The lungs man, the lungs...

So, I have decided to pick up with my love affair of all things Triathlon again. I have had a very nice hiatus and need to get back on schedule. This intermittent training over the last 3 months has caused me to have some visually physical "adverse effects"! I was diagnosed with Bronchitis (AGAIN) about 2 weeks ago and didn't feel well for about 2 weeks before that, so I haven't been a total slacker without an excuse. I got in 20 miles on the trainer on Saturday and ran 5.5 miles on Sunday. Monday was weights and today I went for a run again.... if I can call it that. I guess my lungs are not back to 100%. The plan was to bang out 5 miles, but my lungs were NOT having it.  I felt like someone was giving me a bear hug the entire time. I kept trying to cough to clear my lungs and get more air, took deep breaths, changed my breathing pattern every way I knew how, but nothing was helping. My friend is training for a 1/2 marathon that is in 19 days and needed a 5 mile run today. I am sure that after moving as slow as molasses and me stopping periodically to hack up a lung, she was just done. She suggested that we just stop. I felt bad and wanted to suffer through another 1.3 miles, but we called it quits at 3.7 miles and I could not have been happier. I drove straight to the pharmacy to pick up my inhaler prescription.  I needed the prescription filled STAT! Man, there is nothing like not being able to breathe! I felt bad that my friend didn't get her miles in and I am sure that we were running much slower than her normal pace, but I hope she understands. I feel better already after taking that inhaler tonight. While there is a steroid in it and I try to avoid taking more steroids (I take steroids for a skin/scalp condition and a nasal steroid), I will be taking this sucker daily!

I am running the Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon in New Orleans in 6 weeks.  I am really stoked about training over the next 6 weeks and getting back to swimming, cycling and weights. The only Triathlon on the schedule so far is the Philly Olympic Distance in June. I am going to try really hard to stick to using my kettle bells regularly over the next 6 weeks. Try...


I hope your year is off to a great start!!

Tri Becca

Fins!

I have not been the best at staying committed  to my off-season triathlon plan, but I am working to change that. The Masters swim team that I belong to requires us to attend at least 2 swim sessions per month. I was so burned out from this triathlon season, that it's been a challenge to make it to the pool that frequently. I am actually honored to be a part of this team and would hate to get kicked off, so I have been trying to be better about making it to practice. Also, the USAT Club Challenge is ongoing and Tri Unify has a team of 13, so I am trying to do my part and get in some swim miles to put up on the board this month.

On Saturdays, the team practices in the 50 meter lanes. We are reduced to only 4 lanes and this makes it more of a challenge for the slower swimmers. This past Saturday, I showed up and noticed that there were a few people that were waaaaayyyy faster than me in the "slow lane". I realized that it was probably because the other lanes were just too crowded, but I got nervous. My paranoia for being "the slow girl that swims like the water is molasses and slows everyone down" started to creep in immediately. Everyone in the club has always been very nice and welcoming. I realize that my discomfort with my speed and ability has caused me to shy away from most of the faster swimmers. Sometimes I even get in a lane all by myself while swimming at another pool with this team. I know that when it comes to this swim team, what I think about myself probably has caused me to come across as anti social or unfriendly, but the truth is that I really am  just intimidated and not comfortable with my speed.

The swim coach on Saturday is usually in the slower lanes, so I was happy that she was coaching... until I found out that we were working on pacing. UGH! I got in the lane last, behind the old guy that told me that I was too slow when I first started. But the first person in the lane repeatedly caught up with me and swam past me. I noticed that I was swimming every other lap, as I had to wait until all of the faster swimmers went on to another lap, while I was just trying to  finish my first one. I got discouraged really quickly and contemplated leaving the pool after only 10 minutes of swimming. My thought was that I was just too slow to swim with the team on Saturdays when we have fewer lanes and that I would just come back on Tuesday. I was cool with that. I know that I am slow and these things happen... well that is what I told myself to feel better with my decision to quit swimming on Saturday.

