Duxbury Beach Tri 2011

Location:  Duxbury, MA
Distance: Sprint (.5mi s, 13mi b, 3.1mi r)
Time:  9am start
Weather:  mid-70s(?) and  humid
Participants:  535

A couple of Saturdays ago I headed to Duxbury for my last tri of the year.  Only two weeks after my first Oly (instead of the planned month), I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Recovery from Lobsterman was a little rough and I hadn't exactly been sleeping so well with the move/unpacking/adjusting to a new sleep schedule.  No time expectations here, just the goal to have fun and push based on how I was feeling.

View across the bay

I got there pretty early, so I had plenty of time to figure out where to go, set up my stuff, then trek back to the car for my inhaler, find my parents and some friends, get in the water and acclimate...  and gosh knows what else.  Luckily the weather cleared and we had a dry (albeit humid) race!

Swim
We had to walk the 1/2mi across the bay to the swim start (it was a point-to-point), and then run a fair bit to/through transition... not ideal for someone who has been dealing with alignment issues and normally wears orthotics.  The water in Duxbury Bay wasn't bad, my guess would be close to 68, comfortable in a wetsuit.  There were definitely some swells (I could feel myself bobbing a bit), but there was plenty of room to swim (no turns!).  I came out of the water in 11:46 and headed to transition.

Coming out of the water, I'm in the middle, front 

Bike
The bike starts and ends on Powder Point Bridge, where no passing is allowed.  Starting in the third wave, in the midst of plenty of people, both slower and faster, this can be a little frustrating.  In fact, the woman behind me was complaining about losing the lead she had out of the water.  But we're all in the same boat, and there's not much you can do except loosen up your legs and get ready to work!

Heading out on the bike (towards the right)

Winding through historic Duxbury, the bike course has some rolling hills, but no major climbs.  My legs weren't complaining and it was a nice ride.  Towards the end I started playing a game of cat and mouse with three other women in my AG, and while I may have come in behind them at 41:18 (18.9mph), I kept them in my sights as we came back into transition!

Run
The run was pretty flat and I felt good throughout, keeping a decent pace (from what I could tell) and picking people off!  I was smiling to myself as I debated whether I like passing men or women in my AG more :)  Those three women from the bike?  Caught them and never looked back!  Ended up with a 25:04 run (8:05min/mi).

Off and running!

Overall time:  1hr 24min 15sec  (6/21 in my AG)

Final Thoughts:  Although it wasn't my fastest sprint tri, I enjoyed the race and was reminded of how much I love triathlon.  I could stand to work on my transitions (a couple more races in a wetsuit and a second pair of orthotics should help), but I was definitely happy at the end of the day.  Duxbury was definitely a great end to the season as well, and maybe next year men and women can get the same color tee ;)


What will next year bring??  That's a good question!

Lobsterman 2011

Location: Freeport, ME
Distance: Olympic (.93mi s, 24.7mi b, 6.2mi r)
Time:  9am start
Weather:  gorgeous (70s?)
Participants: 615

I can't begin the race recap without acknowledging Aaron Brooks (Perfect Postures) and Mike Carey (Performance Health Therapy).  Without them, training for an olympic distance race wouldn't have happened.  I've talked about it before, but over the past year I've been working Aaron and Mike to get my hips and feet back in proper alignment so that I can run (and bike) without that nagging ache in my left heel.  Obviously, it worked and I can't say enough good things about these guys!


My goal for this year (my first year in the 30-34AG) was to do an olympic distance tri.  Given the above, I picked a late season race to make sure I could ease back into training.  I was ready and looking forward to a fun race with a cheering section set to attend.  Then Hurricane Irene arrived, and said race was cancelled.  Understandable, but disappointing to say the least.  A week later I heard about another race up in Maine that was still open... hmm.

