Numbers

I've always enjoyed numbers.  Math and music...the neat predictability of numbers and rhythm...two of my favorite things. Often, when I am running, biking or swimming I am counting or chanting numbers or singing repetitively in my head. Strange?  Probably ;-).  However, it keeps me focused. 

Triathlon training is number-intensive for sure. Here are a few of "my" numbers, as of late:

3300:  the number of yards I swam in my indoor pool workout tonight (my longest thus far!)

1150:  the number of calories I was SUPPOSED to consume during yesterday's 4.5 hour bike ride

980:  the number of calories I actually consumed during yesterday's 4.5 hour bike ride (all all-time high for me in terms of caloric intake during training. Eating while working out is such a paradigm shift for me...someone who typically thinks about the calories BURNED during activity, without much thought to intake. I'm QUICKLY learning just how important consuming the right amounts of the right kinds of fuel is though!)

14:  the number of hours I worked out last week (swimming, biking, running and yoga)

5:  the number of laps I swam around the course marked out in the lake at Thursday night Open Water Swim (TOWS) at a camp outside of town (for a total of 1.41 miles!  This was my longest open-water swim yet...AND I did it without a wetsuit and without stopping!). 

4:  the number of pairs of running shoes I'm currently rotating through/experimenting with. It's also the number of yoga mats I play around with, depending on my mood/function. 

26.2:  the longest distance (in miles) I've ever run. I've never run a distance longer than a marathon. Hmmm. I think an ultramarathon needs to be in the plans for the next year or so...

2: number of times I've fallen off of my bike (both on the same day...whoops ;-))

13:  the number of minutes SLOWER my marathon PR is than the Boston Qualifying time of 3:35 (I have a lot of work to do!)

106: number of days in my longest streak of consecutive days of workouts (completed jan-may this year...streak died the day after my half marathon at the U of I :-))

9:  number of consecutive Bix 7 races in Davenport, Iowa I've run (this year will be my 10th!). This is one of my very favorite events each year. 

10:  the number in my list of marathons completed this year's New York City Marathon will be (!!!) on November 3 (seeing as I've only run 8 marathons...it means I need to find a suitable marathon #9 between now and November ;-)).

26:  number of training days between now and my 70.3 event in Racine 

75:  number of training days between now and becoming an Ironman!!!!!!!

Rockford Triathlon 2013

This past weekend I participated in the Rockford Triathlon, held at the beautiful Rock Cut State Park in Rockford, IL.  Well...it's beautiful most of the time, anyway.  Saturday morning it wasn't exactly beautiful.  It was cold, rainy and kinda icky, frankly.

I had won an entry to the Rockford Triathlon in a drawing through the Tri Shark triathlon club, of which I have become a more active member these past few months, this past winter.  I was excited by this for a number of reasons.  First, hey...free triathlon!  Second, I have some very good friends that live in that area and I am always excited by the opportunity to be able to see them.

The week leading up to the tri, I checked the weather a few times and was somewhat discouraged to see that it wasn't looking good as far as having a pleasant weather situation for the event.  Regardless, I was pumped for my first "real" triathlon of the season (I am referring to this event as a "real" tri...since it involved an open water swim.  The first tri I did in Morton had a pool swim and the Tri Shark triathlon was turned into a duathlon thanks to the E. coli adventure!). I was excited to see where my skills lie in a tri with an open water swim, bike and run, compared to last summer.

Friday night I was awoken a couple of times by heavy rain.  Saturday morning when I got up...it was sprinkling.  When I arrived at the transition/registration area, it was wet/mushy/icky.  Ugh.

While I was waiting in line to pick up my packet (yahoo for smaller events with day-of-event packet pickup!), I was greeted by a familiar face...my good friend (and graduate school roomie!) Brooke walked up to me!  She had driven out to the park from her home about 45 minutes away and had arrived at the early hour of 6:30am just to hang out with and support little old me!  It was great to see her...and meant a lot to have her support in the minutes leading up to the race.

