BRATS Salute to the Military Sprint Triathlon

Race: BRATS Salute to the Military Triathlon
Date: May 29, 2011
Location: Vint Hill, VA
Race Type: Sprint: 300 meter pool swim, 11.75 mi bike, 3.1 mi run
Division: Age Group 45-49
Time: 1:20:58
Place: 3rd in Age Group

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Race Report:




Swim (300 Meters): 7:08 - 2nd in age group
 
When I picked up my race packet the lady told me "Wow, you must be a fast swimmer" (because my race number was 32). I looked at her and said "um...no...I must have lied when I registered!" I had estimated my time at 6 minutes and was pretty sure I would swim a little faster than that. But, I was seeded in front of people who were obviously faster than me and I had to stop at the wall four times to allow swimmers to pass.I lost a little bit of time in the pool but I'm never too speedy there anyway and knew I could make up the time on the bike.
 
T1: 1:33 - 1st in age group
I'm always pretty quick in transition and T1 was no exception. I felt pretty good coming out of the water (guess waiting at the wall for people to pass helped me slow down a little) and we had a nice little jog of about 25 yards over to the transition area to our bikes. A quick little change and I was outta there!

Bike (11.75 mi): 41:51 @ 16.8 mph - 1st in age group

I was a little disappointed in this result. I felt I was doing the best I could on the bike although there were points where I felt I was losing ground going up the hills. When I raced my last 70.3 I kept a pace of over 18 mph on the course. Of course, it was a pancake flat course but, it was also 56 miles. So, I was hoping to have a pace of around 19-20 mph on this course. The hills were rolling but my pace was anywhere from 11 mph to 30 mph so I was hoping for a better average! What I think happened is that every time I had a good pace going I had to slow to turn. There were 3 U-turns and several other turns throughout this course so I'm blaming it on that!

T2: 0:49:05 - 2nd place in age group
As typical, T2 transition didn't go as smoothly as T1. But, I was in and out in less than a minute so I was satisfied with my time.
 
Run (3.1 miles): 29:37:65 (9:33 min/mile pace) - 4th place in age group

Although I was VERY pleased with my personal result, this is what stopped me from winning first place in my age group. Today's race was the first time ever I have posted under a 10:00 min/mile pace in ANY triathlon. Typically I kill myself so much in the bike that I'm totally wiped by the time I get to the run and my pace is way off from what I can typically race if I was just doing a run. In other words, my current 5K pace is right around 9:00 min/mile but to run that pace in the run portion of a triathlon never happens for me. So, I was very proud of my time today but it just wasn't enough to cut it for a higher ranking. 

Summary and lessons learned 


This is the second time I have raced this course. The first time I raced was in 2009 and I ended up coming in 3rd place in my age group. So, I had something to prove. I wanted to show myself that I could give it all I had and win that first place award. I knew I had improved over the last two years and this would be a nice way to start out the tri season. I was pretty pleased with my time since it was a 17 minute personal record on a sprint course but I walked away with another 3rd place award. What I came to find out later is that I was only 19 seconds...19 seconds...away from grabbing that first place trophy! Oh the things that go through my mind...I shouldn't have let that swimmer pass me...I shouldn't have unclipped on that last U-turn...I should have kept my head up and stayed focused during the run...I shouldn't have grabbed water from the Boy Scouts...EVERY LITTLE SECOND COUNTS! That was my biggest lesson learned today. You can do all you can to prepare for race day but unless you leave it ALL out there (which I don't really think I did today...) then you have nobody to blame but yourself. Lesson learned!

Can a mom eat a Mother's Day buffet and still lose weight?

I haven't been a fan of buffets most of my life and even less so when I'm trying to watch what I eat. So, when it was suggested we go to a Korean buffet for Mother's Day I decided to give it a try. Obviously, if you're going to pick a buffet to go to you want it to be a relatively healthy one. I mean, have you ever been to Captain George's Seafood Buffet in Virginia Beach? Well, don't let the word "seafood" confuse you. Every imaginable fried fish, tons of yummy fat-loaded desserts (heck, I could make a whole meal off the dessert bar!), lots of buttery and cheesy veggies...you get the point. So, going to a mostly healthy Korean food buffet wasn't near as bad.

When I arrived, I immediately headed to the salad bar section first. They had much more than yucky iceberg lettuce and your typical salad bar condiments. I filled about three fourths of my plate with salad. Then I got some additional veggies on the side. Of course, when you are at a Korean BBQ buffet you MUST eat some bulgogi (ie meat). So, I got my required 5-8 oz of meat, had a yummy salad, some extra veggies and a small dessert. Now, if you have ever eaten at a Korean restaurant you know their desserts aren't the same as American desserts. So, this two bite-sized piece of "cake" was a way for me to celebrate being a mother and still not go far off my weight loss journey.

