triathlon

Ironman 70.3 Raleigh – The Perfect Race

June 9, 2013 by Alison Gittelman 14 Comments

Gear:
2XU Compression Trisuit
Garmin Forerunner 310XT
Swim: Xterra Vortex wetsuit, Speedo Vanquisher goggles
Bike: Felt B2, Hed Jet wheels, Giro Advantage 2 aero helmet, Rudy Project sunglasses, Bontrager RXL Hilo tri shoes
Run: Brooks Racer ST5

Nutrition:
Pre-race: Nutella sandwich, Picky Bar, Kona Cola Nuun, Espresso Love GU
Bike: Infinit Custom Nutrition
Run: Vanilla bean GU, Pineapple Roctane GU, water

PRERACE JITTERS

When the alarm went off at 4am Sunday morning my first thought was, “How on earth am I going to race a Half Ironman today?” I figured I’d had about 2 hrs sleep, due in part to an incredibly noisy, old hotel where I could hear someone lift the toilet seat in the next room, and because I never sleep well the night before a race. Because I never sleep well pre-race, I don’t usually worry, but I hadn’t slept well Friday night, either. There was a concert in downtown Raleigh Friday night and the crowd noise kept me awake, then voices in the hallway in the middle of the night woke me up. And of course there was the damn toilet seat next door.

Nevertheless, I got up, took a shower, and got ready to race for what I imagined would be close to 6 hours…5:30 if I had a good day.

At 5am my teammate Donna and I headed off to T2, just down the street, where a bus would take us to Lake Jordan for the start of our race. We were pleased to see plenty of buses and no lines. I get antsy when there are lines. We jumped on a bus and headed to the lake in the dark. Arriving at the lake we saw long porta-potty lines. Already. Groan. Since I’d been drinking Nuun the entire 40 minute ride, I jumped right into a line prior to dropping off my transition gear. It was while in line, listening to pre-race announcements (or trying to, since we couldn’t quite make them out), that we heard loud cheers. Donna said she thought she’d heard that the race WAS wetsuit legal. YES!!! Given that the water temp had been steadily climbing all week, and had apparently hit 78 on Saturday, I hadn’t held out any hope for a wetsuit race. (76.1 is the max water temp for a wetsuit legal race. You can wear a wetsuit if the water temp is over 76.1 and under 84, but you have to start in the last wave and aren’t eligible for awards.) Good sign #1.

But of course I had brought my wetsuit with me, just in case. Apparently a number of triathletes, assuming the temperature would climb, not fall, had left theirs at home. Ugh. That sucks. Always bring yer wetsuit! Well, unless it’s a pool swim. That would be silly.

Post-bathroom visit, Donna and I got body marked (why do I always get a body marker who writes small numbers, even when I request they write BIG?!) and headed into transition to set up. We hadn’t brought a bike pump so we had to beg, borrow, and, as a last resort, steal. (I’m not above that when it comes to racing…) Some people are really nice when it comes to lending their stuff. “Red shirt guy” near me was like that. Unfortunately, because he was nice we just kept passing the pump around, saying, “it belongs to that guy in the red shirt over there…” I hope he got it back. I have an odd valve for my rear race wheel and red shirt guy’s pump wouldn’t fit on it. So I accosted a girl and borrowed hers, which worked like a charm. But when Donna tried to use it, the girl said she was leaving transition and needed to take it with her. So I scoped around our area and saw a couple of pumps, which we commandeered. But we just couldn’t get air in Donna’s tires. With 10 minutes left before transition was set to close, and Donna’s tires now mostly deflated thanks to yours truly’s failed attempts at getting a pump to fit, I sent her over to the race mechanic. Thankfully she came back a couple of minutes later with fully inflated tires. We finished filling our water bottles and positioning our shoes (more about that later) and helmets, and headed out of transition just before it closed.

We still had almost an hour before our swim wave so Donna decided to hit the porta-potties again. The lines were insane but even worse was the third-world slum aroma emanating from the porta-pots. I decided to don my wetsuit and go sit in the grass…sorry, wear shoes if you walk in the grass pre-race; I guarantee I wasn’t the only one peeing in their suit. From my viewing spot I got to see the pro’s start the swim, which was cool. Donna joined me and we had a pre-race picture taken:

I just peed in my suit…

Ha, we might look relaxed but we were nervous! I am not a fan of open water swim starts. At Ironman 70.3 Austin, I stupidly positioned myself front and center in the swim and ended up getting crushed for the first 5 minutes as the faster swimmers ploughed through me. This time, I planned to be more sensible and start near the back. And then, because I was trying to relax and not freak out, we almost missed our swim start.

