Ready to go, 2022

Coffeeneuring finishers prize has arrived!

Chip and I kept slipping up over the weekend, referring to the new year as "2020", (like the last two years didn't happen), but I'm feeling good about 2022. Getting a fresh start on the new year, and in the process of cleaning out some clutter, I came across my training program from Coach Shayne from winter 2016. Chuckling at the memories of Shayne rolling his eyes over “cookie watts”, I opened it up to see if I should brush off the dust and add his workouts to my comeback strategy.

Dec 20: Find a flat course with little to no stops. Ride for 60 minutes at 7-8 RPE, or 80-85% max HR, or 60-70% FTP. Push into 9-10 RPE, or 90-98% max HR, or 100+ FTP for 1 minute every 10 minutes.

"Uhhhh... coach? What's my FTP again?" Hahaha... I made him nuts. 

Riding for 60 minutes at 80-85% max heart rate isn't happening right now, (honestly, I'd be lucky to eek out 30 minutes), so I'll likely subscribe to Zwift for winter workouts and go from there. Between that, hitting the track with Donna, and the weight training routine Will has programmed, I should be covered. I'm not committing to any races or events until after June. My girl gang may be back to racing, but I'm far from it.

I know baking and cooking and indiscriminate eating has put me into a bit of a hole, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Baking pretzels and treats for my family, reading 110 books in 2021, and staying mostly homebound was how I found contentment during an unsettled time. Two years ago, I was at my peak fitness... (sigh), Today? Well let's just say I've got my work cut out for me. I've done it before though, and can do it again.

Ready for 2020 2022!

Turkey Chase 5K

22 degrees is too cold for this

Post-run coffee and cool down-warm up

OMG it it took a lot of effort to head to Danvers at 7 a.m. for the Turkey Chase 5k in sub-freezing temps. It’s much too cold. While I should have been able to run the full 5K had I stuck to the original C25K training schedule I’m following,  I’m only now into week 5 (not 8) of my training plan. I’ve repeated a few weeks. It’s been a slow and steady rebuild since October.

The race went well — I followed my scheduled workout (8 min run, 5 min walk, repeat) for the first half+, and then ran with a friend of KHaff’s (Pam M.) for the second half. Pam was also doing run/walk intervals, 90/90, so that worked out well and I enjoyed her company.

Back at the finish, I met up with friends for some coffee and finish line festivities. Judy placed first in her age division and got a medal. Yay! Fun morning and I’m glad I got out of bed.

Irony is finding wild turkeys roaming near home after
 running the Turkey Chase 5K

Last Training Weekend

5 miles with Ingrid! Great pace and my fastest 5 mile run.

My final weekend of training before Alaska! My dearest friend Ingrid arrived from Hawaii on Thursday, planning to spend a few days with us before attending a conference in Boston. We’d been out of touch for a while, and missed a good chunk of life events during that time, but it was easy to pick up where we left off. Good friendships are like that — they last forever.

Fortunately for me, Ingrid is a pro in ultra-triathlon and racing events and helped me wrap up some final details of pre-race prep. She reviewed my gear and added some suggestions — I’m good to go. We ran five miles together on Friday followed by a 4 mile Lynn Woods hike in the afternoon — and then spent Saturday morning kayaking and attending an arts fest before I drove her into Boston. It was sad saying goodbye, but hopefully we’ll do better at keeping in touch.

I had a long run, 7-8 miles, on my training calendar for Sunday, and planned to meet the girls for a 4 mile run after getting in 3-4 miles beforehand. Unfortunately, a quarter mile into my run, I felt my calf tighten and pull. Ouch! It wasn’t the worst strain I’ve had but it was enough to cause some pain. I limped back to the parking lot, not willing to push it any further. We had a farewell party for Jaclyn at Notch Brewery after the run, and then I returned home to pack (and nurse my tight calf).

I’m all set, ready to go! Tomorrow is a long travel day — Boston to Chicago to San Francisco to Anchorage. Departing home at 6:30 am with Mike, (taking the T to the airport) and hopefully arriving in Anchorage before 9 pm Alaska-time. I don’t know what the math comes out to, but I’m thinking 14 or 15 hours? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Ready to go.

