Step 3 - The Diagnosis

Five days after my bike crash, I finally got the official diagnosis on my shoulder. I have good news and bad news. It's Friday, so let's start with the good news:

1. I am the proud owner of a shiny new Cervelo P2C tri bike. I won't have it in my possession until they locate my size and I'm able to do the fitting, but it will be patiently waiting for me in a box at Cadence. Retail therapy works wonders, I feel better already!
2. I finally found a doctor to remove my stitches. I begged my orthopedist so he did it reluctantly, I think he felt sorry for me. And it turns out the PA that stitched me up in the Nyack ER did a beautiful job.
3. I'm allowed to bike on the trainer and use the elliptical as soon as I feel up to it. I can also do kicking and one-armed drills at the pool.
4. I have no ligament or tendon damage in my shoulder.

Now for the bad news:

1. As suspected, I have a fracture in the greater tuberosity of the humerus in my left arm. It's non-displaced, which is great, but broken none the less.
2. My triathlon season is over. My next triathlon will most likely be Ironman 70.3 New Orleans on April 5, 2009.
3. I won't be swimming for at least a month, but more likely 2+ months. This is the type of injury that will hurt for awhile and severely limit my range of motion.
4. I can't run for now, not even on the treadmill. I've had one week of resting and wearing a sling and my doctor would like a minimum of two more weeks. I'm hoping I can maintain some level of running fitness on the trainer and elliptical.

In this MRI image, you can see the fracture off to the right side, the vertical line toward the edge of my bone:


I'm disappointed for sure, but I was pretty much expecting this. I'm thankful the damage wasn't worse and I'm hopeful I can still have a good NYC Marathon once I get back into training. It might be difficult to reach my sub 4-hour goal with this setback, but I'll see how I feel and re-evaluate my goal if needed. I'm just happy to have a running season to look forward to along with a lot of indoor training on my new bike once my shoulder is ready.

I'm getting up at 3:45 a.m. tomorrow to go to the triathlon I was supposed to be racing, the Sandy Hookers Tri Club race in Long Branch, NJ. I signed up with my swim buddy Roberto and then invited Barb from my JackRabbit training group to join us. Since the two of them have never met, I felt like I'd be ruining everyone's weekend by not going. Besides, sitting around here feeling sorry for myself would just ruin my weekend so I decided to go along for support and to serve as the unofficial photographer for the two. I'm sure I'll feel some sadness and a sense of loss, but I'm hoping that being there and experiencing the day with friends will also be uplifting. I have so much to look forward to next season.

Step 2 - Wait

My orthopedist's office opened at 10:30 today so I called at 10:28 with fingers crossed they could get me in. The good news is that I got an appointment. The bad news is that it's tomorrow. I was thankful to get in this week, but the waiting is definitely difficult. It gives me too much time to sit here and speculate about what could be wrong and what my recovery will be like. I'll have all the answers I need tomorrow at 3:00. Until then, I continue to wait.

I slept really late again today. I meant to get up earlier, but dozed back off and slept really soundly. I guess I shouldn't fight it. I imagine my body needs it and this is likely the best time to be resting. I am always so stiff and sore in the morning that it's difficult to assess how I'm feeling for the day so I give it about 30 minutes before evaluating. My shoulder feels about the same, although I'd say my mobility is a lot better. This might be because I'm getting used to using just one arm so simple tasks aren't as much of a chore. My road rash is still pretty painful, particularly on my knee where I lost several layers. However, I'm thrilled to report that the road rash on my cheek and under my nose has faded to a very light pink and is barely noticeable. The cuts on my nose have healed a lot, but are still pretty red and the bigger patch of road rash on my chin looks remarkably better. I think my face will be dramatically improved by the weekend.

My elbow is probably coming along the most slowly due to the severity of the blow I took and also the location. The fact that I'm always bending it and it also has the pressure of resting in the sling makes it ache a lot. It's the only cut that continues to bleed even after so many days. The stitches are staying in for another week so it should be healed up by then. The stitches in my chin, however, are coming out tomorrow. I can't wait. They are black and wiry so at a glance, make me look like I have a facial hair problem.

My jaw also continues to make a slow recovery. I still can't bite down and can feel a lot of swelling in there. I'm taking 2 Aleves a day now and have seen a tiny improvement, but it's nowhere near getting back to normal. I'm really hoping it will be fine when the swelling subsides. The thought of having to have any work done on my jaw makes me cringe.

If I'm feeling up to it, I may venture out to Cadence tomorrow to have a final look at the bike I'm planning to buy - the Cervelo P2C. After this crash, I was worried that my confidence might be shaken a bit and keep me from getting back into cycling, but I'm pleased to report that hasn't been the case. While I definitely could have handled my bike better in the situation, I really think it was inevitable and just bad luck. In order to do well in my two Half Ironman races and Ironman Wisconsin next year, I'm going to be spending many long hours on my bike and I need it to be one ready for the challenge. I think the Cervelo will be just perfect and despite my current situation, I still can't wait to get it. I wonder what they'll think at the bike shop when I stroll in wearing my sling with stitches in my face? They'll likely make a hard sell for one of their coaching packages.

Step 1 - The MRI

My new, stronger pain medication definitely helped me sleep better. I woke up at 8 in the exact same position I'd fallen asleep in. The drawback to this is how stiff I felt, but then again, I think I would have been stiff regardless. I was planning to sleep in but my phone had been ringing so I checked to see who was trying to reach me so urgently. It was my orthopedist's office calling with my MRI authorization so I was immediately glad I'd gotten up. I jotted down the number and called the radiology center expecting to have to beg for an appointment this week. To my absolute surprise and delight, they offered an appointment at 7 p.m. tonight. I happily accepted and promptly went back to bed.

