Decisions...Ironman Brasil The good, bad and the ugly of racing!

Ironman Brasil 2014 

IM TEXAS or IM Brasil or just wait and race Challenge AC…This has been my last 4 weeks of decision making!  What started out as a set plan at the beginning of the season became a lack of commitment to a race...

Come May I was really starting to get the race bug but still felt with a family trip and the wish wash weather my training was still not where it needed to be. I have been racing long enough to know that if you are not hitting the markers in training you will not hit them in a race. 

My weeks of training going into Ironman would be a hodge podge of good and bad days. 

What works best for me is 6 weeks of consistency!!! 

I never the less planned on heading to Texas but with a week to go and the potential for Texas to be 90 degrees, and with still no days above 50/60 degree's in NJ I decided it would not be a good way for me to go. So I played it safe and made a Plan B which was to go back and race Ironman Brasil. A race I was familiar with as I raced it last year and with it being winter there the temperatures would be much more in my favor.

Brasil: The GOOD!…

I think this race has so much potential to be great! For many, especially the locals this race is fantastic.

The venue of Floripa is perfect!  A tourist destination with its stunning beaches and quaint coffee shops is undeniably beautiful. 

As its winter there, there is a quiet feel to the town that us Ironman athletes own it for the week. No distractions other than to race! There are plenty of hotels, houses , condos to rent . A few grocery stores and a mixture of restaurants to eat at.  

The bike course goes into the center of Floripa which makes it a really scenic ride.

One of the highlights of the bike is biking through these tunnels that go on for 1/2 a mile.

More of the good: Traveling with and sharing the experience for the second year in a row with team mate Jessie Donovan 

My week going into Brasil I felt great. I had no expectations for this race. I just wanted to have a solid race!  I felt no pressure and was excited. The day before I was calm, racked my bike and went for a swim in the afternoon. After a rainy cool week the sun was out and the ocean calm. I did some swim starts and felt ready and relaxed. This was going to be my 27th Ironman! I had not raced an Ironman in 10 months so that was the only thing I was unsure about. But I knew that no matter what I could cover the distance!

Things that make me happy! My new Brazilian bathing suit!

The Bad

I think this race is a really good race for every athlete besides the women pro's and those age groupers looking to qualify for Kona. 

The big problem with this race and the women pro field is the mass start. 

Their are alot of fast South Americans and with a mass start and a lot of swimmers under an hour we end up coming out of the water surrounded by hundreds of athletes.  

This race would be so much better if they let the women pro's start 10-15 minutes earlier than the age group men. Also splitting the age groupers into waves would help spread the race out a little.

I felt I had a good swim. I was knocked around a bit in the beginning and was happy I made the choice to put my goggles under my cap as sure enough they were knocked off within minutes of the start. I also got a little trapped for most of the first loop of the swim but I stayed wide the second loop and really managed to pick up my pace and catch up to some girls ahead of me. The currents were not as strong as the previous year which led to a slightly slower swim for me. But was still happy to go under an hour and see plenty of bikes on the rack.

Onto the bike, the first five miles of the bike is tight and a little bit dangerous.  If you want to pass you need to go into on coming traffic or avoid the large cones while trying to get past those who can swim fast but not bike. 

But once onto the highway the race is fast!  There are a few big climbs which you do 4 times as its a two loop course.  The bike course is really fun with hills and bridges, tunnels and wind. The wind always seems lighter on the first loop and then really picks up the second loop. This is the second year I have not  stuck to my plan. I go out way too fast as my legs feel great and there is not much wind and I always seem to suffer the last 28 miles when the wind picks up.  But I was still happy with my 5.04 bike split.

