Kanoeracer's Blog

I ride my bike to work once or twice per week when the weather is nice.  I love the 20-40 mile ride and I usually plan it so that I drive into work one day with my bike and with clothes for the next day, I ride home that afternoon and then back in the following morning.  In the morning it wakes me up, and I feel alert, productive, and calm throughout my work day.  In the afternoons, I often take a longer loop and enjoy the back roads of Ellington on my way home to Bolton.  Often I am in a rush in the mornings (who isn’t?) but if I set my clothes out in advance and leave a change of clothes at work the day before, I can pedal into the University of Hartford in about an hour and 10 or 15 minutes.  During rush hour, it takes me 45 minutes to drive in.  So, now for a “time cost” of 30 minutes, I have actually gotten an hour and 15 minutes of awesome exercise.  I’m rarely in a rush on the way home, so this is the time when I can enjoy some quieter back roads and have even stopped at road side vegetable stands to fill my backpack with organic treats for dinner.

(this is not my commute, unfortunately!  Commuting keeps me in shape to take great vacations though!)

SO, when a meeting was announced at the University to join a group for National Bike to Work Day, I decided to attend.  Seven of us planned out our routes, and decided to meet at the State House in downtown Hartford for the featured breakfast and celebration.  Hopefully over 100 cyclists descending on the city will help to create awareness of bicycle commuters.  According to the League of American Bicyclists who sponsor the event, people ride to work for many reasons:  save money or time, get fit and healthy, reduce their impact on the environment.  I would add FUN and feeling good to that list, and I would encourage more people to join us next year. 

I was the only one of our group from the University that was riding from the East.  At 6:35am, I joined up with 2 friends who live in Bolton.  We rode to a designated meeting point in Manchester where we were joined by a group from the Willimantic/Mansfield/Andover area.  These folks had ridden up on the Hop River Rail Trail.  We now rode the paved and VERY curvy bike path through Manchester, past Manchester Community College, and to Forbes Street in East Hartford.  I don’t remember all the turns, but we ultimately pedaled from the end of the bike path to The Founders Bridge in Hartford, picking up more commuters the entire way.  Once in Hartford, I met “my group” from the University and we rode back to the sports center where we were able to shower and get ready for our work day. 

OUCH!  After a winter of training long slow distance, and racing Ironman 70.3 Puerto Rico in March, we decided it was time to notch up our training and add some speed.  What better way than to jump into an early season sprint duathlon!

Such was my husband, Ken, and my thinking prior to the Wrentham Duathlon.  I like long slow pain, he prefers short and intense.  We usually compromise which basically means we do whatever I want.  This time, however, Ken and the promise of beautiful weather won and we found ourselves heading to Wrentham on Sunday morning.  

We arrived early, got registered, racked our bikes and headed out for a warmup.  The shorter the race and the older I get, the longer the warmup needs to be.  The flat and fast run course led to a quick start.  There were no mile markers along the route, but I gauged my pace by how far ahead Ken’s blue shirt was getting.  Not too bad, despite the fact that several “older” looking women ran by me.  A glance at my HR monitor confirmed that my only hope was to catch them on the bike.  I had a quick, smooth transition and was out on the bike course in less than a minute.  Someone lied to me though…. that course is not flat!  It was not severely hilly, but I found the rolling hills both challenging and fun.  My HR didn’t recover much, but I pushed hard and knew that I had moved up a few spots.  Now for the final run…. OUCH.  Oh my gosh, I forgot how much a 2 mile sprint can hurt.  I thought I was running fast, although my split shows otherwise.  I did manage to hold off my competition and Ken and I were thrilled to place first in our respective age groups.

Age group competition in triathlons is awesome.  Ken aged up this year (60-64) and although I missed it by 8 days this year, I look forward to entering the 55-59 age group next year.  As we stood at the awards awaiting our turn on the podium, we debated which would be more challenging… stepping from the 3rd place box all the way up to 1st or taking a big first step onto 2nd, and saving some energy for the final push up. This may sound silly, but for us older athletes, it was a legitimate concern.  Fortunately we both made it and are looking forward to the next challenge.

On our last day at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, we decided to take OUR new “best friend” on an outing.  We had already taken him back to our condo for two overnight stays.  I was struggling to say good-bye to this wonderful puppy, so we decided on one last adventure.  The staff at Puppy Preschool suggested we visit Coral Sand Dunes, a 20 minute drive from the sanctuary.  Dyango was happy to jump back into our car, and was sound asleep within seconds of heading out. 

We arrived to find the biggest beach we’d ever seen… minus the water!  It was spectacular.  Sand dunes, some covered in snow, as far as you could see in any direction.  A ranger stopped by and we asked him where the best place to hike was.  He said that it didn’t matter, there were no trails, you could go wherever you wanted to.  We headed off across the dunes, Mom taking the low route, Dyango and I running up and down some of the dunes.  Dy loved it, he loves to chase, and as we would run down, there was plenty of sand to chase.  We all had fun, Mom and I loved watching him leap and bound after rolling sand.

