First Block of training!

It is hard to believe that my first block of training back with Coach Jesse Kropelnicki of QT2 Systems is almost over.
I have made HUGE progress from where I was a month ago. This week I feel like I have made the jump from recovery to training. I have been testing the body and seeing how my injuries hold up.
I am still in Physical Therapy 3 x a week and working on a solid winter strengthening plan. I am still being treated for discomfort and weakness in my shoulder,scapula and tricep ,hip bursitis and knee chondromalacia.
So all is not perfect yet but I am 1000 times better than I was 10 weeks ago!

My big news for the week was that I got to see my Orthopedic surgeon Dr Gerry Goldberger and he took a good look at my new xrays of my clavicle. Then with a BIG smile on his face he said that my bone is 100% healed. It was hard for me to look past the big metal plate and screws but I could see how the fragments have joined together and the bone is becoming whiter. Once again I am so grateful to have had a friend and fellow triathlete to work on me and guide me through this process!


So moving on..I have been doing endless drill work in the pool getting my swimming stroke back and I am SO ready to start real swimming again. But I was told that I have to keep my volume down and my speed at 80% for two more weeks as my rotator cuffs and scapula are still weak.

My biking has been progressing every session and i am getting some power back. We have had some pretty decent weather in NJ so I have got a few good outdoor rides. Although this weekend I am bound to the trainer with the threats of a crazy rain/snow storm.

Running has developed from the Alter G to the grass..from the grass to the treadmill and I am now up to a one hour run on the road. Its developed from a shuffle to a jog to a run.

So all in all I am feeling very good.

I will be posting my schedule soon for my first few races. The first one is up in the air as I probably wont be ready...It is a very ambitious plan but Coach Jesse and I will decide in 2 weeks if I will be ready. It will be strictly a fun race intended just to get my feet wet again. My next race will be one I have always wanted to do...and I am very excited at the possibility of going there. The third one I have done before and I am so looking forward to going back there. The fourth one is one of my favorites and is a race that means a lot to me!!! So an exciting schedule planned! Lots of fun for 2012!

My focus continues to lower my body fat and build back muscle and make sure I am hydrating and fueling perfectly pre,during and post workouts.
Today for my four hour indoor trainer ride I drank 5 bottle 1000 calories of First Endurances EFS and 400 cals EFS Liquid shot. I also ate a bar which gave me an extra 200 cals for a total of 1600 cals. After I recovered with 2 large scoops of Ultragen, and an hour after that had a packed with antioxidant spinach and mandarin orange salad, a portobella mushroom burger sandwich and a bowl of squash....
After I sat in my Recovery boots for an hour. A perfect training session!







Happy Fall!

Quick Update!!!

Well I survived 6 weeks of no training and I am happy to say I am still smiling....






I had my follow up appointment with Dr Goldberger from Advanced Orthopedics in Freehold NJ this week! It was six weeks Sat since my crash!

The X Rays showed that my clavicle looks like it is healing well and soon I will be able to do some weight bearing on it but for now still loading up on lots of PT with tons of strengthening/ROM exercises!!! So for another 2 weeks I will do more of the same boring stuff....but I do see progress every day!!! I am doing really great with my recovery and am really happy with how things are going!


I have being going back more to Coach Jesse's QT2 Systems "Core Diet" which I really like! For more info on it go to www.corediet.com . Although I have been indulging in sweets( icecream/carrot cake/chocolate...whatever my heart desires!!!) pretty much everyday for 6 weeks I feel like I have managed not to put on too much weight as I am eating alot of good nutritious foods all day! Keeping my metabolism burning and healing my injuries at the same time! Although I have lost ALOT of muscle mass and have definitely put on some extra body fat! Not always a bad thing in the winter!


I make sure I am getting an ample supply of fruits and vegetables everday! These are healing foods with all the vitamins and antioxidants!





Sydney and I made an amazing granola filled with coconut,and walnuts, pumpkins seeds and cranberries. Delicious with milk , yogurt or alone!