We had this picture taken at 7:30. I know because I posted it on Facebook. Then we headed to bag drop. Our swim wave, #12, was due to start at 7:42, so we really should have been lined up by then. I realized how late we were when I saw the sign being held up for wave #20. Crap. We had to squeeze our way through 8 waves of people to get to our wave, which by this point was on the beach. We still hadn’t zipped up our suits. We stood off to the side to zip each other up, and then rejoined the group. Then Donna realized we had joined wave #13, and our wave was in the water! Crap again. We scooted around wave #13 and got in the water. The temperature felt perfect. We had 4 minutes to start. And the wave was very small, so even though I was near the back, there were only a couple of rows of people in front of me. Perfect. Good sign #2.

THE SWIM – NO MOSH PIT

When the gun/cannon/siren/whatever went off I started swimming hard to get a good spot. I didn’t have to worry. A great spot opened up to my right, close to the buoys. At first I was hesitant to take it, because I had planned to swim a little wide of the markers, since it tends to be a mosh pit near them, but the area was clear and given that my wave was small, I went for it. That turned out to be a great decision. I had room to swim, visibility was great for sighting, and nobody was in my way. Before I knew it, I was swimming through some of the slower swimmers in the previous wave, which gave me a boost. I took a kick to the goggle while trying to navigate around a breaststroker, but even that didn’t bother me. I was like Dory…just keep swimming…I actually had to remind myself to pull hard because I was zoning out. Perhaps I took a nap. I don’t know. The time went by really fast. It was the most relaxing open water swim I’ve ever had!

And then the end came in sight and I started to kick fast to ready my legs for the bike. Of course it took forever to get to the dock but I finally made it and hauled myself out of the water. Swim time = 41:45

The volunteers were yelling that the wetsuit strippers were on the left on the way to transition. Wetsuit strippers are awesome. Never try to remove your wetsuit yourself if there are strippers available. By the time I reached them I had the top of the suit down. I made eye contact with a couple of ladies, one of whom yelled, “sit down! Lift your butt up!” Yeah, it’s unladylike but it’s worth it because they rip that thing off in a second. As I took my suit from them I told them how awesome they were. Then I ran into transition.

THE BIKE – WILL MY GOOD LUCK LAST?

Backing up for just a second…bear with me. When we attended the “athlete briefing” on the Friday before the race, someone asked if we were allowed to lay our stuff out in T1 or if it had to stay in the gear bag. (Some races, like Austin, have “clean” transition areas, which means you can’t lay your shit out and potentially mess up the place. Of course it looks nice and you don’t lose stuff, but it takes extra time to get your stuff, so athletes hate it.) The guy running the briefing said that you could put your stuff on the ground. Then he said something that shocked me. He said that we could NOT put our bike shoes on the pedals. As someone who has learned to put my bike shoes on while riding, to avoid the hazards of running in something that has metal cleats on the bottom, I couldn’t believe I was hearing this. So I raised my hand. Shortly he called on me and I said, “Can you confirm that bike shoes are NOT allowed on pedals?” And he confirmed that we had to leave them on the ground. I was not happy to hear this. I did not want to run in my bike shoes. I prefer to run in bare feet. Of course, I had the option to hold them while running to the bike exit, and put them on there, but then I’d be holding my bike and that would be a nightmare.

Fortunately, the transition gods must have been looking out for me because on Saturday, when we went to rack our bikes in T1, I discovered that my spot was on the second to last rack, right by bike out. Sweet. Good sign #3.

That’s my red Felt B2 on the left

So I breezed through transition, donned sunglasses, helmet, and shoes, grabbed my bike, ran toward the bike out, almost careened into a woman who slowed to have sunscreen applied, ran to the bike mount and got on my bike. It was a long, continuous climb out of the lake area to the first turn, and I took it easy, not worrying about my speed or the other riders, just wanting to get comfortable and conserve energy. As I had practiced at USA Triathlon Nationals in Vermont, I drank only water for the first 20 minutes, to allow my stomach to settle from the swim. After that, I started drinking my Infinit, a custom complete nutrition drink that prevents me from having to eat, which I find causes me stomach issues in the aero position. I kept an eye on my Garmin and noted that I was riding around 20mph, which surprised me as I didn’t feel that I was pushing the pace at all. I figured it was flat and some hills would soon appear to slow me down.

But by mile 20 I was still averaging 20mph. And it was the same at mile 30. And 40. With about 10 miles to go on the bike, I was getting a cramp in my side that had me worried for the run, as I didn’t run well at Austin due to a cramping stomach. I had to pee, and planned to wait until run transition, but realized that needing to pee may be causing the stomach cramp. So I decided now was the time to finally master peeing on my bike.

