Race Week

Race week is here! It's time to let the body rest and recover for race day. Let your mind focus on the upcoming task at hand. Knowing that you are capable of training longer or faster, but that you don't have to for this week is a great feeling.

Confidence. The training is done. Trust yourself. Wildflower is going to be an unpredictable race. You know what you have to do to get through the race, but be prepared for the curveballs. Remain calm. Keep going. Last year the air temperature dropped 20-30 degrees from the long course to the Olympic Distance. The water temperature went from 72 to 68 with the weather change. That's the nature of this race. You don't know what to expect. Just be ready for anything. Also, we already know that the course is changing due to the drought. We're getting out of the swim and starting a 2.2 mile run! Visualize what that involves. Know what gear to pack and which transition to take each item to.

This is my first race of the 2014 season and also my first race in the big kid age group (25-29). I'm excited to see what this race and what this season has in store. I didn't exactly have the training that I thought I was going to due to an injury, but I have recently had PR's during training, so I am ready to go!

See you at the lake!

Thank you to my sponsor Gu Energy Labs and my coach and teammates at Total Intensity Sports and my family and friends.

Running Safety

After seeing a woman wearing all dark clothing running in the street at night on the wrong side of the road a few weeks ago (I almost didn't see her), I felt that running safety would be a good topic to discuss. Running is a great way to exercise and it's probably the easiest form of working out since it requires little preparation time and you don't have to go to a gym to do it. Just put on clothes and shoes and go!

#1 Run during the day. The main purpose of daytime running is so you are easily visible to traffic. Obviously you don't want to be hit by a car or bike or anything else for that matter. You also want to be able to see where you are going. You don't want to hurt yourself because you can't see the crack or bump in uneven surfaces where there is limited or no light.

#2 Wear bright or reflective clothing. You can even get a reflective vest to put over your clothes. If you are starting or ending your run in limited light, make sure people can see you. You can attach a light to a hat or carry a flashlight if you have to.

#3 Pedestrians should always be on the left hand side in the absence of a sidewalk (this includes on trails!!!) As my mom always taught me, "you want to be able to see the expression on the driver's face before he hits you." But seriously, you want to be able to see on-coming traffic so you can avoid accidents. It helps to be able to make eye-contact with the other person, whether it's a driver or a cyclist, so you know what the other person is going to do.

#4 If you are running on a sidewalk and you end up crossing the street or over a driveway, make sure you look for cars. Not all drivers pay attention to pedestrians. Yes, they are in the wrong if they don't stop, but you would be the one who's hurt in that type of accident, so take precaution. Car v. Person is no contest. Make eye-contact with the driver before crossing, especially if the driver is turning. If the driver is not looking at you, he clearly does not see you, so stop and wait.

#5 Use the buddy system if you are running on a trail. Especially for women, but true for everyone, you should not run on a deserted trail by yourself. It's just not safe.

#6 If an old, shirtless man (or anyone for that matter) stops in front of you as you are getting ready to start your run and suggests that you run in the woods behind his house, please don't do it! (And yes, that actually happened to me when I was living in Boone, NC). But seriously, trust your instincts.

#7 Don't ramp up your mileage too quickly. This will lead to fatigue and injuries. If you are training for a marathon, doing 13.1 miles during training and calling it good is not safe. Yes, it is possible for some people to gut it out with only a few miles under their belts, but there's no reason to risk it. And besides, it's not fun to go to a race and feel as if you have to gut it out. You want to have the confidence that the finish line is within your grasp. Just build up the distances safely.

#8 If you are running long distances, bring the appropriate fuel and hydration, especially if it's hot.

#9 Wear sunblock.

#10 I don't always do this, but I really should and I do recommend it: Carry ID with you. Also, if you are running long distances, tell a family member or friend where you are going and about how long you plan to be gone. After the incident in #6, I started texting my parents whenever I went for a run to make sure that someone would always know where I was supposed to be.

#11 Have fun!

Let me know if you have any other running suggestions to add to the list!

Race Day Preparation

Race day is coming, but how do we prepare?! The training is done. Now all you have to do is get your mind ready. Visualize the finish line throughout the day and how you're going to get there. I emphasize visualization throughout training, but it is especially important the day before and morning of a race. Familiarize yourself with the athlete guide ahead of time so you know the expectations and layout of your race. Each race will be a little different.

