Time to Trial and Rev 3 Old Orchard Beach

I recently competed in the Timberman swim - bike - gorge yourself in the food tent event. Oh wait, you have haven't heard of that race? Sorry suckers! Because let me tell you it was a grand day. It started with the the announcer commenting that the men's pro wave looked like a bunch of porpoises as they dolphin swam their way from shore. This made me laugh. :)

Before I could perseverate on the porpoise comment too much it was the pro girl's turn and we were off! Since I had only committed to the swim/bike I was going to try and go ALL OUT.  The fast start I had been getting used to in the pro field was no different here and Cait Snow was off the front in a jiffy.  I got jostled a bit and lost some feet, and than caught some feet and before I new it I was getting stripped from the wet suit in 4 place. Now it was really TIME TO TRIAL!

Instead of paying attention to my power meter, I got to have some fun. I covered it with duct tape and just hammered as best as my little quads could hammer. Out of transition, out of the saddle, up the hill, zoom down the hill, stand and climb, hunch the shoulders, tuck the head, ouch this hurts! I ended up catching a girl and not letting anyone pass me except for the wonderfully, talented Linsey Corbin around mile 30. She is a machine.

I stripped my duct tape off the power meter half way through and noticed I was averaging 20 watts higher than normal! WOOHOO!

I zipped into T2, unclipped, handed in my chip and made a made dash for the food tent with my friend Ry who also signed up for the Timberman swim-bike-food tent.  After our bellies were full we went out to cheer on my friends and my little sister Deidre who qualified for 70.3 World's in 2013. Vegas here we come!  I also learned later than day that my husband finished Ironman Mont Tremblant in 10:50:13. What - a - day!

On to Rev 3 Old Orchard Beach Olympic triathlon! Why didn't anyone tell me that Olympic distance triathlons HURT BAD! Oh wait, my coach told me. And I still signed up.

My friends Connor, Ry and I traveled down to Old Orchard Beach early Saturday morning so we could get a workout in and then get on to the real pre-race ritual. (i.e.: Trying to wedge as many pancakes into our guts as we can - most often followed by food coma - most often followed by afternoon nap.)  This is a pre-Ironman ritual but I feel obliged to practice it even before sprint races.  Ever wonder what a pro triathlete eats? So do I!

The ride up was smooth and before we knew it our clown car (packed to the brim with 3 humans,  3 bikes, 3 pairs of race wheels and training wheels, and 6 bags of race gear) had arrived. All we had to do was open one door and everything pretty much exploded onto the driveway.  The driveway belonged to the awesome Marc Dupius who opened his home up to not only one or even two but three absurdly smelly triathletes.  Thank you Marc!

The workout went well. I have been feeling strong on the bike and the hip is getting better each day. Workout done, pancakes in the belly and then as we were walking to packet pick up I saw this:

Oh my! A larger than life picture of my melon! It was actually a very cool aspect of racing Rev 3. Overall race organization and little perks like this make Rev 3 series worth RACING!

And the race pretty much went like this: 30 seconds prior to the gun start Connor yells from the side lines: "The Honey Badger Don't Give a Shii...."  I proceed to crack up just as the gun goes off to the one and only beach start I have ever participated in. Ahhhhh....here we goooo...the sand is hard to run in. Oh boy I just belly-flopped like a porpoise...swim Amber....catch those feet. Ouch! Olympic race pace hurts so good.

Okay I am vertical now. Out of the water....running the 1/3 mile on concrete into transition and onto the bike in 4th.......2 minutes behind the leaders....go!  Again, I covered the power meter and tucked my head and just went for it. I kept Sarah Gray in my sight the entire race and never let anyone catch me until the last mile. The bike course was beautiful and rolling and just a blast.

Here comes T2! My first run off the bike in 11 weeks and only my 5th run in 11 weeks. GULP! This could be ugly (could = most likely, without a doubt would be UGLY) I promised myself that I would not be afraid to fail. What would you do if you knew you could NOT fail? Sprint your butt off!  So I did indeed sprint out of transition. I saw my coach and he made me smile. He always, always tells me the girl in front of my is dying. What an awesome little liar.

