Mass State Triathlon - Aquabike Race Report

It’s been almost 2 weeks since the Mass State Triathlon and I’m still alive. I survived it. Never again, for sure. But I survived it. And not even the whole thing. I did the Aquabike. A 0.9 mile swim and 22 mile bike. The full tri was followed up by a 6.2 mile run, but I wasn’t crazy enough to add that on.

I was pretty much blah about the whole thing. I missed the Escape the Cape triathlon in June because I wasn’t well enough to race it. And from there, I just didn’t train. I’ve done squat challenges, arm workouts and ab workouts on a regular basis as well as a few runs, bike rides and swims but I’m definitely not in triathlon training mode. I’m lucky I got through the aquabike.

When I went to pick up my packet the day before the race, I asked about medals for the aquabikers, because it occurred to me that I didn’t know where or how the aquabike was going to end. I knew the runners crossed the finish line under the big Max Performance arch, but what about those of us that decided not to torture ourselves for a 6.2 mile run after all of that biking? When I asked at packet pick up, I was told that medals were for the top 3 males and the top 3 females in the aquabike category and there were only about 20 signed up for the aquabike, so I had a good chance. Obviously this lady did not know me. But that still didn’t stop me from checking out the list of aquabikers to see my chances. I had none.

But I was still fierce. My motto: Fake it til you make it!

I started the swim in the last wave with the relay group, the newbies, and the aquabikers. 

Gotta have fun right?

I clearly was going to be the last one out of the water. I expected it and thought that unless someone from an earlier wave dropped back and got passed, I’d be last. And I was right. Last out of the water.

I'm probably flailing because I'm glad to be done!

But I had fun. And I finished.

I knew I’d be the last biker too and with 22 miles ahead of me, I took my sweet time in transition. In addition to my tri shorts, I put on my bike shorts. If I had to ride for 22 miles, I was sure as hell going to make it as comfortable as possible.

So I sat right down and made myself at home.

And then I was off...

I had driven the bike course the day before and although the elevation map showed that it was a gradual uphill for about half the course, then a gradual downhill. No problem right? Except that was lies. All lies. The last half of the course had a fair amount of uphill as well. Dread.

The first half of the course was as expected: a gradual climb that was doable, but annoying. Not enough flat ground to get rest, but just enough to take the edge off of the hills. It was very tiring. The course description said “gradual rolling hills with small climbs at miles 7-9”.  Well, they lied. Mile 9.8 was the worst. I stopped once to catch my breath. Then when I got to mile 12, I decided I was wrong. Mile 12 was the worst. By this time I was already halfway there. I had no choice but to keep going. But the volunteers on the course were great. It was no secret that I was the last biker out there and each time I got to a turn or an intersection where traffic might be an issue, there was at least 2 volunteers, and sometimes more, plus a police officer waiting for me, ready to hold up traffic for me to let me go buy. I was definitely impressed with Max Performance’s dedication to their racers. They made sure all of us were safe out there.  When I hit mile 14.5, there was an officer there as well as a sign that said “bike course”. A guy was standing on the sidewalk getting ready to cross, but was held up because I was going by. He yelled out “Bike course? Is a race? Are you the leader? Are you winning?” And I yelled back “Hell yes I am!”. 

When I got to mile 16.3, there was a volunteer who told me that right around the corner there was a bit of a climb but once I hit the golf course it was downhill to the finish. Liar. That one was the new worst.

When I got to mile 16.9, I started doing math. I knew the course was 22 miles. I started figuring out how many more miles I had to go.  I did it again at mile 17.5 and 17.6 and 17.7. When I reached mile 18, I thought “Wouldn’t it suck if I got a flat tire right now?” Then I did math again to get my mind off of that.

Around that time, I passed a hospital. I contemplated going in there and playing dead, but the hill into the parking lot was undesirable so I just kept going. A little while later I passed a cemetery. I thought about just laying down on the grass next to a grave and letting the elements of nature cover me over eventually. But again, I kept going.

Finally I made it. And I was alive. It took me a minute to get off my bike in the dismount area, because sitting on a bike seat for 22 miles is a little bit like getting punched in the crotch. It hurts. Of course I stopped to pose for a picture. 

I like to entertain the volunteers.

