Ironman Texas

I missed writing up my race from Florida 70.3 and this is a little delayed... I've been working on my first manuscript so I felt a little guilty writing anything besides that. But, just submitted the first draft for my advisor to review (eek!) so had a few minutes to catch up.

Florida 70.3 was a mix of highs and lows. I had a good swim, great bike, then fell flat on the run. On one hand you want to be positive and project a positive attitude, and on the other hand you don't want to accept that that's what you can do. I let the race sink in for a few days and then decided I would use it to fuel my fire leading up to Ironman Texas. All we ever want is to put together a race that truly represents what we are capable of and reflects the training we put in.

Going into Ironman Texas, I knew that I had put in some great intensity on the bike and run. I was a little nervous that I hadn't gotten the super long rides in since it was such a cold winter, and I ended up on the trainer quite a bit. The intensity had been there though and I was running well off my training rides.

One of the greatest parts about racing Texas was that so many people I knew would also be racing, AND I would get to see my good friend Meghan. Meghan and I were really good running buddies back in Virginia. We ran together probably 2-3 times a week and she was one of my bridesmaids in my wedding. I remember runs where I would be trying to run tempo pace doubled over because I was laughing so hard. It was really nice to spend a couple relaxing meals with her pre-race so we could get all caught up and I could meet the newest member of her family, 4 mo old Easton. The last time I saw her daughter Lexie, I could barely understand a word from her, and now she is talking in complete sentences! Although I wasn't really up for her games of tag post-race, it was fun to see her again. I also got to catch up, very briefly, with my homestay hosts from Steelhead 70.3. Jan was doing her first Ironman and ended up finishing despite a very challenging run. Sean shaved a huge amount of time off from his previous Texas finish! I also got to catch up with the Zoot guys and some Zoot team mates, Kendra and Christian. Not to mention catching up pre and post race with some cool ladies I met at other races, Caroline and Helen. You just meet the coolest people in triathlon.


Meghan's daughter Lexie, cutest triathlete every


Meghan's 4mo old, Easton

Finally race morning came. I got in the water about 10 min before we were to go off, immediately loved the temperature and was happy to be wearing my Zoot prophet wetsuit. The gun went off and I took off, desperately trying to latch onto some fast feet. After about 200-300m I settled in with a pretty sizable group. I think if my start had been a touch better I could have hung on with a slightly faster group, but I was happy to be swimming with some people. I enjoyed the swim and felt comfortable with my group, although there was quite a bit of shuffling around. Exiting the water, I glanced at my watch and was very excited to see almost exactly an hour. I'm not the strongest swimmer so that was very promising, and its always nice to start the day on a high note. My transition was relatively quick and I was on my bike.


super fun swimming through the canal

The first 30 miles I was flying. I felt great, I was getting calories down, the speed was good. Then at some point after that, my legs just started to feel flat on the bike. I was frustrated because I usually feel great on the bike, and it's really become a strength for me. I tried to remain optimistic. It helped to think about the run, it's been awhile since I was genuinely excited to get off the bike and run, and this time I was. I knew I'd been working on my run and that was where I could make up some of the time I lost on the bike. But would it be enough? I wasn't really sure how much time I was losing, and it ended up being more than I ever expected. I did get down all of my nutrition, which was incredibly easy given how simple it is to mix up my Infinit custom blends. I had one mix for the first half of the bike with only a small amount of caffeine, and a second mix for the second half of the bike with moderate caffeine. All I had to do was mix the separate bottles and labeled them Bike 1 and Bike 2. Easy peezy, and I had gone really light on the flavor so that even with 1500+ calories spread between the two bottles, they still went down really easily. Taping my lower back, as was the suggestion by Ghent Chiropractic, really helped me avoid that late ride lower back fatigue that can happen when in the aero position for 5+ hours. Coming into T2, all I could think was "get me in my running shoes." 