When I went to climb out of the lane, I remembered that I had brought my fins! I remembered Lisa saying that her fins made her faster. So, I thought that I would give the fins a tri for just one more lap and see if I could keep up with the swimmers in my lane. This was my last ditch effort before calling it quits.Not only was I able to keep up, but before long, 3 people were in the lane BEHIND ME (including the old guy!). I was pumped! I was okay with the fact that I need a swim crutch  fins in order to keep up. I was ecstatic that I was not getting lapped in the pool any more! I felt like I was finally a part of the team!! This lady asked why I was using fins and I told her that I was about to quit, until I realized that the fins helped me to go faster so I could keep up. I don't think she really understood how close I was to quitting and my delight to finally be able to keep up, as she proceeded to tell me that, "fins give you a false sense of confidence..." yadda yadda... She was probably right, but I needed to know that I could keep up. I needed something to help me to not be a quitter. I needed my fins on Saturday!

Even though I have completed 10 Triathlons, to include two Ironman 70.3 events, I still have doubts about my ability. There is always room for improvement. I am sharing this story for anyone that may be easily discouraged or for someone that may be quitting before they even tri. I just want folks to know that even those that have completed triathlons in the past have insecurities and moments when they want to quit. I guess the message is to never quit before you tri and sometimes you may need a "crutch" until you can keep up all on your own.

I can't wait to swim with my fins again next Saturday!!! I won't use them on Tuesday or Thursday, but on Saturday, they will be my treat!!

Love,
Tri Becca

Tri Unify Holiday party (w/Elections)

You are cordially invited to the Tri Unify Holiday Party (w/Elections)

featuring the Baltimore Metro Wheelers Cycling Club & the OC's

Saturday, December 15th, 2012

6pm

True Blessings Estate

5135 Sheppard Lane

Ellicott City, MD 21042

443-324-1031

Come out to enjoy some good food, great drinks, awesome stories and maybe even find an off-season training buddy or two.

 

This is a pot luck event

Please bring something to share according to your last name and the list below:

Last Name

A-I : Appetizer/Platter/Side Dish

J-R: Beverages (w/one bag of ice) - it can be of the adult variety or not
S-Z: Dessert

***RSVP's are MANDATORY: contact@triunify.com***

There comes a time...

In 2010, I spent a small fortune on swimming lessons, a new carbon road bike and everything to go on/with it, cycling gear, running gear, swimming gear and race entry fees. I didn't break the bank as much in 2011, but I did register for 5 Triathlons and a few running races. In 2012, I signed up for 2 Ironman 70.3 races (at $300 each) and two running races. I have not added up how much I have spent over the last 3 years, but I am certain that it is in the thousands. Especially if I include race nutrition, nutritionists, physical therapy, acupuncture, travel expenses, etc. I am at a point where I have to really focus and buckle down in order to achieve some financial and personal goals. After making financial cuts in many other areas, I realize that I need to take more drastic measures to reach my financial goals. So, it is with great sadness that I have decided to take the 2013 Triathlon season off and not spend any money on race entry fees.

It is the most heart wrenching decision, as I feel that being a Triathlete is now woven into my soul and makes up a part of who I am now. Since I know so many Triathletes and others that swim, bike and/or run, I plan to keep my fitness up by training with others for their races. I want to take 2013 to not only work towards my financial goals, but to get more fit, lean and faster. I would love to make my Triathlon comeback by completing a full Ironman in 2014. I have thought about raising money to race or to volunteer in exchange for free race slots in 2013, so I don't have to take a break from racing. I may have to get creative in order to race without paying the entry fees, as I am positive that not racing in 2013 will be extremely difficult for me.

If anyone reading this have any ideas or suggestions of how I can continue to race without incurring the expenses,  please let me know  (rwilliams2500 at gmail dot com).

Thank you for following me on this Triathlon journey and please know that I WILL be back! I see that I am getting better with time and I will not stop here. I vow to come back faster and stronger than ever before.


Tri Becca

Getting better with time

Yesterday, I completed the Army Ten Miler. In 2010, I couldn't run this race due to an injured ankle, last year I finished in 2 hours 13 minutes and this year, I finished much, much faster. I had a bit of dejavu from 2010 on Monday after rolling my ankle while running down stairs in boot camp.  I took the rest of the week off to rest and ice it, so that I wouldn't be sidelined again for this race. It was very painful to be on the sidelines in 2010 and I enjoyed it so much last year that the thought of not being able to run it this year brought me great sadness. I had only run a few times in the 4 weeks since my Ironman 70.3 Cozumel and after hurting my ankle again, I was a extremely nervous on race morning... but I was committed to try.