Windy day on the water

Alaska on the horizon

Long run done

“Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.” — Kara Goucher

Ascutney 2019

Purple Trillium on the mountain

We finally landed a sunny Saturday -- the first since March 16th, (I'm not kidding on the stat! It was reported by a newscaster) -- so Mike and I drove up to Ascutney to open up the cottage for the season. We had a great and productive day cleaning and sorting and sprucing up. My cousin Rich and his wife Becky also came up for the afternoon and Rich installed the water. Mike managed to attract 2 ticks within an hour of each other -- or perhaps he got them at the same time. Hard to know. He's now being called a "tick magnet", which amuses my pun-happy husband in crazy way. Lol.

The wet, rainy Spring brought more than ticks -- it brought mud. The road through the lower pasture that leads to the cottage was pretty dicey to drive through, and we risked getting the car stuck each time we passed through it, so when Mike and I woke up to a gray and damp day on Sunday, we closed up the cottage for the weekend rather than return after breakfast. We then headed out to the Windsor Diner and went straight to the main mountain entrance for a hike afterwards.

Arriving at the main gate at Ascutney State Park, we discovered the main access road was closed to cars, (until Memorial Day weekend), so we parked off the road and climbed under the gate to head to the Futures Trail.

For some reason, looking at the sign, neither one of us noted that the Futures Trail was TO THE LEFT. We both went straight. Lol. We hiked for an hour up the mountain, not really on a trail but seeing imaginary trails through the woods, following haphazard lines for a mile before calling it a day and turning back. In all, it was only two miles roundtrip and not exactly what I needed for training, but it was fun. A great day for a hike.

Next time, we'll take the actual trail.

The Futures Trail. GO LEFT.

The sounds of the stream lead us back

Alaska Bound

February 20th, sunrise after the storm

I made a plane reservation last week for a summer adventure in Alaska. In October, I committed to joining my friend Julia’s support team for the Alaskaman Extreme Tri in Seward at the end of June. The race entails a 2.6 mile swim in frigid Resurrection Bay, a 112 mile bike leg along the Seward Highway to Girdwood, and a 27.5 mile run that includes climbing Mt. Alyeska twice. Kinda insane. Julia competed in Challenge Roth last year in Germany, while a mutual acquaintance, Christina, took on Alaskaman that same month, so it makes perfect sense (to me) that Alaskaman would come next on Julia’s bucket list. These girls go hard!

Christina’s husband, Schreck, who Julia and I rode with during the EOD Undefeated Ride several years ago, also planned to race Alaskaman this year. With Julia’s husband Jim onboard, it was shaping up to be an EOD reunion! (Minus Tim Brown, but plus Christina, who was deployed at the time of our ride. Go, Navy.)

Together again? Me, Schreck, Julia and Jim, (with Tim Brown, front)
EOD Undefeated for the EOD Warrior Foundation

Despite the many Ironmans and triathlons my friends have competed in, I’ve never had an interest in doing the same. I’d much rather be on the sidelines giving aid and support where I can. Different from most triathlons, Alaskaman requires athletes to have a 1-3 person support team during the race. I planned to join Jim, and their son Elye, as part of Julia’s support team — assisting with transitions and driving the support vehicle along the route. (Much like I did during the Race Across America). Jim planned to run the final ten miles of the ultra marathon alongside Julia, as each participant must have a run partner on Mt Alyeska. Christina planned to be Schreck’s support runner for his final 10.

And then plans began to unravel. Jim and Elye will not be traveling to Alaska with Julia, after all, so I am now her only support. (Hopefully she’ll find a runner in Seward for the final ten miles. She is reaching out to triathlon and running groups based in Alaska. Meanwhile, I’m working on a training plan to be her backup runner.) Next, Schreck tore his ACL while skiing and is going to require surgery, so he and Christina are out as well. (Both will now race Alohaman in Hawaii, another X-Tri produced by the same company, at the end of the year.)

I’ve gone ahead and booked a one way flight to Anchorage. It’s possible that Julia will have to bail on the race, and I understand if she does, but I still want to move forward as if it’s a “go”. I had planned to spend the week before the race exploring the Kenai Peninsula with my mountain bike, doing some day hikes, and seeing the fjords and glaciers. The excitement of seeing Alaska is what’s getting me through the long gray days of winter.

