New Zealand 50K championships and the next two weeks

Awards ceremony

One of the coolest pictures I think I've taken.  LakeTekapo

Holy cow, it's taken me over two weeks to write about the race!  One of the great things about being and training in New Zealand is I'm not sitting around bored a lot!  Maybe could also do with a bit more rest at times, but I love how I'm able to get in all my workouts and stay focused and still get out and do fun stuff.  But I digress....

One of the reasons I decided to come to NZ to train was to race in their Long Distance Champs and get in a nice training 50K race.  I never planned to race it all out because I wanted to make sure I could recover well and keep training.  The last thing I wanted was to have to take 2-3 weeks easy when I'm here to train.  And especially since I didn't bounce back quite as fast after the 100 miler as I was hoping I wanted to be careful.

Training up to the 50K was solid.  I had some really great workouts and some solid workouts so I was really ready to see what I could do.  My plan was to be sub 4:45, that would've made me satisfied.  I planned to go out at 4:45 for 35K and then kick it in the last 15K.  But the best laid plans....

One thing that was really great about my easy week before the race was Tony had a work trip that I got to tag along with.  I was able to get in all my workouts but also see a large portion of the North Island and do some tourist things.  A lot of times when I have an easy week or a taper week I can get really edgy, almost depressed.  I've found out this is caused by the reduction in endorphins from not working out as much.  So when I'm home I really have to focus on doing lots of fun stuff and not just sitting around the house stewing.  This trip was perfect!  Always new things to see and fun things to do, including roasting marshmallows :)

I arrived in Timaru feeling good and ready.  The day before the race I went and checked out the course.  Probably one of the most picturesque courses I've been on, especially for a 1K loop.  It was an interesting shape with one hairpin turn and two turns sharper than 90 degrees.  There was also a section where there were some concrete dividers that were on the course that would make it challenging to go two wide, never mind three wide.  But since the field sizes for all the races were small it probably wouldn't be an issue.  There were three entered in the 50K; myself, a guy named Miguel who has been living in NZ but doesn't have residency, and Graeme Jones.  We all started at 7:00.  At 9:00 was the 5, 10 and 20K races, so an additional 6 athletes.

I was in Timaru for 5 days and the day of the race had the best weather of all of them.  I think the high was 50 and there was always a bit of cloud cover.  At one point it dripped for a few minutes but not enough to measure.  And there was no wind.  So absolutely great conditions.  The meet management was fantastic, I didn't have to worry about a thing.  They were fantastic and rounded me up an aid station person (that ended up being a team) and they were fantastic.  I didn't have to worry about a thing.  In fact one of the girls was so cute she made me laugh so many laps.  On my aid sheet I put that it's easier to hold the bottle from the bottom so that I have lots of room to grab it as I go by.  She took that advice very seriously to heart and as I was coming would gently place the bottle on the palm of her hand.  She would concentrate really hard and get it balanced.  Once satisfied that it was balanced she would bring her other hand up and "present" it to me and look up with a huge smile.  It was the cutest thing ever!

As I said my plan was to go out at 4:45 pace, or 5:42 per K.  All three of us started off in a pack and things felt quite comfortable.  Unfortunately we came by the line and it was about 5:55.  Oops!  So I picked it up.  I overcompensated a bit though and came through the next K in 5:28, what would end up being my fastest K, but only by a second, so doesn't really count.  Then I got into a nice groove of around 5:36.

Obviously that is faster than I had planned but I was feeling good and the course was good and I thought, what the heck.  I came through 25K in 2:20:16 feeling fantastic.  Each 5K had gotten slightly faster to that point.  Obviously that is 2:15 faster than the plan.  I was going to hold that pace until 35K and then try and pick it up.  But then I made my mistake.  Someone told me, hey, you're looking great, see how much you can pick it up... or words to that effect.  I took a lap thinking, no, don't do it, stick to what's left of your plan.  But then I thought, eh, what the heck.  I was solidly in the lead and still feeling good.  So I continued to pick it up.  I basically did a kickdown until about 38K.  Then my body said, hmmmm, maybe that was faster than you wanted?  The next nine K were not the prettiest ones, but still not death marching or anything.

Also in that period something went wonky with my aid.  I'm not sure if I marked it wrong on my sheet or if my aid helpers jumped a few laps, but I'm pretty sure I took a GU much closer to the previous GU than I meant to.  I usually take a GU every 8K, except I'll take one at 40 and maybe 46K (never made much sense to me to take one at 48K).  I found out that taking them closer than 8K early in the race is a bad idea.  My stomach started hurting really bad to the point I went about 5K without drinking anything.  It was a really good lesson to learn.  Oh, and the other thing that was a bit of bugger was I woke up and got my period about a week early (sorry guys).  That was a very unpleasant surprise and one I wasn't fully prepared for.

Since I was never going to race this 50K all out when I started to slow down at 38K I didn't push it.  But I did push the last 3K.  I was able to bring my last 3K splits down to 5:36, 5:43 and 5:30.  I was very happy with my final push and my ability to bring it back down.  I finished in 4:42:15.  So while I slowed down I only slowed 2 minutes, which I don't think is too bad.  And.... I won the race!  As far as we know this is the first time a woman has won an open 50K National Championship.  Obviously Quentin wasn't there (He was New Zealand's Olympian in the 20K and 50K in Rio).  Had he been there he could've crushed me doing an easy day.  But to me it's more what it represents and I'm very proud to add this to my list of accomplishments :)

Just after the first turn, the aid station just up on the right

We went up and left around the fountain

And then up and around a 180 degree turn and back

After going back around the fountain on the other side we went down an aisle and had the view of this awesome sculpture. 