At one point we came to a very steep snow covered downhill.  I wasn’t sure if I could go down, so I sat for a second, and as I did a large chunk of ice started rolling down the hill.  Dyango bounded after it, and since I was attached to the other end of his leash, I had no choice but to slide behind him.  It was so much fun that we ran up the hill and slid again.  By now, I had a very wet butt, but still insisted that Mom try it, so she took Dyango and had her turn at “sledding” down the dune.

 After 2 hours of hiking, playing, and sliding, it was time to return our pup to the sanctuary.  One last time, we said good-bye before heading off to Las Vegas for our flights home.

What a fantastic week we had!  Fresh air, warm sunshine,exercise, friendly people, time together, and lots and lots of happy animals.  For a full week, I forgot about work and any worries at home, enjoyed time with my mom, and helped out a few homeless animals that happen to live in a gorgeous sanctuary.  It was awesome.

Check out their website

March 3, 2011

Today we decided to take a break from the dogs, and spend some time with horses.  We were “allowed” to get up close and personal– shoveling manure out of all the paddocks.  It was actually a great time, and we were entertained with stories of all the rescued horses by our friendly guide, Margaret.

We had a delicious lunch in the sanctuary’s all vegetarian cafeteria.  The view is spectacular, and the food is prepared daily.  An all you can eat buffet is $5!!

After lunch we went to Dog Town, we each walked a couple more dogs and then decided to bring a puppy home for the night.  We selected 8 month old pit named Dyango.   I thought taking him for a nice long hike would be a great idea, and help him to calm down.  We hiked all the way up the Canyon Road, ran back down, circled through the horses and pigs, and after an hour and a half came home.  He still seemed full of energy, so mom took him for a walk around the condo, then we played for an hour, then we went for a run, and now 4 hours later, he is still playing.  Lets hope he sleeps when it’s time to settle down!

March 4, 2011

Happy Birthday to my sister, Mary!  Wouldn’t you like a puppy for your birthday???

The amazing puppy, Dyango made it through the night, no problem.  At about 8:30, his eyelids got heavy and we both went up to bed.  He curled up and was snoring within about 30 seconds.  I woke up a couple of times in the night, but he slept  great!  At 5:30am, we were out for a  pee and poop (Dyango, not me)  After a cup of coffee (for me) and a couple of doggy biscuits (for “D”) we went  for a walk through the neighborhood.  Sadly, we now had to return him to puppy pre-school.  I talked to the handlers and they agreed that we really SHOULD adopt him, and if not, at least bring him home for one more evening.
We helped out up at Deja in “Old Town”.  The dogs aren’t old, but many of them are a little harder to handler, having had some unfortunate experiences before arriving at Best Friends.  Mom and I helped a handler named Kathy:  cleaning, feeding, washing dog dishes, and walking dogs.  It was a gorgeous day and we loved it.

At lunch, we bumped into some new friends from Vancouver, WA.  Soon we were joined by Faith, one of the founders of Best Friends.  She helped answer all sorts of questions and gave me new ideas on how to help with rescue from Connecticut.  Much as I would love to take Dyango home, I know that I can help more dogs right in CT.  There are way too many discarded dogs, and in particular pitbulls.  My plan is “one dog at a time”.  If I can help one dog find a new home, and then move onto the next, that will be a great start.  Meanwhile, I do intend to enjoy one more afternoon and evening with Dyango.

Right after lunch, we returned to “Deja” and took Schreech for an outing.  Schreech is a Hurricane Katrina survivor, and possibly a “lifer” at Best Friends.  He is very people friendly, but not so much with other dogs.  We took him in the car, and then on a hike to the underground lake.

Upon his return we picked up Dyango, and headed to the gift shop.  Dyango and I shopped, and socialized.  He had an encounter with a pig (which he wasn’t too sure about) and then we went back to the condo.  We hiked up into the mountains, and had a great time.  He’s now sound asleep on the couch beside me.  It will be a sad farewell tomorrow, but I hope he finds a home with a person who loves to be outdoors hiking, running, or even mountain biking.  He can do it all!

A couple of months ago a friend of mine told me about an amazing place that she had visited in Utah. It is called “Best Friends Animal Sanctuary”. It is one of the  largest “no kill” facilities in the world, home to between 1600 and 2000 animals ranging from dogs, horses, bunnies, cats, and birds. Mom and I talked about it in January, and here we are …. spending the first week in March as volunteers in both Dog Town and Horse Haven.  As we drove onto the 3300 acre facility, we were in awe of the gorgeous cliffs and valleys in what is now known as “Angel Canyon”.