Although I wasn't totally unhappy with my choices at the buffet there is always the thought in the back of my head wondering exactly how the food was prepared. There might be hidden calories in the food that could sabotage my weight loss. Thankfully that didn't seem to be the case this week but it's something I must continually try to observe as I go along this process. I don't eat out often but when I do I want to make the most healthy choices possible.


Here are the stats:
This week:
4.5 lb weight loss
0.5 inch in waist
0.01% body fat loss

Total since March 31st
21.5 lbs weight loss
0.5 inch from my chest
7 inches from my waist
4 inches from my hips
1.5 inch from my arm
1.5 inches from my thigh
3% of my total body fat
No significant lean body mass loss

Learning who are my dieting "friends"

This week I have come to learn who it is that really cares about me - who are my dieting friends. I can tell you for sure that my friends have been broccoli, lettuce, bell peppers, protein, etc. I have also come to learn who are NOT my dieting friends: tortilla chips, jellybean and emotional sabotage.

This past week I found myself cheating, once again. I know I told you in this blog I wouldn't but, to be honest...I'm weak! That's right...weak! There is good news and bad news to my weakness. The bad news: a 2 lb weight gain. The good news: another lesson learned.

Let me break it down for you...

Throughout the week I ended up having little bites of food here and there (that cheater in me!). I would see tortilla chips sitting on the counter and, knowing my husband's homemade salsa was in the fridge it was just too much of a temptation for me. His homemade salsa only comes around once in a while so when it's here I feel I need to grab it. I started out eating the salsa with chips but, over a few days, I ended up just eating it by the spoonful instead. What I found out is I didn't really need the chips. Tomatoes are on the restricted list of foods I can only eat twice a week so I was careful not to eat too much salsa, though.

Jellybeans. HA! I've not even been a fan of jellybeans most of my life (except the black ones!). I don't know what convinced me to even buy the bag (yes I do...it was on sale!). So, I bought a bag and left it in my car so when I was on the road I would reach for a handful...or two. I told my doctor I felt the jellybeans were a better option for me than chocolate. Not from a nutritional standpoint (because dark chocolate isn't as bad as you might think) but I didn't eat as many jellybeans as I would have eaten chocolate had chocolate been my craving at the time. I wouldn't have stopped at just one "handful" and might have blown my diet all together. The good news is - they were in my car...so Dr. Wichin suggested I bring them into his office and throw them away. It was the start of a new day for me and I'm ready to move again in a forward motion.


As I mentioned before, I have a tendency to sabotage myself when I get to a certain weight/size. Well, I currently weigh less than I have at those times in the past and I'm currently in a smaller size than before. But, I wonder if subconsciously I'm trying to sabotage myself again. I need to keep a focused effort on that during the next week.

My workouts have increased both in time and effort so I'm feeling more hunger than I have before. I had a pretty good run this week which is the first one in a while. I had energy during the run but I had also had a handful of jelly beans just before I stepped out the door. So, I'm interested to see how I do this week without the jellybeans. I just need to remain focused on the goal rather than the immediate pleasure.

So, what role did this play during my weigh-in this week? Well, I'm still a little unsure. Obviously, the cheating wasn't healthy for me. This journey isn't just about weight loss to me but also about being healthier. I gained two pounds this week but it's also "that" time of the month so the gain (and the cravings) might also be associated with that. The good thing is I didn't gain any body fat this week. As a matter of fact, my body fat percentage dropped by 0.7%. So, all the weight I did gain is water weight.

Here are the stats:
This week:
2 lb weight gain
0.5 inches in chest
0.5 inch in hips
0.5 inches in arm
0.70% body fat lost

Total since March 31st
17 lbs weight loss
0.5 inch from my chest
6.5 inches from my waist
4 inches from my hips
1.5 inch from my arm
1.5 inches from my thigh
2.99% of my total body fat
No significant lean body mass loss

Now a question for you: At any point during a weight loss journey (or a new workout plan) do you find yourself or others sabotaging your efforts? If so, what do you do about it to gain control again?

Amazing things can happen if you "just believe"

I just finished writing an article about a first-time Boston Marathon finisher and my mind is contemplating what I learned from the interview I had with him. I asked him what advice he would give to someone who might think they could never accomplish running a race like Boston. His response was "you just have to believe you can do it." Of course, there is more to completing the Boston Marathon than just "believing" you can. Obviously it takes talent and a lot of hard training. But, the general idea is that if you believe that you CAN'T do it, you won't!

