Musselman 70.3: How to fuel this beast?

I did my first swim-bike brick Sunday. I swam 1500 then rode 54 miles.

Every long run/swim/ride has left me positively famished by the end, so now I'm grappling with how I'll get through this event with enough energy.

Before I went to the pool, I had a Greek yogurt and a banana. This was enough for the entire swim, which was about 20 minutes. Then I did a Honey Stinger when I was out.

Once I was on the bike I consumed sport beans and one of those PowerBar fruit squeeze packs, and I mixed just a little bit of Gatorade powder in with my water.

By Mile 25 I was crashing hard. I stopped at a gas station and partially out of desperation, partially out of knowing from previous times that a salad and trail mix weren't good options, I snagged some pretzels and an ice cream sandwich. Surprisingly this didn't hurt my stomach too much, and I bounced back instantly and finished the ride strong but completely famished, topping it off with a DFC protein shake then grazing on nachos from Moe's Southwest Grill for the rest of the evening.

How would I sustain myself with a slightly longer swim, two miles tacked onto the bike, and a half marathon after all that?

So, it's mission find some easy on the stomach, gluten free (or maybe I should go ahead and do gluten and accept the tummy ache the next day...), portable, real food options for the race. I do like dried fruit, I'm going to make some quinoa bars to experiment with, hmmmm...

Other suggestions?

Thinking ahead to fall

Putting aside the triathlon jitters for a moment (In one week I'll be on the course... AAAHHHHHHH!)...

I made a big decision about this fall this week! Friday I registered for the Wine Glass Full Marathon.

It'll be a tight turnaround in between the necessary rest after Musselman, July 14, and the full Oct. 6. I'm also planning on the Highlander Cycle Tour, a century ride (will I brave Quads Hilla?) Sept. 7.

I hear so many wonderful things about this race, it's point to point, in beautiful wine country, and all downhill.

And it's called the WINE GLASS. Do I really need to justify it further?

Triathlon packing triggers OCD tendencies

Ok, longtime followers of my blog (both of you) may remember my finicky-ness in packing for my first marathon.

Add in two more equipment intensive sports and an overnight and... that's why I'm writing this a week in advance.

The Keuka Lake Triathlon is a week from tomorrow!

I like to make lists, and this one requires categorization. 

I got some ideas from this site. They thought of everything. 

(Why a bucket when a perfectly good patch of grass will do?)

(Yea, I do...) 

My list will only grow.  

Swim

• Wetsuit
• Sports bra and shorts to wear under
• Goggles
• Ear plugs
• Swim cap (yes I know they give us one but this is me being... me)
• Stuff to help me put my wetsuit on

Bike

• Flower
• Helmet (forgetting this is my biggest fear for some reason)
• Unique something to locate my bike
• Clip-in pedals
• Padded shorts and shirt for bike
• Two water bottles, full
• Extra tube (I will be so sad if I get a flat)
• Bike gloves
• Body glide
• Plastic bag for seat
• Bike pumps, both portable and floor
• Sunglasses
• Tire lever
• Heart rate monitor + strap
• Tape (to attach bike number)

Run

• Asics
• Knee thingys
• Calf thingys
• Extra calf thingy
• Hydration pack, full
• iPhone arm band
• Hat
• Socks

Transitions

• Honey stingers and chews
• Towel
• Sandals and comfy clothes
• Snacks (See note after swim cap)
• Rain gear?
• Garbage bag
• Sunblock
• Baby wipes

Overnight

• Comfy sleeping clothes
• Extra pillow
• Shower stuff, etc
• Pepto and S caps and Vitamin I and, well, pretty much a mini pharmacy because I never know
• Cooler full of water
• Almond butter, gluten free bread and jelly
• Basic workout clothes for Saturday clinics
• Casual clothes for Saturday night and hopeful winery visit
• Phones (plural) and chargers

Finally

• Money because I will still forget something. 

Planning on a full MUSSEL experience!

This is getting really real, really fast... the Musselman halfiron is in less than TWO MONTHS! 

Plus my first triathlon, the Keuka Lake sprint triathlon, is in 11 days. Eeeeeep!!! 

