Race Report: Morgantown Road Race

First off, the course profile looked like this:

Like shark's teeth!

I don't have body image issues or anything, but for a cyclist, I am fat. Fat cyclists don't do well at races like that. My team captain said, "Given your strengths and the course profile, treat this as a training race." Which I took to mean, "Do your best, fatty!"

Hill climbing isn't my strong suit, so I've been focusing on it in my build this cycling season. I did that last year, too, preparing for the 10k, 600m climb at Ironman Mallorca. I've gotten better at climbing because of the work that I've done, and I expected this race to challenge me and make me stronger. But I did not expect to do particularly well.

The women's cat 4 field (9-10 women, maybe) and men's cat 5 field started together, along with all the juniors and the tandem field (comprised of a single tandem bike). Roll out pace was easy, with a neutral start, but the field was sketchy for the first few miles as people settled in. I surfed to the front of the field by the time the first significant climb began, before mile 5, so that I could drift to the back of the pack instead of getting blown off the back on the climb. I never managed to ride back to the front, and got dropped on the second big climb.

I spent the next few miles trying to chase back to the group with a few cat 5 men. At that point, I knew there were at least 2 women behind me, so at least I wasn't DFL. We had a group of 3 rolling turns when the tandem guys came blowing past us at 600 MILES PER HOUR. It was actually about 28 MPH, but the three of us hopped on and rode the bus back up to the main group.

We caught on to the peloton just as the road started to head up again. I managed to hang for a mile or two, suffering the whole way, then I pulled the plug and let them go. We hadn't even hit mile 20 yet, and I was burying myself. Plus, I knew what was coming from mile 20 to mile 27, thanks to this guy:

Obsessive triathlete preparation FTW!

I knew I needed to leave something in the tank for the next two climbs (not to mention the next 30-some miles).

And those two big climbs in the middle were brutal. I really wanted to get off the bike and walk. But I knew how much I had left to the top, thanks to my notes, and I could see a group of 3 cyclists up ahead around the bend--one of whom I recognized as another cat 4 woman from her bright blue jersey. If I could bridge up to that little group and outlast the blue jersey girl . . . I guess I would just be one more spot up from DFL, but at least it would give me something to think about other than the pain in my whole body.

I was also starting to cramp at that point. My back hurt, my hips were cramping, my calves were cramping, even my stomach was tightening into knots. I think this was a combination of improper fueling, it being the first warm (and sunny and LONG) race of my season, and the intensity from the first 20 miles. My body was telling me to slow down and try to climb out of the hole that I'd dug in the first hour of racing.

I made it over the two big, brutal hills, and enjoyed the descent. My teammates all disagreed with me on this point, but the descents were totally worth the work to get there. I was reeling in the blue jersey woman, too. I was catching up to her more on the climbs, so I knew that she was hurting more than I was.

I think I finally latched onto her around mile 30, and we started working together. We picked up another cat 5 guy (who looked like he was really suffering), and he started rolling through, too. Our little pace group only lasted a few miles, though, because I accidentally blew them both off of my wheel on a pull. By that point I was starting to feel human again, but I think they had already done too much to come back from the dark place. I sat up and waited for them, but the guy we picked up fell off again quickly. Blue jersey girl hung on until the next climb, when I gradually put time into her. Then we came over the hill into a long descent then a rolling (mostly flat) section, and I didn't look back.

I finished the race pretty much solo. I passed a few stragglers on climbs who had blown themselves up. I realized that I'd gained a place in the women's field. I wanted to hang onto it, so I kept looking back over my shoulder, afraid that the woman in the blue jersey would have recovered; I thought for sure I'd see her pursuing me over a hill. But I never saw her again. I was in the clear. It was just a matter of holding on for the last big climb, and then the uphill finish.

I finished alone, glad to be done, fellow competitors laying out on both sides of the road past the finish line. I rolled from the finish line back to the start area and started pounding food and drink. And that was my race.

For some reason, I stuck around to see the women's results posted. I wanted to see how many of my fellow women I had outlasted. By the time they posted the women's top 5, all my male teammates had rolled out. I checked out the top 5, just to see, and--lo and behold!--my name was fifth down! My first reaction, which I blurted out, was, "That can't be right." I was sure that the results were wrong, and someone was going to contest them. There was no way that I got on the podium in this race!

I'm the one all the way on the right. The dorky one.

But I did get on the podium (well, beside the podium)! I got 5th place! What's more, I didn't finish that far behind a few of the other women. If I had known that, I probably would have dug deeper in the last 5-10 miles.

It was really cool, and I'm really proud. That was a tough race. I totally exceeded my expectations and goals. And I feel like I'm a stronger person, mentally and physically, for having done it.

Still, some lessons learned: I need to revise my fueling strategy. What worked for Ironman isn't working for cycling, so far. I definitely need to use more electrolyte mix, probably cut out the water altogether. I bought a bag of Skratch Labs mix to try in my training. Other drink mixes have never agreed with me, which is why I've used Nuun exclusively for the past few years. I think I need to find something with calories, though, and I definitely need more salt--seriously, everything was cramping on Saturday. Also, Pop-tarts are too inconvenient for eating in these races. It was okay during this race, because I had plenty of time at my own pace. But I can't fumble around with wrappers if I have to cover surges up hills or around corners. I'm going to have to figure out something else.

I think I need to be more aggressive about moving to the front at the beginnings of climbs. If I could have started the second climb at the front of the pack, I may have been able to hang in the group instead of having to chase back on. I also need to maintain more awareness of who I'm riding against, and keep track of where I am relative to all the rest of them. The blue jersey woman knew that she was the 5th woman back, so she knew when I passed her that I had ridden onto the podium. She wasn't able to hold my wheel anyway, but I bet she tried much harder knowing that I was taking her podium spot.

That was the longest road race I've ever done. It's definitely the hilliest road race I've ever done. I'm really proud of how I did.

This weekend is Veloworks-Spokes Etc.'s first big target race: Jefferson Cup in Charlottesville. After having such a great race without the support of teammates in Morgantown, I'm excited to show up in force at Jeff Cup and see what the VWS ladies can do!

BB30 Problems

My bike is creaking.

It has been creaking for the past several months. It started shortly after I got back from Spain. I thought it was my rear wheel, or possibly related to the rear derailleur.

Take the bike in for examination. Wheel fairly true, rear derailleur jockey cage bent. Replace the rear derailleur. Still creaking. But it's the winter and I'm not riding that much or that hard, so I don't notice.

Then I start riding with my team. It becomes an issue. It becomes embarrassing. "Jamie, I thought you got that fixed!" I'm getting concerned that it's the frame itself, and make an emergency stop at a sponsor shop at a race. They take a look at the frame, specifically a spot on the seat tube where a paint chip came off in the first week I had the bike. They say it's probably just cosmetic, but take it to my LBS just to be sure. Also, I have a bolt missing on my derailleur hanger, which is probably why the jockey cage bent in the first place. They replace the bolt, true my wheel slightly, and send me on my way free of charge. If you are ever in Hyattsville, Maryland, stop into Arrow Bicycle and spend some money with them!

