Lake Placid Here We Come!!!

Three days and counting to the start of Ironman Lake Placid 2012!!!  I just can't believe race day is so close.   We will be heading out in the morning with all (hopefully) of my race gear and our bikes.  I am so fortunate to have the support of family and friends, coaches, my "Wellness" team, PowerBar and so many others.  Thank you to all who have helped me along this journey, which actually started in 2010.  After being stopped then at the 104 mile mark on the bike, I knew I would be back in LP to compete in and complete the race.  Now that day is just about here and I know what I have to do to make that happen.  I will be thinking of all of you while I am on the race course and I know I will be feeling your love and support.  I will be sure to post a race report and photos after I get back home!!  Sorry this is so short, but I have to keep packing!!!!  

Open Water Swims at Dutch Springs

Years ago I was training for a triathlon with Team in Training under the  coaching of Bryan Meyers.   Bryan is a great guy and terrific coach.  He knew we were all nervous about the open water swim portion of the race and assured us we would do fine-we had a secret weapon.  That secret weapon was Dutch Springs.   What is Dutch Springs we asked??  It is the perfect spot for open water swimming!!  This quarry was formed as the Portland Cement Company began mining limestone in 1935 and began to flood soon after.   Water would be pumped from the quarry until it closed for good in the 1970's.  You can still see some of the pump houses in the water today.  The quarry is as deep as 100 feet in spots and has great visibility-up to 30 feet in areas which makes it one of the top scuba venues in the country.  On a sunny day you can see some of the sunken diving treasures-planes, platforms, etc., fish, stone outcrops and scuba divers!  They have also added a very fun water park-my favorite is the Blob!

That first year of training was very special.  My good friend Kath Hester and I would carpool to get there.  We had the entire 50 acres of water to ourselves-and somehow still managed to bump into each other while swimming!!  We still laugh about that!  Kath wasn't fond of swimming over the sunken airplane and I think of her every time I see it.  She and her husband Tom are now living in NM and baking their delicious Bakehouse bread! 


Over the years I have been back to train with friends and other TNT coaches.  The perimeter is a great 1.3 mile swim-perfect for us triathletes.  You can always stay and play in the park after your workout, too!


Most recently I have been training there for Ironman Lake Placid.  There is a loop of buoys Bryan had shown us that is about a 1/4 mile.  Melissa and I went there last week and I completed 10 loops.  She finished a little before me and took some photos from the lookout above where we swim.

I highly recommend Dutch Springs for open water swim training.  There just aren't many venues where you can get in that kind of swim.  Bring the whole family and enjoy!!

Kate's 2012 Team in Training Event

My Fundraising Page

Hi again.  I want to share my TNT event information with all of you!  I hope you can help support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and all of the good work the do.  I can use all of the good vibes you can send my way as I prepare for racing in the Nation's Capital!  Thanks!

Patriot Half Iron, Freetown, MA

Long Pond swim course

Last year Melissa and I had both raced the Aquabike Division of the Patriot Half Iron and really enjoyed the course and the entire race day.  Coach Matt of Blueshift Multisport had always said it was a good warm up for IMLP, so we put it on our calendars again for 2012.  We left PA Friday morning with everything going smoothly.  About an hour into our ride, I realized that I didn't pack my PowerBar Ironman Perform drink mix.  The race serves HEED and I had bought a packet of mix to try to get my palate used to it, but I just don't care for it.  My plan was to use my PB drink on the bike and go with HEED on the run.  Melissa quickly went into action with her I Phone checking for stores along our way that carried my mix.  She really is amazing with that phone!  We ended up calling Landry's Bicycles who is the event cycling support and I was able to purchase the mix over the phone.  They would send it along with their bike tech in the morning and I could pick it up outside of the transition area.  Ahhhh...all is good again.  The rest of our trip went smoothly and we got to the race venue to get our packets, do a short bike and run, tour part of the run course and get all of our gear set up for the morning.  

transition

PowerBar Ironman Perform!