After I got my number, shirt, and cute little bag with the race logo on it, I set up my bike and related accoutrements in the transition area.  I was pleased to see that we had assigned areas based on race number...and I had scored a spot right at the end of a row on the inside aisle.  Ideal!!  After setting up my bike, I sprayed myself down with lube and wrestled into my wetsuit.  I headed down to the beach and did some yoga poses/stretches in the sand to get prepped and ready to rock.  The water looked less than inviting, however I was still pretty excited to get moving.

I was in the third wave of swimmers, so after the first two waves set off I made my way into the water to wait for the start.  I quickly realized that the neck of my wetsuit was a bit too snug. Every time I breathed on the left side, the wetsuit rubbed on the back right part of my neck. Darn it all!  Rookie mistake...I didn't  adjust/check for areas that rubbed on the wetsuit prior to taking off. 

The swim course was approximately .45 miles long...after completing one loop of the course, participants had to get out of the water, run over a timing mat and jump back in for round two. Approximately 300 yards or so into the first loop, I felt a crawling sensation on my exposed skin.  I realized I was swimming though some sort of water plants. It kinda grossed me out, because I'm a wimp in the water. It kinda felt like snakes or bugs. Sick. Thankfully, swimming through crap didn't last forever. 

I was out of the water in 34:45. This isn't a super-fast time, but it is decent for me. There were 8 women in my division (Females age 30-34) and my swim was 7th out of 8. Looks like I still have lots of work to do in the water!

Once I was out of the water, I had to run up a small incline that felt like a huge mountain after being tired out from the swim ;-). I "hurried" to the transition area and fought my way out of my wetsuit.  I am soooo uncoordinated when it comes to getting out of that darn thing!!  I secured my helmet, put on my shoes, grabbed my bike and was out of T1 (transition 1)....in 3:35.  I was 5th out of 8 in T1....WAY too slow. What the heck was I doing in there?!  Ha! ;-)

I was excited to see another Rockford-area friend, Jill, standing under an umbrella outside of the transition area with her cute 1-year-old daughter Gia.  It was hilarious to see Gia's look of disgust as she sat in her mom's arms under the umbrella on that nasty morning!  Also with Jill and Gia was Michelle, a friend and former college roommate who now lives outside of Rockford!  It meant so much to have so many sweet supporters!

The bike was challenging for me. It rained basically the entire time...which freaked me out. I'm not really sure why. I've never fallen or crashed or anything during a ride when it's raining, but for some reason it's one of my (many) paranoias.  I was also trying out some racing wheels from a friend (zipp 404's)...trying new things makes me nervous too. Not exactly rational, I know, but my nervousness on the bike definitely showed in my finish time:  1:26.24, breaking down to a 17.4 mph pace. I was actually 3rd out of 8 in my age group on the bike, which is pretty great. However, I was frustrated because I know I'm capable of much better in that area. 

I was happy to get off of that bike...it's definitely not fun to be uptight/nervous for about an hour and a half!  The run is the "easy" part for me, and I always feel better once the swim and bike are behind me!  I was out of T2 (transition 2) in 1:10. This was the 3rd fastest time out of 8.

I happily (yet tiredly) set out on the run course. It was raining steadily at this point and my shoes sloshed soggily with each step. Brooke was waiting right outside of the transition area and ran with me, singing encouragingly in true Brooke-fashion the entire time, for about a quarter mile or so. This was a fun distraction from my tiredness!  

The run course was kinda beastly. It was rather hilly...I really don't feel like any of it was actually flat. It seemed to be all either uphill or downhill. A 10k (6.2 miles) is really no big deal to me, but I wasn't crazy about this course ;-).  It thankfully didn't rain the entire time I was running (unlike my time on the bike!), but my shoes sloshed/made rhythmic duck-like noises (from being soaked sitting out in the transition area) for 5 miles or so...which was kinda irritating. 

