Year of the run

Each fall , like the good triathlete I am, I come up with a race plan for the following season. I almost never falter from this plan. Last fall the plan was to do several sprint and Oly tris. Work on speed. But when I was recovering from my hysterectomy a friend posted about this trail run called Wapack and back. It is a 21/ 43 / 50 trail race in early May. I thought…this would be a great goal and motivation to move after my surgery. So I signed up. It went really well and I loved the race and the training! I love to hike and had stopped doing it during tri season because I was so regimented about my training. I loved that Sea to Summit required hiking. And with trail races it’s also a fantastic way to train. Going forward I want to keep hiking as part of training, especially early season. 

Almost immediately after Wapack I wanted another trail race! The fates lead me to TARC Fall Classic 50k. I knew Id' have to train in the summer, but hoped the trails would keep me a little cool. I gave myself the month of May to do short runs, hike, ride, swim, and strength train.  The ramped things up in June.  I was feeling awesome for most of the month.  I was gaining some speed on my runs and rides. I was feeling strong! 

Then the first week in July happened.  I ramped up mileage a lot the last week in June to hit my 100 mile goal for the month.  I had two races planned the second weekend in July; Savage OCR and MA State Oly Tri.  I ran a lot those first two weeks in July. My joints and muscles starting aching in ways they never had . This wasn't just muscle soreness.  I believe I over trained a bit and things just exploded.  After the two races I ramped down significantly.  I was still able to get in my long runs, but did cut them back a bit. I went down to two additional short runs a week and added in more riding and swimming. I added more mobility work. And I got a trigger point massage. I changed shoes.  I now run in HOKA speed goats. They are a game changer for trail running. I have much better traction and have been tripping and falling less. HA! 

That seemed to work. I felt fluid and my runs were pain free again. I did the TARC Summer Classic 10 miler and attempted another loop.  It was a 100+ heat index day so I cut out 3-4 miles.  I was dizzy and felt nausea, unable to keep food down. I made the decision to skip one of the smaller loops and head back to the finish line. I still got 17+ miles in that day. I made the right decision. 

 I had planned to do a 26 miler prior to the Fall Classic, but because I ramped everything down my longest run was a 24 miler.  That was the weekend following the Summer Classic. I did the 24 as a split run: 17 from home on mixed terrain and a run-hike on the Wapack Trail from Watatic.  I felt awesome on this run.  It was arguably my best long run this year.  I actually felt like I could keep going when I reached my car! 

Fast forward the week before the race.  I went out and did a 2.5 mile trail run. I felt really good until I stepped awkwardly and felt a zing up my right leg. It resulted in calf/peroneal / hamstring discomfort with every R foot step. I worked hard the next few days to stretch out, foam roll, and decrease this pain before the race.  By the time Saturday came I felt pretty good.     

RACE DAY:  The race started at 6 am so we had to be there for like 5:15 to check in and organize.  I was actually feeling pretty good race morning.  Able to get food and coffee into me super early in the morning.  Jenn and I started together but she quickly took off. I felt GREAT for the first 11 miles. Stopped at my bag after the first loop, changed ear buds, grabbed more fuel and water and took off. Amy Rino from WWMS was there and helped me fill water. Chatted with me. It was good to see her and it gave me a little boost. The next couple miles were OK. I connected with a few women that I chatted and ran with for 2 or 3 miles.  At some point I tripped.  I didn't fall but I landed really hard and it shook me up a little. After that I felt kind of off. But I kept moving forward. At some point I started feeling awful and considered dropping out at mile 21.  I went back and forth on this about 10 times.  Y'all know I'm too damn stubborn to do this so I did not.  Besides, I was there to do a 50K not 21 miles. I told TOO many people my plan, I didn't want to admit defeat just because it was HARD. At the half way point I started run walk intervals of 6:3 plus walking the hills and running some descents. By the time I got to the end of loop 2 I was feeling a tad better.  And Amy was there. It was just what I needed.  I changed shirts and ear buds; grabbed more nutrition; talked with her briefly then took off. I continued with my run:walk intervals and that seemed to help.  I felt MUCH better on loop 3.  My legs were screaming but my head was in a good place.  I was looking around more. Having more fun. I saw a young deer AND an owl in like an 8 min span! I was able to run a little more in flatter spots and on safe descents.  The last bit was around a field.  I ran that last half mile, with the exception of a small hill.  Everything hurt. I crossed this finish line. 50 k done.  It was my first but it will not be my last. I came in dead last of all 50k finishers but I do not care. I am damn proud of myself.  I've not run longer than 13 miles since 2018. I certainly gained overall endurance last year, but Sea 2 Summit doesn't have the high run mileage, therefore I didn't gain much last season. It was maybe a big leap this year, but I'm glad I did it. 

