A Trail Run

I ran today for the first time since the race and it was great! Nothing really hurt except for my left ankle, and it was not too bad. My body was very tired though. It feels like it's at the cellular level or something. I don't recall fatigue like this before. I've been going to sleep right after my 8 year old, until recently. :)

My trail running friend, Karen and I ran though a bunch of ravine trails and some paths in Nose Hill Park. We were gone for nearly 2.5 hours. Likely too long for my first run, but it was slow and we took a few walking breaks, especially while climbing those hills! :) I wore my heart rate monitor and tried to keep my HR below 145. I think the average for the run was 126.

Anyway, I'm pretty happy. I did have to ice my ankle though. I think I'll get it checked out this week.

I'm going to get back in the pool this week too. I might wait another week for the bike as the ankle issue happened there, I think.

I'm still kind of glowing about the race. :)

Leaha

One Track Mind :)

A couple of Garmin downloads of the Muskoka 70.3 course (elevation & grade), in case anyone is interested in signing up for this race.

More Pictures

Karen & I the afternoon before the race



Note the picture of my door at work! What a great bunch they are!

Pictures

A couple of shots from the race. Finishing the swim, finishing the bike and then finishing the run. Funny, I'm smiling in almost every picture I've seen. :)

Back Home

We arrived home yesterday, thank goodness. My own bed, my own coffee. :) I took my bike down to the shop and had it re-assembled. I love that bike even more now. It took those corners in the rain, it did not dump me once. I saw lots of bikes by the side of the road, a few ambulances too. I learned a lot. Even how to grab a bottle in the exchange!

So now what!? lol

Now I want to run. My body is tired but I really miss running. I feel like I want to do a good long run. :) I've been comparing a marathon and the 70.3 in my mind. They are so different. But I think that a marathon hurts more. The 70.3 just makes your body very tired. Funny, I remember Derek making the same statement this summer. A marathon, even a half is a bit more boring, really. Triathlon really mixes it up. It makes the time go by so much faster.

Anyway, I've been racking my brain to figure out what happened with my stomach last week. I remember that I could not eat much race morning, I never can. So right before the swim I thought I might bonk and ate a half stinger bar. The other half was in my shoes and I ate it in T1. Hmmm..... oops I think Greg told me not to do that. :)

Triathlon is like golf - lots to remember.

Gotta run. :)

Leaha

Recovery & Thanks

Well my legs are feeling much better today. :) I'm running up & down stairs as usual. My stomach though, that's another story. Still a bit queasy, although I'm able to take in more food now, which is good! lol It feels like the day or two after having the stomach flu. I think I've got to try and figure out what happened to my stomach on race day. I think I'd do a much better job if it behaved itself.

I've read some other post race blogs on Muskoka. I'm feeling pretty good as the reports stated that 1700+ were registered, but only 1300 or so got into the water. Some people got out of the swim before it ended as well. Not sure why, maybe the rain. Anyway, great experience all around. I'm already thinking ahead to the Calgary 70.3. :) A good sign, I think.

I am also very grateful for the support of several people. Pat, who supported me for those last several KMs, even though her own race had ended that day on the bike course. I hope I can be there for you someday. Wendy, who came out and made me run to the finish. You rock girl! Now I know how you push yourself during your races. Bill Davidson, who helped me get my stuff from transition post race and sat in the rain with me chatting until Graeme & Betty came with the truck. Graeme & Betty, two people I had just met that hauled me and my wet stuff back to the cottage, sent me for a hot shower while they made me coffee and delt with all my gear. :) My coach, Greg. You gave me the direction and inspiration to get here. My swim coach, Jill. I can't count how many times you walked beside me as I swam, helping me to correct my stroke. My daughter, Shannon. You rode your bike with me for all my long runs and watched movies, read books and chatted as I was on the trainer. Keith, who always offered advice and encouragement. And lastly, my best friend, Karen Davidson. You inspired me to run a marathon, you inspired me to do a triathlon. You finished as well on Sunday, ahead of me. :) I'm not sure which means more to me, your finish or mine. They've blended and I have no words to describe what the experience meant to me.

Can't wait for the next one!

Leaha

Muskoka 70.3 Race Report

Wow, what to say about this race. Twas tough!

