Swimming - Fresh and New!

I started swimming this week after taking several months off. Some people can swim everyday all year long. Others force themselves to swim just enough to ensure they won't drown during the swim portion of their next triathlon. Like baby bear, I find swimming from mid-March to mid-September to be "just right". When I start up in March, it feels fresh and new and by October I am at my strongest for the last big race.


I swam competively as a kid through high school and so you might think that bodes for triathlon. Yeah - I was a breast stroker. Breast strokers as a whole do not make for very good freestylers. Today I swam the 100 IM as fast as 100 freestyle! Let me assure you my IM is NOT fast...

Like many age group swimmers, I stopped swimming at 18. I hung up the suit, put away the googles and didn't pull them out again for 20 years. Open water swims has made the whole swimming experience enjoyable again. I tolerate the chlorine and the black line at the bottom of the pool knowing that in a few short months I'll be swimming outside unrestricted by lane lines and walls!

Take a look at the attached Luna Training tips on open water swimming from Luna Pro Linda Gallo.

http://teamlunachix.com/tips_and_training/tips/tags/videos/

http://teamlunachix.com/tips_and_training/tips/tags/videos/

Two Poems by Ethan

Ethan is my 9 year old fourth grader. He recited these two poems to me the other night and they both made me chuckle so I thought I'd share.

Messy Desk

Messy Desk, Messy Desk,

Glue, Highlighters,

Pencils, Markers, Erasers, My Three Week Old Lunch

Some Color Pencils and...

YES!

My Homework.

Ten Years

Ten years from now I'll be president.

Ten Years from now I'll be famous.

Ten years from now I'll be driving a Ferrari.

Ten years from now...

hopefully.

In ten years, Ethan will be 19 and it won't surprise me a bit if he reaches every one of his goals - regardless of how those goals change over time.

Watchung Trail Marathon

The Watchung Trail Marathon confirmed my notion that low key races are the best kind of races for me. I like races that don't require a ton of effort just getting to get to the start line. The best races offer quick registrations with no lines, no chips, no bibs, no t-shirts and a guy at the start line who yells, "Set, Go!"

Despite this relaxed atmosphere, the training I devote to these events is no less than if I were racing Boston or NYC marathon, assuming I could qualify for either! I picked Watchung partly due to the timing of the race - I wanted something in January or February to get me through holiday eating season, and partly because of the location - near my parent's house in New Jersey.

The race provided only limited support. There was a table at the start/finish line with food items. Racers could stock up as they passed the table at the end of each loop. It was packed with items donated by participants and included everything from sports bars, cookies and bags of chips. And of course Luna Moons. Someone even brought a bottle of Jim Beam. Yep – I like this trail running attitude!

There was an ultra and marathon race option. The ultra racers did three full loops of the course and the marathoners did two full loops and a modified third loop. The course was absolutely beautiful. When I wasn’t looking at the ground I was soaking in the great scenery. At the race start it was 11 degrees and I don’t think it warmed up much as the day went on. The trail was mostly snowy – but there was a fair amount of ice. I wore my Yak Traks for the first loop, and they worked great. Unfortunately by the end of the loop my feet were hurting and I knew if I continued wearing them, I would suffer. I could not have asked for a better first loop. I came in a little under my 2 hour goal – but I knew my second lap would take a little longer. For starters, I had to replenish my nutrition and I had to stop at my car (the course ran through the parking lot!) to refill my bottles and change into dry gloves. I also had to use the rest room… and so did everyone else. The thought of finding a spot in the woods wasn’t an option at that temperature!

I felt good as I started my second loop – although I had to take the first quarter of mile substantially slower as the trail was covered in a sheet of ice. When I was finally able to open up and really start running again, I tripped on a stump and I landed on my pelvis. I jumped up right away, mostly out of embarrassment – but to my surprise it did not hurt… at least not yet. I ran with different groups throughout the day – some that I caught up to and others that passed me and enjoyed conversations with all of them. I chuckled each time I took a bit of my Cytomax – between the cold air temps and constant jiggling the Cytomax turned into an orange slushy.

As I passed the point where I would turn off to complete the marathon on the third loop, I thought maybe, just maybe, I would do the ultra instead of just the marathon. It was ONLY four more miles – how much harder could it be. I tucked the thought in the back of my mind and went on to finish the second loop.

I was still feeling pretty strong as I started the third loop. Fortunately, I did not have to use the rest room and I filled my bottles with HEED at the community nutrition table. I grabbed a couple oatmeal cookies and I was off. I was almost done! But as I ran, my pelvis started to hurt with each step. But I was almost done.

I spent a good portion of the race with my eyes trained to the ground. Missteps, I learned, can be costly. It was during the third loop that another racer stopped me and pointed out a small herd of deer right next to the trail. In the middle of the herd was a white deer. Unbelievable! I thanked the gentleman for waiting for me just to point the deer out to me. I have no doubt that I would have completely missed this spectacle as I was so focused on the trail. I looked behind to see if I could return the favor – but no one was there.