After the sculpture we hit this hard right turn.

And straight on to the start/finish line!

My recovery from the race has gone simply amazing!  I couldn't be happier with how I've recovered.  Monday I did a nice workout with a few people and had no aches or pains.  Tuesday I did a 10K, Wednesday I did a faster 10K on some hills feeling strong.  So I decided to really test the waters.  Thursday I did speed work.  I did a 3K, 2K, 1K workout getting ready for the upcoming weeks when I would bump it to a 5K, 4K, 3K, 2K, 1K.  It was cold, raining and windy.  But I did everything under 5 Per K pace!  Four days after a 50K!

The Wednesday after the race I went to the South Canterbury track practice and had an awesome clinic with a group of very awesome kids!

Today I raced a 3,000.  I was hoping to break my master's age group record of 14:09.  I wasn't sure if I could do it, but thought I'd give it a go.  We decided I'd go out at :55 per 200 which would be 13:45, which would actually be a PB.  I did 5x400 on Thursday (after my 5,4,3,2,1K workout that I did faster than 20K race pace)  I put my watch on countdown reset at :55 and was bang on pace for all of them, except the last one which I opened up the last 200 and did it in about :52.

Day of the race I felt a bit flat, but did a good warmup and figured I'd give it a go.  Laura Langley was racing and we were going to work together, with her following me the first bit as she sometimes goes out too hard.  The day was a bit warm and windy, but it's a great track.

I started off bang on and went through the 1K perfect, so 4:35, the fastest I've done a full K in maybe a year and a half.  I hit the half way I think maybe a second down.  After that I honestly lost track but I ended up 13:56.72, which I'm pretty sure is my second fastest 3,000 time (my PB is 13:48).  I'm quite pleased with that less than two weeks after the 50k and after a hard week of training.  I got no cards and no paddles and was told my technique looked good.  It gives me hope that I'm getting stronger and faster!  Can't wait to keep training hard here and see what I can do next!

Since I'm so late in getting this blog out, I'll also include what I did today for my workout.  I did 6x4K/1K (so four K hard then 1K medium and do that six times with no break, 30K total).  It went great!  Each one got faster and I finished in my second fastest 30K ever!  And the course I did it on is not a fast course.  I'm tired, but feeling amazing.  Training is going so well.

And of course, remember if you want to help support me please consider doing your Christmas shopping through either my AthleteBiz store or my Flipgive store.  Both will give you good deals on your shopping and I'll get a percentage back!  Thanks!

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New Zealand training camp!

I'm in New Zealand!  Actually I have been for almost two weeks now, but things have been so busy and I've been so tired I haven't had the time or inclination to sit and write a post.  But tonight is a very quiet night so I thought I'd get a bit caught up!

I am feeling soooooooo much better post iron injections!  My energy is back, my pace for my workouts is getting back to what it used to be and I'm feeling really strong. All the marathons I did this summer may not have been fast, but they did apparently make me strong.

So, from the beginning... The worst thing about coming to New Zealand?  The trip here!  Holy cow!  I've been to China three times and Australia twice, but this was a long flight.  And in terms of training a lot of time to get tight and cramped and sore.  But after more than a day of travel I arrived!  At 6:00 AM, so I had allllll day to stay awake.  I managed it, even got a workout in, but it was not easy.

It took me I'd say about 4 days to get sorted.  Luckily I found an AMAZING massage therapist who has worked on race walkers and knows exactly where the sore bits are.  After that brutal session I was so much looser.  I've been tight for so long and she really got stuff worked out!  So the first weekend I was there I did a fun little local 5K RW.  It was in a really nice park, a little out and back and then three loops of about a mile.  I would've been happy if I'd been about 25:30 after all the travel, the tightness and there were some rolls on the course.  I was so pleasantly surprised when I went 24:36!  And I came back in the afternoon with a solid 10x400 session that was faster than any I've done since January!

The next day I did a 35K and I ended up doing it on the track because Tony (my friend I'm staying with) had to work on the pole vault pits.  I did 10K one direction, 20K the opposite direction, and the last 5K the first direction.  I stayed incredibly even and pushed the last 5K really strong.  It felt so good to move again and feel like my old self.  Again, it was my best distance session since at least January/February, and probably even before that.

As I've done these workouts I've been going through my training diary to see the last time I've done a session that strong.  I have to look back to the very beginning of the year, and some of it was last year.  It makes me realize how tough this year has been.  I'm so glad it's gotten resolved.  I probably could've/should've known earlier about the anemia, but the thing with letting it get so low was I finally could get the shots which have gotten me really up and above.  Otherwise I would've been constantly floating around the almost anemic level.  So even though it made part of the year pretty awful, things are really looking up!

We didn't realize it would happen, but Alana, NZ's 20K Olympian, is in Auckland so we can train together some!  We did a kickdown together near the water and it was super windy (I mean windy) and it was great to have someone to walk with.  There's no way I would've pushed as hard as I did with us working together.  It was great!  We're doing it again this week and hopefully the wind won't be as brutal!

I did the Auckland marathon for training yesterday and it went great!  I was just going to do it as a training walk, so no pushing.  Man was that hard.  I hit 30K and really wanted to pick it up, but I didn't, I stayed good.  I only pushed the last 3K, which I would normally do in a workout.  The thing that everyone here said when I told them I was doing the marathon was "Oh!  You get to go over the Harbor Bridge!!!!"  Every. Single. Person.  It was pretty cool, but also fairly steep.  That was my second slowest K (slowest being the start when you're still trying to get sorted).  Even with it being one of my slowest I still passed so many runners.  And starting at about 23K I started passing people left and right.  I seriously should've counted.  Not one person passed me after 20K I think (might've been earlier than that) so I was really happy with that.  And the second half was faster than the first.  Of course the first half had the hills, so that makes sense.  But with how many people I passed I know I still paced it well.