My race day prep. for any distance starts two nights before the race. The most important day for sleeping is two nights before the race. Most people have trouble sleeping the night before they have to wake up early, so it's better to bank a few hours before. Get up in the morning and start doing a light workout. Loosen up the muscles and stretch. If you are able to get an open-water swim in, that is highly recommended.

For large races, there is going to be a really cool expo before the race. Yes, it is impossible to resist. But make sure that you are not fatiguing your legs by spending too much time there, especially if it's hot outside. I wanted to go watch Chrissie Wellington's talk during the Ironman Texas expo in 2012. For me that was an amazing part of the Ironman experience and I was not going to miss it. But I sat in the shade and waited rather than standing in the sun. Make it work. If there's time, skip the expo and go after the race. Also, a lot of larger races require bikes to be checked in the day before, so watch your time and do that accordingly. Earlier is better so you don't have to worry about it or stress late in the day. During a 70.3 or 140.6 I also like to jump in a pool to relax and stretch the night before, although that could be helpful for any distance, really.

For long course and Ironman triathlons, you have to start fueling the day before. This is not the time to "eat healthy." You should have been doing that during the rest of your training. The purpose of these meals is to get the calories in. Limit or eliminate fruits and vegetables. You don't want to be clearing that out of your digestive system during the race. This is purely carbo loading time! Well, you want some protein as well. This starts at least by lunchtime the day before the race. My personal preference is Italian food for lunch- pasta and bread. And lots of it. My dinner of choice is Fuddruckers-veggie burger, fries, and a milkshake. Yummm. You're going to be burning around 10,000 calories during an Ironman, so it's totally okay. Enjoy it.

You have to wake up early in the morning for  your race, so pack everything the night before. If you're a list person, make a checklist ahead of time to make sure you have everything. You're packing for three sports essentially, so it would be easy to leave something behind. Depending on your race, you may be packing in different bags. Ironman events and sometimes half-Ironmans will have special needs or transition bags  Each race will be a little different, so be prepared. Make sure you are packing everything into the appropriate bags and dropping them off at the appropriate time and location. Don't forget your nutrition! Try to get to sleep early once you have everything ready.

Race morning! Make sure you have a good breakfast (carbs and protein). Grab all of your gear that you prepared the night before and head over to the race. All of my race morning preparation for any distance is pretty much the same. The only thing that would change is the amount of calories I consume for breakfast. I like being at the race between 1.5-2 hours early to set up my transition area, double check that my bike is good to go, get my body marking, warm-up, etc. About an hour before the race, I will eat a bar, take my final bathroom trip and start warming up and stretching (I try to repeat my routine almost exactly at every race. It helps with the mental preparation so you know what you're doing. Once you get comfortable with your routine, it'll be easy to repeat). My personal warm-up preference is short jogs with stretching. You will see a lot of variations on warm-ups, so find what works for you, hopefully during training, and do that here. I like to get in the water 10 minutes before my wave start to get in a swim warm-up. Sometimes you will only be allowed 5 minutes, and sometimes you can't get in at all, so you need to be able to adapt to the race rules and conditions. Time to race!

Race Day Nutrition

I have learned a lot about nutrition during races over the past several years. When I started increasing my distances, I had no idea that this was even a thing. I found out the hard way that when you are burning this many calories, you have to replenish them. I experienced a "bonk" during my first Olympic distance race and eventually found help in this area. I didn't know anything about nutrition until my coach, John, with Total Intensity Sports, evaluated and refined my nutrition plan. There are two very important rules for race day nutrition.

 #1 Never try something new before a race.  So for the first point, DO NOT try free samples the day before or day of a race at the race expo or right in the middle of the race. I know it's tempting, but seriously, don't do it. You don't know how your body is going to react to it. Take a sample and try it on a non-race day. Look at what nutrition and electrolyte the race will be providing ahead of time. Train with it if you can. If you happen to try it and don't like it, you will know ahead of time to carry your own stuff. During my first half-Ironman, I did not do this. I personally did not like the taste of the electrolyte (I know that some people love it, this is just my personal taste preference). I knew already that I was not going to be able to rely on that electrolyte for my first full Ironman because I knew I would not drink enough since I didn't like it. I carried my own electrolyte during the bike and run. It can be annoying to have to carry your own stuff, but it's better than the alternative.

