Pre-Race Thoughts

Test Lab Thursday is taking a back seat today to make room for my pre-race thoughts.  Barb’s race is just around the corner...in fact, as this post is published I'm on my way down to Cali!  The last couple of weeks have been JAMMED with moving, work and taper training.  Here are some of my thoughts going into race weekend...

Thank You’s

I owe BIG thank you’s to:

 -My wonderful husband Mr. Pi for supporting me and being so flexible with our social schedule.  I would not have made it through training without your love and support honey!  Thank you too for putting up with my going to bed ridiculously early and getting up ridiculously early.

-Jen for being my sounding board on all things tri related and for doing so many training rides (and runs) with me.  And for being such an awesome and positive influence!  Zach needs a shout out here too, thanks for being our lead rider around town, it’s been great to have you guys to learn from!

-Amy for being my swim (and run before we both got injured) buddy.  Klineline isn’t the same alone!  Also, thanks for listening to me…sometimes I know it’s not always pleasant.

-All my other Portland friends, thanks for being so understanding and for always giving me so much encouragement.

-Family, you guys are the best and are always there when I need you.  So excited that you’re going to be at the race.  Kristen H, you fall into the family category for me—thanks for always being up for training when I’ve been down in your area, it’s nice to have someone to train with when I go to another state!  Next time we hang out, let’s do pedicures =).

-Fellow bloggers, I’ve learned from so many of you and I appreciate all the advice and encouragement you’ve given me through your comments and emails.

Training

-Tri training is hard, time consuming and tiring.  I have been in some type of training (whether base training or real training) since January.  Almost every weekend since January has included both riding and running making the weekends quite busy.

-Lots of life stuff happened during this training cycle---the biggest and most life changing is our new HOUSE!

Since January, when base training began:

- I rode over 1200 miles on my bike including 5 rides 50 miles or farther—I did my two longest rides AFTER my crash.  Despite the fall, I have learned to really enjoying cycling and it’s something I plan to keep doing after this tri is over.  (I also did 16+ hours of spin class.)

-I still love to swim, which I was slightly concerned about going into this, I was hoping it wouldn’t be a chore.  I swam 70 miles!

-As for running, well, I miss it.  Before the accident I was definitely hitting runner burn out but the time away has made me realize that I miss it.  Running is always going to be difficult for me and that’s one of things I love (and hate) about it.  My run stat is not even close to where it should be but since January I've run about 400 miles.

The Race

I had all sorts of time goals prior to my crash but now my number 1 goal is to finish with a smile.  I know this is going to be a LONG and tough day for me (and it would have been even if I hadn’t crashed).  My training cycle certainly didn’t go as I planned but I still feel as ready as I will ever fell for a race this big. 

A lot of this race for me is going to be about mental strength—not giving up and also being so very proud of myself for training as hard as I have trained.


Training Photos


I've had a LOT of really fun and rewarding training moments, I've also had a couple of moments I'd rather forget about.  Here are a couple pictures to re-cap the last 6ish months:

Group runs with friends

Muddy runs before the crash

5 week old alien water balloon that had made it through many long rides!

1.2 mi open water swim with Kristen

Traveling and still getting in good training while spending time with my bestie

Long weekend with the hubs and a fun and scenic training ride

Spectating for Mr. Pi

All the rides with my awesome riding partners Jen and Zach

Rides, Runs, Swims, Emails and gabfests with Jen!

I have so many awesome memories from this training cycle--I am so lucky to have so many supportive people in my life.  Thanks everyone, I will be thinking about all of you on race day.

Weekend in Pictures

Friday--awesome birthday lunch with friends!

Friday night...birthday cake in the new HOUSE with the in-laws:

Zoey didn't know where to lay down since it's hard wood and we hadn't moved furniture in yet so she went to her crate

Saturday...we moved...

me directing where they should put the couch surrounded by awesome friends and family that helped us!

kitchen organizing

unloading the first part of the couch

Mr. Pi watching and directing too

Mr. Pi trimming the front tree---it's ugly we think it needs to go

Zoey loving her new back yard.  PS Yes those are ripe blueberries on the left and grapes to the right---mmmm!