And the best news is I'm not one bit sore today.  It's a cross training day and it went so well.  Which is great because I have one more hard week of training before an easy week and then I race the NZ 50K championships.  I'm not going to race it all out, it's going to be a solid training walk, I'll be a good girl and not push/race it too hard.

The nice thing about being here also is getting back in the swing of full-time training.  Doing all the extra stuff that sometimes goes by the wayside when you're home and have all those home things to do.  I've been doing my yoga again and hitting the abs really hard.  It's a good reminder that will carry on when I get home for sure.

And I'm getting to do some fun stuff, I'm really excited to see some of the Lord of the Rings sets, since I am a LOTR fan.  It hasn't been super warm yet so we haven't gone to the beach, but we will.  And while I obviously miss being home and with Dave, This is probably the best I've really kept myself busy and focused and am not completely crazily home sick, so that's both good and bad.

So back to training, back to staying focused, and onward to improvements!

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40K Race Recap

Whew!  Done!

Well, that was fun!  The national 40K was last Sunday.  The other way to think of it in it's orientation in time and space, is two weeks after I completed the 100 mile Centurion race.  And while I'll definitely go over how my race went, I first want to go over how my athletes did, because I'm so incredibly proud of them!

So proud of Katie!

Katie's training has been a bit spotty lately because sometimes life just gets in the way.  But she has been stubborn and focused and has goals and isn't giving up!  Last year she rocked the national 30K, so this year moved up to the 40K.  At the Centurion race she did a 32K workout, her longest ever, so she was racing off not the most ideal training, but she was ready and excited for the race, and boy did she do awesome.  The race conditions were awful.  The park has deteriorated every year since I've first been racing there.  About 500 meters of the course has tree roots poking up through the pavement, in places as much as 4-5 inches.  The temperature continually dropped as the race went on, getting down to around 47 degrees with a very bitter wind that made the wind chill factor something to take notice of.  And the rain...  It rained the entire time, so by the end of the race there were about 5 places where the course was under 1-2 inches of water.  Dave considers it the second worst race conditions he's ever raced in.  I put it in my top five.  One thing that made it difficult too was since the temperature started off okay people dressed differently than if it had been that cold at the start. That made for the end of the race to get harder and harder.

Leaving a surprise on my camera

Katie's first 20K was like a machine, strong and steady!  Then the first dip in temperature hit and from looking at splits a lot of people slowed down some around that time.  Even though you could tell she was getting colder and colder she just kept pushing.  She ended up with a time of 4:44:42 (honestly I probably would've waited two seconds to cross the line, just so I could have a time of 4:44:44, but I'm totally a dork that way) and walked straight into a waiting blanket and straight to the bathrooms to change.  Her second place finish is also her highest at a national championship.  So very proud of her!

Next on to AJ.  AJ has goals and is super focused on them.  He's just started college and has such a supportive coach who is helping him succeed.  AJ has gotten in some good long walks, but we weren't exactly sure what he'd be capable of.  He started off right on pace and was doing awesome.  He also hit a spot where he slowed down a bit, right around two hours into the race (temperature dip).  But what makes me so proud was he rallied back.  In fact, with less than 10K to go he saw that second place was starting to falter and charged after him, making up 1:30 in one 2K loop!  And he did catch 2nd place!  But he rallied back and ended up getting back in front, but what an exciting race!  I know because I stopped to watch it :)   AJ's time of 3:46:24 is full of promise.  His last 5K was his fastest, so his ability to push at the end is awesome.  I'm super proud of this kid and am so honored to be coaching him.

Maryanne Daniel, race walker and official extraordinaire!  

I went into the race with one goal; to finish.  I felt like my recovery was going well, and I was taking it really easy.  I hate recovery, I tend to want to just get going again, but I think I was really smart.  I did a 5K fartlek the Thursday before the 40K and did one of my fastest times of the year and felt solid at it, so I was feeling hopeful for the race.  My thought was to go out at a decent pace and see how long it held.  I didn't want to push hard as I didn't want to have to spend a lot more time recovering.  I came through 10K in 56:40, and it felt really nice and relaxed.  But then my body started complaining.  I think a number of things came into play.  First all the tree roots normally wouldn't have been too much of an issue, but with legs still a bit heavy from the 100 miler that extra effort was apparent.  Second, I definitely felt the cold seeping into my legs and my hammies got a bit cranky at me.  Third I just wasn't all the way recovered yet!

At 26K I was just so cold.  Luckily I had a second long shirt so I stopped and changed my top.  Not being in a wet, soggy top was really nice, while it lasted.  But changing tops and my numbers over took a bit of time, and then of course I had to get going again, because stopping made me very cold.   Near the end of the race I felt fairly confident in my win, so I was just focusing on finishing.  Since the men's race was so exciting and I did the math, I knew I could wait at one point to cheer for AJ, cheer for him, and then make it to the finish line before he got there.  That took me about 3 minutes of waiting.  Dave unfortunately had to stop due to cramps so I stopped one lap to make sure he was doing okay.  And my last lap I stopped to hug the aid station lady who was out there in the rain and cold the entire time smiling and being encouraging.  So while my time of 4:16:26 doesn't look very good, I probably stopped for various reasons for 6 minutes, plus or minus.

So I'm quite happy for everyone.  Happy to get my 40K title back, happy that I survived two weeks after doing a 100 mile race, happy for my athletes.  Even though I slowed down and took it easy I'm sure this race will extend my recovery period a little, but hopefully not too much.  And I know that myself and my athletes are super tough and can compete in horrible conditions and push and stay tough.  