The run course also changed a little this year. I actually like the new run course. The course has one giant hill that gradually gets steeper and steeper until you are convinced that the only way you will make it up is too walk. But the moment you take one walking step, you realize that everyone waiting at the top can see you, so you muster up your energy to fake run at a snails pace up to the top. Once at the top you get to do an out and back where for the first time you can see where all your competition is on the run. Then you get to descend that monster hill. That always feels good on the thighs.  The new course has you doing three smaller loops that wrap through the high energy town and the more isolated sections of the course where their is another little hill to keep things challenging. All in all I like the run course. Although with that being said I did not have a good run. At mile 15 I was in 11th place and 10th was 5 plus minutes in front of me. My hips were hurting a little and I decided to save myself for Atlantic City in 4 weeks. I jogged the last 8 miles knowing that I would still go under 10 hours making for a solid day of racing! 9hr 53 min was my official time!

Now to the UGLY!

DRAFTING!!!! Its a very unfair race! If you race with integrity and "old school" no drafting values then this race is not for you!  I have always hated flat races like IMFL because of the drafting. It puts you in a tough position where you can get emotional when you see blatant drafting. You may question yourself and what to do. I read a few quotes on others blogs.

Quote 1)" I am not willing to give my race up by sitting up and letting a pack with other competitors pass."

 But you have to remember that if a pack catches you they are biking faster than you are on your own. Which means if you are racing with a conscience and doing the right thing then you need to sit up and let the group go. 10meters will do the trick. The group will eventually pull away from you as they are all working together to go fast and you wont beable to keep up.  Or pick the pace up and bike like crazy to pull away from them. THe latter never works to well though as the group tends to chase the fastest person.

There is also the case of just one , two  or three bikers riding together in a pace line.  If you are too close to someones wheel you are still drafting. Even though you are not in "the" pack!!! 

Quote 2)"All the others are doing it....Well why did you not go with them."
 Because they were all cheating it does not make it right. We rely on the marshals to make good calls and give justified penalty's to those who are not following the rules. All those riding in a pack of 50 should have received a penalty. Yes one by one pull them over. 

A whistle is not good enough.
Quote 3 " We are just here to have fun, this is your race! " as two bikers lead a group chatting and riding side by side. But if you are blocking the road YOU are affecting my race.

Another good quote I read translated from Portuguese, 

" Starts by waves, hilly courses, 10 minute penalties ... everything that helps to reduce the problem of illegal drafting should be done.. However, the real solution is in the conscience of the athlete. Everyone wants a better fair race, but who is willing to do their part? #playtrue"

Well said!!!

I do hope the race director finally takes into consideration the problems this race has and implements a plan to make it better but it really starts with the athletes and doing the right thing!!

Some photos that were taken off of Instagram!

 http://instagram.com/p/omc3o7G_fJ/

- http://instagram.com/p/omdAoCG_fa/

- http://instagram.com/p/omc7tnm_fP/

I will remember Brasil for the good things though. The beautiful beaches, the friendly people, the fun prerace excitement, the challenging course, the shopping at the mall I did, the little coffee shops, the long beach walks, the fisherman and the funny massage experiences I had. No regrets going back!

Thanks as always to my family, Coach Jesse Kropelnicki, QT2 Systems, PowerBar, Rudy Project, Pearl Izumi, Quintana Roo, Normatec Recovery Boots, Blue Seventy for getting me to the start line!

Desperately seeking willpower!

It's 12.30 in the afternoon and I am sipping on a cup of coffee, ( a big no no) with a gazillion thoughts rolling through my head probably from the rush of caffeine and the brilliant article I have just read on the psychology of mental toughness.

I have concluded after reading the article that I am "Desperately seeking willpower..."
It seems I have emptied my willpower bucket .. Last year I was definitely running on empty but somehow I have not been able to replenish it over the course of the year. I have had moments where maybe a cup or two may have returned but every obstacle/stress I run into seems to diminish it again.

My problem: An empty bucket of willpower!

Lets first define willpower:  A:The strength of will to carry out ones decisions, wishes or plans.
B: The ability to control oneself and determines ones actions
C: Firmness of will.
D: Self control
Other words to describe Will Power : drive, resolution,determination,firmness of purpose, will.

Ok so there you have it! Even my lack of blogging has stemmed from this lack of desire or motivation. Over the last year it seems I have been a little lost on all of the above. Most of you know me as a motivator and generally positive happy person so it was easier to be quiet on socail media when I was not feeling in top form.
Lets back track: It started with turning "40" as much as I believed it was only a number it hit me hard.  I will be honest I am still waiting to embrace my 40's but accept it as I have no choice...