I woke up at 10:30 with a splitting headache, which I think is a side effect of the pain medication. It faded after being up for about 30 minutes. I got on a regular schedule with the meds today and it helped tremendously. I was able to move around a lot more comfortably and feel semi-productive. It lifted my spirits a lot to be up and around, even if only to sort through my mail and do basic tasks. I'm not a lay-on-the-couch kind of person so these past few days have felt long and depressing.

I had to venture out during rush hour to get to my appointment. I have to say, I was shocked and appalled by how rude and inconsiderate people can be. Here I am with visible stitches in my face, cuts and bruises, a big sling on my arm and walking with a pretty pronounced limp. Regardless of the obvious indicators that I'm injured and likely in pain, countless people slammed into my shoulder - the one in the sling, the one that's likely broken - in an attempt to get past me as quickly as possible. Even if they were just racing to get to the corner to then wait for traffic, they still felt the need to cut me off and practically shove me out of the way. Then a young girl and guy actually tried to beat me to a seat on the 5 train. I'm not looking for the sea of people to part in front of me and for people to stop and help me cross the street or anything, but it would be nice not to be plowed over while trying to walk down the street. I always clear the way for people who need a little extra room and I give my seat to pregnant, elderly or otherwise needy people on the train. I just think it's the decent thing to do, but apparently the feeling isn't as widespread as I thought.

The MRI was surprisingly quick. I was thankful for this since I was head first in the tube as far as you can go. I'm not claustrophobic, but the 4-inch clearance is a little daunting after 30 minutes or so. I had classic rock on the headphones to drown out the noise and pass the time and the technician couldn't have been nicer. Regardless of how relaxed I am at the beginning, about a minute into an image, I get the uncontrollable urge to move - wiggle a finger, take a deeper breath, shift position slightly. And everything starts to itch. I get this creepy, crawly feeling on my skin and by the end of the image period, I feel like Kate Capshaw in that scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where she's trying to get Harrison Ford and the kid out of that room and the bugs are crawling all over her. Luckily my longest exposure was only about 5 minutes.

I got to have a look at the images on the computer screen. I'm no doctor, but there is a jagged line across the part of my humerus that's suspected to be fractured, the greater tuberosity. The good news with a fracture in this part of the arm is that you don't need a cast and the healing time is relatively short. I was allowed to take the images with me - which explains the cool shot of them - so now I just need to get a follow up appointment with the orthopedist for the final verdict. Even if the news isn't what I'm hoping for, it will be better to know so I can shift my focus to recovery and rehabilitation. But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for good news. It can't hurt to hope.

Pity, Party of 1

As soon as I woke up, I knew today would not be the day I had hoped for. I didn't sleep well and had to get up somewhat early for a 9:50 doctor's appointment since it takes me 10 times longer to do really simple things. Everything hurt when I tried to get out of bed and walking down the stairs was a chore. Not only did the muscle aches and pains worsen, but all of my skin abrasions had started to burn like crazy. I was attempting to get dressed and get my hair into a ponytail and could not get my arm to cooperate with any of it. I finally had a little meltdown and was reduced to tears, not from the pain, but from feeling sorry for myself. I'm not proud of this and it's not how I want to be, but I'm human and I guess I'd finally reached my limit.

I pulled myself together and headed out to my orthopedist appointment. To add to the challenges, we discovered an insurance issue - essentially we weren't covered due to an HR error - so my husband left work to come with me in an effort to straighten it out. My appointment was brief and didn't have the outcome I was hoping for. The doctor is fairly certain I have a fracture of the greater tuberosity of the humerus even though it isn't showing up on x-rays. He referred me for an MRI and was hesitant to speculate about what my training future will look like. He also prescribed stronger pain medication and encouraged me to get on a solid schedule with it. The better I'm able to manage the pain, the faster I'll be able to recover. I'm having such a hard time moving at this point due to the pain so hopefully the new meds will help. Unfortunately, they also knock me out so my productivity is pretty much non-existent.

My little, private pity party continued throughout the day. Even though I'm most certainly thankful the outcome wasn't worse, I can't help but feel a little sorry for myself now that some time has passed. I have no idea when I'll be able to swim again and if I'll be able to do either of my late season races. I'm definitely missing a tri this weekend and a century next weekend. And at this point, I'm not sure the marathon will even be possible. The MRI will determine all of it, so of course I'm anxious to have that test.

I eased my sadness by eating some cookie dough (always a good idea), looking some more at the new bike I still want to buy and thinking about my longer term goals. This setback may have cut my first season short, but I have more than enough time to recover and come back strong for 2009. I'm still doing the two Ironman 70.3 races I planned and most definitely still doing Ironman Wisconsin. I'm hoping I got my inevitable crash out of the way and can now train injury free. That would be a silver lining for sure.

One thing that has made all of this so much easier is the support and comfort I've gotten from my family, friends and other triathletes. I've gotten numerous phone calls and emails checking in and wishing me well and some really positive comments here on the blog and in my training log on Beginner Triathlete. I can't thank you all enough, it has been a great source of encouragement.

The Gory Details

I need to warn you that this post contains photos that some may find unpleasant. Once the initial freak out over the accident subsided and I knew I'd have several hours of time to kill in the ER, I decided to capture some photos to chronicle the accident. I waited until after a great deal of blood had been cleaned up and the bloody bedding had been taken away so they are far more pleasant than they could have been! I think you might bleed more when you have an accident in the middle of something athletic because the scene looked far worse than what the injuries ended up being.