It has been great to get back into the pool and my stroke is coming along nicely. Week 4 was strictly one arm swimming a few times a week but this last week I managed to work my way through a full range of motion. It was quite painful as my back is very weak and I have a bunch of scar tissue in my shoulder and scapula and tricep/biceps. But the feeling of swimming far out weighs the pain. Dr Goldberger told me to pull it back a touch and make sure I still keep with a modified stroke for the next 10 days. So no trying to push it.
Its been frustrating but my doctor assures me that I need to take the time to recover as the clavicle break was really a bad one and we need to ensure it heals 100%.



I have done a few easy rides on the trainer...Definitely time to pick it up a notch. My beautiful Kestrel has two big cracks in the top tube so this bike will become my permanent trainer bike! Dr G gave me the green light to go in my aero bars and ride a little longer. So time to get back to work! No riding on the road for a few more weeks though and I am ok with that!



I also was very excited to run on the Alter G on Thursday! Now this has definitely been my highlight for the week. The Alter G is an amazing piece of equipment developed by NASA and it enables you to run at a percentage of your body weight. The zero Gravity enables you to dial in exactly how much pounding you can handle. I am so excited to have found one of these at Overlook Hospital in Summit NJ. So twice a week I will be driving the hour to get a little no impact running in!




We recently headed to NYC and seeing I can't wear heels very well I was walking around in my sons sneakers prior to leaving the house...he snapped a picture of me as I looked like such a goofball!



Lastly I had a great weekend announcing at two local races. Saturday was the kids race and I just loved this event. I am always training or racing so it felt great to go and meet the kids and cheer them on! The kids were so excited and there energy was so good for me too. It really got me pumped up, announcing and being in that race atmosphere. Love it!!! Getting excited to train again!!!!!

"There's no elevator...you have to take the steps!!!"

Well in two days it will be four weeks post crash and I figured it was time for an update on the great progress I have been making since my crash.

I am into a good routine of Physical Therapy 3 days a week, which seems to take ALL day and two days of modified cardio and PT exercises on my own. The weekends I have been taking completely off from working out and just enjoying the family time.

Love my beautiful kids!



I am so fortunate to have a great therapist close by who knows my body from working on me over the last 10 years.
Jimmy Smith from Crest PT has had the job of going step by step through each injury and the corresponding muscle groups to get them firing and back running in the way they should be. As I landed hard on my left side of my body, over the four weeks I think just about every muscle on that side has chosen a time to rebel against the process.
I am happy to report I have graduated from Week 1and 2's bed rest, week 2's walking slowly with a crutch, to week 3 where I have ditched the crutch and now finally the sling ...(unless I am in crowded situations like back to school night that without it I know 50 people would have hugged and patted me on my shoulder.)
So now, as my daughter likes to tell me I look "perfect" and am feeling alot more like myself!

I have learned from these set backs that us endurance athletes, just love to move. People keep telling me to relax and enjoy the break and recover. But I like to move around....I like to have goals..things to aim for. Recovering is my new goal...

Things you learn from an injury/surgery.

1.Your attitude and being POSITIVE goes a LONG WAY!!!
2.Narcotics REALLY mess you up...but thankfully they do help you through the pain!
3.Cutting apples with one hand is very dangerous. Almost lost a few fingers..
4. Tying laces with one hand...impossible. Bra's are equally a pain to put on...
5. Driving with one arm and one leg is not bad...just don't try drink your coffee or answer a call!
6.Opening a bottle with one hand....mmmm Very hard...need to hold it between knees...
7.If you do it enough you can write just as well with your right hand as your left...although Im a lefty with awful handwriting.
8.Sneezing with broken bones really hurts!
9.Shaving under your arm pit with a broken clavicle is a big pain!
10. SUV's are great until you have an injury then they are way to high off the ground.
11.There is so much junk on TV...I think I watched every silly reality show....Millionaire Matchmaker, Teen Parents,Hoarders,Kardashians.....thank goodness I was on narcotics while watching these. I would find myself laughing loudly then thinking how pathetic I was that I was so easily amused.
12.Friends are really great....People really go out of their way to help.
13. Your brain is very powerful...it can convince you that your body needs icecream everyday because it needs the calcium.
14. Things that might be good to try if your bones are broken..."Bone up"..a combo of Calcium 1000mg/magnesium500 mg, Vit D 1000IU. Symphytum officinale Biorin..., glutamine in large amounts.
15, If you have a scar...I am using Quantum Derma made of Olive oil,Aloe V, Beeswax, and Vit E.
16.For inflammation...Take your Omega's and eat lots of healthy fruits and veggies. I also am using Arnica!
17. Tying your hair in a pony impossible with one arm...but a side braid works perfectly!
18.Chocolate and a glass of wine...Allowed anytime!!!!
19.Cards, flowers,gifts, kind messages, dinners brought over by friends, all make you feel so good!
20.I repeat...Your attitude and being POSITIVE goes a LONG WAY!!!