Around the time I decided this, a monster downhill appeared, which provided the perfect opportunity. I felt bad for the guys behind me but that made sure they kept their distance. I recall reading in Chrissie Wellington’s book that if anyone tried to draft off her on the bike, she would let off a “warning shot” to keep them away. So having issued a “warning shot,” I sat back down in my seat and felt very relieved (pun intended) as the stomach cramp started to subside almost immediately.

Although I was having a good ride, the last 10 miles did start to drag. First of all, after 40 miles the course was no longer coned, and traffic was getting dangerously close. I had a couple of close calls with cars, and started to worry that my good luck was about to run out. Fortunately I made it through unscathed. I took my feet out of my shoes a bit early as I didn’t know exactly where the bike ended (rookie mistake: Donna and I did not look at the end of the bike course), but that actually turned out to be a good idea as the bike ended on an uphill, and had I not taken my shoes off before this, I probably would have wiped out. I made a decent dismount and ran my bike into transition as fast as I could. Bike time = 2:45:43

THE RUN – DON’T FAIL NOW

All I had left now was the run. The run is my strength, but I had failed to capitalize on this in Austin. Suffering from stomach cramps in that race, I took 2 hrs to run the 13.1 miles. This time, my stomach was feeling fine. As I started the run I glanced at my Garmin and saw I was running in the low 7:00s. Too fast. I tried to slow myself down but I still had my bike legs, i.e., they were spinning fast. I even stopped at a porta potty and still continued hammering the pace. If I had been running a 10K I would have kept it up, but I knew I’d be in trouble if I tried to maintain this pace for a half marathon. Eventually I managed to slow myself down, aided in part by the gradual incline over the first 4 miles. Miles 4 – 9 were on a paved trail. I had hoped the trail would provide some shade, but unfortunately it was fully exposed to the midday sun. And hilly. Relentlessly hilly. The brief respite from every downhill was met by another grueling uphill.

The trail…you can see why I thought it was shaded. It wasn’t.

I managed to maintain an 8:30 pace on the trail but was painfully slow on the uphills. Race support was fantastic. Ice, water, sponges, etc. at every mile, with plenty of volunteers to hand stuff out. And there were kids on the course with water guns as well as sprinklers and hoses, which was awesome. I ended up as wet as I was after the swim. We had to run two loops at the top of the trail, which wasn’t much fun, but I reminded myself over and over that it would eventually end. Finally, I was out of the park with just 4 miles to go, most of it downhill. I started to try to crank up the pace, although my body was in full protest at that point. With a couple of miles to go I saw a girl with a “42″ on her calf (my age group), and focused on passing her.

Soon we were making the final turn and I could see the finish line with about 800m to go. There is no other feeling like running down that finish chute. The crowd noise is deafening and you feel like you’re on air. All the pain goes away for those last few steps. And then the line is there. And it’s over. Run time = 1:44:59

Total race time = 5:15:59

I placed 3rd in the 40 – 44 age group and was offered a spot at Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Which I turned down. I don’t like Vegas. Maybe Mont Tremblant will tempt me in 2014, assuming I do another of these, and do it well.

Prior to this race I said this was my last Half Ironman, that I wanted to focus on duathlon (which I still do) and running. Now, I’m not so sure. Funny how a race change change your perspective.

HUGE Thank You to my sponsors: Potomac River Running, Brooks, GU, Infinit, and Nuun.

If you made it this far: thanks for reading; I know this was long!

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: 70.3, Ironman, open water, Raleigh, swim, triathlon

Writing for Washingtonian

December 4, 2012 by Alison Gittelman 7 Comments

I took advantage of the unseasonable weather in Virginia (65 at ride time!) and rode outside today. I enjoyed a fabulous ride around the neighborhood and got my Vitamin D fix. But this (see photo) is where my bike will be set up for most of the winter. Not too bad a spot! Sure beats the basement where I used to bike before we had the windows installed in the porch.

Anyway, today I’m writing over at Washingtonian. Just saying that gives me chills. Sure, it’s the online wellbeing blog, not the print magazine, but I’m nevertheless excited to be a contributor. Since my work experience at my local newspaper at the age of 15, I’ve dreamed of writing professionally.

I joke that I spend my days correcting other people’s mistakes. Editing pays the bills, but writing is my passion.

Check out my article, 7 Winter Training Tips for Triathletes, on Washingtonian’s Well+Being blog.