Test Lab Thursday ---Ryder Eyewear

It’s Test Lab Thursday again. This time I’ll be reviewing Ryder Sunglasses!

Outside PR was nice enough to offer me a couple pairs of Ryder sunglasses to test out, one pair is what they call “chill” or more fashion-y and the other is “performance” or meant for sports.


Performance Glasses “Essential HEX”


My rating: A++

Fit: These sunglasses have got to be the lightest glasses I’ve ever worn. Often times I would forget I even had them on! I sometimes have issues with sunglasses being too tight around the ears and giving me headaches—definitely NOT with these.


Wear: I mostly wore them while riding since I haven’t been doing a lot of running lately with the alien water balloon and all. They were perfect for riding. I don’t know how I rode so long without sunglasses. Even on the days it wasn’t super sunny, these were perfect for blocking the dust, wind, bugs, etc.

During the Pedal Petal ride with Jen--it wasn't super sunny but the shades not only matched my outfit but they kept the bugs and wind out of my eyes.

Color/Shading: First off, the frames are pink so can’t go wrong in my book with that! They do come in other colors for those not interested in pink sunglasses. The shade of the glasses is also about perfect. They are dark enough to remove glare from the road, etc without being too dark. Since I live in a climate that rarely has days where there aren’t any clouds, these have been great. They work when the sun is shining brightly and also when the clouds roll in.


Durability: Since I’ve only had my Ryders for a month or so, I can’t speak to their long term durability BUT so far no problems. I have shoved them in a few different bags and I did take them across the country and back without any scratches or dings. I do keep them in their soft shell protective case when I’m not wearing them but have dropped them accidentally and they survived without a scratch.


Price: For performance glasses these are pretty reasonable, they retail for $39.99. Most of the comparables I saw online were upwards of $50+. In high school, during my lifeguarding days, I had Oakley’s that were $100+ and while I did like those glasses, I do remember getting headaches from them pinching behind my ears.


Overall: A++ Cute & Comfortable!


Chill Classes “essential Chill HALO”


My rating: B+

Fit: While I wouldn’t say these are super heavy glasses but I have definitely had lighter ones. Unfortunately, after about an hour or so of wear I did start to get a temple headache, which is a bummer since I did really like these glasses.


Wear: I mostly wore them outside walking around and in the car. They stayed put and when I went inside they were great at holding my hair back out of my face.


Color/Shading: The frames are brown which I really liked but they come in a couple of other colors too. The shade of the lenses was also spot on, not too dark and not too light. They too, work when the sun is shining brightly and also when the clouds roll in.


Durability: Since I’ve only had my Ryders for a month or so, I can’t speak to their long term durability BUT so far no problems. They haven’t been scratched and they don’t look worn at all. I took these across the country and shoved them in my luggage without any problems.

Here are my shades all the way in Boston, MA.  They are helping to keep me squint free unlike my poor hubby Mr. Pi.

Price: For fashion glasses these are on par with ones I’ve bought in the past, they retail for $39.99. They certainly aren’t Coach or Versace but they are nice and at that price you don’t have to worry about losing them!


Overall: B+  They probably would have gotten an A if they hadn’t bothered my ears.

Confidence

I am slowly getting my race confidence back.  It helps that my leg is starting to cooperate and that I have the most awesome, supportive friends/family ever!

This past week was a bit of turning point for me.  I was able to run 3 times this week with minimal pain.  I did a 5 miler on Wednesday evening which was painful but felt really good at the end.  I also did a brick run on Saturday (more on this) of 4 miles that was super hard but also felt great at the end.  And, a hilly 6 miler on Sunday that was just great!

I did 3 rides, 3 runs and 3 swims this week—much closer to the level that I should be at this point in training.  Still not ideal but better!

The two BIG highlights for the week: 1) Thursday evening with Jen and Zach.  It was a new ride for me and it was great---hard but great.  I should have known it was going to be hard given that it was called the Terwilliger loop.  It felt great to tackle the hills with confidence.  Both Jen and Zach said they thought my riding has improved—yay! 2) The Inaugural Coach Jen Hagg Lake Tri!  Jen organized a simulation tri for me and it was awesome!

