Training update and The value of physical therapy

So I have been in training mode for quite awhile over the winter months. Ahh, my training has consisted of many bike rides in my basement on the ole trainer (woo hoo?), long rides with great people at Strider's spining group, running on the treadmill, and of course putting the yards in the pool. Training has been going well as I feel much more controlled and stronger than where I was at this time from last year. I like this! Well, I am coming up on first race of the season. A draft legal sprint race in Clermont, FL. I am really looking forward to this experience. This will be my first race I am traveling to without Ross, which will feel quite strange. I know I will prefer to have him there. :)

Anyway, leading up to my first race, I have been learning more and more about the ways my body is vulnerable to injuries and the things I can do to help prevent further injuries. I was pondering my understanding of my body as I ramp up training. I have been working closely with physical therapists, primarily Ryan Tanis, from Shoreline Sport and Spine over the past few years. As I have grown as an athlete, I have learned valuable information about how my body functions as a whole system with the help of my physical therapist. I did not realize the extent of the effects from even subtle off balances in the body. As my physical therapist explained, my body is like a Ferrari meaning I am a fairly fine tuned "machine" due to my level of training. When there is one glitch (e.g., like the hip joint is not performing with as much flexibility as it should be), the whole system can be impacted in some way even if it is a subtle glitch. Many people wouldn't necessarily notice a slight balance difference on their foot plant or that there is a slightly uneven hip tightness occuring. But when you are putting your body to the limits, you tend to notice many slight "discrepencies" that could impede performance. I have had to learn to listen to my body and have learned the hard way in the past as I have suffered from stress fractures and hip bursitis. It has been a process (as I am still learning) for me to understand when I might need to ask my physical therapist for help with new stretches or other avenues of keeping the body functioning in a way that allows for the best performance to prevent injury. I cannot tell you how helpful having a physical therapist to work with has been. What a blessing! I really appreciate the perspective and understanding that if one muscule group, joint, etc. is not functioning properly, that there might be a connection or cause somewhere else in the body preventing another structure to do its job. Therefore, it seems like the "root" of the problem is more likely to be addressed, thus, keep the body performing in the best possible systematic way. I have gained a new understanding of the body as a muscular system, which is important for an athlete who wants to keep pushing their body.

Toyota Cup Championship Race-Dallas, TX

My final race of my 2010 season was spent just outside of Dallas in Rockwall, TX. It was a really nice area. I had never been to Texas before so it was fun to get to see a little bit of such a big state! Although, my trip was very short...flew in, raced, and flew home the same day so I wouldn't miss work! Wowee. I really didn't have ideal travel conditions as I arrived in Dallas at 1:00 a.m. (the day before the race). That was tough! Thanks to my husband though, who drove an hour from the airport to the hotel in the middle of the night and let me sleep! Let's just say the whole trip there was quite the adventure. I just tried to roll with the punches...ya know? Anyway, the race was fun. The pros went of first thing in the morning, so that meant cool weather! That was so nice since my last few races had been in the 90s! Here's how my race broke down. I had an interesting swim, I got out with a good start, but my feet were yanked on and I had gotten plundered by another swimmer. These two events really threw me off. I had never had either of these things happen in a triathlon before. Were we playing water polo here or what? So, I didn't have the best swim...it actually felt too easy as I felt fairly fresh exiting the water. Since my swim was not up to par, the lead group got away and got a big lead on the bike. I had a fairly strong bike, but didn't gain any ground as the main group was full of power houses up ahead. I tried to stay in the game as I new there were still some individuals behind me yet. I ended up loosing one spot on the bike. The run was very, very hilly coming out of transition. It felt like I wasn't moving as the hill was so steep...at least it seemed that way coming off the bike. I ended up having a solid run, my best of the season. I hung in there and didn't back down despite being toward the back of the "pack." I felt good about my performance, but knew there was more I could have gained in the swim. This race was definately a learning experience for the swim. I was also challenged to not give up even if you are toward the back in a race. You are always racing somebody! I ended up 11th in the pros in a very strong field. I would recommend this race to anyone who qualifies!!

Running in the blazing heat in Chicago

Chicago Triathlon

Another hot hot race day in Chicago, whew! This time I handled the heat much better than I did at the Memphis in May tri. I just had to start out with saying that. :) Chicago Triathlon was my first pro race-and let me tell you about it!! We went off at noon, which was very different compared to my usual early morning start times. The start at noon was nice because I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn, but it did mean racing in the brutal heat of 94 degrees! So I prepared as best as I could by drinking electrolytes early on in the morning and the day before too. However, it was still difficult for me to stay hydrated enough through the race as my water bottles that once were full of ice turnned into warm water by the time I was on the bike. eww. Anyway, the swim was a little crazy this time as I seemed to have gotten "tangled up" with a few other girls, which made it kind of hard to find my groove. I did my best to settle in once we spread out a bit, but for some reason this swim didn't feel too good. I was a little dissapointed with how it went, but now I know what to expect for next time. There were some really quick swimmers in the field! I didn't feel great coming out of the water, but was ready to see what I had for the bike. I felt decent, but could tell the wind was picking up on the way back. This made it tougher on the legs right before the run. I found myself really focusing on making sure I was following the stagger rule (you can't ever be directly behind and in the same "line" as the person in front of you) since this was new to me. After putting in a solid effort on the bike and passing 1-2 girls (but also got passed later on), I was anticipating the run. Of course the heat was on my mind! I made for a quick transition and set out on the run. I could tell it was going to be a battle with the heat, but I made sure to take in as much water as I could at each aid station...this still was not enough though. I pushed the run as best as I could and felt like I stayed pretty solid/consistent until the very last little stretch before the finish. It was at this point that I was feeling a bit...over-heated. I made it to the finish though and came in 9th place. I was happy with this as I knew the heat was a tough factor and because there was a tough field of women. My times were pretty far off my usual performace, but hey...new experience with many new variables to account for. I had fun and look forward to my next pro experience, which will be my first draft legal race in Tuscaloosa, AL for USAT nationals. Oh and I forgot to mention that I had my first drug testing experience after the race too. Fun fun! I have to thank all of my family and friends for coming to cheer at Chicago too...what a great support group. This helped make my first pro race great!

Millenium Triathlon

On Saturday, I raced a sprint triathlon in the grandville, MI area. It was a ton of fun. It was great to see so many familiar faces and new triathletes come out! I don't do many sprint triathlons as I tend to be a bit more comfortable with a little longer race. Plus, the swim is so short! haha. I like to get out there in the swim! So I knew I had to really pull on the bike and run since I wasn't going to have as much time to settle in the swim. Anyway, the race went well. I felt strong and pretty solid even after coming off a week of vacation where I did lighter training and then came back for a more intense week the week of the race. During the swim, I had to try and chase down one lady in the begining, but then tried to find a groove for a short distance. I came out of the water in first, but Tony Musto was close behind. I knew she would be right there on the bike too, which she was. :) I had a solid bike and felt good with how I was able to push. I was passed with about 2-3 miles to go, but then was able to take the run and finished the first female by just under 3 minutes. I felt like I had a good kick on my run, which was a new feeling to me as I have been really working to improve my running form. I was quite excited with the win as there are some tough ladies around the area here. Friend, jimi Minnema, won overall...he sure is speedy! Anyway, the race had a nice course and it was pretty flat. My husband, Ross, was the swim course coordinator so it was pretty fun to hear him over the megaphone sending us off for the start. Now I have a couple intense training weeks coming up then it is off to the Chicago Triathlon on
August 28th!

swimming!