Race Report: Iron Girl Rocky Gap

Warning: These are always long, so buckle up or move on! ;)

My New Years resolution was 12 races in 12 months (ideally one per month) this race marks my 12th race and I have completed at least one EVERY month this year.  I think I'll aim for 15 so that I can get a bib for every month! :)  And this has been the most fun (and longest lasting) resolution ever for me!


Since IG Columbia I feel like I haven't done much.  I took a few days of recovery (as I had a work trip planned) and did some easy workouts the week after the race.  I taught a few extra cycle classes, but didn't get outside on the bike.  I know I know! In this gorgeous weather?! I just didn't have time.  I did a few easy runs with my dog and my camel back, but nothing more than 3-4 miles.  I figured this was my last race of the season & I don't know why, but I assumed it was flat!  I should know from going to school at WVU and teaching snowboarding at Wisp, that western MD is anything but flat.  I don't even know why I thought that.  But regardless, my  mindset was just..."get through it, push it & see what happens".  I didn't wear a watch at IG Columbia and I don't know if that was good or bad.  I had a somewhat crappy feeling race.  IG Rocky Gap was to be entirely different.  Dawn Szarek posted that her coach told her, "It's short, make it hurt!" or something along those lines at some point before this race.  So I adopted that as my game plan.

Pre-Race
Decided to camp because I was going up alone (I had planned on bringing my dog, but then realized I had nowhere for him to go while I raced) and let's be honest, $25/night when you have a comfy camp bed like mine is worth it!  I went to packet pick up, racked my bike & set up camp.  Reheated my pre-made dinner of chicken breast, brussel sprouts and potatoes on my propane grill & had dinner.  I was having some issues getting my first started & was hungry.  I eventually got my fire started, roasted some marshmallows (yes I am 6 years old), made s'mores and listened to the WVU Oklahoma game via my car radio.  All the while hoping & praying my battery wouldn't go dead.  HOLY torrential downpours that night!!  It seems I bring the rain.  It rained like that my last night camping in Placid too.  So much for the weather channel saying 0% chance of rain.  So pretty crappy rest that night.  Anyway, I woke at 5am.  Set my water pot to boil on my grill & got dressed.  Had my normal oatmeal, cinnamon & blueberry breakfast as I drove over to the race site.  Set up transition, hit the bathroom & then home aka MMTC tent.  It's so nice to have a place to gather, it helps my nerves to chat & talk about non-race related stuff in the morning.

Swim 18:12

Swim was wetsuit legal, so OF COURSE I wore my favorite "floaty suit". I'm fine swimming without a wetsuit, but I just feel so much faster & stronger with it.  I decided to change my "start line" position strategy this time.  I'm fine with being bumped & pushed so with the added "protection" of my "floaty suit" I lined up in the middle of the pack towards the back.  Just happened to be an open spot of water right there!  It did get a little crazy at the start, but I just kept my eyes up & tried to dodge the feet.  I also decided to use my swim practice drill for critical pace in this race.  I swam as hard as I needed so that I HAD to breathe every 2 strokes.  Which meant, at every buoy I changed the side I was breathing on, sometimes I switched it up early.  But all along kept that pace.  I also tried to increase my stroke cadence.  Doug Saar told me I swim like an old lady out for a Sunday swim, so I'd been working on this.  I managed to draft several times.  I found some feet & a good pace & stayed there, until they went to sight & breast stroked & I nearly swam over them (Thank you Anne Johnson for teaching me how to sight like an alligator!).  I swam a few bits alone too and just felt great in the water.  The only funny/strange thing that happened was being hammered in the back of the head by someones forearm.  I'm not sure how this would even happen, but it was about 100m from the finish buoys & man did she clock me hard!  She didn't hit me anywhere else, so I'm wondering what the heck her swim stroke looked like.  I looked down at my watch & may have muttered an expletive as I saw my time, I was SHOCKED!

T1 2:53
I really need to work on running through transition.  I take my time, clearly a little too much.  Nothing exciting here, just got my stuff on & off we went.  My sunglasses were all fogged up however, which made it a little hard to see.

Bike 56:16 17.1mph

This is where I usually make up some ground for my swimming (and then those folks pass me on the run again).  This was a tough course.  My legs burned the ENTIRE time.  Partly because I knew the hills were steep and because I kept a good gear on during the downhills to gain as much momentum as I could.  I was hitting over 30mph on a few of them & it felt great!!  The turn around was terrible as I'm sure everyone will say.   It's SUPER tight, people stop in the middle, on the side, everywhere.  So if you can actually corner and stay on your bike, you're likely to run into them & wreck anyway.  I just kept thinking, "It's short, make it hurt.  So what if your legs give out on the run, it's only 2.5miles, get over it."  I would have liked to be a little faster on the course, but I'm happy with my time and the way my legs felt.  There were literally no flat sections on this ride, so the only time to gain speed was downhill.

T2 2:05
A little shorter, but still not great.  I forgot to unvelcro my shoes coming in to the finish.  I usually go through transition barefoot, it's easier than trying to walk with road shoes & clips.  So that slowed me down.  As I started to head to the run out, I saw an MMTC jersey & a very blonde ponytail.  "Could that be Mary P?! My luck could only be so good!"

Run 22:17 8:55/mi

YES!!!! It was Mary P & I was sooo happy!  I ran a few steps with her to say hello & she said something like, "You're moving....you could place!" I immediately laughed and said, "No way! But I'm feeling good so I'll see you in a bit!"  My legs always feel great right off the bike, I have NO idea why!  But that first hill was a challenge.  I took 10 walking steps about half way up & was like, "F this, get your ass in gear.  You can be sore tomorrow or you can walk & end your season with a crappy time."  (Btw I screwed up my watch somewhere along the way, so I had no idea where I was. Nor would I have known where I needed to be to actually place.)  I pushed up the hills knowing that I got to run like a maniac back down them to the finish.  The run felt good.  <---- Did I just type that?!  It was a challenge, but I used a drill I teach in my cycle class:  Say out loud, "Can I complete a sentence?" If you did it without a breath, you're not working hard enough!  So I just kept pushing and waiting.....waiting for everyone in my age group to pass me.  I typically get passed on the run, it's just what happens.  But no one.  I didn't pass anyone in my AG (this never happens anyway) and there was only one questionable person that passed me.  I couldn't tell if she had a 34 or a 39 because it was almost gone.  Anyway, ran down those hills & pushed it through the finish!! I saw the clock time & realized I was WAY under 2 hours & was sooo excited!