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: biking, Training Tips, triathlon, Washingtonian, Winter

2013

November 8, 2012 by Alison Gittelman 12 Comments

Did you see the movie 2012? I watched it one time while running on the treadmill and wasn’t sure if it was a comedy or a drama. It’s basically your typical apocalypse story, in which the earth’s core is heating up rapidly and is going to boil, causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and a huge tidal wave that will engulf the earth. So the powers-that-be go about secretly building these massive arks that of course can only save a small percentage of the population. All the usual fights ensue, people get crushed, maimed, go crazy, etc. There’s the typical crescendo toward the end when someone has to risk their life to save the ark from crashing into Everest and – spoiler alert – does it with about 0.02 seconds to spare.

Source

Happily I didn’t waste any hours of my life watching this drama/comedy as I was running at the same time. Something I haven’t been doing lately, due to my own stupidity in not allowing my calf tear to heal before increasing my mileage. In fact, my entire 2012 has been about as disastrous as the movie, because I’ve been injured for most of it.

Cue the violins…

- At the beginning of the year I battled a glute/hammy injury. I ran two half marathons and an 8K on that in February and March.
- The compensation from running with a super tight glute/hammy gave me a hip problem in the other leg. In May I ran a 10K and in June a 50K on that.
- Then, while training for JFK 50, and already behind on mileage, I tore my calf. I ran a half marathon in October while still rehabbing and retore the calf the following week.

Yes, I see the pattern. Not sure if I’m martyr, hero, or just glutton for punishment. But, as disastrous as 2012 has been, I still managed to pull out:

- 2nd place in my age group at Annapolis sprint triathlon in May.
- 2nd female overall at Infinitive sprint triathlon in June.
- 2nd in my age group at Rockville Rotary 8K in July.
- My second-fastest 10K time at USAT Age Group Nationals in Vermont in August.

I guess I had a decent summer.

Right now I’m not running and not even thinking about racing the rest of the year. My husband asked me if I was signing up for the 10K I usually run on New Year’s Eve. I told him I can’t make any plans right now…

That doesn’t mean, of course, that I can’t make plans for 2013:

- In March I hope to be able to run Shamrock Half Marathon. I’ve run one of the VA Beach Shamrock races for the last 2 years (Marathon in 2011, 8K in 2012) but haven’t run the half since 2006.
- In April I’ll run my second Boston Marathon. I’m really looking forward to going back, this time with my good friend Lisa. I have no expectations for the race; my hope is to get to the start uninjured.
- While I’ll still race some of my favorite triathlons, and I’m waiting to see where USAT Age Group Nationals are this year, I’d like to focus more on duathlons this year. My swim is the weak link of the three triathlon disciplines, so I can do better in a run-bike-run than a swim-bike-run. That, of course, requires me to be able to run well, so I’m not making any concrete plans yet. But if I can run well I think I have a shot at making Team USA for the ITU World Championships…

So while it may only be November, I have big plans for 2013. And in case they don’t work out, I can always build an ark.

Have you made plans for 2013?

How do you handle injuries? Do you try to push through them like me?

What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: 2012, 2013, Boston Marathon, calf injury, duathlon, hamstring injury, hip injury, Shamrock marathon, triathlon, USAT

My Last Day as a 39-Year Old

October 25, 2012 by Alison Gittelman 12 Comments

My wonderful husband completely and utterly surprised me last week with:

1) An unexpected visit from my parents, who live in England. When they walked through the door Thursday evening I freaked out!

2) A surprise party with friends and family Friday night. I thought we were going out for dinner with my parents, but SURPRISE!

He planned and orchestrated everything so well. He was up to his eyeballs in a proposal at work so I figured he hadn’t had time to plan anything. I have to admit that I also didn’t want to get my hopes up and be disappointed. Apparently he’d been planning this since July! No-one spilled the beans. A few friends avoided me the week before, because they were afraid they’d say something. I must admit to feeling slightly depressed, with no-one responding to me or answering my request to celebrate. I thought they didn’t care. How wrong I was.

When I’m asked if I feel 40, I don’t really know how to answer. Aside from the obvious fact that I haven’t quite reached 40 (one more day!), what does 40 feel like?

When I was in my twenties, working out was more of a mental battle than a physical one. My body was willing, but my mind was weak and would allow me to make excuses for not running or shorten my run if I actually made it out the door. Now, my mind is stronger, more disciplined but, unfortunately, my body is not. The battle these days involves more rest and recovery, less frequent hard efforts, and listening very carefully to what my body is trying to say.

In triathlon, I’ve been 40 since the beginning of the year, since triathletes must race the age they’ll be on December 31st of that year. So in May, at my first tri of 2012, I raced with “40″ stamped on my calf and placed 2nd in the 40-44 division. The previous October I’d lamented not being in that age group at Ironman 70.3 Austin as it meant that my swim wave started 30 minutes later. But in August 2012 I wished I were back in the 35-39 age group because my swim wave at the National Championships in Vermont was an hour later than the 35-39s!