Toward the end, a girl in my age group passed me on my left during a flatter portion of the course. I complacently allowed this, until I mentally realized I really should've been pushing harder. I was able to turn on a bit of steam and we fought one another (with smiles in a friendly fashion, I must add! ;-)) for a big until I ultimate pulled ahead on an uphill and kept it strong until the end. 

I took a slight wrong turn a few hundred yards before the finish, but was quickly redirected with shouts from onlookers. I finished in 53:54, with an average mile per hour pace of around 8:33 (average for me).  This was 5th out of the 8 of us in my age group. 

My overall official finish time was 2:59.39. I was ECSTATIC to finish in under 3 hours!  This was my first time finishing an Olympic-distance tri in under 3 hours. My place was 6th out of 8 in my age group...definitely not stellar, but I'm pleased overall in spite of that. 

After the race, I was greeted by Brooke who had spoiled me by bringing me treats (strawberries and nuts!) to chow down on after I finished!  Yummmmm. It was nice to spend a bit of time talking with her and recapping the race to her before she had to head home to get cleaned up to get to a wedding out of state!  It was awesome that she was able to come!

I've spent some time perusing my results from last year's triathlons. It's fun to see how far my training has come from last year. Last year was really my first season of doing tris. My first tri in May of 2011 was a horrid experience (I had NO idea what I was doing!). I had thrown in the towel on the whole tri-thing until a year later...on May 24, 2012 when I decided to go big and give the world of triathlon another try and registered for the 2012 Branson half Ironman on September 23. 

Last season I completed 7 triathlons: 1 sprint, 3 Olympic, 1 "modified" Olympic (longer than a sprint but shorter than an Olympic tri), 1 half-Iron distance (though non-sanctioned) and my big half-Iron distance A-race in Branson on September 23, 2012. I didn't get under 3 hours in the three Olympic-distance races last year, thus had made it one of my goals for this season. 

This season has been good to me...a half marathon PR, completing my 8th marathon (and officially having the training base to be able to pick up a marathon "on a whim"!), placing 3rd in a 70.3 relay, placing 3rd overall female in a sprint tri (and getting a PR :-)), placing 5th in my age group in my first tri-turned-du AND now getting under 3 hours/PRing in an Olympic-distance tri!

This all speaks highly to my awesome coach, Laura!  I'm so thankful to have found her and to have her leadership as I work toward my personal goals. I'm stronger physically and mentally than ever, thanks to her!

Can't wait to see what else is in store for me this season!

(Teaser:  I confirmed today that my season will now include the NYC Marathon on November 3!  I'm ELATED. Stay tuned for details!!)

Two triathlons + two trophies = solid start to the season!

I've completed events each weekend for the past six weeks...

April 27: U of I half marathon

May 5:  Rev3 Knoxville 70.3 relay (swim leg)

May 12: Quad Cities Distance Classic half marathon

May 19: River City marathon (full #8!)

May 25: Tri for Kids' Sake (sprint tri)

June 1:  Tri Shark (sprint tri-turned-du)

I love racing...and it's been fun to have something "big" to look forward to each weekend. I now am breaking my streak this coming weekend, though. I think it's high time to stay home!  Clearly events like some of these aren't cheap..plus my brain (and maybe body!) could use some down time. 

My first two multi-sport events of the 2013 season have gone decently well. Somehow I managed to finish #3 overall female in the Tri for Kids' Sake. It was a small event...but a bit of a confidence builder nonetheless.  

I ended up deciding at the last possible moment to drive up to Morton, the small town where the race was being held approximately 35 minutes away from me, and signed up for the event just about 45 short minutes prior to the start. I really enjoy the big-name, thrilling events...but there is something very calming and inviting about smaller local races such as this one...nothing like being able to arrive less than an hour before the start and still have MORE than enough time to register and prep my things in transition!  I had run this race the previous year and remembered it as being well supported, fun, and having an uncomplicated course, so I was excited to give it another try.