The only "negative" about this race.  Having gotten some of my hair stuck in my wetsuit velcro.  I could tell something was pulling my hair during the swim, but I couldn't fix it.  Needless to say, there's a hairy little monster on my wetsuit & a huge chunk of hair fell out of my braid in the shower.  I don't have a trophy but I do have a bald spot to remind me of a great day! :)

First let me say, MMTC is amazing!!!  If you were wearing a jersey, I tried my best to say something to you.  Sometimes it may have sounded like a grunt, a wheeze or a dying cat, but I tried! And for all of you who gave shout outs, it was amazing!!  A girl from Pittsburgh Tri Club said after the race, "Your club is fierce!" and I agree!!!

I'm not sure what happened here, but the stars aligned and the tri gods smiled at me for this race.  Maybe I picked the perfect race and had the right plan, I have no idea.  All I know is I felt great, I raced hard, but confident and surpassed even my own goals.  I game in 6th in my AG, when Lynne read that to me off the board, I ran to Mary P & almost tackled her! I'm not sure if she understood what I had said, but you would have thought I won the lottery.  I didn't get a trophy (although 2:29 seconds would have gotten me one & you can bet I'll be gunning for it next year, although who knows who shows up next year) and I didn't do anything different than run my own race, but I don't care.  It was a great race, surrounded by great MMTC friends in a gorgeous location.  I pissed & moaned about having to go "all the way" out there for this race, but you can bet I'll be back next year.

New Years Resolution Update! 12 races & more to come!!

12 races in 12 months or one race per month.  Well I've hit the #12 mark, but I still want to continue with a bib a month, so we've got 3 more to go! :)  This has been the most fun reslolution I've ever attempted.  It's also the only one that I still remember in September!  Might have to do something like this again next year.

Here's what I've done so far & what is up next!

2013 Race Schedule

1. January 12, 2013 Frosty Fingers 5K Gunpowder Falls State Park
2. February 9, 2013 BRRC Valentines 10K Loch Raven Reservoir
3. March 9, 2013 Whitehall 15K
4. April 22, 2013 Metric Mulligan Half Marathon 8.15miles
5. April 28, 2013 Nike Women's Half Marathon, Washington, DC
6. May 11, 2013 Kinetic Half-Iron Triathlon, Lake Anna, VA
7. May 25, 2013 Military Appreciation 5K Myrtle Beach, SC
8. June 15, 2013 Baltimore 10 miler Baltimore, MD
9. June 23, 2013 - Philly TriRock Olympic Triathlon, Philadelphia, PA
10. July 14, 2013 - Utica Boilermaker 15K
11. August 18, 2013 - Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon, Columbia, MD
12. September 8, 2013 - Iron Girl Rocky Gap Triathlon, Flintstone, MD

Upcoming races....
October 26, 2013 - Ready Set Sniff 5K with Jethro
November 9, 2013 - Color Run Myrtle Beach 5K, (My 7yr old niece's first race!!)
December?



One more to come for December!!!

Race Report: Philadelphia TriRock Olympic Triathlon

June 23, 2013

Swim (1500m, 0.9miles): 31:33
T1: 3:18
Bike (24.8miles): 1:24:55
T2: 2:52 
Run (10K, 6.2miles): 1:03:11
Overall: 3:05:52
AG: 37/78
Overall: 860/1291
Women: 174/371

Pre-Race: Having come off Kinetic Half in May, traveling for work & then getting an amazing sinus infection, I didn't feel super prepared for this race.  Along with that and the HOT weather we've been having, made me a little nervous.  But I knew I was confident in each leg alone, so just like the last race, mentally I knew I could just put them together.  We arrived in Philly Saturday afternoon, went to packet pick up, did a little sight seeing and had an awesome prerace dinner at Olive Garden.  I felt obligated to explain my insane ordering to the waiter, so he didn't think I was a weirdo.  "Light" menu option chicken & veggie dish, plus a side of pasta & salad & bread sticks.  I essentially ordered 2 dinners and ate half of each. :)  Headed to bed around 10 and woke up at 4:15.  Worst thing was the damn toilet in the adjoining room turning on and off every 20 seconds ALL night long!

Race Morning: Got to transition by 5:45am to set up.  After being yelled at & rushed for 20minutes I made it to the buses with at least 10minutes to spare.  So much for a calm, relaxed start to the day.  Last bus left transition at 6:20 for the swim start.  My swim wave didn't start until 7:45, so I had plenty of time to hang out & relax, eat a PBJ & hit the restroom a few times.  Again we were rushed, 10minutes after getting off the bus, the gear check bus was leaving.  Had I known it was leaving soon after we arrived, I would have just left my stuff on the other side of the river.  A point to point swim is nice, but the logistics were a little wonky.

