American Triple-T 2014!

Yesterday I finished the hardest race(s) I've ever done for the second time: The American Triple-T. It is a multiple day triathlon event including a super sprint triathlon, 2 Olympic distance triathlons, and a half ironman. Not to mention the setting of this race is in Shawnee State Park in West Portsmouth, OH (an area with tons of gigantic hills). I met some amazing people, while accomplishing an amazing feat! And Ray, as usual, was incredibly supportive! My mom, unfortunately, couldn't make it to this one.

Here's how the races went:
  
  Race #1: Super Sprint Triathlon

This was just a short warm-up race on Friday evening, so it wasn't bad at all. We started with a 250m swim. The water wasn't particularly warm or cold. The bike ride was a 6k teaser with a slight downhill, followed by a fairly challenging ascent up to the Shawnee State park cabins, and back down to the transition area. The run was a mile to the trail we were going to be running all weekend and back to the finish line. My time was 7:22 on the swim, 2:02 on T1, 16:56 on the bike, 45 seconds on T2, and 9:26 on the run. I had slow times for such a short race, but I wasn't pushing myself at all considering I had the whole weekend of fun ahead of me... ;-)

   Race #2: Olympic AM

This race consisted of a 1500m swim, followed by a 23.8 mile bike ride, ending with a 6.55 mile run. It was a bit chilly in the morning, but I got through that swim! The bike ride was fun, but super challenging. Oh the hills! And that was just the beginning of them for the weekend! My favorite part was probably going through the horse camp (besides the stupid speed bumps). The horses were watching and neighing as though they were cheering us on! Haha! Pretty cool. :-)  The downhills were great too. Scary, but exhilarating! The run, as usual, went smoothly for me.  It was a trail run, with plenty of hills. My times were 39:35 on the swim, 6:31 on T1, 2:06:46 on the bike, 1:17 on T2, and 1:12:13 on the run.

   Race #3: Olympic PM

After some lunch (mainly some delicious pasta salad served by the volunteers) and a quick power nap, it was time for the second race of the day and third race of the weekend!  The format of this race was different than typical triathlon format, switching the bike ride and swim. The bike ride was 25.6 miles, the swim was the same 1500m as earlier, and the run was 6.55 miles on the same trail as earlier. The race started 2 people at a time. Those of us in the back had a great time sitting in our transition area chatting as we waited our turn. The bike ride, again, was brutal (even more-so since I was so tired from earlier still), but along a beautiful course. And I wasn't thrilled with having dogs chase me about halfway through. They weren't behind a fence or anything and there were no owners in sight. I'll never understand why some people refuse to control their canines! Fortunately the dogs listened when I yelled "NO!! Bad dog!! Get away!!" I thought for sure they were going to run into me and cause me to crash! The rest of the ride went fairly smoothly, besides dodging potholes and (very) slowly ascending hills. I had to walk up a particularly hard one (along with pretty much everyone else, so I didn't feel as bad). A sharp turn right into a super steep ascent is just cruel punishment. :-p After the bike ride, I squeezed into my wetsuit prepping for the swim (remembering some great advice I got from a coach at a tri clinic to put plastic bags on my feet to slide it on). As I struggled with the zipper, a kind fellow participant rushed over to help. That's what I love about the Triple-T: it's all about getting through it and camaraderie with fellow triathletes. The swim went smooth and I managed not to get a single cramp! Many people have cramping issues with this race since they rush into the water so quick after the grueling bike ride. Again, the run was great! And then finishing for the day felt just amazing! My times were 2:16:38 on the bike, 4:58 on T1, 41:38 on the swim, 3:13 on T2, and 1:13:38 on the run.