BPC friends help keep the nerves at bay pre-race ;)

To add another race or not?  After the let-down of Irene/no race, I took a week off of training, I just couldn't do it.  That's a bit of a long taper :)  And the course profiles couldn't be more different--  the race I trained for was pretty much flat, maybe some rolling hills.  This new race had hills.  Oh, and did I mention I was moving the day after the new race?  So I adjusted my goals--  just enjoy the race.  On Tuesday before the race, I officially signed up.

Our wave is off!

Swim
Given the wetsuit requirement and temperatures in the low 60s earlier this week, I was a bit worried about how cold the swim would be.  Luckily it wasn't bad (announced as 68), and the only thing that was a bit chilly were my feet.  The course had three buoys, and we were in the 6th wave.  Things went well from the start, I felt pretty good through the first two buoys.

At least I wasn't the only one swimming off course ;)

After rounding the second buoy I couldn't find the 3rd buoy (due to a poorly placed raft/boat), people from the wave behind me started to catch up, the water was getting a bit choppier, and I was getting a bit tired.  I tried to catch some feet, but that didn't last more than a couple of strokes as I was likely going off course :)  Somehow I made it to the third buoy and headed to shore.  I was guessing/hoping for ~30min, so 33:16 probably takes into account the extra distance covered by searching for buoy 3.

That's me in the purple cap and ear plugs!

Bike
Up a little hill to transition and back to my bike, I got out of my wetsuit without any issues and got ready to head out on the bike.  My chilly feet came back to life pretty quickly and before I knew it I was heading up the first hill out of the park.

As I mentioned before, the course is has some hills (see above).  There are more challenging courses out there, for sure, but for my untrained legs I was a little weary.  After all, I still had to run a 10K!  The course definitely keeps you on your toes;  I hung out in my granny gear on a couple hills but tried to take advantage of the downhills and maxed out on the other end a few times as well.

I'm sorry for taking a screen shot...  is that copying?

I safely maneuvered the packed gravel around mile 8, kept my cool when a couple people passed me and then stopped pedaling (really?), and I pulled back into the park just under 1:28 (16.8mph ave).  I'll take it!

Run
While I survived the bike, I wasn't really looking forward to the run (usually my favorite part).  You see, I had ridden the first part of the run, and, well, it had the same sort of hills.

There's not really much I remember about the run...  my hips were really tight off the bike, but after walking up the second half of the first hill they loosened up so that was good.   My stomach wasn't feeling awesome (nerves?  salt water?), and I tried to keep my focus to one mile at a time.   Reminding myself of my goal (have fun!  enjoy the scenery!) and my move the following day, I didn't push it and walked up a few of the hills.  Unusual for me, but I was totally okay with it and somehow I finished in 58:50.

Hey look, my feet are moving!

I did see a retriever with his owner walking along the side of the road towards the end of the run.  He suddenly copped a squat and wouldn't budge, must have been tired of spectating/cheering :)   I feel the same way, Buddy!

Where is the finish line already??

Overall time:  3hr 5min 5sec  (21/42 in my AG)

Lobster Bake!

Final thoughts
I was aiming for 3hours and came in right around that on a challenging course that I didn't train for.  So I am very pleased!  It was great to see some friends podium too (Congrats Laura and Jeff)!

Oly?  Done.

It was an absolutely beautiful day for a race, and Lobsterman was a great one.  Volunteers were pretty awesome all day, and the race was very well organized.  The only issue I had was at the end of the race, when all I wanted was a bottle of water and they were filling small cups of water.  Bottles next time, please?  Thanks!

BAA 10K

  
Waking up to 66degree temperatures on Sunday, I thought it would be perfect running weather.  Until I stepped outside and realized it was still quite warm and very humid.  Not quite perfect, but I've run in alot worse ;) Nonetheless my nerves woke me up before my alarm and before I knew it, it was go time!

Image source

Given the events of the past nine months, I was nervous.  It's been a long road to feeling good out there running again, and I didn't want to do anything stupid in the face of a race clock :)  Add in the fact that I hadn't solidified a nutrition plan and I was using this race to test the waters for my big goal of this season (an Olympic distance triathlon), and let's just say I had some butterflies.