Then I made my way to the transition area. And it was over. I had no idea where I was supposed to go or what to do. There was no finish line for aquabikers, so I assumed that after finishing the bike portion and crossing the timing mats into transition, I was done.

But, back to that medal thing. I wanted one. Even though I didn’t do the full triathlon, I paid the same amount as the crazy people did. And I finished my race too! I had to give them my timing chip back, which was over by the finish line, so as I was handing it over, someone from the relay race was asking about medals. It turns out, everyone got a medal for finishing. So I got my medal too!

And I posed by the finish line anyway!

After the race, I got a chance to talk to my favorite transition helper, Megan, about the confusion of the aquabike ending, and she said that it was their first year doing the aquabike and they were still trying to smooth things out. I trust they’ll get it straightened out for next year. They’re good about that stuff. It’s why I keep coming back. Thanks again for a great race experience, Max Performance! You're definitely a No Runners Left Behind approved race!

While I’m pretty sure I pushed myself to the limit and I’m definitely not ready for another Olympic distance triathlon any time soon, I have faith that I might try it again in the future, when I’ve had more training and I’m more confident in my health.

But for right now...I’ll stick to the sprint distances. In the meantime, I have the Chunky Dunk Duathlon that I’m doing tomorrow morning. In about 8 hours. I should get some sleep for that.

“Winning doesn’t always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself.” – Meb Keflezighi

The foam roller has won me over.

I take it back. Every mean thing I've ever said about a foam roller, I take it back.

I just finished the 30 day squat challenge and holy hell can that do some damage on the quads. Honestly, I was expecting more oomph in the glutes and hamstrings area, but it was more about the quads. The knees didn't feel so hot either. But the quads were a-burning.  Maybe I was doing it wrong. When you get up there in the squat count, it burns more. And without adequate stretching, it can cause some sore muscles for a few days afterwards. I learned early on that if there wasn't time for stretching, make time. 

Or, utilize the foam roller. There was one day that I could barely sit down because it hurt to get up and down from a sitting position. My legs were absolutely killing me. From across the room, my foam roller was giving me the eye. For a brief moment I forgot how much the foam roller caused me pain in the past. I decided to give it another try. It took less than 3 seconds for me to remember the pain. That ish is for real! I rolled twice and said "Eff this!", and went to bed.

When I woke up the next morning, praise Jesus, it was a miracle! No pain. None at all. I squinted with one eye at my foam roller and said "So you DO work". And then I realized I was trying to converse with an inanimate object. It's okay, it's happened before and they haven't locked me up yet.

Now I'm slightly obsessed with these 30 day challenges. Next up, the abs challenge, but at the same time, I'm doing another modified squat challenge; ie: One I've made up myself. I was disappointed with the lack of glute firming that the 30-day squat challenge gave me, so I'm going to move onto sumo squats to help dat ass. Baby got back.

I've also noticed that in the past month, running has gotten easier. I know, gasp. My problem with running hasn't been the breathing, it's been the tiredness in the legs. I've been able to run longer since starting the squat challenge. So I suppose if I ever want to see results in running, I'm going to have to keep it up with the squats. Who am I?

Escape the Cape Non-Race Report

Usually I’ll do a race report for the races I do. Last year, I kind of disappeared and didn’t really blog about my races or training. I had a lot of distractions in my life last year. More on that later. Maybe. Moving on.

This year, I’d like to blog more about my races, training, and what’s going on with me. I’ll try. We’ll see.

So this is supposed to be a race report for the Escape theCape Triathlon. Instead it’s a Non-Race report. I’m also supposed to be doing the triathlon right at this very minute. Instead I’m writing this Non-Race report. Let me explain.

I signed up for the Escape the Cape Tri back in January. Along with an Olympic distance aqua-bike, the Chunky Dunk Duathlon and the Title 9 Triathlon. Then at the Tri-Mania Expo in March, I signed up for the Tufts 10K in October. Jesus, what is wrong with me?

Anyway, I created a training plan and started my training. Things were going well. I was swimming, biking, still trying to run, etc. Everything was falling into place. Then I got sick. Not the kind of sick that knocks you out for a week and then you’re back on track. The kind of sick that sneaks up on you, drains you of all energy, immobilizes you and ultimately lands you in the hospital for a week. Yeah, that happened.