Recovery meal from Wegmen's.  All gluten free and all yummy!

And finally, people have been asking how they can help, which I really appreciate!  I'm not big on asking for money, but this I think is something that can help me and help others!  Especially with Christmas time coming up and people needing to do lots of shopping, sometimes online shopping really works the best.  Athletebiz, who has been amazing with helping athletes reach their goals, has helped create a flipgive campaign.  Basically when you need to shop online if you do it via my online portal I will get a percentage back on what you spend.  Some of the stores you can shop at include:  Jet.com, Walmart, Macy's, Lands End, PetCo, Brookstone, and many others.  You don't have to do anything differently than you normally would, just make sure you get to those websites through my page.  Then I get a percentage back to help with training, race fees, travel and all the other things that cost money!  Feel free to share the link with friends and family!  If they're going to be ordering online anyway, why not do it so that they can support someone at the same time :)  Here's the link:

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And if you know you just want running/training stuff you can go to Runner's Warehouse.  Thank you to those who shopped and supported me last quarter.  It was so great to get the check in the mail, and the money was put to very good use!

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Thanks!  And happy training!

US Centurion # 85 will forever and for always belong to me!!!!!

All the competitors ready for an awesome race!

I have been so negligent in writing a blog post lately, but things have been insane!  A trip to Iceland including racing a marathon and exploring the country for a week, another training marathon, a concert weekend, and all the last minute planning/organizing for the event we hosted:  Not Just a Walk in the Park - a 100 mile Centurion race.  I'll probably write a blog later on Iceland, but for right now I want to share my excitement about the race last weekend!

Starting off nice and strong with Katie doing her workout.

For those of you who don't know what a Centurion race is, let me explain.  You have 24 hours to walk 100 miles.  If you accomplish this feat you are put on the US Centurion list (assuming you do it in the US of course, otherwise there are other countries that keep lists that you can get on) and get a number.  This becomes your Centurion number forever and for always.  Before the race only 80 people had ever finished 100 miles in under 24 hours on US soil, so we were hoping to put on a top-notch event so we could grow that number.

Thank goodness for the sponge station!

We've been working with the Town of Owego and local businesses.  We've been planning, organizing and working on this event for almost two years.  Last week was full of stress, last minute things, and many trips to pick up supplies.  But finally it was race day!


Dave played full time race director so I could race.  Not only was it our 100 mile Centurion race but also the Eastern Regional and Niagara association 100K championships.  I was entered in that, so I had to race walk the first 100K as it was judged under USATF rules.  The athletes entered in only the 100 mile were only subject to the lifting rule, not the knee rule.

The weather started off perfect, in the mid 60s.  It did get a little sunny for a while, so the sponge station got used.  Everyone started off great and solid, but when you're racing for 24 hours the beginning better feel easy!  Katie Smith and her hubby had come the week before the race and Katie did her long workout with me, so I had company for the first 30K which was wonderful.  I was on a solid pace and feeling good.

Still smiling! 

I was doing well with eating and drinking (which I did not do my first 100 mile attempt) and staying hydrated.  I was hoping to make it past 100K before taking a potty break, but alas I had to stop at 81K for a tinkle.  After going for almost 10 hours, I stopped pretty sudden and almost fell over.  Lesson learned!  Decelerate before stopping!

Having to keep my legs straight for 100K was pretty hard.  The last 10K was not very fun, and boy, oh boy, once I hit 100K was I super happy to bend my knees and walk however I wanted!  My 100K time was slower than I did in the Isle of Man, but I had wanted to pace myself better, so I think I accomplished that.  Also, on the Isle of Man I didn't take the potty breaks that I did this time, so that ate up some time.  All in all I'm happy with how my 100K went.  There was one section I picked up the pace a little, about 10-15 seconds per K, probably shouldn't have done that, so that's another lesson learned for next time.

A week ago in Owego it was a high of almost 86 and humid.  We were so lucky that the weather broke, but unfortunately it got really cold at night, down to almost freezing.  I packed clothes to layer in, but not enough.  Thankfully Dave brought some extra clothes and I ended up wearing almost all of them.  I had five thick layers on my top at one point and was still shivering.  I wasn't moving fast enough to produce much body heat of my own, and if I had to stop for whatever reason I would start to shiver even more.  Then it would take me a few laps to warm up again.

Foggy morning after a cold night.

The night hours between about 2 AM and 6 AM were pretty rough.  I was so tired and just wanted a rest.  A few times I think I fell asleep a little while on my feet, but I stayed upright and didn't wander off the course, so that's pretty good.  Every so often I would match up with some competitors and walk with them for a while, so that was nice.  I told myself before the race to just keep heading towards the light.... Wait til dawn and you'll get re-energized.  It was absolutely true!  Once the sun came up I got a burst of energy and was able to wake up a bit and pick up the pace.  The other downside of the night hours was that I sort of forgot to push myself to eat.  Definitely another area I can improve for next time!

Still bundled up and trying to keep warm.

With 20K to go, and about 3 hours of walking left, I started getting some blisters on the pads of my feet, deep under the skin.  We popped one of them but not the other.  They both were a bit painful, but really nothing too bad.  But as I was trying to do math after about 19 hours of walking I all of a sudden freaked out that I wasn't going to make the time and I took off, dropping about 2 minutes per K off my pace.  I was in second place for the women.  I knew I couldn't catch Caroline, she's just too amazing, and I thought I had a pretty decent cushion in front of third, so I did some thinking about recovery, other goals I have, training, and made the decision to just make sure I got it done.  So the last 8K or so I just enjoyed the walk.  Some of my friends came and walked with me to the end (totally legal in a Centurion race).  They helped keep me entertained and my mind off my poor, sore body.