Race morning was beautiful and clear.  Temps were a little cool, but very comfortable.  We set up our transition areas and I headed out for a warm up run.  When I got back we both went in for a warm up swim and headed to the swim start.  Melissa's division was in the last swim wave, but mine went off second at 7:04.  The water temperature was perfect, but the wind had picked up and brought some chop along with it.  I felt good on the swim, but couldn't really find bubbles to stay with for very long.  I know I will do a better job of drafting in Lake Placid....or as Mike calls it..the "toilet bowl effect".


Out of the swim and through T1 with no problems.  I took a little time to settle in on the bike and get into a good pace.  Traffic control was great and the aid stations were ready to serve.  I felt good on the first loop and at aid station #3 tossed my water bottle for a replacement.  The Poland Spring bottle actually stayed in my bottle cage until about mile 45 or 50 then bounced out onto the road.  I kept pedaling and hoped I didn't get a penalty for littering.

photo by Coach Matt

The crowd support at the bike/run in and out is really wonderful at this event.   I didn't know it until I started out on the run but Coach Matt and Sue were there cheering on his Blueshift crew.  It was great to see them and I appreciated their cheers!   I felt really good on the run and followed what my plan for IMLP will be.  I walked through the water stops and on a few of the hills.  I was still happy with my time even with walking! 

Close to the finish

When I was close to the turn for the finish area I saw Melissa with her big smile and heartfelt cheers.  From that point it was about 1/4 mile to the finish.  We found each other there and made our way to the transition area to get my recovery drink-PowerBar Ironman Restore.  I thought it made sense to pack up my things and drop them at the van before going back to the finish area.  That is when I discovered my wetsuit was missing and someone else's was hanging over the bike rack bar.  I couldn't believe it-especially since I ended up wearing Melissa's and she wore mine.  We have the same Xterra suit and didn't realized we had switched them until we were zipping each other up in the morning.  Now I was really concerned since it was HER wetsuit that was missing!!!  We spoke with security and handed in the other suit and were told to email the info when we got a chance.  Long story short......an hour or so later we were asking the race director where the results were posted.  Melissa told him we were the ones  whose wetsuit was missing.  He held up a wetsuit he had draped over his arm and said "is this it"?  It was!!!!!  We were thrilled and asked how he got it.  He said it was magic.  So all was good again, including the post race food.  Very yummy!!!!!!  We picked up some Muscle Milk and headed back to our hotel and later that evening met our good friends Lisa and Nancy for dinner.  After dinner we went into the restaurant's bar to listen to some live music.  The guy was terrific-great voice and very good on the guitar.  His name is Craig DeMelo-check him out if you get a chance.

Melissa and Kate

Melissa had a very good race and bettered her time from last year saying that she felt good in both the swim and the bike.  We have learned in triathlon that it is difficult to compare times from year to year because of how conditions can be so different.  This year's swim was definitely more choppy than last year, but overall temperatures were much better this year.


For various reasons (swims being cancelled, knee injury) I haven't completed an entire half iron since Timberman back in 2009.  It felt great to complete this race and also post my best time to date.
S 43:42   T1 3:53  B 3:29  T2  4:37  R 2:21   Total 6:42
Now it is about another month of training and on to Ironman Lake Placid!!


Overall, we both rate the Patriot Half Iron as two thumbs up!!  Great venue and race course, super volunteers and delicious food.  We will be back!!

Lake Placid Training Camp 2012

I am a little behind with my posts, but wanted to share my recent training experience in Lake Placid.  I am very happy to be coached by Todd Wiley this year.  I first met Todd through Team in training while preparing for the Philly Tri several years ago.  He is a great guy and a super athlete.  He was kind enough to hold an informal training camp for a handful of us that will be competing in the Ironman Lake Placid this year.  I headed up on Thursday May 17 and checked into the Comfort Inn.  I have stayed there before but always in the main hotel.  This time I was in a smaller unit lakeside on Paradise Bay of East Lake!  It was a very nice unit and very quiet.