I’m not a doctor-going, drug-taking, hospital type of person. I don’t even take anything for a headache. So this was a big deal. BIG deal.

It started on the day of the Earth Day 5K at Stonyfield. I was signed up for that 5K, but had been having joint pain the week before and couldn’t really walk comfortably, so running the 5K was out. Looking back now, it all really started back in February, but since it was slow going and snuck up on me, I didn’t see symptoms or feel anything was really wrong until I started getting joint and muscle pain in April. I went to the race with a friend and watched her race, but I felt crummy and really exhausted. When I got home, I spent the rest of the day in bed. The next day, Sunday, I was in bed all day too. On Monday, I wasn’t just tired and staying bed, I was physically unable to get up. I had joint & muscle pain, a rash, a fever, and severe dizziness when I got up. Tuesday was ridiculous. I wasn’t getting any better, and was progressively and obviously getting worse. I couldn’t move from bed, even to go to the bathroom without help. I couldn’t eat or drink because my throat was so sore and I couldn’t even sit upright without feeling like I was going to pass out.

I called my primary care physician (who I had never even met, since I don’t see doctors, and only had her name because I had to put down someone’s name on my health insurance packet) for an appointment because I knew I couldn’t even sit up in the emergency room for a wait. After almost passing out in the exam room, she called an ambulance to take me to the ER.

After 3 hours, they determined that my red blood cell count levels were dangerously low and transferred me to another hospital that specialized in hematology. Normal RBC counts are between 40 and 45 for women my age. Mine were 20 when I first went into the ER. When they tested me again after transferring me to the second hospital, they had dropped to 13. It’s probably safe to say, it’s a good thing I didn’t wait any longer.

I was in the ER for 24 hours. They pumped me full of all sorts of fun stuff and hilarious stories came from that. Apparently I was seeing things and kept talking about them. Even in my worst moments, I’m still good for a laugh. Except when they gave me Oxy. That was a disaster. Puke.

They finally moved me up to a room and started blood transfusions, more IVs – both saline and iron, and an array of meds to try and combat whatever it was that was going on with me. They tested me for everything under the sun. Thought maybe I had been bitten by a tick or, worse, had an autoimmune disease that was causing my Hemolytic Anemia.

Everything came back negative. Which was good, because I didn’t have whatever it was they thought I had, but also bad because they still didn’t know what I had. I had an entire army of Doogie Howser doctors, still in training, searching through every medical journal and website they could find to figure out what could be going on with me.

The only thing that came back positive was Epstein-Barr. But not positive as in, I had it. Positive as in I had it in the recent past. Most people have EBV in their bodies and it is most notably connected to Mono. Back in February I was really sick for about a week and had most of the same symptoms. So, I can only assume that’s where that came from. Other than that, they couldn’t find anything else. I had hematologists, rheumatologists, infectious disease doctors, auto immune doctors and interns and residents visiting me multiple times a day to hear my story and try to figure me out. They never did. I decided that I should have just taped myself telling my story of how things progressed so I could just press play when someone new came in to hear it. I probably told my story over 40 times. That’s not an exaggeration.

My blood levels finally raised enough for them to feel comfortable about me going home, and I felt okay enough. So after a week of searching, probing, and questions, they finally let me go home with a cocktail of meds to keep my RBC counts up enough. I’m finally able to wean myself off of them and get back to normal. But they still don’t know what caused the Hemolytic Anemia. I’ve always had anemia, but not as severe as this. And they are still driving themselves crazy trying to figure out what happened.

Since all of this happened from the middle of April until the middle of May, I wasn’t able to train, or even work out at all. Even taking a walk was hard for me. My first test walk on the treadmill when I was home from the hospital was at a speed of 2.0 for 20 minutes. I tried to up it to 2.5 and couldn’t do it. I’m very impatient and I get frustrated very easily when I can’t do something simple that I used to be able to do. I couldn’t even open a simple jar, package of crackers, or a gallon of milk without help. I was so weak and had no strength control at all. I hated it. I felt so helpless and as a very independent person, it was hard for me to ask for help. Even though it’s been a little over a month since I’ve been home, a friend just said to me the other day “Stop trying to lift things!” when I was helping carry a table across a room and was having difficulty. In my defense, it was a heavy table!