Holy cow!  I did it!  Centurion #85!

So after 23 hours 31 minutes and 05 seconds I became Centurion 85!!!!  The 11th woman to be on the US Centurion list!  I still think it hasn't entirely hit me.   Three days later the blisters have basically healed and I have just a bit of soreness left in my legs.  I haven't slept well the last few nights, so I'm still pretty tired, but for having walked 100 miles I'm really happy with how my body held up.

Of course I would be totally remiss if I didn't mention April and Vince Terbrack.  They came to help their dad, Paul, who just missed making Centurion.  They agreed to help me out too and they were absolute champs, getting me what I needed whenever I needed it.  I don't know what I would've done had they not been there to help me!!!!!  A good aid station person is so important in a race that long.

Thanks to USATF Niagara for their help and support!

I definitely have room for improvement for the next time (and yes, there will be a next time!  I want to be on the other Centurion lists!) and think it's possible for me to break 22 hours.  I didn't do a great job of eating during the dead of night, so I'm sure I lost some energy there that affected me the last hours of the race.  Also since it got so cold making sure I stay even warmer and drank some warm liquids so I don't use so much energy just staying warm.  And of course not having to purely race walk for the first 100k and take some breaks from race walking I think really would've helped.

The newly crowned US Centurions!

Yesterday I went for a nice easy stroll with Dave up the road and for kicks I thought I'd see if I could race walk.  I only went for about 30 meters, but I actually had a decent amount of pep in my step.  I'm not going to start training, of course, but I might jump on the elliptical soon.  Tomorrow I'll start stretching.

Everyone who made Centurion.

So now that I can cross that goal off my list it's time to get back to 50K business!  I'll be looking for when there's another Centurion event that fits into my training/racing schedule.  It may take a while but I'm determined to get on all the Centurion lists!

So I'm off to rest and refuel.  Happy training!

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US Centurion # 85 will forever and for always belong to me!!!!!

All the competitors ready for an awesome race!

I have been so negligent in writing a blog post lately, but things have been insane!  A trip to Iceland including racing a marathon and exploring the country for a week, another training marathon, a concert weekend, and all the last minute planning/organizing for the event we hosted:  Not Just a Walk in the Park - a 100 mile Centurion race.  I'll probably write a blog later on Iceland, but for right now I want to share my excitement about the race last weekend!

Starting off nice and strong with Katie doing her workout.

For those of you who don't know what a Centurion race is, let me explain.  You have 24 hours to walk 100 miles.  If you accomplish this feat you are put on the US Centurion list (assuming you do it in the US of course, otherwise there are other countries that keep lists that you can get on) and get a number.  This becomes your Centurion number forever and for always.  Before the race only 80 people had ever finished 100 miles in under 24 hours on US soil, so we were hoping to put on a top-notch event so we could grow that number.

Thank goodness for the sponge station!

We've been working with the Town of Owego and local businesses.  We've been planning, organizing and working on this event for almost two years.  Last week was full of stress, last minute things, and many trips to pick up supplies.  But finally it was race day!


Dave played full time race director so I could race.  Not only was it our 100 mile Centurion race but also the Eastern Regional and Niagara association 100K championships.  I was entered in that, so I had to race walk the first 100K as it was judged under USATF rules.  The athletes entered in only the 100 mile were only subject to the lifting rule, not the knee rule.

The weather started off perfect, in the mid 60s.  It did get a little sunny for a while, so the sponge station got used.  Everyone started off great and solid, but when you're racing for 24 hours the beginning better feel easy!  Katie Smith and her hubby had come the week before the race and Katie did her long workout with me, so I had company for the first 30K which was wonderful.  I was on a solid pace and feeling good.

Still smiling! 

I was doing well with eating and drinking (which I did not do my first 100 mile attempt) and staying hydrated.  I was hoping to make it past 100K before taking a potty break, but alas I had to stop at 81K for a tinkle.  After going for almost 10 hours, I stopped pretty sudden and almost fell over.  Lesson learned!  Decelerate before stopping!

Having to keep my legs straight for 100K was pretty hard.  The last 10K was not very fun, and boy, oh boy, once I hit 100K was I super happy to bend my knees and walk however I wanted!  My 100K time was slower than I did in the Isle of Man, but I had wanted to pace myself better, so I think I accomplished that.  Also, on the Isle of Man I didn't take the potty breaks that I did this time, so that ate up some time.  All in all I'm happy with how my 100K went.  There was one section I picked up the pace a little, about 10-15 seconds per K, probably shouldn't have done that, so that's another lesson learned for next time.

A week ago in Owego it was a high of almost 86 and humid.  We were so lucky that the weather broke, but unfortunately it got really cold at night, down to almost freezing.  I packed clothes to layer in, but not enough.  Thankfully Dave brought some extra clothes and I ended up wearing almost all of them.  I had five thick layers on my top at one point and was still shivering.  I wasn't moving fast enough to produce much body heat of my own, and if I had to stop for whatever reason I would start to shiver even more.  Then it would take me a few laps to warm up again.

Foggy morning after a cold night.

The night hours between about 2 AM and 6 AM were pretty rough.  I was so tired and just wanted a rest.  A few times I think I fell asleep a little while on my feet, but I stayed upright and didn't wander off the course, so that's pretty good.  Every so often I would match up with some competitors and walk with them for a while, so that was nice.  I told myself before the race to just keep heading towards the light.... Wait til dawn and you'll get re-energized.  It was absolutely true!  Once the sun came up I got a burst of energy and was able to wake up a bit and pick up the pace.  The other downside of the night hours was that I sort of forgot to push myself to eat.  Definitely another area I can improve for next time!