I've now done three TARC races and can't say enough good things about them.  The runners, volunteers, and race directors are AWESOME! Everyone is super kind and chill. I plan to volunteer at the Winter Classic in December.  

Trail running and long distance trail running is a much different animal than road racing.  It's much more fun and playful.  You get to play in the woods for hours and hours.  And it's easy to incorporate dog runs/hikes and hikes with others who may not otherwise train with you. I now have to figure out how to do both long distance trail races AND triathlon. It can be done. But it'll be tricky.  

I continue to have something going on with the right side of my body.  I suspect it's some muscular imbalances causing tightness in piriformis. Which, in turn, is causing radicular symptoms.  I am not sure tho so I am setting up an PT evaluation with a friend of mine.  It's time to get to the root of this issue. 

I've build up a ton of run endurance this year.  The plan is to do Ironman Maryland followed by a 50 miler roughly a month later.  Now for operation get faster! 

Sea to Summit

I was fortunate to have the entire week off before Sea to Summit (S2S) and I am damn glad I did.  It had been since very early 2020 and since I'd had more than three days off in a row.  I was feeling burnt out and exhausted. AND this race takes a lot more prep work than other triathlons. I was diligent all week with my to-do lists, recovery and "primer" workouts and getting enough rest and eating well. NAPS and SNACKS. By the time Friday came I mostly had to pack up the truck. Unfortunately because I am a worrier I was anxious about logistics all week and did not sleep well most of the week.  I did manage to get a pretty good night sleep Wednesday and Thursday.  

Going into Friday and after my primer/opener run and bike workouts I was feeling pretty ready for race day. AND I got a text from my good friend Carole just before I set out on my ride that she was going to join me for part of the hike!  Mare had been planning to, but was injured and it was question mark.  I certainly could do the hike solo, but man the idea of having one or two friends hiking with me was amazing. And I knew it would push me to stay on pace. It takes a village for most of us to get to the start line and then finish line of a race, but this race it is imperative and required to have help. I had not one, but two porters: Amy and Mare. And now I get a friend to join me for the first half of the hike.  WOO HOO . 

As Mare and I pulled into the race site Friday afternoon my blood pressure and heart rate rose. I was both excited and terrified.  This race was going to be a huge challenge and I wasn't positive that I could hit the cut off times. But I was going to do my best. And if I had to finish unofficially; I would. My mindset had changed. It felt like an honor to be there. And so many people had helped me get there through various levels of support. The fear was quickly over ridden by excitement.  The venue was lush and gorgeous. The weather was going to be cool.  However, there was already talk of high winds and cold temps at the top of Mt Washington.  This meant a question mark if we'd be able to summit the mountain. We went to the air bnb, ate dinner, discussed last minute logistics, finished organizing, and attempted to sleep.  

I got roughly 3.5 hours of interrupted sleep, but was feeling weirdly good.  I felt nauseous and had trouble eating my bar.  I managed to eat half. And placed the other half in my bike jersey. We found out in the dark early cold morning hours that due to 33 mph wind gusts and 30 degree weather at the top that we'd be climbing to Hermit Lodge and turning around. The finish line would be back at Wild Cat. I was disappointed but also pleased that the race officials were being smart and keeping our safety in mind. 