With 40 came exercise induced asthma.  A harsh reality for a professional athlete ! It had snuck up on me training in the heat and humidity, but it hit me full force at IMLP last year where I was brought to a complete stop trying to catch my breathe which certainly creates fear. That day, while I struggled through 22 miles of the marathon portion with limited air supply, willing my body through every step I believe I sapped up a huge supply of my willpower bucket.

The next day I found out my dad had lung cancer and the reality of the road ahead and his fight dipped again into my bucket.  I then did what I do...3 weeks after IMLP I decided 3 days before Ironman Mont Tremblant to drive the 10 hours up there and race for a cause...My DAD!  Emotions were high and I drove, raced as hard as I could,  drove the 10 hours back then the following day jumped on a plane that would take me over 36 hours to South Africa.  My objective of my trip to South Africa was to show 100% strength and support as my mom and dad faced this huge life monster of a disease.  For 2 weeks I barely slept and spent hours giving all I could mentally and emotionally to my family.  My bucket was emptied on that trip but it was a trip I am so thankful to have made.

So with a empty bucket I decided it was best to end the season! Now normally a mid season or a 4 week Christmas break would often leave me hungry to get back to training. But with the polar vortex hitting the nation I found my motivation to get back to training was not there and with no races scheduled for 8 months I was in unfamiliar territory.  The love of racing and competing have been my motivation my whole life.  I have always been self motivated and loved a good challenge. I set goals and meet them..the harder the better.   But at the beginning of winter I told Coach Jesse I had no desire to do long trainer rides or freezing cold rides either.
In order to race well and compete as a professional there are certain things you need to do and you need to do them daily and well. I was not willing to do them.  Nothing went perfectly...sleep, nutrition, workouts were all less than stellar. I found that when these things don't go perfectly I put a huge amount of mental stress on my lack of achieving my daily goals and there were a few months of mental torture.
As the months ticked by and as suspected I arrived at camp in what I felt was my worst shape of my life.  I did not beat myself up over it as it was Feb and my willpower as we all know was lacking therefore mentally I was struggling.
I managed to gain some motivation at camp surrounded by 30 amazing athletes and coaches all ready to get their seasons started. I secretly hoped it would rub off on me and it did. I came back with a new attitude and jumped back into training. But as the snow and cold temperatures remained and my attempts to find like minded people who were doing early season races failed I found myself struggling again. I had already decided that heading back to race an Ironman for the sake of racing was not going to happen and I called off my April Ironman. What if I couldn't will myself to finish...In 27 Ironman races it has only happened once due to severe back pain but never has my mind failed me. I have completed races in cold rainy conditions with hyperthermia and hot conditions with hypothermia. I have raced the windiest and hottest Kona conditions. The elements or physical tests have played a big part but my mind has always been the strongest tool I had.   But how can I ask my body to finish something that its not prepared mentally and physically to do and do well.
I set a small test for myself instead of racing IM South Africa I headed down to Florida for the 70.3.  It was a baby step in the right direction. My results were less than stellar and my fitness and speed were not there but it did leave me wanting more.

So here I sit pondering how I am going to fill my bucket of willpower.

Self realization is a beautiful thing. Sometimes you can't quite pin point what your problem is but working your way to find a solution can be empowering.  I have been waiting for the motivation to come...but sometimes you have to make it yourself.

 I have a few races scheduled that have lit my fire and together with seeing everybody get back out on the road as the nicer weather returns is helping.
I am 8 weeks out of my first BIG race and I am going to put my head down and work to get my fitness back up again to where I can comfortably race head high and give it all I am capable of without my fitness being a limiter and without having any excuses.  In order to achieve you need to have a goal and commit to it. So Challenge Atlantic City I am 100% committed to making you my comeback race!