First up, a full shot of my face. You can see the road rash just coming out on my cheek (it is much darker today), the cuts on my nose and by far my worst road rash on my chin.


They didn't get around to looking at my chin for hours since there were so many other priorities. The entire time I was being examined and having x-rays, I kept feeling liquid running down my neck. I would reach up and realize it was blood. It ended up soaking my ponytail, leaving my hair a pinkish tint. You can also see that my upper lip was swollen from hitting the ground. I believe it saved my teeth.


Here is a closer look at my chin after some of the blood was cleared away. There was actually a hole in it. Yuck. No wonder the physicians assistant looked at me like I was insane when I asked if we could skip the stitches and just use some tape instead.


Next up, my hand. I had that nagging knuckle cut from the Niantic Bay Tri that had just finally closed up so I decided to wear gloves on this ride. I haven't worn gloves since June and I am so glad I did. My gloves were completely torn up so I can only imagine what my hands would have looked like without them. Of course as luck would have it, my bum knuckle took almost all of the impact and lost a few more layers in a bigger diameter. The picture doesn't quite do it justice and like my other abrasions, it has gotten nastier as time goes by.


Along with my face, my left elbow took the greatest impact. The x-ray didn't show any fractures so I seem to have gotten lucky. I had to get a few stitches to close up a hole and have had to keep a heavy layer of bandages on it since it presses in my arm sling.


My right leg didn't have a mark on it, while my left leg took a beating. I have a big area of superficial road rash along my shin and a couple really deep, really gooey abrasions around the knee. Here is a full shot after they were cleaned up.


And now a slightly closer look. This knee has been the most challenging to keep bandaged since it's right where I bend. It also makes it bleed and ooze (gross, I know) more so I've had to re-bandage frequently. Unfortunately, a lot of cycling injuries are on joints so this is a common problem.


This was my second CT. I had a head CT earlier in the day and was back a few hours later for the abdominal CT. The CT technician was incredibly nice and really put me at ease. I had to wait about 15 minutes for a PA to come and give me the contrast injection so he let my husband come in to keep me company.


After 8 long hours I was finally released and waiting for a taxi to take me back to Manhattan. It was a beautiful night and it felt great to be outside. I was wearing a new sweatshirt my husband ran out to buy for me since there was no way I was getting that tri top back on.


I was told I would likely be more sore today and possibly even more tomorrow. They were right. I felt like I'd been beaten with a baseball bat when I got out of bed this morning. The pain was much worse and I had stiffened overnight. I had to take the pain medication every 4 hours to be comfortable, which meant I also needed a long nap in the afternoon. I iced a few times as well, focusing on my shin and shoulder. But nothing seems to be helping my shoulder pain. I have an appointment with an orthopedist tomorrow morning to hopefully figure out what is wrong and get going on the recovery.

My jaw hasn't improved so I'm on an all liquid and squishy food diet. I had a little bowl of cream of wheat for breakfast, chicken broth for lunch and a strawberry, banana and vanilla yogurt smoothie in the afternoon. I took a walk to get some air and pick up a prescription for more pain medication and realized just how weak I felt. I've been eating 2,500+ calories a day during my heavy training and had only had about 700 at that point. I was able to have my first real food for dinner - fish and stuffing since neither really needs to be chewed much. It was so great to really eat. I might have this every night until my jaw gets back to normal. I finished the night with two chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven. After everything I've been through, I figured a little treat couldn't hurt.

Crash

I had my first non-car related crash today after four seasons of biking. I was out doing the 85-miler postponed from yesterday and even before the crash, wasn't having the best ride. I was tired and hungrier than usual so I was feeling a little lethargic. I ended up having to stop for Luna Moons just as I reached the George Washington Bridge, only 13 miles into the ride and had an Uncrustable about 15 miles later. Even after that, I was still feeling slow and unfocused. We had a re-fueling stop planned at 45 miles so I decided against having a gel. In hindsight, I wish I'd had the gel. It might have boosted my alertness.

At 41 miles, just outside of Nyack, I made a mistake I would pay dearly for. We were on highway 9W, which thankfully has a very wide shoulder, and came across a rather large road kill specimen. I didn't see it until it was too late and ran right over it. Running it over didn't immediately do me in, but I must have jerked the handlebars in reaction and I went down. Hard. I was going about 18 or 19 miles per hour so the impact was tremendous. As always, it happened so fast that I'm not entirely sure how I fell, but I vividly remember slamming my mouth and chin on the pavement. I heard my teeth hit and was sure I'd knocked some out. I managed to sit up and realized I had blood literally gushing from my face. My nose bled, my mouth bled and my chin was gashed open. I spit something out that felt like a piece of tooth and was thankful it was a piece of the road instead. My teeth were all still in place. My left leg was torn up as was my left elbow and the pain radiating through my left arm was unbearable. I thought it was broken.

While my husband was calling for an ambulance, a car pulled up to help. This man and his wife jumped out and immediately offered to drive me to the hospital, which was luckily just 3 miles away. I was so bloody and didn't want to ruin their car, a nice Mercedes SUV, but they insisted. Then a livery cab driver pulled over as well and offered to take the bikes and my husband in his car. It took a few people and a lot of wailing in pain to get me up off the ground and into the SUV. The man's name was Eddie and I unfortunately didn't get his wife's name. She had hopped into the backseat with their baby so I could ride up front. Eddie said he was a cyclist too, which explained why he didn't hesitate for a moment to help. These three strangers really touched me with their kindness. There are some truly incredible people in this world and I felt lucky to have encountered them.