The swim:  We all piled into to the water at roughly 5:28 for a 5:30 start.  There was a delay to the start of the race, however they did not announce this so we were all standing around in cold water.  By the time the released us I was shivering.  I am not sure I actually warmed up until I was on the bike.  The course was gorgeous, but I had a hard time sighting.  Maybe I was out of practice. Maybe it was that there were not many big buoys.  I felt OK during the out portion of the course, but struggled coming back. I just felt off and could not find my rhythm. My swim time was significantly slower than any of my training swims and than I expected.  I ran out of the water and up to T1.  Amy was there waiting for me and encouraging me to run. I was shivering and my lips were blue.  I made a decision weeks ago that I'd change shirts with each discipline.  Changing socks and shirts gives me a huge mental boost.  And I am glad I made that decision. Changing out of a wet tri jersey and into a  bike jersey helped me warm up fast on the bike. Mare and Amy helped me get dressed, load the bike course, and hop on the bike.  

The bike: I ran over to the bike mount area and hop on Speedy. My legs felt good and course was showing, although my Garmin told me that it was having trouble loading turn-by-turn directions. It was imperative that the course load.  S2S is unique in that it does have a designated bike course. Most athletes use the same route and have for years. There were no arrows on the ground, no cops or volunteers at intersections. No cones anywhere protecting you from traffic and asshole drivers. And the field is small, 100 racers, so it was unlikely I'd be in a pack of athletes. I am not that fast. I felt great for the first 15 or so miles.  But I dropped my bar trying to look at my cue sheet.  I had not seen Amy or Mare and was panicking that I'd messed up and given them incorrect cue sheets.  I had no phone or cash and only two water bottles with Untapped electrolyte mix.  That would last me twenty or so miles but not 90. Around mile 20 my course with turn by turns loaded. phew.  And I started seeing a few racers.  And then I saw Amy and Mare. I smiled and got a big boost. All was well.  I fueled up, grabbed more water and off I went. I was diligent about getting electrolytes and Untapped waffles into me.  My stomach was audibly growling around mile 15, which was not a good sign.  The front end of the course was a lot hiller and harder than I expected. It was demoralizing. I tried attacking the hills but didn't have enough umph and was in a bad head space. Then something switched. Maybe it was because I knew I was over half way of the course. Maybe it was because there were finally some gentle rollers and flats. Maybe I finally had enough calories in me. But I felt great between mile 55-85 or so. By the time I saw Mare and Amy at mile 61 or so I was feeling good and ready to tackle Pinkham notch.  I cruised to Conway and up Westside Road.  There I saw Carole in her car, which gave me another boost. I felt fantastic in the stretch from Conway to Route 16.  There was significant head wind making it tough to get down in aero but I kept trying. I saw my parents at Story Land which gave me another boost. I love that they come to my races.  I stopped one more time at mile 82 or so for a bottle exchange and an Untapped Maple syrup and coffee shot. YUM. Carole gave me the heads up that the notch was three peaks with a rest in between each . OK I can do this. I toggled back in forth on my Garmin to see the elevation profile and the map. I kept my bike in a low gear and kept spinning; alternating from standing to sitting. Getting in my aero bars when could. The road just kept going up but I kept spinning.  I glanced at my watch and knew I only had a few minutes to get to T2 before the cut off. I shifted down and pushed harder. I reached the top. Finally. I saw the Mt Washington trail head.  I saw Carole waiting for me.  I saw the "Wild Cat next right sign". I saw Amy, my parents, and Willow.  Amy ran up to me and told me to hurry.  Mare ran over. The two of them were helping me get dressed and change shoes. I just made the cut off.  