Enjoying the down time!!


I think I have handled my crash really well and am so excited to be about 2-3 weeks away from starting a modified training program. I will be at 6-7 weeks post crash...

I met with the great Dr Gerry Goldberger yesterday. I am so impressed with Advanced Orthopedics in Freehold NJ. This is the most well run business I have ever been to. EVERYBODY is so nice and the process is always so organized. Dr Goldberger is a triathlete himself so he really understands the Type A personalities and the need for speedy recoveries.



I cant say enough nice things about him! Well yesterday he had to check on my knee that had been bothering me. There was alot of concern from PT that they may have been damage to my ACL/PCL but he assured me after a series of tests that were reconfirmed by one of his partners that my knee is solid and just needs time to heal from the direct hit! I was relieved as the thought of another surgery was really getting me nervous!
We took a look at my XRays of my hip and clavicle and both seem to be healing well! I cannot believe what an amazing job he did with my incision....It is so neat and thin that my massage therapists had to turn the lights on really bright to see it!!!
HAPPY!
Thanks Gerry!!!! You ARE the best!!!!


So as of this week I am up to biking on the stationary bike 30-60 minutes 3-4x a week. I am also water running 30 - 60 minutes 3-4 x a week. Today I tried a 30 min swim with one arm and kicking with fins. I was pleasantly surprised that the hips and knee felt ok...just the ankle bothered me. So as of next week I can start a modified swim stroke with a gentle pull through.
I still am very weak on my left arm and cannot lift it up on its own at all. I also do not have full ROM yet so
I have lots of work to do this week.

So a lot going on....I am really happy with the progress I have been making and as always thank you all for your thoughts, messages and prayers!

Been loving watching the kids shine!!!
Tanner testing for their second degree black belt and Sydney testing for her red/black belt.


Learning a thing or two about toughness from my son Tanner..running for a 75 yard touch down here. He's amazing on the football field!!!

Born with an Iron Chin...

Iron Chin
The ability to absorb punches when you get hit with a big shot and stay standing.
To remain on your feet despite seeing black flashing lights, blurred, double or triple vision and feeling a buzz that goes all the way to your toes.
Some say you are either born with a good chin or not. Other says it's a mental toughness that when your brain tells you to go down to the canvas you will yourself to stay on your feet.

The last twelve days I feel like I have taken a beating. From my crash on August 20th...that knocked me out cold! Leaving me with a broken clavicle and blurry vision.
With that came the harsh reality of my sudden end to my season and not been able to race IM Canada and therefore missing Kona . So much disappointment came with it but I accepted it and am moving forward.

As I came out of the blur of morphine and percocet I realized I could not walk. Once again an uppercut to the belly! From independent to bound to my bed...each step acute pain. With huge amounts of swelling, bursitis of the knee and a swollen ankle I assumed that was the culprit. But after 9 days of no walking Dr Goldberger from Advanced Orthopedics suggested I get a MRI of the hip.

On day 9 we made a painful trip with a mandatory evacuatiion my house to higher grounds to escape the potential flooding from Hurricane Irene!
Things were looking up as our house survived unscathed....Very thankful about that!!! Because I had visions of trying to clean up a flooded house...

Today I got to have my follow up appointment with Dr Goldberger to see how my clavicle was healing and he dropped the bomb that I had indeed fractured my pelvis.
Thankfully its a non weight bearing fracture but there will be no pounding for a few months!

As if that wasn't enough I have a nice tear to the groin....so I have my work cut out for me!!


Now that I think I have no more surprises coming....I am ready to get my healing going full force!
Dr G pulled out his knife today to cut away my sutures. After he saw me whimpering he opted for the much gentler looking scissors. He did a beautiful job of my surgery...