The final loop seemed like it would never end. I looked at my watch - based on distance and my perceived pace, I should have been nearly done with the marathon, but I had not even reached the marathon turn off point. My pelvis was hurting and my morale was sinking. By the time I approached the marathon turn off, the thought of doing “just four more miles” was not an option. The final approach was nearly all up hill and required quite a bit of navigating over rocks and logs. But I finished. And there was no official finish line, no finishing chute, no finisher’s medal. Just a guy who didn’t know me giving me a big hug! Awesome!

I learned afterwards that several racers compared the recorded mileage on their Garmins and that each full loop was actually between10.7 and 10.9 miles and the modified third loop that was roughly 7 miles. If you do the math, you will note that did somewhere near 28.5 miles!
I was already happy with my performance – but adding in the extra miles made my time more in line with my expectations. I smiled the whole evening after the race. Laughing was out of the question, as was sneezing – both made my pelvis hurt! I’ll be back again next year… anyone interested?

The Boy who Gets Everything By Seth Novak

Jordan has three sisters who are triplets and they are from different places. One is from America, another is from Argentina and the last one is from Mexico. He has one cat named Jackie.

His parents gave him lots of toys and games. But Jordon never got the one thing that he really wanted. More than anything, Jordan really, really wanted love.

He told his parents he didn't want toys, all he wanted was love. But they never listened to him. Instead they asked him if he wanted more toys.

So one day, Jordan put all his toys into a shredder machine and melted them into letters that said, "Mom and Dad, I don't want toys. All I want is love."

This time his parents listened to him and they didn't give him too many toys, but they gave him lots and lots of love. Jordan now get everything he wants, including love.


Dictated by Seth to his Mother

Postscript - Seth is adamant that he is read a book every night. And I do mean EVERY night. Lately though, he has decided that he wants to write books (see previous post). I feel compelled to tell everyone that I DO love Seth and that all characters in his stories are fictitious! And no - he still has not gotten an XBox.

The Boy Who Never Gets Anything By: Seth Novak

Jacob lives in a house with his twin sisters, Allysa and Laura, his parents and two cats. Jacob never gets anything because he is always naughty. Not even for Christmas or his birthday.


Jacob really, really wants an XBox, but his parents already said "no!" when he asked. So he asked again and his parents said "NO!!". So do you know what Jacob did next? He asked his parents again. This time his parents sent Jacob to his room.


While Jacob was in his room he thought about what he had done. So he went down stairs and said sorry to his parents. And they forgave him, but they still did not give him an XBox. He did get a football and from then on he was nice to everyone.

THE END

(This story was dictated by Seth to his Mother)

Lessons from A Tough Loss-Seth's Flag Football Team

It was perfect football weather. Parents huddled on the sidelines under umbrellas and several layers of clothing. The rain was steady through the entire 6-8 flag football semi-final game, played under the lights at the Wakefield High School synthetic field last evening. Seth's team, the Redskins, was undefeated during the regular season. The talent, particularly with some of the older kids, is impressive. Seth is among the younger group of kids, and while he is super fast and can run an opposing player down, he is just as happy to horseplay with his teammate's siblings, dribble a soccer ball on the sidelines or watch a separate game on an adjacent field.

During the playoffs, everything gets a little more serious compared to the regular season. All the kids play, but in a close game the playing time is skewed to the kids who have proven through the year to be among the better players. Seth was in a couple plays, but spent most of the game on the sidelines where he kicked a soccer ball around and tackled unsuspecting spectators.

The game was very well played by both teams and was ultimately decided in overtime. It was a tough loss for the Redskins. The season officially came to a close as the coach handed out the third place trophies. We were all cold and wet, so no one lingered to lament the season. As we walked backed to the car Seth leaned his head against by wet jacket and he didn't say a word. In the car, I turned to look behind as I backed out and saw Seth in a quiet but intense sob. I was admittedly taken aback. Could it be that he was this upset over the loss - when he barely watched the game? I stopped the car and hugged him for a good long time. When we got home, he carried the trophy with him everywhere and when he woke up this morning, he asked if he could bring the trophy to school.

As is often the case, I learned a lesson from this experience. I coach a couple teams and there are always those players who appear uninterested. As a coach - these kids can be very frustrating. Through my perception of disinterest I assumed these kids didn't care. Last night, Seth proved my assumption wrong.

This experience also confirmed a couple beliefs. First, it is okay - in certain games - to play some kids more than others. Yes - all the kids want to play. But as long as expectations are set, and the concept is presented in thoughtful way by the coach and parents, the experience can be a learning opportunity. I am also a firm believer of presenting trophies only to the teams that win or place. I am positive that if the game last night was a regular season game, Seth would not have been nearly as upset over the loss. He understood the significance of the game and he reacted accordingly. Similarly the pride he has for this trophy reflects the accomplishment attached to it.