But onto better news, I’m doing much better. My RBC counts still aren’t what they want them to be. I’m getting blood taken every week for testing and as of this week my RBCs were at 29.4. Not the 40-45 they want them to be, but not at 13 either. I’ve come to the conclusion, that this is just my normal level. I’ve been around 29 for the past 4 weeks and I feel fine. I’ve been adding in exercising, taken a few runs and bike rides and tomorrow I’m planning on getting back into my Sunday spin & swim routine.

My next race is the Olympic distance aqua-bike at the Mass State Triathlon on July 14th, so I have a goal and a new training plan to get on with. I’ve started out slow and will continue to add to my training slowly. I definitely wasn’t ready enough for the triathlon today. As much as I wanted to do it and not race it, but just finish it, everyone was pleading with me not to do it. I am definitely stubborn enough to not listen to everyone and just do it anyway, but I knew deep down that I wasn’t ready and I really needed to skip it. But you can bet your ass I went and picked up my race packet for the “free” t-shirt and swim cap!!

Maybe next year.

Put Your Best Smoothie Forward

I have issues with smoothies. I find recipes on Pinterest or magazines or health websites and try them and they are horrible. They always sound good. But they don’t work out.

I tried a green smoothie the other day. I so badly want to make a green smoothie that is good! I have so many recipes and they never work! What am I doing wrong?

The ones I tried had apple, pear, grapes, lime and spinach. Plus ice and water. I like all of those ingredients. But when I followed the recipe and blended it, it was very chunky. And I cannot chew a smoothie without gagging. It just isn’t possible. I forced down about 1/3 of it before I had to throw it away and find something else for breakfast. I later learned I should have added more water. Might have been a better smoothie. It tasted great! Just the chunks...ugh, the chunks!

A few days later, I tried again. I tried an oatmeal smoothie. I love oatmeal, so I was excited for this one. It had dry quick cook (not instant) oats, banana, strawberries, ice and skim milk. It was okay. Not great, but edible. And also boring. Wasn’t tasty enough for my liking. It was bland. I was able to drink it, but I wasn’t impressed. It might warrant a do-over, but I’d add some Splenda and cinnamon for more flavor. It might help.

Today, I tried another smoothie experiment. And it was a success. I loved it. It made 2 servings and I’m so very tempted to go get the 2nd smoothie and make it my lunch. It was that good.

    

I call it my Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie

1 cup strawberries

1 cup frozen blackberries

1 frozen banana

1 cup spinach

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 cup ice

2 cups skim milk

I started out with 1 cup of milk, but it was too chunky and there was no way it was going to blend together and be drinkable. So I added another cup and blended for at least 2 minutes. I wasn’t taking any chances.

Try it and let me know how you like it!

I’m still on the search for a green smoothie. If you have a good recipe - one that you’ve tried and loved, please pass it along! I’m looking for something that’s gonna give me energy in the mornings in lieu of a cup of coffee. I know greens do that! Just need to get it in.

What have I done?

I just registered for 2 Max Performance triathlons and an aqua bike. Shit just got real. I might throw up.  


Who's with me?

I'm back!

I have essentially taken a 4 month break. Not intentionally, it just happened. After my half marathon in February, I had a few small races: a few 5Ks and a marathon relay, but I wasn’t into it anymore. Lack of race reports probably shows that. I also joined Foodie Pen Pals and slacked off in that department too. I owe 2 blogs about packages I’ve received and I also need to try to remember those race reports and re-create them. Just because. It’ll happen one day. Hopefully soon. I need to get back into this.

Last year I was gung ho about everything and was borderline obsessed. I think the disappointment of not completing the half marathon took a lot of the wind out of my sails and I slowly began to put my energy and focus into other things in my life. I pretty much cut training and exercise out of my life. I did a few things here and there, but it was completely half assed and if I missed a day or two or three or a week, I didn’t care.

Last year on dailymile my June’s total mileage for everything I had done was 89 miles. This year, my total mileage for June was 12 miles. That includes today’s 9.6 mile bike ride.

I have a 5K color race in 2 weeks, a duathlon in 4 weeks and a triathlon (yes, I am doing it again...) in 10 weeks.  This time last year, I had 6 months of training under my belt, I had already finished my triathlon training and I was just trying to maintain my level of fitness until the triathlon, and maybe push myself to go faster and harder. This year, I feel like I’m starting from scratch.