I ended up being in the ER for 8 long hours. I had to have a series of x-rays on my left arm to check my shoulder, upper arm and elbow for fractures. Then I had a CT on my head to rule out a head injury. I had gotten a piercing headache on the way to the hospital so we weren't taking any chances. I was finally given some Percoset so they could attempt to clean up the wounds and have a look at my chin. It was gashed open pretty good and needed 9 stitches. Then we discovered I had an actual hole in my elbow, it was disgusting. That got a few stitches as well. It was looking like I might get to go home, but when I sat up after the stitches, I got sharp abdominal pains. A doctor did an exam and ordered an abdominal CT to rule out internal bleeding or lacerations. At this point, I got an IV for the dehydration and was given morphine for the pain.

The abdominal CT required drinking a "tasty" banana flavored barium solution - which I actually kind of enjoyed given how hungry and thirsty I was - and then waiting an hour and a half for the solution to work through my system. I was also given a contrast solution by IV that made my entire body burn. It was really strange and the chemical smell was so strong that I could smell it even though it was in the IV. I might actually glow in the dark tonight.

It took another hour or longer for the CT results, which were thankfully clear, so I was given some more morphine and just rested. My brother-in-law and his girlfriend had generously driven over an hour to pick up our bikes so we could just take a taxi back to Manhattan when I was released.

My mouth struck the ground so hard that my jaw is swelled so I can't bite down all the way. I was absolutely starving, but can't chew, so I had a banana and peanut butter smoothie the moment I walked in the door. I'll be on a liquid and super-soft food diet this week until my jaw gets back to normal.

My bruises are staring to form and I can't believe all the road rash I have. It's getting more prominent as time goes by. I have it all over my poor face, little patches on my arms and hands, my left knee and shin, and the strangest, most unexplainable place of all, the entire side of my right breast. Yes, TMI I suppose, but it's on the list of injuries. I was wearing a tri top that got shredded on that side and my sports bra underneath was actually torn with the fabric embedded in the rash. I have no idea how this was even possible, but it's painful for sure.

I'm going to attempt a bath, which I'm sure will be excruciating, but my hair is caked with blood and I have little bits of road all over me. Then I'll be icing as much as possible before calling it a night. I plan to remain fairly immobile tomorrow to rest my body. I need to schedule follow up appointments with my primary doctor and my orthopedist ASAP. I may have a soft tissue injury in my shoulder and need to identify what it is. It goes without saying that my race season is likely over. I was feeling sorry for myself earlier, but I feel really lucky that I wasn't hurt worse so I'm not dwelling on it. If my leg feels ok, I might be able to start running again soon and keep training for the marathon. But for now I'm just resting and taking it one day at a time.

Biking Before the Crash
Distance - 42 miles
Time - 2:41:48

DNS (Did Not Start)

In racing, a DNS means you committed to the race, but didn't actually start it. In the world of training, this is what happened to me today. I had an 85 mile ride planned for this morning, partly for the fun of it and partly because I decided to ride the North Fork Century in just two weeks and haven't ridden more than 30 miles since before the NYC Tri, so the ride was rather important. But my husband got sick and since he was leading the ride with the GPS, it was off. I tried to quickly switch gears and reschedule an open water swim, but it was too late to make it happen. In one last attempt to salvage the training day, I briefly considered a short run but then decided against it since my long run was just yesterday.

So today ended up being an unplanned rest day. I'm not particularly fond of rest days to begin with and an unplanned one is even less welcomed. If I had planned it, I could have used the day to catch up on all those things I never have time to get to. Instead, I had to improvise as the day moved along. The first thing I did was address the laundry situation. It was literally everywhere and seemed to be multiplying. There ended up being 8 loads of it and a rest day was required in order to get it done. I was able to do some other neglected household things before spending a few hours on the roof deck enjoying a beautiful afternoon and an even more beautiful evening with a bottle of wine. I don't get to do this very often anymore so it was a real treat. We had fall-like weather in NYC this weekend before an inevitable return to the hot, humid days of August next week. I'm glad I got to have some down time to enjoy it.

I also had time to catch up on the Olympics opening ceremony on DVR and watch the live broadcast of Micheal Phelps winning his first gold. It is incredible to watch the swimmers. I can't imagine being able to move through the water like that.

The big ride is rescheduled for tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. We'll have good weather again, at least in the a.m. hours, and then a full afternoon for relaxing. I'll have to do some adjusting to my schedule for the week now, particularly the timing of my long run, but it will all work out in the end. It's all part of the balancing act of life and triathlon training. I'll be back on schedule in no time.

Path of Least Resistance

scheduled my long run for today so I could do a long ride this weekend. I'm following a very basic marathon schedule given my simultaneous triathlon training so my long run was a nice, short (in the world of long runs) 10 miles. I continue to struggle with lack of running motivation and today was no different, although it only took me 1.5 hours to get out the door vs. the 2-3 recently.

I decided to head up to Central Park to run on the bridle paths. I wanted to give my muscles and joints a break from the pounding of concrete and stone on my usual routes. This turned out to be a great choice. While I struggle to get going, I really do enjoy it once I'm out there, especially on a day like today. It was about 73 degrees, partly cloudy and most of the places I ran were fully shaded by trees. The air was semi-fresh (it's still New York after all) and I was genuinely happy to be outside experiencing the day. Once I'm running, I wonder why I resist it so much. Is it really so hard to remember what I love about it? Do I forget that quickly? I wish I could get past that mental barrier and look forward to doing it.