This past week I did a lot of "believing." After my 1 lb weight loss last week (um...5 days...), I was all about the forward motion of getting the job done the following week. I knew this diet plan worked but I doubted how my body would react once I started adding my normal workout routines back into my life.

This week my workouts consisted of two 1-hour swims, one 2-hour bike, one 1-hour run, one 1.5 hour run, and one 1-hour yoga class. Now, as far as my "normal" triathlon workouts go, this one is a little on the lite side. But, it's probably the most I've done in one week since triathlon season "ended" (it never really ends...) last year. So, making sure my body was both energized enough for the workout AND I didn't UNDEReat would be key!

My bike, swim & yoga workouts were great. I didn't push myself into my anaerobic heart rate (as suggested by my doctor) except for a few moments on my ride. I mean, have you ever seen Hunter Station Road in Reston, VA before? Yeah, I did a little huffing and puffing but I'm hoping my doctor will let that one slide. I say blame it on my ride leader!

My runs are a totally different story. I mean, seriously...I just ran a marathon a month ago so my aerobic conditioning is fine. But, I'm still totally dragging on my runs. Two miles into the run I feel I have no energy to continue moving. I'll stop and walk and the energy levels will come back up but then a little while later I crash again. So, during my last long run I decided to go back to my old way of fueling my body. Well, I didn't totally go back but I did bring my own electrolyte solution (with carbs) and one Gu gel (total carbs) for my run. Guess what? It didn't help! So, I'm still trying to find the right combination for my long runs. Maybe I won't have to worry much about it, though, because I'll hopefully reach my goal weight before I have to do any really long runs for upcoming races. 

This week I'm going to focus on "believing" this can be done. I've seen the stats, I've gotten rid of my clothes, I feel the energy (except on my runs), and now I'm ready to continue on with this process. I'm about half way there so now is no time to stop!

So...ready for the stats? Here they are:
This week:
6.5 lb weight loss
1 inch in waist
0.5 inch in hips
0.79% body fat lost

Total since March 31st
19 lbs weight loss

6.5 inches from my waist
3.5 inches from my hips
1 inch from my arm
1.5 inches from my thigh
2.29% of my total body fat
No significant lean body mass loss

Race: Jerusalem Marathon
Date: Friday, March 25, 2010
Location: Jerusalem, Israel
Division: 45-49 yo
Time: 5:38 - PR!


Race Report:

Pre-Race: There is so much I can talk about in my "pre-race" notes. Everything from the bus delay going from DC to NYC, the security "escort" from the terminal to the gate with El Al employees, the "back story" with the ladies I traveled with, meeting the Mayor of Jerusalem, being interviewed by both TV and newspaper, etc. But, I'll be as brief as I can!

I arrived in Israel three days before the race and hoped to have plenty of time to recover from jet lag. Thankfully it worked otherwise my body would have felt as if the marathon start time was 1 AM! On the other hand, this being my first time to Israel and only having five days total to see the country, I spent a lot of time on my feet for days before the race doing tourist stuff. I can definitely say I was not well rested for the race.

Upon arriving to Tel Aviv, my friend Anna and I found out about a bombing that occurred in Jerusalem only an hour or so before we landed. She, of course, didn't tell me about the bombing until we were on our way to Jerusalem. I don't know if she thought I might turn around and get a flight out back to the USA or what. Thankfully I didn't let the bombing stop me from running the race and thankfully the race director and the Mayor of Jerusalem felt the same way!


This race was only the second time I had raced for charity (first was the Marine Corps Marathon for Jill's House) and this time I was racing for Shalva - The Association of Physically and Mentally Challenged Children in Israel. It was fabulous to meet some of my teammates, Shalva children and the founder of Shalva the night before the race. It was a boost of emotional energy that would help sustain me throughout the race. 

The Start Line:


Initial reports were that 10,000 people were registered for this race. But, what I came to learn was those 10,000 people were not just marathon runners but also half marathon, 10K, and 4.2K. So, when I got to the start line I could actually SEE the start line! Apparently there were only about 500 people running the first EVER Jerusalem marathon. What a privilege to be one of those 500 people!

The picture below was taken about 15 minutes before the race began!