I checked the watch at mile one: 6:04. Oh boy. Mile 2: 6:20.  Gulp. Here we go. Time to hit a massive wall in an Olympic distance race. Who knew?

I ended up passing 2 girls and then getting nipped in the last mile and ended up 6th which is a podium spot in the Rev 3 world. I will take it!

Up Next: Pumpkin Man! Man!

Focus on the Positives

I have high expectations for myself in the world of triathlon. And I had very high expectations for this year's Ironman Lake Placid.  But unfortunately the nagging hip injury was not cooperating and I was forced to make a very tough decision.  I would pull out of Placid and take a (gasp) mid season break.  I wanted to cry and stomp my feet and feel bad for myself.  How was I going to deal with not being able to reach one of my biggest goals of the season?  How could I deal with NOT racing and even worse being forced to REST for a few weeks?

The answer was to learn from my mistakes and try and grow as an athlete. I did indeed pout for awhile but I also took the time to take a critical look at my diet and training and recovery protocols and learn from the mistakes I had made.  Too much intensity during a training run, not enough calcium in the diet and forgetting that recovery days are when you get stronger.  Everything happens for a reason and sometimes you have to take a step back and realize it's all about the process.

I am back in full training mode now and I actually got to race the Top Notch Triathlon as my first race back.  The rest period proved helpful as I felt rested and absolutely raring to go on the start line.  I was 100% mentally ready swim/bike/run myself into the deepest darkest depths of the pain cave.  Not to mention the race takes place in Franconia, NH - one of the most beautiful places in the state.  It was just a wonderful, beautiful, adventurous day.

I say adventurous because this triathlon includes a mountain bike portion.  And mountain biking is NOT this little ballerina's forte. The day starts with the bike - 3 miles on the road and 3 miles on a twisty, rocky, muddy trail. Gasp! I did this race back in 2007 and I couldn't mountain bike then and despite putting a little practice in on the old mountain bike nothing has changed.  I'll save you the sad sorry details but will say I survived the mountain bike (i.e. only face planted a few times). After I disengaged myself from my muddy mess of a bike the race for the course record started. I knew it was going to be close.  I plunged into Echo Lake for a quick 1/2 mile swim to the base of Cannon Mountain.  The run portion of this race goes directly up mountain.  I traded my swim cap for my Speedy Zoot race shoes and off I went! There were parts of the run were I kept doubting myself. Was I breathing so hard because I was out of run shape or was I breathing so hard because I'm running straight up a vertical? :) When my mind began to wander I tried to re-focus on the positives. I reminded myself that I am finally racing and that I do love uphill running.  Danny was hiking up and cheering on and as I passed him he told me good job and gave me an update of the runners ahead of me.  Just as I thought my quads were going to explode from a steady stream of lactic acid I saw the finish clock and crossed the line proud to have gotten the female course record. I was even more proud of one of my friends, Ryan Kelly, for winning the race overall!

We are so hungry after the race that our medals looked tasty

Link to the race article - Page 20

Mooseman - Eagleman Double Part 2

For part two of the Mooseman-Eagleman challenge, I headed down to Cambridge, Maryland to face some tough competition at Eagleman Triathlon.  My sister, Genny, and her husband, Brandon, live in Annapolis and they were kind enough to host us for the weekend. We filled the days before the race eating raw oysters, house hunting, and watching Danny try to drink a 6 pound milk-shake. Despite the heckling of the restaurant owner, Danny wasn't able to complete the challenge. Which was probably a good thing for everyone who had to share a room (or car ride) with him for the remainder of the trip. Anyway.... On to the race report!!!


You may be wondering why I thought it was a good idea to do back-to-back half Ironmen. Besides it being a really fun challenge? I want to go back to KONA as a pro! And qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships this year will get me some big points for KONA in 2013.  


Mooseman and Eagleman were like Jekyll and Hyde in regards to the weather conditions. Mooseman was cold and rainy while Eagleman was hot, sticky and windy! Even though the temps had been cool all week in Cambridge Maryland the morning of Eagleman brought temps in the high nineties.  We learned that wetsuits would be allowed because the water was about 1 degree under the legal limit.  Well, I might boil like a lobster but I will be boyant in the Choptank River. 


