Ironman USA Lake Placid NY 2012

After six months of training, it was finally time to pack up the van and head to Lake Placid.  What seemed like a time that would never get here was now only a few days away.  Melissa and I headed out on Thursday and made our way north.  We rolled into LP and stopped at race registration and packet pick up.  We were greeted by friendly volunteers and no line!  This is one of the few races I have been in where you get weighed when you pick up your packet!!  New this year was a great looking Ironman Tri bag instead of the older sling bags.  Very cool!!!!  We spent a little time at the expo, did a little shopping and met up with our friends Mike and Cindy for a great meal in town.  This would be Mike's third time racing here at LP!

We are very fortunate to have good friends that have a camp at the Northend of Upper Saranac Lake.  Pam and Bonnie have been gracious hosts many times before and once again welcomed us with open arms.  Between good sleeping weather and the long drive, we had a good night's sleep!

As a member of PowerBar's Team Elite, I have opportunities to work at race expos.  This year I worked a few hours on Friday morning.  I always learn something new about the products and nutrition in general and this year was no different.  Another perk of being in the booth is that I get to see friends and fellow racers.  I finally got to meet fellow Snapple Tri Team members Mindy and Bart.  It was so good to meet the people behind all of those emails we have exchanged!!  From the expo I met up with Melissa and headed to Mirror Lake for a short swim.  The water was beautiful and pretty busy with swimmers.  The lake also has a great beach area where families can enjoy the lake too.  We followed our swim with a wonderful bike.  Mike and Cindy met us for an out and back loop on a section of the run course.  Then back to "camp" for a good "night before" the night before the race sleep.

On Saturday morning I did a short run just to loosen up my legs and then a swim in the Upper Saranac Lake.  Thanks to Bonnie for escorting me on her jet ski.

Then we went into town to rack my bike and drop off my bike and run gear bags. I made sure I had a bottle of PowerBar Ironman Perform to sip on all day.

Back to camp for an early dinner and then try to relax and get to bed early.   I never get much sleep the night before a race like this.  I woke up around 3:00 and drank a protein shake to get some early calories in.  Got out of bed around 3:30 and headed out by 4:30.  Breakfast was a banana and a bagel with butter and honey, water and some PB Ironman Perform to sip on my way.  We drove into town and after a short wait hopped on a shuttle bus to get to the transition area.  A stop at T1 to pump up my bike tires and fill my water bottles, then body marking, drop off special needs bags and then over to our little tent area that was near the lake.  That spot would be home base for Melissa, Pam and Bonnie during the race.  I was thrilled to run into Andrea and Doreen on my way and exchanged hugs and good race wishes.  Apply the Sport Shield, give more hugs and head down to the lake with 2,500 or so new freinds!  I was feeling very calm all week long and on race morning too.  I'm not quite sure why, but I was very happy that I wasn't feeling stressed or anxious.  

And then the race started....  I waited for what seemed like almost a minute before starting the swim.  I went to the left of the buoys to try to stay out of the chaos.  There was an occasional bump and whack of a hand and only one solid kick to my left shoulder.   About half way out there was a lot of commotion to my right.  I thought to myself that I couldn't be hearing the crowd cheering, we were too far out into the lake.  I looked to my right and realized it was swimmers shouting and then I could see lifeguards on paddle boards headed that way and blowing whistles.  I just kept swimming and hoped that everyone was ok.  (We heard afterwards that someone was unconscious and swimmers were alerting the lifeguards.  We haven't been able to find out anything more about it.)  Before I knew it I was heading back in to the beach to end the first loop then back in to do it again.  Back to the beach-Yeah!!!  Then it was time for the "strippers" to pull off my wetsuit.  I tucked it under my arm and headed down the 1/4 mile or so to T1.  One of my goals was to cut down on my T1 time and did my best to hustle.  It was great to see Melissa, Pam and Bonnie on my way.