The BAA 10K started and finished in Boston Common, taking us through Back Bay out towards BU and back.  The staggered start for the 3,000 runners seemed to work well, as I never felt like the course was too crowded.  There were 3 rolling hills over the course, nothing too steep or long.

Somewhere around mile 1

Long story short, I couldn't be happier with how I did, finishing in 49:48.  I managed to stay around a 7:30-8:30 pace the entire race, instead of going out too fast like I usually do.  I picked out a guy ahead of me in a Hartford Marathon shirt that I stayed with the first half of the race, thought about achieving my goal, focused on form, and then picked out someone else to keep pace with the second half of the race when I lost Hartford Marathon guy.  Mile 4 was the worst for me, I grabbed water at the stop and threw it over my head, but the finish line seemed more than two miles away.  Back around the Common I was finally able to kick it, and whaddya know, there's now a race picture with both feet off the ground!

Speedy!!

A successful race to cap of the end of my first three decades ;)  Now I just need to figure out how to keep this pace off a 26mile bike ride!!

Newtons: An Update

Alternate title:  My Hips Don't Lie :)

I know you guys come here for the food, but there was some interest when I introduced them almost a year ago so I figured I owed you an update!  If you're not interested, I promise there will be something tasty next time :)

If you followed my tale (Week 1, Week 2 and Weeks 3+4 recaps), you probably notcied that things went well as I began running in the Newtons.  I felt lighter, probably improved my gait/footstrike, and got a bit faster.  After a trip to Italy (and a week+ of not running),  I wound up with an injured foot.  I didn't mention it too much (apart from my two DNFs) as I wasn't sure what was going on and why it happened.  Was it the shoes?  My feet?  (Lack of) orthotics?

Image Source

After various appointments, an xray, PT, I think the story (or at least the story as I understand it) is this:  the 1st metatarsal joint of my feet (especially the right one) is too flexible.  This flexibility predisposes me to the overpronation that led to my injured right foot (which was just rubbing between the calcaneus & talus bones, if you're interested in that sort of thing ;))   This flexible joint means that I will always need support, or orthotics.

As Newtons promote a mid- to fore-foot strike (right around the 1st metatasal joint), they are not the best shoes for me.  It will take some trial and error once I get my new orthotics, but hopefully I'll find a shoe that fits ;)

Image Source

The other part to this story, the way I actually reached the above conclusions.  I may have mentioned before, but for the past few years (maybe 5+ now?), I've been dealing with various issues that have never been successfully treated (read:  they were treating the symptoms not the underlying cause).  After chatting with a BPC coach about my hips after a run, she recommended seeing Aaron Brooks, an exercise physiologist/biomechanist.   My first visit was particularly revealing, as it confirmed that the alignment and rotation of my hips was out of whack.  Furthermore, my old orthotics reinforced my hip misalignment and functional leg length discrepancy.  Thus the re-evaluation that led me to the above...

What about my hips?  Well, seeing as they've likely been messed up since I had hip dysplasia as a kid, I wasn't going to be able to change it overnight.  I've been seeing Aaron since October, working through sets of exercises/stretches he has put together for me.  The programs seem to have aligned me, now I'm working at strengthening my hips in their new (correct) position.

Since I haven't been wearing orthotics, I spent some time in Vibrams

Downside?  I haven't run since October.  It's not pretty ;)  Luckily I have been able to swim, cycle and lift weights.  I'm trying to stay positive and think about what I can do...  like the one week I went for swim 3x!  I've never put in 3,000m in a week before!  And swim over a mile, at once?  Done and done.  That's gotta be something, right?  Whatever you do just don't ask what I'm signed up for this year.  The answer's nothing yet, as I'm still not running.  And I'm not thrilled about that either.  Moving on.

So the moral of the story, or why I'm sharing this with anyone who's still reading...  finding a good doctor/podiatrist/specialist, and one you like,  is important, and worth the time and money you may spend.  Make sure they take a detailed history and ask you lots of questions, and be sure to include any symptoms you may not connect, but may in fact be related.  Remember, too, that we're all unique, and solutions/treatments will likely vary as well!