Seth is already looking forward to next season!

Savageman 2009

Savageman has a way of bringing you back. In 2007 I swam as part of a relay and volunteered on the run course. I was so caught up in the energy of the race, I couldn’t wait to sign up the for the 2008 race and not just for the relay – I wanted to do the whole thing. And I did. And it kicked my ass. I swore I’d never do it again. Ever. But the very next day following the 2008 event, I was already planning my strategy for 2009.

In many ways, typical race pressures are irrelevant at Savageman. The field of women racers is proportionally much smaller, but the women who sign up are serious athletes. Where in a typical race I finish in the top 25-30% of the field, at Savageman I finish near the bottom. And I am okay with that - because this race is truly a competition between the racer and the course.
For several months prior to the race I steadily prepared, adhering to my training plan like never before. I lost some weight and worked on my strength. I was feeling fit and strong going into this year’s race. I had a race plan. I was ready.


I could not have asked for a better swim - long strokes and straight lines. The fact that there was no fog this year made sighting a breeze. If anything the sun glare this year proved to be the biggest swim obstacle. The final turn buoy was a swan boat. Seriously, it was a boat in the shape of the swan (the swan boat is featured on the finisher shirt.) Ed King, a long time family friend and Deep Creek resident was the captain of the boat, so as I made the turn I gave him a great big wave. This was the first of several memorable “Savage Moments”. I bettered my swim time over last year by three minutes and I was off to a great start.

During the first 35 miles of the bike course I felt great. I took my time going up Toothpick Road, the comparatively small hill leaving the park. It is easy to be too aggressive on this hill and burn your cold quads in the first 5 minutes. I loved, loved, loved the four mile switch back descent that leads into Westernport. I knew my best opportunity to gain ground was on the down hills – so I only sparingly used the brakes and enjoyed the ride.


When I turned onto MD 825, I took off my arm warmers and started mentally preparing for the Wall. Westernport Wall is a 1.2 mile 12% grade hill, with the last 100 feet at 31% grade. Making it up the Wall earns you a brick and bragging rights. I got one last year, and planned to do the same again this year. Like last year, I switch backed up the two blocks leading to the final and steepest stretch of the Wall, and when I hit the final stretch I pounded it. Another brick and 35 miles to go!

At the top of the Wall, I pulled over and allowed myself 30 seconds to catch my breath and get my heart rate down, because after the wall the real work began, starting with a long 6 mile ascent up Savage Mountain. Last year, this part of the course nearly did me in mentally, but this year I was ready for it. The road side signs up Savage Mountain, and along the rest of the course for that matter, were hysterical. My favorite sign: “Shut up Julie and just pedal!” I let out a signature belly laugh and then I heard Julie (I had no idea she was so close) – about five riders up yell back “That’s my sign!” It was another one of my favorite Savage moments.

Everything was going great until I came to Killer Miller a 1.2 mile 8% grade hill. My quads and hamstrings simultaneously seized. It was a miracle I didn’t fall right there and it was sheer will power and the support of follow racers and volunteers that I made it to the top.
So it seemed that despite sticking to my nutrition plan, the rest of my race was going to be plagued by on and off cramping. And from the moment I first cramped, Savageman became a completely different race for me. Before cramping, I was on my way to obliterating my time from 2008. After cramping, I just wanted a PR – even if it was only by 30 seconds. So when I wasn’t cramping I was hitting the pedals hard to make up for the time when I was cramping. The final ten miles of the bike course was relatively flat with rolling hills; but in true Savageman style, we had a nice head wind for the final five miles

Cramping continued to be a problem through the run. I ran as hard as I could when I could, knowing I would be intermittently sidelined. Once again the support and encouragement from other racers and volunteers when I was doubled over on the side of the road was totally awesome.

As I was coming up the hill from the first turn around, I passed Julie as she ran the other direction and she was clearly having trouble breathing. When I saw her again on the fire road I was seriously concerned for her. Someone retrieved her inhaler, but it did not seem to be working. She promised that she would stop racing if her breathing did not improve. She was so upset because her legs felt great – she just couldn’t get air. I joked – that I was doing fine from a cardio perspective but legs were shit and together as one racer we could kick ass. I got laugh and hug and off we went. It was another priceless Savage moment.

Julie eventually passed me as I struggled through the last three miles. I was still running, but the cramps had clearly taken a toll on my legs. When I crossed the finish line I knew I had put everything on the course – and it felt good. My parents and several friends were there to make sure I didn’t fall over. I was afraid to sit as I was sure I would never get up again. I was happy and tired. I achieved a PR despite cramping.

The first thing I said after the race? “I’m taking next year off!”” But in true Savage style, I’m already planning for next year.