Take the bike to my LBS (the one that deals Felt). They say the paint chip is no big deal; it's just paint. Advise cleaning out the seat tube/seat post area and applying more carbon assembly paste to fix the creaking. We do that. Still creaks.

Take my bike to a teammate who used to be a mechanic for a second opinion. His girlfriend had the same problem with her cross bike. Apparently, this is a common thing for BB30s. Everyone knows this. Apparently the manufacturers don't really care. We add some loctight compound and lots of grease to the BB bearing cartridges to try to keep them from wiggling. Cross fingers.

Still creaking!

Take my bike to my LBS (the one that sponsors the team), desperately hoping that something can be done before I do this race this weekend. We take out and rebuild the bottom bracket. Bearings don't feel as smooth as they should. Apparently, BB30 bearings tend to degrade faster, because they get dirt, water, grit, etc. inside them. Manufacturers apparently know, but (again) don't really care. We order this, and rebuild the bearings in the hopes that it will tide me over for this weekend.

Bike still creaks.

Jamie's Diet Food: Fun with Cauliflower

You guys. Cauliflower is amazing.

If I had to choose between giving up cheese or giving up cauliflower, I might actually choose cauliflower over cheese (but I would still eat this).

If you are eating for weight loss or paleo or low-carb, you should already know about cauliflower rice and mashed cauliflower. You should also have a kick-ass roasted cauliflower recipe (or seven). But you may not ever have made cauliflower tater tots.

Notice that these are cheesy cauliflower tots, so you can tell that I didn't trade cauliflower for cheese. I didn't have to. You can't make me.

Cheesy Baked Cauliflower Tots

Ingredients: 1 large head cauliflower
1 cup cheese (I like cheddar, use low-fat if you must)
2 tbsp almond flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika to taste
1 egg (beaten)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray.

Boil cauliflower until tender or zap in the microwave (takes about 2 minutes, covered). Drain.

Use a food processor (I have this one) to coarsely chop the cauliflower. It should look like big crumbs. If you go too far with it, you end up with mashed cauliflower. Which isn't the end of the world, but you're not going to be eating cheesy tots tonight. Put in a fine sieve or a colander lined with cheese cloth and press out some more water.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. No spoon needed. Just use your hands.

Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop the mixture and into the muffin tin. If you don't have a mini muffin tin, just make tot-shaped lumps with your hands and put them on a normal baking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes, or until the tots start to brown. Carefully turn each cauliflower tot over bake 15 minutes more, until tots are browned on both sides. Serve hot; these are best right out of the oven.

Thanks to Kalyn's Kitchen for the idea. Her recipe is lower-calorie, so you might want to check it out, as well.

Race Report: Route 1 Rampage

For this race, the Veloworks-Spokes Etc. women had 4 racers and a plan: Beth and Robin cover breakaways and attacks; Kim and Jamie sit in and shoot for a mini lead-out on the last 3 laps; Jamie stay safe on Kim's wheel and sprint like the dickens at the end. We met around 7:00 in Hyattsville and waited together for check-in/registration to open for the women's cat 4 field. We rode together for a little bit to warm up.

The course was about a mile long with 4 right turns. The start was slightly downhill, with a fairly narrow turn at the end. After the turn, the road slanted up slightly. Another turn, and a full-blown hill (according to Strava, the gradient is an average of 3.8%, although the race flyer claimed 14%) to break up the field, then around another corner into a fast downhill (with speedbumps), another right turn, then the finish line.

We lined up in the front and to the left, to get the best line into the first corner. Beth and Robin helped to take the race out hard through the first 2 or 3 laps. I didn't look back much, because I was holding on for dear life, but apparently we broke the field! We took a group of about 10 off the front with the fast start, and all 4 of us were in that group. Beth and Robin did a great job of setting the pace early, but no one else stepped up to help keep the pace high after those first few laps, so the field came back together.

I almost got dropped on the hill during those first few laps, but always had the speed to catch up on the downhill. Robin got cooked after the hard start, and settled back in the pack for a while. The pace slowed down--especially on the hill--for the middle of the race. I was grateful for that, but it allowed the field to come back together. Or so I was told. Again, I didn't look back much.

The few times I did look back were to check to see if a group was getting away. There were a few times where a small group got a break. One time in particular, a woman tried to go off the front, with another tailing her. I went with them because I didn't see Beth or Robin nearby, and we got maybe a 30 meter gap. I think we could have gotten away. I was trying to communicate that to the other two girls, but by the time they heard me or understood me, the pack was already coming back up to us. That was a match I could have used later.

We had a prime lap with 4 to go. The pace picked up a little bit, but no big break. Beth covered that attack nicely. I was more interested in the win than the prime, so I mostly ignored it. And the pack came back together after that.

With 2 laps to go, a woman (I think from NCVC) launched an attack coming around the second corner (I think?) into the hill. She got a good gap on the bunch, and I encouraged Beth to try to cover that attack. By that time, Robin was suffering from the work she'd done earlier, and Kim and I were trying to sit in and save up for the sprint. Beth got up the road with a group of 3 or 4 other women, but they never caught the woman who launched the initial attack. She went on to win. On that last lap, another NCVC woman put in a little surge on the hill, probably trying to bridge up to the breakaway. But by that point, there wasn't enough road to catch them. I launched around Kim on the downhill going into the turn to try to catch her, but she was too far ahead. I sprinted to the finish for practice, but I was alone in it. Kim came in right behind me. There was one other woman, then Robin.

Beth ended up getting 4th place, good for one upgrade point! She had a great ride, very strong, and was really good at covering breaks. I got 6th, Kim got 7th, and Robin got 9th. I think we did a great job of working as a team; we even got compliments on it from other racers! And it's still early in the season, so we'll all get stronger. The VWS women are well-positioned for an outstanding season.

Personally, I need to work on trusting my team more. I lost Kim's wheel for about half of the race. I went with that potential breakaway instead of trusting Beth and Robin to bring it back while we sat in. I'd like to do better next time on sticking to my role and trusting my team. We communicated pretty well, and we're going to continue to work on that. We have a few ideas about how to improve on it, but I'm not going to tell you about them. They're secret.

It was a fun race! I'm glad we were able to get such a good group of women together for this one, especially on short notice. Big thanks to Kaitlynn for keeping an eye on the registration, and encouraging us to do this race as a team.

Thanks also to Veloworks Cycling Development, Spokes, Etc. Bicycles, and our other great sponsors for supporting us!

Jamie's Diet Food: Sweet Potato . . . Noodles?

What is this dish, anyway? Is it noodles? Is it like a noodle soup? Is it just sauteed, julienne vegetables? I'm not sure what to call it, but it's delicious.

I don't do pretty Instagram food pictures. Just trust me. It's tasty.