This was the perfect run in so many ways. I barely felt my legs for 5 miles, and even after that, it was minor aches and pains, some of which were caused by the path. While the softer surface feels great on my legs, the uneven terrain stresses my ankles and makes my ITB hurt a bit. I ran my last loop around the reservoir, which is harder packed cinder and a lot more level. It definitely helped and the pain was a distant memory. I maintained a relatively consistent pace between 8:35 and 8:45 and my iPod Shuffle actually picked good music. Seeing the horses on the path just added to the enjoyment. I love New York City. Where else can you be in the center of a major metropolitan city and see horses fitting in as naturally as can be?

I finished the run and immediately stretched. The weather was just perfect so it was nice to be outside. I grabbed a chocolate milk and water from Starbucks and hopped on the train headed downtown. When I got off, the ground was soaked and everyone was carrying umbrellas. It had rained, but I had missed it. I seemed to have captured the best part of the day for my run.

All week I've been attempting to get a good video together from the Niantic Bay Triathlon. The full video is on YouTube, but the quality is not so hot. But no matter how we slice it and dice it, it just doesn't work so I can't embed it here. To see the video, click here. I'm in a pink cap and sleeveless wetsuit at the beginning and end of the swim video, and in the gray top and black shorts in the rest. What a great race this was.

Running
Distance - 10.10 miles
Time - 1:28:17

Bike Envy

I'm ashamed to admit this, but I am suffering from severe bike envy. I got up early, and I'm talking record-breaking early for me, to do a ride in Central Park since my day was going to be jam packed. I was in the park by 6:15 a.m. and immediately noticed the higher caliber of cyclist at this hour as compared to my usual mid-day rides. I spent more time ogling people's bikes than focusing on how well I was riding, although it may have caused me to speed up more than once so it wasn't all bad. I've shared how much I'd love to buy a triathlon specific bike and I'm just waiting for the right time, but I feel like that time couldn't be soon enough.

I ride a really simple, really basic road bike. When I took up cycling, I wasn't sure I'd even enjoy it. I didn't have a lot of money to spend and honestly wouldn't have known what to spend it on even if I'd had it. I went to my local bike shop and said I wanted something cheap so they sold me the Trek 1000, Trek's entry level road bike. It seemed so great at the time and it has really served me well. That first summer riding was the best ever. I did a metric century on my fourth ride and completed a full century the next summer. My bike serves its purpose and has held up nicely even though I don't treat it so nicely, and it survived being hit by a car (as did I) and has the scars to prove it. My cycling has improved tremendously, particularly this season, but I can't help but think how much better it could be with a shiny new tri bike.

Before I start to sound like a typical, gear-obsessed show off, let me also share that my bike frame is way too small for me. Apparently the bike shop was just looking to make a sale rather than sell me what was best for my size, so I now have a really ill-fitting bike that I can make better with some adjustments, but it will always be the wrong size frame. I know - excuses, excuses. I can sit here and make them all day to justify the tri bike purchase, but there is validity to some of it. But I'll continue to wait, not patiently, until the time comes for me to purchase my new bike.

My ride today was great, an easy 20 miles that was done by 7:15. I'm usually not even up by then so I was feeling really productive. I ate my second breakfast and headed off to the pool. On the way there I decided to swim another mile to change things up a bit. Swimming laps can be a bit like running on the treadmill, very repetitive and monotonous unless you try to make each workout different and focused on something new. I warmed up with 250 yards, rested for one minute and went right into the mile. Around the half-mile point, I had to stop for about 15 seconds to dump the water out of my goggles. I don't know what is going on, but they were leaking so badly that they literally filled up with water. I pressed them on really hard to try for a tight seal and kept going. They leaked a tiny bit, but I was able to finish without fixing them again. I felt great during the swim. I could tell I was breathing a little harder than my previous miles so I was hoping it meant I was swimming faster. I was thrilled that turned out to be the case. My first mile took about 38:00, the second 40:00 and this was 35:14. I'd love to be able to do the swim at my Olympic on 9/14 in under 35:00 so I'm just going to keep working on it.

I undid most of today's workouts with a phenomenal dinner in Brooklyn. We met friends in Carroll Gardens at Lucali for what is by far the best pizza I've had in New York. This was my second visit and it was even better than the first time since I have my training appetite. I had 4.25 slices (yes, I ate someone's leftovers) and a quarter of a very big calzone. Even if I didn't have the appetite of an insatiable beast, there is something about this pizza that allows you to eat twice as much as other pizza. It has the perfect thin crust, just the right amount of topping and everything is incredibly fresh. I don't know why I don't go there more often. You do have to wait - anywhere from 1-2 hours - but it is well worth it. You just camp out at a local bar until it's close to your seating time. It makes for a perfect night.

Biking
Distance - 20.3 miles
Time - 1:13:19

Swimming
Distance - 2250 yards (1.28 miles)
Time - 45:00

One Foot in Front of the Other

I only had one workout today, which is a first in my schedule for awhile. I usually try to plan two workouts, but decided to just run today. I'm trying to make running a higher priority and have a couple very heavy workout days ahead so a single-sport day felt right. I got up early and then procrastinated for hours to the point where I had to go at lunch. So to anyone who thinks I may no longer be lazy - I assure you, I am. It was overcast and relatively cool this morning so I should have been leaping out of bed and out the door, but instead I busied myself with pretty much anything else in order to put it off.