Instead of boring everyone with all the details of the week I’m really just going to recap the Tri.

I picked Jen up in the morning and we headed out west to hilly hagg lake.  I’ve ridden out there a couple of times and I did that 1.2 mile OWS back in May there as well.  I had planned to do the Olympic distance race out there a few weeks ago but since I still wasn’t able to run I decided it wasn’t worth the money.  Instead I had Jen organize my very own race!

The plan was to do about 20 minutes swimming which is approx 1000-1200 yards for me.  Then bike 3 or 4 times around the lake (not totally race pace but pushing hard and minimal stops).  Then do a 4-6 mile run depending on my leg.

I set up my T1 spot on the grass and my T2 in the front seat of the car.  Jen was going to lock up the bikes after the ride but I was suppose to rack it on the bike rack, just like I’d have to do in a race.

The “race:”

Setting up T1

Swim: Jen did a countdown and I was off and swimming.  I kept the pace nice and easy and just did lengthwise laps so I could still see the beach area.  Jen was going to start waving her arms when it was time for me to head back to the beach and up to T1.  I worked on staying relaxed and sighting.  I practiced going around buoys, even though there weren't any actual buoys in the water.  When I saw Jen wave her arms I rounded my last “buoy” and hit the gas back to the beach.  I exited the water and started pulling off my wetsuit.

T1:  I quickly padded off my feet and got my bike shoes, helmet, gloves, glasses and camelbak on.  I took a gu wadded up my stuff, shoved it in a bag and threw it in the car.  I grabbed my bike and headed to the “mount line.”  Once I was mounted, I was off and riding.  Jen estimates about 3 minutes 20 seconds.

Bike:  Hagg lake is constant hills there are no flat stretches except across the dam which usually comes with a headwind.  All I wanted to do was practice riding strong, taking my nutrition and focus on staying mentally positive.  56 miles is going to be a long way.  I road the first 2 laps (about 21 miles) without any stops.  This doesn’t sound like much given I can ride easily that far without stopping but at Hagg, in times past, I would have stopped at the top of most of the climbs for a breather.  Instead I pushed through.  At the end of lap 2 I stopped for 1 minute 30 sec break to adjust my shorts and seat and grab some more food.  I rode the last loop as strong as I possibly could and learned that my fear of going fast downhill can be somewhat curbed by keeping my feet moving.  New max speed 34 MPH was hit sometime during the ride—hooray for free speed.  I road into the parking lot and dismounted at the mount line and went to the car for T2. (Nutrition: about 40 ounces of water drank, ¾ cliff bar + 1 Gu during T1) Mileage: 31.8 miles

T2: I changed shoes, slapped on my water belt, grabbed Garmin and my visor.  I decided to use the time to also make a bathroom break since it’s quite possible I will need to during the race.  Jen estimates about 5 minutes and change.

Run:  The run was hard, I won’t lie.  My legs were tired, my water balloon wasn’t happy and I’m out of running shape.  But I persevered through 4 hilly, tiring miles and made it back to the “finish line.”  I was greeted with a big sweaty hug from Jen and some handpicked flowers for my medal---awww! Oh and the best part---gourmet picnic food courtesy of Zach!

Total time: 3 hours 56ish minutes (I estimated that would have been about the same amount of time it would have taken for an Olympic tri.  This was 2 run miles short but 8ish miles long on the bike.  This was a super confidence building experience.  It was also eye opening how hard the run is going to be.  I know I can finish but I am going to have to stay mentally strong and really push through on the run.

This week I have a TON going on, we sign papers on our house, we move in on Saturday and my birthday is Friday.  I’m still planning rides, runs and swims.  I’m tapering down the biking distance, keeping swimming about the same since it doesn’t really tire me out and actually trying to up my “long” run a couple of miles.  I can’t believe race day is almost here.  I am both excited and scared and everything in between!!!

Test Lab Thursday--Cheribundi

I was planning to do Test Lab Tuesday but I didn't write this review in time and I also realized that fellow blogger, Tall Mom, already does a test lab on tuesday's--SO, it's going to be Test Lab Thursday's over here, not quite the same ring but it'll do. 