Yesterday was our first day, and we spent the morning taking a tour, browsing the extensive gift shop, and going through our initial volunteer orientation. We then had lunch at their outstanding vegetarian cafeteria, took a walk through “Angels Rest”, the pet cemetery 

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At 1:15 we reported to duty at Dog Town headquarters. We told them that we would like to work with some pitbulls,  wanting to learn more about this amazing breed with an undeserved bad reputation. We were immediately told that we could take “Mamas”, a 4 year old pit rescued from a dog fighting ring, to our condo for a sleepover. One of the things they like to do is get the dogs out for one night sleepovers.   This way, they can get used to being in a home, and are that much more ready for adoption. First we sat in Mamas kennel area, which is large and roomy, very clean and has an outside area which she can access at will, with her “kennel mate” and buddy, Valentino. Mamas jumped around for about 3 minutes, then plopped into my lap and professed her love by licking my face and wiggling with excitement.

The dogs at Dog Town are housed in Octagon shaped kennels, with runs attached to each indoor kennel area.There are 2-3 dogs in most runs, as they have found that dogs prefer to live with a friend. For those few dogs that aren’t ready to live with another, they do have “singles” rooms available. Each Octagon has 2 caretakers that are with the dogs from 7am- 6pm. The caretakers provide training, feeding, cleaning, and medical treatment.

Zoom, abused pitbull, with him caretaker. His tail never stops wagging!

Best Friends employs approximately 370 paid employees. Volunteers get the fun jobs of walking the dogs (on beautiful paths throughout the  sanctuary, petting and socializing with the dogs, playing in puppy “pre-school”, and taking dogs on outings or sleepovers. By the time a dog is ready for adoption, it has been through nearly every experience that it will face in it’s new home so that hopefully all placements are permanent ones. Best Friends does have a return policy, if for any reason your new pet doesn’t work out, you can return it and it will be “re-homed” or allowed to live out it’s life at the sanctuary.

Back to our “sleepover” with Mamas. Once we checked her out, along with her bag of toys, water bowl, treats, and blankets, her caretaker helped us seat belt her into the car and off we went. We decided to explore the town are of Kanab, and took her for a long walk which included a tour of the movie sets at “Little Hollywood”. In the 1950s and 1960s, Kanab was the home to many movie sets with actors such as John Wayne, Ronald Regan, and many others.

After a couple of hours of wandering, we returned to the condo where Mamas immediately snuggled up on the couch and behaved perfectly all evening. She slept through the night without a peep, and when I woke up was happy to go out for a walk. She really is ready for a home, and would be a fantastic dog for a very lucky owner.

We will return her (sadly) this morning, and hopefully bring someone else home tonight. First we plan to help in puppy pre-school, and walk several other dogs. I hope to learn a little more about training, but they are quite cautious about which dogs volunteers are allowed to handle. It seems that there positive training techniques goes for volunteers as well as dogs!

Day 2– today we spend some time with the puppies, and went to “puppy preschool”.  I got to work with Elora, who reminded me a lot of my old greyhound, Zelda.  Elora is 9 months old, gorgeous, and very well behaved…. it’s hard to imagine no one has adopted her!

Elora- a bundle of loveable energy

The Goal-  to run again pain free (or at least semi-pain free).

The Perscription- Bikram “hot” yoga 5 days per week, barefoot Chi style running 3 days per week, pool running 3 days per week.

I think it’s working!  Yoga is quite possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done, although the 90 minutes goes by relatively quickly and I do feel better when it’s over.  It hurts sooo much during the class.  On Thursday I almost gave up.  I was close to tears, particularly in all of the kneeling postures.  Some people complain about the heat, and that is the one thing I like.  It feels good to be warm and to sweat, and I certainly don’t find it TOO hot.  After Thursday’s torture treatment, however,  I might not have gone back but Nicole and I had already made plans to go together, and Friday was to be her first day.  It did seem a LITTLE easier, quite possibly because Thursday I went in the evening and Friday in the morning.

I start off great, with “Standing Deep Breathing” where you have to suck your stomach in and try to see your rib cage in the mirror.  I can count my ribs, and another woman said to me  in the changing room after class, “You do so good… when the teacher says suck your stomach in, yours goes in and mine falls out!”  That gave me a good laugh and I realized that “o.k., yes, there’s ONE thing I do well in Bikram Yoga”.  I’m also pretty good at Savasana or “Dead Body Pose”, where you lie perfectly still for 2 minutes.  Bikram says that being still for 2 minutes is the hardest posture of all, but I am so exhausted and relieved to get to that point of the class that it is not hard at all to remain motionless for my precious 2 minutes.  The poses I really hate, are Utkatasana, “Awkward Pose” where you squat down while balancing on your toes… OUCH, and all of the kneeling exercises Supta Vajrasana “Fixed Firm Pose” being the absolute worst.  If I ever get so that I can sit between my knees, it will be a miracle.  The instructors all assure me that it will happen, so we shall see!