Another quick transition (the volunteers were great in the changing tents) and I was off. Running through transition I glanced at my watch and saw 6:30 pace, figured that would probably be a little overkill for me, so quickly dialed in 7:40-7:45 pace, which was my target range. The first lap felt great, I felt strong and relaxed, I was taking down my Infinit napalm with no problems (even though it had been sitting in the sun all day). I saw Meghan around mile 7 and she was a great pick-me-up. Onto lap 2 I was still feeling good and was able to hold my pace. The last part of lap 2 and first part of lap 3, I hit a low point and slowed a touch. Using the mantras I've been working on helped me come out of it, but losing focus for that brief period of time cost me a bit. I was able to pick the pace back up on the last part of lap 3 and could feel my turnover improving. My new kit is really comfortable and the Zoot tempos felt light and responsive even with the massive amounts of water I was pouring over myself. I came by Meghan for the 3rd time and she yelled "there is a pro female 1 minute up." I had two miles to go, and this felt exactly like Louisville last year. Last year at Louisville I had a good swim, not so great bike and then passed a girl with two miles left. I came up to her much faster than I expected and made the pass, this lifted my spirits and I found I could keep pushing. With half a mile to go I passed another female pro. Coming into the finish chute I could see another one just a couple hundred yards ahead, but I ran out of pavement. I couldn't help but think, if I hadn't hit that low point, how many could I have picked off? But that is a lesson to carry with me to the next race.


A little blurry, but me running along the canal

Having Meghan out there was awesome, the back part of each run lap got lonely, and it helped to think "ok 4 miles until I see them, ok 2 miles until I see them." I also can't say enough good things about the volunteers. They were on point, and I never had a problem getting what I needed, even though a three loop course can get crowded. The spectators were something else too, and I really enjoyed being able to run along the canal each loop. I really loved this course and the race as a whole so I hope to come back. After the race, I really couldn't stomach much solid food, so it was great to have some Infinit nocturne on hand. After a few nights of using it, and then some easy spins and swims, I was raring to go again.

I really enjoyed talking to a few of the other pro women. I feel really blessed to be able to line up with them on race days. I think a few of them can sense I'm a bit impatient to move up the ranks, but they are so encouraging. I'm not sure one of them (not sure if she would want to be named or not) realizes how much it meant to me when she said "you're so young and have such a bright racing career ahead." I just need to trust the process and know that this is a long and difficult road, that's what makes it so wonderful. So excited for Kelly Williamson's win, she is just the nicest person and it will be awesome to follow her racing the rest of the year. Can't wait to see what coach Tara Norton has in store for me leading up to Ironman Lake Placid (and Syracuse 70.3), I've never been so excited to get back to training post-Ironman!

The Early Days

A few times in the past few weeks I've heard athletes say "I could never be an elite." So in the spirit of that, I decided to share some of my first forays into the sport. Enjoy :)

My first open water swim start, just as terrifying as my first Ironman swim start.

I prepared a little better for my next endeavors into the water

I mastered 3 wheels pretty quickly

And decided to move onto the big leagues, safety first though...safety first

My first real race was a local 5K and my brother and I started in the very front. I

 was around 10 years old, thought I was invincible and that I would win the race!

It was more like this:

And my clothing of choice was that years race shirt (what a newbie!) that went down to my knees, and a pair of swishy pants

I come from a family of 5 kids, and all of us are competitive. My dad used to tell us that whoever was first in the local 5K got a happy meal from McDonalds. Kind of an interesting reward for a healthy activity. My older sister actually tried to sabotage us by telling us eating Halloween candy right before the race would make us faster! Poor Nate ended up getting oxygen right after the race that year. I used to wear this cotton superman t shirt for every running race. I remembering thinking it was hilarious at the time.

I ran on my high school cross country and track teams

And this was my idea of post workout/race recovery

This was my idea of winter cross training.

I did my first triathlon on a road bike I borrowed from my younger brother. Getting into the water I was somewhat concerned that they had to shorten the swim because of treacherous current conditions. I held my head above the water for the entire swim, put bike shorts on over my swim suit and then changed into run shorts for the run...it was a sprint... I mean transitions have never been my strong suit...

Didn't get a picture of my first triathlon...but I imagine I looked something like this

Studying abroad in Bermuda I did several triathlons

I thought swimming in bike shorts was perfectly reasonable

I insisted on wearing a bike jersey that I attempted to pull on over my wet swim suit

Aero bars? What are aero bars?

Who runs in a bike jersey?!

Fortunately for the next one I realized I didn't need the bike jersey...

This was the race that I got lost on the swim though and then couldn't remember what my bike looked like coming into transition

Then I got rid of the bike shorts, I finally realized that much padding wasn't required for a sprint tri. Still no aero bars though, and I thought replacing running shoes every year or so was perfectly reasonable.

For the first several years I raced triathlons, I swam with a nose clip (you can see it here on my swim strap), because I never learned how to put my face in the water and blow bubbles. I have since realized that toddlers usually master this by age 3

Training for my first 70.3 I almost totaled a car...with my face...