For the half iron, I have all the pieces in place, I can do the swim, bike and run, I just need to put them all together. I'm planning on a swim then a long bike ride Sunday. 

I've been thinking logistics. One thing I love about these two events is that they let athletes stay in the college dorms for crazy cheap. I was especially worried about Musselman, I wouldn't want to make the trip driving in that morning and leaving in the evening but they let you stay in the dorms at Hobart and William Smith Colleges for $35 a night! Hotels there were crazy expensive, so now I might as well take a mini vacation while I'm at it, I'll be staying three nights, coming in Friday and leaving on Monday. My free time will be spent basking at Seneca Lake state park, hopefully the weather will say that's ok!

It's the same deal at Keuka Lake, you can stay at the college, so I'll be staying there one night. 

So now I won't have to worry about accommodations.

My plan is to come in Friday afternoon, scope out the scene and do the µMussel, a fun, mini mini triathlon, where the bike portion must be done on a tricycle or Big Wheel (currently scoping out Craigslist). 

There's a breakfast the next morning, and then I can either kill some time (the college is just a few miles away from Seneca Lake State Park) or relax hopefully outdoors somewhere. Maybe if I manage my finances correctly I can find a place to get a massage. 

There's also the multisport expo that day, and a mandatory meeting for those doing the half iron. The lovely Victoria Freile has agreed to come down and be my transition crew! Lastly, a dinner (with gluten free pasta!) 

I'm sure it will be off to bed early.

On Sunday, the race starts at 7 a.m. and I hope to be done by three. GULP!

From then, it's the post race party and some sleep, then a whole day Monday to visit some wineries and bask by the lake!!

Race report: Chase Corporate Challenge 2013

Normally I don’t do well in the heat, but I crushed it at the Chase Corporate Challenge Tuesday.

I spent the day chugging water in preparation, and it felt good to sweat it out. Mother Nature was kind to us, a nice breeze broke up the thick, stagnant humidity just as we were lining up.

And only once everyone was safely across the finish line and I was halfway through my salad did the sky suddenly get dark and the freakish storm arrive.

I did the 3.5 mile race in 32:03 with splits around 9:00.

My work day ran late and I was rushed getting there. I parked at the University of Rochester and caught the shuttle. We pulled up to RIT, and holy lot of people! There was white tent after white tent with companies represented from all over Rochester. Finding the Democrat and Chronicle folks was a challenge, but we had a solid group of 40 and represented well! (Not as well as Wegmans, which brought an army.)

Team D&C

Our shirts were fun.

Me and Victoria before the race. 

But some were better.

I lined up with Traci, Victoria, Neeti and a few others. I figured I’d keep up with them. I didn’t listen to the speeches. They unleashed a special wave of people, then the fast people, then us.

Everyone I was around booked it, so much for keeping up, I was worried about getting run over. Adios and god speed, coworkers!

Even dropping back as early as I did, I was running a sub-9:00 after the first half mile, woa there!

I got to the water stop just after mile 1 at 9:16, but that may have included a few seconds at the start before we crossed.

I vow to slow down, but the course is fast, flat and I’m feeling good as we weave through RIT. It’s warm but the breeze has kept up, so I’m comfortable. I got the second mile done in 9:28.

Eh, mile and a half left and I’m feeling good. Why not. I kick it up a bit, past some students drinking (and perhaps offering up?) cheap beer. The third mile goes fast, 8:58, and I’m on the home stretch.

The cockiness kicks in, I’m passing people who no doubt started out too fast so I kick it up even more. Not sure what pace I ran the final half in, but I was going fast!

I see Neeti up ahead and kick it up even more to catch up to her. We cross together.

There’s a long chute. First came the water, then the food. They were handing out Dole Banana Dippers, delicious, must find! So refreshing after a run in the heat.

We then get a second shirt, though I wasn’t fast enough to get a small so I ended up with a medium which was way too big!

I finally make it back to the Democrat and Chronicle tent, compare notes, and get my salad. The D&C was lovely enough to get Wegmans sandwiches for everyone, but I had to be gluten free and special but at least I wasn’t the only one.