Swim: My AG was wave 8 and went from 7:41-7:46.  They started us 10 at a time off the end of the dock.  I've never done this type of start, so I wasn't sure what to do.  Do you stand up & dive in? Sit down & drop off the edge & then start swimming? I watched others ahead of me & still had no clear plan.  My group of 10 lined up.  I was stuck in the middle......I looked around & thought, "I'm not a strong swimmer, I shouldn't be in the middle." Then I thought, "Fake it until you make it, kid.  You ARE strong in the water & you can handle a few bumps and kicks until there's space to spread out."  So my entry.......I'm sure it looked quite entertaining.  Everyone in my group sat down, feet in the water.  I followed suit, but I have this weird fear of my feet being sucked back under the dock.  So when the gun went off, I tried to drop off, but still push off forward.  It ended up being something like a belly flop! LoL Completely awkward and inefficient, but I was in the water!  And BOY did it taste NASTY!!!!  I guess that's what you get for swimming in the Schuylkill River!  Things cleared out pretty quickly & I was relaxed in the water before the first 100m buoy.  I decided to try something different.  Coach Kevin (from Merritt TriClub swim practices) has us practice critical pace & breathing every 2 strokes, but alternating sides.  Each 100m I changed sides, right, left, right, left, every 3 (that totaled 500m).  I felt like I was keeping my heart rate up, but giving myself a 100m to adjust if needed.  Other than swimming all over hells half acre for the first 600m, it was a great swim.  On the last 100m I got caught in the current a little.  We were with it the whole way, until the last 100 when you were perpendicular.  I ended up almost swimming into the left swim out buoy.  Like within 5inches of being under it! :)  Who cares, I was out of the water!!!  31minutes for 1500m might not seem quick, but for me, it was 25seconds/100m faster than my half swim! Any bit faster is better!

T1: Pretty long run out of the water & through transition.  The transition area was pretty long, but I guess that's what happens when it's narrow and you have almost 1300 people racing!  I felt like I spent 10minutes in transition, so just over 3 wasn't so bad.  I struggled with my wetsuit a little and had to sit down to put my bike shoes on.  I kept tipping over & laughing.  I either need cleat guards or learn how to "hot start".  It was pretty tough & a long trip getting out of transition.  I ended up walking my bike out most of the way.  I figured it was a better bet to walk now & save the run for later.

Bike: Anyone who tells you Philly races are "flat & fast" is lying! :) Ok, well the hills weren't THAT bad, but they were difficult.  Not because they were long, but because they were short and steep and generally started after a 90degree turn giving you almost no momentum to get up them.  Some of you may know "Lemon Hill" it's a b*tch to run up, well let me tell you.......it may be worse on the bike!  You take a sharp 90degree turn & then BAM! there she is!  You've got no momentum to get you started & then the hill turns 90degrees again & then a nice little switch back.  I tried to be more prepared on loop 2, didn't help much.   I will admit, a lot of the course was nice and flat, but there were some good hills packed into the beginning of the loop.  I didn't feel great on the bike, but I didn't feel bad either.  What was most frustrating was peoples bad bike etiquette.  People rode in the middle of the road, passed on the right, etc etc.  One particularly annoying rider was a very muscley dude I ran into during the first loop.  He was CONSTANTLY riding in the middle of the damn road.  I'd yell, "ON YOUR LEFT" hoping he would move over & get it, not so much.  He was also riding shirtless, which for some reason just annoyed me (or it could be his taking over the road, who knows).  Either way, I decided to use it to my advantage.  He was my shirtless, meathead villian.  I was NOT going to let him beat me.  I passed him uphill, he passed me downhill.  Over and over went the cycle....until the last loop.  He passed me one more time & said, "there's my bike buddy, we keep going back & forth."  Damn him for being nice, he was ruining my mental vision of him.  At that point, we had about 4-5miles left.  We hit some flat road, maybe a slight incline.  I held my gear & passed him & didn't let up.  I was getting to transition first, period.  Hit black road & the big downhill & I coasted into dismount.  He came in shortly after me & ran past to his transition spot, "we made it! Great ride, good luck" he said.  Damn, my villain was really a nice guy, good to know!  But he served his purpose in my race.  

T2: Nothing exciting to report here. I undid my shoes on the bike & slid my feet out, ran in socks to transition.  Threw my shoes, visor & race belt on.  Forgot my sunblock spray, but oh well.  Grabbed gels & was off.

Run: I did not want to run.  Period.  I just didn't feel like it, but I got myself into this race & to hell if I was going to walk it in.  Took me about 2miles & a quick potty break to knock the sludge out of the legs.  It was getting HOT!!  The first half of the run course was in & out of the shade & they had ice!!! I stuffed a whole cup of ice into my sports bra & enjoyed the slow, cold melt that ensued for the next 1.5miles.  If you've never tried this, DO IT! It cools your core down so much, it made me feel so much better.  We had about 1/5 mile in the grass run (1/4 out of transition & another 1/4 past transition to the 2nd half of the run).  Thank goodness it wasn't like Eagleman!  The second half of the run was brutal.  Completely flat, but not shaded.  Just pavement & sun.  You had to run past the finish & then out to the turn around after mile 5.  I ran to each water stop & then walked, water, gatorade & back to it.  Just wanted to run the race, I didn't wear a watch so I didn't care what my pace was.  I just wasn't going to walk.  Ice towels at 5.5 were AMAZING!! Threw one on my head & just kept moving forward.  I hit the finish & was glad to be done.  I was also SUPER excited that the announcer ALMOST got my name correct!!! It's pronounce like Alyssa Milano, despite all the extra letters!  And she was sooo close! :)

Seeing as this was my first Olympic, I set no goals except to finish.  I didn't even have time goals for each piece.  I just wanted to see what it felt like to run a shorter race than the half & I think it might have been harder! :)  It was a nice race, great post race music and food.  Medal that doubles as a bottle opener & a pitstop at Pat's in South Philly before the drive home.  

My "goals" for the weekend-
Finish the triathlon
Drink a beer
Eat a cheesesteak
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! 
Looking forward to some down time & relaxed training for the sprints at the end of the summer!

 

Military Appreciation 5K - PR & 2nd AG Place

Race 7/12.......we're on pace to do more than 12 races in 12 months! :)

Initially I was looking into doing a 1 mile fun mud run with my niece on Memorial Day weekend.  Unfortunately, you have to be 8yrs old to participate and unlike her mother, she doesn't lie about her age!   So instead I found a 5K that was part of Myrtle Beach's Military Appreciation weekend.  $20 donation and I was in!