What’s most weird is running as a 39 year old while competing in triathlon as a 40 year old. It means I’m in two completely different age groups. I’m looking forward to being one age: 40.

My first race as a (genuine) 40 year old was to be Marine Corps Marathon, which was to be a training run for JFK 50, a race I promised I’d run as a 40 year old. Neither will happen this year. My calf tear is lingering as a result of my failing to allow it to heal properly. So now I must sit out, wait patiently, and train for Boston Marathon, my first marathon as a 40 year old.

Cheers!

By the way, there’s just ONE DAY left to enter my Kona Kase Giveaway! Your chance to win some awesome endurance nutrition samples!

Do you have a big birthday coming up? Just recently had one?

Thoughts on getting older? Wiser? Smarter?!

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: 40, age group, Age Group Nationals, Austin 70.3, Birthday, running, Surprise, triathlon, Vermont

An Inspirational Triathlon Story

October 11, 2012 by Alison Gittelman 5 Comments

I am the first to admit I’m not particularly eloquent. I’m more likely to be described as abrasive, aggressive, and impulsive. I’ve been accused of turning everything into a competition. I don’t deny it. I’ve also been called a “heavy hitter” although that was, I think, a compliment. As a result, I think that sometimes, when I share my race reports, they come across as stories of an experienced racer who has forgotten what it’s like to be afraid of failure and doesn’t know how a first-timer feels.

The truth is I’m very afraid of failure and it’s one of the things that drives me so hard and keeps me pushing in a race when the going gets tough. I use that fear to my advantage. But that’s not the point. So let me get to it.

This morning I read my team-mate Claudia’s tale of how she completed a Half Ironman, ignoring those who told her she couldn’t, ignoring the voices in her head that told her she wasn’t prepared, and I realized that this was a great story for those considering a triathlon or just starting out in the sport. There aren’t many things that make me cry but after reading Claudia’s story I was bawling, and I promise it wasn’t because Claudia beat my Austin Half Ironman time by one minute.

Here’s Claudia’s beautiful, amazing story:

My Journey to a Half Ironman

Many of you know my story how I started doing triathlons, but reading one more time does not hurt anybody, one day I was reading the PEOPLE magazine and saw that Jennifer Lopez finished her first triathlon in NY and this words crossed my mind “If Jennifer Lopez did one triathlon I can do one” I informed my PRECIOSO (husband), that I want to do a triathlon and he said you want to do what???, then I called my mom and told her the same that I will do a triathlon like Jennifer Lopez, my mom said ” Yes but think about it Jennifer Lopez had Nanny, maids, chefs who cook a healthy meal for her, trainer and all the time in her life” while you need to keep your house, kids, husband and cook your self and train by your self. I told her I can do it.

I signed for DOGS DAY SPRINT TRIATHLON in Broadlands 2 years ago, I called my PRECIOSO he was out of town and told him that I signed for my first triathlon ever he said “YOU SIGNED FOR WHAT????, YOU HAVE NOT TRAINED AT ALL AND YOUR TRIATHLON IS IN 5 DAYS HOLY COW!” We join Lifetime Fitness and started my training of course I did not how to swim, I can ride a bike and run but swim that was the hardest thing ever I HAD PANIC TO THE DEEP…. Forget to mention I did not have a bike for the triathlon we bought one road bike…

The day of my first triathlon came, could not sleep at all my hands sweat just thinking that I have to jump in the pool and swim no way I can do that. Finally I did it but took me : 400 mts swim = 14 min, 12 miles on the bike, 46:54min, and 5K running = 28:55min TOTAL = 1 hr :34 min; after all this I went home and I slept the whole afternoon and my legs felt tired.

After the struggle with the swim I decided to take swim lessons ( needed badly), and I join Team TPR ( Team Tri Performance Racing )and train with an AWESOME group of people. I decided to do a Half Ironman (HIM) in Augusta Georgia (peer pressure ) and start the adventure sorry the training on February of this year, I have no words to thank every one who give me the opportunity to train with them, and believed in me and encouraged me to keep doing this and train for this race. Last Sunday September 30th I completed satisfactory my first HIM = 1.2 miles swimming + 56 miles biking + 13.1 running = 70.3 = HALF IRON MAN and all I did in 5:54 Less than the time I was planning or had in mind. MAKE ME FEEL SO GOOD AND HAPPY AND EVERYTHING

And most important my family, because with out them I am not be here, sorry for the long weekends and my absence some days during my training, now that I finished the race everything was worth LOVE EVERY ONE OF YOU, I do not put names but when you read it you know who you are and also I do not want to forget names.