I made some pretty creative smoothies, including blended cheeseburger

I was so excited when I was finally allowed to bike again that I jumped on the trainer with bare feet

I finally got a pair of aero bars for my first 70.3 the following year, and look, an actual tri kit!!!

I had no idea that people actually ate stuff during the race and got by on a little gatorade...I bonked in pretty epic fashion on the run

My first Ironman, I didn't even look at the weather before the race. I assumed, its Florida, it will be hot! It was 32 deg getting out of the water, I had to buy XL arm sleeves the day before the race (they were all that was left) and wear the bike jersey I had brought to train with. I still didn't own a tri bike and thought everyone raced on road bikes with clip on aero bars.

But I finished, honored one of my best friends, made a ton of new friends in the process and had a lot of fun

I finally got a tri bike the next year. I was amazed at how much easier it was to run off the bike, still no aero helmet though.

Since then, I've gotten an aero helmet, found excellent race kits and shoes (thank you Zoot) so I don't have to change for each event, taken in actual calories during races, and learned some of the lingo. 

I still mess things up pretty frequently,

and I still feel like this sometimes when I'm going up against the big girls

2014 Sponsors!!!

Hi All, I wanted to take a minute to talk about my awesome sponsors for the 2014 season!!! Sponsors make it possible for me to focus on training and racing and often provide me with the equipment needed to train and compete at a high level. I appreciate each of these companies so much, and wanted to talk about why I'm partnering up with them for the 2014 season.



Firstly, I will continue to be a Zooter! I have raced on the Zoot Ultra Team for the last 2 years and really enjoyed it. The people on the team have always been friendly and supportive. This year I will be switching over to the elite squad. The people that work for Zoot are really great and always helpful with equipment questions. I was having trouble with the fit of one of their shoes and their shoe engineer gave me some tips as well as other shoe options among their line. I've been really excited in the last year with the new shoes they have coming out. I started doing the majority of my training in the Tempo trainer. I find that it is substantial enough to withstand the high mileage (I have 300 miles on a pair right now and they barely look worn), but it is still pretty light and I don't feel like I'm wearing a "training" shoe per se. I do half ironman and below in the Kiawe. The Kiawe is very light and responsive and fits the mid part of the foot very snug while keeping the toe box relatively open. This is important in a shoe for me since narrow toe boxes cause problems with numbness in my feet. I feel like I'm not even wearing shoes when I have these on and I can fly. I use the Tempo for Ironman distance races, because coming off a 112 mile bike, my form is probably not perfect and it has just a little bit of stability to aid in any deficiencies in my form.  Beyond their shoes, Zoot has some great other stuff. Their compression is the best I've ever used, and very very appreciated after a long day of training. It's so comfy I don't even care about the strange looks I get grocery shopping in my tights after a long run. The prophet wetsuit is flexible in the shoulders and buoyant in all the rights spots to keep me streamlined in the water. Since I don't come from a swimming background, I appreciate all the help I can get in the water! Zoot's running and cycling clothing is comfortable and light. The megaheat layers have been keeping me very comfortable this winter, even in chilly RI. Their running and triathlon tops fit so well that I haven't even worried about buying body glide. I'm excited to see what they have cooking this year and am glad I get to keep training and racing in their gear.



Final Kick Sports in Virginia Beach, VA has brought Brian and I on for the 2014 season. They are a local triathlon and running store. Every time I walk in there I get a happy greeting and am always glad to chat for a few minutes at the end of a long run in the park. Whenever I see the owner, Jim, at a race he always greets me with a hug and a "good job" no matter how I did. Their bike mechanic, Wick, has been helping us to get dialed in on bike choices for the 2014 season and hopefully we will be showing off some new rigs soon. Final Kick supports a pretty large triathlon and running training group. The whole group is fun and positive, and I love being able to make it out for a workout or a cold beer with everyone. I'm looking forward to a fun season with them.