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp of your favorite fat (I used butter, but you can use some other kind of oil)

1 yellow onion, sliced

2 sweet potatoes, julienned (I use this to julienne my veggies)

2 cups chicken stock (or water with bullion, if you're lazy like me)

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 2 tbsp sliced jalapenos and 2 tbsp tandoori spice mix

Directions

1. Slice the onions. Julienne the sweet potatoes.

2. Heat your fat in a big pan (ideally, a pan that you can cover later) over medium heat.

3. Add your onions and let them caramelize. You can do as little as 10 minutes, but the longer you let them caramelize, the tastier they get.

4. If you're using the jalapenos, add them now. I used the kind that come in the jar, and used some of the juice to deglaze the pan.

5. Add the chicken stock. If you didn't deglaze the pan with the jalapeno juice, do it with the chicken stock. To deglaze the pan, use a spatula or spoon to scrape up anything that's browned and stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pouring the chicken stock in should loosen it up.

6. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Add the sweet potatoes. Lower the heat to medium-low, keeping the stock at a strong simmer. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until the sweet potatoes change color a little bit (they'll go from orange to yellow-ish). Stir a few times during the 5 minutes.

8. Uncover and add salt, pepper, and tandoori spice mix, if you're using it. You can also use garam masala, or any other spice mix you like. I really liked the Indian spice, but you could try it with something Greek or Mexican or whatever. It's your lunch. Or skip the spices entirely!

9. Cook, covered, for another 5 minutes or so, stirring regularly. Remove from heat.

I ate a big bowl of this with a generous scoop of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt on top. Very tasty, fairly healthy. Goes well with a side salad.

Eating a $180 Entry Fee Because I Hate Running

This is how we look when we enter races together. You can tell this is pre-race, because we're still smiling and Emily isn't soaked through with sweat.

Emily and I signed up for the Rock 'n' Roll DC Half Marathon back in December. It was mostly to keep her accountable to work out through the winter (which she hasn't), but I signed up as moral support.

But I haven't run since October, and Emily hasn't exactly followed my prescribed training plan either. At all.

Also, I don't miss run training (or swim training) at all. I enjoy riding my bike so much, but I have no interest in running or swimming anytime soon.

There's also the matter of the stress on my body. I don't think of a half marathon as a very long event; I'm positive I could suffer through it, although I wouldn't be getting a PR or anything. But running is much more stressful on the body than cycling, especially in terms of impact. I might (MIGHT) have retained enough fitness from Ironman training to make it through unscathed, but Emily doesn't have that fitness. I'm concerned we might suffer more adverse effects than being winded and miserable. Specifically, I'm worried about stress fractures or soft tissue pathologies that might arise from taking so much impact without proper training.

So I'm pretty sure we're bailing out on the race. I would much rather spend the weekend riding my bike with Veloworks-Spokes Etc, and Emily would much rather spend the weekend sleeping in. Even though $180 is a lot of money to throw down the drain . . . actually, there's no good justification. But we're going to do it anyway.

Race Report: William & Mary Tidewater Time Trial

"But Jamie," I hear you say, "Wasn't this race supposed to be a road race, not a time trial?"

Yes. Yes, it was a road race. But circumstances on the day led to me performing a 15-mile time trial solo, instead of covering attacks and trying to match sprints.

The morning was cold, well below freezing. Emily and I got a late start from the hotel, so I was already stressed about the schedule. Then there was a long line of cars waiting to get into the park ($4 parking fee, only one poor, overworked ranger collecting cash). By the time we parked and I picked up my number and got my trainer set up, I had about 10 minutes left to warm up. I had planned on 30-45, especially since it was so cold!

The race began with a 2-mile neutral roll-out. That gave me time to warm up further. I had one teammate at this race. We stayed close together through the neutral roll-out. The pace was variable through the early stages, even after the neutral roll-out. I felt bad for grabbing my brakes all the time, but there was no avoiding it in that bunch. We were about six or seven wheels back, so I can only imagine what it was like in the back of the pack. I imagine that's why, within the first few miles, I heard a skid and a crash behind me. I don't know how many women went down in that one, or if it broke up the group much; I didn't want to look back to see.

 This course had a hill big enough to have a name: the KOA Hill, named for its proximity to a KOA campground. It was there, on the first hill of the day, where my race went to seed. A girl two wheels in front of me (inexplicably) went down. Maybe she was in too hard a gear for the climb and lost momentum? I don't know. But she went down, and the girl behind her went down, and I got unclipped in time NOT to go down, with Robin (my teammate) shouting, "Don't stop, Jamie!" But girl #2 had her shoe caught in my spokes (which is the closest I will ever get to being like Wout van Aert). After we got disentangled, I made my big mistake: checking to see if everyone was okay. Everyone was fine, and my bike appeared fine (although I realized later that my speed and cadence sensor got knocked around, somehow), and in the space of those few seconds I realized I had probably just screwed myself out of ever catching on to the peloton again. I got back on my bike as quickly as I could and started chasing like fire to get back onto the pack.

I can't remember if I could see them after cresting that first hill. I know I didn't see much of them for the rest of the race. A few times, I saw the lights of the police car and the neon yellow jacket of the motorcycle official. Once, they looked to be well over 400 meters away. The second time up the KOA Hill, they looked within reach. But there were half a dozen cars between me and them, and they were out of sight again by the time I got through the cars (actually, I only got past two; the rest sped away when the peloton turned a corner).

So I ended up time trialing as hard as I could for an hour, trying to catch on to the group again, knowing that it was pretty much impossible. I passed three or four women who had fallen off the back of the pack, a group of collegiate men from the field that started 10 minutes ahead of us, and a few cat 5 male racers. Not sure what happened to the other women who got caught in the crash. I briefly considered packing it in after the first lap, since I was unlikely to catch the group. But I figured I might as well get a good workout in, since Emily and I had driven down for it.

The results aren't out, so I have no idea where I placed. But Robin got second, so that was pretty cool! Another of my teammates won the men's cat 3 race outright. So the team had some sweet success. I think all the cat 4 men were just grateful to have gotten through their race without crashing. Sounds like there was a lot of squirrely riding going on out there.

I really wanted to find out where I'm at in my cycling training, to get a better sense of what to train going into my first build phase. I'm disappointed that all I really learned was that I can time trial pretty well. Which, duh, I'm coming out of 10 years of triathlon training. I really don't need to work on my time trialing, at this point. And I'm sad that I wasn't at the end of the race to help Robin out. Based on what I saw of the pack early on, and the people I blew past later in the race, I think I could have hung strong with all of the women until the end.

What I learned, though, is not to stop when a crash goes down in front of me, especially if there's nothing wrong with my body and my bike. I also learned, based on the data I have from my time trial, that my threshold heart rate is probably 5 BPM higher than I thought. I wish I had a power meter, so I could see what kind of power I sustained for the 45 minutes or so that I was on my own. I averaged 18.8 MPH throughout that, and that's with a couple little hills.

I hope I'll have better luck in my next race. I didn't get the vindication I wanted. I'm eager to try for it again soon!