Thank you PRECIOSO this race means alot for me but you are my EVERYTHING LOVE YOU

Thank you God for everything and for never leave me alone,

Thanks Fionna and Fabrizio

Thanks Mom and Dad

Thanks sisters and brothers

Thank you to every person who has ever told me I cannot. You are just another reason why I will and I did.

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: 70.3, Augusta, Half Ironman, newbie, triathlon

Does My Cowbell Annoy You? Tips for Race Spectators

August 25, 2012 by Alison Gittelman 19 Comments

I’m not racing tomorrow. This is the first time I haven’t raced South Riding Triathlon in 3 years and it feels strange. But, at the same time, it gives me a great opportunity to cheer on my TPR teammates and I will be out in full force on the bike course with my flag and cowbell, at the bottom of a short hill that comes right after a turn, and you bet I’ll be yelling at people to move it! There will be some “motivational” chalk messages on the road to help those who need the extra boost, too.

Because spectating is a sport in itself and there are some who could do with training, here are my six tips on how to be a good race spectator.

1. You Don’t Know Me But Cheer for Me Anyway!

Some spectators only cheer for their “person.” They make a special sign, drive goodness-knows-how far to the race site, stand for possibly hours, all to say “Go, [insert name]!” when said person passes them. The rest of the time they stand, silently, staring at the other racers, occasionally muttering “when will he be here? I think I see him! Go!…oh no, that’s not him…maybe a few more minutes…” Seriously, how boring must this be? As a racer, I find it slightly annoying but mostly funny to pass these types of spectators. They can’t be having any fun. So, if you’re coming out to a race to cheer on your person, cheer for everyone else, too. We really liked to be cheered on by people we don’t know. Makes us feel like celebrities!

2. Lie To Me

I know I look like shit. I know I’m sweaty and gross and have drool coming from my mouth and look like I’m gonna pass out any minute, but lie to me and tell me “looking good!” or “looking strong!” Because it really makes a difference. You may step back while saying this so you don’t have to smell me.

3. Stay the Hell Out of My Way

I mean this in the nicest way, but please, stay back. If you get too close I may freak out, especially if I’m on the bike, and you don’t want to be responsible for a wreck. Also, please don’t run across the road right in front of me. If it’s late in the race I cannot possibly swerve to avoid you, as my body refuses to respond to sudden commands, and if it’s early you’re gonna cause me to break my stride and that’s equally dangerous.

4. Make Some Noise!

I love cowbells, so ring yours to your heart’s content. In consideration of fellow spectators who may not like them so much, I recommend switching locations from time to time. At Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in April there was a man with a very loud gong near the end of the race and all I could think was, “Dear God, those poor people standing near him!” So be loud and proud but move around!

5. Please Don’t Use the Portapotty Prior to the Race

Look, I know you have needs, but if at all possible, please could you hold it until the race starts? You’ll have the potties all to yourself then. It’s really hard to wait an eternity in line only to see a non-racer emerge from my special pre-race place.

6. Thank You.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a spectator. You have no idea (well, maybe you do) how much spectators mean to racers. Without you it’s just like a training event that costs money. So please keep coming out, cheering for us, waving your signs, ringing your cowbells, and banging your gongs. I love it.

Do you have other tips for spectators? How about tips for racers?

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: Cowbell, Spectating, Spectator, triathlon

How I Learned to Swim (and didn’t drown)

August 9, 2012 by Alison Gittelman 7 Comments

I’ve had several discussions lately with people who are beginning the fun journey of learning to swim as adults. If you are one of them, let me tell you right now that I know exactly what you’re going through. Four years ago, I was you (sort of..well, you know what I mean…)

I hate not being able to do something. Of course, there are lots of things I won’t be able to do no matter how much I try, such as reach the top shelf at the grocery store without climbing on the bottom shelf, become President (I’m London born and proud of it) or pee like a guy, but when I know I CAN do something about it, that pisses me off.

Plus, I really wanted to do a triathlon but not being able to swim was a bit of a sticking point. So I decided I would learn. Here’s my no holds barred account of how I did just that.

Four years ago my two boys were 4 and 6 and were both on the Mini Ray swim team. In other words, they could swim better than I could. So I made sure to sit really close to their coach during practice, so I could hear what she was telling them. Then, when it got dark (not kidding) I went to the pool and tried to swim. I was terrified the lifeguard would dive in and try to rescue me during my pathetic attempts to get across the pool, but thankfully our lifeguards don’t really like getting out of their chairs so I was left alone to flounder in the deep end.

At 8 he could swim better than me...