Still bundled up and trying to keep warm.

With 20K to go, and about 3 hours of walking left, I started getting some blisters on the pads of my feet, deep under the skin.  We popped one of them but not the other.  They both were a bit painful, but really nothing too bad.  But as I was trying to do math after about 19 hours of walking I all of a sudden freaked out that I wasn't going to make the time and I took off, dropping about 2 minutes per K off my pace.  I was in second place for the women.  I knew I couldn't catch Caroline, she's just too amazing, and I thought I had a pretty decent cushion in front of third, so I did some thinking about recovery, other goals I have, training, and made the decision to just make sure I got it done.  So the last 8K or so I just enjoyed the walk.  Some of my friends came and walked with me to the end (totally legal in a Centurion race).  They helped keep me entertained and my mind off my poor, sore body.

Holy cow!  I did it!  Centurion #85!

So after 23 hours 31 minutes and 05 seconds I became Centurion 85!!!!  The 11th woman to be on the US Centurion list!  I still think it hasn't entirely hit me.   Three days later the blisters have basically healed and I have just a bit of soreness left in my legs.  I haven't slept well the last few nights, so I'm still pretty tired, but for having walked 100 miles I'm really happy with how my body held up.

Thanks to USATF Niagara for their help and support!

I definitely have room for improvement for the next time (and yes, there will be a next time!  I want to be on the other Centurion lists!) and think it's possible for me to break 22 hours.  I didn't do a great job of eating during the dead of night, so I'm sure I lost some energy there that affected me the last hours of the race.  Also since it got so cold making sure I stay even warmer and drank some warm liquids so I don't use so much energy just staying warm.  And of course not having to purely race walk for the first 100k and take some breaks from race walking I think really would've helped.

The newly crowned US Centurions!

Yesterday I went for a nice easy stroll with Dave up the road and for kicks I thought I'd see if I could race walk.  I only went for about 30 meters, but I actually had a decent amount of pep in my step.  I'm not going to start training, of course, but I might jump on the elliptical soon.  Tomorrow I'll start stretching.

Everyone who made Centurion.

So now that I can cross that goal off my list it's time to get back to 50K business!  I'll be looking for when there's another Centurion event that fits into my training/racing schedule.  It may take a while but I'm determined to get on all the Centurion lists!

So I'm off to rest and refuel.  Happy training!

Getting back in the swing of things week 1

Things are looking up!  I had my second iron injection Monday.  It went fine, minus the needle in my hand hitting on a nerve so they had to redo the IV.  Otherwise I got my iron juice!  As with the first time the rest of that day I was totally wiped out, but since then I've been feeling so much better.  I've actually been able to start a full training schedule, not too hard, but at least not doing a workout then having to take 1-3 days off.

One of the awesome trails I got to train on in Michigan

Tuesday we got up at 2:45 AM to get me to the airport.  That time should just not exist, sooooo early!  But I had smooth flights and made it to Grand Rapids, Michigan to spend a week with my athlete Katie.  We've got plans for workouts, relaxation, beach, and I'm doing a training marathon.

Katie and J waiting for me after my workout.  J would look down the trail for me, he knew I was still out there and was worried about me :)

So the week has gone amazing (with a few mental challenges that I'll explain in a bit)!  I've gotten workouts in, not necessarily fast, but solid and most importantly done!  Actually, having just gone through my weekly log it has been my strongest week since the middle of February!!!!!!!    

Benny the bunny as king of his domain.  He gets really upset if you're not petting him.

Start of the race.

I managed some solid sessions, but ended off with a bang!  I did a marathon about 2 hours from Katie's house.  So we got up this morning at 4:00 AM and headed out.  My only expectation for the race was to finish, but I was hoping to be under 4:30.  I started off feeling decently comfortable.  There were a few out/back sections of the course so I was able to count and I was in 12 place for the women (it wasn't a big race).  The course was beautiful, going around a big lake in a huge park on the bike paths.  I hit the half in about 2:10 or 2:11, somewhere in there.  But I was feeling good so I started picking it up.  I ended up passing about 10 people and 6 women in the last 6K!  My last 5K was by far my fastest (by over a minute and a half) and I negative split the race by about 4 minutes!  It felt so amazing to feel like my old self again, still not in shape, but at least able to push at the end.  I'm tired now, but nothing is sore or hurting (minus some chaffing).  I ended up second in my age group, 6th woman overall, and 30th overall!  How fun!  Then I went in the lake, which felt awesome, and we headed home.

That awesomely awkward look when you're trying to drink and not spill all over yourself.

Jumping in the lake after the race felt incredible!  The water was warm and felt soft and comfortable.

Funny story....  We stopped at Applebee's. (that's not the funny part) The waiter was very personable and I was being obnoxiously friendly and goofy, you know, the whole, I'm low on glycogen and am acting slightly weird?  Yeah, that.  But he was having fun chatting with us.  I had to ask a bunch of questions about gluten stuff, so he knew I was gluten free, but he was very helpful.  When our meal came we had finished the sweet potato fries and I joked with him that they must've left some of the fries off the plate.  I then dug straight into the veggies on my plate.  He was a little phased and Katie says, "don't mind her, she just did a marathon, she's hungry."  He freaked out "You just did a marathon!?!?!  But you walked in here on your own, no one carried you!"  Then we told him I got 6th (although never mentioned I did it RWing).  He was so impressed.   Anyway, he comes back and says, we think that's so cool that you got sixth we want to give you a free brownie bite for desert!!!!  Katie said my face just fell as I said "but I can't eat it!  It has gluten!"  He barely even paused and said, "Well, maybe your friend can have it."  We laughed and laughed.  He then asked if I could eat ice cream (why yes, yes I can).  So he said he'd see what he can do.  Lo and behold, after our meal (which was awesome, tons of veggies and some salmon) he brought me ice cream and Katie a brownie bite :) 

That look when someone gives you a desert you can't eat, but would love to.