February has always been a tough training month, but I do have a plan underway. There are four months to go before race day — I know it will go fast.

Running, Part 2

Just doing it.

Well, there really isn't a Part 1 -- It's just that I've tried to do this running thing before and couldn't get into a routine. (It was winter, the weather was cold, and I just didn't love it.) Part 2 means I'm making another GO at it.

Many of my dearest friends, (and of course my husband, Mike), are runners -- and all have encouraged me to join them at one time or another for various workouts and events. (Thanks Ingrid, Alison, Cate, Lila, Jennifer, Amy R., Nikki, Amy S, Kristen, Lisa...) I've always taken a pass, relegating myself to the sidelines, but recently have had a desire to give it another shot.

I started running May 1st as a week of rain settled in. I wasn't itching to get out on my bike anyway so it was a good time to start. Tomorrow wraps up Week 2, and I've been getting out consistently with encouragement from the fam. Chip has even joined me for a few runs, (of course). #partnerincrime

Rainy day. Chip slows down his pace to run with me.

Setting goals, switching things up, and 30 DAYS OF BIKING

Farewell March and winter.... hello April!

I am soooo excited for what's ahead this Spring/Summer/Fall...

I took a loooong necessary break from training after getting back from 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, and the time off the bike helped me set some objectives for the year and re-evaluate my approach towards meeting my goals. In some respects I'm taking a few steps backwards -- returning to what has worked for me in the past and letting go of what no longer does.

I'm back with trainers Christine Hopkins and Keli Howe -- the dynamic duo for muscle conditioning and cardio fitness. Christine and Keli hold me accountable when I start to slack off, motivate me when I need a boost, and care about my successes and failures. (I've missed that!) I'm looking forward to new workouts with both of them... (although I'm not looking forward to the pain).

I'm also excited for the rides I have planned this summer, including

• Harpoon Point to Point with Chip, Rich, and some of the girls
• Farm to Fork Fondo in Maine (with Alison)
• EOD Ride in California (although, that's a soft commitment. Still TBD)
• Krempels King of the Road Challenge
• and several MTB adventures. (Really, it's the mountain biking I'm most excited about!)

First up, though, is 30 Days of Biking... the annual challenge to ride your bike every day in April, rain or shine, near or far, wherever the inspiration takes you. I'm starting the challenge with a week of dismal, wet, cold weather predicted here in New England, but eh, that's how April often goes. I'll still get it done. It's year three for me... I've got this.

This year's 30 Days of Biking challenge raises awareness and funds for the advocacy organization World Bicycle Relief. For every 2 riders pledged, $1 is donated to the cause -- a pretty cool deal.

Hooray for SPRING!

Three Week Countdown to 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo

We are three weeks away from the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo kick off. OMG... I'm not yet ready! I had mini panic attacks of self doubt last week, convinced that I wouldn't be able to manage all of it, but I've had some time to regroup and get my mojo back. (Until a week ago, I hadn't even made flight arrangements or confirmed accommodations, and seriously considered bowing out.)

I shook off those doubts and got my head back in the game. Yes, it's going to be a challenge, but I knew that going into it, and I have been putting in the training time. No backing out now.

Flight arrangements are now made and I'm no longer homeless. I've made some calls to a bike shop in Tucson and will arrange to ship my bike out to them through one of the race sponsors, BikeFlights.

I'm somewhat concerned with my limited time on the new mountain bike due to it's untimely arrival -- and geeeez it's been soooooo cold lately and my rides have been short. But I'll be o.k. I'm getting my workouts done, (running, riding, and yoga), paying close attention to my nutrition, and will do the best I can. I've got this.

Adventures with Chip, MTB

I had to buy him a burrito at Qdoba today, as incentive to drive to Bradley Palmer State Park for some mountain biking with me, but it was worth it. Chip and I had a great afternoon riding trails, getting a little lost, trying to avoid the areas where hunting is allowed... because being mistaken for a deer would be a bad. About halfway through our ride, Chip asked, "How many miles have we gone?" Ha. I was afraid to tell him I forgot to press the start button on the Garmin. "Ummmm... two?"