   Race #4: Little Smokies Half Ironman

The beginning of this race was all about survival. The water was still cold enough to be unpleasant (but still far from the coldest I've swam in) and the air temperature was in the upper 30s/lower 40s! I had to start the swim with a little bit of back-stroking and side-stroking as my body got acclimated to the water, but once I got going I went fast! And my sighting was perfect! Emerging from the water, I started shivering instantly. Other participants were struggling just as much, and several were going into hypothermia! The volunteers were amazing though! I didn't catch her name, but I referred to the woman that helped me out as my guardian angel. Cheesy, I know, but I really don't know if I could've gotten through that awful transition without her help! It was my slowest, most painful transition ever! She helped me out of my wetsuit, wrapped me in my towel, and helped me put on my layers for the bike ride. My Raynaud's kicked in, of course, so my hands were not working at all. Finally, when feeling somewhat came back to my hands, I was mostly dried off, and I thanked the volunteer immensely I took off for the long 56 mile bike ride! At first the downhills were awful, sending a chill down my spine and causing me to shiver like crazy. I said a quick prayer for warmth! Finally during the first big ascent, I gained full function of my fingers and my body temperature felt like it was back up to normal. The sun was finally completely out, and this bike course was gorgeous! The hills were awful though. My quads just couldn't take it anymore when I got to the third big climb, so I had to walk my bike up the rest of the hills. A little over mile 30, the nice smooth part of the bike course finally arrived-mostly flat with a few fun little bunny hills. But then out of nowhere I felt a huge knot form in my right shoulder. The pain was so intense that I actually started tearing up a bit. I had to stop briefly to stretch it out. So frustrating! The rest of that bike ride was a huge struggle, but I finally made it to the road leading to transition. I couldn't help but yell "Thank you Lord!" Haha! After dropping off my bike and cycling gear, I was off on the run! It was 2 laps on the same trail we'd been running all weekend. Still loved it!  :-)  The first lap, I went slow and steady, making sure that I didn't hit a wall. That bike ride really zapped my energy! The second lap, though, a huge burst of energy consumed me. I don't know if it was the encouragement from volunteers and spectators or what, but I suddenly felt amazing. I was unstoppable! After one last time running up and down the hills of the trail, I approached the finish line. The crowd support was amazing! I crossed that finish line with a huge smile on my face and Ray greeted me with a hug and kiss. What a wonderful fiancé! :-) A couple of other participants greeted me with hugs and high fives. I waited for a couple other people I got to know during the weekend to finish and did the same for them. It was a big, sweaty hug fest! It was glorious! Haha! My times were 46:12 on the swim, 11:50 on T1, 5:01:29 on the bike, 1:16 on T2, and 2:40:17 on the run.

 My time on all the events combined was better than 2012. I still really have to work on my quad strength for climbing crazy hills on the bike though! That, again, was a huge struggle!  They say that the American Triple-T is even harder to complete than an Ironman, and I have now done the Triple-T twice! Looks like I should step up to the full Ironman in 2015!  ;-) 

 

Early May Adventures

  The past week and a half has been just amazing!

  For some training for my summer job at Camp Otterbein (5th summer-yeah baby!), I spent May 1-3 in West Virginia at Seneca Rocks. It is just GORGEOUS out there! Most of Thursday was just spent getting there. Friday was mostly hiking and getting to know the area. Saturday morning included a little more hiking and some climbing. I can't wait to go back in June...with campers! 

 

 

  On Saturday night, I went to Cincinnati (after stopping briefly in Athens) for a team dinner with my Flying Pig Relay team. I found a new favorite place in Cincinnati to carb load, by the way: it's called Buca de Bepo. Really cool place with reeeeally good pasta! Sunday morning was the Flying Pig Marathon. This was my first time doing the relay part of the Flying Pig. It was a lot of fun and our team did great!  It was a wonderful day for a race with warm temperatures and a sunny blue sky. And it was great seeing my friend Adam from school again finally! We hadn't gotten a chance to see eachother face to face in a couple years!

  The rest of the week and the following weekend were spent in Cincinnati with my family and a couple friends. I was even able to meet with my best friend Caiti, which doesn't always get to happen when I visit home. The quality time with my mom and cat were especially wonderful.

   On Saturday (the 10th), my little cousin Caleb got married! I got to be on the decorating crew and had a great time hanging out with some of my family and meeting a few awesome new people. The ceremony was at my home church. The reception was at a nearby community center. The wedding was beautiful and it was great spending time with family, celebrating and dancing the night away at the reception. And I have a new cousin now-Yay!  :-)  So excited to welcome Jessica to the family!

   I can't wait to see what else is in store for May 2014!  :-)

 

 

 

 

 

The Martian Marathon and And Awesome Weekend in Michigan

So I'm a few days late posting this, but that's ok.  Last weekend was just AMAZING! 

  On Friday, Ray and I took the 5ish hour trip to southeastern Michigan for my ninth marathon and a weekend of fun with Ray and my good friend Kyla who I know from camp. Ray and I arrived in Dearborn for packet pick-up and then went to Ypsilanti, where Kyla lives. We went to a really good local restaurant, where I got pasta of course, and did a lot of catching up.




Best marked packet pick-up ever!

  The race day conditions could not have been better! It was just cool enough in the morning to need a light jacket before starting and my race sleeves to wear with my Star Trek cycling jersey. The temperatures were pleasantly warm and the sky was mostly clear. My sinuses, unfortunately, chose race day to act up. So this was far from my best race time, taking me about 5 hours to complete the marathon. But what's important is that I have now completed 9 marathons and have a new state to color in on my map of states I've raced in!