When I arrived in town I was feeling a little out of sorts from the long drive, so I called and made an appointment for a massage on Friday morning.  I was lucky and was able to have one of the owners, Tim, work on me at Balanced Bodywork and Massage.  He loosened me up to get ready for my weekend workouts.  It was such a great session that I ended up scheduling another for later on Saturday after my long ride and T run!  Plus, I set up an appointment for the day after the race in July.   Ahhhhhh!!!!!

Friday afternoon our group of seven plus Todd met on Main Street and rode out of town on the run course.  We followed the course down onto River Road and continued out to Rt. 86.  From there we headed down to Wilmington and regrouped there.  All was going well until I hit a rough patch while going at a pretty good clip and my bottle in my X-Lab Torpedo Mount launched across the road!  I switched cages for Saturday's ride and didn't have any problems, even through the Cascades.  Friday's ride was around 31 miles.  A few of us met at Dancing Bears for dinner which was very good and called it an early night.

Saturday morning we met at the Crowne Plaza where most of the group was staying.  My friends Cindy and Mike always stay there for IMLP too!  It is a beautiful hotel with a great view.  We headed down to the oval and out of town on the bike course.  It was a little chilly, but was a beautiful morning.  Clear, crisp and very little humidity.  As always we were not alone with many athletes getting in their training rides.  The roads were in good condition but you could still see signs of the devastation from last year's flooding.   The temperature heated up quickly especially on the climb past Whiteface back towards LP.  The winds were light which was a blessing.  I had parked in the lot near the back of the high school and stopped there to refill my water bottles before heading out for my 2nd loop.  I had wanted to do about 90 miles and Todd had recommended cutting over the mountain on Rt 12 once I reached Upper Jay.  By then temps were getting hot and I took the climb slowly.  A turn on Fox Farm Road brought me out just above the road to Whiteface.  I was starting to feel pretty worn out and stopped at a park entrance to get in some shade, get some fluids and throw some water on my face.  I felt much better after that and felt pretty good on my second climb of the day back into town.  I got in 94 miles and added a short 20 minute T run.  That was a good day!  I caught up with a few of the others that were going in for a swim.  The water looked great and there were a lot of people swimming.  The water was pretty warm for this time of year.   I showered and headed out to see Tim for my massage and then headed to Lisa G's for dinner.  I had been there for lunch two winters ago with my good friend Bonnie.  We had ridden snowmobiles there from Upper Saranac!!  I enjoyed my meal once again!!  Early to bed that night!!!!

Sunday morning we met at 7am to get our run in.  It was an absolutely gorgeous morning!!!  We followed the run course and enjoyed the incredible scenery.  I opted to walk the hill by the ski jumps and also the one just past Lisa G's to Main Street.  I'm sure I will be doing the same on race day!!  It was starting to get warm by the time I got back into town.  Todd rode along while we ran and gave some great advice and refilled our drink bottles.  I was out of fluids by the time I was on Mirror Lake Drive almost to Northwood Drive.  Luckily someone had their sprinkler system going and I was able to get some water on my face.  I finished in the oval, grabbed a Gatorade and walked up the hill to the Crowne Plaza.  That was the toughest hill of the day!!!  Mike, I don't know how you do it after racing!!!!!  Thanks Todd for a great training weekend!!

From there I grabbed a Subway breakfast sandwich and headed back to my room.  A shower and some stretching and I was ready for the drive back to PA.  My weekend was fueled with PowerBar Ironman Perform drink,  PowerBar Double Latte Gels and Strawberry Banana Gel Blasts followed up with PowerBar Ironman Restore.  Thank you Powerbar!!

I had to stop on my way out of town to take a picture of my favorite road sign....  See you in July!!!!!!