We met up with several ladies that morning for Team Usual Suspects photos, decided on a post race meet up spot and we took off.

Team Usual Suspects!

Me and Tania

Lisa, Me and Tania

About to get it IN

My friend Tania got a bib at the last minute to run with me. She really helped to pace me for the first 3 miles and then she had to take off at her usual speedy pace. Pier was being her usual Spectator Extraordinaire self and showed up at mile 1 and mile 5. I was so surprised to make it to the 5 mile mark before 1 hour (it usually takes me 1:05 to run 5 miles). The bands and spectators were amazing and some of the runners were mind blowing! There was a guy running and playing a piccolo the entire time! The 14th Street bridge kicked my butt again this year, but I got across it by taking it light post by light post, alternating running and walking. There was a lady who told me that I was pacing her the entire race and I couldn't stop now. When I started to walk in mile 9, she was right there with a positive message to get me going again. I started to think about how my friends would be at the finish line when I finished. I decided to push through my exhaustion and try to achieve my stretch goal, which was to finish in under 2 hours. My goal was 2 hours flat, but with that lady pacing me in Mile 9, I knew that my stretch goal was possible. My legs hurt, I was exhausted and thirsty, but I kicked up the pace and finished strong in 1:55! I cut 10 minutes off my 10K time and finished the entire 10 mile run 18 minutes faster than last year!

Me and Pier

If I do this race again next year, I will push for 1:45 with a stretch goal of under 1:40. I may not be racing at all next year (more on that later), but if I do, I will try my best to meet these goals.

DONE!!!!!!

Ironman 70.3 Cozumel

Pre-race:

We traveled to Cozumel on Friday before the race. This was the travel day from HELL! We all tried to go with the flow and we held it together quite well despite all of the travel snafus. We were supposed to get in at about 4pm but did not make it to the hotel until about 9pm. We flew into Cozumel, took a shuttle to Playa del Carmen, was denied access to the 3pm ferry, although it was right there, waited for the 5pm ferry which sailed off and left us on the dock, discovered that it was the last ferry of the day with that company, had to return/purchase more tickets for a different company that made us bring our bike boxes up a flight of stairs instead of storing them at the bottom of the ferry like the luggage and then finally arrived in Cozumel and took a cab (which we had to pack our 4 bike boxes and 6 people into by ourselves, as the cab driver watched)  to our hotel.  I think our little stop over at Playa del Carmen's Senor Frogs and the shenanigans that took place there, made our travel woes a little more bearable. By the time we made it to our hotel, I was tired and in pain from dragging my bike box with one missing wheel. 

We FINALLY arrived!!

On Saturday morning, we went out for a practice swim that was absolutely amazing! The water was calm and warm with beautiful fish, turtles, dolphins and scuba divers. We were approached by a guy who screamed out, "ENGLISH!" when he heard us talking and he immediately became a part of our crew. Philly Joe was his name, he fit right in and never left our side. He was a hoot. Race preparations were confusing and time consuming, but we got it all done. 

About to hop in for a practice swim

Planning to take on the island!

Showing off our Tri tats!

Philly Joe!

We were rushing around right up until the time when Dawn and I had to make a mad dash to meet our swim wave that was on the deck waiting to jump into the ocean on race morning. We had a few minutes to spare before jumping in. There was a dolphin show and the Military band played for us before we started our Ironman 70.3 Cozumel journey...

Awesome dolphin show before the race!

These girls were PUMPED UP!

1.2 mile Swim:

My goal was to finish the swim in under an hour. The average time to complete this distance for someone in my age group is 46 minutes. I am a slow swimmer and finished in exactly 1 hour the last time I did this distance, so I wanted to beat that... and I DID!! It was a great swim minus a major issue with a buoy that fell over and a kayak guy that was trying to steer the swimmers around the buoy. There was a huge pile up and I found myself surrounded by about 6 men that were literally swimming over each other and one had his forearm on my lower back. I thought I was going DOWN. All I could do was scream PLEASE! PLEASE! Eventually, we all were able to swim around the kayak and toppled buoy to finish the swim. I felt strong the entire way and was overjoyed to finish the swim in 55 minutes!