The gun goes off and I sprint like I stole something, determined to get on some fast feet this time around.  I can tell the early sprinting ellicits a spike in my heart rate but it is well worth it as I latch on to some quick feet for about 3/4 of the choppy swim.  I exit the water in about 26 minutes. A solid swim, I didn't roast in the wetsuit and I latched onto a real speedy fish. Progress all around!


I had my fastest T1 only to be outdone by my good friend Ryan Kelly who made me look like a 3 toed sloth in transition.  Fun Fact: Sloth’s are so slow they can be moving and algae can still grow on them. A sloth’s top speed is .003 miles per hour.  Look's like I gotta work on those transitions.


I hop on the Felt DA for a 56 mile,93 degree, flat, windy, snake-filled adventure!  30 seconds into the bike ride I look up to see Danny jumping up and down yelling: "You're ahead of Carfrae and you're in fourth!"  I was surprised at how good my legs felt. Maybe I should always do back to back Ironman. Mind you this is 2 miles into the ride.  I kept looking at my power on the Garmin and thinking I should really slow down.  But I didn't! Instead the Garmin just spurred me on. I was rolling and in a groove until the heat started to take its toll. Oh no...I was feeling tired and lethargic and the GU's I had staring back at me did not look appetizing.  I tried not to panic and did some soft pedaling for a few moments.  Not long after I look up ahead and notice a very large log in the middle of the road. Why is the log moving? Oh, because it's not a log it's my biggest fear in the entire world: SNAKE!!!    

It looked a bit like the image above except it wasn't smiling and I'm pretty sure it had teeth.  Nothing like a elongated, limbless reptile to get my butt in gear.  Fight or Flight response is activated and just like that I am BACK IN THE GAME!

I end up getting passed by 2 girls on the bike but no snakes. In my mind it was a victory.  I glided into transition in 7th and saw Danny again giving me splits.

My legs did not feel as good as they did during Mooseman (above) but the run is my favorite portion so let's have some fun!  I sprinting out of transition passing one girl immediately only to notice how hot it really was.  I had a fleeting moment where I wished to be back on the bike only to remember: SNAKE!  SO I proceeded to loot from all the aid stations: ice down the shorts, water on the head, Gatorade in the gullet.  I stayed as cool as I could and passed another girl for 5th.  Danny was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME at giving me splits. I learned that the girl in fourth was hurting and I tried my best to chase her down. I came up 30 seconds short but crossed the line in 5th.  I gave Danny a big hug and then Crowie requested to get a picture with me (I couldn't let him down)  :)  

I stretched, hydrated, changed, and then it was back in the car as we needed to be back in New Hampshire that night.  


MOOSEMAN - EAGLEMAN DOUBLE WAS A SUCCESS!

Mooseman - Eagleman DOUBLE Part One

I have something to admit.  My coach thought I wanted to try this 70.3 double because he thinks I like to race a lot but in reality it's the pre - race breakfast feasts that I love.  I'm a fatty!
  
For the Mooseman breakfast extravaganza Dan and I went to Gilly's in Bristol, NH with our good friends: Eric, Josh, Sebi, Dianna and my little sister Deidre. Dan pretty much showed me up on the pancake eating contest knowing he wouldn't have a chance against me in the little race the next day.

When we finished cramming our guts with as many carbohydrates as we could handle we walked across the street to cheer my Dad on who was competing in the Mooseman Olympic. It was down pouring throughout the entire race but almost every athlete we saw go by had a smile on - including my Dad who looked great! He ended up second in his age group despite some cramping in his calves and the misfortune of having his run gear float away in the pond that was T2 after a day of heavy rain.

We woke Sunday to face more rain! Yay for me! I love racing in the rain especially when it's also predicted to be a high of 59. :)  Maybe that's because I have a few extra layers. Note to self: less pancakes more training.

