Timex Multisport Team Camp 2014

Being part of the Timex team last year was such an amazing experience. I spend a lot of my time training alone, so it was so wonderful and uplifting to have a group of friends that I could turn to for advice and support. At last year's camp, I got a taste of this, but after having a whole season to experience and appreciate it, I was really excited for camp and to get to see people again.

People ask me exactly what we do at this camp -- while there is some training, the main purpose is to learn all about the products that our sponsors offer. We had several new sponsors this year, so there is a lot of information to take in! But in addition to the classes, this camp is a great chance to get to spend time with my teammates and learn about their successes and challenges.

Living in a foreign country, it is very easy for me to feel a bit isolated. The Timex Team is like a family to me, and my main goal for this weekend was to soak up as much motivation and love as I could, so I would have something to remember when the going inevitably gets tough. Between all the pictures, hilarious stories, and happy memories of the fabulous weather, I think I accomplished the mission!

IronCat, here I come!

I am a super-planner, so I like that you have to sign up for Ironman races a year ahead of time. When planning my race season, I had my eye on the IronCat, a full distance race put on by the Catalan Triathlon Club that is just south of Barcelona. But given that we are going to be moving again in a few months, I was biding my time on signing up in the event that our schedule wouldn't accommodate it. Surely it wouldn't sell out...right?

Well, it did. But the city council recently moved to add more participants, so I am on the list. Hooray!

Less than 60 days to go...check it out at http://www.ironcat.org/

A couple more Norseman training notes

Here are some items I didn't mention in my Norsemanifesto, but they've been floating in my head for a little while.

1. Training for Gaustatoppen. I didn't do any hiking in preparation for the race, but it turns out it wouldn't have mattered. The route up the mountain only resembles a dirt trail for a small portion at the beginning. After that, it is stepping your way up rocks.

I normally lack the coordination to do this efficiently, so you can imagine my difficulties at the end of an Ironman. 

This is where the Stepmill comes in. (I am talking about the machine that you climb up physical stairs that go around a belt, not a Stairmaster.) By using the Stepmill at the end of your long runs, it would be excellent preparation for Gaustatoppen. The Stepmill will be more challenging than a Stairmaster (you can cheat on that one!) or actual stairs and will test your agility on tired legs. 

2. Support crew vs. mountain partner. Given the stress of the whole day, it is very important to have a person who is completely synched with your plan for eating, drinking, and dressing, as well as keeping an eye on your attitude and well being. However, it is possible that this person might not be the best choice for a partner to go up the mountain, depending on your abilities. This is when it would be beneficial to have more than one support person. If I remember correctly, the one white support shirt you get only limits how many people are in transition, and you can take a completely different person up the mountain, or multiple people. So maybe your spouse is going to be the best choice for your "caretaker," but he/she won't be able to keep up on the mountain. Another person would definitely be an asset in this case.

Super fast lunch tip! (and other ramblings)

A few basic items of background information:

1. I like to cook...usually.

2. I like eating fresh veggies and I feel a lot better when I eat them. A salad is my go-to lunch.

3. I don't mind peeling/chopping/slicing/prepping fruits and vegetables. I find it very relaxing and kind of meditative.

But after a workout, standing in the kitchen to chop vegetables and cook a meal is the absolute last thing that I want to do. My main goal is getting food in my face and my butt on the couch. I should note that this is also how I felt when I got home from work back in the days of my 6am to 6pm job. As I learned then, the key is forethought and preparation.

So on Mondays, I go to the grocery store and buy all my salad ingredients: some kind of leaf base, precooked beets, sauerkraut, cucumbers, carrots, other things that look fresh/tasty, plus some feta and smoked salmon.

When I get home, I wash the leaves and then repack them in a big ziplock bag. I let them air dry for a while so they don't get all nasty over the week.

Then it is chopping time: I have 5 big jars set out and proceed to fill them with the toppings for each day's salad. (If you are using beets, put them in first!) All the veggies, minus the base leaves, go in here, and into the fridge. It takes me less than 30 minutes to do all of this, but that time probably depends on which vegetables you choose.

So, when it is time for lunch, I throw down a handful of leaves, pour out the jar, then top with some smoked salmon and chopped feta. Sometimes I'll add some sunflower seeds or raisins on top. Then olive oil, balsamic, and salt/pepper and I am ready to eat! Super fast!