But once I was out there I really enjoyed it. The temperature had definitely risen and it was a humid day so I ran with a little 8-ounce bottle of Gatorade Endurance to avoid cramps. I've been battling side stitches this entire season and haven't yet found the magic formula for keeping them away entirely. My Gatorade strategy seemed to work well today. Over the course of 5 miles, I only had minor cramping twice.

I tried to stick to the bike path along the Hudson instead of the newly opened Hudson River Park since the park is paved in some sort of stone, maybe marble or granite. I've been doing all of my running on this surface and I'm starting to feel it - and hear it - in my knees. The oh-so-fun crunching is back and they ache a bit right after my runs. The bike path is at least asphalt so while not the best, it's better than concrete or stone. Unfortunately my plan was foiled when I reached the World Trade Center area and was forced onto concrete paved detours. I made a detour of my own and hit the streets throughout Battery Park City. It wasn't the smoothest or most direct run I've done, but at least it was a change of scenery. I also managed to fit in a half-mile or so on some newly cut grass that wasn't terribly lumpy. While this slowed my pace a bit, the break it gave my legs was well worth it. I'm planning a long run on Friday and think I'll go up to Central Park and do it on the bridal path since it's dirt and much easier on the joints. I really should be doing this at least once a week.

I tried to run a consistent pace today and focused on slowing my speed a bit. The consistency was just about accurate with splits of 8:34, 8:35, 8:28, 8:17 and 8:44 (well, almost accurate). I was aiming for an 8:40 or 8:45 average but the slightly quicker pace felt right so I went with it. My goal pace for the NYC Marathon is 9:00 and I've been training much lower, even on longer runs, thinking it would make the race feel easy. But I read a couple articles last night about slowing your long run pace by 45-90 seconds per mile to get the benefits of training without the risk of injury. That would mean running a 9:45 mile or even slower, which I haven't done in quite some time. This leads me to wonder a few things:

1. Is my goal race pace too low? Should I be aiming for 8:30 or 8:45 instead? This would allow me to do my long run training at 9:15-9:30, which would still be very comfortable.
2. Am I on Injury Road heading straight for disaster? I just increased my pace this spring and while it feels comfortable, maybe I should be reserving it for one workout per week and races, rather than all of my mileage. I've had multiple running injuries before and know I have limitations.
3. If I don't decrease the intensity and manage to not get injured, will my legs really be ready for my best race, or will they be tired and beat up?

Clearly I have some things to figure out. I don't want another set of injuries, but I also don't want to sell myself short. I've finally become a better runner and really want to reap the benefits, but only if it's right for my body. I also need to get better at sensing my pacing. I've relied on my new Garmin 405, but unfortunately the pace per mile is never accurate when I run along the water. At times it says I'm doing a 12+ minute mile and then I'm hitting the mile marks in under 8:30. I will swear I'm running slow, then realize I've done that mile faster than the last. I used to be better at detecting this and need to dust off that skill to get through the rest of my training.

I'm feeling re-energized by running and just need to keep that momentum going. Now if only it would make me stop procrastinating.

Running
Distance - 5 miles
Time - 42:47

Retrospective Look at July

July was a very big month for me. I started out having completed my first triathlon, kicked my training for the NYC tri into high gear, FINALLY learned how to swim and ran my first half-marathon of the year. Now that it's over, I wanted to take a quick look back before continuing to move forward.

Swimming

Even though I had completed a triathlon, I still wasn't able to swim comfortably and build my endurance. I went to the pool on July 2 and had my first big breakthrough, a .75 mile continuous swim. I went back the next day and did a mile and felt like I was on top of the world. I met my swim buddy Roberto and started practicing in open water every weekend and continued my pool training during the week. By the NYC tri, I was able to swim the 1500 meters panic-free and comfortably.

July was without a doubt the month I not only learned to swim, but learned to love it as well.

Totals:
Distance - 28,350.42 yards (16.1 miles)
Time - 13:00:18

Biking

I joined the Tour de France Challenge on Beginner Triathlete as a push to spend more time in the saddle. I committed to 300 miles during the Tour and kicked it off with a 66-miler. I hadn't factored in my taper and recovery for the NYC tri so I actually ended up having to scramble a bit at the end to finish, but I did even though it required an 18-mile trainer ride after I ran the NYC Half Marathon. Now that's dedication!

As a result of all the extra time I spent on the bike, my average increased slightly over the month and I was able to ride very strongly in the NYC Tri. Plus I re-discovered that I love cycling after having a very low year last year. Now if only I could get that tri bike...

Totals:
Distance - 354.43 miles
Time - 22:57:17

Running

Ok, so I could have run A LOT more in July, but at least I made the running I did count. I continued to push my pace and settled very comfortably into an 8:15-8:25/mile average for most runs. I ran a strong 10K the week before the NYC Tri and extended it to a 10-miler for my marathon training. Then I set a 10K PR during the NYC Tri, finishing almost 2 minutes faster than the week before. The following Sunday, I ran my first half-marathon of the year and set a PR by 12 minutes. So while my overall volume was a bit low, my effort and intensity was by far the best I've ever done. And for the first time in my 9 years of running, I no longer felt like a slow, casual runner.

Totals:
Distance - 76.15 miles
Time - 10:54:54

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Shifting back to the present, I had a good 4-mile run today. I didn't get as early of a start as I would have liked so I had the heat to contend with, but I felt relatively good overall and maintained a great pace. My feet have been bothering me so I had to take a 10-minute stretch break at one point. I want to prevent another battle with plantar fasciitis so I'm hyper-aware of any and all foot pain.