It rained, lol. It rained a lot!

The swim went pretty well. The water was rough and there were weeds and a big lake roll, ick. But I finished it in 58 minutes. I was happy!

T1: We ran 300-400 metres up a hill into transition. I ate a bar on the way and then had some bathroom issues for a few minutes.

I got on my bike and was nervous as I've never ridden in the rain. The first 20 KM were all hills so it took a while to settle in. The hills on this course were tough not only as they were numerous but because there were sharp turns at the bottom. After about one hour on the bike, my stomach was upset. I took in more Perpetuem but after two hours, I threw up while riding my bike! I was oddly proud for being able to do this. I knew I would not make the cutoff if I stopped. So I kept riding and it kept raining. I took one hill at 67KM per hour with rivers of rain going down the hill. I was pretty confident that if I just kept pushing, I'd get there. Across the bottom of the course, there was a lot of wind, this lasted about 30 KM or so. The remnants of Ike I understand. Then I hit a rough piece of road for about 5KM or so. It was very bumpy and muddy. I was covered with mud just like an Xterra race. :) After this was the last 20 KM climb back to transition. There were many hills and they were very steep. I had to stand on my bike to get up them. I crested the last hill and saw transition. I was so happy as I knew I'd made that cutoff time. I was smiling coming into transition!

T2: I had more bathroom issues there and also found that my feet were cramped. It took a few minutes to sort them out. For a couple of minutes I thought my day was finished. Then I put on my running shoes and started to walk. I tried a gel but it made me sick again and that was the last thing I ate during the race.

The run: I kept running, very slowly until about 12KM. At that point I really crashed. I just could not eat anything. People by the side of the road offered me hamburgers, granola bars, anything they had. I guess I looked bad, lol! The bathroom issues got worse and I used many bushes and port a potties. :) At about 15KM the water I was drinking just ran through me, right after I drank it. But I figured I needed to drink something. I got a bit nervous then as I thought maybe my kidneys were having trouble. So I just walked for a bit. My friend Pat met me at 17KM. She walked with me for the rest of the race. I kept thinking that I'd throw up again, but never did. I was pretty sure by this point that I had missed the cutoff but I was not going to quit. I thought I would just finish the course and that was it. I promised myself that I would just do nice little sprints & olympics if I finished this one. Just after 20KM, another friend Wendy came out to see where I was. She said that I had eight minutes to finish and then they would tear down. She told me that there was nothing left to throw up and that I should just run. So I did. And I made the cutoff by 33 seconds. I got my medal, t-shirt and hat.

I've never been last in a race before, and although I'm a bit embarrassed by that thought, it doesn't matter. I could have quit so many times yesterday but did not. I had great reasons to both quit and indeed, to not start at all. I have heard since I finished that it is the hardest 70.3 that there is. And I did it. It was the hardest thing I've ever done and I did not give up. I'm pretty proud of myself. And as for my promise to only do sprints & olympics - forget that. I'm signing up for the Calgary 70.3. I just have to explain it to my stomach! lol

As for all of the Ironman finishers reading this, I am even more in awe of you all than I was before.

Onward and upward.

Leaha

The List and a Story

I've started to get organized for my trip Friday. I've made a list of things I'll need for the race, it's very long! I've started putting everything on the bed in the spare room so that I don't forget anything. I think I might need more than one suitcase. I'm going shopping today at lunch for a raincoat, Honey Stinger bars and some more Perpetuem.

The schedule for travel goes something like this: I'll be taking my bike to the shop so that it can be dismantled and packed. I'll pick it up Thursday night, fly to Toronto Friday morning. I arrive in Toronto at 2pm. I'll take my bike to my old bike shop and they'll put it together and keep the bike box (whew). Then I'll get my rental car and drive up to Huntsville. Saturday will be check in, etc. And then Sunday is the race! I think from Thursday on I will not be bored. :) After the race, we'll be staying on Toronto for a few days, relaxing and visiting family.

Six days to go! Now I am excited. :) I want that medal.

I needed some inspiration in the past few days, so I re-read a speech that I wrote for Toastmasters a few years ago. I've included it below.