As for running in my fancy Vibram 5 toes– I took Sunday off, but Monday I ran 20 min on the turf at school.  Ken came with me and ran in his scuba booties.  Being a mutant with webbed toes, he has not been able to try the 5 toe shoes, but wanted to experience “almost” barefoot running.  On Tuesday, we ran on the rail trail- 31 minutes.  It was dark, and honestly, not much fun.  On the turf, I’ve been able to really get the sense that I am floating along and letting my core lead as my legs follow.  In the dark, I struggled to get my mind relaxed and to just let the running happen.  Wednesday I ran in the pool and swam.  Thursday, I ran in the pool for 45 min with my team, then jumped out, got dressed and ran outside for 35 minutes.  I did the first 20 minutes on the road and knew that I was pounding a bit too much (should’ve kept it to 10 minutes) but once on the turf and grass, I felt o.k.  Friday, my calves hurt a bit but weren’t terrible so I had hopes of sticking to my alternate day schedule and running again on Saturday. I was able to run in the pool with the sprinters, and then go to yoga with Nicole.  Today is Saturday, and I’m not running!  Definitely overdid the calves so I’ll take an extra day, try riding my bike and hope I can run tomorrow.  I’m thinking that a golf course might be a great place to expand my grass running options, and it’s getting too cold to golf anyway.

I’m also taking the weekend off from Yoga Class, although only because I don’t want to spend an hour in the car getting there.  I may try to heat up the bathroom and “practice” on my own.  If I do, I’ll have Ken take some “before” pictures and hope they improve!

Everyone ages.  We may not really realize that until we hit a certain age… 30 years?  40?  For me, it seems like it was right around 45 that things started falling apart mentally and physically.  So much so, that I may start a whole new blog on various middle age aches, ailments, and their subsequent treatment.    For that is what life is really all about for me- how to stay healthy, active, and most importantly happy.

This post may be a summary, with more to come.  I haven’t really decided how to attack this new idea of mine…. the wellness puzzle.  For it is a puzzle- life is a puzzle and figuring out which piece goes where can be very tricky.  At age 30, it was easy- get up and run, eat, kayak, work, take care of my baby son, have supper and conversation with my husband, sleep and start again the next day..  All of those things worked.  As I got older, each aspect got a little trickier.

First lets start with running because that is the piece that I am currently struggling to find and fit into place.  Running has held my life together for the last 30 years.  Like an old friend, running has been a constant that I could rely on.  When I feel sad, I run and feel better.  When I am angry, I run and feel better.  When I’m happy, I run and feel even better.  There are plenty of other sports that I love:  kayaking, canoeing, cycling, hiking….. but nothing has been quite as constant and steady as running.

I’ve had occasional running injuries- nothing too major, but sore hamstring, hip, knee.  Almost always on the left side, which I now realize should have been a clue that something was out of balance.  In my 30s and well into my 40s, I could overcome the nagging aches with some ibuprofin, a day or two of cross training, and occasionally a good massage or chiropractic adjustment.  I’ve run in several marathons, two ultra marathons, lots of half marathons, and  hundreds of shorter races.   My son, rode in a baby jogger until he was 5 and the adventures we had together while out running and walking are some of my greatest memories.

When I turned 40, I “treated” myself to running the Disney Half Marathon with friends. I was also heavily into marathon canoe racing at this time, and running was mainly a winter activity to stay in shape.  When I was 45, I herniated a disc in my neck and had to take some time off from canoeing.  My old friend, running, returned and I spent the summer running long trail races and marathons. At age 46, I returned to paddling and combined it with running, competing in the Jay Challenge Adventure race which includes a 28 mile kayak race and a 50K run up and over Jay Peak.

Shortly after this, the physical challenges began:  a pulled hamstring while running with track team in an informal relay race, a badly sprained ankle while hiking Mount Chocura, lyme disease that manifested itself with a spiking fever and aching knees, hernia surgery, menopause (which brings along entire myriad of complications and adjustments), skin cancer, weight gain, adrenal fatigue and emotional overload, and my most recent diagnosis of severe arthritis of the knee.  I won’t try to address all of this in one blog, and I don’t pretend that my challenges are any more critical than any other aging athletes, but my own puzzle of how to solve them has been at times both frustrating and rewarding.

We are all unique.  We all face our own challenges as we go through this journey of life, and how we approach each and every one is a testament to our character and what we are truly made of.  I don’t believe that any one person has the answer to all of our “problems” (if that is what you want to call them), but I do believe that by reading, learning, studying, and questioning, we can all overcome most of the obstacles thrown in our path.