William & Mary Tidewater Classic

The first start . . . the one before the thunderstorm

Next Saturday, I'm doing my first bike race in four years. The last road race I did (I think it was in 2012, but it might have been 2011) was . . . unpleasant. I didn't write a race report for it, at least not one that I could find. But it involved me swerving a little in the pack (of 7 female riders) because I wasn't paying close enough attention and a snotty girl in K-State kit tattling about it to one of the officials while the race was stopped for lightning. Oh yeah, there was a thunderstorm, too. And then when I tried to talk to her about it and apologize she basically said, "F you, you did it on purpose, learn to hold your line." Not that I'm bitter about it or anything. In addition to the you-know-what from K-State, my teammate's ex-girlfriend entered the race with the sole intention of trying to show her up (which was stupid; last I heard, my teammate was the state road champion in Arkansas and The Ex . . . was not champion of anything). The Ex tried to sprint and break away, it opened up an attack for another group, The Ex got dropped, four women got up the road (K-State got fourth out of them, so suck it, K-State) and I finished fifth in no-man's land. And did I mention there was a thunderstorm? And the official pulled me aside to tell me that people had been complaining about me? Yeah, it was a bad race.

"I hate you and I wish you would die."

As a result, I'm slightly nervous about doing my first road race in five years. Actually, I'm extremely nervous about it. I've been having stress dreams about bike racing. I'm worried that I'm going to get into the pack and suck: that I will either not be able to hold a line and a bunch of people will shout at me (or tattle to the officials about it); or that I will get dropped on the one big hill; or that I . . . actually, I don't have any other rational fears. I'm generally afraid and stressed about it.

That girl in the green overlapped my rear wheel in a turn and went down. She probably took most of the skin off her leg . She was out of the race. But I didn't go down. That's how good my handling skills were, thank you very much.

My handling on team rides is solid. I know I shouldn't be worried about that. I'm good riding in close quarters. I'm not a squirrely triathlete. But I have that conversation with the official at my last race stuck in my head, and it makes me doubt myself. What if I blow up early and get too tired to handle my bike properly? What if some snotty wanna-be from K-State decides to make herself feel better about her sub-standard riding by shouting at me to hold my line?

You know what? I'm looking at this the wrong way. This race is my chance for redemption. I'm stronger, and I handle my bike better now than I did then. I think riding tons on my own last summer improved my handling skills, ironically; there's no substitute for saddle time when it comes to being comfortable on your bike. Commuting on my bike has helped, too. Lots of cornering, and it's good practice at being hyper-aware of your surroundings.

The race is 20 miles--2 big loops, 1 short, punchy hill--for swag, upgrade points, and pride. I (along with at least one other woman from Veloworks-Spokes Etc) will be supporting one of my teammates for the win; we're hoping to help her cat up from 4 to 3 by the end of the season. I think she's going to drop us both on the hill, because I think an attack is likely to go there. But I'll hang with her and help her as long as I can. Maybe it'll come down to a bunch sprint, and we'll get to do the lead-out we've been practicing. We'll see if I can hold my line at 1200 watts!

Look for my race report next week.

"In Soviet Russia, Weather is Under You!"

I only wish that were the case. I've been under the weather for over a week now, and home sick for the past two days. I think I have a sinus infection. It feels like someone is standing on my face. I also feel like someone has been hitting me in the back with a baseball bat, but that may be because I've been sitting down much more than usual.

This is the first sinus infection I've had since college. I haven't had one (at least not one that's bad enough to bother me) for almost 10 years. I used to get them all the time--at least once a year, all through high school and college--but they stopped at about the time I started doing a lot of yoga. I think all the deep breathing helped keep my sinuses clear enough that no nasty little buggies could grow in them. So there's your pro tip for the day: do yoga and pranayama to prevent sinus infections!

I haven't been doing as much yoga in the last year or two partly because I'm not teaching yoga (and I'm too lazy to do it without that motivation) and partly because of the way everything ended with my "guru" (let us not speak her name, for it is evil). In spite of that, I tried to bring myself back from this illness by natural means: yoga, pranayama, neti pot, goldenseal, and lots of capsaicin. That was last Tuesday. And yesterday, like I said, I woke up feeling like someone (someone really fat) was standing on my face.

So I have abandoned the touchy-feely, au-natural crap in favor of decongestants (not helping), Excedrin (also not helping), and good old western medicine (we'll see). I have an appointment with a doctor at 2:45 today, and I'm hoping that the evil pharmaceutical industry will be able to help me out.

The worst part of this whole thing was that I have had to take it easy on the training. Last weekend was the first weekend since Snowzilla that there weren't mountains of snow for us to be crushed up against. So the rest of the team went out for a nice ride, and I stayed at home and watched the cyclocross world championships with hot tea and a quilt. I'm still sick this weekend, and I'm afraid I've missed the last decent riding-outside weather that we'll have for a while. And I have all the usual fears that having two weeks mostly (I've still been teaching cycling classes at work) off the bike will destroy my fitness, and I'll be a sad sack of under-cooked grits when I try to get back to actual riding. Add to that the fact that the racing season basically starts in two weeks, and I have an almost overwhelming compulsion to try to ride through this illness.

But I know that will make the recovery longer, and that I will serve my fitness better by resting instead of riding and blah blah blah. Which is why I'm sitting here writing blog posts and making funny graphics instead of outside (or on Zwift) training.

Hope your February is shaping up better than mine, whether you're under the weather or the weather is under you.

Jamie's Diet Food: Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Doesn't that look appetizing?

This is a tasty breakfast for days when I'm meeting my team for a long-ish ride (I have trouble calling 3 hours long, compared to my 8-hour rides last year). I do my short (60 minutes or less) morning rides fasted, and have breakfast after. That's usually zucchini frittatas, which I'll post next week.

I use quick-cooking steel-cut oats, which come par-boiled to save cooking time. Old-fashioned/rolled oats will cook quickly, but they will digest more quickly and cause a greater increase in your blood sugar. Same thing to a greater degree with quick-cooking rolled oats or instant oats. In summary, if they're quicker to cook, they'll be quicker to digest, and you'll run out of energy from them faster.

If you want to do true steel-cut oats, not the quick-cooking kind, I recommend making them in a crockpot the night before. Use a ratio of 4:1 liquid to oats, rather than 3:1. And you might want to grease the inside of your crockpot, or else you'll need a lot of elbow grease to clean off the dried-on oatmeal.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup quick-cooking steel-cut oats
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp all-natural peanut butter

Directions:
Combine the water and almond milk in a small saucepan. Add salt Heat over high heat until it just begins to boil. Add the oats, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Stir every minute or two for 5-6 minutes. Add peanut butter at the six minute mark. Cook for two more minutes, stirring every minute or so. Remove from heat and let the oatmeal sit for a minute before you eat. Add a banana if you need more calories.

Jamie's Diet Food

Cyclists are mostly skinnier than triathletes. Since I'm a cyclist now, instead of a triathlete, I need to get skinnier. Also, I put on about 8 lbs. after my Ironman. I need to lose those extra pounds, plus some.