The morning of the race was chilly, and I was slightly nervous. I had gone up alone, which is fine with me. Sometimes I really enjoy being solo. It calms me down. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy participating in events with my friends...but I also really appreciate some "me" time where I can do whatever odd pre-race rituals I want without fear of judgement ;-).

The swim start for the Morton event is a time-trial start. Registrants have to provide an estimated finish time for swimming 400 yards. Last year I had also signed up on somewhat of a whim and registered online just days before the race. Shortly prior to that race last year, I had registered for the Branson 70.3 event (maybe after a BIT of pressure from a friend ;-)).  The ONLY experiences in triathlon I had had prior to registering for Branson were an "indoor tri" in St. Louis in February of 2011 (completed simply for fun) and the great triathlon debacle of 2012...when I completed the Kansas City triathlon (sprint distance) in May of 2012 and H A T E D every minute (other than the run). However, having registered for Branson a mere 4 months prior to the event, I knew I needed to get serious with training. Enter the Morton Tri for Kids' Sake as my first real "training exercise" last season. 

Also...prior to registering for the Morton event last year I literally had not been in a pool (or lake or any body of water other than a bathtub) for approximately 6 months. So...I had NO idea of how to estimate my swim finish time for 400 yards. I think I estimated like 13 minutes. Ha!!! Looking back, I find this extremely funny. I ended up finishing in around 10 minutes (10:07.1).

The swim at this event takes place in a very nice outdoor lap pool. You jump in (one by one), swim down and back in one lane and then go under the rope...down and back the next lane...under the rope...etc...for a total of 8 lanes (400 total yards). 

Last year I probably could've even finished a bit faster than 10 minutes. The problem with estimating a slower time like I had is the lanes were already very congested by the time I got in the pool. People were fatiguing and popping up to grab breaks...some stopped in the middle of lanes and others grabbed onto the sides of the pool.  I actually had to swim/walk/run around many people.

This winter I've worked very hard on my swimming. I knew I was capable of finishing much faster than 10 minutes. However, when I asked the volunteers working the sign up table where I was to start in the line-up, they informed me that race-day registrants had to start at the end of the line. I kindly and what I hope still came across as humbly told them that my swim finish time would likely be quite faster than what those at the end of the line were. I KNEW from last year's experience that I did NOT want to get stuck at the end of the line. They ended up telling me to chat with the race director...who told me I could start around 30th. Sweet!  One volunteer did give me grief 3x as I stood in line (I was sporting number 119 on my body) with the athletes numbered in the 30's. I assured her the race director really did tell me what I was doing was ok but she did NOT believe me. 

I chatted with a few kind people in line as I waited...and soon enough it was my turn to run across the timing mat and jump in. I felt decent while swimming.....maybe not quite as strong as I swam in some workout sessions, but not bad overall. I finished the swim in 8:24.5 (1:42 faster than last year!). 

The bike and run went decently. It rained lightly off and on throughout the duration of the event. Additionally, it was pretty darn cold. When I got off the bike and started the run leg, my feet felt like blocks of ice. I truly could barely feel them for about a mile. At one point, shortly after leaving the transition area, I looked down at my feet to be sure I had put my shoes on...my feet just felt awful!!

My overall finish times weren't spectacular, but I was faster in all areas (except the first transition!  Ha!) than last year:

                2012                  2013

Swim       10:07.1           8:24.5 (2:06)

T1            1:29.2            1:53.6

Bike         45:18.2 (17.2)   43.48.5 (18.5)

T2            1:32.2             1:08.7

Run          26:32.4(8:34)   26:07.6 (8:25)