The race start was just under 2miles from my mom's campground, so after camping out in a tent with my niece the night before, I decided a 2 mile warm up was going to do it.  I took it easy & just jogged over, enjoying the sunrise and cursing myself for not only forgetting appropriate sunglasses (big old bug eye Coach glasses just wouldn't do here) but also a hat!

It was a pretty small race.  Found out at the end 104 people finished.  So I actually had to line up about 3-4 people deep from the finish line.  I decided to throw some tunes on & just go for it.  So far to date my fastest paces have been logged in half marathons, NOT 5K's! Didn't make much sense in my head, so I figured, let's see how "fast" we can run this.  I'm not a fast runner, I never claimed to be.  I'm usually middle to back of the pack & totally ok with that. All I knew is I wanted to run under a 9min/mile pace for 3.1miles.  Should be easy enough seeing as my last half marathon was just over that for 13.1, right?!

Race was flat & fast with a little head wind coming back in.  The last half mile was on the boardwalk so it was a little deceptive.  You thought you were almost done, but yet....the finish seemed to never get there.  I picked a few runners in front of me & said "hard & steady & pass".

I finished in 25:55 my fastest 5K to date & get this...............SECOND place in my age group.  I couldn't believe it!!!  I won't share how many were in my age group but it was more than 4, so I'm happy.  I've never placed and I probably won't again anytime soon, so I will take my TWO medals & jog off into the sunset (or the morning sun, in the midst of bike week back to a campground).

Race Report: Kinetic Half Ironman Triathlon

Racer: Elysia Roser
Race: Kinetic Half IM
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Location: Lake Anna, VA
Race Type: Triathlon - Half Ironman
Age Group: Female 30 - 34
Time: 6:19:47
Overall Place: 344
Age Group Place: 8 / 23
Teaser/Summary: My first 70.3...and the most fun I've ever had in a race!!

--------------
Race Report:

6:19:47 8/23AG

Where do I even start? I've been training for this race for what seems
like forever. In my opinion, the training was by far, harder than the
actual race. I just want to say I am writing this report right now because
my amazing husband (athletic supporter) is napping. Apparently, getting
up at 5:15, cheering, napping in the car & eating pizza with the dog is
exhausting! :) Just kidding.....I'm so glad he were here to support me
through this, both the months of training and today.

Sorry this is so long, but it's my first & I'm still amped up from the
race.

Out Loud Goals (the goals I told my coach & others about)
FINISH! (maybe under 7hrs)
Don't puke. (if it doesn't escape the throat/mouth it doesn't count)
CHECK!
Don't cry. CHECK!
Don't bleed. CHECK!

In my mind goals (goals I didn't tell anyone else about, but thought
MAYBE I could get there)
Swim under 50 CHECK!
Bike under 3:30 CHECK & CHECK!!
Finish under 7hrs YES!!!!!

Pre-Race
Woke up at 5:40am and did my normal routine. Teeth & face clean & make
breakfast. I had cream of wheat that I doctor up with vanilla protein
powder, almonds, raisins & almond milk. Yuummm!!! We were out the door by
5:35 for the 2mile drive to Lake Anna State Park. Setting up transition,
getting chips & body marking was a little hectic. Had I planned this out
a little better, I would have gotten my chip, got marked & then set up.
But instead, I set up, walked back to marking, then all the way to chips,
then back to transition. Oh well......lesson learned. Hit the restrooms
(REAL restrooms) not portapots, although the portapots probably smelled
better! :( I put my wetsuit on, the water was 69 degrees. Down right HOT
compared to Hammerman!! HUGE thank you to Leslie for making me put my big
girl panties on week after week & endure that awful cold. I jumped in to
splash around & get acclimated and laughed at the people who were
complaining it was cold!

Swim (52:41 swim & T1 time, 15/23AG)
The swim was FANTASTIC, I had a freaking blast in the water! I still
can't believe it. I started in wave 3, women 34 & under & military. We
all had hot pink swim caps. SWEET! 7:08 start time. I positioned myself
towards the outside left (the course was almost a triangle going clockwise
direction). I got chatting with another girl & it helped ease the nerves
as we were mid-sentance when the horn went off. I waded in behind 2-3
others, no need to get kicked in the face in 1.5ft deep water. It took me
the first 100 to get to bilateral breathing & probably about 250 before I
felt completely in sync. I usually have some crazy story to tell about
the swim (breaking a toe, cussing at myself, etc etc), but I have to
say...not this time. Although, about 50 meters from the first turn buoy,
I got a really weird feeling. I felt like the theme music from Jaws
should have been playing. Prior to this, the water was warm, clear &
calm. Then all of a sudden it got choppy, real choppy. I'm
thinking....WTF! Then I go to site & I see it......GREEN caps taking
over! Green was the wave behind us & the men. They were invading! Duna
duna duna!! LoL The rest of the swim was uneventful. I swam my pace,
didn't get bumped too much & just felt great in the water. I broke the
swim into 3 sections, I just swam to each of the 3 turn buoys. I hit the
last buoy & felt great, so decided to push it a little. I was AMAZED to
see that I was still swimming with people in my wave (my first & last 2
tris, this was not the case). I ended up swimming next to a girl in my
wave almost the whole trip back, she was drafting a girl in front of her,
but I wasn't about to try that! Ran out of the water & saw Ramsy waiting
for me. He said, "under 50!". I literally jumped & said "whooohoo",
spectators laughed, but I was stoked!!

T1
A little bit of a run uphill & the infamous "strippers" were no where to
be seen this year. Bummer. I took my time & got everything together. It
was raining pretty hard but it only lasted about 5mins! My bike socks
were soaked, but my run socks were in a ziplock, so I grabbed those & off
we went.