The "run": I got clear to run and off I went.  I chugged some coke and ate half a banana. I ran-walked up to the Tuckerman's trail.  My legs were wobbly and stiff but I felt pretty good! My crew was there.  Up the mountain I went with Carole and Mare.  We ran-fast hiked up.  Mare turned around about a mile up. Carole and I kept going. I stumbled a lot.  Thank goodness for the trees that prevented me from falling! The trail is not super steep at this point in the climb but it is very rocky requiring agility and constant attention. Needless to say I was not super agile at this time and stumbled A LOT but no actual falls. We rounded a bend and could see the lodge.  I upped the pace and checked in! Time to turn around and finish this thing.  We ran much of the descent. At one point I got super nauseous and needed to sit down. I was very close to actually throwing up.  Carole talked me through breathing and I managed to get back up and start walking again. Then jogging and sorta running! Then we saw Amy! She had hiked up with my Mom then decided to keep going. The three of us ran down to the trail head. I was very proud of Amy for running.  Carole and I kept going and managed to run most of the way back.  We rounded the bend and there was the finish line! I'd made it! Amy, Mare, my parents and Willow were there waiting. Along with a few race officials. I was very pleased with how I felt on the hike. 

I got my medal and kissed the ground. It was not quite as awesome as kissing the top of Mt Washington, but still amazing. This race was unlike anything I've done. It was hard. It pushed my limits . It was fun.  I will do it again.  

I am so thankful to Amy, Mare, and Carole for getting me through this race. Amy and Mare were amazing.  The got be ready and out of transition very quickly.  There were ready at every planned stop with everything I needed and more.  Amy with her Chewbacca mask. The both boosted me up when I needed it. Carole helped me up to the lodge and back. I could not have done this race without them. Its a tough day for us racers, but the support crew work just as hard and get up just as early.  I am a lucky person to have them in my life. And to my parents who were there cheering, had my coke, and made an amazing dinner later. I could not have asked for a better crew.  

This was the first long distance triathlon I have done as a low carb high fat athlete.  I felt great during my training using Untapped. My stomach felt icky during parts of the hike.  I need to reexamine my nutrition.  I am considering UCAN and perhaps using Untapped for an extra boost.  I am wondering if my body just couldn't handle that many hours with simple sugar.   I felt off during the first half of this race.  After a day or so to reflect I think so of that was nerves.  Some of it was being unable to eat enough prior to the race. Some of it was being cold in the water.  I am proud of myself for continuing to move forward. And for crossing the finish line with a lot of help from my friends. I am so happy to be back to racing and training with my friends.  

I'd highly recommend this race.  It's well organized.  The staff and volunteers are kind, communicative, and organized. I'll do it again. Hopefully next time I'll get to summit the mountain! 

Finally an extra huge thank  you to Amy.  It's hard being a partner to a triathlete. We're gone for hours at a time, sometimes all day.  We go to bed early. And eat a lot. She is by my side and my biggest supporter.  I am not sure how I got so lucky. But here I am . 

 

