For most folks, assessing their goals for the year just passed takes place at the end of that year; that way, the slate is wiped clean for Jan. 1. Since my training year has essentially ended, I thought this would be the perfect time to see how I did.
I laid out 10 goals at the beginning of 2011, and I met 7 of them. Not too bad, but room for improvement looms as large as an Olympic-sized pool.
I celebrate these successes: Curtail drinking. Wine is my friend; wine is my enemy. I really like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. I wanted to use my Oct. 20 surgery as a turning point. How could I possibly boast of improved nutrition, when fermented grape juice was part of the equation? I stopped drinking liquor in college and hardly touch beer (unless it's a really hot summer day), so it makes sense that wine was next. This is a struggle I know will continue, my father's alcoholic tendencies partially to blame.
Speaking of nutrition, I improved there, adding more protein to my diet. A problem I continue to have, though, is swallowing a huge vitamin every day. Not only do I taste it for hours, but I wonder if I really need to take it, based on reports I hear and read. I did better with Vitamin D, especially important to a petite white woman with a diagnosis of osteopenia. I enjoyed competing in different races/different places, something I hope to continue. Yoga: Once a week; no problem there! Strength training: twice a week; ditto! Lose 5-10 pounds: I lost 6 of the pounds that piled on during my last surgery recuperation, so I consider that a success.
Now for where I still need to improve:
Run another marathon. That just wasn't going to happen in 2011, much as I wanted it to, and honestly I'll have to think long and hard if the effort and wear and tear on my body will be worth trying in 2012. A corollary to that is to run 35 miles a week. My thought was to compromise between a pedestrian 25 miles and ridiculous 50 miles (necessary to train for a marathon). Again, a possible goal for 2012. Swim 4 times a week; I got up to 3. Time is the enemy of the triathlete who works full-time, raises a family and wants to sleep 8 hours a night.
As for the last, the portion of my training that receives the most neglect: rest/recover. I had hoped to do nothing every 10 days but I found myself sneaking in an easy swim or light weight workout on that vital day. I really, really need to improve there.
So there you have it. Soon I will write about 10 goals for 2012. But first, a nap.
More than running (but not much more).
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Long-Range Planning
It's been awhile since my last post. Guess I have been feeling melancholy at my physical breakdown at the end of race season. My left foot wouldn't let me run much past an hour or 6-7 miles, and I didn't see any reason to push it, other than stupid pride. One of the smartest moves I made was to drop out of the ARC half marathon because my foot just wouldn't let me continue.
Looking back at my 2011 race results, it is pretty obvious where I wasn't putting in the work. Not that I didn't want to, but I just couldn't. On Oct. 20, my awesome podiatrist, Dr. William Dutch, removed the bunion on my left foot, cleaned out the mess of arthritis he found and tried to salvage what he could, knowing what my plans are for 2012 and beyond. It's nice to have found a doctor who respects you, and does his best to get you healthy enough to do what you want with your ever-precious feet.
I am on crutches for four weeks, then gradually transitioning back into shoes. Physical therapy is inevitable, a pain, but it reaps benefits. I would love to run next year's http://www.mountaingoatrun.com/, but I doubt I can handle 10 miles by May 6.
Facing my 51st birthday in April, I am trying to be realistic about what my body can handle, knowing full well that you can train it to do just about anything. I enjoyed volunteering at this year's http://www.empirestatemarathon.com/, and intend to run that race next year, damn it!
So, here are my goals for 2012:
1. Start swimming by Jan. 1.
2. Start running by Feb. 1.
3. Back to yoga, as soon as possible. I find that the older I get, the more flexibility I lose; hence, the joys that are yoga.
4. Start biking as soon as the weather allows.
I have already registered for a half-ironman triathlon, Aug. 19, in Michigan, http://ironmansteelhead.com/ Dr. Dutch assures me I will have plenty of time in with training so I can compete. So I am planning my races leading up to that tri, a few sprints and an Olympic distance before the big 70.3.
With both feet finally fixed, I anticipate making big strides with my training, and having quality seasons each year from now on.