Starting backwards, because that is the way I remember things, arthritis of the knees was not a happy diagnosis.  I ran well all last winter, approaching 70 miles a week in my training towards a half marathon PR.  I was excited to reach my goal, despite the fact that my knee start acting up the last couple of weeks before the big race.  I assumed that a little time off my legs would fix everything and I’d be back on the road soon.  But as the weeks went by and I burned off my excess energy with swimming, cycling, and tons of stretching, I realized that my knee wasn’t getting any better.  I went to a physical therapist and worked on building quad strength while increasing the flexibility of my quads and hip flexors.   I ran occasionally, but each day was unsure how I’d feel until I got out there.  By now, we (my husband and I( were training for triathlons so I “HAD” to run, but I was able to reduce the frequency of my runs to 2-3 times per week and that seemed to work.  I didn’t feel fantastic while running, but I felt “good enough”.  And I had some great races, but the pain kept lingering and finally I went into an orthopedic specialist.  He ordered x-rays and immediately diagnosed arthritis and bone spurs.  I continued with more PT, more stretching, and less running.  4 weeks later, when I hadn’t responded, my PT suggested an MRI.  The same results showed up- arthritis- inside, outside, and under the kneecap.
Dr. Veltri’s diagnosis: “Not much we can do.  We can try injections, but those don’t last long and may accelerate the growth of the arthritis.  The best two things you can do for arthritis are keep your weight low and exercise to tolerance.  You should be able to run again, but not every day, and not 70 miles per week.”
My weight was already low, but it could be a little lower- so that was one goal.  Exercising to tolerance?  What does that mean?  I have a much higher tolerance than most, and wasn’t exactly sure how much was too much.  But, I tried to be smart, and if my knee hurt, I stopped.  I continued to race in triathlons, but was reduced to barely training for the run and knowing that it was my weakest link on race day.  Getting passed in the final leg of the race is no fun!  And finally, in August, came the day that I couldn’t even do the run and had to settle for the “Aquaman” division.

My next step in trying to piece together the puzzle was a visit to Coach Al Lyman’s Gait Analysis Lab.

http://www.pursuit-athletic-performance.com/

I had heard Coach Al speak about nutrition, and I knew that he had had excellent results with some of the triathletes that he coaches.  And I had done a little work with his partner, Kurt Strecker, a chiropracter who specializes in wellness and athletic injuries.
Coach Al set me up on a treadmill, videotaped my running, and made some notes on form and function.  Dr. Kurt put me on a table and tested my flexibility, strength, and range of motion.
Their diagnosis was something that I’m used to hearing, “Kath, you are super tight”.  They also said something that I wasn’t at all used to hearing, “you are also really weak”.  Huh?  I run marathons, I’ve canoed 120 miles non-stop (several times), I bike centuries…. how can I be weak?

All those repetitive movement activities had build an amazing cardiovascular system, and I had the mental toughness to battle it out with the best, but I had neglected to balance the strength of my opposing muscles and to sufficiently stretch out the working ones.

Coach Al’s approach was to devise a strengthening program using resistance bands.  They look like giant rubberbands, and come in various colors which coincide with the strength and amount of resistance.  Based on what I could do, he recommended a black and a red band, and he put together a simple exercise plan to strengthen my glutes and core, and to stretch out my hip flexors, quads, and calf muscles.

I took my bands and a short videotape of the exercises home and went to work.  Every day, sometimes twice a day, I faithfully performed my exercises.  The only problem was that they REALLY hurt.  My knee got very swollen and even walking became painful.  Kurt and Al assured me that this was normal and that I would get through it.  As I said, I’m pretty mentally tough, and I continued to work through the exercises, but the pain persisted and running became absolutely impossible.
After 3 months, I decided that while I think the exercises are excellent for healthy people maintaining their fitness and strength (and I wish that I had started them 10 or 20 years ago), they were too much for me at this point.  I needed to start more gradually or soon I wouldn’t be able to get up the stairs in our house, much less run.I do have my college cross country team using the rubberband strengthening exercises  twice each week.  By starting now, I hope they don’t develop the same imbalances that have created my problems.

Even though I  backed away from the intense RBT exercises, I continue to use the stretching exercises Coach Al taught me, and I have added Bikrams Hot Yoga 4X per week.  The idea behind Bikrams, which is performed in a 105 degree room, is that the heat warms your muscles and joints enough that it is easier for them to both stretch and “open”.  I continued swimming, and added deep water running 2-3X per week.

The latest addition, which I am very excited about, is barefoot running.  Like nearly every other runner on the planet, I read “Born to Run” by Christopher Mcdougall and loved it.  The Tarahumara  Indians run hundreds of miles either barefoot or with thin sandals that they have fashioned out of old tires.  The other critical key to their “success” is that they run because they love to run, not because they have to reach a certain time or distance goal, they just love it.  From there I read “Chi Running” which is based on the theory that everything originates in our center or Chi.  Use your core to move and let your legs and arms follow along effortlessly.  Interesting theory, harder to achieve in practice, but definitely worth considering.  Danny Dreyer, originator of Chi Running, developed the concept after years of working with a Tai Chi teacher and focusing his own ultra-distance running on relaxation and nearly effortless movement.  Like the  Tarahumara  Indians of Mexico, Danny believes in minimal shoes so that your foot can naturally land in the proper position, on your mid foot and directly underneath your hip.  Heel strikers, tend to overstride and by striking the heel in front of the hips, put a natural brake on while simultaneously sending a shock wave up the leg and into the knee and hip.  I count my steps when I run, 700 steps with each foot for each mile is a lot of shock waves to your major joints!