Infinit Nutrition has also brought me on for the 2014 season. I was having trouble with nutrition throughout the 2013 season so wanted to try something different. In the past I had difficulty balancing my electrolytes, as well as getting in the right amount of calories. Infinit makes custom formulas for individual athletes. I made an appointment with one of their dieticians and she talked with me for a little while to learn more about me and then developed both run and bike formulas specific to my needs. The greatest part is that if I am not feeling something, I can change it! For instance, I did my long ride this weekend with the bike formula. I was skeptical whether this only liquid thing would work for me. However, the carbs and protein the use are designed to be more slow releasing. Despite taking in  less calories, I did not get hungry like I was all last season at the end of rides! Since I concentrate bottles, the flavor was still slightly too high for me (I like it really light), but all I need to do is fire off a quick email and that can be changed! It's seriously awesome. If I find I need more sodium for hotter races, I can change that too, and I can adjust the calories if needed. I'm excited to dial in my blends and use them for training and racing this year. I also want to try the Napalm, which is their equivalent to gels. It would allow me to carry a bit less on the run. Other favorites among their products so far are Nocturne, Repair and Mud. Nocturne is a nighttime recovery drink. I have mentioned before that during hard weeks I often wake up in the middle of the night to eat a snack. Nocturne has really helped with that because it has slow releasing carbs and protein to stay fuller and aid in recovery, as well as tryptophan to promote sound sleeping. Repair is a delicious chocolate recovery drink mix with a great blend of protein and carbs. Mud is a super yummy chocolate/coffee drink for before or after a workout. I look forward to waking up for swims now so I can have some Mud! Oh and did I mention that Infinit doesn't put any unneeded stuff in their mixes? Like artificial sweeteners and artificial colors? It's awesome stuff.



Ghent Chiropractic is located on 21st St in Norfolk, VA and has supported Brian and I for the last few years. I went in their a few years ago with bad IT band syndrome. I could barely walk without pain and was not hopeful about my chances of competing that season. Dr. Clayton is skilled at a few types of Active Release Technique (ART) and got to work on it right away. Within two weeks of starting treatment, I was back to normal training. I really like that Ghent Chiropractic looks at the whole picture. In addition to the adjustments, they also look at flexibility, balance, muscle tightness/pain and nutrition. Due to my high volume/intensity of training, I go in once a week. Each visit starts off with Dr. Clayton asking if anything is bugging me. If something is, he pays extra close attention to it and works it out. He also often finds little areas of tightness that haven't started to bother me yet. He works them out before they can become a problem. If I have something that is a bit of a recurring issue, he helps me to figure out what might be causing it and gives me stretching and strengthening suggestions to do at home. In addition to the great care that we get from them, everyone that works at Ghent Chiropractic is extremely pleasant and friendly. I enjoy chatting with Dr. Clayton just as much as I enjoy chatting with the ladies that man the reception area. You can often see Ghent Chiropractic at local race expos taping up athletes, and I highly suggest going over and chatting with them, if they can help you half as much as they have helped me you will be in good shape.



Team Atomica is the coaching company that my coach Tara Norton works for, and is headed up by Ayesha Rollinson. I LOVE being coached by Tara. I have seen such a huge improvement over the last 2 years and know that I have so many more barriers that I can break through with her help. I was telling our friend Mike that I love a workout that scares me a little, and Tara definitely delivers. She challenges me weekly but never gives me more than I can handle. She helps me to balance being a full time PhD student, puppy mom, wife and professional triathlete. She is always available if I have any questions or concerns or just to chat about how cute her little daughter or my puppies are :P Tara and Team Atomica are going to be heading up several camps this year and I'm really hoping to make it to one. The first is Epic Woman Camp in Lanzarote in February and then Epic Woman Camp in Kona. She gave me my own little epic camp last year to do in Chesapeake, VA and as awesome as it was to push the limits of endurance for a week, it would be wayyyyy more fun in one of those locations with friends and massage and great food. Tara has made some excellent changes to my training program this winter and I am already seeing the difference. My schedule for the 2014 season is looking to be pretty awesome and I can't wait for her to guide me through it.



I was soooo excited to find out that Biotta Naturals would be sending me some juice. As a scientist, I always skeptical of huge claims that something will increase your ability. I started looking into the beet juice claim and read the research (yes there is actually research on exercise and beet juice!) and was pretty impressed. I started using it before hard rides and although there are many factors, I've been seeing improvements in my cycling. I then started drinking it before races. The only problem with drinking it before races, is that I had to travel with it in a mason jar. Biotta has sent me these sweet bottles of beet juice that not only taste better than my homemade juice, but are also easy to throw in my pack to bring to races or training trips. Now to just keep from drinking it all at once :)

Winter Fun

Hey all, so no race report this time, or information on training per say. Just a fun blog to let you know what Brian and I have been up to so far in the off season!