So for any of you that might be suffering a little from an empty bucket of motivation/willpower/ enthusiasm just know you are not alone. It hits us all at some point its just finding your way back that can be the struggle.  Sometimes you might have to redirect yourself and that is where I am at right now.
I need to set NEW goals for myself that will make me happy!  I need to not compare what I am doing now to what I might have done 5 years ago! Life is always evolving and you have to roll with the punches. You need to keep challenging yourself in order to grow.  Sometimes a break from a routine in stressful times is just what you need!

I appreciate my life, my beautiful family and all that I have to be grateful for.  So I look forward to the new challenges that come my way! 

I have been very slack on my blog as I have not been up to much lately! 

Winter arrived in full force and has kept us all training in doors for the most part! The mountain bike trails were full of snow, the roads icy and snowy and the temps frigid! 

 

 Thankfully for Mowgli , he got me outside. He did not seem to mind the cold one bit!

 He would find the biggest piles of snow to jump in and has provided me with many a cold walk, even more cold runs and a lot of laughs!!!

So as you can tell from all the pictures Mowgli was  the sunshine of my winter and the focus pretty much was on him!

 We did manage to get out on the slopes more than normal this year and ski on fresh powder!

A few weeks ago I decided to head down to Miami to do the Miami half marathon! A last minute decision partly as I had a race scheduled, partly as a few days of sun sounded so good! But just as you can imagine it turned out to be 80 degrees, 100% humidity and after a lot of outdoor slow runs or indoor treadmill workouts this race spun out of control pretty quickly for me! With just an afternoon to prepare for the heat I woke race morning sweating well before the race start. I knew I was in trouble! I made sure to take it out slow as I was upfront with the elites and it was easy to get caught up. But slow it stayed until at mile 10 where my legs were in full cramps! I jogged into the finish enjoying the amazing event and was thankful to be there! 

 Two weeks later I was packing up for the QT2 training camp in Clermont Florida! This is the second year training here and I really love this area! Its one time in the year where I can just put my head down and train with no other distractions.  Even though I was tempted to bring my biggest distraction below!!!

The view of the NTC training pool the first day of camp is always a breathe of fresh air! Sun out, long course set up!  A group of 30 or so athletes ready to work hard. I love and appreciate these days so and am very thankful to my family who knows it and lets me go for the 10 days every year!  Camp is a good reality check for me. A place to assess how the winter has gone. For me I am way behind this year but instead of getting down on myself I look at it as a great starting point. I love seeing all our athletes working hard and motivating each other!

Sometimes you have to put your head down and ride! Its been amazing to get some good miles in over the last three days. Roughly around 300 miles!!!

Here the group attentively await the instructions for the main set of our ride. This day it would be 2 x group crit races.

I am on day 8 of camp and have just a few more days here until I head back to the next brewing snow storm in Jersey!!!  I know Coach Jesse has a whole bag full of tricks and those days will hurt!!! 

Can't wait!!!

Life in the slow lane....

I am not sure what it is with planes and blogs. But here I am back on a plane! Traveling again for the first time since my trip to South Africa in August and I finally have nothing to do but put my thoughts onto paper! 

Not sure why I have not blogged in so long! I thought of it a few times but that's as far as it went! Perhaps uninspired by my not racing…perhaps feeling the disappointment of ending my season! But whatever the reason I was inspired to write a blog today as I ran into a friend who told me how much her 11 year old daughters enjoy reading my blog  and I felt like I was letting them down by my absence of recording my life happenings…exciting or not! 

So thank you Anna and Alexis for inspiring this latest blog!

I need to fill you all in with a quick summation of where I ended up my season back in August! I had headed to Mont Tremblant Canada for a last minute decision to race an Ironman a short 3 weeks after IMLP in honor of my dad who had just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer! 

My race had no purpose but to finish and smile and celebrate the wonderful gift of being fit and being mentally strong! 

The race was tough and my body was tired, mentally and physically, but I was so glad I made the trip to that beautiful part of the world. I finished strong and celebrated the fabulous results of many friends racing that day!  

The morning after the race I made the 10 hour drive back to NJ and then woke the next morning to head to South Africa with my daughter!  Knowing the serious condition my dad is in and not knowing how his treatments would go Coach Jesse and I had decided it was best to end the season right there and take some much needed time to rest and be with  my family in a time of need without any pressure to maintain my fitness! 