   This race was definitely one of my favorite races I have ever done! First of all, I LOVE the theme: there were inflatable aliens everywhere and they just made me smile. The spectators and volunteers were amazing, enthusiastic, and incredibly encouraging. The course was beautiful and mostly flat (with a few very small rolling hills). It was funny hearing people talk about all the "hills" along the course: I don't think they've ever been to Southeastern Ohio..  ;-) The course included a combination of suburbs, running in a large park, briefly through a college campus, and in the city. Even though I normally despise out and back courses, the park was so beautiful that I actually didn't mind the out and back part of the race.  And the bathrooms, located approximately every 5 miles, were all REAL bathrooms...with running water! No port-a-potties! Talk about a race luxury!

   The other runners were generally very friendly and some of them had awesome outfits on. One guy was even dressed up as an alien from head to toe-mask and cape included! Another guy had lime green hair with a lime green beard!

   One particularly fun encounter during the race was with a red squirrel. I named him Tubby. He was very large and sauntered slowly across the street in front of me. Instead of running away when I ran towards him like squirrels usually do, he stopped briefly and looked at me, cocking his head. Then he continued slowly sauntering the rest of the way. It was adorable! Apparently Michigan squirrels are friendlier than Ohio squirrels. Haha!

    My energy level dipped a little bit around mile 18, but taking a caffeinated Gu helped immensely. I finished the last few miles feeling energized, especially when we got back into the city where the huge amount of spectators were. I finished strong!

   For the rest of the weekend we spent some time with my good friend Kyla who we were staying with. We went to a great restaurant/bar both nights (they had mostly Italian food), did a lot of talking and catching up, and played a card game Saturday night. Sunday morning Kyla and I went to church. After coming back, we talked a bunch and did our nails. She's a consultant for a company called Jamberry: they have wraps that you stick to your nails and they look awesome! Ray joined in conversation but didn't do his nails...as much as I tried to talk him into it. Haha! Around 5 we left for home. It was so hard to leave!

    Last weekend was the best and hopefully the Martian Marathon can become a yearly or almost yearly tradition!

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Training Tip Tuesday: Pre-race Preparations

Sorry I've been slacking lately: I've been pretty busy with both jobs and wedding planning. And swimming/biking/running of course.

Since the spring race season is upon us, today's training tip will be about pre-race preparations. Here are the things I always make sure to do before a race.

1)  Check out a map of the course, so you know what you're in for! If I'm doing a trail running race, I also print off a copy off the map to put in my pocket. It's pretty easy to get lost on a trail run, even on marked courses.

Maps, glorious maps!

2) The day before the race, stay hydrated and eat those CARBS! Nom nom nom. This is my favorite part. :-p Carbohydrates are the first source of energy for your body, and you'll want plenty of that energy readily available come race day. Just don't overindulge to the point of discomfort. Racing while bloated is no fun.

3) Avoid foods that cause you GI discomfort the day before and morning of the race. I'm lactose intolerant: even though I take Lactaid whenever having dairy, I still make sure to avoid dairy altogether before a race, just to be safe.

4) Rest and avoid stress as much as possible the day before the race.

5) Do a quick warm-up before your race. Without a warm-up, it takes you longer to get up to your optimal performance level. If you're curious and want the details about this, look up the graph for oxygen consumption during exercise and EPOC.

6) Don't try anything new before a race! This applies to everything: food, clothing, accessories, etc.

My fuel for the American Triple T 2012. The cookies don't really count, they were my post race treat each night that weekend. Haha!

7) Make a checklist of supplies you'll need. I try to get this done a couple days before the race, in case there is anything I need to get at the store. I try not to wait until the day before, because it's important to minimize stress the day before the race. The day before the race make sure everything is packed and ready to go. Here are the checklists I use:

ROAD MARATHON OR HALF:
   ~running shoes
   ~running shorts
   ~dri-fit shirt
   ~race number
   ~safety pins or number belt
   ~fuel                                           *Most road races have plenty of aid stations, so I don't usually
   ~hydration belt or camelback      carry my own water since it adds weight. It's personal preference.
   ~sunglasses or hat                        Just check the race map for frequency of aid stations. *
   ~Sunscreen. Because skin cancer sucks.
   ~clean clothes to change into afterwards
   ~compression tights for recovery
    
TRAIL MARATHON/ULTRA:
   ~running shoes
   ~running shorts
   ~dri-fit shirt
   ~for drop bag in ultramarathon: change of socks and shirt
   ~fuel
   ~hydration belt or camelback
   ~race course map
   ~sunscreen
   ~cell phone: in case of emergency
   ~tissues: if you have terrible sinuses like me or severe allergies
   ~clean clothes to change into afterwards
   ~compression tights for recovery