I’m sitting in the grass eating and someone says: “There’s a storm rolling in in about six minutes.” The sky is bright and blue. Victoria felt the rain drop first, then me, so we scooted under the tent. Our final teammates came through just before the sky turns dark. “We need to go now,” Traci says.

I follow blindly and get into the backseat of the car with three others, just before the sky opens and it starts pouring. We drive around lost trying to find my car at U of R.

Lots of fun, I loved doing this race with my coworkers. Can’t wait for next year!

Enlisting help, Keuka tri, and the first long bike ride of the year

I've got quite a bit of ground to cover in this post, so bear with my ramblings... The Keuka Lake tri is coming up quick, I'm now working with a Ironman coach and I crushed my first long bike ride of the year (though the sunburn on my back says otherwise.

Keuka rapidly approaching

I'm now **gulp** 13 days out from the Keuka Lake triathlon and **bigger gulp** 55 days out from Musselman. In addition I'm going to sign up Friday for the Quakerman olympic triathlon June 16 and the Wine Glass full marathon Oct. 6. I'll also sign up for Highlander Cycle Tour Sept. 7 at some point.

I'm so nervous for Keuka! I'm already having nightmares about forgetting my equipment, finishing last and blowing out a tire. Here's why:

• I've never swum in open water! I don't know if I'll have the right equipment. I have the sleeveless wetsuit, but I don't know if I'll need the neoprene cap and sleeves! 
• I don't feel like I've practiced swimming in the wetsuit and my bike/run transitions enough. I'll get on it but I'm running out of time!
• Did I mention I'm terrified of open water? 

Setting my fears aside, it will be a fun trip! I'm staying in the dorms at Keuka College, found the dogs a trusty dog sitter in Greece with a huge lawn, and might make a side trip to Bully Hill winery. Because wine makes everything better. I also just put an inquiry out about staying in the dorms for Musselman!

Enlisting help

A couple weeks ago I was struggling with my training and decided to reach out for a bit of help.

Random ramblings for a Tuesday (mostly about food)

It's been awhile since I've done a random ramblings post. So why not?

-I swam 2,000 yards last night in 56:09. I think my fastest time for this distance was 53-something, but I was still excited. Before then I'd done exactly one swim in three weeks, which I got done but didn't do so well because I still was having trouble breathing. I had similar trouble breathing the last five laps of the effort, so I kept my head up for the cooldown.
-The water was warmer then usual at the DFC. While I should be getting used to cold water, warm water was nice.
-I bribed myself with nachos from Moe's Southwest Grill to get my lazy butt in the pool. Definitely had an eyes bigger than stomach moment. They were delicious.
-Putting a Moe's Southwest Grill in between my gym and the parking garage is cruel and unusual punishment.
-I'm really hungry today.
-I'm again trying to track my food. I've given up counting calories, I eat too many salads and crockpot concoctions, so I've just been tracking in a Google Doc. Mission for the week: More protein. Hello, Chobani.
-So far I've consumed two Wegman's club packs of strawberries in four days. Delicious.
-Earth Balance coconut and peanut spread is delicious. I cut the middle steps and just eat occasional spoonfuls.
-Why did I open this soda? I don't even like soda. I don't want it.
-I started to write a bunch of scardy-cat bullets about the Keuka Lake tri, but then I decided to make it its own post.
-The Chase Corporate Challenge is in one week. Excited!!!
-Breaking news gotta go.

Back on track, but how to proceed?

After shaking off my Nyquil hangover after about three days of sleeping off a nasty cold (seasons, I appreciate that you changed, but you did it too quickly) I looked at the date on my phone, did some quick math and cringed a little bit.

The Keuka Lake Triathlon, a .46 mile swim, 13 mile bike and 5K run is 27 days away. The Musselman half ironman is 69 days away.

Because I might ship this blog out to a few pros for advice, I'll start from the beginning. I was crushing it with my training. I was following the Beginner Triathlete half ironman plan from March up until two weeks ago. Prior to that I wasn't doing much cardio but I spent about six months working with a trainer focusing on weights which really helped my speed and helped me get ready for the pool.

The only thing I hadn't been following closely on the plan was the bike, mainly because up until just a few weeks ago it wasn't feasible to get outside. I've been on the spin bike a lot though, teaching a lot of classes, but really couldn't stomach more than 90 minutes at a time. I was doing 2000 in the pool in about 50 minutes, and I did the Flower City Challenge (more on that in a second.)