"That's not right", he replied. Funny how he instinctually knows how far we've gone, and yet still asks me how far we've ridden. Every time. On every ride.

"You didn't start the Garmin, did you." (More of a statement than a question.)

"Ummmm... no?" (He rolls his eyes, shakes his head, and rides off. I then start the Garmin.)

He was in a crabby mood for a short while after that, and later tried to convince me that he was just in a bad mood because he was thinking about school and his annoying math teacher... but really, he was mad at me because I didn't start the Garmin. I didn't have the numbers right. Sigh.

No Garmin, No Rules!

It was a great day for a great ride, though, and always fun to adventure with Chippy, my partner-in-crime. I'm crossing my fingers the new Kona 29er arrives this week. This amazing weather isn't going to last forever!

Tri Inside the Y, Week One

Running... well, it's still not my favorite thing to do but I'm doing it. 4.5 miles done this week, (Thursday and Saturday) but I'm going to need to pick up an extra day of running if I'm going to complete this tri.

And OMG, I haven't even started rowing yet. That's going to be tough.

Week 2 will be better.

(Cycling, of course, is no problem.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

We've had spectacular weather this Thanksgiving holiday week with temperatures in the sixties. After P2 on Wednesday, I brought my road bike home, planning to get in a short ride on Thanksgiving morning before Will's football game at ten. (Unfortunately, the Big Blue suffered a crushing loss to Marblehead... and I'm not even going to mention the score.)

It was nice to get in a ride, (even if it was just ten miles), before joining the family for Thanksgiving dinner. Since I got in a short workout early in the day, I didn't feel guilty having a small piece of lemon pie and chocolate cake for dessert. (Cake, because it's niece Hannah's birthday, and how could I not celebrate that?) 

I'm in training, though, with 15 pounds to drop. Another short ride on Friday out to Winter Island and the Willows hopefully took care of my cake indescretion.

Love this mild weather. Sure wish it would continue. Happy Thanksgiving!

SpiderOne Racing Monday NIght Ride

Fun times, quick ride with the S1R tonight

Late Summer Update

The summer is cruising along, and while I'm greatly enjoying my adventure rides with Chip, I must admit I miss the discipline of having a training plan in place. This is the first summer in 13 years that I haven't had an event to train for. It's been refreshing, but also a little empty.

My shoulder is doing ok. I have almost full range of motion now, although there are a few spots where my shoulder starts to get tight. I still have some tenderness, (it feels like a constant bruise -- perhaps from the labral tear?), and I still have tendonitis going on, but the crazy pain from the supraspinitus tear is gone.

No surgery and NO MORE PT. Have I mentioned how much I hated my physical therapist? She was awful.

Despite strenghening exercises for my rotator cuff, I find myself weak, weak, weak. I often have to ask one of the boys to open a jar of spaghetti, or carry something heavy, which is annoying. I also find that after a long ride, my shoulders and neck are sore. It's going to take some time to get my strength back.

But, I have a few ride commitments on the calendar --  The Harpoon Point to Point with Chip, (and possibly Rich and Pete), is coming up. The 25 miler up Back Mountain Road, including the Brownsville-Hartland climb, is more than enough for me right now. I'm sure Chip will crush me on the climb, but will burn his brakes on the other side during the descent, so I'll catch him there.

I'm also planning to ride the Krempels King of the Road Challenge with a few of the girls -- Alison, Cate and Kristen -- in October. Brrrrr.... it's going to be chilly in New Hampshire at that time of year!

Before KKotRC, there's still an option to ride for the EOD Warrior Foundation. The UNDEFEATED EOD RIDE is ON this year, and while I would love, love, love to honor Kevin, and join Julia, Christina, Schreck and Tim for another ride in California, there's just no way I can pull off the training between now and then. (Although I understand Schreck just dusted off his bike. Hmmmmm.) Still, while I won't be ready to ride a hardcore 200, I can definitely commit to doing some fundraising for the EODWF and possibly ride a 100 mile virtual ride here at home while the posse is riding in SoCal. (Awwwww, sad. I miss them already!)