56 mile Bike: 

My goal was to finish the bike in 3:30 or better. That meant that I had to keep my speed at 16 mph and no slower. I knew of the strong cross winds for 9 miles that would probably slow me down, so I would have to make up time for that by going faster, like 18-20mph. The last time I raced this distance, I lost about an hour due to GI issues and being too stubborn to stop at a porta potty. My goal was to race smarter this time and stop if I needed to. It appeared that the winds were tough for much longer than 9 miles. I picked up my speed after the winds died down and really enjoyed riding through the little town with the kids shaking water bottles with rocks inside. They were cheering SI SE PUEDE!  (YES YOU CAN!) at me and that helped me to keep my speed up. I think that I did a good job with eating and drinking very 15 minutes and had just calculated how fast I needed to go for the last 20 miles to make my time goal. I made a few turns and before I knew it, I was being waved down and told to get off my bike. That was the end of the bike course. I was so confused, as I thought that I had further to go. I walked into the little staging area and saw what looked like a million run bags and I was so confused that I just held my head and started screaming (translation: I had a panic attack and a mini melt down due to confusion). The next thing I knew, someone was in front of me with my run bag and lead me to the area to sit down to change into my run gear. I really don't know how I finished that bike ride so fast! I know that I sped up in the little towns with the kids cheering me on, but I am usually not that speedy. I am thinking that perhaps I was guided the wrong way or something. My official bike time was 2 hours 21 minutes. I will take it!

13.1 mile Run: 

My goal was to finish in 2:30 doing a 3:1 run:walk ratio. The first time I did this distance, I did it in 2:39. The last time I raced this distance, I ended up walking the last 8 miles due to my feet feeling blistered, so my time was off. I planned to leave it all on the course and really give it my best. The spectators were amazing! They were cheering and playing music for us and there were many aid stations with water, ice, Gatorade, Vaseline, pretzels, Pepsi, etc. I started my run 3 minutes:walk 1 minute plan, but my watch died, so I had to alter that. I saw Tania's friend Tony on the course and ran with him for a while. I also saw Francy, Philly Joe, Dawn and a few other people, but I never saw Lisa. I started to worry about Lisa. It started to get really hot and I was getting tired and was walking way more than I was running. The course was brutal and mentally challenging in that you had to do 2 loops and pass the finish line chute at the halfway point. I made the best of it and really got into the crowd support and before I knew it, I was running through the finish line chute, high 5'ing the kids and pumping my fits at the adults screaming SI SE PUEDE and VAMOS REBECCA VAMOS (our names were on our race bibs)! I felt like all of those people were out there just to support ME! The little girl who put the medal around my neck made me tear up when she told me that I was her hero. She went through the trouble of asking her friend how to say it in English, which made it even more special to me. 

I found Dawn and Philly Joe in the finisher area. We had to escort Francy to the medical tent after she crossed the finish line (her knees buckled and she looked faint) and we learned that Lisa had taken sick on the bike and was pulled from the course. It was a brutal race and I am glad that everyone turned out to be okay. I really hate that Lisa took sick, as she trained so long and hard for this race. I truly feel like we are all winners just for toeing the line. We all lived to race another day.

My overall time was 6 hours 45 minutes. I feel like I gave it my best in the swim, struggled with the wind on the bike course, yet finished way too fast despite my chip time and I struggled on the run due to fatigue. There were just a few Americans racing and I did not see another black American woman on the course, so I felt like I had to represent. The Mexicans gave me so much energy to power through the rough moments and I felt blessed to be able to race on such a beautiful island. Finishing this race was a very proud moment for me. It was only second to me finishing the swim in my first Triathlon. I am excited to say that I am an Ironman 70.3 FINISHER again! I really want to do a full Ironman one day, but I want to improve my fitness and buy a Tri bike first, so it may have to be in 2014.