I started gradually, 5 min of running, 5 min of walking.  I ran on the turf soccer field at the University where I coach, and I gradually added a few minutes each week.  On Monday of last week I ran 25 minutes non stop.  I felt like I’d just finished a marathon, I was so excited and happy to be running again.  I told myself that if I could run 3 miles, pain free, 3 times, that I would try out the controversial, but popular,  barefoot running shoes…. Vibram 5 toes.  I only ran every other day to allow my knee time to adjust, get rid of any inflammation, and fully recover.  On Friday I bought my shoes, and yesterday I spent my first hour in them.  This was all to the great dismay of some of my track athletes who strongly disagree with the concept of barefoot running, and with the encouragement of others who think it is the greatest thing ever introduced (or reintroduced) to running.
My first “workout” was mostly a walk.  I knew it was important to break my legs in gradually, but I was also super anxious to try this out.  I was away from home with my team, and in an unfamiliar suburb of Boston.  Saturday morning, I put on my new shoes and I walked– 20 minutes up the road until I found a small park.  I then ran for 15 minutes on the grass.  While I ran, I thought about my form and staying relaxed.  When I finished, I pumped my hand in the air, “Yes, no pain”, and I walked 20 minutes back to the hotel.
Day 1 of the experiment was over.  While walking back, a rather large woman approached and asked how I liked the shoes.  I told her that it was my first day, but that I liked them a lot so far.  She said, “well, I had some trouble, but I guess you shouldn’t wear them all day the first day”.
“NO KIDDING, Who would do that?”  That’s what I felt like saying, but I was nice and said, “no probably not, I’m going to be sure to start gradually, thanks for the advice”.

So here’s my latest plan:  yoga 4X per week, swimming and running 3X per week, some biking if the weather is nice, and alternate days of 2-3 miles of running on the soft rail trail with my funky 5 toed shoes. I will hit up diet and nutrition in another post, but eating properly and lightly goes along with all of the training and I can barely believe it myself, but I now weigh the same as I did when I graduated from highschool.  It’s taken me 32 years to get rid of the college freshman 10 lbs (which at one time was the college freshman 30 lbs but I got rid of 20 quickly)  I was thin in high school, so  I can’t get much lighter, but every pound helps both in the reduction of stress on my old joints, and in the quest for longevity and a healthy old age.

I want to go run 10 miles, I know I could- I’ve been biking 250 miles per week, I have the aerobic fitness, but this time I am going to be smart not tough!

Those of you who have read my previous posts know that I am a marathon kayak racer who, at age 52, needed a change of pace.  After a friendly challenge from my huband, I decided to try a sprint triathlon last summer, and I became obsessed with learning all I could about this sport of triathlon.  You may notice that I have not posted a single blog since May.  It’s been a busy summer, filled with exciting adventures, training, and racing.  “Tri-ing” something new has been a fantastic adventure in itself!  Starting over and seeing rapid improvement is good for anyone’s morale, and it made us feel “young” again.  I say “we” because my husband had no choice but to join me in this new endeavor.
So, while our once beloved kayaks and surfskis gathered dust in the garage, we were busily working on our biking, swimming, and running skills.  I’m a track coach, so running comes fairly naturally.  I used to bike race, so that came back rather quickly, but swimming… gosh, I’ve spent the last 20 years making sure I DIDN’T swim.  My mantra on windy/wavy days was “stay in the boat, stay in the boat…”  You might think that paddling skill would translate quickly to swimming skill.  You would be wrong.

Soo- we started out with a rather ambitious goal of a half-Ironman on June 19.  The Patriot Man, in New Freetown, MA.  Being a track coach, I have access to great athletic facilities (except a track- but we’ll save that for another post).  We do have a pool, so we swam all winter.  I took a swim clinic with Coach Al Lyman in February, and continued to work on the drills and skills which he passed on through a video analysis.  We ran through the winter, culminating with a half marathon masters PR in late February.  We added cycling in March, and I commuted 20 miles to work at least 4 days per week.  Our spring “bike to the beach” was fantastic and we planned many more such bike adventures for the summer, however, once our racing season got underway, we realized we didn’t have time for such “frivolous” activities.