Bike (3:01:32 bike & T2 time, 7/23AG)
My plan on the bike was to ease into it for the first 18, increase for
the 2nd and then feel it out for the 3rd. I couldn't get my heart rate
below a 4.5 at all. I kept talking to myself. "Can you complete a
sentence? Are you out of breath?". If you take my cycle classes you know
what this means. I felt GREAT, I could talk & was feeling good, so I went
with it. The first 18 were awesome. I heard a lot of complaints that
this course was hard. After riding Columbia, this course was not cake,
but it wasn't what I would call "hard". Hard is the new IG
course...uuugghh! Anyway, I was gu'ing every 18miles, hitting my
perpeteum about every 10 & chewing on my crispies (oates, rice crispies,
agave nectar, peanut butter, walnuts, choc chips & marshmallows) once
every 18. Water as needed. My nutrition felt great. My kidneys started
to hurt a little towards the end of the 2nd section, but it went away.
The bike was uneventful other than that. I was LOVING it though.
Literally giddy almost the whole ride. I just rode on how I felt & it
felt GREAT. I passed a lot of people, men & women. I felt strong. I
tried to not think about the run, just one third of the ride at a time. I
couldn't believe when I kept looking down at the Garmin, I might actually
finish under 3:30. As I hit mile 50, I realized "holy sh*t!! I might
finish under 3!!".

T2
Pretty uneventful here. Walked the bike in, threw on my MMTC visor,
sneakers, race number and off I went. It was warming up, humid and muggy,
but still overcast.


Run (2:25:34 16/23AG)
The run was 3 loops. The first mile of EVERY loop was uphill. BLAAAHH!!
The hills on this course were such crap! They weren't steep, but they
were long and unrelenting. The first mile was up, then another section
was about 3/4mile up. I know that means you should have downhills, but
really....that was just the last steep .75 back down to the beach. The
first loop was rough, I had to hit the bathroom right after transition &
then again around mile 3. My legs felt heavy but I could keep moving
forward, in what I deemed to be something that looked like a run. Loop 2
was better. Felt like I had a good pace, then another damn bathroom
break. Decided to do a gel without caffeine and skip one heed cup. It
helped! No stops on the last loop & I think it was my fastest loop. It
was actually pretty nice to run around so that you could see friends &
family several times. Again, I broke the race into 3 sections, each loop.
Final loop was mentally easy, but physically tough. I knew I was going
to finish, but damn those hills were killer. I hit the last mile hard
with a 25yr old girl. Super nice & she ran fast as crap! I lost her on
the downhill, damn those youngins & their good knees! I hit the last .1 &
actually had a little kick! Finished strong & was actually excited to
finish!! I felt FANTASTIC. Seriously...my knees hurt, but I had a blast.

It seems crazy to me that I honestly had FUN the entire race. I finished
and was actually ready to say, "let's sign up for another!"!! I've never
run a race and had that feeling before so it was great.

Big thank you's to: My husband for being the best athletic supporter a
girl could ever want! Emma for being an awesome training partner 2014
Kinetic is YOURS! Mike & Lulu for being a great cheering squad! Mary,
Leslie & all the other MMTC ladies I've met so far this season!! Big girl
panties were on today! Coach Tim for coming up with a plan that not only
worked as my wedding diet, but helped me surpass even my own secret
goals!! Already looking forward to another race!

Next time just pee your pants!! Race Report: Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC

Let me preface this report with a few things.  I started distance running in 2006, while always an athlete, I was a sprinter.  100m hurdles, 4x100 & 200m all less than .25miles!! So for a long time the idea of running a 5K under a 10min pace was laughable.  My body just didn’t want to do it.  Well…..over the past 12months, I’ve been getting closer & closer to breaking a 2hr half marathon.  A goal I laughingly put out there in 2010 thinking it would NEVER happen.  “If I run a sub 2 half, I’ll train for another full…hahahaha!”  My goal for this race………run 8 miles at 9 pace & then feel it out. (Coach Tim’s advice)  I was aiming for a sub 2, but I didn’t taper (actually did a 50mile bike & 12.5mile run the weekend before) and my first Half Iron distance tri was in 2 weeks, no need to kill it.

First I must vent! I’ve NEVER been to a prerace event that was so awful!! Not only was packet pick up in Georgetown (which is just a pain in the ass to get to) but the lines were insane!! We waited an HOUR outside in the sun for packet pick up.  Then the “expo” was just silly (in my opinion).  I do give Nike credit for going “outside the box” for this, but for me, it was an epic fail.  It was a relatively small tent, just PACKED with people.  There were a few charity booths (literally like 2), Nike showcase (you couldn’t buy anything there), BareEssentials doing make up, Paul Mitchell doing hair, Luna giving a few samples & Nuun giving a few samples.  That was essentially it.  There was a small tent outside that was selling race day essentials but if you weren’t looking for it, you would have missed it.  All the race gear, was available for purchase at the Nike Georgetown store about 2 blocks away.  Finishers gear would be available in a tent (with another massive hour+ long line) after the race was finished.

Ok now to the real race report……..

Pre-race: Woke up at 5am. I made my oatmeal with the coffee maker.  There was no microwave in the hotel room, so I had to improvise.  It was a little raw, but really not bad.  Started a bottle of water (first mistake) and headed out to the start around 6:15.  We were so close, we decided to walk back to the hotel for another potty break & to keep warm.  Headed back to the race start around 6:45, one more potty break……should have seen something coming  here.  We headed to the corrals.  It was absolutely PACKED!!!  Thought I had to #1 again, but figured it was just jitters.  One amazing thing….the start line looked straight down Pennsylvania to the Capitol building, AMAZING view!!!

And we’re off…HOLY HELL it was crowded.  Literally couldn’t move my arms to run for at least the first mile.  We headed into a tunnel…….not my favorite.  I have a weird fear of being in something underground or under water with only one way in/out.  But they had drums set up in 2 spots & it was deafening.  Between screaming women & drums you couldn’t think of anything other than, keep moving so your head doesn’t explode!!!