 
The Race:
This is only the fifth marathon I've run (and 3 of those were MCM) so I can't compare it much to other marathons. But, talking with other racers they all agreed this is one of the most scenic races they have ever run. You begin the race right by the Israeli Parliament (The Kneset) and around the 10k mark you get to run THROUGH the Old City of Jerusalem. This was such a special part of the race and, of course, lots of crowd support. This was also the site of what I knew would be many hills to come...although I didn't think they could get much worse. I.WAS.WRONG!

 In front of the Old City of Jerusalem 

Going up the hill into the Old City of Jerusalem

Running through the Old City of Jerusalem

Coming out of the Old City we had a slight downhill...very slight. At this point I started to become somewhat distracted by a lady who was racing/talking to me and I missed some of the beauty of the race thanks to her. She was one of those runners whose arm bumps into you every five seconds and who pees in public every mile or so. Unfortunately, I'm not a very fast runner. So, even though I tried to "run away" from her several times she still caught up to me! I finally "ditched" her in the last 10 miles of the race...I did NOT want to cross the finish line with her. I mean, when the Israeli Police tell you (not once...not twice...but SEVERAL TIMES) not to pee in public...YOU LISTEN!! I was afraid this woman was well on her way to jail! And, let me tell you...little small "new" trees in the middle of a median with runners on BOTH sides of the road won't hide even the smallest of people. "Discreet" was not a word in this woman's dictionary!

When I finally ditched "Ms. Peebody" we had just passed the finish line of the half marathon. The course was kinda odd at this point because we had to run behind the crowd that was cheering on the half finishers. They barely even recognized we were there...and we still had about 10 miles to go! Anyway, we made a right turn and started going up this hill below. The picture doesn't show just how steep the hill was but it was a hill I ended up turning around and walking backwards to get up! When I turned around I noticed this couple in the picture. On the right was a lady I ended up finishing the race with - Lisa Jackson - a journalist from London. By the time the race was over, Lisa and I had become good friends and she invited me to visit her in London to race the Loc Ness marathon (because getting in the London marathon is about as crazy as NY and Loc Ness is apparently way more scenic). The guy on the left wasn't familiar to me at the time. I mean, who thinks you'll be running next to someone "famous" during a marathon. What I learned was the gentleman I ran with was Bart Yasso - Editor at Large for "Runner's World" magazine. I mean, how cool is that? 

The weather had been nice for most of our race but it was also a pretty overcast day. I wish it had been a little clearer (or that I could have run with my 35 mm camera) so I could show you some amazing shots of the race course and Israel. The one below is a picture of me at the top of Mount Scopus. On a clear day you can actually see the Dead Sea from this location. Mount Scopus is where Hebrew University is located and was the highest elevation of the race. The hill to get there wasn't too steep - just a long steady climb.

From Mount Scopus, we had about 7 miles left in the race. We kept thinking we had seen the last of the hills. Surely there couldn't be MORE...we were wrong. Below is a picture of one of the last big hills we had to climb.

Finally, when the finish line was near I thought I would go all out and do a little sprint at the end. I mean, at least it was level ground! But, the day before the race it had rained considerably and the ground was VERY muddy. They laid some sort of AstroTurf type of material over the mud but all that did was keep you from getting dirty. It was one lump after another and there was no way to get your footing to actually get a sprint finish! Oh well, I did what I could and Lisa said I was just flying to the finish line. In my opinion I was running as fast I could as to not get injured in the last yards of the race! I could have very easily twisted my ankle on that stuff.

Post-Race:

I finished the race in 5:38. I was pretty sure that wasn't a PR but I couldn't remember my other race finish times. Besides, I wasn't out to get a PR at this race. I knew the hills would kill me, I knew the jet lag might be an issue and I knew I would be stopping to take pictures all along the race course. So, I wasn't too concerned about the time. After I got home I realized that I DID have a PR - by about 5 minutes. What made it even more special was that the winner of the marathon (and just about everyone I talked to after the race) finished about 1/2 hour slower than their typical race pace. So, if I count that half hour plus all the time I stopped to take pictures I could have had a sub 5:00 marathon! Wow, what training does for a body! My first marathon time (including vomiting 9 times on the race course) was 6:13! Now you know what I've got to do, right? Yep...run another marathon!


Summary:
The Jerusalem Marathon is not the most organized race in the world and there isn't a lot of crowd support for the full. However, given this is the first time they have hosted a marathon I feel things will change. If you want to run a beautiful, challenging course then this is the marathon for you!


Lessons Learned:

• There is no way you can ever properly train for a marathon in Jerusalem on the "hills" of Virginia.
• If you are going to leave the country to race, plan for more than a 5-day stay!
• If someone is bothering you early in the race...find a way, at all costs, to ditch them!