Long run block, Tour of Sufflandria, and goals of 2021

I had big plans for 2020. I had a great 2019 season with the Boston Marathon, Pumpkinman 70.3, Spartan Beast at Killington, and various other smaller OCRs and races. I was feeling strong and ready to kick ass in Sea to Summit; a race I'd wanted to do for years. I set myself up for a great season with a big run block and then a big bike block. And then covid-19 roared through the world. And through my life. I tried to train, I tried to find that fire but I was going through the motions. I'd cry during workouts or do them but at very low intensities. Covid-19 was still alive and well in my facility and my stress level was through the roof. I knew that I couldn't give training and S2S my full self. I made a big decision to defer. I did some virtual races, did a lot of hiking and trail running, tried to build strength, and used training to relieve stress and be the best me I could be for my patients. But more on that later. I am entered into Sea to Summit this year. 2021. A new year. A new me. I did 100 days of running/hiking from Nov-January and ran/hiked 100 miles in January. Most of the miles were running, but I chose to count hiking as Ill be hiking (hopefully fast hiking) up Mt Washington in July. I ran through cold weather, snow, and the dark. Most runs were in the dark morning hours. I learned that my body can handle that much running. I've trained it for that after years of endurance racing. I started with most days being half mile and a couple of threes, with a longer run on the weekend. Then went upward; in January most runs were 2 miles or more. I gained speed and strength. I am still not as fast as I was last winter, but I am feeling more fluid and stronger. I hit some faster intervals and I feel that I'll get back there. I just completed my third Tour of Sufflandria. It looks like I did all but one stage back in 2019. Last year I did it full power, known as nuclear. This year I finished the ToS with altered metrics per my coach. In the past I've tweaked the schedule a bit to accommodate my work schedule. This year I made a promise to do the stages on the day that the Minions laid out. It meant getting up at 4 am every day last week and going into work a little later than normal some days. My body felt trashed some days. I wanted to go to bed at like 8 every night, but I did it. And I actually felt stronger on days 6 and 7 then I did earlier in the week. And I am doing it all at slightly higher power numbers. And on a smart trainer. On that note I bought a Kickr Core in November. Because I was mostly running Nov-Jan it's only been in Feb that I am feeling the full difference in training with a smart trainer. For years I used cadence/speed sensors to allow me to use Sufferfest and Zwift. Power numbers were estimated. Then I bought a power meter. I immediately saw a difference in training both inside and out. I hadn't been pushing myself quite hard enough. This year I have a smart trainer. There is no way to cheat. A few months in and almost a month in doing harder workouts with it and I am feeling a difference. I can hit the cadence targets most of the time at the prescribed power targets. I am super excited to see how this affects my racing and outdoor riding! I was adamantly opposed to power for a long time. I once read that Chrissie Wellington didn't use power. And if she didn't' need it then why did I. But times have changed, I am getting older, and everyone is using it now. I needed to grow with the times and technology if I was going to be able to compete. So here I am training with power and wishing I'd done it sooner. I have used running and triathlon to deal with my stresses and anxiety for my entire adult life. There have been times in my life where I am only happy when I am training or racing. It calms me, gives me more energy, and builds confidence. All thing that allow me to kickass in day to day life. I ran the 2018 Boston Marathon to heal from the tragic 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. When I crossed the line I wept and felt like I'd taken back the Marathon. It regained what it had meant to me for years. The covid-19 pandemic has changed me. Perhaps for the better, that remains to be seen. I have seen more death in the last 400 days than I have in my life time. I am fortunate, I suppose that I have lived this long before seeing so much death in my circle. But there I am, watching my patients and residents die. Caring for them one day and tomorrow they are gone. Watching my patients who were pretty independent on Friday suddenly need 100% assistance to get in and out of bed, to toilet. Watching them cry because they don't understand what is going on. Trying to comfort patients who are fearful and isolated, away from family and friends. Learning of a death and having to reset and treat/care for the next patient. Never really grieving, because we didn't have time to. Because opening up those wounds is too painful. Dealing with hate and criticism from the media and outside world when we were trying to build a plane while flying over an ocean in the middle of a tsunami. Sitting in my car and the end of the day to reset enough to drive home. Things are better. We know more. We are wiser and more careful. But I still haven't totally healed. I feel fire again when I am working out. I feel more like me. But I continue to have a cloud of sadness over me. Healthcare workers continue to be clad in full PPE for most of the day. It may seem easy. But it adds a component of discomfort to our day. the gowns we wear are essentially plastic, plus an N95 mask, plus goggles, plus gloves. I feel sweat pouring down my back and chest most of the day. Then you take the gown off and are freezing because you're clothes are wet. We spend 40 hours a week being super cautious at work for the sake of our patients, our family and friends, and for ourselves. We haven't seen friends and family in almost a year because we are protecting them. And we see people on the internets going about their lives as if we were not still in a pandemic. And we wonder why the fuck we are doing what we are doing. But we keep doing it. Because we love our patients. Because we believe that it's the right thing to do. Because we want to set an example. But it's fatiguing. I just want my life back like everyone else. I want to hug my parents, my sister, my niece, my friends. I want to casually walk into work and have a great day wearing nothing but my clothes. But this is not our reality. I had a moment a couple of weeks ago. I recalled how running the 2018 Boston Marathon helped me heal from that horrific tragedy. Although we are not out of the woods with covid-19 there is hope. To help me heal I am dedicating my training and racing to everyone I have personally seen die from covid-19 and to every healthcare worker I know and love. It will help motivate me to do my workouts when I want to sleep in or collapse on the couch after a long day. And I hope allow me to process everything that we all went through. And the end of the day as hard as this has all been; if I had it all to do again I wouldn't change a thing. "You're broken down and tired Of living life on a merry go round And you can't find the fighter But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out And move mountains We gonna walk it out And move mountains And I'll rise up I'll rise like the day I'll rise up I'll rise unafraid I'll rise up And I'll do it a thousand times again And I'll rise up High like the waves I'll rise up In spite of the ache I'll rise up And I'll do it a thousand times again" Andra Day Rise Up You're broken down and tired Of living life on a merry go round And you can't find the fighter But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out And move mountains We gonna walk it out And move mountains And I'll rise up I'll rise like the day I'll rise up I'll rise unafraid I'll rise up And I'll do it a thousand times again And I'll rise up High like the waves I'll rise up In spite of the ache I'll rise up And I'll do it a thousand times again