I did a longer (for me) swim tonight. I'd like to work on increasing my comfort level with both speed and distance so I went just a bit further. I'm going to spend some time this week looking at Olympic distance training plans so I can keep focused on the swim needs. My next Olympic race is on September 14 and I'd really like to improve on the swim.

On that note, I had to make a decision regarding my final race calendar. I am registered for the Triathlon at Pacific Grove in California on 9/13 and the Mighty Hamptons Triathlon on 9/14. I had hoped to find a travel partner for the race in California since my husband is unable to join me, but I didn't have any luck so I decided to withdraw. My decision to do Ironman Wisconsin also had an impact since I'll be spending 9 days in Wisconsin in September just a week before the race. I'm sad to let it go, but feel it was the right decision for my schedule and my sanity. I'll have a 50% event credit to apply toward one of the organizer's other races next year so I'm hoping I'll be able to fit one into my racing and travel schedule. 2009 is looking to be a very busy year!

Running
Distance - 4 miles
Time - 32:46

Swimming
Distance - 2,000 yards (1.13 miles)
Time - 42:00

Weekend in Pictures

Today was a much needed rest day after the fun, but long weekend. I woke up an hour and 15 minutes before my alarm for who knows what reason and felt sleepy the entire day. I think the 8 hours in the car plus the short night's sleep before the race really wiped me out so I was happy to have a day off. I had a nice lunch with a friend that included a long walk across town and back in absolutely beautiful weather, took some time to get the photos and video together from the weekend and wrote my race report on Beginner Triathlete.

To go along with my posts from the past couple days are some photos from the weekend:



Roberto and I "carb loading" pre-race at a local dive bar Saturday afternoon







Saturday dinner location, all food was ordered at a take-out window and seating was at picnic tables along the water







Race morning, getting transition set up and ready











At the finish and happy to have had a great race














Bike hand injury - it looked far worse before the run
















Post-race lunch, it doesn't get better than this

Another Great Race - Niantic Bay Triathlon

I'm starting to feel really lucky. I had my third triathlon today and yet again, it was a perfect race as far as most things went. We drove to Niantic, Connecticut yesterday, had a really fun and relaxing afternoon, and then a nice evening free of the usual pre-race stress. I think I fell asleep around 11:30 or 11:45 and only woke up twice - once at 12:30 when I received an email that vibrated the whole room awake, and once around 3 a.m., when I was amazed I had another 2 full hours to sleep.

The alarm went off at 5 and I had my usual sleepy daze of wondering what the heck I was doing. I forced down half a bagel with peanut butter and half a bottled Starbucks Frappacino (yes, I'm THIS desperate for pre-race caffeine that doesn't come in a gel). I also sipped a 24-oz Gatorade Endurance mixed about 2/3 strength to hopefully avoid the cramping I've battled at previous races. We arrived at transition and set up fairly quickly so we grabbed our wetsuits, caps and goggles and headed to the water. I wanted at least 10 minutes of warm-up, particularly because the water was about 70 and the air was around 66. We got in, I was feeling pretty confident and then I hit them - the bay weeds. This is an ocean bay so I'm thinking some rocks and sand and not much more. But oh no, there were huge masses of weeds, I guess a type of seaweed that grew in big, shrub-like masses. They appeared out of nowhere and lasted for what felt like forever. I hated being in them and couldn't wait to get out, especially when I spotted the purple jellies hanging out in there. The weeds stuck to my arms and head and were definitely distracting. I swam through them over and over until I stopped being short of breath and freaked out. Luckily the swim course successfully avoided most of the weeds so the warm-up was the hardest part.

This swim was different than my last two in that it was a beach start so when the horn sounded, we all just rushed the water and jumped in. You can't run very far in it so we ended up swimming freestyle in about 2 feet of water, which is definitely interesting. If you're weren't careful, your arms would end up scraping along the bottom. I started to the far left, the furthest from the buoy line, but didn't necessarily start last this time. I also didn't back down to every swimmer I physically encountered. I swam through groups and very close to other swimmers and tried to remain calm. As usual, it took about 200 yards to get into a comfortable breathing rhythm but just like the NYC tri, I didn't need any bail out strokes for the entire race, which made me very proud. I even drafted a little in this race because the water was so clear. You could see a few feet below and several feet all around so it was much easier than drafting in darker water. I got one minor jelly sting and swam right through it, but otherwise, it was a really comfortable and uneventful swim. This was the furthest I've ever been from shore so I tried to get as many glimpses as possible and take it all in. Once again, I didn't want to miss a thing.

I saw the exit and swam for it, but all the guys in front of me started to walk so I ended up having to walk as well. I got through the water quickly and was on the beach in no time. I ran to transition, but it was a very steep hill so it didn't feel very fast. I grabbed the bike and ran out really strongly and just as I passed over the chip mat right before the mount line, my bike slipped to the side and my computer holder sliced my right knuckle open. I didn't realize this until I mounted the bike and started to ride. It was bleeding so badly at one point that the blood was running down my hand and blowing off in the wind. I wasted time and energy trying to rinse it but when I realized it wasn't helping, I just left it. My entire palm ended up bloody and my handlebars and right shifter ended up bloody as well. After about 5 minutes I forgot about it and settled into a nice pace. The course was not as flat as they claimed, there were some nice hills and one really challenging climb that required an easier (ahem, granny) gear. But I was able to keep up a fast pace and my legs still felt great.

I had a much faster T2 and was out running before I knew it. There were no course markers so once again, I thought I was running slow. At the only water stop, I asked a woman that had been right alongside me the whole time if we were half-way yet and she said we were much further. I looked at my watch and thought if she were right, I would be on track for another PR run so I pushed it hard. The last 400 yards or so were on the beach so the sand running kept it interesting. I was able to finish very strong and felt I gave it my best. I was given a nice double popsicle immediately which I found to be very nice. I waited for Roberto to finish and cheered the other racers on.