It's all about forward motion

I say I'm pleased with my weight loss results this week but if I'm really honest with myself I'm disappointed. I'm not disappointed because I didn't lose a certain amount of pounds. I'm disappointed because I cheated. Cheating on my diet only means that I'm cheating myself out of what's best for my body. They weren't "big" cheats like eating a big piece of chocolate cake or anything like that but the little bite of cracker here and there or skipping on my veggies because I just didn't want them - THOSE are the type of cheats I'm talking about.Thankfully there have only been 5 days since my last weigh in and I could learn my lesson quickly without going any additional days on this downward cheating spiral. I'm able to take what happened and hopefully learn from it.

I'm a big fan of the show "The Biggest Loser" and last night's show really spoke to me. Kaylee, who gained 4 lbs last week, had a goal to succeed this week. She said "I can let it (the weight gain) distract me or I can do everything in my power to fight to stay here." Her trainer, Cara, said that "Kaylee has never believed in herself. She has always settled for less her whole life." Kaylee, who is very close to her weight goal ended up losing 5 lbs this week and made changes in her life she never thought possible.

Kaylee reminds me of myself. I have always settled for less in my life when it comes to my weight. I have always had a mental block getting below a certain size/weight and here I find myself again in that same place. I start sabotaging my efforts and my weight starts to increase again. I CAN'T let the same thing happen to me this time. THIS is my moment to grasp all that is there for me and move forward in this journey. It's all about the forward motion.

In the upcoming weeks I'm going to have to pay extra close attention to my body and hunger "pains." I'm also going to start testing different nutrition on my long workouts and see what I can use to replace the Gu and electrolyte drinks I'm so used to having.

So, here are the stats...

This week (5 days only):
1 lb weight loss
2 inches in waist
1.5 inches in hips
0.51% body fat loss

Total since March 31st
1.5% of my total body fat
5.5 inches from my waist
3 inches from my hips
1 inch from my arm
1.5 inches from my thigh
No significant lean body mass loss

Now it's time to get real, get serious, and STOP CHEATING!

Anyone want some clothes?

That's right - I'm giving away my clothes already! I can't believe what is going on with the jeans I'm wearing today. Just two weeks ago these jeans were TIGHT (we're talking serious tightness - the kind where you only wear them in public then you come home and put on your "comfortable" pants). But today I'm pulling and tugging at them to keep them up on my hips!

This diet was easier this week than last. I find I'm not as much of a veggie-hater as I once proclaimed! I'm struggling a bit in my workouts - particularly my runs - because I don't have the energy I'm used to having from the carbs in my system. But, my doctor says it's a temporary feeling and it should get better soon. I'm just getting back into my longer-distance bike & swim workouts from a very lazy winter so I'll have to pay close attention to how I feel on those workouts in the upcoming weeks.

I have to admit - I cheated this week. For some crazy reason I decided it was okay to have cashews. Then, after the third day of eating them (only 6 each time) I realized they have a pretty high carb content so I stopped. I also "accidentally" cheated, too! I was so excited to purchase beets for the first time in my adult life that I didn't stop to see if beets were acceptable on this diet. I had gone to all the trouble to ask my Facebook friends for yummy recipes and everything. I spent a long time determining how to cook them and made them into a great roasted treat. As I was eating the first few slices I thought to myself "hmmm...these are pretty sweet for this diet." I then went to my "restricted veggies" list and right there in front of my eyes - between the avocado and carrots were...beets. I was bummed about it but I have a new-found love for beets and can't wait to get to the "maintenance" stage of this diet to begin eating, and enjoying beets.

So, how much further do I have to go to the "maintenance" stage? Well, I started out needing to lose 39 lbs. The first week I lost 8.5 lbs and this week I lost 4 lbs. So, I've lost a total of 12.5 lbs. Maintenance begins when I'm 90% of the way to my goal weigh so, about 4 lbs from my goal is when I'll begin. That means I need to lose another 22.5 lbs.

Every time I go in for my appointment there are several aspects to it - weighing in, measurements, percent body fat analysis, lean body mass, and a few other measurements.

To date I have lost the following:
1% of my total body fat
3.5 inches from my waist
1.5 inches from my hips
1 inch from my arm
1.5 inches from my thigh
No significant lean body mass loss


So, today I am going through my closet and saying goodbye to some of my clothes. I hope to never be back at this weight again for the rest of my life. I'm thrilled at my progress and can't wait to reach my goal. One thing my doctor said to me early on in my journey is to consider this like another aspect of my training and that's what I'm going to continue to do. 

As my friend Stacie would say - Onward and Upward...