Boston Marathon 2019

After days of people stressing about the weather it turned out to be a pretty great day for running! It was the makings of a great PR day for me. Cloudy, rain, sunshine, tailwind, thousands of fans.

It's a rare day that runners are celebrated to the extent that they are in a major city marathon. We runners and triathletes do our thing day after day. In the cold, wet, dark, heat, and on the rare occasion perfect conditions. Most people don't care about our accomplishments day to day. Of course we cheer our fellow athletes on every day. Because we get it. It's frickin' hard to be so committed. But we all do it because we love it. It's our therapy. Because we like to eat and drink. Yesterday was the celebration. For a day I felt like a rock star. People cared about my race and my accomplishments. I finished the 2019 Boston Marathon smiling ear to ear. Because its our fucking city and our fucking Marathon. Cause everyday that I get to run and ESPECIALLY RACE is a very very good day. BEST DAY EVER!

The day started at 5 am being jolted awake by thunderstorms. It was a pretty mellow morning by Kristi standards. Just had my bar, coffee, and a quick pup walk. Amy drove me to Groton Town Hall where my friend Kim was playing taxi cab for a few of us Squannie Marathoners. I'm so grateful for both of them, taking away any stress of getting to the start. As we were pulling into Hopkinton the rain stopped and the skies began to clear. I am amazed at the security and efficiency of the BAA staff and volunteers at the start, and elsewhere on course. Thank you for keeping us safe yesterday.

The tricky part about the Boston Marathon, for me anyway, is a late start. I am a "get up early, coffee and fuel, then go" kinda runner/rider. After getting up at 5 am I didn't start running until 11ish. I felt like I timed everything OK but my gut and body disagreed. I felt a little wonky waiting around to start, but was hoping it was just nerves. The first 8 miles were awesome. I stayed in control but was running fast. I felt light and strong. I knew it was going to hurt if I wanted to do a sub 4 Marathon. Then my gut kicked in. I continued on running strong until the the lower abdominal cramps kicked in. Absolutely nothing stopped them. I stretched, I did controlled breathing, I walked. All of these things helped but they never went away. My legs felt great, but a fast time wasn't in the cards for me. So instead of hammering for 26.2 miles I ran -walked the last half of the race. And that's OK because I was still moving and running. And I finished. Smiling.

That did not stop me from having a phenomenal day. The Boston Marathon course is a big party. I saw tons of friends. Random strangers cheered me on. I fed off of the crowd. I relished every moment. I loved the rain around mile 22-25. I loved all the "power up" signs. I loved the Wellesley college College scream tunnel. I loved the Newton Hills. Amy, Willow, Faith, and Carissa were at mile 19. It was the boost I need in the exact right time. I ran hard for all of my donors, for the Brittany Fund, for all of those who can't run. I cried. I was Boston Strong.

I have raised just over $5,000 to date for the Brittany Fund for Trauma and Recover. This a bit over $5,000 of my goal. I am over the moon thankful for everyone that donated. For every word of encouragement. These funds will help hundreds of people recover from trauma.

One of the best parts of my day was the Squannacock River Runners post race hotel room. A hot shower, friends, food, beer, and a dog awaited me. It was a great way to end the day in Boston.

My official time was 4:47:04. I am very proud of this. For now I rest and splurge a little. Next up: Groton Road Race and becoming a triathlete again after months of run focus.