Summer training kicking in

Hot, hot, hot!! We are loving the steamy weather, perfect for beach walks and late afternoon rides. Temps on Monday hit the 90s, but that didn't slow Chip down at all -- he talked me into a hill workout out on the neck after registering to ride the Harpoon Point to Point together!!! Chip does well on the hills, (stronger than me!), but has some trepidation on the downhill. So, we headed over to the neck to do some hills, but caught sight of a few Spiders after our first hill repeat, so hopped in line to join them for a loop of the neck, too. Fun!!!

Love the summer.

Monday NIght Ride

The Monday night group rides out of B&S started tonight. It was a fun ride, though I did have some trouble with left-hand signals, (left turn, slowing, stopping...). I should probably ride at the back next time. We headed out in an easy pace from Salem to Devereaux Beach, and then rode a loop of Marblehead neck together -- with me pulling off a little early to head back to Swampscott in time to grab Chip from lacrosse at 7. Good to see some folks riding!

Vacaaaation

2014 is coming to a close much differently than my previous two years -- In 2012 and 2013, I was frantically finishing out the Tri Inside the Y, which I didn't participate in this year. (I'll be back on it next year, though. I missed it!) My final days of 2014 have been quiet ones.

My best bro, Pete, has loaned me a mountain bike for the winter. OMG it has a rusty chain. Shayne would freak to see it, but with some work, it'll be good to have on icy, snowy roads this winter. I'm excited for more off-road adventures. I took it for a ride yesterday and it's a little rough, but it'll work for a few months. 

I'm heading out today in 37 degree temps (on the Lexa) to get in a "post-Christmas-excess" ride. Fat season is officially over for me -- it's time to get back on track. Ingrid has partnered with me on a Whole 30 Challenge beginning January 1 -- (Houston doesn't seem so far when you're chatting by text every day) -- and I'm excited for that. I'm rereading It Starts with Food to refresh myself. I've forgotten soooo much!

Very happy to be starting a new chapter in January... Time to get back on the bike and ride.

Indoor Training

Well, this should make some of my winter training a little easier -- or at least help me get my P2 homework done on rainy days. (Thanks, VKVIP Ashley Fischer for the trainer advice!) 

Now I just need Caro and Rebecca to come back and make it a party.

Day 30: 30 Days of Biking, P2

We had a long week of cold, wet weather and my final day of 30 Days of Biking fell on the same day the Fall session of P2, (the training program Shayne runs at B&S Fitness), begins. I considered heading out in the rain for a quick ride, but knew I had some testing to do at P2, so decided my 30th ride of September would be that hour+ time spent on the trainer.

OK... so P2 is never fun... (ouch)... but I had a sweet surprise as I was wheeling my bike to the back of the fitness facilities. I noticed my bar tape was new!! The dirty white loose bar tape I've had all summer was brilliant black, tight and so pro. OMG!! And, as I set my bike up on the trainer, I noticed my bike was shiny!! AND MY CHAIN AND CASSETTE were CLEAN!!!

Wow. Thank you, Zane Free!! My bike felt ahhh-maaaa-zing and it was such a lovely, sweet gesture for you to take care of it like that. I was totally surprised.

(I later learned that Zane, (who is the mechanic on the VKCX team staying with us),  also fixed a bent derraileur hanger and replaced my worn brake pads. He's such a sweetheart!!!)

So, despite a week of grayness that put me in a crappy mood, Zane's thoughtfulness just warmed my heart, and I had fun at P2. (If you can ever call it "fun".) There is a terrific new coach running the Thursday night program -- Jen McCarthy -- who I think is fabulous, and I'm kinda-sorta looking forward to a fresh start. P2 is on!

Wet and Cool Weekend

Our weather over the weekend was on the cool side, with a light rain on Saturday. Being fair-weather riders, I had a feeling that I'd be the only Cyclopath on the breakfast ride, so I headed out a little later in the drizzle and took a quick spin over to Winter Island. It's PMC weekend, and I couldn't help but think of Sam and all of our PMC rides together. I miss him.

Sunday's ride was slow -- I really didn't have much energy -- but it was a nice ride up through Ipswich and a good way to end the week. We have houseguests this week, (arriving in two hours), and I'm hoping I'll be able to stick with my training plan despite the added chaos, (it might be difficult) -- and it's also my birthday on Wednesday. Happy birthday to me! Hahaha...