Image source

Don't forget about Dem Bones: your hips are connected to your thighs, are connected to your knees, are connected to your ankles, which are connected to your feet!  When we walk or run or cycle, we load all our weight down this "drive train" and when something's amiss, it's best not to forget that it's all connected!

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Hyannis II Tri 2010

Location: Hyannis (Craigville Beach), MA
Distance:  Sprint (.25mi s, 10.2mi b, 3.5mi r)
Time:  7:30am start
Weather:  67
Participants:  875 +/-

Pre-race
While the thermometer might not have said it was that cold, before the sun came up it sure felt like i needed my pants and fleece!  Luckily the sun arrived for the start and I didn't have to swim in my jacket :)   My parents were able to make it down to watch, and we arrived in Hyannis the night before (so nice!  saved ~2hrs race morning).   We arrived early at the course, got a good parking spot, and I got set up in transition.    Then we got to people watch before it was time to go!

Craigville Beach, Hyannis, MA

Swim
It was a beach start for this ocean swim, where the water was calm and 69-70degrees.  I thought this might be a little chilly without a wetsuit, but it turns out it was quite nice.  I got in before the race to get used to the temperature and got out a little too early as I was cold waiting for my wave.   The waves were broken down by age groups only (i.e. there were men & women in each wave).  I tried to position myself just behind those eager beavers who would likely take off fast or be jostling for their line.

I'm not holding my ears, i'm taking out my earplugs ;)

Went out pretty well and seemed to settle in quickly...  but then, I'm not sure why, I started freaking out a bit and breathing frequently.  Luckily it was only a quarter of a mile and I was done before I knew it, running up the beach to transition.   I was shocked and pleased to see my time of 5:54!  Maybe the course was short, but either way my time was good enough for 8th in my age group (AG) so I won't question it :)

Bike
I spent a little longer in T1 than I wanted to, trying to get the sand off my feet (thinking sand=blisters).  At the mount line I had a hard time clipping in for whatever reason (maybe because I couldn't feel my feet?).  Then it took me a little while to realize why my legs were going so fast...  I was in the wrong chainring (small ring in the front).   Serves as a good reminder to make sure you are paying attention when you check your bike race morning!  I probably didn't lose too much time there, but I never felt like I hit the groove that I had in my last race.  My feet were pretty cold until the last mile or two, but I kept trying to move my toes around so they warmed up by the time it came time to run on them.

Heading out

My own issues aside, the course was pretty nice and relatively flat.   Due to the size of the race, there are alot of people on the course at one time.  Since the course wasn't closed, there was a lot of maneuvering/passing 2-3 people deep and some drafting.   I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed with my bike time of 35:54, at ~17mph.  But looking a little closer, it was 7th in my AG, and the fastest women were only finishing 3-4minutes faster (~19.5mph).  This seems slow (especially with some of the bikes I saw!), but it is what it is, and my time wasn't that bad ;)

Run
The run course had some gentle inclines, but nothing I'd consider a hill.   I don't remember too much from the run, I was just trying to focus on my form, but it went through a nice neighborhood and it ended with a sprint on the beach.   I finished at 28:18 for the 3.5miles, close to my goal of 8min/miles.  Good given my time off this summer; not so good in my AG ;)

Who's bright idea was this finish in the sand??

Overall time:  1hr 10min 07 sec  (8/63 in my AG)

This was the largest race I did this year, and it ran just like the smaller ones--so I'd consider it a job well done!   Except for the shirts ;)   If you're looking for a well-run race on the Cape, check out Time Out! races-- the same course is run in June, and there's one in Falmouth in July.

It completely slipped my mind to get a picture with my parents, but it was great to spend the day with them :)   Now it's time to plan for the 2011 season...