Our first race of the year was the first of a local sprint series held at Lake Terramugus (Lake T) about 13 miles from our house.  I was thrilled to win the overall women’s title, and Ken had his best race in the 7 or 8 years that he has done these triathlons.  We now had some confidence that our hours of winter training had worked well, and we focused on our half IM which was 2 weeks away.  The weather warmed up ALOT for Patriots and it became a day of carefully planned nutrition and hydration.  My plan worked well, Ken’s not so well.  After surviving the swim, we took off on a flat, but very windy double loop bike.  I was unpleasantly surprised by how FAST all those women were!  Even old (like me) women!!  Holy Cow, I now knew that I had work to do.  3:00 for a 58 mile bike was not terrible, but it wasn’t where I wanted to be either.  Despite little run training, due to some knee issues, I felt good on the hot run course, was very happy to have my fuel belt, and passed 100 or more wilting triathletes.  Ken opted NOT to wear his fuel belt and will never make that mistake again as he became one of the wilting triathletes and struggled with heat exhaustion and cramping.  We both finished 2nd in our age groups, which was nice, but we also knew that we could do much better with the proper training.  And, in my case, proper equipment.  My 10 year old Masi Road Bike was a great bike, but I couldn’t get comfortable on my clip on aero bars and even after taking it in for a fitting, I realized that it just wasn’t fast and never would be.  I struggled with the decision of upgrading to a new bike.  I combed Craigs List and E-bay looking for a “deal”.  I wasn’t convniced that at my age I could do justice to a new, expensive time trial bike.  Then a close friend wrote me an e-mail and said, “if you have more fun, it will be worth the money you spent” and I realized that he was exactly right.

Now that I’d made the decision to buy,  I wasted no time in shopping around and figuring out what I wanted.  My son turned 21 on July 9th, and what better way to celebrate than buy myself a new toy!  I ultimately decided on a brand-new Cervelo P-2 and I will tell you that I LOVE my new bike.  It is so much fun to ride, and my bike times are back to where they were 20 years ago (who says you can’t BUY speed… maybe Lance was wrong and it IS about the bike).    Less than a week after bringing home my new ride, the 4th Lake T. sprint was on the calendar.  Despite a little tentativeness, I rode 1:30 faster than my best ever time on the course, and had the fastest women’s bike split of the season. 

A few days later, Ken and I headed to Asbury Park, NJ (by way of a family gathering and bridal shower).  We entered the “Metro-Man”, an intermediate distance race and this time we won our age groups, AND I had the fastest women’s bike split of the day.  Whoo hoo!  This was fun, although I must add that Metro-Man is not a race I would recommend and despite the fun of being in Asbury Park, it was the most poorly run race I’ve been to.  For $120 entry fee, and a night in a hotel, we expected more.  The final insult was that although they promised to mail our age group awards, there was an invoice attached… yep, you had to pay for your own award!  Only in New Jersey, right?
Another lesson learned at Asbury Park is that it’s a lot more fun to go to local races, or at least to races that are attended by other people that you know.  In canoe and kayak racing, I always knew everyone, but in triathlon there are so many people that we could go to races 2 hours away from home and not know a single soul.  Through regular competition at Lake T and a couple other local races, we developed some good friendships and  friendly competition.  I am pretty competitive and serious about racing, but the camaraderie and social aspect is important in keeping it fun.  And lets be honest, at age 52 and 58, it better be fun!

Today was probably our last race of the season.  My knee hasn’t gotten better, and I knew that with no run training I could sneak through the 5Ks at Lake T., but shouldn’t attempt a 10K at Litchfield Hills Olympic.  I regretfully signed up for the “aquaman” division (swim/bike).  I convinced myself that this would be great because I could focus on my weakness and then “kill” the bike.  We woke up (at 4am) to thunder and pouring down rain… not a good day to hammer on a hilly bike course, so now I was down to “focus on the swim”.  And guess what, even though I pouted as I collected my “aquabike” number, I had a GREAT time.  My best swim yet, and the 3rd fastest women’s bike time of the day… 1st female aquabiker.  I started in the last wave with the old men (my husband included) and after  swimming strong the entire way, I spent the tricky bike course navigating between much slower bikers.  It was a little scary at times, but I stayed in control and the P2 handled terrific, as always.  Did I mention that I love my bike?  After finishing (which was pretty anti-climatic as everyone else ran out of T-2 and onto the run course) I got back on my bike and rode the course in reverse, cheering on Ken and lots of other friends that we had met through the course of the summer.  Ken had a good day too and not only won his age group, but beat his best friends son and favorite rival!

My college cross country team returns this week, so summer is really over.  I am excited to see the athletes, and I know we’ll have a great year.  I hope that they continue to share the passion for fitness and competition that I have developed and retained for so many years.  In thinking back on the summer- it’s been awesome. 

We didn’t go anywhere, but I’ve only begun to recount all the fun and excitement of training and racing together and with friends.  Ken and I are lucky- we are very close to the  same pace, and training together is one of the best parts of our marriage.  We catch up on the day as we run or bike, and we share in each other’s nervousness and excitement at races.  Being fit has many other benefits; we’re confident in our jobs, because we know we are healthy and energetic “50 somethings”.  We are more fit than most “30 somethings”.  We have energy every day, we wake up excited about the day, and we go to sleep pleasantly tired and relaxed.   For days after a goal training session or race I walk around with a big silly grin on my face, and I know that I am truly happy to be alive.  I can’t think of a better way to live.