It's almost go time

It's Saturday night; 1 day 12 hours before the 2019 Boston Marathon gets underway. Running and triathlon is quite unique because we mere age groupers get to race with the best elite and FAST age groupers. I get to be on the same course as Joan Benoit Samuelson, Des Linden, Sara Hall to name just a few. I get to race on one of the most iconic and revered run courses in the world. It's a privilege and an honor to race the Boston Marathon.

This ROAD TO BOSTON has been a special one. It's been about healing and taking back our Marathon. It's been about raising money for The Brittany Fund for Trauma and Recovery. It's been about many other people other than myself. My friends, coworkers, and family have rallied around me and helped me raise, $4,632 to date. Amy has been supportive as always, helping me with training and giving me fundraising ideas. Many will benefit from these dollars and it will make a huge impact on the lives of those affected by trauma. It's been about really truly enjoying running. I found my love of running and triathlon again several years ago and I haven't looked back.

I started eating low carb a few weeks after Ironman Canada 2018. It took me weeks before I got a handle on how to juggle this new way of eating and endurance racing/training. I kept at it because I had more energy day to day and seemed to have more endurance on longer runs. Around January when my runs started going about 15 miles I was in awe how good I felt. I found that I didn't NEED my Tailwind at the scheduled intervals. I drank it, because that was the plan. As the runs got up to 18-21 miles I did need additional fuel but not like before. Prior to eating low carb high fat I found that about 75 minutes I really did need to intake some form of fuel. My pace is faster and my heart rate is lower. In fact, I now have a Garmin Vivosport so I'm getting real resting heart rate data and am pretty excited how low my heart rate is a pure rest. AND I don't get HANGRY anymore. OK maybe not anymore, but it's rare! AND I don't feel nauseous after long runs.

Nutrition plan for Boston is this: small cup of coffee and a bar at 6:30 am, 9 am bullet proof coffee and an F-bomb, start time ~11:00 am. Starting at 60 minutes I will take one sip of Tailwind. My bottle will contain one scoop or 25 grams of carbs. I'll have the ability to grab more water if I need but I don't anticipate needing any. I haven't on my training long runs. This will be the first big race doing LCHF. If this formula works I'll move forward with it tweaking for a 70.3. Likely consuming an F bomb on rides.

I've been using Endurance Nation coaching since 2016. I've been pleased with my triathlon and running results using their plans. I hit higher run volume with Boston Marathon training than I ever have and my body has responded beautifully. I've added an extra strength workout in because I think it's important especially with a lot of running. One of the keys for me has been truly doing recovery runs when they're call for. Most of those runs I've brought Willow with me. He forces me to truly run easy and smell the flowers. Plus he reminds me that running is fun!

Tomorrow I head into the city to pick up my number and enjoy the Marathon Weekend madness. I am crazy excited about this race. As for the weather: it's rained or been hot for like 90% of my races in the last two years SO I am not terribly surprised that it's going to rain. I shine in wet weather. So bring it on baby.

Grit

I've been thinking a lot about GRIT lately. For a year really. A fellow triathlon teammate commented on a photo of mine in early spring. He said to embrace the suck. He is a badass and rides in conditions of all kinds. I will run in anything. Riding on the other had; I suppose I am a bit of a wimp. But I embrace the suck a lot. I have a lot of grit simply because I am a womyn. Because I am a female athlete. I've been thinking about just that. The things that female athletes have to go through that our male counterparts do not. I've been debating sharing this story, cause....well cause it's graphic. But ya know what; it's part of being a womyn and I am tired of hiding it. Womyn menstruate every month. Get over it. It's part of being a badass womyn. And yea it does make us stronger every damn month. So here it goes.