Total        1:24:59.1         1:21:22.9

WOW...check out my first transition (T1) this year!  It was almost TWO minutes!  Ha!  I know exactly why it took me so long...I made the mistake of planning to wear one of my favorite fitted black long-sleeved lululemon tops over my tri top when I got out of the water. It was COLD and I knew I'd want more coverage on the bike and run. Secondarily, I had forgotten my race belt at home (whoops!!). So, I pinned my race number to said top. After I got out of the water and was in the midst of transitioning to the bike, I had to FIGHT to get that dry tight top onto my cold, soaked body. The shirt was less than cooperative. Lesson learned:  they make triathlon-specific clothing for a reason. Perhaps a jacket with a zipper would've been a wiser choice as opposed to a tight, soft (though adorable ;-)) shirt. That said...the shirt really WAS comfy on the bike/run. Comfy enough to "cost" me ~1 minute in transition tacked onto my finish time?  Maybe not...oh we'll ;-). Live and learn!

Last year...I finished 3rd in my age group and earned a little trophy. This year...I finished 3rd overall female (and 1st out of 5 in my age group!). I was VERY surprised. Hooray for small events!! :-)

It was a fun, satisfying morning. 

(Dorky ol' me in my car with my award and look of dorky surprise before the drive home:-))

I texted my friend Jillian to tell her of my good fortune that morning...and she immediately called me back. "Do you remember what we were doing two years ago this same weekend?" she asked incredulously. I had to think for a few minutes before I realized it was exactly two years prior to this event that I had completed the horrid (for me!) Kansas City Triathlon with Jillian. After the race...I had even uttered the foolish words, "This was horrible. Triathlon just isn't for me."  I then sulked in the car until Jillian successfully navigated to a chipotle (at my request) that seemed to be an eternity away in driving distance. 

After that event...I had even, in anger and disgust, hung up my road bike in the garage and didn't ride it again for a good five months. Ha!!!!!  Ohhhh how time and an adjustment of attitude can change a person!

The weekend after the Morton event, I was registered to run in the Tri Shark Classic (sprint triathlon) near my home in central IL. Central IL experienced quite a lot of rain and subsequently quite a lot of flooding in the days leading up to the race. The morning before the race we received notice via e-mail that the triathlon had become a duathlon. The swim portion had been canceled, secondary to high levels of E. coli and other nastiness in the lake. Sick. 

While I understand the decision (duh!  Who can argue with E. coli?!), I was disappointed. I still don't LIKE swimming...but I really did work hard on improving my swimming skills this past winter and was (and still am) somewhat eager to see what I can do in a race.  I know there will be PLENTY of other opportunities for swimming this summer, though! 

I had a LOT of fun at the Tri Shark event. Since the event is local for me, I knew a large number of both participants and spectators. It's great to spend time before and after the event talking to people in the festive environment. My coach Laura came out to cheer on her Epic Endurance crew racing (her husband Dan, David, Steve and myself). Our friend Kelly was there and took some seriously amazing photos (the pictures to follow are all from her!)

(I'm not sure who or what I was smiling at here...I certainly look as if I was having fun!)

(I decided to blow Kelly/the camera some kisses....darn it, Rachel!  You likely cost yourself like a minute messing around! ;-))

(Me on the bike...taking things a bit more seriously here. I'm so grateful to Kelly for capturing these photos!)

I finished in 1:27:07.3, which earned me 5th place in my age group (F 30-34). I didn't believe some of my friends who were telling me that I'd get a trophy for 5th place....but I should've!  Because....

Here's my sweet trophy!!

Here are my times:

Run 1 (2 mi):  15:24.5

T1:  1:30.2

Bike (13 mi):  43:08.1

T2:  1:35.9

Run 2 (5k/3.1mi):  25:28.6

Steve, one of my awesome teammates, also earned a sweet Shark trophy for an impressive 3rd place finish in his age group!

(Way to go, Steve!)

The Epic Endurance crew! (Why am I hiding??)

I'm looking forward to my first Olympic tri of the season in a week!  I'm registered for the Rockford Triathlon (near my old stomping grounds!  I grew up in Winnebago, a small town outside of Rockford) on June 15. 