Sydney and I heading to Germany

Sydney taking a moment to say a prayer for her pop pop!

Sydney and I on the Bridge of Locks standing over the Rhine river Germany

My travel buddy

Touring Frankfurt!

Onto SA and I was reminded of just how much the sport of triathlon has given me. The tools for enduring an Ironman go hand in hand without the tools you need for fighting just about anything that life throws your way! How you react to the things that might go wrong in an Ironman is how you may react when you have to deal with adversity!  

I had many a conversation with my Dad on how to stay positive through these dark times! 

 It is something that is so difficult to do when you are fighting a terrible disease like cancer but you have no choice but to take it one treatment at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time!  Just as in an Ironman keeping positive goes a long way in how your body responds.  In an Ironman you don't look ahead, you stay in the moment, you pray, you appreciate when you are feeling good and you stay clam and control what you can control! 

I am so thankful for being able to be thereI to support my mom and Dad through this difficult time and I continue to do so from a distance. He is fighting the battle like a champ and his tumor is responding well! I also loved the time I got to hang with my brother and his family!

Sydney hanging with her cousins

Sydney bought this beautiful handmade heart for me! Love her!

Sydney so comfortable in the wild!!!

My mom and her beautiful sister Aunty Barbs!

I will miss those beautiful South African sunrises!

Sydney and I overlooking Durban beachfront

 Our time passed quick and before we knew it Syd and I were headed back to the states. After a flight delay we got to spend a day in Switzerland which was both beautiful and exhausting!

On lake Zurich

Our trip around stunning Lake Zurich with the Alps in the background

On returning to the states I accepted the fact that my season was over but  I will admit it was hard watching all these late season Ironman races going on with no races on my schedule for months. By the time I race again I will have taken 8 months off of racing which is CRAZY long considering my hefty schedule over the last few years! 

This time has been nice though and I have really enjoyed the slower pace of not always rushing trying to fit everything in. I got to sleep in and eat whatever I want and stay up late and watch TV. But you know what I realized… I like to wake up and train early, I really don't enjoy watching TV, I like my busy schedule and I like my daily structure and my healthy eating of four fruits and veggies a day, smoothies and lean proteins!! 

 I just end up taking more stuff on like more time to practice soccer with Sydney and more time to coach the girls out running. Instead of my own blogging I created a Facebook site for their team with all their sponsors! I too got out on the mountain bike before anyone else this year enjoying the warm weather riding in the woods! We have made several trips to NYC to see shows. 

Mountain biking for fun with my good friend Mercedes

Ran a few 5kms with the kids!

But the biggest change to my life has been the addition of this cute puppy whom we call Mowgli to our family! 

This is Mowgli at 6 weeks! His first name was Brayden but he looked more like a Mowgli to us!

Everyone warned me puppies are like babies…but I did not believe until I was holding this fluffy little thing in my arms.  I also did not realize how much time is involved with taking care of a puppy! So much for sleeping in!  Early morning, lunch and evening walks,  puppy baths and feeding and of course plenty of time goes to hugging, puppy belly rubs, puppy games, training…it is never ending! 

Enjoying the fall evenings at my house!

Sydney playing soccer

So now that I am getting back to training and my hours are creeping up over the 20 hour mark I can officially say I am back to being overwhelmingly busy between my training, kids activities , puppy and life itself!!! Just the way I like it!

I will be updating my blog a little more when I can find some quiet time…right now there is none!

What I can tell you is I look forward to my 4th year being coached by Jesse Kropelnicki and racing for QT2 Systems.  I also have made up a tentative early season plan which involves a Feb training camp in Claremont Florida,  a few running races and a April/May Ironman combo!  

and you may want to know where I was headed…..Out to San Francisco to be an Officiant at my cousins wedding and of course I couldn't resist the urge to find a race while out there! Because what better way to see a new place than by running a half marathon through the streets of Berkeley! I was happy to finish second in my age group! 

Love these beautiful ladies!