There are a few tools I've been using to help. As a part-time housewife-type person, I'm responsible (or rather I take responsibility for) planning meals and grocery shopping. So I start with a simple spreadsheet, with meals for the week laid out for both Emily and me (since we eat different things for many meals). From there I go to EatThisMuch.com to help me generate meals for the week. It helps me plan within narrow parameters of calories and macronutrients for each day. With a premium membership, you can plan different meals for each day, but I tend to eat the same thing every day in spite of that. If I have leftovers or something specific I want to eat, I enter that, then generate other meals to fill in around it.

I buy all the ingredients I need for my weekly meals and do all the cooking on Saturdays and Sundays. It's much easier to stick to a restricted diet when it's easy, and with this set-up, I never have to make the choice to cook something healthy; I just eat the healthy stuff that's already in the fridge. I use MyFitnessPal to track my calories and exercise.

The diet has gone well so far. I've lost about 5 lbs. since I started monitoring in late December. My goal is to be down to my racing weight (I'm shooting for 130-132 lbs., which is the lightest I've been since middle school) by March, then stop trying to cut calories and focus on eating for performance. For the first time last year, I restricted my weight loss to base phase, and my training was better for it. I have enough fitness and training know-how to realize that your body's not great at splitting focus; if you're trying to lose weight, you don't gain as much fitness, and if you're trying to gain fitness, you shouldn't try to lose weight. But last year was the first time I actually put that into practice, and I noticed the difference in my fitness, especially late in the season.

I do notice that I'm cranky by the end of the week, and it's harder to motivate myself through hard workouts. My theory: I use so much willpower staying within my eating plan that, by the end of the week, I don't have the mental energy necessary to push through hard workouts. I eat more on the weekends (partly necessitated by long team rides that are, for me at least, pretty tough), which keeps the crankiness at bay. Mostly. But we still use the word "hangry" pretty liberally by Friday. Emily's dieting too; there's lots of hangry to go around by the weekend.

I'll post some of my favorite recipes that I find/come up with, in case you're a (relatively) fat triathlete trying to keep up with skinny cyclists, too.

Hello, my Name is Jamie, and I'm a Recovering Triathlete

Triathlon and I have broken it off. We're through. I'm keeping all of triathlon's stuff, though. Maybe, with some time and space, we'll become friends again. But our relationship is at its end.

By the way, it wasn't me; it was triathlon. Triathlon was fun and easy-going when we first met, but over time it became high maintenance. It took itself too seriously. It was kind of a jerk. I'm done with it. I've got a new sport in my life, though. It's less demanding of my time, and doesn't take itself as seriously.

Yes, friends. I've broken up with triathlon and am focusing exclusively on cycling.

I've been planning an exodus from triathlon for at least a year. I figured, after doing an Ironman, I'd either be addicted to full distance or be done with triathlon. I was looking forward to finding a new challenge. The choice came down to cycling or rugby (exclusively as a referee, though; I don't need any more head injuries). I've decided to remain on the sidelines (as a fan and occasional touch judge) regarding rugby, mostly because my local women's rugby team practices from 8:30-10:30 p.m. and I have to be at work no later than 6 a.m.

So I set about finding a cycling team that would suit me. There were several to choose from in the D.C. Metro, but I found myself most comfortable in the company of Veloworks-Spokes Etc. I'll be riding with them as a Cat. 4 woman. I think they have a great team philosophy (primarily "Don't be an asshole."); there are enough women to do cool things in races without having so many that you can't know each other really well; they're serious about training without taking themselves too seriously; and I really like the people on the team!

I've never focused exclusively on cycling before. If anything, I've de-emphasized cycling in my triathlon training, because it's my strongest sport. I'm excited to see what I can do by training exclusively as a cyclist. Maybe I have pro-caliber talent as a cyclist! But probably not. Probably I'm average, or slightly above. But I'm excited to find it out, and to do it in the company of a cool team.

Strength Training

I've gone back and forth on the utility of strength training during my athletic career, mostly based on how much I dislike it as an activity at the time. When I was in college, weight lifting was the only exercise I ever did, other than a short warm up on the bike beforehand. I don't know how I got the idea in my head that I was a weightlifter. Maybe it was because I'm naturally muscular, but I suspect that it was because I was chubby and out-of-shape. I assumed that I was a natural sprinter. I hear this all the time from people who never work out: "I'm just naturally a sprinter." I always think, "How do you know, if you've never worked out?" But I don't say it.

When I first started triathlon, I lifted all the time. Then I started working at a gym 10-15 hours a day, and I had plenty of downtime between sessions to lift. I thought it was important, and that it would make me a better athlete (because I liked it and wanted to do it, not because of any empirical evidence, although there is some out there). As I've gotten older (and had better things to do) and done longer distances (necessitating more time swimming, biking, and running), I've prioritized strength training less and less and less . . . until it's become a little joke among my co-workers ("What?! Jamie is actually lifting?!") And after 8 years as a personal trainer, I'm less gung-ho about how valuable weight lifting is for endurance athletes. There's plenty of evidence that strength training makes better athletes, but there are just as many coaches and researchers who question those findings.

The question of whether or not to weight train comes up once or twice a year on the Slowtwitch discussion boards, hotly debated between the athletes who swear by weight training and those who think it's a horrible waste of time and makes you a stupid, gullible, Gatorade-guzzling tool (which is why I mostly stay away from Slowtwitch's forums).

This year I am leaving the world of triathlon for criteriums, road races, and (most importantly!) cyclocross. I've found a team that I like (more on that later), and have taken the "Swim" and "Run" columns out of my annual training plan. As a result, I have this weird free time thing, and I don't know what to do with myself. It feels strange only doing one workout in one sport every day . . . so I'm making a concerted effort to do more strength training this year. Since I'm such a generous person, I'm sharing my base phase strength routine here with you (actually, I just want other people to suffer as much as I have been). There's nothing magical about this routine. It addresses some of my personal weak areas, but mostly it's designed as a high-intensity workout to help me lose the 8 lbs. I've gained since September. There are shortcomings to this workout, too: it stays mostly in one plane of movement; it focuses on large, compound movements in the same muscle groups to the detriment of corrective exercise; it has traditional sit-ups (which have fallen far out of favor). But I like these exercises, and I'll actually do them. For me, that trumps the disadvantages. Maybe they work for you, too.

This isn't a great routine if you're new to strength training, or to working out in general. Find another program if that's you. There are high-risk movements in this routine: the sit-ups, the overhead lunges, the atomic push-ups, and the thrusters all have the potential to mess up your back if you don't know how to do them correctly. Consult a doctor before you start a new exercise regimen, and work with a trainer (or at the very least a knowledgable friend) if you don't know what you're doing. Disclaimers aside, I hope this routine helps you.