That look you get when someone can't eat the desert they were given and so you get to eat said desert :)

Okay.  And now back to what I was saying about some of the mental frustration/overcoming from the week.  One of the workouts I did was a 15K kickdown.  I got it done, and it was technically a kickdown, but it was not fast.  I "used" to do my 15K workouts faster than that.  And of course that's what I was thinking for a while during the workout.  But I kept reminding myself that I'm coming back from a lot, even if I didn't know it at the time.  My body has been depleted for a long time, and I'm already asking a lot of it.  So instead I put a big smile on my face and focused on how happy I was to be out there doing what I love and getting back to where I know I can be!

We'll see how the next few weeks go.  I'm feeling very positive!  I've got a solid schedule with some speed and lots of distance.  I have two Centurion specific workouts that should give me that last bit of confidence for our 100 miler.  This will be the year I get my Centurion number!  Then the focus shifts to 100% 50K.

On another note, thank you to all the people who have been buying their gear through my athletebiz store!  It all really helps and adds up!  If you have to buy shoes, clothes, race nutrition, watches, anything like that, please consider buying through my storefront.  I get a portion of each sale, and it really helps!  The link to my store is here:

https://www.athletebiz.us/athletes/erin-taylor-talcott/store

Also, I've been trying some of my awesome Gatorade stuff and used their Prime Energy Chews during my 25K Thursday and the marathon today.  I like the texture and the taste.  It's a bit difficult for me to get into while I'm RWing, but otherwise they're quite nice.  Maybe you'd like to give them a try?
http://www.gatorade.com/sports-fuel

roasted cauliflower

zucchini pizza

sweet potato chili

sweet potato nachos
 

In case you couldn't tell, Katie and I spent a lot of time talking about, preparing and eating food....

So here's to one solid week of training down and hopefully many more to come! 

Moving forward

Now I can train and travel in style!  Thanks Women's Sports Foundation and Gatorade!

Yesterday I didn't get tired and feel that overwhelming need for a nap in the afternoon.  This has not happened in FOREVER and I take it as a very good sign that the iron infusion is working!  However I might have overdone it a little...  I did a ton yesterday, all those silly jobs that I haven't done in ages, and worked out.  So today I'm a little more tired, but still not like I've been the past few months.  Progress!!!!

Since it appears that this iron deficiency will be shortly taken care of and things can resume as normal ---- no wait ----- better than normal ---- I'm happy to announce some exciting things coming up! 

One thing I've learned the last 3ish years of training I've done is that I do well at small training camps.  They ramp up my training, help me focus, and give me people to train with.  Dave and I have talked quite a bit about the next four years.  For a while immediately prior to the World Team Championships I was thinking of making it my swan song and retiring after that.  But with rumblings of the possibility of a women's 50K being added at various events I know I can't stop now.  And especially with the possibility of feeling like my old self with higher iron.  So we have devised and planned out different strategies for moving forward.

Thanks in part to my Travel and Training Grant from the Women's Sports Foundation I will be going to New Zealand for a two-month training camp starting the middle of October!  I am so excited!  There's a great group of speedy junior walkers close by, a running club close by that welcomes walkers, and great training weather it's a fantastic choice of a place to really get things going.  Add in the fact that I'll be able to compete in their 50K national championships and getting to go see Lord of the Rings sets it could hardly be more exciting!   Seriously, I'm going to get to see Hobbiton and Mount Doom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I'm so stoked!

We're quite lucky that Dave has a good job, and when I'm home in the summer I can work the farm and the garden and process what I harvest.  So while I don't work a job I'm able to save us money by growing food that can last us through the year (depending on crop success, of course).  However, a trip this long and far away takes a significant amount of funds.  The Travel and Training Grant is a HUGE help.  But now is when I could really use people's support.  If anyone has ideas of sponsorships, or know people who like to help athletes, please let me know!  Also, remember you can buy all your training/racing needs from my athlete store through AthleteBiz, and give HTwo a try!

I want to make myself accountable, so I'm going to list all the various things I'm going to do to improve and get to the next step.

1.  I will reach my ideal racing weight.  Thanks to Ian Whatley and his connections at the Furman University Sports Science department I was able to go through a plethora of tests and through a bunch of math and formulas we came up with a number that should be my ideal racing weight.  This is of course assuming I shed the fat and not just let my muscles waste away.  The time off training has helped me kick start this process and I'm already sliming down!  I'm focused and determined and will reach this goal!

2.  I will focus more on the "little" things that aren't actually so little.  Here are things sometimes let fall through the cracks that I will now seal up so things won't fall through.  For example:
A. hydration.  HTwo will totally help with this!  Drinking is something I'm not the best at.  I have to be reminded to drink enough fairly often.  One thing I will do to combat this is fill up water bottles at the beginning of the day and make sure I get through at least those bottles, if not more.  That way I will make sure I drink a minimum amount each day.
B. Core work.  I'm generally pretty good about it, but there's always room for improvement.  And I've found the stronger my core gets the better my technique is.  So bring on the six pack!
C. Strength/condition work.  Again, I do some, but this is a very good area for me to improve upon.  Nothing crazy, but I think twice or three times a week will do nicely.
D. Mobility.  That's one thing I learned in Rome, my hips are tight!  I was shown some amazing mobility drills/stretches that I can consistently work on to get things flowing.
E. Yoga/stretching.  Definitely something I let slide at times.  But if I'm going to be upping my training I'll need to make sure my recovery is able to keep up, including keeping supple.