Through 5K: Awesome run down toward  the Capitol building and out to the Monument.  Guess what…….I seriously had to go #1!! It wasn’t nerves, I drank too much damn water pre-race!!  We’re running around the mall……there’s NOWHERE to stop & go & certainly no spot a pots.  At one point, it was so bad, I saw a bush & thought, “can I get in there?!” & then thought, “what if someone takes my picture & posts it to facebook with the caption, “runner take’s a “break” at the base of the Washington Monument”?! Damn, I had to keep moving.  About mile 2.5 I see girls running to the other side of a building! “SCORE! Bathrooms” I think, negative.  It was a triangle piece of grass behind a building blocked from view.  No shame here & a running skirt helps!  I felt much better.  Now back to the race and getting on pace.  The first few miles were sooooo crowded I couldn’t get a rhythm at all.  Plus, now I understand why people say “don’t run with headphones”.  I have always run with one in & one out in races, so I can be aware of people around me.  This was my first half with no music at all, it was fine!!  These ladies were oblivious!!  Both ear buds in, so loud I could sing along with their music & not paying a bit of attention.  A girl running in front of me suddenly stopped (not on the side, just right in the road) I ran into her, a girl ran into me.  She barely turned around.   GGGRRR!!! Take the anger & fuel the run.

After mile 6 we started to get a little bit of breathing room.  Guess a negative split was going to be a reality, not on purpose however!  There were absolutely amazing drum lines all along the race.  I love good music here & there, but in my opinion there’s nothing more motivating that a strong, loud, energetic drum line going all out.  There was a group of all women near the JFK monument.  THEY WERE AMAZING!!! I hope Nike posts who they were, so I can tell them how much they rocked. 

Second stop of the race…….vaseline! L  I forgot my bodyglide at home and none of the girls I was with had any.  Thank goodness for lots of med tents on the way.  Slathered a ton of Vaseline on my awesome triathlon legs (yes, I’m being sarcastic because I never had this problem until I started training for tris!).  Love my quads, but damnit! Chafing is NOT cool!  Probably lost another 45 seconds there.

At about 15K I started to struggle.  Pace was fine, just mentally I was bored.  Maybe a little tired, but mostly just bored.  I was ready to be done.  I kept thinking, just get to 10, then it’s a short 5K, no big deal.  A million thoughts were going through my head at this point here are a few:

“Tim said get comfortable with the pain. It doesn’t hurt yet, so just suck it up & keep moving”

“This is NOTHING compared to running after a 56mile bike ride, so you better get your ass in gear!”

“If you break 2 today, you won’t have to run a half for awhile. If you don’t, you know you’re going to have to try again. Chop chop!”

“Pass that dude up there and smile.”

“DO NOT let the boys in furry costumes beat you!!!”

I’m sure there were many more, but those are the ones I remember.  I also remember seeing a sign by Nike that said, “Redefine Impossible”.  I thought it was perfect because I was dangerously close to doing something I honestly thought was impossible a few years ago.

The incline (I won’t even call it a hill) to an overpass around mile 10 was a killer.  EVERYONE around me walked (except for me & the guy with the camo camelback).  I looked at his back, said, “he looks bad ass I’m going to stay with him”.  He started to slow & I passed him.  We both made it up the ramp.  Back into the tunnel with the drums.  Keep your feet moving to the drum beat & you’ll be fine. 

The final 2 miles of this race was mental torture.  You came out of the tunnel & made a right.  Straight down Pennsylvania towards the Capitol building, AWAY from the finish line.  You could see everyone ahead of you running back & also around the big ass circle in front of the Capitol building.  It looked like the longest 2 miles EVER!!! And it felt that way.  Again my mantras.   I know I was literally seconds from a 2hr finish time.  I couldn’t give it up in the last 2 miles, no way!!  My final mile was actually 8:28.  I’ve never run a 5K in that pace before! J  The last long straight was about .5miles.  You could see the finish, but it just never got closer.  Block after block & it was still far away.  I looked at my watch & knew I had about 2mins to get to the finish.  Whatever push I had left went into that last half mile, it wasn’t much but it was a little faster.

Thank goodness they didn’t actually have race photography at the finish.  I would have looked like the meanest, nastiest grump in the world.  Clock time said 2:02, watch said 2:00.  I knew I started around 1:30 after the gun, so I figured I had missed it by just a few seconds.  I was MAD! This was the first time I ever wanted to cry after finishing a race, and NOT for a good reason!  We waited around to check official results, I had to know. 2:00:16 SIXTEEN stupid seconds!!! But it’s ok really.  I wasn’t tapering, I’m in the middle of triathlon training for my “big” race & I had to pee.  Those are the things I keep telling myself so I’m not completely frustrated.

Lessons learned:

Keep hydrated the day before the race, do NOT drink that much the morning of. Get your water on the course.

NEVER leave home without bodyglide.

Try not to punch any other runners for running into you, stopping, or just plain being idiots (I didn’t do this, but I considered it a few times!).

Enjoy the new PR for what it is.  Your best time ever and one step closer to sub2!

Hope this wasn’t too long for you! Now on to Kinetic in less than 2 weeks!!!!!!

Training has gotten the best of me...

Kinetic Half Iron Update:
Thus why I haven't posted in awhile. :(  My weekdays have consisted of 8 workouts in 5 days and my weekends average about 8hrs of workouts over two days, plus a little BSSC football thrown in there.  Needless to say life has been rather hectic!  Or just plain exhausting.  At this point I begin my taper!! WAAAHOOOOO!!! & OH SH*T! It means shorter workouts & no long rides on the weekends, but it also means my training is essentially finished for the big race!  2 weeks and 2 full days before race day! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time!

NY Resolution Update:
In March I ran the White Hall 15K on the NCR trail!  3/12 races complete!  It was COLD!!! Like REALLY freaking cold, below freezing when we started.  And I hadn't done a long run in a few weeks, so I ran it as slow as I possibly could.  I listened to my audiobook of "Life of Pi" and just tried to stay warm & comfortable.  I finished in 1:40 which is about a 10:30/mile pace.