The SCU Quad County Metric

This past Saturday I made my over to Green Lane Park for the start of this year's SCU Quad County Metric ride.  Registration was a breeze and I ran into my good friend and fellow TNT teammate Johnny Martone.  It was great to see him and his daughter and her fiance.  I missed our other buddy Bruce who was meeting up with them.  I opted for the metric distance plus the Intensive Climbing Unit (ICU).  Temps were a little chilly as I got the bike out of the car.  I was on my way right around 8:00 and quickly warmed up on the early climbs.  By the time I made the turn for the ICU I had to stop and take my arm warmers off.  I had my PowerBar Ironman Perform drink, water and PowerBar Double Latte gels and they keep me feeling strong.  the first rest stop was at around the 30 mile mark which put us somewhere below Macungie.  Lots of fruit, PBJ, cookies and other goodies!!  I opted to grab a banana and water to fill my bottles and mix up some PB drink.  A porta potty stop and back on the road.  I had a few problems shifting and checked out the line for the Guy's Bike Shop tech.  Too many in line so I just headed out.  From there we headed east on some roads that Melissa and I have ridden.  By then the temps were getting up there and the scenery was beautiful.  We passed through Richlandtown and I was tempted to stop at an ice cream shop but I knew that wasn't the best thing on a training ride :-)   The next rest stop was at mile 50 in the Towhee Park.  I was thrilled because I have seen signs for the park and always wondered what it was like there.  I also think Towhees are fun birds!!!!  Drink-your-teeeeeee!!!!  I hear them often on my rides.  Another well stocked stop and this time opted for a cookie as well.  From there we headed south and east back to Green Lane.  Once back I had a great veggie burger and a wonderful massage!!!!  Overall I give the ride an A+!  It was very well marked, very scenic, well stocked rest areas and a very organized registration/finish area.  Thank you SCU!!!

Here is the ride map and cue sheets 67 mile plus ICU: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1167116

Doylestown Duathlon

This year I entered the 4th Annual Doylestown Duathlon held the day before Easter.  Temps were chilly at daybreak, but ended up being just right once the competition started.  The race director was Todd Wiley who just happens to be my tri coach for IMLP this year as well as the Philly area TNT tri coach.  He is a great guy, a super athlete and as it turns out, a wonderful race director!  Melissa volunteered at the race which meant that I had to get there 2 1/2 hours early, but it also meant that we got a SWEET parking spot in a lot right next to the transition area-Thank you Melissa!!!!

My favorite volunteer!

The race takes place at Lake Nockamixon State Park outside of Quakertown, PA.   A 5k run started things off with 5 waves beginning with the Elite and Pro Men and Women.  I was off in the 4th wave and enjoyed the run which was on park roads and a paved path.  The course was marked as well as any course I have ever been on and included a few short climbs and many smiling volunteers.  After returning to transition, we left the park on our bikes and headed east on Rt. 563 turning around just before the intersection with Rt 412 and then west turning around just before Rt 313.  Lots of good climbs and lots of opportunities to get aero!  The road was open to traffic, but the shoulder was so wide and clean that it was like having our own lane.  Traffic control at the turn arounds and park entrance was terrific!  Did I mention Melissa was a traffic controller??  Back out onto the run course from there.  The weather was beautiful and warming up just enough to enjoy being in the park on a spring day.  Post race food was plentiful and good, lots of drinks and a speedy and thorough awards ceremony made for a nice day.

My time was 2:02 as follows: 5k Run #1 30:41 (9:54), 15.5 mi bike 59:19 (15.7 mph), 5k Run #2 29:09 (9:24).  I didn't set any world records, but was happy with my times and that I was able to compete pain free!  I finished 2nd in my AG, but first place winner Nancy Smith finished 3rd Overall Women's Masters (1:31:19) which bumped me into 1st.  I also saw Pocono pal Jocelyn Shilling (1:34:01) who took home 1st Place in the Women's Grand Master's Division.  Great job ladies and everyone else that competed that day!!!   It was a very well run race and I really enjoyed the course.  I would highly recommend it if you are looking for an early season Du to test out your fitness.