Over the past couple of months I've been fortunate enough to try some amazing products.  Given my injury, having something fun to try out made the workouts I could do all the more enjoyable.  I'm going to start Test Lab Thursday with Cheribundi.

What Cheribundi says?



"Our proprietary juicing process, which was developed with Cornell University, bottles all of the good nutrients of tart cherries rather than boil them away. The phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals in cheribundi™ will keep you feeling great and living life to the fullest.


Navigate your way to becoming a cheri-ologist below and learn what makes cherries and cheribundi™ something you should be drinking every day.


Sometimes it takes regular people to stumble upon a really good thing. That's how cheribundi™ was created: snacking on Montmorency tart cherries eased a regular person's back pain. This anecdotal cure was researched by food scientists at Cornell University who not only uncovered the benefits of tart cherries, but also developed a proprietary juicing process so all the cherry-goodness and nutrients could be delivered in a great tasting juice.


Whether you're trying to stay active and healthy or win a triathlon, this juice made from America's Superfruit™ will give you benefits exclusive to the round little fruit. Drink daily any one of our three varieties (Tru Cherry™, Skinny Cherry™ or Whey Cherry™) and you'll find yourself living life to the fullest, feeling on top of your game and giggling at our funny name - every day." (taken from their website)

What I tried?



I tried the TruCherry, Skinny Cherry and the Whey Cherry.


My thoughts:


TruCherry—Big thumbs up from me. Both Mr. Pi and I tried this juice after hard workouts. Mr. Pi after a hard run and me after a long trainer ride session. It was tart but not too tart. I can’t say if it sped our recovery or not but it was a satisfying tasty snack post-workout.  I was worried that the tartness after a hard workout might be too acidic but it was the perfect balance of tart and sweet.  YUM!


Skinny Cherry—I tried this at work for an afternoon snack. Sometimes “light” versions can taste off but I actually wished I’d done a side-by-side comparison of the Tru and Skinny versions to see if I could tell a difference.  The Skinny version is sweetened with Stevia, an all natural sugar subsitute.  Having an all natural sweetener gave a naturally sweet taste instead of weird after taste sweet.  Unrelated to Cheribundi I've been doing a lot of reading on food science and the food industry and I'm definitely checking products a lot more closely for weird additives and fake stuff.  Cheribundi gets an extra thumbs up from me for their commitment to sustainability and not using corn syrup in their products. 


Whey Cherry—Sadly, this is where my thumbs up become a thumbs down. I really liked the idea of a protein cherry drink but I did not care for this at all. After I finished the bottle, I did come up with some good alternative uses that I would try in the future:


1) Use in a smoothie. I bet I wouldn’t have been able to taste the not so pleasant after taste if I had used this product in a smoothie instead of drinking it straight.


2) Combine with sparkling water for a faux Italian soda.


3) Use in a sauce/salad dressing.


A few weeks after trying Cheribundi I read about a medical study about tart cherry juice and how it reduces pain and inflammation after running. Read the story here.


I would certainly buy Cheribundi if I could find it at the store sadly, there isn't a retailer within 250 miles of Portland.


Thanks Cheribundi!

The life of the Pi’s

Training has been going along okay since coming back from my vacation. Unfortunately, I came down with a nasty cold that hasn’t really been getting much better-LAME! No one should be sick in the summer (right T?)!



Last week was decent training-wise, given the water balloon and cold.  I actually ran 5 whole miles! The Pi weekend however, was EPIC!

Mr. Pi had a 25 mile run on his schedule. He is prepping for his Ultramarathon (which is the day after Barb’s Race in the bay area). He wanted to get in a long run on the trails, since the Ultra is on trails. That morning, bright and early, I packed a cooler worth of supplies for his “aid” stations and we headed off to his “starting line.” We had worked it out that I would meet him on the trail every 7-8ish miles. I would park the car and walk to the trail intersection.

