Race Prep Update

Since I am healthy, I find I am in a new spot this season! An exciting spot! Ross and I quickly reflected after our morning swim and pointed out what a blessing it was to be getting ready for Lifetime Minneapolis (www.lifetimetri.com) and not having to figure out if I was going to be able to complete the run or not. Last year I was battling another injury and had to take the race one step at a time and determine on the spot if I was going to be okay to run. Not fun. But at this time last year, I just wanted to race so badly. It has been a learning curve with juggling training in between races that are pretty close together, but a good learning curve. :) Lifetime Minneapolis is one of my favorite races-it was where I qualified for my pro card in 2010! Anyway, I can't say enough about the course. I know I have posted about it before, but the bike course is pretty fun as it has a lot of turns to keep things interesting! The two loop run course makes it fun for spectators as they can see you multiple times. This helps me too-who doesn't like cheering?! :) The Minneapolis area really reminds Ross and I of East Grand Rapids--so a familiar feel for us. The race staff is also very supportive and excited to be putting on a race. I know athletes are well taken care of at Lifetime races! I will be posting updates as I continue my prep for the upcoming race! Thanks for checking in!

5150 St. Louis

Let me just start by saying what a blessing it has been to be healthy and able to fully train! Praise God for that! This is my first season being able to race this much at this time of the year. Anyway, Ross and I enjoyed another weekend together traveling through the country. (Ross helps so much with all the race travel--I couldn't do this without his help!) After Muskoka, which was a hilly course, we were sure that St. Louis was going to be flat. The profile on line didn't look that intimidating. Well, it fooled us! The run at St. Louis was crazy hilly! ha. Soo...the flat race plan went out the window.
The race took place at Innsbrook Resort just outside of St. Louis. The resort was woodsy and hilly with long gradual hills and long steep hills...you got it all! We saw deer, horses, turtles, and lots of little lakes on this resort. It was neat. Oh and there was a golf course in there as well! The lake we swam is was non-motorized, which was so nice. It was warm too-my kinda swim! I had fun warming up the day before the race with friend and pro triathlete, Amanda Hahn-Peters and Ross.
The morning of the race came and I didn't sleep well at all! I usually can sleep pretty decent, but not this time for some reason. I went through my pre-race warm ups and felt quite loose--sweet! I was really focused and ready to rock. (I decided to wear my xterra speed suit for the swim even though the water was quite warm. I feel it gives a bit more buoyancy in the water and I like the feel of it.)

I had a great start to the swim and could see the leader for the first half of the swim. I settled into my groove and came out of the water about 4-5th! I headed out for the bike and was pretty cautious to not over smash my legs since the was so hilly. I had to be smart and I felt I accomplished just that. I was controlled on this ride, which allowed me to be ready to run off the bike. I haven't felt this good off the bike yet so I was pretty excited. I remained focused and process driven. I started out strong and controlled and built as best as I could in the middle third of the run. There were some killer hills in there where I wondered if I would have to walk..for real. Going down a couple of them felt like my quads were going to jiggle right off! My feet were just slapping the ground like crazy-it was like I had to put the "breaks" on a bit to keep from falling. The run went on quite a bit of gravel roads, which I liked. It was better to have that soft surface especially on the downhill portions.

I passed 2 girls ahead of me on the run, which was super exciting. I really didn't know where I was at place wise. So I just stayed focused because I knew Laurel Wassner was not far behind! Once I saw 2 miles left, I tried to be risky and let myself go. I knew there were a couple more big hills toward the end so I had to be smart not to loose it on these. I hit one hill towards the end and was like, "holy cow, what do I do? I feel like I am walking...do I just move my feet faster? drive my knees harder? ahh!" haha, it was pretty steep feeling at this point! I made it-whew! I also visualized being pulled upt he hill-that actually kinda helps. The next hill was long, but more gradual so I was able to tackle this one as I recovered some on the downhill that was right before. The finish was mostly downhill with a really short steep section up the grassy part rounding the finish line. Those short steep hills are killer! I was really bent over just trying to muscle up this little thing...haha. I was bent at the hips-bad form! ;)

Anyway, I powered through and ended up 3rd. I was excited about this! I was able to stay in the zone mentally and managed to stay process driven. It was a cool feeling! I was happy to sport the Tri4Him jersey on the podium too. The race announcer pointed out to the crowd during awards that I was wearing Tri4him gear. Neat! Thank you Champion Systems for providing our gear! The race was run very well-definitely want to try and do it again!

