Deer in Headlights

I've signed up and joined a Hood to Coast team named "Deer in Headlights" My friend G made the offer of the slot and I'm really excited about the prospect. Hood to Coast is a 197 mile relay from Mt. Hood in Oregon to the coast of Oregon taking place August 28-29th. I'm excited about taking on a challenge as a team and running in a new place. Most of our group is from Wyoming and Colorado, but I'm sure at the end of it all we will know each other really well.

Answers

Pam Leblanc informed me of a question and answer session she was doing for her fitcity blog and Gordo Byrn and Joe Friel answered my questions as well as others pertaining to triathlon here.
Q: As the biking distance rises in training I tend to get saddle sores. I’ve heard many differing theories on how to avert this: get better bike shorts, get a new seat, and/or obtain a good bike fit. What is your advice and/or experience with this pesky occurrence? — MKT

• Gordo: A couple tips that have helped me: Get out of your shorts QUICK after training. Use an antibiotic wash after training. Find a saddle that keeps your sit-bones stable. Rocking on the saddle creates friction that can irritate the skin. To clear up saddle sores, dab them with tea tree oil after washing and before bed.
• Q: How do you maintain your focus during an Ironman distance race (e.g. some athletes count to 100 repeatedly, or have certain songs going through their head)? — MKT
• Gordo: Build your capacity to focus just like your fitness. Start with shorter periods and use intervals of focus within your longer sessions. You are right, a capacity to maintain a relaxed focus is a key attribute of successful racing. It takes practise and time to build up.
• Q: Gordo - You have an impressive website and note that one of the most popular topics on your discussion board is anything linked to nutrition. Why do you think this is such a popular topic and how much do you think nutrition can affect Ironman training? — MKT
• Gordo: Nutrition is HUGE. In “Going Long,” we call it the Fourth Discipline. For long distance events, you can give yourself a material edge from fueling using the tips that are contained in the book. As an athlete, I recommend that you place the majority of your focus on the quality of what you eat when you are not training. This is the area where I find you can get the most performance boost. The mechanics of training/racing nutrition, covered in the book, are straightforward. Great to hear that you’ve been enjoying the website. I recently updated all my “greatest hits” and pulled them into my new site at www.EnduranceCorner.com. You’ll find my most popular articles there in a new library. I also pulled my blog across, which covers a range of topics.

Drumroll please ...

The Scott has a name - Pippi.

It really comes from a lot of places and just suits her. Pippi for Scottie Pippin, Sand Pipers (from my first race with her), and Pi(nk)ppi but mostly for Pippi Longstocking.

According to Wikipedia

"Pippi is a superb swimmer; if and when she feels the need, she'll think nothing of taking a plunge while fully clothed (in her short patchwork dress, with oversized shoes and mismatched thigh-high stockings).

Pippi's strength has been described in various ways:

• "The strongest human being in the world."
• "She is so strong you won't believe it!"
• In one of the books, she is described as having "The strength of ten policemen."
• On a VHS cover she is described as "The Girl With The Strength Of Superman"

Fiesta Wildflower Ride -Apr. 19

The 104 mile bike ride became 112 as we got a wee bit of a late start. Yes, sometimes gathering all you need for a bike ride takes awhile and can set you back a bit, but we were only a few minutes late and were just finishing pumping up our tires when we heard the 100 mile group leave, no problem we could catch them. We rushed to leave with the 65 mile group. We were off and pedaling putting off a bathroom break until the first rest stop to save time. We began with a bang to try and catch up with at least the tail end of the 100 milers. Four miles into the ride I notice a sign that does not include 100. "Umm I think we are on the wrong route." Like salmon swimming up stream we head back against the flow of cyclists and learn that the branching off point was pretty much at the start of the ride. At this point I really need to go to the bathroom and I know it will be awhile, argh. I reassure myself that it is all a part of training and learning to deal with life's little mishaps. We ride on, realizing we are now at least 40 minutes behind the pack and hoping the rest stops stay open. My determination to get there keeps me pedaling hard against the strong head wind. The ride is gorgeous with perfect temperatures, beautiful scenery and low trafficked roads. We press on and FINALLY come to the rest stop I rush to the port-o-let and feel tons better, ready to rock on. My ultimate cheerleaders pull up as we are about to leave. It is so nice to have a sign of support (and could have been invaluable had we really been lost or the rest stops closed). I hand my jacket to my Mom as she puts her cowbell away and we are off. The first rest stop ended up being mile 25 after our snafu. The rest of the ride I felt great and worked on fueling at the stops even when I didn't feel hungry. I used what my energy felt like versus my stomach and it seems to have worked well. I had a few periods of nausea but was strong the whole ride. I also applied chamois butter at one of the rest stops and lo' and behold I might have solved the saddle sore problem. That is HUGE! I've never felt better after a 112 ride and had a great time with my riding buddy, parents cheerleading and fabulous dinner at the end.

Little shop on the corner

promenade plantee

Went for a run this morning and it was fabulous. The Parisians turned an old railway into a park and did a bang up job. NYC is thinking of doing the same thing in Chelsea. The Promenade Plantee is a 4.5 km-long elevated park in the 12th arrodissement. It was constructed on an abandoned 19th century railway viaduct, which connected the Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes. It was great to run along peering at the architecture and beautiful flora.

fuel is just as important

Not sure we can rent the velib bikes because you need a credit card with a chip in it, but we are looking into doing the fat tire bike tour : ) Fueling here has been the best part as we wander around town.

paris continues

Lots of walking, not much training.

Velib!

I tried to post a pic of the bike shop next to our hotel from my phone but the internet is not cooperating. I'll get it up at some point. I've been loving the amount of bike commuters in the city and we checked out the Velib bikes that A LOT of people seem to be riding around town. We had a gorgeous day yesterday and spent it walking around town soaking it all.

Lonestar seems so far away, but one moment I still remember is a cyclist riding up next to me and saying he hopes his daughters are as strong as me one day, flattery at its best. I told him, I'm sure they will especially with a parent that sets such a great example.

Lonestar Half Ironman 2009

9th Place 5:31

Race report to come - off to Paris - stay tuned ...

Lonestar Half

I originally typed stare instead of star in the heading. That is what I feel like, I'm just staring at the weekend like a deer in head lights. I've been training pretty consistently but haven't given the race much thought, now I'm getting nervous. I need to focus that energy toward the race. It's off to Galveston tomorrow and I need to remember to just enjoy it and do my best.