When summer came to an end, I moved to the indoor pool near my youngest son’s preschool. I’d drop him at school and, before I could change my mind, I’d drive over to the Freedom Center pool and get in the lane next to the wall (for safety). At that time in the morning it was just me and the water aerobics class, so I got to swim along to some great tunes. At this point I could make it one length without stopping, but I had to rest at the wall each time. I couldn’t believe how out of breath I was. Here I was, a marathon runner, and I couldn’t swim 25 yards without hyperventilating. I learned that part of this was my poor breathing technique, but most of it was my discomfort in the water. I was terrified I might drown. Seriously. I had visions of slipping under the water and no-one noticing. I eventually overcame this fear simply by swimming more, and found I could do 2 then 3 and more lengths without stopping.

That's what I said...

In the Spring, I signed up for South Riding Triathlon, which would be held in September. I attended a tri clinic at the beginning of the summer and was horrified that we had to swim the entire 400m race distance. I managed it with some stopping and about 100m of breaststroke. After some biking and running, which I did with no problems, the race director, Brian Crow, told us to do the swim again. Then he looked at me and said, “freestyle the whole way.” Who was this guy kidding? There was NO WAY I could swim 400m freestyle! Nevertheless, I got in the pool and I tried it. I had to stop a couple of times but I made it the whole way swimming freestyle. I was psyched.

I had signed up to swim twice a week with the master’s swim program over the summer. I got through the workouts and improved my stamina while lowering the time I spent hanging on the wall, but my technique was awful. Master’s swim really doesn’t focus on technique, since it’s assumed you already know how to swim (most of my poolmates swam in high school while I played field hockey and ran cross-country and kept away from bodies of water) and just want to get in a workout.

In the Fall I signed up to swim with Brian Crow from Team TPR. I knew I wasn’t a good swimmer, but I didn’t realize how bad I was until one day when I accidentally found myself in a lane with two of the faster ladies in our Wednesday morning swim group. I seriously thought they were going to drown me as they kept passing me, doing flip turns, and other scary stuff. To make matters worse, Coach Crow was videotaping us so I got to relive the horror of my underwater slaughter as well as observe my horrific technique over and over again.

But, as the months passed and Coach Crow picked apart my stroke week after week, having me do all these totally weird drills that made me feel like a complete idiot, I saw some improvement. There were moments, such as when he had me swim catchup with a pull bouy, and I couldn’t stop myself from logrolling, when I thought I would never get this. There were even a couple of primadonna scenes where I got out of the pool and stomped off, but things eventually got better.

Last summer my then 9 year old taught me how to do a flip turn. If you think learning to swim is embarrassing, try learning to flip with your 9 year old saying, “OMG Mom, it’s soooo easy!!!”

I made it!

Last year I completed my first Half Ironman, which involves 1.2 miles of swimming. In open water. To make matters worse, I positioned myself front and center at the start and got pummeled for the first few minutes. I focused on not panicking, reminding myself that I was NOT going to drown, and just kept swimming…

So when people who are at the beginning of their swim journey tell me that they don’t think they’ll ever be able to swim 400m without stopping, that they’ll never feel completely comfortable swimming, that they will NEVER swim in open water, I explain where I started, and how far I’ve come, and tell them YES, you will.

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: Fear, flip turn, freestyle, open water, swim, triathlon

Transition – The 4th Sport of Triathlon and How To Nail it

June 30, 2012 by Alison Gittelman 4 Comments

One of the first things I do when I look at my triathlon splits is look at my transition times. Transition is an oft-neglected part of triathlon, but it’s really the 4th sport, one in which you can gain – or lose – a lot of time. Make no mistake, you can lose placings by taking too long in transition. So, while you’re working on your swim, bike, and run, don’t forget to work on a speedy transition.

I generally have fast transition times and so I thought I’d share my tips for getting in and out of the zone as fast as possible.

Before the Race:

1. Lay everything out exactly as you need it. When you come out of the swim you’ll need to don helmet and possibly sunglasses, a race number, and bike shoes. These should all be laid out ready to go, on a towel laid on the ground to the right of your front wheel. I have seen people put their stuff IN FRONT of their bike…kinda hard to get the bike out that way. I put my helmet on my towel on the ground because it’s been knocked off my bike too many times. You can lay it on top of the handlebars or brake cables if there’s room. DO NOT hang it on the handlebars. This is guaranteed to cost you time as you try to pull it off. Inside my helmet I put my sunglasses, open, and my race belt with number attached, if I’m required to wear it for the bike. My bike shoes are on my bike (timesaver) but if you’re not ready to try putting your shoes on while riding or you wear running shoes for biking, make sure those are ready to slip your feet into. Put talcum powder inside your shoes to make them easier to put on. Put your running shoes BEHIND your bike shoes – you don’t need those getting in the way on your swim to bike transition. If you’re going sockless, lube up the insides of your running shoes with vaseline to make them easier to slip on and prevent chafing. If you’re wearing socks, have them ready to put on.