The bottom line is I love to compete; I love seeing my friends; and I love finding out what my body is capable of. The challenge is part of the appeal, feeling sore the next day means my body worked hard, and the few days rest gives me a chance to reflect on my effort and look forward to the next training challenge.
Looking back at my 2011 race results, it is pretty obvious where I wasn't putting in the work. Not that I didn't want to, but I just couldn't. On Oct. 20, my awesome podiatrist, Dr. William Dutch, removed the bunion on my left foot, cleaned out the mess of arthritis he found and tried to salvage what he could, knowing what my plans are for 2012 and beyond. It's nice to have found a doctor who respects you, and does his best to get you healthy enough to do what you want with your ever-precious feet.
I am on crutches for four weeks, then gradually transitioning back into shoes. Physical therapy is inevitable, a pain, but it reaps benefits. I would love to run next year's http://www.mountaingoatrun.com/, but I doubt I can handle 10 miles by May 6.
Facing my 51st birthday in April, I am trying to be realistic about what my body can handle, knowing full well that you can train it to do just about anything. I enjoyed volunteering at this year's http://www.empirestatemarathon.com/, and intend to run that race next year, damn it!
So, here are my goals for 2012:
1. Start swimming by Jan. 1.
2. Start running by Feb. 1.
3. Back to yoga, as soon as possible. I find that the older I get, the more flexibility I lose; hence, the joys that are yoga.
4. Start biking as soon as the weather allows.
I have already registered for a half-ironman triathlon, Aug. 19, in Michigan, http://ironmansteelhead.com/ Dr. Dutch assures me I will have plenty of time in with training so I can compete. So I am planning my races leading up to that tri, a few sprints and an Olympic distance before the big 70.3.
With both feet finally fixed, I anticipate making big strides with my training, and having quality seasons each year from now on.
The bottom line is I love to compete; I love seeing my friends; and I love finding out what my body is capable of. The challenge is part of the appeal, feeling sore the next day means my body worked hard, and the few days rest gives me a chance to reflect on my effort and look forward to the next training challenge.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Water, Water Everywhere
Upstate New York triathletes are decidedly blessed with the healthy number of waterways in which to compete. I made it a fitness goal this year to compete in different places, and it's truly remarkable the number of choices out there.
Yesterday, July 31, I raced the Delta Lake Triathlon, and already it's near the top of my favorites list. Growing up in Vernon, I remember that my mother took us kids there during the summer, like so many Syracusans go to Green Lakes. Life is interesting in that I returned there to race a triathlon (something that never would have crossed my mind as a 10-year-old).
Racing north of Rome got me thinking of all the terrific lakes and other bodies of water I have swum in, and am still scheduled to swim in this summer. There are many others I have yet to get to that I'm sure many of my readers have already competed in.
I can cross these off my list: the Niagara River (weedy), Jamesville Reservoir (chilly), Lake Ontario (wavy), Oneida (shallow), and the Finger Lakes known as Seneca, Skaneateles and Keuka (I'm racing in Cayuga Lake this Sunday). That leaves many others I'm considering for the future--Tupper Lake, Fourth Lake, Cazenovia Lake, Owasco Lake, Canandaigua Lake (but NEVER Lake Placid; no Ironman for me!).
In fact, we travel so much for these triathlons that it got me thinking about what a shame it is we aren't able to stay home to race in our hometown Onondaga Lake. A duathlon would work--biking and running routes are well established--but swimming? While Onondaga is cleaner than it's been in many generations, there's still a stigma about the lake that was so beloved of Hiawatha that many of us just can't get past.
So as much as the thought of racing a triathlon in the lake I was swimming in as a child never occurred to me--but it happened--I will dream that one day local triathletes don't need to rise at 4 a.m. to get to that day's race. They can mosey over to Onondaga Lake and christen it in all its newfound, clean glory!
Yesterday, July 31, I raced the Delta Lake Triathlon, and already it's near the top of my favorites list. Growing up in Vernon, I remember that my mother took us kids there during the summer, like so many Syracusans go to Green Lakes. Life is interesting in that I returned there to race a triathlon (something that never would have crossed my mind as a 10-year-old).