The Trail--it's 30 miles total and Mr. Pi said he kinda wished he'd done the whole 30 miles (Amy did the whole trail over a few months last year--I'd love to make that a goal for next summer):

Here he is at the start line:

Syncing our watches:

After dropping him off I headed to the first aid station, mile 7.5ish. Once I parked, I grabbed the dog and my small backpack filled with aid station goodies and headed down the trail.  The first check point was about .5 miles from the car. I got there with plenty of time to spare so Zoey and I took off down the trail to explore a bit. I made sure to get back to the meeting spot in plenty of time so I wouldn’t miss Mr. Pi.


Aid Station #1 Looking Strong:

Zoey and I hiked back up to the car and ventured to meeting spot number 2. Again, we got there with plenty of time so we went exploring. Being on the trails made me think that after my race is over and when my running is back up to normal, I’d like to try out trail running.


Aid Station #2:

The routine continued, Zoey and I would park and hike down to the trail meeting spot and await Mr. Pi. I tried to have as fully stocked an aid station as I could carry—Gatorade refills, ice water, GU, apples, PB&J and Cliff Bars.


Aid Station #3:

Once Zoey and I left aid station #3 I started to think about my own ride that was ahead. I wolfed down some PB&J and chugged a bit of Gatorade before meeting up with Mr. Pi for a very blurry but awesome finish line photo!

I am so very proud of my runner husband. He is so dedicated to his training and has really excelled in every race he has run. I’m excited to see him finish strong at his ultra on August 1!


To finish out our EPIC Saturday adventure, Mr. Pi dropped me off on Sauvie Island and I started my 50 mile, heat training ride. It wasn’t too hot but definitely pretty warm, about 85-90ish. After 31 miles I had run out of fluid so I had to stop at a little convenience store (aka drunk teenager central) for more water and Gatorade. After filling up my bottles, I met my friend P in the parking lot and we headed out for the last 19 miles. He was great! I honestly probably would have quit if he hadn’t been there to push me through the ride. It’s amazing to me that 50 miles doesn’t seem all that far anymore. Don’t get me wrong it’s still hard work but it has definitely gotten easier.


Epic Saturday = 75 miles for the Pi family!

4 weeks to go

It’s 4 weeks til Barb’s race and my training calendar calls for a final push. I’m going to do my best and enjoy the training I can do.



For those that haven't seen it via FB, I posted a fun pic of my leg from last week at the bottom of the post.  Yes, 5 weeks later and it's still an alien water balloon!  I did run almost a mile on vacation. It was painful for the first minute or so but it made me pretty sure I’ll be able to run/walk the half marathon at Barb’s.


Vacation was great! I didn’t get in as much training as I wanted since I wasn’t able to run like I thought I’d be able to but I did rent a bike and get in some hilly miles. 


Training update. I debated if I wanted to post training stats or not since they really aren’t where they are supposed to be but I decided I should be proud of what I have done and post them anyway!

Training--June 23rd – July 4th

Wednesday: AM spin with Junk Miles


Travel day to Boston + Pi anniversary day.


Thursday: Walking around Boston—literally like 5 miles


Friday: More walking around Boston—5-6 miles


Saturday: Rest/travel day up to Maine


Sunday: 30 mile ride in Maine


Really 22 mile ride alone and then I rode alongside Mr. Pi for the last 6 miles of his long run.


Monday: 2000 yard swim + 15 minutes of treading water


This was the first swim I’ve done where I felt NO pain in my leg! I was even able to use the kick board.


Tuesday: 6.5 hours of Golfing


Not really tri-related training but let’s just saw it was as exhausting as running a marathon! I have so much more respect for golfers now.


Wednesday: 30 mile ride from Maine to New Hampshire (2 hours 10 minutes/13.8 AVG) + 30 minute walk after dinner through the hills around the rental house


Nothing beats crossing a state line by bike. It was awesome and super hilly but totally worth it.


Thursday: Mini tri


1500 yard-ish/28 minute swim in a pond—they have a tri there in August so I’m guessing my distance.


12.5 mile/ 50 minute ride (15.0 MPH). I would have gone farther but I was getting tired and the clouds were rolling in and as you all are aware I’m super scared of riding in the rain now!