To be honest...I'm rather nervous...I haven't swam at ALL since the Morton event on May 25.  However, my running has been solid lately and my biking has been decent, for me. I'm hoping to go under 3 hours (I never quite got under 3 last season).  I need to really concentrate on my swimming form and confidence in the water...and I need to get serious about not wasting time in transitions/becoming more efficient. I need to get better about NOT being afraid to hurt a bit on the bike and being able to push my legs and body harder....and then really bring it home strong on the 10k run at the end (which is my area of relative strength).

I'm also excited about my fan club that will be present at the Rockford Triathlon...my good friends Jill and Brooke live near the race site and will be there, along with their sweet little ones Gia and Kaitlyn!  Can't wait!

Stay tuned!

What's in a name anyway?

Monday I began the arduous process of changing my name. While the divorce was finalized months ago...I hadn't taken the last steps required to legally change my name, for a variety of reasons (primarily to avoid the confusion by taking on a new name after the start of a school year...talk about mayhem for my students ;-)).

So far I've changed my name in 9 places and have approximately 18 more to go (until I remember another...which seems to keep happening).  For someone who hasn't had to go through this, know I definitely wouldn't wish it upon you.  It's quite the pain in the rear. Sure, sitting in government offices (lovely establishments including the DMV, Social Security Administration, circuit clerk) is time-consuming and irritating on many levels (though can provide some entertainment value as well).  However, the part of the whole thing that feels far worse than all of that is the emotional/mental piece. 

I'd been "Rachel Brunner" for 5 years, 8 months and 12 days. Rachel Brunner accomplished many things and experienced a lot in that time. First half marathon, first full marathon. First triathlon, first half Ironman. Trips to Mexico, California, Hawaii, Washington DC, Florida, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. And...I've seen countless clients for speech/language therapy through three different employers.  Stood up in my sister's and my brother's weddings. Held my niece at mere hours old. Becoming known by a new name is....awkward. Sad. Just plain weird. 

Changing my name requires a new driver's license, social security card, and credit cards. It requires changing my name on my bank accounts and at my doctors' offices, changing my name with my (three) employers, getting new work badges and email addresses, and learning to sign my name daily with a different last name. I've already caught my hand trying to revert back to its old motor pattern of signing my former married name a number of times this week. 

On my list of places to contact this week regarding my name change include the USAT and Ironman. Ironman?  Most definitely!!  You see...I've heard that they announce your name as you cross the finish of Ironman races.  Let me tell you what, if I cross that finish line after 140.6 miles of pain and perseverence and the announcer says, "Rachel Brunner...you are an Ironman!!!"...I will likely lose it. Here's hoping they change it without a fuss. We'll see.  If not...I might need earplugs. The sound of that name would likely induce vomiting at that point...or something. 

While it's definitely taking some adjusting to get used to my new-old name, it does feel good overall. Once again, I'm tied by name to my parents and brother/sister-in-law, four people who I love and respect, so that's one good thing I guess. 

A good friend texted me this picture today:

I could not agree more. Sometimes I feel guilty for my feelings of sadness over my current "state" and I know I've induced frustration in people close to me by the seemingly long "grieving" process I seem to be in the middle of (sometimes more or less than others!)!  The fact is, there are no rules for this...no time lines...and no "right" way of doing things or feeling. Recently I've finally started giving myself a bit of freedom to "feel" instead of keeping it all hidden and locked inside. Sometimes it presents a challenge as I feel decreased motivation to do anything, frankly. Sitting on the couch being sad feels easier than lacing up my shoes and pounding some pavement. Thankfully, my mind knows strongly the great feelings that come from training and racing...so I haven't let myself fall TOO far off the training wagon!

Next Saturday (June 15) I will be completing my first tri as Rachel Matyasse. It is an Olympic distance race in Rockford, IL and I am really looking forward to it. All things considered, I know I will be "ok".  I'm surrounded by a super network of friends and family who won't let me quit. 

I'm looking forward to becoming the best version of myself. In with the new (well, the old "new" anyway ;-)), out with the old. Here's to an epic summer!