#2 Just because a nutrition plan works for one person does not mean it is going to work for another. Your nutrition plan is going to be trial and error. Keep track of what you eat during training. Track how many calories you eat. Track your progress and how you feel during training. Having a good coach will definitely aid you in this.

I'm sharing my plan for anyone who is unsure of where to start. But remember rule #2. This is not going to work for everyone. Try it, modify it, and keep track of your progress. During long races, I will eat every twenty minutes. It's easy to overload your digestive system if you eat too much at once. I would eat about 60 calories of chewies (like Gu Chomps, for example) at the :20 and :40 and 100 calories with a Gu Energy Gel on the hour. I prefer to mix it up a little bit with flavors on a long race, but this is the general idea. I also had a bar during the middle of the bike ride, again splitting it into thirds and eating every 20 minutes. It's easier to eat solid foods on the bike than it is the run. During short races, I'm not going to be burning as many calories, so it is not as important to be constantly eating. I have a Gu Energy Gel every 45 minutes. I will also have water and Gu Electrolyte Brew throughout all training and racing sessions.

I have several other important nutrition tips to share, so stay tuned!

Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas 2012

It is hard to describe the feeling of crossing the finish line of an Ironman. It is an emotional experience when you hear Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman, calling your name and announcing “You are an Ironman!” All of the work, the pain, the fun, is all behind you. You accomplished a feat that many people have never even dreamed of. You woke up at 4:00 A.M. after months and months of pushing your limits and testing your mental fortitude in order to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. You did it.

I signed up for my first Ironman after I completed Florida 70.3 in 2011. Ironman Texas was going to be almost exactly a year later. What better way to spend college graduation money? I joined Total Intensity Sports and met a great group of athletes and friends with a coach who knew how to push me to be my best. Training was long. It was difficult. And there were several points in the day when I just didn’t feel like going. But, I knew that I was not going to have a good race without putting in the work. The workouts that you don’t want to do are the most important. Those are the days when you really test and build your mental toughness. On the actual course, there are going to be points where you don’t want to keep going, but you can draw from the difficult training sessions and know that you can do it.

I’m going to try to describe my race, but to get a better picture, watch the re-cap video that was played during the awards ceremony. My dad was racing with me. We were smack talking all the way up to the event to see who would be a faster Ironman, but really, the important part is being there with family and getting each other to the finish line. (Yes, he beat me…) My sister was finishing the Disney College Program right before the race, so she flew into Texas on the way home to California to join our cheer section with my uncles, aunt and cousins.

Race Day! I know a lot of people feel pre-race nerves, but I was honestly too excited to be nervous, although I needed to be calm in order to conserve the energy that I was going to need. Time to eat breakfast, get our bags (transition bags were all prepared the night before and bikes are already dropped off in transition the day before. There’s a lot of preparation involved and obviously no time to think about that stuff on race day…) We got to the parking area and dropped off our transition bags. Our day started with a mile long walk to the water from there. It was pitch dark. There were thousands of athletes and volunteers and spectators near the swim start. We got our body markings, sunblocked, stood in a really long line for the bathroom (part of the pre-race routine), warmed-up and waited. We were ready.

After the cannon goes off for the pros to start about ten minutes before the race start, athletes started funneling through the swim corral and into the water. The water was warm, so wetsuits were allowed if needed, but not allowed for anyone who wanted to try to qualify for awards or Kona. I went without, but I prefer swimming sans wetsuit (which is why I picked Texas). We treaded water for several minutes. If you have ever witnessed a mass swim start, you would understand why the nickname is “the blender.” You are in the water with approximately 2,000 of your new friends, all anxious to go. When the cannon went off, I immediately got pushed under water. I was honestly a bit scared from that, even though swimming was always my strength. I felt disoriented and didn’t want to be too close to anyone after that.