TRIATHLON:

  For the whole race:
   ~tri top
   ~bike shorts: long ones. Never wear really short ones. Because chafing sucks.)
   ~sunscreen

  For the swim:
   ~swim cap
   ~goggles
   ~wetsuit

  For the bike:
   ~water bottle attached to bike
   ~bicycle
   ~helmet
   ~bike shoes, if applicable: I don't have clip-in peddles, so I just wear my running shoes.
   ~sunglasses: I wear them even on a cloudy day. It keeps things out of your eyes.
   ~portable handheld pump or mini CO2 cartridges in case of a flat
   ~tire patch kit

  For the run:
   ~running shoes
   ~race number
   ~race number belt or shirt with race number pinned to it
   ~hat

  For transition area:
   ~towel or mat to put your stuff on
   ~hand towel to wipe off your drippy face after swimming
   ~fuel
   ~water
   ~Gatorade

   ~clean clothes to change into afterwards
   ~compression tights for recovery


I hope this was helpful! It's late: I also hope I didn't leave anything out.

 Happy racing!  :-) 

  

Relay for Life

So, I'm kind of late to post this...

Every year, I participate in an amazing event called Relay for Life. It is a huge fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that is held all around the country.  It is an 18 hour overnight event, in which teams get donations, walk around a track, participate in various activities and contests, and take some time to honor those who have fought and are currently fighting cancer. 

This event means a lot to me because I have lost, or almost lost, several people to this terrible illness. My grandpa on my mom's side, Grandpa Kelly, had leukemia. He was an incredibly active and cheerful person. He was involved in the senior Olympics up until just a couple months before he passed away. Seeing him fight so hard for his life and then lose it anyway was one of the hardest things to witness. My great grandma and grandma on my mom's side were cancer survivors. They passed away due to other reasons. On my father's side, Grandpa Mathes survived skin cancer twice. They caught it quick enough both times that not much damage was done. It was still very scary. In 8th grade, when I went through confirmation at my church, I had a mentor named Jane Hall. She was an amazing person who had beaten an addiction (this is why we were matched: my eating disorder was an addiction too). She was an incredibly inspiring person and we had some great talks and had a lot of fun going on outings, like to the Cincinnati zoo. These trips were extra special because she was a volunteer there and took me behind the scenes. My favorite moment was petting a penguin. Just a couple years ago, Jane lost her battle to cancer. My mom's closest friend Linda, who is practically family to me, has battled lung cancer twice. Now, she's in the hospital because of some respiratory issues with a seemingly unknown cause. Even though she survived cancer, it wreaked havoc on her lungs. Just a couple months ago, one of my former classmates, Anne, lost her battle to cancer. She and I weren't best buds or anything, but she was always kind to me in late elementary and middle school, while most of the other kids were jerks. That's just the way Anne was: kind to everyone. It's just not fair that she was taken so young, at the age of 26.

In summary, cancer sucks and I do my part to kick its butt my always taking part in this huge fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

This year's Relay for Life (last weekend) went well, as usual. The Glow 5k was especially awesome. It's a race at 1am with glowsticks on the bike path by OU's campus. I somehow managed to be the first female finisher! And if my calculations are correct, I by some miracle ran at a 6:59 minute mile pace!  I was wearing my unicorn leggings, so I've decided that they are my lucky leggings. 

Relay for Life has happened really early last year and this year, so there are plenty of chances left to get involved. You can go to relayforlife.org to see if there's one near you.

Heart Half Marathon Race Recap and St. Paddy's Day Weekend

   On Saturday morning, Ray and I drove to my hometown, Cincinnati, for an amazing weekend!  We parked at Newport on the Levee and walked across the Purple people bridge to downtown Cincinnati for the Heart Mini Marathon expo. It was the perfect day for a walk by the river and downtown! The weather was beautiful and Irish festivities were all over the streets in preparation for St. Paddy's Day. The energy downtown was amazing!

Ray and I on the Purple People Bridge. Yes, that's actually what it's called. Clever name! :-)

   Sunday morning, race day, arrived before the sun had a chance to rise. As usual, I hopped out of bed in anticipation, quickly changing into my laid out race gear. Ray rolled out of bed not so eagerly, and then my mom sauntered sleepily out of her room a few minutes later: I thanked them immensely for their amazing support. Seriously, they are the best!