Racing north of Rome got me thinking of all the terrific lakes and other bodies of water I have swum in, and am still scheduled to swim in this summer. There are many others I have yet to get to that I'm sure many of my readers have already competed in.
I can cross these off my list: the Niagara River (weedy), Jamesville Reservoir (chilly), Lake Ontario (wavy), Oneida (shallow), and the Finger Lakes known as Seneca, Skaneateles and Keuka (I'm racing in Cayuga Lake this Sunday). That leaves many others I'm considering for the future--Tupper Lake, Fourth Lake, Cazenovia Lake, Owasco Lake, Canandaigua Lake (but NEVER Lake Placid; no Ironman for me!).
In fact, we travel so much for these triathlons that it got me thinking about what a shame it is we aren't able to stay home to race in our hometown Onondaga Lake. A duathlon would work--biking and running routes are well established--but swimming? While Onondaga is cleaner than it's been in many generations, there's still a stigma about the lake that was so beloved of Hiawatha that many of us just can't get past.
So as much as the thought of racing a triathlon in the lake I was swimming in as a child never occurred to me--but it happened--I will dream that one day local triathletes don't need to rise at 4 a.m. to get to that day's race. They can mosey over to Onondaga Lake and christen it in all its newfound, clean glory!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A Tale of Two Races
It was the best of times; it was the best of times.
The last two Sundays I ran two very different 15K races. I didn't even come close to my best time at the distance, but it really doesn't matter. I was so struck by the contrast in the races that midway through the run on July 17 I thought I'd blog about it.
The July 10 race was the world-famous Boilermaker (I had to chuckle when I saw the typo on the cover of the official race program calling the race "world renouned"), a 9.3-mile romp through the streets of Utica. The July 17 race, the Forest Frolic, featured 9.3 miles along the Finger Lakes Trail east of Virgil.
The most treacherous part of the Boilermaker was trying to avoid the water cups hasty runners strew in their wake. The Forest Frolic presented one big trip-o-rama, around divots, through streams, over what seemed like a million fallen trees, orocks jutting out of the forest floor and roots, glorious roots, just waiting to grab a toe so a stumble became inevitable.
Both races present spectacle. The Boilermaker's is man-made, with musical acts every half-mile, runners wearing crazy garb, eager kids begging you to grab the popsicle they're handing out at mile 5, all the beer you can drink at the end party (something I never do; not that I don't like beer, just not at 10 in the morning). The Forest Frolic's appeal was all-natural--lush greenery at the forest edge, a stand of pink-tinted Norway spruce for a half-mile or so, soft pine-needle trails to cushion the feet (when the rocks and roots weren't so threatening).
About halfway in to the Forest Frolic, a runner came up behind me and we got talking about how this race differs so much from the Boilermaker. "Sure," he said, "but I could go for a popsicle about now."
Every year I tell myself I don't need to head to Utica, yet nearly every year I find myself there with 10,000 runners, waiting for that cannon to go off. There's just something compelling about racing for fun, not for time.
But I discovered that the Forest Frolic offers plenty of reasons to return to Virgil year after year. The miles I spent running alone, feeling like the only person out there (which I wasn't), felt strangely soothing. I kept thinking about Daniel Day-Lewis and The Last of the Mohicans, and the likelihood that I was running on centuries-old Indian trails. While the day was gradually warming up to near-record heat, I never felt overwhelmed by the temperature. At one point, a German-accented runner came up behind me, as we entered the aforementioned pink forest and said, "This is God's air conditioning, ja?"
Indeed. By the way, I beat that guy, not by much, but I beat him.
The last two Sundays I ran two very different 15K races. I didn't even come close to my best time at the distance, but it really doesn't matter. I was so struck by the contrast in the races that midway through the run on July 17 I thought I'd blog about it.