From T1 I made my way onto the bike and out on the roads.  I did my best to keep my HR down and get in a groove before taking in some fuel and starting to climb.  I felt good on the bike and only stopped once on each loop to use the porta potty.  There was a pretty good headwind in sections, but I told myself I would take the wind in exchange for a little cloud cover.  No flats or incidents even though I witnessed a crash at the aid station near mile 35.  I saw Kate's Crew (as they had on their custom t-shirts) and Coach Todd as I made my way through town on each loop and was thrilled to complete the ride well within the time cutoff.   I followed my ride and nutrition plans and was feeling good.  I was also thrilled to get off the bike and start the run.  I love my Kestrel but was ready to get off that saddle!!

Yeah!!  Finally out on the run course!!  I planned to walk through the aid stations and to also walk the hills.  I also wanted to start out easy and get my HR under control.  My legs were feeling good but my stomach felt a little off for about the first 4 or so miles (this was something new for me).  After that I was feeling good and headed back towards town and the run special needs stop.  It was great to see everyone's smiling faces-Melissa, Pam, Bonnie, Cindy, Coach Todd and his family and Coach Matt.  It was really great to see other racers I knew out on the course, too!!   On my second loop I had just come up the hill to Main Street, which continues up hill for a bit.  I was walking and was greeted by race fans calling out my name.  Before I knew it I heard clapping and a steady chant of Kate, Kate, Kate which turned into applause as I started running.  Thanks for the boost and for helping me get my running mojo back!!!!  Then the turn from Main Street and the out and back on Mirror Lake Drive and those smiling faces again!!!  I walked a bit more than I had planned, but still found that I had passed people in the latter part of the race.  The entire day I focused on staying in my "box" and only being concerned with the things I could control-nutrition, pace, etc.  I feel I did a pretty good job with that.

All this while you can hear the music and cheering coming from the finish area in the Olympic Skating Oval.  Above it all you hear Mike Reilley's voice calling out "so and so, You are an Ironman!!!"  Running onto the track is incredible as you hear and feel all of this going on.  Then you run the turn and onto the straightaway and see the finish.  There is so much going on around you at that moment in time and then before you know it you cross the finish line.  Two women crossed just ahead of me, so I don't even know if my name was announced, but that is ok.  I knew at that point in time that I was an Ironman!  That was my goal-to complete the race-and it felt great to accomplish that.

Time to celebrate with my favorite food.....pizza!!!  And friends including 3X Ironman Mike Walsh!

The sport of triathlon does not allow any assistance to the athlete during the race.  Those who compete in the sport know that the "assistance" that really matters occurs each and every day during the months or years leading up to an event.  The support, understanding, sacrifice and love of family, friends, co-workers, coaches, doctors and countless others is what enables, empowers and motivates us to follow our dreams.  Not only those who have touched our lives training for the most recent race, but those who have touched our lives all along the way.  It is such a wonderful journey and for me, one that only has meaning if it is shared.  I have so many people to thank that it would take days to write all of the names.  So please know that I do thank you and I love you for being there for me.

Kate Galinus, you are an Ironman!!

2.4 mile swim  1:26:50
T1  11:12
112 mile bike   8:22:18
T2  6:53
26.2 mile run   5:50:19
15:58:27

9th in Age Group out of 17


Buffet along the way:

Pre swim:  One PowerBar Gel

Bike:  PowerBar Ironman Perform, PowerBar Gels,  PowerBar Gel Blasts and some Stinger Organic Energy Chews.  Every 20 minutes I had either a) PB Drink, B) Gel and water or C) Blasts or chews and water.
One S Cap every 90 minutes
*nothing but a little water during the last 30 minutes on bike

Run:  PowerBar Ironman Perform, water, PowerBar Gels, flat coke, pretzels, chicken broth, half a banana, a few orange sections.  One Gel per hour, water or PB Perform at each aid station, broth during last 6 miles, other foods as I saw them.
One S Cap every hour

Post race:  12 oz PowerBar Restore, 2 slices of the most delicious tasting pizza in the world, water

I felt really good but a little tired the following day and enjoyed a massage in Lake Placid at Balanced Bodywork.  I did light stretching, some walking and some swimming during the week and really felt fine.



A special thanks to Melissa and Bonnie for taking such great photos throughout the race!

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