I was so happy when I saw the ladder and a volunteer pulled me out of the water at a time of 1:10:57. Time to grab the transition bag and run to the changing tent. Some people change completely, others just grab shoes and nutrition. Do whatever you have to do to finish the race. After the changing station is the sunblock station. The volunteers have giant vats full of sunblock that they smear all over. It was 90 degrees in May, so this was very much appreciated. Next I had to find my bike and started my 112 mile journey. There are a lot of thoughts that run through your mind in 112 miles. I tried to focus on enjoying it. I honestly loved the part where we rode through the Sam Houston National Forrest. And I waved to all of the spectators cheering us on. I do wear a watch with me while racing, but only to track my calorie intake. Everything else I go with how I feel. I just remembered all of the advice that coach gave me and thought about how great the finish line was going to be. And how all of my friends could track my progress online whenever I reached a timing matt. Dad passed me around mile 40-something. I knew I wouldn’t see him again until the run. It’s hard not to tick off the miles at the mile markers and think about how many miles you have left. And that you still have to run a marathon even when you get off your bike. I stopped to pee way to many times. A lot of people just go on their bikes, but I wasn’t that fancy, yet. I opted for porta-potties. When I hit mile 90, I thought I was almost there. But really, that’s 22 miles away. And mile 100 was still 12 miles left! The crowds were getting bigger as I got closer to transition. I saw my sister! 6:48:30 is a long time to be on a bike.

Time to give away my bike to the nice volunteers. I grabbed my running shoes from my next transition bag, had to pee again, and got more sunblock from the volunteers with the sunblock vats. 26.2 miles is a long way to go. I passed the rest of my family about a mile away. They were cheering and partying and enjoying the atmosphere. My uncle told me that my dad was way ahead of me and that I had two girls in my age group ahead of me. I wanted to go to Kona. Slow and steady. Just keep running. People are walking left and right. Several people did not look all that good, to be honest. I had to just keep going. I had a little bit of knee trouble leading up to the event. I promised coach that I would stop and stretch every hour just to avoid issues. It seemed to help, because I didn’t have to walk at all. There were spectators and volunteers all over the course, which really helped keep us going. High-fives to everyone. At the start of each lap, you can hear the finish line. It sounded like a party. I just had to get there. At the second lap of three laps, there were even more people walking. More people looking exhausted. My uncle told me that I was catching up to my dad. I wanted to find him. Finally, lap number three. It seems as if you’re almost there, but it’s still over 8 miles away. That’s a decent run even on fresh legs, let alone when you’re completely run down. This time I was only five minutes behind my dad. I was determined to catch him. We saw each other I think about halfway through the last leg. He was going one way, and I was on the opposite side. I pushed harder to catch him, and now that he knew where I was, he pushed harder as well because he didn’t want me to catch up.

With about 3 miles left, my stomach was having no more of the food. I debated about forcing myself to eat, but it wasn’t going to happen. People were vomiting, walking, sitting, etc. I knew I could take on the last 3 miles. I skipped the food, stretched a final time and kept on running. As I reached the finish shoot, I high-fived everyone. 12:43:49 for my final time. It didn’t really matter though. What mattered was that I made it. To top it off, Chrissie Wellington, my idol, gave me my medal at the finish. I was sore, exhausted, surprisingly in that “not hungry” stage (don’t worry, I ate later!) We waddled over to the food area, eventually got our stuff to pack into the car. After showering and eating, we went back to the finish line so we could cheer on our fellow Ironman athletes to the finish line. They had until midnight. The finish line is like one big party. Everyone is excited. Everyone who finishes comes in to a hero’s welcome. It is an emotional journey, but well worth it.

A Race of Mistakes

The hardest race that I have ever done was my first Olympic distance triathlon, which consists of a 1.5 K swim, 40 K bike, and 10 K run (0.9 miles, 24.8 miles and 6.2 miles). I thought this would be a good time to point out huge mistakes in racing and how to avoid them.

I figured after I had completed a few sprint distance races that it was just time to try the next distance. I signed up for one of TBF’s Tri For Real events when I was eighteen (nineteen race day age). This brings me to my first piece of advice: Respect the course. I didn’t train enough- especially on the bike. I underestimated the bike ride. I bought my first road bike a few months before the race, but honestly didn’t ride much. When I trained, I primarily focused on running. During the race, I was so exhausted from the bike ride that there was not much running going on during the race.