Cranberry Sprint Tri 2010

Location:  Lakeville, MA
Distance:  Sprint (.5mi s, 11.5mi b, 3.1mi r)
Time:  8am start
Weather:  62 heading to the start!
Participants:  350 +/-

Me & Kerstin

Pre-race
Despite yawning the entire ride down, I arrived in Lakeville ready to go (after a potty stop, hehe)!  Check-in was easy, got some Hammer goods (which I've been using on long bike rides, score!) and setup my bike while my dad took a nap rested his eyes.  Found Kerstin, some other BPC friends, and after a pre-race meeting it was go time.

Swim
A few days of rain cooled the temperature of Loon Pond down to 76 (from 82 a week before!).  There were bright green and orange buoys marking the rectangular, counter-clockwise swim... that looked awfully far!  I was in the second wave (with all women under 29), so I didn't have to wait long before we got in the water for the start.  While it wasn't that deep, I made sure to sit down and get my head wet, so it was less of a shock when we starting swimming.  Before I knew it, we were off and it wasn't too long before I was able to settle into my breathing.  There wasn't too much bumping, the most notable thing being the blinding sun on the way back in!  I couldn't quite see the last buoy or shore, but I just kept swimming and did my best to sight.  I had no idea at the time, but at 16:35 I was pretty much on par with my last swim.  A bit of a slippery exit and run back to transition that wasn't all that bad.

Bike
Knowing that the two-loop course that was relatively flat, my goal was to keep a good pace the entire ride.  I got going pretty well and started passing a bunch of women (presumably in my age group).  Coming around for the second loop was a little hairy, as we merged with people just entering the course.  By this time it was also more crowded so I was glad there wasn't much traffic on this open course.  I don't really remember much from the second loop, just tried to stay strong!  I was an idiot and didn't turn on my bike computer until a little ways into the bike, but I was happy to see an average of 19.3mph afterwards!

Run
Given the fact that I had run 3miles all of twice in the last month or two, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  I was a little shocked to see so few bikes when I got back from transition (I think just the elites), so I tried to be quick putting on my socks (got a blister the time i tried to run w/o them) and sneakers before grabbing my race belt as I left for the run.  While my legs didn't quite feel awesome, I was just glad that my foot didn't hurt!

The first woman to pass me was probably somewhere around 1mile or so.  I couldn't tell which age group she was in, but she was looking good and I knew I had to run my own race and let her go.   Water on the head at the aid station, and then a hill.  A hill?  Alright, well, only one way to go!  Crap, another hill?  This one didn't feel good.  Another woman passed me at some point after mile 2.  This time I knew I had to keep her in my sights, and I was able to stay right behind her.  As we turned the corner and headed back into the park I started to kick and passed her, hoping that the finish line wasn't too far away.  Luckily it wasn't!!

Six seconds ;)

We congratulated each other on a great race, I grabbed lots of water, some orange sections, and Oikos (yay for race sponsors)!    I found out later that she was in my age group and I finished 6 seconds ahead of her ;)  Better yet, I was second in my age group (out of 36)!!  Overall time 1hr 20:29 (77th overall).   Given everything that's gone down this summer, I didn't know if I could pull it off.   To top it all off, I got to watch my recruit finish her first triathlon and spend some time with my dad.   Oh what a day :)

Teaser

Race recap to come, but I wanted to give a huge shout-out to this girl, who rocked her first triathlon!!  Hopefully she'll want to do another one with me sometime ;)

Enjoy the weekend and don't forget about my giveaway!!

Amica 19.7 Ocean Beach Tri 2010

Location:  Ocean Beach, CT
Distance (Sprint): 1/2mi s, 16.1mi b, 5k r
Time: 7am (I was in the 4th wave)
Weather: mid-hi 70s, sunny, humid
Participants:  297

I went to visit my college roommate for the weekend (she's in CT), so I only had an hour drive the morning of the race.  Better yet, I actually heard my alarm ;)

Swim
As indicated by the name, this was an ocean swim and the water temp was 71degrees.   Most people were in wetsuits, and not just for buoyancy-- they actually served as protection from jellyfish in this race!  While I saw one or two, I think I survived unscathed.   Ocean swims are tough.  I've only done one before (in my second tri) and spent what seemed like minutes in a panic, not swimming, as soon as I entered the water.   I was hoping this time would be better, and tried to anticipate the shock by getting in the water for a few quick strokes before the start.