In April I have 2 races, so JUST in case I have a month where I don't race, I have one "in the pocket" so to say.  On Sunday April 21st I ran the Metric Mulligan Half Marathon (8.15miles), all race day registrations were donated back to the Boston victims.  I need to preface this by saying, on Saturday, I rode 50miles (in 20mph winds) & then ran 1.5miles.  So I'm pretty stoked with my 1:21 time.  To top it off, I ran 4 miles from the race back home, so I could get my 12mile run in.  Again, another "slow & easy" race to just get the miles in.  THIS weekend 4/28 I will be running the Nike Women Half Marathon in DC.  I hope this will be a true "race pace" run!! We'll see!!


For Boston, We Run
If you haven't seen it yet, I created a facebook group called "For Boston, We Run".  
Our purpose: Now that those responsible have been apprehended, we run in memory & honor of those affected. Our goal: One mile for every runner unable to finish this race & in honor of those who may never run again. A block or mile, it does not matter.........Just run.

That's all for now folks!

A reflection of where this crazy journey began

A little background: I've always been an athlete.  Soccer, track, softball, basketball & cheerleading from age 7.  I could run sprints for hours.  But ask me to run our 2mile trial during preseason soccer and I thought I would die or pass out.  Distance events were not something I wanted to try or even thought possible.

Seven years ago in early February, I headed up to the NCR trail for the first day of training with Team in Training to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for my first "long run" of not only my training plan, but of my life.  I couldn't believe I had signed up to train for a full marathon, 26.2miles. I'd never run a race longer than the 400m hurdles! 

I was making this decision for several reasons.  To be honest, the first reason was because I told some friends that I was thinking of running a marathon for charity and they laughed.  Not in a, "that's crazy but cool" kind of way.  They laughed AT me.  "YOU?! RUN?! and a marathon?".  So my thought was, "screw you! I'll show you!".  The second and most important reason that I chose to run with TNT & support LLS was because I lost my cousin Sean to leukemia, when we were both kids.  I was young and I don't remember much, which is probably best.  But I do remember spending a day Ricky Game Farm, Sean, Colleen and I.  I remember Sean being bald, but other than that, it was just a fun day with my cousins and Nian.  I wanted to honor his memory and help raise funds, so hopefully no other children have to endure what he did.

That first day we met our coaches.  My run coach was Anne, who was amazing.  The walkers had Jack as their coach.  We each spoke about why we wanted to run and why we decided to raise money and awareness for LLS.  I was deeply touched by all the personal stories, everyone was touched in their own way by these diseases and we all wanted to do something that made us feel more at peace with our situations.  I met some amazing people.  Kisha was training for a half marathon in Alaska.  She's now off in NJ continuing to further her education but we continue to keep in touch.  

Jack Beach.  Jack gets his very own paragraph, because he is one of the most amazing people I have ever met.  Jack was the coach for the walkers (I did plenty of walking, but I was still in the "runners" group) but he reached out to each and every one of us.  There are certain people in life that have a contagious, positive and uplifting personality.  Jack is one of those people.  I remember seeing him at mile 21 of the San Diego marathon.  He had a huge smile on his face and I could only have been happier to see him if had some food for me (ANYTHING besides a GU or gel)! I was STARVING at that point!  Throughout the years, I would see Jack at other running events.  Always sporting the jersey of the cause he was supporting, and always the coach.  I ran into Jack more recently and we got to talking, he'd moved on to running marathons and I was into triathlons.  What a long way we had both come.  He was still as positive & supportive as ever!

I have since run 6 half marathons (if I counted correctly), 2 full marathons, 2 sprint triathlons & countless shorter races.  My first race is always memorable, but most memorable and special to my heart was the 2010 NYC marathon, that I ran in honor of my stepfather, Paul.  The year I ran my first marathon, I crossed the finish line smiling saying, "I'll never do that again!", but I had the bug.  Everyone talked about NYC and how it was the best race ever!  So I casually mentioned it when home for the holidays.  Paul thought it was great & said maybe they'd make the trip down to see me run.  Well NYC is a lottery.  I registered for the 2007 race.  In the process Paul was diagnosed with lung cancer and started chemo.  I was denied entry.  Paul lost his battle in April of 2007.  It was and still is hard to think back on those times.  So I try to remember all the fun "beach ball" and Paulie stories, rather than the last few weeks.  Around came registration for 2008, and I thought, "Ok, I have to do this because I told him I would.".  Denied again.  Registered in 2009, denied again.  NYC is "three strikes and your in!"  So 2010 was my year!!  Again, I chose a charity I thought he would be proud of.  I ran and raised money for the Pat Tillman Foundation.  Pat's foundation focuses on football, military and community involvement  all of which Paul was very involved in.  Over $1400 and 26.2 miles later, I earned my 2nd marathon medal.  I crossed the finish line touching the photo of us that had been over my heart the entire race.

Endurance events and training is more than just "getting in shape" or exercising.  For me, it's a way of life.  It's my therapy.  It's my church.  It's my time for reflection, decompression, stress relief.  It's a way to meet new people who would also be labeled "crazy" by most of my friends & relatives.  Yes, I do these things for myself.  It keeps me happy and healthy (both mentally and physically).  I compete only with myself.  I go out to just be better than I was the day before.  Whether that means faster, stronger or just less tired at the end.  But there's not a swim, bike, run that I do, when these people do not cross my mind.  At least once on these long workouts I will think, "Everything I've done lately, would Paul be proud? Am I proud?".  I think, "Thank goodness for my amazing coaches & friends along the way, because without them I would have never taken those first steps."  I don't find time for my workouts, I make time for them, because without them I wouldn't be me.

So when you read my posts and think, "damn! she's crazy!" just remember I do all these things to be a better me for the people that love and have loved me.  THIS keeps me from going crazy!