The July 10 race was the world-famous Boilermaker (I had to chuckle when I saw the typo on the cover of the official race program calling the race "world renouned"), a 9.3-mile romp through the streets of Utica. The July 17 race, the Forest Frolic, featured 9.3 miles along the Finger Lakes Trail east of Virgil.
The most treacherous part of the Boilermaker was trying to avoid the water cups hasty runners strew in their wake. The Forest Frolic presented one big trip-o-rama, around divots, through streams, over what seemed like a million fallen trees, orocks jutting out of the forest floor and roots, glorious roots, just waiting to grab a toe so a stumble became inevitable.
Both races present spectacle. The Boilermaker's is man-made, with musical acts every half-mile, runners wearing crazy garb, eager kids begging you to grab the popsicle they're handing out at mile 5, all the beer you can drink at the end party (something I never do; not that I don't like beer, just not at 10 in the morning). The Forest Frolic's appeal was all-natural--lush greenery at the forest edge, a stand of pink-tinted Norway spruce for a half-mile or so, soft pine-needle trails to cushion the feet (when the rocks and roots weren't so threatening).
About halfway in to the Forest Frolic, a runner came up behind me and we got talking about how this race differs so much from the Boilermaker. "Sure," he said, "but I could go for a popsicle about now."
Every year I tell myself I don't need to head to Utica, yet nearly every year I find myself there with 10,000 runners, waiting for that cannon to go off. There's just something compelling about racing for fun, not for time.
But I discovered that the Forest Frolic offers plenty of reasons to return to Virgil year after year. The miles I spent running alone, feeling like the only person out there (which I wasn't), felt strangely soothing. I kept thinking about Daniel Day-Lewis and The Last of the Mohicans, and the likelihood that I was running on centuries-old Indian trails. While the day was gradually warming up to near-record heat, I never felt overwhelmed by the temperature. At one point, a German-accented runner came up behind me, as we entered the aforementioned pink forest and said, "This is God's air conditioning, ja?"
Indeed. By the way, I beat that guy, not by much, but I beat him.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Reflections Got the Better of Me
I am a mere four races into race season and I have already learned more about where I stand, recovery-wise, than I probably care to. It's always easy, right after crossing the finish line, to dissect what went wrong, to focus on the negative. Perhaps that trait is what makes competitive people brush themselves off and try, try again. Within 24 hours, however, I also discover that there is much to celebrate about each and every race performance, knowing there is a way to do better the next time.
So here are my reflections on my race season to date.
Du the Lakes Duathlon. I had no idea what to expect 4-1/2 months after foot surgery, so I signed up for this race to find out. What a disappointment! But then, after I calmed down and looked at my split times, I was able to pinpoint why I was 6 minutes slower than last year at the same race. The bike was the same, essentially, time-wise, perhaps a few seconds different. But each mile of the six total miles run took me one minute more to complete, which adds up to 6 minutes. How humbling to discover that I had lost a full minute-per-mile off my race pace, from 8 minutes to 9. The solution: More speedwork.
Buffalo Half Marathon. I signed up for this race for a few reasons--I love half marathons, I enjoyed the race last year (even though a train stopped a bunch of us at mile 10), and it gave us a chance to visit the grandkids (and their parents, of course!). What a disaster. Like triathlons, you really can't fake the training for a half. Thirteen miles is a long way to run regardless, and quickly becomes even longer if you haven't trained for it. I completed an 11-miler three weeks out, and convinced myself it was enough. Well, first the left foot hurt, then the right foot (surgery foot), then the hamstring. I stopped to walk. I stopped to stretch. I told myself I had run a half marathon with a dislocated toe in the Syracuse Half Ironman triathlon a mere six months before. It didn't matter. It was a failure. I was so bummed out I didn't run at all the week after, which probably contributed to. . .
Paige's Butterfly Run success at the 5K! My wishful-thinking goal was 25 minutes; my realistic goal was 27 minutes. With my feet cooperating and a conscious effort to lengthen my stride to keep the hamstring loose, I crossed the line in 25:05. Happy! Successful! First in my age group. Woo-hoo!