After I rolled into transition, I had no energy, but still had a 6.2 mile run. I took an energy gel at the first aid station. And that leads to my next two issues. During a race of this distance, you should be prepared to take calories in. This was something that I was completely unaware of at the time. I will cover race-day nutrition in a couple weeks. And never, ever, ever, ever try something for the first time during a race. I did not digest that very well.

Now for the positive of the race: I finished it. Honestly crossing that finish line was a huge step for my triathlon journey. I was not going to stop no matter how difficult it was. I walked most of the run portion. I was out there literally yelling at my legs to keep moving. I was in pain. My finish time was 3:18:24. I was incredibly proud of the fact that I had finished this race. Even better, I got first place in my age group! (I was the only one in the 19 and under, but that’s not important…) I have worked hard over the past several years to improve, learned from my mistakes, and got a coach. It has definitely paid off. My current PR of 2:24:09 at Olympic distance was on the same course .

So for my last pieces of advice: 1) You have to start somewhere! 2) Get to the finish line. 3) Learn from and share your mistakes.

A Bump in the Road

I wasn’t sure if I was going to talk about this at all in my blog since it was a very personal struggle, but I decided that I really can’t be open and share my experiences without talking about it. Also, thank you to my parents for all of the time, energy, emotion, money, etc. that you spent in helping me stay on my feet, chase my dreams, and become a stronger person.  So, here goes:

During a Memorial Day weekend soccer tournament in 2005 at the age of 15, I felt a shooting pain in my heel at the end of our second game as we were walking off the field. I never imagined that this was going to completely change the course of my life. After going to a pediatrician, I was told that I had Achilles tendinitis and that I had to take it easy for a couple weeks. The pain never went away, so I was sent to a podiatrist and put in a walking boot. I missed state ODP tryouts (Olympic Development Program). Still no relief. Next was a cast and crutches.

Throughout the next year, the pain worsened. I missed out on my favorite sport. I missed spending time with my friends. I missed a lot of school. I felt guilty for abandoning my team without a goalkeeper as I was sidelined with pain, but didn’t know why. I was sent from podiatrist to orthopedist to rheumatologist and back. It eventually progressed to the point that I could not wear socks or shoes without pain. I could not tolerate anything touching my foot or ankle. I would scream in pain any time I tried to ice it. It felt like someone twisting a hot poker around my foot. I had muscle spasms. My foot and ankle turned blue and red.

Almost a year after the initial injury, I was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), although now it is more commonly known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). As the name indicates, there is no simple way to describe the disease. If you want to learn more about the actual condition, I encourage you to Google or just ask me later. This post would go on forever if I tried to describe it all here.

I spent my junior and senior years of high school going to physical therapy at 6:00 in the morning so I wouldn’t miss too much school and could try to control the pain and maintain function enough to go to soccer practice after school. Oftentimes I would just skip school after physical therapy because it was too painful and distracting to go to class. Since a lot of people didn’t understand what was going on, it felt as if I lost a lot of friends. This was also around the time that Paula Abdul admitted that she had RSD and seemed to receive a lot of negative attention for telling people about the pain that she experienced on a daily basis. Eventually, my rheumatologist wanted to make sure there were no underlying orthopedic issues going on, so he sent me back to an orthopedist who did find a tarsal coalition. Although risky with RSD, we were desperate for any potential for relief and decided to have the coalition excised after my senior soccer season. The pain continued for a few years, but I think that this was ultimately the right decision to prevent any future damage.

By the time I got to college, I decided to not mention having RSD to very many people so I wouldn’t feel alienated and broken, although there were many days when I just wanted to hide in a corner and cry. I didn’t want to let this define me.

One of the most difficult parts of dealing with RSD was maintaining and developing my identity. There were times when I wondered what I was if I couldn’t be an athlete. But honestly, that wasn’t an option for me. I love sports. I love working out. This wasn’t going to stop me. I kept playing soccer competitively and on my high school varsity team. I did a few sprint distance triathlons here and there over the next few years to try to keep being active, and when my soccer career came to an end (that’s a different story entirely), I increased my triathlon distances.

I am an athlete. I am an Ironman. Nothing is going to stop me.