 

Lessons learned:

•  Ride more hills to help prepare for windy courses
•  Go on more long runs after long rides to get used to running on tired legs
• Treat myself to another destination race in a beautiful location

Post race:

I planned to wear my medal and finisher shirt for days on end after this race, but with Lisa getting sick and not finishing, the desire to do that had faded. I was filled with joy for finishing, but was very sad for Lisa. I'm just very happy that she did not end up in a medical tent like so many others. We all posted up by the pool and enjoyed multiple libations and relaxed. The next day was a good day of more drinking, relaxing on the beach, short swims with in-water photo shoots and chilling in hammocks and in the hot tub during a rain storm. There were some moments to remember, like the big ass bird that stole a quesadilla  right out of my hand, getting my head patted down by a man in a bear outfit and "Mr. Willy" on the 3rd floor that kept making naked appearances on his patio. We went out for a very nice traditional Mexican dinner on our final night. The restaurant was nice, the food, libations and musical entertainment were good and the 2 dogs in the restaurant were just chilling. Great times.

Me and Dawn

In route back to Cancun to catch our flight, I met a cool couple, Kyle and Andrea, from Utah. I remembered them helping me to get my bike box off the ferry when we arrived and them telling me that they would be on the course to cheer us on. They shared how they rented a scooter to ride the bike course to look for their friends and they could not find me, but they captured a really great finish line photo of me with my hands in the air. When they asked how I got into Triathlons, I really surprised myself with the words that came out of my mouth and realized how inspiring those words could be. I shared with them how I started running 5k's and when I first learned of Triathlons, I dismissed the idea, because I could not swim. But when I had to have abdominal surgery, subsequently developed double pneumonia and could not breathe well enough to climb a flight of stairs, I was motivated to run again and learn to swim. I told them that "because I could not do anything, I wanted to do everything". This is so true. My dream of becoming a triathlete came when I could not take a shower without getting winded. I did not have a bike, did not know how to swim and could not walk a block, let alone run one. My story is a true testament that if you put your mind to something and invest the time to be able to achieve it, anything is possible. That just happens to be the motto for the full Ironman, which I will tackle one day: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

Me and the cool Tri guy, Kyle Lambson

Thanks to everyone who sent positive vibes, prayers and thoughts my way. Your support is immeasurable. Thank you to Lisa, Francy and Dawn for traveling and racing with me and to Erin Steptoe and Queen Mum for travel support. You ladies ROCK! We must do this again and invite Philly Joe.

Post dinner at Casa Mission

Love,
Tri Becca

Masters Swimming

In September of 2010, I was looking for a Masters swim club to join and signed up to be on the waiting list for the District of Columbia Recreation and Parks Masters Swim Team. It was so long ago that I forgot all about it until I received an email on June 5th saying that my name had reached the top of the waiting list. I was preparing for EagleMan, so I decided to not start until after the race. I came up with every excuse possible to not go in the 4 weeks after the invitation came. I was nervous. I was scared. I even wrote to the coaches and told them how I was nervous to come out because I am slow and I don't know how to do flip turns and I don't want to slow anyone down... yadda... yadda. Their response? See you at practice.

I went for the first time on Tuesday and I got in the slowest lane with an 81 year old man. I thought that I could at least hang with him. Nope. There was another lady that got in our lane and this old man was literally swimming over us. Eventually, he told us that he was tired of swimming into us, that we were too slow and that he was going to find another lane. An 81 year old man told me that I was too slow. Wow. This was after the coach told me that the warm up was 600 meters. SIX HUNDRED METERS! My longest warm up to date has been 300m. By the time I got to 500 meters, he told me to just stop and he moved me on to the next set/drill. After 1 hour of him modifying the workout for me, I decided that I had enough for one day. The swims are 90 minutes long, but 60 minutes was all I had in me.

As expected, I was slow, I couldn't  flip turn and I did slow someone down, but I survived and I went back today. Today was a better day. The coach gave us all drills that most people were unfamiliar with. They still did the drills faster than me, but we were all at the same starting point, which didn't make me feel at that much of a disadvantage to start. I am glad that I joined and I know that this Masters team will make me faster and a more efficient swimmer. I will keep showing up and just keep swimming....