I went to the medics to clean off my hand and we spent some time in the post-race festivities. There was really good food and we were starving so it was nice. We checked out of the hotel and went straight to the waterfront in nearby Mystic for a big lobster lunch. I had raw local oysters, stuffed clams and a 1.5 pound lobster, before apple crisp for dessert. I have to admit, I wasn't even that full!

After staring at the water for what seemed like an eternity, we finally got back into the car for the long drive to NYC. The drive was made longer by the fact that Roberto's AC seemed to have died on the way back so the ride was very hot. We were practically passing out at times, but we managed to get by until the sun went away and the heat subsided. It was a small price to pay for a great weekend getaway and a picture-perfect race.

I know not every race can be perfect, but I'm thankful to have had good experiences thus far. This race was really phenomenal so schedule permitting, I'd like to do it again next year. When we were standing and looking at the water, Roberto said, "So this is how a triathlon is supposed to be." We were amazed by the water quality and the scenic surroundings. Yes, this is how it should be, but since they can't and won't always be, I'll settle for this being an annual excursion.

Pictures from the road trip and race, plus a race video, will be posted tomorrow!

Swimming
Distance - 880 yards (.5 miles)
Time - 17:47

Biking
Distance - 12 miles
Time - 37:40

Running
Distance - 3.4 miles
Time - 24:55

Total race time (with transition) - 1:24:59

Road Trip

It's always a treat to get out of NYC, even if just for a short weekend. I've had a long stretch of being in the city without a break so the timing for a little triathlon road trip couldn't have been more perfect. My swim buddy Roberto and I decided to do the Niantic Bay Triathlon in Niantic, Connecticut. The race, a sprint distance, is tomorrow so today was the travel day. We left the city around 12:30 in a massive downpour that made loading the car quite an experience. With no traffic, it would be a pretty short drive, but in true NYC style, the first 30 miles were virtually a parking lot so we arrived at our destination 4 hours later. We went straight to packet pick-up and then off to check into our deluxe accommodations. We wasted no time and were promptly back in the car to check out the area (translation = find a local bar).

We had a couple pints (carbs, you know) at a local dive bar on the waterfront. I love being on the water regardless of where it is. The rain had stopped and it was fairly nice out with just a slight chill in the air. We finished our beer and settled on a waterfront restaurant called Captain Scott's Lobster Dock, which was tucked away along the water behind a small Marina. There was a little building where you ordered and a big patio full of picnic tables. The menu was all seafood and everything was in paper and plastic. It doesn't get any better. I had a hot buttered lobster roll, clam fritters and fries. I finished off the meal with a moose tracks ice cream cone. It's not the healthiest or most balanced pre-race meal I've ever had, but this feels like a mini-vacation so I didn't care. It's a good thing I have the race tomorrow. I might burn off at least the ice cream cone.

After dinner, we drove over to check out the race site. The water looked incredible, so calm and smooth unlike any open water I've had the experience of swimming in. There is a slightly long run to transition, but the sand is really soft and the rest looks to be along a paved path. Just seeing the set-up made me very excited about tomorrow. Every race is a new and unique experience.

Since I had to get ready before the road trip, this is the first time I get to really relax the night before a race. I feel like I should be packing and re-packing my transition bag, wondering if I've forgotten something, but it's all done. So I may just go to bed early. That will be a race first for sure.

Biking
Distance - 6.3 miles
Time - 23:23

Swimming
Distance - 900 yards (.5 miles)
Time - 20:00

Short and Sweet

My plan for today was to run 6 miles and then bike 20. But my body decided otherwise, once again. I had a hard time getting up and an even harder time running, even though this distance should have been easier for me. It was hot, although blissfully less humid, so the heat may have been a factor. But I've mostly just been struggling with running lately. I think some of it is mental and some of it is physical, and either way, I have to get past it. So I did the run and skipped the bike.

After missing yesterday's run, I was starting to feel the same today. Then a friend reminded me of how much he also dreaded running sometimes until he couldn't due to an injury. I remembered having a stress fracture, acute iliotibial band syndrome and most recently, plantar fasciitis, and not being able to run sometimes for months. During these times, I would have given anything to run. This was all the motivation I needed to get up and get out.

I did a very short warm-up and got right into the run. My first 1.75 miles or so were rough and felt like an extended warm-up. After that I hit a nice pace for about 3 miles or so, then started to fade away. I was incredibly thirsty and was at the mercy of the public drinking fountains so I had to wait almost 2 miles at times. But I think there was more to it. I had side stitches for the first mile and last quarter mile and battled heavy legs and fatigue on and off.

My running has certainly taken a lesser priority so I can't be surprised by the struggle. I'm hoping I will be able to get on a more normal schedule soon and get it back on track. I have a marathon to run and can't forget that.

In the meantime, I have my next triathlon on Sunday, the Niantic Bay Triathlon in Connecticut. It's a sprint race with a .5 mile swim, a 12 mile bike and a 3.5 mile run. I intend to give it every last bit of energy I have and leave nothing in the tank. It's longer than my first sprint so I've set a goal time of less than 1:30:00. It's on a beautiful coastline and near Mystic Seaport, so we've already identified our post-race activity. I'm traveling with my open water swim partner, Roberto, so it should be a good time. Now I'm off to pack up and get ready to go.

Running
Distance - 6 miles
Time - 52:14