Leaha

**************************
Much like Forrest Gump, I love to run. In my quest to become a “real runner”, I have run to forget, run to remember. I have run to de-stress. I have run to feel free without a care in the world for a small but precious piece of time. Running for me has been the most precious of educations.

My running experience as an adult began several years ago when my daughter was three months old. I needed an activity that could be done quickly after she was asleep. At first I could not run to the end of the street, but I ran every day. Each outing, I would run one more lamppost. This continued until I could run 8KM non-stop. Those early runs made me feel as though I could go on forever, but I still did not consider myself a runner.

In order to feed my growing running addiction, I decided to try a challenging 10.8 KM hilly race. I showed up alone, intimidated and terrified on race morning. I saw one familiar face that gave me the strength to go ahead with my plans. It was a woman I knew, it was her first race as well. So I signed up and ran. It took me a long time but I finished. During the race I had decided to never run again! Somehow that changed when I crossed the finish line. On the way home, I was so elated at my accomplishment that I decided to try a half marathon, 21KM. I trained for a few months with my sister and we had a great time. Thank god she agreed to run the race with me, I was not prepared. I was so nervous that I had forgotten to eat! As a result, I ran out of fuel at 17KM. It was terrible; I wanted to curl up in a ball by the side of the road. I held onto my sister’s shirt for the last 4KM to the finish. Again, I promised myself during the race that I would never do this again! Then I got my finisher’s medal and I forgot about the pain. However I still was not a runner, as I had needed help to finish.

I then decided to join a running group so that I could prepare myself for another Half Marathon. I also learned about the Marathon, 42KM. I was intimidated by my fellow runners’ stories and ran 4 more Half Marathons instead over the next year. After each race my coach would ask, “ So Leaha, when are you planning to run a full?” I kept telling him that I was not ready yet. Then in the fall of 2002, I committed myself. Three of my running friends were training for a full so I joined them. That winter we ran in snow, freezing rain, bitter cold. I ran tired and sore, hungry and sick. Sometimes I almost cried as I was so tired, but in too much pain to sleep. But we always showed up and we somehow got through the long runs. Maybe it was due to the difficult conditions or the fact that you will talk about anything during a 3 ½ hour run, but I formed a friendship that winter that I hope to have the rest of my life.

Slowly the winter changed to spring and race day arrived. I recall standing at the start line wondering what the hell I was doing there. The longest distance I had ever run was 32KM, I could not handle 10 KM more! Then the starting gun went off and I started to run. The marathon was long and very tough, at 38KM I was in a daze and not certain where I was, maybe it was the Advil? However, I did finish strong with help. At 40KM, five running friends, all marathoners, were with me. One placed himself ahead of me. He matched my pace and yelled at me like a drill sergeant! He told me to reach down deep and speed up! I found something left and I was able to match his speed. I raced across the finish line finally feeling like a “real runner”. My final time was 4 hours and 46 minutes. I had done it! I had completed a Marathon. I hobbled home with my finishers medal, sat down and thought, “When do I get to do this again?!”

Over the past 7 years I have completed more than 20 races, only five of them Marathons. Some were faster, some slower. I have loved every one of them and I relive them often. I am not a fast runner. I may never run Boston. But running has taught me more about life than anything else I have ever done.

I know now that “can’t” is just a word that does not control me. I have learned humility and great patience. I better understand the power of the mind, endurance, the importance of preparation and the value of hard won friendships. I have experienced moments of pure joy that I have not felt since I was a child. Most importantly, like Forrest Gump, running has taught me that with enough effort, I can achieve anything I set my mind to.
****************************

11 Days to Go!!!

Wow, the 70.3 is not too far away now. :) It's been an eventful few days. The room I was staying in at Deerhurst fell through. The girl I was staying with now would like to bring her boyfriend. Luckily my friend Pat offered me some space at a cottage she rented nearby. Thank you Pat!! She is doing the race as well so we can support each other with what to do with all those bags! Transition bags, special needs bags. What the heck does one put in a special needs bag anyway? lol

I'm starting to feel much better now, I have some energy back and am looking forward to the race. The knee is still an issue though. I've made chiropractor, massage & physio appointments. We'll see if they can put humpty-dumpty back together again, or at the very least patch her up. :)

I biked on my trainer last night, just some spinning and I'll be in the pool tonight.

More later,

Leaha