I am now prepping for Lifetime Fitness Minneapolis on July 13th ( www.lifetimetri.com). This is a familiar race for me. Fun race venue with a great bike course. There are a lot of turns, which keeps it interesting! Now I know the run course is flat for sure. :)

5150 Muskoka

I competed in Huntsville, Ontario yesterday for the 5150 Muskoka Triathlon. This area of Canada reminded me quite a bit of being up north in Michigan. My family vacations in Cheboygan, MI on Mullet Lake every summer so I love that woodsy up north feel where there are small towns along the way. Muskoka had a lot of water around it too. It was a neat area. However, it was hilly! So the course had its own natural challenge built in. The swim was in quiet waters where we swam in Fairy Lake and then went up the Muskoka River. I do like those calm swims! :) It was a wetsuit swim so I wore my full-sleeve XTERRA vendetta, which worked great. I was comfortable in it and had no issues getting it off...yessss! I was 3rd out of the water for the pro women. The first 2 had amazing swims and took off right away. It had been awhile since I raced an olympic distance swim because the swim in the Kansas 5150 was cancelled ...so I had to find my groove again. Oh well, you go with what you got! As I did get into a groove-I felt solid and was able to keep adding in surges. I ended up swimming by myself as the field was pretty split up.
The bike was just up and down, up and down. I had to find the groove of shifting and once I did, I felt pretty solid on the bike! I tried to be as aerodynamic as possible on the down hills to utilize them wisely as I worked the up hills. I used my Torhans aero bottle for the first time. I felt like I had the best set up for being as aero as possible since I was on my Specialized Shiv (very aero frame), had my Rudy wingspan helmet, and then the new Torhans aero bottle. Oh, I also used the built in water system on my Shiv (there is a "bladder" built right into the frame!). So I was set! It was neat to have my hydration all set up where I could stay aero the entire time while drinking. I never had that before. Very efficient!
I passed one of the girls ahead of me on the second half of the bike. I was excited to find her out there! This put me in 2nd place off the bike. The 2 loop run course started right up a hill, but I felt pretty peppy and went for it. The run had some interesting components to it as it went down a gravel hill in the woods (it was steep and you had to turn! I just had to think of safety on that one). There wasn't much of a groove to get into on this run, I just tried to stay ahead and in the moment. My legs were getting pretty tired by the end--expected right? ;) So those last hills were a bit of a challenge, but I kept thinking of staying springy and light. I came in 2nd, which was exciting! I would recommend this course if you like those natural challenges...it sure keeps things interesting! You almost have to be looking just ahead to anticipate your effort changes...all while staying in the moment :).
Also, it was fun to have a couple other Michigan friends up there racing too! A.D., Kattie, Donna, Bev, and Jamie...fun times in Canada!

Deep Thoughts by Abby!

I have been reading the book, Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. What a challenging and encouraging book! Anyway, today I was reading about when things get hard. It can be easy to shy away from difficult things in life and wonder why things always have to be so hard! Can you relate? It seems like recently I have been challenged to have a different outlook when things look hard or in fact they truly are difficult. Here is what Joyce Meyer says, "Things get hard when we are trying to do them independently without leaning on and relying on God's grace. If everything in life were easy, we would not even need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us. The Bible refers to Him as "the Helper." He is in us and with us all the time to help us, to enable us to do what we cannot do--and, to do with ease what would be hard without Him" (p.200). I thought this was so good to remember! I do notice that when things get to comfy I don't call on God quite as often or just forget to! That's not good! Joyce also suggests to spend more time with God when things get hard, but don't shy away from hard things or back down. Easier said that done sometimes! But beware of your thoughts and check if they are negative regarding the situation. If you have negative thoughts, the situation is only going to seem that much harder. We need to have positive thoughts and learn to lean on Him and ask for the strength that He so willingly gives us! Check your thought process sometime, the little voice in your head can take you places you don't need to go. Negative thoughts=negative attitude=a no fun downward spiral. Christ was positive so we can/need to be too!
Now, about those hard triathlon workouts...haha. I do find I need to draw on Him to infuse me with positive thoughts and a positive mentality to workout through some of the tough parts of the season and training chunks. I need that constant reminder that it is through His power that I am able to train and endure the challenges that come with the busy lifestyle of a triathlete! I always have to relate it back to triathlon...huh! ;)