So that was all up until two weeks ago. Then, I took a taper week for the Flower City Challenge. All I did that week was two spin classes, one short bike ride and two short runs.

I crushed the Flower City Challenge. Day 1 was a duathlon, a 5K run, 20 mile bike (with a few killer hills) and a 5K run. Day 2 was a half marathon. Felt great for both. But then the sinus infection came on, and I had to skip my trip to Ohio where I should have done another half marathon Saturday. All I did last week was two cycle classes with hardly any resistance on the bike.

I'd love some advice: How to proceed? 

I probably still can't get in the pool, not for a few more days anyway, because of my sinuses. Maybe I'll put in some time on the rowing machine just to do something. I've still never swum in open water.

Here's what my training plan calls for this week, lots of bike time. I can imagine I'll scale this back, today maybe I'll run instead of swim.

TODAY - SWIM WU 2 x 75 last 25 each breaststroke; MAIN 2 x 600, CD 150 easy (will skip); BIKE - 75 minutes with hills
TUESDAY - BIKE - 60 minutes, aero for middle 40 time
WEDNESDAY - 75 minutes w/ long tempo - 15 mins, 50 mins, 10 mins
THURSDAY- OFF
FRIDAY - SWIM - 400, 4 x 100, 200, 2 x 100, 100; RUN - 1 hour
SATURDAY - BIKE - 90 minute bike use aeros; RUN - 30 minutes after bike
SUNDAY - BIKE - 2.5 hours easy (I'll shoot for 50 miles)

A "do not start" for Capital City :'-(

I hate to feel like a quitter, but I need to keep my eyes on the prize and maintain (what's left of) my sanity.

I will not be racing the Capital City Half Marathon Saturday.

I've looked at it from every angle, and given the following circumstances there is no way running 13.1 miles in two days can be considered a not-horrible decision:

• I came down with a cold after my half marathon Sunday. Ok, that's a lie, I came down with a cold before my half marathon Sunday. Woke up at 1 a.m. and couldn't breathe. I just pumped myself full of DayQuil and Ibuprofin and miraculously survived, then slept for 36 hours. Oh, and I also ate my magic coconut peanut butter. (It's magic because it's peanut butter and I actually like it.)
• Many many many sources tell you not to take cold medicine and Ibuprofin before a run. I've already not listened once.
• Said cold has overstayed its welcome by about four days. Either it decided to get worse again this morning, or someone hit me with a bag of bricks overnight. 
• Against my better judgement I went to spin this morning, using the logic that "maybe if I get up and get moving I'll feel better." I did not feel better.
• I refilled my big water bottle at least six times yesterday, and still woke up dehydrated.
• It's going to be almost 80 in Columbus Saturday. I don't do well in the heat even when I'm used to it. I have not run in the heat this year. 
• Cold meds make my tummy hurt. 

The odd thing is, I feel tired but otherwise fine. No fever. I'm functioning surviving at work and had the energy to play with laugh at chicken butt Lizzie dog this morning (and clean up the half glass of orange juice she knocked over with her tail). Tonight I'll probably venture out to the store to buy more tissues and return my overdue Redboxes (to plow through Lincoln, or accept the fact that I will fall asleep during it?) Sooooo.... you get the picture. 

Even after all this, and multiple people telling me to listen to my body, I was tempted to go and try to run. "You jumped into a dumpster full of ice in November a year and a half ago and were fine the next day," I tried to tell myself. "That means racing doesn't make me sick!"

This was the deciding factor: I've already lost a week and a half of half ironman training from tapering and this cold. On Sunday, I will be 11 weeks out from Musselman. I am really far off my training plan.

If I run this, it could mean being out for another week, for a race I've already put a lot into.

That won't do.

I deferred my entry, so I'll look forward to the Capital City Half Marathon 2014.

I'll take my day off tomorrow, teach my class, then rest. Maybe take the dogs for a walk. Maybe introduce Flower to the Canal trail. Maybe get in the way of the Hollywood crews downtown like the rest of the city.

(And maybe go fight that parking ticket.)