Keuka Lake Sprint Triathlon. I clearly had no idea how my terrific run of the day before would affect my performance in my favorite triathlon of the year. But I didn't really care either. I was so happy to be getting ready for the first tri of the season that I just put my all into it. The swim went OK. I have resolved from now on to start at the front of the swim pack. Why lag behind when I pass half the field, and only get frustrated with the breast-strokers who kick to the side? The bike wasn't as fast as I felt. The run--ugh. I developed shin splints; I never develop shin splints. I turned on the pace with a mile to go, actually passing some folks as I neared the finish line. It wasn't my best effort, but it was an effort, and I was so glad to have finished. I can't wait to return to Keuka Lake next year.
Next up is a 7.7-mile cross country race at Green Lakes State Park on Sunday. Just trying to mix things up! Then serious training for the July 31 Delta Lake Olympic distance tri begins the following day. Yesterday, after Keuka, I went to beginnertriathlete.com to devise and print out a training plan for the next seven weeks. Other than the Boilermaker, I have no other races scheduled. This wasn't deliberate, but now with this newfound push, I'm glad I will have no distractions as I prepare for the 1500-meter swim, 25-mile bike and 10K run. Now, let's hope the rain holds off!
So here are my reflections on my race season to date.
Du the Lakes Duathlon. I had no idea what to expect 4-1/2 months after foot surgery, so I signed up for this race to find out. What a disappointment! But then, after I calmed down and looked at my split times, I was able to pinpoint why I was 6 minutes slower than last year at the same race. The bike was the same, essentially, time-wise, perhaps a few seconds different. But each mile of the six total miles run took me one minute more to complete, which adds up to 6 minutes. How humbling to discover that I had lost a full minute-per-mile off my race pace, from 8 minutes to 9. The solution: More speedwork.
Buffalo Half Marathon. I signed up for this race for a few reasons--I love half marathons, I enjoyed the race last year (even though a train stopped a bunch of us at mile 10), and it gave us a chance to visit the grandkids (and their parents, of course!). What a disaster. Like triathlons, you really can't fake the training for a half. Thirteen miles is a long way to run regardless, and quickly becomes even longer if you haven't trained for it. I completed an 11-miler three weeks out, and convinced myself it was enough. Well, first the left foot hurt, then the right foot (surgery foot), then the hamstring. I stopped to walk. I stopped to stretch. I told myself I had run a half marathon with a dislocated toe in the Syracuse Half Ironman triathlon a mere six months before. It didn't matter. It was a failure. I was so bummed out I didn't run at all the week after, which probably contributed to. . .
Paige's Butterfly Run success at the 5K! My wishful-thinking goal was 25 minutes; my realistic goal was 27 minutes. With my feet cooperating and a conscious effort to lengthen my stride to keep the hamstring loose, I crossed the line in 25:05. Happy! Successful! First in my age group. Woo-hoo!
Keuka Lake Sprint Triathlon. I clearly had no idea how my terrific run of the day before would affect my performance in my favorite triathlon of the year. But I didn't really care either. I was so happy to be getting ready for the first tri of the season that I just put my all into it. The swim went OK. I have resolved from now on to start at the front of the swim pack. Why lag behind when I pass half the field, and only get frustrated with the breast-strokers who kick to the side? The bike wasn't as fast as I felt. The run--ugh. I developed shin splints; I never develop shin splints. I turned on the pace with a mile to go, actually passing some folks as I neared the finish line. It wasn't my best effort, but it was an effort, and I was so glad to have finished. I can't wait to return to Keuka Lake next year.
Next up is a 7.7-mile cross country race at Green Lakes State Park on Sunday. Just trying to mix things up! Then serious training for the July 31 Delta Lake Olympic distance tri begins the following day. Yesterday, after Keuka, I went to beginnertriathlete.com to devise and print out a training plan for the next seven weeks. Other than the Boilermaker, I have no other races scheduled. This wasn't deliberate, but now with this newfound push, I'm glad I will have no distractions as I prepare for the 1500-meter swim, 25-mile bike and 10K run. Now, let's hope the rain holds off!
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