Grand Rapids Triathlon!

Great local race today in Grand Rapids! The Grand Rapids Triathlon crew did a great job hosting the 3rd Annual GR Tri! Great crowd, very supportive. It was a fun day filled with friends and family. It is fun to race locally and connect with friends. I loved it. The race went well for me. I was victorious at defending my title of the sprint race so that was great. :) I came in calm and focused today ready to try out a couple mental strategies. I was happy with how I felt, but the swim was hard to jump into cold turkey without my normal warm up as I couldn't warm up in the water. I just had to get into it as best as I could. I didn't feel any sort of groove until the very end! I enjoyed the bike today. I felt solid and stuck to my targets. This was my second race on my Specialized Shiv and again, I loved it! I feel so comfortable on this bike! I was able to use just the "bladder" that fits inside the frame as my water source today since the race was shorter than my usual. Makes for even more aero advantage! I also got my new Rudy Project Wingspan time trial helmet and it was awesome. It is so light...so it was like it wasn't even on. I like that-comfortable and light so I don't even notice it! Anyway, I was ready to go for it on the run and it felt good...hard, but good! I was so happy since my last race in Kansas didn't feel like me at all. The run was such a struggle so it was great to come back focused and fierce. I realized I needed some sprucing up on my mental cues so I was glad to accomplish that. Also, it was wonderful coming across the finish line not dealing with the mental burden of an injury! Yay! I have been able to get some really solid training in and that is exciting. I am just getting started for the races so I look forward to my next 2 Olympic distances in June.

Ross raced the Olympic distance today and he toughed out a challenging day today. It is so inspiring to hear how he works through challenges of not feeling well in a race. He's tough and I learn a lot from him! He is just getting back into the racing so he is on his way to fine tuning to get to his peak later this season. It was inspiring to see/hear about all the people who were out there racing for their first time or trying new distances for an added challenge! Also, my brother-in-law, Chad, did his first triathlon back after having a major hip surgery last year--so fun to have him back! (He is my age and had hip surgery--that's not normal is it?) ;) He rocked it today without even being able to race the run. I know that was a big accomplishment for him today.

Thanks to all who supported and cheered! Great event!!

Specialized Shiv

I just had to share that I have taken my new Specialized Shiv for a couple rides now and I LOVE it! It handles so well in the wind! (It is super aero). When I first rode it I told Ross that it felt like I was one with the bike--haha. We work together so well. :) I got it at Village Bike Shop in Jenison and Aron and Dale there told me I was going to love it. They were right. I have a smaller frame size than my Cannondale and it seems funny, bit I really feel like I can handle the bike better. It's like I have a bit more control overall. I have learned that Specialized Shiv offers a wide range of adjustments to help with an exact fit. This is a great feature...the better the fit...the better you feel and the more efficient you are able to be. I also got fit at Village Bike Shop in the Fall (I was fit a few years ago, but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything) to be sure I had the most exact fit so I wasn't missing any opportunities to gain more power! I'm a power hog! It was a great experience and I learned a ton. Village staff is trained by Specialized for their fits. One thing I realized is that it is important to be confident in your fit so you aren't ever questioning if it is holding you back-you don't want to be thinking about your fit in a race! I was questioning if I needed some adjustments-so I am glad I got it addressed.