Interestingly, I have this memory from my childhood of my mother standing at the kitchen counter and chopping the ingredients for her lunchtime salad. So your parents do have a huge influence on your eating habits!

Another eating related item: I found Matt Fitzgerald's interview on the Endurance Planet podcast very refreshing. Instead of "you should eat x because of y, but not a because of b," he was much more realistic about food choices and identifying what works for each person. I'm going to have to listen again...

Reliving the race...also, good German practice!

Here is the video that SkinFit put together about Lydia Waldmueller, who finished 2nd in Norseman this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFdOBPBKHQE&feature=youtu.be

Even if you don't speak German, I think this is the best coverage of the "experience" of the racers and support teams. The guy who is her support crew did the race last year, so I bet that was a factor in planning the video coverage.

Now, keep in mind that she was at the front end of the race -- it is much more crowded when you are in the middle of the pack!

Notes from watching the Kona coverage

A few quick things I found enlightening:

1. I was expecting the pros to do super high-speed bike mounts. Instead, I noticed that the leaders (the ones they showed anyways) were very deliberate when getting on their bike. Yes, shoes were in the pedals and most of them used the rubber bands, but there was no "flying" involved. So I guess I can stop thinking that my mount is soooooo slooooooow. One thing I did learn is that I should probably make getting up to full speed the first priority, then slipping on my shoes. In past races, I'll only get up to half speed before putting them on. And then I get discouraged that a bunch of people pass me.

2. My race photos (especially on the run) are always terrible. Since there are always great photos of the pros running, I assume that somehow bad photos mean that I'm a bad runner. (When I actually write that down, it seems ridiculous!) Since the FinisherPix are linked to the results, now I can see the race photos of people that I know are fast -- and they are pretty bad pictures, too!

On a related note -- my singlehanded worst race photo ever was taken at Las Vegas. If you want some comic relief, check out the photos here, especially the second one at the swim exit. I thought that was a picture of a man but realized that the stripes on the swim skin were pink. Blech.

I am currently getting back into training and working on finalizing my goals and races for next year.

German Cycling Capstone Exercise

Now that race season is over, I'm happy to be riding my trusty Merida road bike out on the open roads again. It is so nice to have my hands on the brakes at all times, plus I feel very well balanced. So I'm been out exploring some of the bike routes along the river.

Yesterday, as I'm 30 minutes into my ride, I shift to my small chainring to anticipate the approaching intersection. I immediately hear the terrible sound of something hitting my spokes, so I quickly stop. It turns out that my chain had dropped in between the cassette and the spokes. To make matters worse, the wheel was now out of alignment and therefore could not spin. The good news was that I wasn't on the side of a road somewhere, I was close enough to civilization that I could get a cab if I needed, and the weather was fine. I eventually loosed up the brake cable to make the caliper wide enough for the wobbly wheel to spin and I slowly rode home, being extremely careful with the rear brake. I got home with no problems and finished my required time on my trainer and tri bike.

Ironically, as I am riding down the street to get home, I was passed by a German Red Cross vehicle. The road isn't very wide due to parked cars, so I was kind of miffed that they were really close and going a bit fast. But then, the car slams on the brakes and as I am going on the right to avoid it, the passenger opens the door only a few feet in front of me. I bailed onto the sidewalk, said the only German swear word I know, and made it the last 400m home.

I decided I would quickly clean off the bike before I was going to determine if I could fix the problem at home. It became evident that there is the possibility the derailleur hanger might be bent. Checking that requires a tool that I don't have, so I'd need to go to a bike shop.

Normally, I take my bike to Rad Sport Smit in Gustavsberg, but that is a long drive. I chose to go to the 4 Riders shop in the neighboring town. I had already checked them out, and they seemed like a quality shop. I loaded my bike in the car, expecting that I would have to leave it there.

I was able to explain to the mechanic my problem in German. He immediately took a look, adjusted the limit screws and then tightened the spokes until the wheel was back in alignment. (The hanger wasn't bent after all.) The whole process took about 5 minutes. And it only cost 10 EUR! This was a win-win-win situation!!

So proud of myself for being prepared, keeping my wits about me, and dealing with the entire situation quickly and without getting discouraged.

And for future reference, the phrase "my wheel is untrue" is "das rad hat einen Achter." Why isn't that in my phrasebook?