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. 

My slowest 20K time in years, and I'm actually pretty happy about it

Well, you know, not really....   But I know I gave it everything I had, and with the new knowledge of my anemia and me blowing myself out a few weeks ago with the running road race and the 5K RW race the next day, I really did as good as I think I could've expected.

I finished in 7th in 1:48:04, literally my slowest 20K race time in years.  I did slow down the second half, but I didn't get passed.  I went into the race with four goals.  First: finish (did that).  Second: finish top 12 to get the travel stipend (did that).  Third: finish top seven to get prize money (did that).  Fourth:  if feeling amazing really hammer it and see what I could do! (didn't quite make that one....) 

I was really glad they changed the start time from 10:30 to 9:00.  Right about 13K I thought, man, it's getting a little warm, glad we're not starting around now....  For me the race was fairly uneventful, it was mostly just trying to keep my legs moving.  After talking with some health care professionals they pointed out that all my dizzy spells and getting light headed when I sit/stand up is probably from the anemia and also why my chest has been aching a bit.  Basically I'm just not getting oxygen like I should.  I was going along great at about 5:18-5:21 per K then bam!  I started going 5:30 per K.  Never felt like it changed, never really slowed down from that, it just hit me.  I'll come back to this point....

After the race we went to the physios that were there to help take care of us.  They were amazing!  We learned so much.  They worked on Dave and gave him some great advice.  That's one of the awesome things of big events like this, getting to pick the brains of awesome people that really work on athletes all the time.  That was a total added benefit.

It was of course amazing to see so many friends.  It's always nice to come back to Oregon, where I grew up, and lots of people remember me from when I was a kid :)  They announced that Erin Gray was the only Oregonian, but I am too!  :) 

After the trials we had signed up for the firecracker triple, three marathons in three days on July 2, 3, and 4.  We thought it'd be a great kick off for 100 mile/50K training.  With the anemia issue I thought it would be much smarter to just listen to my body and go on how I felt. 

The first two marathons were small, cozy affairs.  The races (5K, half and full marathon) had an overall limit of 100 people.  The first day was in Cook Park and was 6 laps for the full.  There were some yucky hills and some trail sections, so a course that was not built for race walking or fast times.  I got through the half feeling okay, but then pretty suddenly started getting dizzy and my pace just crashed.  so I stopped after 4 of the 6 laps.  I ate a ton and when I got back to our friend's house I took a bunch of iron supplements.   Dave did awesome and finished the marathon!

The second day was a different park and it was 8 laps for the marathon.  I got through the half seven minutes faster than the day before, felt good, but then bam, started getting dizzy again.  So I did 5 of the 8 laps.   Dave again finished the marathon, and faster than the previous day!

before the traitor's day marathon (as my NZ friend calls the fourth of July)

The last day was a full out event on Sauvie Island between Oregon and Washington and basically all farm land.  It was basically flat with some rolls.  Started off with Dave.  Since this course was basically a big loop there wasn't the option for me to just stop at some point.  And since the half marathon started after the full, I couldn't just cut off during the race.  So I decided to go for the full, but if I really wasn't feeling good I'd stop and have them pick me up.   We started off and we were talking with a guy and this girl runs up and says, I've been watching you two for the past two days, I'd love to talk to you!  yippie!  So we started talking.   And talking...  And talking  :)  Without realizing it we had pulled away from Dave, but we were feeling good.

Ends up Sarah is 13 weeks pregnant!  She is still in the morning sickness phase so she needed a few walking breaks.  I would stop with her, but I was feeling really good, so the thought went through my head, next time she walks I may just keep going.  But we got going again and she said, "can I run with you the whole time?"  and I was like, this is so fun, we're having such a great time, I'm so happy to be out here, absolutely!  So we worked through all her rough patches where little peanut was being obnoxious.  We told tons of random stories and that was probably the fastest 42K worth of time I've ever had.  And, to top it all off, we managed to get her through an 8 minute course PR!  At one of the water stations Sarah stopped to use the restroom Dave passed us and he stayed super strong and finished his last marathon his fastest!  He's so awesome!

I am so happy that I didn't get dizzy during the marathon.  Wasn't my fastest time at all, but it was solid and I had so much fun.  And the best part, I feel really good.  I actually felt better after the marathon than after the half marathons in some ways.  Today I feel great and am thinking of going for a small workout.  I can't wait to go see the hematologist.  I've been taking waaaaay above the recommended dosage of iron for the past few days, and it's not something I want to continue to do until I know for sure it's okay.   Then hopefully we'll figure out what's going on, get the iron levels back up and feel like myself and start training again!

In the meantime, head to my athletebiz store and head to Running Warehouse to see if there's anything you need for your training.  I get a percentage of what you spend, so you'll be helping me while getting awesome stuff for yourself. 

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