Anyway, just thought I would share the excitement of a new ride! I can't wait to race on it in a couple of weeks.

Here is a picture from the first long ride...woo!

Nautica South Beach Race!

Whew! No crashing, but a solid race! I am thankful to have another race under my belt since Sarasota where I had a fall on the bike. Nautica was run very well. I really like this race venue! It was fun to have Kattie and AD around racing too.
Before heading down to Miami, Ross and I stayed up in Ft. Lauderdale for a couple of nights. We got to swim at the International Hall of Fame Pool again. It is fun to do some long course swimming there. I also rode up in Boca Raton-there was a great stretch of road along the beach that worked great for pre-race riding (Aron from Village Bike Shop gave us the recommendation to ride there--thanks Aron!). It felt SOOOO nice to be outdoors riding...and to be hot! We don't know that feeling yet up here in Michigan. 2 nights before the race we headed down to Miami and stayed a couple blocks away from Southbeach. Miami sure is a hoppin' place. I don't know if it is ever quiet around there! It is even tricky trying to find a place to run at 4:15 in the morning for race warm ups. I mean seriously, the sidewalks are not clear this early in the morning-we have to find streets that just have shops and are closed for the night to be out of the way of people. Kinda crazy! We get some funny looks walking around in running and biking gear at this time of morning...haha.
Anyway, I was glad to have an early morning race so I could try out my pre-race morning routine again. I added in my Generation UCAN for my pre-race meal and that worked GREAT. It was really easy to get down quickly (it can be hard to eat sometimes when I am nervous!). So I liked that.
It was definitely breezing race morning and this made me nervous for the swim! gulp. I wasn't sure how much to warm up in the waves, but I got a good feel and told those waves what was up and got ready to go! We didn't start with the men this time-last year we did. The count down happened and I ran into the water quickly and had a really odd dive into the water--oops--there was a quick drop off. I saw that I was right there with the other girls I lined up by, which was a good feeling. I made it straight out to the first buoy okay, but it was so hard to get a good breathing rhythm. I had a lot of quick inhalations at unexpected times from the timing of the waves. That was tough. I just had to try my best to find a groove and tell myself to relax over and over. I had a lot of shallow breaths too. My diaphragm felt really cramped after the swim. I had a double side ache for the 2nd half of the run and I am pretty sure the swim had a role in this. Anyway, I came out of the water in a good spot-about 6th, but I was close to the others. Cool! I was happy that my swim was solid in the waves! Good experience for me-it was a new challenge. I hopped on the bike and wasn't sure how this was going to feel since I haven't been able to train outside. I had a solid ride, nothing out of the park, but I stuck to my targets. It was great to riding amongst palm trees, a lot of water, and in the warm weather. I made sure to thank God just to be out there! After the bike, I wasn't sure how my legs would feel, but not too bad! I was able to find my legs ok and got in a groove. I just tried to stick to my targets again and surge to make sure I wasn't just settling at a "comfortable" pace. I knew I was pretty behind first 3 girls and I had gotten passed once on the bike. I could still see this person in front of me so I knew she was up there. I ended up finding her on the run turn around and just did my best to close the gap. I had to work for it-had to decide to go for it. My side aches were not helping though. I don't usually have that problem so it was a different pain to endure. I had some noisy breathing to try and get them to calm down. I am sure the people I ran by liked that. :) haha. So, I ended up passing the girl that was in 4th because she was having some issues with the heat. This put me in 5th at the time. Then the current 4th place girl was RIGHT there! I ran my best to get her (she didn't know I was coming!) and I almost, almost got her as we were rounding the finish line. I couldn't quite close the gap in time though. It was fun to try-nice to get some aggression out there! :) I took 5th and made the podium...yay! I definitely felt rusty on the bike and run yet, but that will come around. Nice to have a solid swim under my belt! Lifetime Fitness did a great job with the race. My next Lifetime Fitness race will be Lifetime Minneapolis. Great race too. If you ever want a fun, warm, well-run early season race---check out Nautica South Beach! Pictures to come soon!