Probably the most exciting thing that has happened, is that we adopted another English Setter! Her name is June (we nicknamed her June bug) and we adopted her from the Southwest English Setter Rescue. She has been so much fun and is such a sweet little pup. Gunther is a little disappointed that he has to share the cuddles and pets but he loves having a live in play buddy. They both love to run with me but we are working on running nicely instead of pulling me over whenever they see a squirrel. They will both be starting with Offleash K9 Training soon and we are excited to work with them.


June


Gunther and June playing in the backyard

One of the athletes I coach and that Brian trains with quite a bit is a pretty avid rock climber. He took Brian out on a trip to do some climbing and Brian came back hooked. Since then, he has gotten me into it as a fun, cross training type thing to do in the off season. We have been going to the rock gym in Virginia Beach and have both been learning how to be better technically. It's really fun and a great strength workout, plus we've gotten to meet athletes from a different group.

See Zoot tights don't have to be just for running and cycling!

We spent Thanksgiving in Virginia but I headed up to RI with the dogs for Christmas. Brian had to work an overtime job so he stayed in Virginia until New Years. It was weird spending the holiday without him but then he flew up to RI for New Years and we had a really fun few days with family and friends. The dogs got very spoiled with always having someone around to play with. I think they only had to stay in their crate twice, and we went for several long walks along the ocean to get coffee downtown. It was pretty chilly while I was home so I was thankful for my Zoot megaheat layers. On Christmas morning it was 19deg (without the wind chill) and I headed out to do a set of hard hill repeats. I was thankful that I didn't have to find a bridge to run over like we do in Chesapeake to do hills. I was also able to do my favorite running route by a couple of the beaches on the island and then up and around the lighthouse (where our wedding ceremony took place). Jamestown is so beautiful and I'm thankful to have grown up there and be able to go back and visit.

Beavertail lighthouse

I stayed on the trainer for my cycling workouts and was able to get some really quality interval training in, including a hard VO2 max set. When I was almost through the workout I received this in a text from our friend Kristen. Besides making me laugh when I was feeling pretty tired it also motivated me to get through the last few.

I did all my swim workouts across the bridge in the YMCA pool where I first started my triathlon training. It was neat to get back there as a much stronger athlete than when I started. Coach Tara Norton, ever the creative workout extraordinaire gave me a cool 12 Days of Christmas set to do on Christmas Eve. I may have been thinking a few choice words at her during the 12x50 butterfly though :P

We also did some climbing in RI in the Rock Spot gym up there. It was a good opportunity to spend some time with my brother Nate and his girlfriend Gillian before he heads off to Coast Guard boot camp (so proud of him for making the commitment to serve). My sister, her boyfriend Joe and my best friend Kendalyn and her boyfriend Adam also joined us one of the days which made for a really fun evening of climbing and catching up over dinner after.

A snow storm blew in after New Years, so of course Brian wanted to go for an "adventure run" in it. When we started out it seemed like a really bad idea to me...but it ended up being really fun even if I couldn't feel my toes or fingers after. We ran through the golf course (including Brian diving head first into a snow drift) and then made our way to my favorite coffee shop downtown for a little break before running home along the water.

The day before we had to drive back home, my cousin (his parents are my dad's cousins) Mikey was putting on a trail 5K race. I did my long ride workout on the trainer and then Brian and I headed over to the race. It was pretty cold out and the trail was covered in snow. I borrowed a set of Yak Traks from Mikey and paired up with his 9yo daughter Ellen to run with. Mikey and Becky have the coolest little girls, and they are into all sorts of outdoor activities. I'm pretty sure both of them can outclimb Brian and I pretty easily. This was a really tough 5K and Ellen was a trooper. She rolled her ankle a little bit but refused to quit and it was awesome to be able to share that experience with her. Fortunately there was hot chocolate and cup o noodles to warm up with after.

Ellen and I running in the snow scottmasonphoto.com

Although we both had an excellent time in RI, I'm happy to be back into a routine home in VA. Training for the 2014 season is ramping up and races are getting closer and closer. We will be looking to start up some breakfast rides in the coming weeks so look out for those. As many of you know Brian is a team captain for the Zoot team this year. I will also be staying with Zoot as an individual athlete. Check back in my next blog for some other exciting sponsor announcements for the 2014 season. Stay warm everyone and enjoy the base training, it sets you up for an excellent season.