Before today’s bike ride, I hadn’t worked out at all. Nothing but a 2 mile walk around a lake over a 6 week period of time.

A week ago, I created a training plan. It was a 12 week triathlon plan, and I figured I’d start in week 2 because I only had 11 weeks to go.  I created it, put it in my calendar and then didn’t do it. An entire week went by and I didn’t do it. My excuse? I was busy. Life got in the way and I didn’t make it a priority. I wanted to do it, but I didn’t want to do it.

Instead of following that plan I put in my calendar and promised myself I’d do, I’ve decided on something different.  Since the duathlon is in 4 weeks, I really need to focus on those 2 sports for now. Running and swimming. One is my friend and the other can go kick rocks. In case you’re new, it’s running. Running can go kick rocks. I still hate it. That hasn’t changed.  So if you love to hear me bitch about running, stick around. I’ve got some plans for us!

I plan on running 3 times and week and swimming at least 2 (maybe 3) and biking one. After the duathlon at the end of July, I will start to add in more biking. And hopefully I’ll have the stamina and dedication to add in biking in the form of biking to and from work every day. That in combo with 3x a week running and 2x a week swimming, I should be fairly ready for the triathlon the 2nd week of September. I hope.

I need to make time for this and stop putting it off. I need to make my training a priority. I need to be happy with making this a priority and stop dreading it. The fact is, I know I’ll feel better and stronger and healthier if I can get back on the wagon, so to speak, and move forward again.

Since April, when I stopped training and exercising regularly, I’ve started eating less healthy, I’ve gained 10 pounds, and I’ve lost strength, endurance, health and confidence.

It’s time to get that back!

My First Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day

April's Foodie Pen Pal

I’ve been a little MIA lately. No race reports, no updates on training (am I even training?) no lists of upcoming races, etc. I’ve just been focused on other areas of my life and this blog has been neglected because of it. I plan on eventually writing the missing race reports and getting them up here sometime soon. Don’t fret.

The reason for this post, however, is to talk about food swapping. No, seriously. My friend, Alyson, got a box full snacky-goodness a few months ago and sent out a similar box to someone else. She told me about the Foodie Pen Pal program orchestrated by Lindsey over at The Lean Green Bean. Then she let me try one of the oatmeal packets that she had gotten. It was amazing!! I wanted in!

I forgot to check it out online the next month, but when Alyson told me about the second box she got, I decided to go for it.

I was assigned to Jamie at Farm Fabulosity. Head over to her blog to check out what I sent her!

I received my package from Erika who has a blog about her daughter Arianna and their adventures!

Erika took to heart that I am trying to balance working out with healthier eating and fun snacks and included some fun things for me to try!

1.) Organic Sweet Moose Hot Chocolate mix. She said she uses it in her coffee and I definitely plan to try that one of these mornings that I just need a little bit extra to get me going

2.) Almond Crunch. I love almonds. I use them on my salads in place of croutons because sometimes I just need that little crunch! They are also great as a pre-workout snack!

3.) Bare-Fruit Mangoes. Usually I do not like dried fruit. But I decided to be open to trying something new, so I made myself open this before I opened anything else in the box. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed them!

4. + 5.) Whole Berry Blast + Fruition Peach. I definitely use bars for pre work out snacks, or even sometimes for afterwards if I don’t have any other options for a refueling, but I was a little shocked at how high in calorie these bars were! I think I’ll save them for a longer race if I need some fuel. I can’t see myself scarfing down 400+ calories before a workout. It’s a little high for my liking. If I want 400 calories, I’d eat a bag of Doritos. I love Doritos. Ok, moving on.

6.) Chocolate Cashew Bar. I live chocolate. I love cashews. No problem right? Wrong. I’m scared of this one. It’s a raw organic live food bar. First, of all, what? And second, I’m envisioning my cashews walking around on the chocolate bar. Eventually I will try this bar for 2 reasons: I love chocolate. I love cashews. But I need to work up the nerve to test it out!

A big thanks to Erika for helping me step out of my comfort zone and try new foods that I wouldn’t otherwise!

I have already signed up for the Foodie Pen Pal project for May and I can’t wait to go shopping again for my new foodie pal!