3.  I will find a good weekly mileage.  I had upped my mileage a few times, and a few of the weeks went really well and some didn't.  Looking back now I see it was probably because of the low iron more than the actual training. 

4.  Keep up on my iron!  This actually probably should've been first.  I will take my supplements.  I will eat my red meat (which I enjoy) and spinach (also enjoy) and other iron-rich foods.  I will not drink tea near my meal times. 

5.  I will make myself accountable!  I will post updates on how things are going.  Feel free to ask me how things are going.  Keep me accountable!  Supporting each other is how we can all improve!  Let's do just that :) 

So, there you have it.  The beginnings of a plan.  The beginnings of a fresh start.  The beginnings of exciting things to come.  I know I haven't yet reached my potential and I'm going to work as hard as I can to reach it. 

And as promised, here is the link to my athlete store.  Please use and share.  And go to my FB athlete page and like it!  The more I can show that people watch/follow/are interested in me the more likely sponsors will be interested in me!  Thanks and happy training.

https://www.athletebiz.us/athletes/erin-taylor-talcott/store

https://www.facebook.com/RacewalkerErin/

More thank you's and more excitement coming up!

I know when I went to Rome I did a blog post and thanked people.  I don't think I can ever thank people enough, and since things are a little slow right now I thought I'd take a few minutes to thank the people and businesses that have helped me. 

Dave - I couldn't do it without him.  He is my biggest supporter, my biggest cheerleader, and supports me in everything.  He's there to kick me out the door if I need it, give me a hug when I'm upset, and doesn't complain when I go away to train.  I don't know how in the world I got so darned lucky!

Dr. Nagle - My Chiropractor/ART extraordinaire!  She always makes time for me.  She knows if I really need her it's because something is seriously out.  She's always looking to learn more and try new things.  She has saved me more times than I can count!

Steph Massage Therapy - The reason my body isn't tied in five million knots.  He knows right where the sore/tight spots are and exactly how to get rid of them.

Relax! Strength and Tone - When they heard my story they believed in me right away, getting me one of their amazing platforms to use.  I think it has been one of the main reasons for the improvement in my technique change which has resulted in no DQs!!!!  In fact, at the Olympic Trials I didn't get a single paddle!!!!!  Deb and Mike have been amazing, helping me with whatever they possibly can.  Take a look at their website and see if the Platform is something that can work for you!
http://relaxhealthandtone.com/

AthleteBiz - They also have been so supportive, helping me set up my athlete store where people can buy stuff from Running Warehouse and help me reach my goals.  They've helped me develop promo literature to help me find sponsors (could always use some if anyone knows of someone ;)  Take a look at all the awesome stuff you can get for your training and support me at the same time.
https://www.athletebiz.us/athletes/erin-taylor-talcott/store

Honey Stinger - I really don't know what I would've done without the Honey Stinger protein bars when I was traveling.  Something that my stomach loves and can handle, a good amount of protein, and great ingredients.  Their chews are awesome and great during a 50K and long training walks.  You can purchase Honey Stinger products from my AthleteBiz store too!!! 

Shore Athletic Club - Elliott Denman tried for years when I was younger to join Shore AC.  For whatever reason it wasn't until about 2009 that I joined.  Not only has Shore AC been amazing at supporting us, we also call Elliott our matchmaker, since I met Dave because he was my teammate.  So we have many reasons to be thankful to Shore AC!!

And now looking forward and announcing a bunch of exciting stuff.  Ready??????

First, I'm so excited to announce that I'm the recipient of the Women's Sports Foundation Travel and Training Grant!  Out of the hundreds of amazing women that applied they chose 33 to support and I'm one of them!  I can't tell you how excited and happy and thankful I am to the Women's Sports Foundation for their belief in me.  If you'd like to know more about what they do to help women in sports check out their website:
https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/index

The Women's Sports Foundation has partnered with Gatorade this year for the Gatorade Fuel Program.  Yesterday was like Christmas!  I came home to boxes of Gatorade products!  It was so cool!  They've given me a sample of all their products that I can try.  Then for the other three quarters of the year Gatorade keeps me supplied with training nutrition!  They've got great stuff like drink mix, protein recovery shakes, bars, and energy chews.  I tried the chocolate chip  Whey Protein bar last night and really liked it!  So excited!

AthleteBiz has partnered with HTWO Hydrogen water.  I don't know all the science behind it but it's  extra hydrogen in the water and it helps boost metabolism, reduces lactic acid, reduces fatigue, and relieves inflammation.  I got to try some a while back and I really like it.  There's two reasons why I like it.  First, when I was drinking the recommended pack per day I was doing a ton of cross training, doing a bunch of movements I don't normally do.  Usually when I start doing that I get super sore for a while.  It never happened!  I could feel my "new" muscles tired, but I didn't have that usual cranky muscle feeling.  I was very pleasantly surprised!  Second, and this may be something more specific to me, but I struggle to drink enough.  Hydration has always been a challenge to me.  Knowing the extra benefit I would get from drinking it, and having a timeframe in which to drink helped me stay hydrated.  A fantastic side benefit!  If you'd like to see their website you can go here:
http://htwo.com/
But if you want to try some please go to my AthleteBiz store to buy it.  I get a percentage from your purchase to help fund my training!
https://www.athletebiz.us/athletes/erin-taylor-talcott/store

I'm really excited by some of the developments that are happening with opportunities coming up.  But if anyone knows of potential sponsors feel free to keep me in mind!  I have some big goals, some big plans, and could use all the help I can!  Training full time isn't easy or cheap, and traveling to races and training camps gets expensive.