The plate looks like its holding strong although a small fragment escaped but he assures me it will find it's way back to the mother bone!


Next up I hit PT where dear friend Jimmy Smith welcomed me with a lesson in anatomy and added some exercises to my routine of swinging my arm in small circles. a movement that is so small but very painful.

Lastly I stopped at Active Release Therapy where Dr Liz Perez gave me a much needed hug and worked on my aches and pains.

So here begins the recovery process but I have no doubt that I will be back stronger as you all keep telling me!!! I will get back into the ring as soon as I can...Can't wait for 2012!

One pot hole..one sweaty hand and so ended my season...

It's hard to believe that my season is over....I have put so much energy, commitment and hard work into this year and deciding to try qualify for Hawaii.


After Steelhead I had picked friend Pedro Gomes up and we returned back to NJ where I would spend the next few days deciding what my next step in racing would be.
With being so close to qualifying for Kona all season...although I was iin the Top 30...it seemed like all the girls were going to make the push and race another IM to secure or try get the last remaining spots.
I knew if I did not race I would either be the last girl to qualify or I would just miss it.
So Coach Jesse Kropelnicki and I agreed that I would race IM Canada.
So I went back into a 30 hour training week. This was going to be one quick build and taper.
It was great having Pedro here and I got through the week and was on my last big ride. I had done a 6 hour ride the day before and decided to head up the coast for a 4 hour steady ride.
I was definitely running on empty when we hit the Atlantic Highlands Hills. We had done the hills and were almost about to head home. I turned a corner headed down a steep hill and hit a pothole...my hand slipped off the bar as it was so humid and I had not worn gloves. I was going fast and fishtailing. I tried so hard to stay up but I hit hard and blacked out! From this point I don't remember anything until I was in the ambulance.
Apparently I fell and kept rolling down the hill and landed in a nice ditch of water. My beautiful Kestrel cracked in a few places showed just how hard my body hit the ground.

I knew my shoulder/collarbone was broken ...I was in severe pain which the guys at the trauma ward never really care about because they have seen so much worse. In seconds my clothes were cut off and the morphine was flowing and my reality was setting in. I don't remember them doing a cat scan or x rays but soon they reported that I had broken my clavicle. By that point Hank and the kids were there and the position I was in was feeling way to familiar....I had been in a similar crash two years ago.

I immediately called friend and orthopedic surgeon extraordinaire Dr Goldberger from Advanced Orthopedics in Freehold who kindly came over to see me... I am so thankful to him for immediately putting me at ease. He looked at my x-rays and gave me the options. Surgery for me was going to be the best option.

We planned on surgery Mon which meant a two day wait. This gave me time to realize how the rest of my body was doing. I was very thankful to have no other breaks....
I had X-Rays done on my knee/hip and hand....not sure if they did my ankle but the whole left side of my body was a big swollen mess of abrasions.


I got to go home for a night before heading to Centra State hospital for surgery. Surgery was a blur of anasthesia and then the next week has been a blur of discomfort and pain!
It is very hard to go from athlete with 20-30 hour training weeks to being totally immobile dealing with the reality that my season is officially over. There is a deep sadness that comes when you cannot do what you love to do, but you have to remain positive and see the light at the end of the tunnel!


I am so thankful to all those who reached out to help....To Dr Goldberger who went above and beyond in his surgery, nurse and friend Liz Donahue who answered my endless questions, all the beautiful flowers, the dinner friends brought over. My husband and kids who have been at my beck and call and who have seen me through some very frustrating painful moments.

So happy to be off the Percocet and on the upswing!!


Also thanks to my Trakkers teammates for all yout good wishes and cards, and to all of you the reached out to me. Us athletes all know how devastating crashes can be....

Steelhead 70.3/Duathlon

St Joseph is a quaint little shore town on the banks of Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan never ceases to amaze me. At 307 miles in length and 118 miles wide it looks and acts like an ocean.
My first few days there I enjoyed calm waters but that was all about to change race day!