(I took this after the swim, so I drew in some buoys :))

It was a beach start, with a rectangular course marked by big orange buoys (we swam clockwise).   The elites went out first, followed by two waves of men.  All the women and first timers were in the last wave.   My swim wasn't perfect, but I kept swimming despite the waves and saltiness that almost immediately entered my mouth (I wasn't swallowing it, I could just taste it).  Eventually I settled down and somehow was the first in my age group out of the water!!   At 16min 24sec, there's still room for improvement, but I handled this ocean swim better and was happy with that!  (For reference, the fastest women out of the water were around 12 minutes.)  The run up to the transition area was a little long but the white sand was nice and soft so it wasn't too bad.

Bike
I was a little worried about the bike course, as the race packet contained many warnings about the conditions of the road.   Luckily, the town had done some paving for us the week before, and there was only one small section that was not so hot.   The course had some rolling hills, one good climb (shorter than the last one), and some amazing views!

I felt pretty good for the first part of the bike (passing people!), but lost a little in the last few miles (and got passed by a few ladies).   I was pretty happy with my bike time (52m 29sec), which averaged out to 18.4mph.   Not my fastest bike time, but not the flatest course ;)   I have recently (this summer) discovered how much my bike performance depends on nutrition, and am still trying to figure out how much I need.  Based on the way I felt, I should've taken in some more calories towards the end of the bike, but since I wasn't going out on a run afterwards, I didn't.   I came in from the bike second in my age group (less than two minutes behind)...

Run
~sigh~  While I handed in my chip instead of heading out for the run, I know the run was nice and flat, and heard that it was a little hot (maybe not alot of shade?).

A couple things of note-- the body marking wasn't in the best spots (hard to see from the front and our helmets weren't marked) so I had to search unmarked photos to find mine.  I also only had two photos from one photographer on the bike so that was a bit of a bummer.  (There would've been more had I done the run)   Nice technical shirt, but other than that a pretty lackluster swag bag.  That said, it was the first year of the event and I liked the course a lot (even if I need more practice in ocean swimming)!   The Amica 19.7 race series is great, as there is a universal distance at different race sites.  Sure the course profiles will be different, but at least it's a little easier to compare your times.  There's two more of their races in the area (Boston & Newport) later this season if you're interested!

DNF#2.

I'm getting ansy.

Mass State Tri 2010

Location:  Winchendon, MA
Distance:  Sprint (1/3mi s, 12.5mi b, 5k r)*see below, (Olympic also)
Time:  8am (I was in the 2nd wave)
Weather:  mid70s? and sunny
Participants:  273 (322 for the Olympic)

Not hearing my alarm on race day?  Woops.  Must've been because I wasn't that excited,  normally I have trouble sleeping!  That or I was really tired and my alarm was going off at 4:40 ;)

pre-race

Luckily I did wake up, albeit to my ride buzzing my apartment.  All my stuff was packed, so I put in my contacts, pulled on my outfit, threw ice in my water bottles and ran downstairs.  The only thing I forgot?  My camera.   Ooops.   We still got to the race site somewhere after 6:30 with plenty of to check in and get setup before the 8am start.   Phew!   

 woah, serious!

I think it's that oh-my-gosh-it's-about-to-start face

Swim
The swim started in the water (we could still touch), in between two buoys.  I knew there were going to be alot of fast swimmers in my wave, so I wasn't too alarmed when I saw alot of pink caps get ahead of me pretty quickly.   While the course didn't seem that long, I was never able to settle down and get into a groove.  I think this is probably reflected in my time of 10:33.  Not bad, but room for improvement :)

 out of the water

Bike
I decided to tri (ha) a few new things during the bike since I wasn't worried about final times.  Ultimately they should help cut down on my transition times, but I wanted to see if there was a pay-off in terms of comfort.  The first was to go sock-less, as putting on socks over wet feet isn't a walk in the park ;)   Baby powder and body glide helped me slide right in and I didn't have any problems with blisters.   I just need to figure out what to do about the stank to my bike shoes now...    I also didn't use my bike gloves and barely noticed it during the ride.