Circuit A (20 reps each for time)

1-leg squats

Push-ups

Sit-ups

Burpees over bar

Back extensions

Pull-ups (I can't do 20; do as many as you can)

1:30 rest, then repeat

3:00 rest

Circuit B (15 reps each for time)

Thrusters

TRX chest

TRX row

Kettlebell deadlifts

TRX face grabs
Overhead lunges

1:30 rest, then repeat

3:00 rest

Circuit C (10 reps each for time)

TRX atomic push-ups

TRX triceps

TRX biceps

Kneeling forward lean

Bird dog/plank

Side plank w/ knee/arm extension

:30 rest, then repeat

New Year's Special

Every year at about this time, I offer a special discount to help get you started on your way to your goals for the New Year (or your New Year's resolutions, if you're into that kind of thing). This year, I'm once again offering a 10% discount on all cycling workout purchases. To get the discount, decide which workouts you'd like using my online storefront or the spinning catalogue and order form on my website, then enter the code JAN2016 in the coupon code field at checkout.

Happy New Year, and don't forget to spin & smile!

Baby It's Cold Outside: Four Lessons for Cold-Weather Cycling

It's not actually that cold outside, at least not here. We have yet to have a hard frost in my part of Northern Virginia. But we inevitably will. It'll get cold and miserable outside, and unlike back in 2009 when I did a similar post, I don't have the luxury of skipping cold, wet, snowy, or otherwise miserable days (because I commute by bike, you see). Fortunately, I also have a lot more disposable income than I had in 2009. So I've been accumulating gear year-by-year, and I have more insight to offer regarding what to wear.

Lesson One: You Get What You Pay For
The last post I did on this topic was all about making do with cheap gear. Part of this was based on my relative poverty, but part was based on a misunderstanding of what makes clothing expensive. The technology and development that have gone into a $250 pair of cycling shorts is worth more than what's gone into a $20 pair. You will feel that difference on a six-hour ride (and I've had the saddle sores to prove it). The take-away is that you should buy the best gear you can afford, rather than looking for the cheapest gear you can find. It probably won't matter for a 55-minute spin class, or a quick ride in 55* temps. But the more extreme your riding conditions, the more you will suffer if you buy cheap gear. Since we're talking about extremes in this post--extreme cold, extreme wind, extreme snow/sleet/rain/ice/brimstone--you want quality gear. It's okay to look for items on sale, but make sure it's quality stuff on markdown, not cheap stuff with sub-par materials and construction. On a related note, this goes for buying stuff from your local bike shop rather than from a discount site; at your LBS, you get the expertise of fellow cyclists, and they can help you separate the quality kit from the second-rate.

Lesson Two: Layers
Weather can change. Your intensity may vary. You might get lost. It's important to be prepared for multiple scenarios when you go out for a ride or a run. Unless you're running or riding with a backpack, the easiest way to take what you need with you is to wear it. Layering will also help with moisture transfer and heat management. If you know how to layer for other outdoor activities, the same principles will work for cycling. Bottom layer (closest to your skin) should wick moisture away from your body. Middle layer should insulate you by keeping warm air close to your body. Top layer should protect you by keeping wind and/or water away from your body. For my base layer, I usually wear an undervest and arm warmers, but if the temperature goes below 30*F I'll switch to a long-sleeved base layer. For temps 30*-50*, I use a short-sleeve jersey as a mid-layer. Below 30*, I switch to a long-sleeve jersey. For my top layer, I wear a wind- and water-resistant jacket if the temps are above 30* and a thermal cycling jacket if temps are below 30*. REI has some really good advice about layering, too.

Lesson Three: Protect the Bits
As a female, I'm fortunate to have genitalia that are kept warm and snug inside my body. For my male readers, I highly recommend you read Steve in a Speedo's advice on keeping your man-parts from getting frost-bitten. I can offer recommendations on some of the other body parts that I consider bits, though: fingers, toes, ears, and nose. Do not skimp on items to protect these parts of your body! They won't freeze or fall off, but they will make the difference between enjoying your cold-weather ride and hating your life and wanting to die. Get nice gloves with wind-proof tops and fronts. If you have the option, buy your winter gloves a little on the big side, to leave room for a thin glove liner in case it gets really cold. Buy a pair of wind- and water-proof shoe covers. Get warm, wind-proof headgear to cover your ears. If you tend to overheat easily, opt for a headband that covers your ears rather than a full skullcap. If it's really cold, cover your nose with a buff, a balaclava, or a ski mask (try to find one with ventilation holes so you can still breathe). If it's not super cold, I recommend putting Vaseline on the tip of your nose and in the nostrils to prevent windburn.

Lesson Four: Have Options
This is particularly important if you're commuting. Because if you don't have the right gear for a training ride, you can just throw your bike on the trainer and spin & smile with one of my workouts. But if you have no option but to ride your bike to work day in and day out, you really need to have options for your gear. Have a pair of light-weight, mid-weight, and heavy-weight gloves; have thermal tights and cool-weather tights; have pull-on booties and a pair of full overshoes; have options for jackets based on how cold, wet, and windy it is. Write it all off as commuting costs for business purposes. Don't mention to the IRS that this gear moonlights for personal use. After all, you are kind of saving the world by commuting on your bike instead of in a car.

If you need to pick up some new gear and don't have a local bike shop (FIND ONE!) or you've tried them but found the customer service lacking, you can e-mail me and I will gladly give you some recommendations. Or come and ask me over on Facebook.

Fall Riding

There are some downsides to living in Northern Virginia. Mostly traffic. But the terrain and weather here are beautiful, breathtakingly so in the fall. I've had a few opportunities to get out and enjoy the perfect weather, as you can see below. I hope the weather stays nice for you, so you can avoid turbo trainer workouts for as long as possible (although, if you have to use a trainer or stationary bike, you know how to make it more interesting)!

S&H46 - Technique

I don't about the weather where you live, but Northern Virginia has been beautiful for the past couple of weeks. I've been riding outside as much as possible, soaking up the nice weather while I still can!

But soon enough, it will be winter here. And although I still plan to ride outside as much as possible (just got new pairs of overshoes and winter gloves in the mail!), the day is coming when most of my riding will be done inside, either in classes or on the trainer. Ugh.

It's not all bad, though! Indoor trainer time provides an excellent opportunity to work on technique in preparation for next season! With that in mind, here is a free workout to help you do just that!

S&H 46 - Technique

To save the file to your computer, right-click (or control-click) the link and select "Save as . . ."

Spin & smile!

Looking for more workouts? Go here!

Race Report: Ironman Mallorca 2015

My first Ironman. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. That's not to say that it was easy; more than anything, I had the feeling that the hardest parts were over, and all that was left was to relax and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Pre-race:
We flew out of Washington-Dulles on Wednesday. I tried to sleep on the flight over, because I wanted to adjust my internal clock as early as possible. I failed miserably, though; I can't sleep on planes. I got about one hour of sleep on the way over. It was a long trip, and we were tired and hungry by the time we got to the hotel (compounded by the fact that we took public transportation from the airport to the hotel, then couldn't find the hotel once we got to Alcudia). I had trouble sleeping for the next few nights. Didn't really get over my jet lag before the race. I did have a dream in which the race's "Australian exit" involved getting out of the water and running around an Australian guy in a speedo and swim cap who was sitting on the beach.

Breakfast the morning of was leftover paella!