The day before the race I made my way down to the pro meeting where we were informed that despite the deceiving blue skies a storm was headed our way and the once quiet waters of Lake Michigan were about to become narly 3-5 foot swells, a mosh pit of angry whitecaps and that our 70.3 was probably going to become a duathlon. We then went on to vote in what order we would like to start out TT race on the bike. The vote was unanimous that the highest numbers would go first. I knew immediately that this was not going to work in my favor as those registered last would start at the front and the fastest girls would all start last. I was going to be starting in the front and I would have no idea where anybody was in the race until the end. It was going to be a cat and mouse game and I was the mouse…






Race morning ...



We all sat around the start for what seemed like a long time…over 2 hours to be exact. There was a lot of friendly bantering going on and a fairly cheerful atmosphere. The wind was howling and the skies threatening to rain and I was happy they made the decision to cancel the swim. All of us pro's can swim in rough water if we have to...but the added anxiety of not being able to site and swallowing tons of water every tome you try raise your head to breathe is never fun!

So we just sat and waited....We were not allowed to take our bikes out so we would be starting the race cold with no warmup.

At 7.15 the guys lined up and started there 30 second take offs….I would be the second women to start. 3,2,1 and I was off…legs felt a lot better than I thought they would..actually better than after a swim. I was surprisingly warm despite being freezing for 2 hours waiting in the wind. My legs were cooperating and the watts Coach Jesse and I had spoken about were coming fairly easy….Always a good sign.
I was quickly passed by the third place girl and decided to pick up my watts and stay with her. I was now working a little harder than I would normally and was enjoying having someone to ride with. With the lead cyclists in front of us it was easy to believe that we were really in the lead group…sadly this was deceiving as the Heather Jacksons and Melissa Rollinson were working there way up through the 22 pro girls that were ahead of them.
By the half way mark I was feeling the harder effort especially two weeks post Ironman Lake Placid so I made the decision to ride on my own at the pace I knew I could handle on that day. Nobody was in sight either in front or behind me and that is the way the bike would stay for the next 90 minutes. When you are on your own you have to stay present and focused 100% otherwise the time slips by and you can easily lose valuable minutes. I think i did a good job at this yesterday and kept the focus and was happy that by the time I headed into T2 my power would be a little above where I needed to be. Therefore I was on track and with a 2.24 bike one of my fastest 70.3 splits and my highest power numbers I had pushed.

T2 was a long run and then I was happy to head out onto the run course feeling pretty good. The first mile is a long slight uphill and I reminded myself not to panic as my mile time was slow. Sadly I could n't seem to push my heart rate up where it needed to be either….I was worried I might have put out too much on the bike.
By mile 2 Heather and then Mellisa came flying by me. I could not believe that they had caught me so soon. I started doing the maths and panicking a little. I had lost ten minutes to them. I assumed all the rest of the girls were right behind them too. I tried to stay positive but the added stress just worked on my stomach and I then spent the next 2 miles battling the need to hit a portojohn with none in sight. That too puts further stress on me and my focus is no longer on running and pushing the pace but on a search for an emergency stop. I finally could not hold it in anymore and darted for some bushes. My timing was impeccable as all the guys started to run by me at that time which made me laugh and the go find a deeper section into the woods. Now I was losing some serious time….

Here is where I fall short in races….I definitely spend way to much time thinking instead of just focusing on the task at hand which is run faster. Jessica Jacobs had now made her way past me and I was feeling quite distraught. My only saving grace was then seeing a few girls that were still a couple miles behind me which pumped me up and with a stomach that was now feeling a little better I started to work on refocusing and pushing the last 6 miles. My miles were looking significantly better and by the last three miles I was really able to push hard and finish strong. I was happy to negative split the marathon and bike.
I definitely think the lack of speedwork since IMLP played a big part in me not being able to make the adjustment to push hard in the beginning. Racing is such a mindset and I will continue to work on staying present!!!

Coming in to the finish I was told I was 4th and had to wait for a drug test. I was pleasantly surprised to be 4th and happy to see them drug testing girls. Later I found out that two girls that started near the back were indeed 50 seconds ahead of me which moved me to 6th place. Ahhh my immediate thought was that was a $1000 dollar bathroom stop…Ouch that hurt!!!!

I really need to figure out my stomach issues one day….

So all in all I was really happy with the effort 3 weeks after IMLP. I had been feeling really fatigued a couple days before so it was nice to be able to race and have my times be right there with my best half Ironman paces so soon after Ironman.

Next up IM Canada!