The course for the sprint was one 12.4mi loop, olympic distance racers did two loops.  Knowing that I wasn't going to run, my plan was to see how I was feeling and possible go for the olympic bike to make up for the missed run.  It took me awhile to feel good on the bike, as I was still trying to catch my breath from the swim.  There was one significant, mile-long hill ~mile4.5.  After my first (slow) trip up, I contemplated calling it quits after one loop.  But the only way to improve my climbs is to do more of them, so I set off for a second loop.  There were a few sections of road that were a bit rough, and a good portion was open to traffic, but overall not a bad course.

at the top of the hill,

wondering why they put the photographer here...

Having taken in fuel and recovered from the swim, I felt better and was determined to try and match my time from the first loop.  Still slow on the big descent, I felt good and finished the second loop 2 minutes faster than the first!  Total time for the 24.4 miles was just under 1hr 25min, which averaged out to 17mph.  Luckily there are some good downhills to make up for the climb ;)  Not too bad, but again, room for improvement!

Run
Well, here's where I called it quits.  After racking my bike I turned in my chip and tried to rehydrate.  I did hear that there's quite a bit of shade on the run, which was definitely appreciated as the temperatures had already begun to soar.  While the sprint course was relatively flat, the olympic course had a few mole hills which I can only imagine feel like mountains :)

Luckily I knew a handful of others doing the race, so I changed and headed to the finish line to get my cheer on.  It's always fun to see people so close to completing their goal, many of whom were doing it for the very first time.  After watching everyone come in, I finally felt like I could manage the post-race bbq and thoroughly enjoyed my pulled pork sandwich!   Max Performance definitely put on a well run race, and the combination of the sprint and olympic distances seemed pretty seamless.

Overall time:  DNF

I'm ok with it, as long as my foot's getting better.  T minus 1 week until my xray/podiatrist appointment.

Running Fuel

When this posts, I'll be on my way to Italy!   I am not traveling with a computer, so please excuse my absence for a bit.   I'll be sure to respond to any questions or comments when I return :)

I don't talk alot about nutrition here, in terms of fueling for exercise, because it is very individualized.  It took time to figure out what worked for me and what didn't.  In fact, I'm still experimenting and trying things out for optimal performance. 

When I first started running, my go-to was half a bagel with peanut butter.  And I wondered why I had to wait 2-3hrs before I could run without cramping!   It took way too long to put it together that pb takes awhile for me to digest.   Clif bars?  sit. like. a. rock.  even when you eat it 2 hours prior to your half marathon.   Oops.   However you might not have such issues :)  (Biking and swimming definitely pose less problems!)

After my peanut butter revelation, I switched to Luna bars when I needed fuel before a run.  These worked, and were portable when I was racing out of town, but I still needed some time to digest them.  At some point last winter ('08-'09) I discovered by sheer accident that I could run not long after eating a Pure bar!   I was a little skeptical at first, but realized that the dried fruit (dates and other fruit) are easy to digest and provide enough quick-burning fuel for me.    Elina tried my bar after completing her half marathon (congrats again!!) and asked me to share the recipe, so here's it is.  I reserve the right to keep tweaking it, too!

Running Fuel  (aka Fruit & Nut Bars)
Recipe by Shannon

I was trying to recreate the Pure bar, which uses agave and brown rice protein.  I don't have any protein powder right now, so I left it out, but like the idea of adding some to add some staying power.  The agave can help the bars together, but they also impart a softer texture.  In the summer heat, I've left it out, but it works both ways!