Aquasphere, Zoot Prophet Wetsuit Swim Report:

Bam! The Gun went off and for 5 minutes I have Magali's feet and then at exactly 5:01 they are gone. Where did they go? Darn for me and all my slow twitch fibers. I  took a quick look ahead and behind and tried to separate myself from the few girls behind me without luck.  I came into T1 in about 27  minutes with Leslie Patterson hot on my heels.  T1 was interesting due to the cold (the cold that I love....) but a very kind volunteer (or two or three) managed to disentangle me from the wonderfully fast zoot prophet wetsuit.


Felt DA, Garmin 910XT Bike Report:

Bam! Bam! Splat! There go my quads. Haha. Just for a few minutes though and then they felt great! After all, it was raining and 50 degrees out. :) I remembered to eat frequently because that can generate some heat in this kind of weather.  I also remembered to eat frequently because I am a fat kid at heart and I actually have a hard time resisting my Peanut Butter GU's.  The are so delicious I would eat them for dessert.  So I spent the bike eating PB GU and chasing Leslie Paterson who seemed to be sprinting up every hill.  Just when I thought I was closing she would pull away.  More GU! Go get Leslie! More GU!  I also made a point to watch the Watts closely per the boss.

Zoot, SPY, GU Run Report:

I came into T2 with Leslie and unfortunately she took off a little quicker than I did. The fingers would not cooperate! Despite pleading my fingers were down for the count. I had to try and stomp into my shoes like a two year old having a temper tantrum and after the fifth try I finally got those little buggers on.  Next up on the T2 list was taking a few bites of my banana to ward off muscle cramps. I HATE bananas but you will force feed yourself this fruit if you have ever experienced a cramp in your butt cheek as did my good friend Myles Chase. The story scared me so much that I will never leave T2 without this magical fruit.  Make sure to visit his shop in Laconia and get the first hand story of the unfortunate cramping in his posterior.  Okay enough about Bananas and butts! I love the run because I finally get to experience some human contact. As much as I like starting off in the first wave it get's lonely out there. I loved running along and seeing my friends all having great days. Yay for my husband, Danny, my friend, Sean Snow, Roger Thrall, my little fast sister Deidre Cullen, Mary Holt-Wilson, Ryan Kelly, Regi Rymes, John Rymes, Dan Frisch, Steve Reed, Lisa Ransom, Josh Cleland, and Eric Gattie. Lot's of energy on that run course.  And except for my tour of the port-a-pottys the run went smoothly and I finished up in Fourth.

Immediately post race I went through a solid recovery protocol because Eagleman 70.3 was in 7 days....Race report to follow!

Thank you to all my wonderful sponsors, first and foremost ZOOT, and the boss KURT PERHAM!

The Importance of Good Coaching

Coaching has an enormously important role in producing and sustaining great athletes.  I do know some top athletes that coach themselves to remarkable performances but then will level off and will need the guidance of a good coach to help get them 'unstuck.'  I believe many top athletes have the intuition to get them to the next level but rarely follow through.  For instance, it is far easier to work hard day in and day out and avoid the recovery sessions.  Because as the type-A athlete you think: hard work makes me faster, no work makes me a lazy lump on a log.  When in reality the recovery (rest and relaxation and food!) is what will ultimatley make you stronger.  Training makes you weaker, recovery makes you stronger.  Most often the difference between top level athletes and the ones just below this level is the quality of their recovery.  A good coach has the ability to take a critical look at the athletes workload and either say: "Rest!" or "Get your butt off the sofa!"   

For the athlete-coach relationship to work a few things need to be happening.  The athlete needs to want to make themselves coachable, both athlete and coach are committed to specific important goals and the athlete is dedicated to learning through disciplined practice and repetition.

My coach has helped me develop my capacity to think about racing and training in a very different and refreshing way.  For instance, I am thinking of aerodynamics and 'whats' (or is it Watts?) on the bike with an entirely new perspective. ;)  I didn't even know what a Watt was until last year!  And forget aeordynamics on the bike. You mean wearing an extra large wind blocking jacket won't make you faster? No Amber, it will most likely act like a speed stealing parachute. Doh!   

The athlete will most often get the credit for top performances but it is without a doubt the great coach behind that athlete that is responsible.