Swim:
2.4 miles in 1:18:29 (2:01/100m)
IM Mallorca utilized the new "rolling start" option that WTC has been implementing. I seeded myself slightly slower than what I thought I could do, right at the end of the 1:30 group. I expected that 1:30 would be a good time for me. I never dreamed that I could do 1:18! That's a better pace than my last several half IMs! The water was pancake-flat, salty (i.e. buoyant), and clear, just barely wetsuit-legal, and the rolling start ensured that I got to swim the whole 2.4 miles in the draft.

I used a new wetsuit, a Roka that I picked up secondhand from my local tri shop (which recently closed). I know that auditioning new equipment in an A race is verboten, but I'm glad I did it. It's a sleeveless wetsuit, which kept me from getting overheated and took some of the pressure off of my shoulders and neck. Those two factors have given me trouble in much shorter races. As a result of that new wetsuit, I had an easier time in the swim than I ever though possible.

Bike:
112 miles in 6:57:45 (16.08 MPH)
Mallorca is a beautiful place, and the bike course was equally beautiful. I don't remember much about the race part of the ride, but I can still picture clearly in my mind the coast, the countryside, the mountains, the whole experience of getting to ride 180 km in paradise. The roads were mostly really nice, with a few rough stretches. There was a headwind coming back towards Alcudia (which we did twice). And the primary feature of the race course is a 10 km climb with 600 m elevation gain and a steep, steep descent. I haven't done switchbacks on a steep downhill in years, and I descended very conservatively. That's something I'd like to work on in the future, but for this race, I was happy to take it slow and make it down the mountain in one piece. In short, the bike was tough, but really enjoyable--an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life.

By the way, Rob and Brian from the UK, I watched you draft through the entire bike course. Maybe if you can't handle the distance on your own, you should stick to shorter races, eh?

Run:
26.2 miles in 5:00:29* (11:27/mile)
I took my time in T2 (11:39), sat for a little longer than I needed to, commiserating with the other women about the pain we were about to experience. But I headed out of transition on the run, with a smile on my face. The smile soon turned to a grimace, however. I had horrible pain in my abdomen. I figured for sure there was something wrong. Emily met me at the first aid station, where we could get outside assistance in lieu of special needs. I hurt so bad at that point that I sat down on the curb and cried. She encouraged me as much as she could, and sent me off on my way with a hug and, "It will all be over in a few hours." It occurred to me on that leg of the run loop that my aqua belt might be causing my pain. So, the next time I saw her, I took off the belt and gave it to Emily. I experienced instant relief!

From then on, I felt like I was floating. In fact, I went sub-10:00-pace for a good chunk of the run course! We did 4.5 loops on a perfectly flat course through crowds of spectating tourists. I got extra cheers on the run because I am a woman (only 12% of competitors!), I am from America (not very many of us!), and (I assume) because I look like I am 12 years old. I'm very cute; everyone wants the cute little American girl to finish strong! The only disadvantage to the crowd support was that it was difficult to execute my pacing plan! I'd planned to walk for 30 seconds every 5 minutes, but it's hard to walk when people are yelling "Go Jamie!" in half a dozen languages!

The last 3-4 miles of the marathon were tough and they hurt, but by that point, I knew that I could make it. I came across the line with a fist pump and a smile! After soaking my feet in the Mediterranean and grabbing a plate of food (and my swag), I found Emily, who informed me that she'd almost missed my finish! Why was that? I had expected to finish in about 15 hours, but came across the line in 13:38:47, much earlier than I'd planned! I was elated! And tired. And hungry. But mostly very, very happy.

Total: 13:38:47 (F rank 156, F 30-34 rank 28, Overall 1531)
I am so, so happy with what I accomplished. Looking back, it doesn't seem like that big a deal! Am I allowed to say that? Most of the difficulty was in finding time and energy (and eating enough food) to train. By the time the race came, it felt like crossing T's and dotting I's!

I don't know if I'll do another Ironman. I certainly don't plan to do another one anytime soon. It takes up too much space in my life, and there are too many other things that I want to do. But after this accomplishment, nothing will ever seem quite so difficult**. In my mind, I'll always have the response, "It's not as hard as an Ironman."

--------
*5:00:29 is a new marathon PR for me!
**I expect this will not include giving birth. Pushing humans out through your genitals is definitely harder than an Ironman. And more painful.

Race Report: Pacers Crystal City Friday 5k

This race served as a fitness test for me in my first week of Ironman training. I was excited to see what kind of speed I would have coming off of a marathon training plan. I had a great run at a great race, and I was happy with my fitness!

As I get older (or maybe just wiser), I find that I benefit from a longer warm-up. It may be that I was just too lazy in past years to take 15-20 minutes for preparation. I could get away with it in my early twenties. Now that I'm approaching thirty, I'm more mindful of how my body feels, and my body feels better when I take at least 15 minutes to warm up.

That said, I ran the 1.2 miles to my closest Metro station and took the train to Crystal City. I picked up my packet, stopped in at Crystal City Sport & Health (right next to the start line, thank you very much) to pin my number and have a drink, and then took another 1.2 miles to warm up. My left ankle felt tight on the inner side, just behind the ankle bone (I think these are annular ligaments that are tight and cranky from all of my ankle injuries last season). It loosened up within a few minutes, though, so I wasn't too worried.

Standing on the start line, I felt nervous. I haven't run hard and fast in many months. I remember, though, that 5ks hurt, and I was not excited about the 30 minutes of pain. I think I seeded myself well, since I didn't have to pass very many slower runners early on. And, considering the tight quarters, the pack thinned out relatively quickly.

I bought a Garmin 910XT with the leftover budget from my bike purchase; this was my first race using my new GPS watch. I ran by heart rate, trying to keep it under 170 BPM for the first mile, then shooting for around 173 BPM until the last half mile. After that, I let 'er rip, and ended up at a full (probably ugly) sprint across the line. Finished in 27:26, and didn't throw up! But it was a close call.

There was one woman who ran near me the whole time. She was probably 20 years older than me, with a similar build, wearing an Ironman cap with green stripes. We went back and forth through the whole race. For a while, I was running behind her and we were perfectly in step, stride-for-stride. I passed her with a little over a quarter mile to go, and held her off until the end. After I got a water bottle and established that I wasn't going to puke, I started looking for her. She found me first, though, and we chatted about our race together. Thanks, lady in the green cap, for pushing me to run my very best! If you ever need a running buddy, call me!

The other person I saw on-course who really impressed me: There was a woman, probably a new mother I assume , heavy-set in the way that new mothers often are. She was almost at the very back of the race, probably only half a dozen people behind her; I passed her as I was heading the opposite way, towards the finish line. She was pushing her baby in its stroller, wearing blue spandex tights, a cute, turquoise shirt, and a floppy, sparkly tutu. She had a huge smile on her face, as she walked along the race course. She looked so proud and happy to be doing this 5k. So good for you, mom with the sparkly, blue skirt, and congratulations on your 5k!