   Unfortunately, the pleasant warm weather was replaced by bitter cold and nasty wind. Go figure. I started shivering with my teeth chattering the second we got out of the car. We walked a few blocks to the starting area, and waited inside a crowded building until close to starting time. It was just too cold to wait around out in the wind!

pre-race, trying not to freeze. Haha!

    I did my usual jumping up and down shakeout routine, waiting in the crowd for the race to start. Then "BANG!" Several of us jumped, startled. The starting gun firing gets me every time!  Haha! 

    It took quite awhile for my body temperature to finally rise, but after the first couple of miles, I could finally feel my fingers and remove the outside layer. The sight of the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati at sunrise, as always, was gorgeous!  I was keeping a good pace, appreciating the rolling hills and excitement of the big city race for most of the time. My sinuses and asthma did not react too well with the cold though for some of the time though. I had a really rough time around miles 10-12. We crossed a bridge, ran right beside the river, and then ran back on another bridge. Normally this would've been my favorite part of the race, but the wind and cold were just too much. The last mile of the race, I got my second wind so to speak. I got some water at the last water stop, no longer had the wind in my face quite as strong, and had a huge burst of energy. I ran excitedly along the turning streets, then right around a corner, in all its glory was the finish line. The Finish Line Phenomenon, as I call it, kicked in. Everything around me became a blur, as my legs propelled my body forward, going so fast I could no longer feel them. For a moment, nothing seemed to exist except for the finish line. My time was 1:58; I could've done better and could've done worse. Having a strong finish is the most important part to me anyway.

after finishing the Heart Half Marathon 2014! :-)

   After the race, we all grabbed a delicious lunch and then Ray and I started our Macy's wedding registry. Yay for getting more wedding stuff done! After that, I spent the rest of the afternoon cuddling with my kitty. That night, My mom, Charlie (he's technically my mom's boyfriend: he's pretty much already part of the family), Ray, and I went to our favorite Chinese buffet in Lawrenceburg for dinner. For some reason I ALWAYS want Chinese food for dinner the evening after a race or a long training run.

   On Monday, Ray and I grabbed lunch with my mom and my good friend Shane (who I hadn't seen in way too long), before heading back to Athens. This was after my eye doctor appointment, the reason I was able to get the day off of work and stay an extra day in Cinci. People often ask why I don't just get an eye doctor in Athens where I live, but I just can't. I've been seeing the same eye doctor since I was in third grade and he is just awesome! And great news: my eyes are super healthy! Dr. Orso called them "110% healthy". Yay! Arriving home in Athens later in the evening, Ray and I celebrated St. Paddy's Day with whiskey and green Gatorade: I think they taste amazing together! Going to the crowded bars for the holiday and getting wasted is overrated in my opinion. And I'm actually Irish.  :-p

Enjoying my green Gatorade and whiskey. Happy St. Paddy's Day!  :-)

   That was my weekend in a nutshell. Fun times! I want to do it all again! And I wish my kitty was still in my lap!

My kitty, Twilight. And no, she is NOT named after the book or those ridiculous movies. Haha! I named her that years ago when we got her because of her grey fur and yellow eyes: I was thinking of the time of day just after sunset and thought the name sounded cool. Isn't she gorgeous?

 

Training Tip Tuesday!

I made a pretty big mistake today on my long run (I'm up to 18 miles- yay!) .  I didn't stay hydrated enough. I brought water with me, but didn't refill any of my mini water bottles when I had a chance. This made for a very rough last few miles and slowed me down quite a bit. Dehydration can cause a number of unpleasant things (besides the obvious one-extreme thirst). For me it causes really bad muscle cramps, a general feeling of exhaustion, a pretty nasty headache, and nausea. In case you couldn't tell, I have plenty of experience with being dehydrated during training and races. 

So, how can you make sure you're staying hydrated?

  1) Bring water with you on middle to long distance training runs. Some people just carry a water bottle (for me that doesn't work-I like to run with my hands free). I usually use my camelback for cycling and a hydration belt for running. It is essential to have some form of hydration during trail races, where aid stations are not as plentiful as during road races.

  2) For longer runs, try to plan your route near a place where you can stop and refill your water bottle/camelback/hydration belt. Then refill it, even if it isn't empty. That's what I did wrong on my own training run today: I saw that I still had some water and decided it would be ok not to stop and refill. I was wrong and then suffered the consequences.

  3) Drink Gatorade or another sports drink as well. During races, I grab a cup of Gatorade as well as a water about every other mile starting around mile 14. During long training runs, I fill up one or 2 of my mini water bottles in my hydration belt with Gatorade.

  4) Drink about 4-6 ounces every 20 minutes during exercise.

  5) Make sure you are hydrated before you even start!

Yay hydration!  :-D