Last spring I headed out on a long run like I do every week. It was a two hour run if I remember correctly. I had started my period, but I still ran. It's what we do. The run was to be my commute to work that day. It's a lovely way to start the day. I felt fantastic. At some point I needed to stop to pee. So I found a spot in the woods. It was at this point that I discovered that I'd bleed through my tampon and all over my orange shorts. Not just a little. A LOT. At this point I had a decision to make: walk into work with blood all over my shorts OR take off my shorts and wash them and my legs in cold stream water. I choose option number two. It was embarrassing but it build grit. It helped build the critical "ah crap something unexpected is happening during a workout and I need a solution now". It's not a big deal really. But stripping down in the woods during a commute time can put a womyn in a compromising situation. 'Cause that was also something I was thinking about. What if someone stumbles upon me. What if a school bus drives by or anyone really. On a monthly basis I my workouts are slightly less optimal because I've just finished my cycle and am slightly anemic. Not because I'm not busting my ass every day, not because I didn't eat right or sleep well. But because I bleed monthly and am always slightly anemic. Sometimes more than others.

And that is why it rubbed me the wrong way when my teammate told me to embrace the suck. Sure I can embrace the cold on the bike a little more. But I embrace the suck monthly in a way men will never understand.

It's the middle of the winter here in New England. This past weekend I had to do a three way split for my long run because of the blizzard and because of other life stuff. I build GRIT on Saturday. I'll use it when things get hard: on and off the race course. That's what we do when we're endurance athletes and we have other commitments. We find a way to make it work. By doing that it's easier to find a way to make other life stuff work when it's not so easy.

I'm on week half way thru my Boston Marathon training. A mere 13 weeks left. I can pretty easily run 13 miles and am sure I could do 15 if need be. I am feeling good. Building grit every day. Becoming more of a badass.

The great Keto experiment

Ironman season is done. Time to do some obstacle racing with my family, running races, and hiking. With each triathlon season I try to take away things that I need to work on. To get stronger, faster, and able to endure more. IMCA brought out more badassery than I knew I had. I knew I was a badass. But I rose two more levels with that race. I challenged my ability to endure and surpassed it. I can get stronger on hills. I can get faster. I will work on my bike strength in the off season and into next season. I need to get better at swim starts. I freak out and lose time. I need more swim starts to improve on that....maybe independent swim races in 2019?? My run is solid. My run performance was indicative of the heat not my abilities. My strong run is what allowed me to finish! But I can always get stronger!

One big thing that has been lacking is my nutrition. It's gotten better since using Generation UCAN and Clif Shots; and then this year Tailwind and Huma gels. But I've still felt like I haven't had enough in the tank. Not the "I'm not fit enough" but the "I don't have enough gas" feeling. What I was doing this year was OK, but it could be better. Amy and a few other friends have been doing Keto for a while now and had very good success with it. I made a promise that I would at least try it after Ironman.

One week after Ironman, after I had my chance to eat all of the things I started dabbling. Trying to eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein. I felt sluggish day to day and even sluggier on short runs. Was that the keto OR simply recovery? I dabbled for a few weeks and this week I committed. If I am going to become fat adapted now is the time to do it. I'm training, but nothing TOO intense. I am going to blog about it weekly so that I can look back and really decide after 8 weeks if this is helping me. Do I feel better day to day? Do I have more energy in the real world and in workouts? How do I feel on long runs (no long rides right now)? Does that belly fat finally go away 100%? Is all of the GI distress gone? Is the bloating gone?

Week one: 50 g Carbs, 99 grams of fat, and 67 grams of protein. No grains, no veggies from the ground (this makes me a little sad), and no sugar.

The first few days of for real trying I could only get my carbs to 77 grams. My gawd I must of been eating a ridiculous amount of carbs. The last few days I've really upped my fat and my carbs have stayed low. I've had a steady level of energy despite being active with chores and workouts. I haven't had as many super hungry moments as is normal day to day for me.

I did a 9 mile run on Sunday having a bar with 31 g of carbs and coffee before hand. I had a high fat meal the night before. I felt great on my run. No bonking and pretty steady energy level. Today (Monday) I did a 3.3 mile hike at a fast hike-run pace in high 80's temp. Good energy through-out and the rest of the day.

I'd call week one a success. I LOVE Bullet Proof coffee. Eating high fat goes against everything I was ever taught and makes the old overweight Kristi twitchy, but there is some good science behind is being a good thing. I miss potatoes. It is worth continuing.