.65 run/10:30 pace—my first run in 4 weeks. It was pouring and the pain in my leg was excoriating for the first two minutes but then eased up some. I am hopeful I can run/walk at Barb’s.

Before my swim in the pond.

Friday: 5 mile hike with Mr. Pi in the Maine outback


Pretty trail along a river for part of it. It was basically uphill for the first 2.5 miles so it was definitely a workout. We were planning to go farther but we were both tired.


Saturday: Rest


Travel day back to the west coast.


Sunday: 40 mile ride back in Oregon


We headed out west of the city and I did a modified version of the North Plains ride that I did with Jen a few weeks back. I skipped most of the hilly portions as I wanted to hit the cadence hard and try to get a good average speed. I ended in 2:41/14.9 AP not too shabby. Then went for a fun BBQ at Amy’s!


I’ll be doing a post about the HOUSE soon too and I have a couple of reviews I need to do.


Still trying to stay positive about training and do what I can…Barb’s is going to be hard but hopefully all the more rewarding knowing how hard training has been for me with the alien water balloon!

Here is the water balloon!

Hello from "vacationland"

Greetings from the eastern seaboard!  Mr. Pi and I have been on vacation for a week now and let's just say nothing beats vacation.  We started with a quick couple of days in Boston visiting old friends and old favorite places. (We lived in Boston for 2 years while I was in grad school.)

 One of my favorite places in Boston--the Charles River Pathway.  Wish I could have been running.

5th time on the Sam Adams brewery tour but still just as much fun and left just as HAPPY as the other 4 times.

On our way out of town, we stopped at our favorite donut place--it is the best.  Clearly, healthy eating was not in my plan.

After spending a couple of days playing tourist in Boston, we headed north to Maine (their state motto is "vacationland" hence the post title) to meet up with the rest of Mr. Pi's family, all 22 of them.  Along the way we picked up a rental bike for me since 4 weeks after the crash my leg is still very swollen and painful (BOO).  Finding a house for all of us is no easy task, we ended up here:

It's an amazingly HUGE house--however, even with 7 bathrooms, I've still had to wait a couple of times--crazy.

Mr. Pi and I have gotten out a few times for running (Mr. Pi) and biking (me).  The only places I'd been in Maine were all on the coast so I was expecting flat riding however, we're in the mountain-y area.  The hills haven't been too bad but definitely noticeable.  I've been swimming in the pool, which is sauna warm and plan on busting out my wetsuit (yes, I packed it) today for an aqua bike (and maybe an attempt at 5 min transition run). 

Somewhere in the backwoods of Maine.

 Mr. Pi running.

Weather has been hit or miss but that's par for the course on the east coast in the mountains.  Hot and humid one day and cold and rainy the next.  Speaking of par, I tried my hand at golfing a few days ago.  Six and a half hours later we finished 14 holes (yes, we skipped the 4 hardest ones).  The course was gorgeous, my form and hits were not.  Apparently, we golfed the second hardest course in New England and almost had a course record for the longest game.  It was tons of fun and actually way harder than I thought it would be.

Mr. Pi golfing.

We're having a blast hanging out with family and relaxing.  I'm trying not to stress out about Barb's race, it is what it is...I can't make my alien water balloon go away so I might as well do what I can and not worry about it.  Barb's is probably not going to be the exact race I wanted it to be but I'm pretty sure that I can still finish on my feet.  Time away from running has really made me realize how much I do enjoy it and time on the bike has made me realize how much fun biking can be.  I think the whole experience of tri training and even getting injured has made me think a lot about how I spend my time and the things in life that are most important.  The next few weeks are going to be a busy time in my life.  Since I last posted, there have been some updates on that house I thought we lost.  Turns out it's likely we will be moving in July 23rd (also known as my birthday, also known as the weekend before Barb's)!  In addition to the house, I have a couple of big projects going on at work and of course, lots of training to get in.  I'm going to do my best to enjoy all of these experiences and focus on all the positives without worrying about any negatives.

I'll leave you with those thoughts...while I go prepare myself for a cold pond swim and hilly ride.