165g pitted Medjool dates
165g dried fruit  (cherries, blueberries, apples...  I had an antioxidant blend this time)
50-75g nuts  (almonds, cashews, walnuts...  I used a blend of all 3)
15-30g agave (optional)
5g brown rice protein (optional)

Roughly chop dates and dried fruit.  (I found I needed to do this for a more uniform mixture in my food processor)  Add dried fruit and nuts to the bowl of a food processor and blend until well combined.  Drizzle in agave if desired and run until the mixture comes together (it will start forming a ball).  Remove mixture and portion into whatever sizes you desire.  I made 10 bars from the amounts shown, each about 30g.  I wrap them up in a small piece of saran and store them on the fridge until I grab one and go!



What's your preferred pre-race nutrition?

An intro to Newton Running

A couple of weekends ago I went to the Multisport Expo held over at MIT and attended a seminar on running form and biomechanics.   The talk was led by the co-founder of Newton Running Danny Abshire, Ian Adamson and Dr. Mark (I think this was his name?  I wasn't taking notes...  oops).   I haven't done reading on barefoot/chi/pose running styles, but apparently the idea of Newton running is similar.  That is, to run with a more natural footstrike.

What is a natural footstrike?   To get this idea, they suggesting taking off your shoes and trying to run.   Should you go and try this, you would notice that your footstrike is on your mid or forefoot.  Modern shoes have a heel lift (which are not actually beneficial for running) and are highly cushioned.  This promotes heel striking and by providing so much cushion, prevents feet from feeling the ground and weakens the foot/leg.   Hm, interesting...  go on.

Newton Running shoes have been designed to encourage a more natural running and allow you to land on your mid/forefoot safely.  While they mimic barefoot styles of running, they provide the right type of cushioning to enhance shock absorption and promote proper running form.

Now, if I had never had issues running, I wouldn't have even been at the seminar, let alone be intrigued by what they had to say.    But I've always had issues with running and alignment, various muscle tightness and aches that can't be explained.   For the past two years I haven't been able to manage more than 10-15miles in a week (which isn't necessarily a goal, but an observation).   I knew that something was still not quite right.

There's more science behind the shoe that you should take a look at if you're interested, especially their Action/Release Technology (based on Newton's 3rd law of motion) that's supposed to absorb and return energy back to you.    There's also a ton of information in this post (including the comments), and I'm sure much more elsewhere.

I would be remiss to not mention more about proper running form.   Newton has a lot of great videos on the topic, I'd recommend starting out there.   The idea is to land with your weight centered over your body mass (under the hips).   Instead of long strides and muscling through your stride, better form comes from short strides and quick leg turnover (or cadence).  Illustrated much better in the videos, you want a slight forward bend and to think lifting your foot off the ground at your hips instead of pushing off.    Does that make sense?

Why am I telling you all of this?   Well, I ended up getting fitted for a pair of Newton running shoes and I have 30 days to try them out.   Will they work?   I have no idea!   I was impressed right away at how they corrected my alignment, to show you this I learned how to use the timer on my camera!  In the image below, my feet are hip-width apart and I'm bending my knees, sort of going to a squat.  Barefoot you can see my knees go in, and my heels roll inward, causing my arches to collapse (ouch).  You can see how that is corrected in the Newtons (w/o orthotics), and I've included the shoes I'm currently running in (w/current orthotics)

(l to r):  barefoot, Newtons, Asics Nimbus w/eSoles

I'm going to follow their advice, starting out slow, running every other day and focusing on form.   We'll see how it goes, and I'll be back with weekly recaps to see if these shoes can work for me, or if they won't.   I have already talked to someone a Newton about my orthotics, and I'll have to try it out to determine whether or not I should still use them.   Remember, I'm not a doctor (well, that kind of doctor ;)), and am not telling you to go run barefoot!   I have not read all the research, and these ideas I'm sharing are not my own, I am simply sharing my experiences as I try out something new.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions, I can try to answer or at least point you in the right direction!   Have you tried barefoot/chi/pose running??

**Just so you know, I purchased these with my own $$ and will follow with weekly reviews based solely on my experiences! **