Thank you for reading.......I hope this wasn't too long! :)

P.S. I couldn't write this & not put a quick, but heartfelt thank you to my husband.  Over the past 5 years he has been my "athletic supporter".  Writing notes & leaving them on the car, front door, my shoes, etc wishing me good luck.  Telling me I'm crazy, but he's proud.  Picking me up at the ER after my biking incident & learning to put a ponytail in my hair because I only had one working arm.  Even when he questions or doesn't understand why I push, he's there (or maybe in bed still) supporting me, while I'm doing my thing.  Now if only we could find a race or two that start around noon, he would be MUCH more excited to get up & cheer! ;)

February Race! 2 of 12

So I'm REALLY late in posting this race report, so it will be short & sweet because so much has happened since then (next post). :) 

BRRC Valentine's 10k
February 9, 2013
Loch Raven Reservoir
Race Director: Peter Mulligan, Megan Digregorio
Volunteers: Jennifer Zanni, Jim Adams, Eric Benjamin
Weather: 27 Degrees, Clear Skis, and Windy

30 Eylsai Roser   F  1:03:42 (love the spelling of my name & the fact that I have no age!)

Ok....so weather says "windy", I don't think that quite describes it.  It's windy in normal areas, around the reservoir it feels like a damn icicle hurricane.  Thank goodness I was smart enough (for once) to wear 2 pairs of running tights, heavy socks, UA base layer, UA fleece, Northface windbreaker, & of course hat & gloves.  What I did forget was something to cover my face.......about 0.5miles in I'm thinking to myself, "You have 2 weeks until the wedding & you're chin is getting such a bad wind burn it's going to peel right off your face."  Luckily I had my Burts Bees in my pocket, don't judge me, but I slathered up my lips & then gave my chin a good layer of menthol, waxy protection.  IT WORKED!!!

If you've run Loch Raven you know the hills are pretty killer & this run was supposed to be a "LSD - long slow distance" so my pace should have been closer to 10:30-45.  I'm relatively happy with a 10min/mile pace, especially because at about mile 2.5 I stopped for a "pit stop".  So.......in February there really isn't much foilage cover & there certainly aren't port a johns, so a cement blockade & a ditch would have to work. :)  After I hopped out of the ditch, hoping no one saw me, I ended up running along with a woman (forgot her name of course) for the rest of the race.  We chatted & talked the entire rest of the race, so overall a good easy run.

So I think we're looking at a 15K on March 24th.........then the "REAL" races begin...

One month in...

Well I've survived one month of training, one race and we're creeping up on 3 weeks until the wedding.  My mind is going a million different directions, but I use my training time to clear my brain and refocus my energy.  Then I go back to my crazy hectic life.

Nothing much to report other than my totals:
Miles Run: 46.4
Laps Swam: 281.5
Mins/Hrs on bike: 630m or 10.5hrs

I had a "down" week last week. Just felt tired and drained.  My chest has felt tight & it's hard to breathe.  Everyone says you'll have a bad week or bad workout.  So as cranky as I was, and as much as I would have rather just sat on the couch, I just pushed through it.  My last 7 mile run felt like crap.  My legs were heavy, it was hard to breathe and I was just mentally out of it.  But it's done & behind me and I can move on to month 2!

What to work on: GET UP EARLIER to get one workout in on double days.  It's not difficult to do two workouts in one day, but rolling my a$$ out of bed is the hardest part.  Just need to DO IT!

My positive take away: Even if the workout feels like garbage, it's better than nothing and you'll feel better at the end for having done it, than if you sat home.

February race.............
I'm thinking the BRRC Valentine's Day 10K on 2/9.  Anyone care to join me & Jethro?! (if they'll let me bring him)

1 down 11 to go! Frosty Fingers 5miler Race report

Frosty Fingers 5mile race
Saturday January 12th, 2013 9am 41degrees
Gunpowder Falls State Park

So I managed to find a January race! YES! I narrowly avoided screwing up my NY resolution in the first month!  This was an awesome race.  Small & friendly.  Flat, fast & nice and cool.  And CHEAP!!  No traffic, no parking issues and no lines for the port a pot (although I found the "secret" ones).

I arrived at the park around 8:30.  You had to drive all the way around to get to the parking area, so I decided to make a "pit stop" at the pottys near the beach.  Smart move, there was a decent line for both registration and the potty at the race start.  By decent line, I mean 20 people, but moving really well.  I registered for a whopping $6, yes SIX dollars and got my free pair of BRRC gloves, bib & pins.  I was meeting a fellow Chi Omega alum and some of her friends before the race, so we caught up & headed to the start line.  There were probably about 90 runners.

There's not much to report on the actual race itself.  It was a perfect temperature for me.  Mile 1 and Mile 5 were my best.  3 & 4 were the "worst".  My goal was to finish at/under 40minutes.  Until I realized that I don't know how to multiply!  5milesx9min/mile is NOT 40, it's 45!  Readjust....goal was at/under 45minutes! :)  I felt pretty decent with no major issues.  I kept an eye on Garfield (my Garmin) to make sure I was close to 9.  Garfield told me that the course was off, so......according to him I finished 5miles in 44:24.  According to clock time I finished 45:07.  SEVEN seconds, REALLY?! If I could only learn to drink from a cup & still run without 1 - choking to death, or 2 - throwing water in my face, I would have been good.  Oooh well.

I ran back down the course after finishing to find Lindsey & Jacob & run back in with them.  I left them just before the finish, so I could swing around & cheer them in.  They gave away really funny prizes for the winners (both based on time & random draw).  Fuzzy animal backpacks, gumball machine, shirts, hats, cookies & stuffed animals.  I'm pretty sure they raided the clearance isle at CVS before the race! Either way it was a nice, low key race.  And fellow fast runners stuck around & spread out on the course to cheer the rest of us in.

Looking forward to 11 more good feeling race reports!!!

What's February's race?!  We shall see!