I enjoyed this race. It had a great feel to it, and it was cool to run on the roads of Crystal City, which had been closed to traffic for this race. There was an exciting mix of people: strong, fit runners, walkers doing their first-ever event, an older women (late 70s, maybe?) wearing salmon-colored jeans and a nice sweater, the mom with her sparkly tutu, and a bunch of middle-of-the-pack runners like me. Everyone seemed excited to be there, and the race was well-organized. I would definitely do this race again. In fact, I might sign up for another one! They run every Friday through the end of April. So let me know if you're going to do one, and maybe I'll see you there!

Race Report: Yuengling Marathon 2015

I did my first marathon! It hurt. It was much harder than I expected, much more painful than a half distance triathlon or anything else I've tried. But I also recovered much faster than I expected, based on the duration of the event.

Pre-race
My roommate and I headed to Virginia Beach at around noon on Saturday. Between bad traffic and stops for peeing and snacks, the 3 hour drive took us almost 6 hours. And then when we got to Virginia Beach, we had mapped the wrong convention center location (the convention and tourism office instead of the actual convention center). By this point, I only had 45 minutes left to pick up my racing packet, so I was super stressed. After that, we had to drive up and down the main drag in Virginia Beach looking for my hotel. I couldn't find my confirmation e-mail for my hotel, but I had in my mind it was a Days Inn that I was staying at. I was wrong. We went to both Days Inn locations on the beach, and I wasn't booked at either one. I finally found my confirmation email, and realized that I was actually booked at a Best Western. So then, of course, we went to the wrong Best Western. We finally got to our hotel--and keep in mind that we've driven up and down Atlantic Avenue 3 times at this point, and each 1-mile trip was taking 10-15 minutes, so we'd been fighting through the ridiculousness for an hour--and we were greeted by this view:

Not too bad!

I needed a nap and a butt-load of water at that point, though.

My parents arrived shortly after we did, and we settled into our room. Once we figured out the sleeping arrangements, we headed to a popular Italian spot for dinner.

Day-of
I woke up at 5:30 (3 hours before race start) to try and get my breakfast in. I brought a huge bowl of steel-cut oatmeal with protein powder, coconut oil, and raspberry jam. I ate most of the oatmeal, but 2 cups of steel-cut oats is a lot. I figure I ended up with about 500 calories for breakfast.

After breakfast, I tried to go back to sleep, but I was too excited. I ended up staying up and watching the weather channel. My dad got up and around sometime after 7 to keep me company, and we took off for the the start line (a little over a mile away) around 7:45.

It was chilly before the race, but I was kitted up in sweat pants and a jacket. I chose to wear my favorite running shorts with a short-sleeve shirt, arm warmers, gloves, and a thermal cap. The only thing I didn't keep for the whole race was the gloves, because there was a cool breeze, and I kept having to put my arm warmers and cap back on.

The course was great. Flat as a pancake, with some really interesting sights. We got to run through Camp Pendleton, and a great group of soldiers were cheering us on as we ran through. There was a long, boring stretch from mile 13 to mile 19, where we got onto Fort Story, but it was still very pretty. And Fort Story was kind of a drag; the roads were bad, and the only spectators to speak of were armed guards. Still, much better than running on McConnell Airforce Base in my first half marathon!

I felt good through the halfway point. My sartorius often bothers me on really long runs; I get a sharp muscle pain at the tendon, right up at the attachment near my hip. It feels like the tendon is trying to pull away from the bone every time I lift my leg. It started bothering me around mile 14, worked itself out after a few miles, but came back in the last 10k.

At halfway, I tried to pick up the pace a little bit, which I think was a mistake. I should have stayed steady until the last 3-4 miles. I had a very rough time from around mile 17 to . . . until the end of the race, actually. Maybe if I'd kept it slow at mile 14, I would have felt stronger throughout the second half.

I did well with my nutrition plan. I took a gel or chews every 30 minutes, drank Gatorade and water at every water stop, and drank from the water bottle I was carrying every 5 minutes. I never got stomach upset, although I did have a little bit of cramping in the second half; it went away when I had Gatorade. I think in the future, I will carry Nuun instead of water, and only drink electrolytes. I've been doing some reading on isotonic fluid replacement, so I may see if I can get more scientific with that. I've also never done a sweat test (where you weigh yourself before and after a hard workout to see how much sweat you lost), and that might be helpful before my next big race. Taken as a whole, though, I was very happy with how my nutrition plan worked for me. I'm glad I practiced it in my training.

I'm not very happy with my pacing. I was able to restrain myself early in the race, but my plan to pick up my pace in the second half was not wise. Now that I've done a marathon, I think I'll be able to develop a better race plan and pace more consistently. I was counting on a negative split, but a better strategy would have been to keep things easy until the last 10k, or even later.

I experienced virtually no chafing, though I did stop at about the 17 mile point to put some lube on my little toes. But I had no blisters on my feet at the end of the race, no raw spots that surprised me during my first post-race shower. Normally I get chafing under my arms and in my . . . personal area. Aquafor and chamois cream, and lots of practice on where and how much to apply, served me well.

The most surprising thing to me was how much muscular pain I experienced. My back and legs seized up so much by the end that I could barely hobble across the finish line; I literally could not lift my feet more than a few inches off the ground. I'm not sure why that happened, but I assume it was a lack of overall strength. I know it's a little crazy at the paces that I run, but I think I would feel much more confident with a few 26-mile or longer training runs leading up to a marathon. Around 16-18 miles is where the wheels started coming off for me, and I did a lot of runs at those distances. My theory is that I built up a resistance to that point in training, and if I want to feel good throughout the race I'll need to do some 26-milers.

I'm also surprised by how quickly I recovered. I had a hard time with stairs on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday I felt like I'd just come off a week of recovery: snappy legs, no muscle soreness, I was rocking my commute! And I didn't get the horrible stomach upset that I often feel at the end of triathlons. So marathons are much worse during, but much better after.


I can't decide whether I'll do more marathons . . . For sure I won't do one again until after my Ironman in September, but I'm not sure if I ever want to do that again. I said the same thing after my first triathlon, though; I imagine that the challenge of figuring out the training and racing puzzle will draw me back eventually.

Final: 5:10:39 (11:51/mile)
F25-29: 121/153
Women: 707/946
Overall: 1763/2185

Pre-Race Nerves

Tomorrow I run my first marathon in Virginia Beach.

I've been slightly nervous all week. I haven't felt this nervous before an event in years. It's nice; feels like a challenge again! I go into it thinking, What if I can't do this? I don't really believe that I'll try and fail; I recognize that I'm pushing the limits of what I've done before, and it's possible that I might not be able to do it. Can I run 26.2 miles? I don't know! I've prepared well, but there's still a thrilling niggle of doubt.

So cheers to chasing the unknown! I'm off to Virginia Beach to pick up my race packet!

Ooh, Shiny!

Look what I got!

Technically, this is a reward for finishing my marathon, which I haven't finished yet.

So hopefully I don't totally poop out on Sunday, because I'm pretty sure that Tri360 won't take it back!