed on it longer than I should have. I got off and took a walk around 45 minutes into my session to see how it felt, and it didn’t feel any better. It still hurt when I got back on, so near tears, I finally called it a night. Trevor suggested aqua jogging, but I mandated self pity and rest.

Ironman Cozumel is less than 13 weeks away, so today I let that get to me, and I started to worry. I didn’t have any nagging injuries when I trained for Ironman Coeur d’Alene, so why are they surfacing now!? (It might have something to do with a lack of a break from training, and/or the large amount of stress I put on my body when I was training for IM#1…) I expressed my concerns to Trevor, and I came home and cried to Jeremy. (Just a little.) I iced my knee. I iced my foot. I drank some wine. I watched Grey’s Anatomy on HuluPlus. I attempted to REST. I wish I had gotten through that 3 hour training session, but sometimes rest is the best medicine.

Trevor said that looking ahead will only get me down at this point. I need to look at the week I’m in and make the most of it. We will build back up as fast as my body will allow. I still have a solid base from Ironman #1, and 12+ weeks is enough time to reach my goal of finishing Ironman Cozumel.

Positive thoughts!!