No matter how much you think you know, even coaches need coaches:) That's why despite the fact that I coach myself, I opt to also be coached. After all you cannot analyse(not easily at least) your own swim technique or form. That's why I recommend everyone be coached or at least have a consultation with a coach to make sure there are no glaring deficits.

Okay, that's it for now. 


Happy Training!

Oceanside 70.3 Race Report and Why I love This Sport

I entered this race weekend with so much positive energy and momentum and left feeling stronger then ever!  This particular race experience was extra special because I was there with my husband (who also doubles as my best travel buddy), my dad, and my new ZOOT team!

The weekend began with Dan and I checking out the beautiful San Diego views, taste testing some of Karl Strauss' best IPA and meeting our wonderful homestay host Jim Johnson.  We had a wonderful time getting to know Jim and his girlfriend PJ and enjoyed a tasty night at Norte's Restaurant.

Race morning came quickly and before I knew it I was squeezing into my SUPER FAST prophet wetsuit (http://zootsports.com/)  As soon as my toes hit the freezing water I knew it was going to be a good day.  I love cold water! Nothing like a little ice cream headache to get the adrenaline flowing.  I jumped in, swam straight to the front of the pack and took a deep breath.  Just moments before the gun went off two sea lions swam right in front of the start line. Is that a sea monster someone shouted? And we were off!  

Why I love this sport reason #1: It teaches you to never ever give up.

I made lot's of mistakes during this swim. As demonstrated by the picture below I somehow decided it would be smart to chase down the top three girls halfway into the race. Just as I was feeling so proud of myself for being a go-getter everything changed. The ocean apparently had other plans as it swooped me up in a swell and before I knew it I was not chasing down anyone but getting chased down. I had managed to land belly down on two of the girls behind me while simultaneously sucking in a mouthful and noseful of ocean and spending the next 30 seconds fearing that I might actually get eaten by a one of those sea lions.  I made a decision at that moment that I had a job to do that involved not being in the belly of the sea lion but instead to never ever give up, no matter what.  Never quit. Never give up.  

I put my head down and focused until my feet hit T1. Now it was time for a little ride on my Felt DA. 

What I love this sport reason #2: Hard Work Pays Off

Below is a picture that my Dad snapped of me at about mile 25 of the bike. You can't see anything but posterior (sorry!) but I promise you I had the biggest smile on my face. Why you ask? Well at that point in the race I had actually passed a few of the female professionals and I had not been overtaken by anyone! Biking has been the weakest link since I started the sport a few years ago. This winter was a long one on the trainer: but hard work always, always pays off. Growing up, if someone told me I couldn't do something I would make that something my passion until I accomplished it.  If I was terrible at something I would put my head down and work until I was on top.  The bike course was raining and cold and sprinkled with hills.  For most of the ride it was just me and the power meter but I was happy as a clam. There is still lots work to be done as far as bike training goes and I am looking forward to every bit of it.

On to the run! My favorite part in my favorite Zoot shoes. My legs felt great after the bike and it was so energizing to see all my Zoot teammates on the course having great races.

Why I Love This Sport Reason #3: It allows you to appreciate the little things.

Racing Ironman hurts! You appreciate that plastic chair you collapse into at the finish line.  The first bite of anything other than an energy gel tastes DELECTABLE! A hot shower is the best hot shower you have ever taken.  The hug from my dad and my husband has never felt so uplifting.

Above is me sprinting to 9th place at Oceanside. I will take it.

See you at New Orleans 70.3! In the mean time: never give up, work hard and appreciate the little things.



Thank you to my wonderful husband and family, my coach (Kurt!) and the best sponsors anyone could as for:

Zoot, Garmin, GU, Fuelbelt, Spy, Myles Chase of MC cycles, Tribike transport and PR Bar.

Welcome!

Hello! You have found my new blog. For funny race reports, stories, and training tips check out my old blog here.

This blog will be dedicated to my exploits as a professional triathlete.

I am currently racing independently(no team affiliation) but I do want to thank all of my amazing sponsors who help me out so much!

I will post updates and my training as it occurs. Hope you enjoy!