I use to love to ride and race my bike.  Several years ago, however, I switched my bike for a kevlar canoe and graphite paddle.  I spent 14 years canoe and kayak racing around the United States and Canada.  I had a blast, met great people, and dragged my husband  into the sport.  Last year, we needed a change and decided to dust off our bikes.  Ken had long been bugging me to start riding again, and for whatever reason, last summer it finally “clicked”.  We rode quite a bit and I lamented the loss of quad strength and how much faster I USED to be.  However, as the summer went on, I felt stronger on the hills and my biker legs began to return.  We continued to race and train in our kayaks, and finished off the summer by racing “Iron” at the Josh Billings,  a fun bike/kayak/run triathlon.

Bitten by the “triathlon” bug (or rebitten, I should say), Ken and I set a goal of a half ironman distance race this June.  All winter we worked on our swimming and running.  In March, as the snow melted, we were anxious to get on our bikes.  I started commuting the 20 miles to work and we would ride as much as possible on weekends.  This past week we went on our first bike “touring adventure” : Part training, but mainly just for a lot of fun and to celebrate the end of another track coaching season, we planned a 3 day/2 night trip.  We mapped out a route from our house to the RI coast.  We found a delightful looking B & B, discussed how much stuff we REALLY needed for a couple of nights, and we packed up.  We mapped out scenic roads using both googlemaps and mapmyride, and we watched the weather forecast for 3 “perfect days”.   Our planning worked out great in nearly every respect.  On Thursday, we left home at 11am.  It was a little later than planned, but a small crisis at work kept me on the phone most of the morning.  I wanted to leave with “no worries” so it was worth it to resolve my work issues. 

Ken had decided to carry his belongings in a small backpack, I opted for a rack and small carrying case over my rear tire.  I’m not

sure which worked better.  I only had 7.5 lbs of gear, including the pack itself, and yet it felt like I was dragging a small child up every hill.  Ken didn’t mind the backpack, but his shoulders got tired as the miles went on.  We rode down through Lebanon, Baltic, Stonington and Westerly.  We extended our loop to ride through beautiful Watch Hill, past Misquamicut Beach, and to our overnight stop at Shelter Harbor Inn.  Shelter Harbor was very nice, with a clean room and a hot tub on the roof. 

The restaurant was a little too fancy, and we squirmed in our chairs as we tried to stretch and relax after 84 miles on the bike.  Our dinners were fantastic, but being an upscale restaurant, the focus was on presentation and flavor NOT on quantity.  My scallops were some of the best I’ve had, but I needed about 3 servings!  So, after dinner, we decided to hop back on our bikes and ride up to the nearest store (3 miles away) for some ice cream.  We brought back a pint of Ben and Jerrys which I would normally ration over a couple of weeks, took it up to the hot tub and polished it right off.  That and a pint of blueberrys…. I was set for the night.

Friday morning we decided that we would take our small packs and move to another Inn.  We rode down to Misquamicut and checked into Andrea’s hotel right on the water.  Andrea’s is an old, “family style” hotel with sloping stairwells, very thin walls, and an absolutely amazing view of the ocean.

Being off season, it was inexpensive and quiet.  Dinner was not nearly as gourmet, but equally delicious and much more plentiful.  Before we got to dinner, however, we had nearly 100 miles to ride!  Up the coast, past Matunuk beach, down to Point Judith and the fishing village of Galilee, and up the coast past Narraganset Beach.  We took a little side road and had an awesome view of Jamestown Island and “Beaver Tail” which mentally took us back to a previous paddling adventure (misadventure if you count swimming several times) in some mighty big waves!  We came back to Misquamicut just as my odometer clicked 87 miles.  I said to Ken, “we’re so close to 100″ and he immediately took the challenge, saying, “Let’s ride to Watch Hill for ice cream”.  I didn’t care too much about the ice cream, but if he was humoring me on more miles, I could certainly humor him with regards to the ice cream!

Day 3 was another gorgeous day on the coast, although a tad cooler than the first two.  We went for an early walk along Misquamicut and I remembered my first triathlon there which was (gulp) 27 years ago.  How did I get so old?  On an old steel bike, with toe clips and sneakers, I managed 60 miles in less than 3 hours.  I’m not so sure I will ever see that again, but hopefully with expensive enough gear and lots of training, I can come close!  And regardless, it will be fun trying.  We decided to skip breakfast at the hotel as Ken “was sure” there’d be a place within 5 miles.  20 miles later, I was about to pass out from lack of food and forced down one of his standby, gag me, peanut bars.  That and a GU, I was good to go…. and of course, less than half a mile later, we passed a great looking diner.  Oh well, we kept riding and stopped at the Scotland General Store for a snack before the final push home.  It was a push, or maybe I needed a push, but the final bit was all up hill.  More so than usual for some reason…. must have been the 7.5 lb. pack.

All in all, an amazing weekend.  Time away with nothing to think about but turning the pedals, eating good food, hanging with my hubby, and relaxing.  I can’t wait to go again.