Separate transition bags for Austin Half Ironman

2. Practice. Once you’ve laid everything out, don’t just walk away. Practice putting it on. I always do this. Grab your race belt and practice clipping it. Was it easy to do? Lay it down so it’s ready to grab. Same with sunglasses – you want to be able to slide them straight on so have them open and facing the right way. Then put on your helmet. Someone always puts on their helmet backwards so make sure you have it facing the right way and the straps aren’t twisted.

Where did I leave my bike?!

3. Memorize where your bike is. I usually look for a tree, something visual, that I can refer to. Looking at the numbers on the racks takes too long. Some people put flowers in the top of the open tube at the end of the rack, or write on the ground in chalk. Balloons are kinda annoying for other racers and aren’t allowed in some transition areas, so I don’t recommend those. Just make sure you have a way of knowing where your rack – and bike – is. I have made the mistake of going to the wrong rack and it’s very frustrating!

4. Find the BIKE OUT. Once I’ve set everything up and made a note of where my bike is, I go and find the BIKE OUT area. Don’t wait until the race to find out where it is. Once I’ve found it, I then look for the BIKE MOUNT line. Remember that you’ll have to wheel your bike to the line before mounting it. Mounting in transition is not allowed and can lead to disqualification!

5. Find the RUN OUT. Next, I go find the RUN OUT area. This is often (but not always) the opposite direction from BIKE OUT. Again, go and look at it so you know where it is. People are always going the wrong way because they didn’t look beforehand. Don’t be that person!

6. Prepare mentally. So, all set, right? Now I go back to my bike again and check I have everything set up. I’ll mentally run through what I need for the bike and run legs. Do I have water and fuel on my bike? I check everything one last time before leaving transition with my cap and goggles.

During the Race:

Added complication: removing wetsuit!

7. Swim to bike. As I exit the swim and start running to transition, I remove my goggles and cap. Then I go through in my head what I need, in the order I’m going to pick it up. When I get to my bike, I throw my cap and goggles to the back of my towel (not in someone else’s space) and start putting on my number (if needed), sunglasses, and helmet. Don’t forget to secure your helmet before grabbing your bike!

8. No time for tea. At NO time in transition should you sit down. This is not a break. The clock is still ticking and you are still racing. Plan to get in and out as fast as you can without panicking. Do everything calmly but quickly, so you don’t forget anything.

9. Bike leg. I run/jog with my bike to the mount line, which I looked at before so I know exactly where it is. NOTE that the mount line is NOT the timing mat. The mount line always comes after the timing mat!

10. Bike to run. When I return from the bike leg, I jog/run my bike back to its spot. Again, as I’m entering transition I run through in my head what I need for the run. I return my bike to the rack, facing the same way I got it out. This may not be a big deal to you but it is to the people on either side of you, because if you do it incorrectly they may not be able to get their bikes in correctly. This has been done to me and it really pissed me off! Not to mention that some races will penalize you for incorrect bike placement. Don’t be that person. Once my bike is in, I take off my helmet and put it at the back of my towel (you can put it back on the handlebars if that’s where you had it before). Then I grab my running shoes, which I’ve positioned to put on easily. I recommend lock-laces; you do NOT want to have to tie shoelaces! Again, do not sit down! I grab a hat/visor if I’m planning to wear one and any fuel I need. If I’m wearing my number I just turn it to face the front while running; no need to stand there wasting time. If I didn’t wear the number on the bike, I grab it and put it on while heading out of transition.

It may seem like a lot to remember, but follow these 10 steps for your next transition and you’ll be sure to save time!

How are your transitions?

Did I forget anything?

Was this helpful? I hope so!

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: Bike to Run, Swim to Bike, Transition, triathlon

Summer = Triathlon = L.O.V.E.

June 28, 2012 by Alison Gittelman 4 Comments

I am not the kind of person to jump on a bandwagon; in fact, I tend to deliberately do the opposite. It’s not that I don’t like group activities or don’t want to do what everyone else is doing. It’s just in my nature to march to the beat of my own drum. There are times, of course, when I toe the line and sign up for the same race as a bunch of teammates, but I find I’m just as happy going solo.

So my first reaction when my good friend RunWiki posted her Six Summer Running Essentials, a follow-up to Miss Zippy’s What I’m Loving Right Now #fitgear, which was a follow-up to Shut Up and Run’s 5 Things I’m Loving Right Now, was “I like it, and love reading this stuff, but everyone’s doing it and so I’m not.” It’s a knee-jerk reaction that I’m working on…

And then a strange thing happened. I started thinking about the things I love. The clothing I love to work out in, the foods I love to eat; dammit, I was even on my bike last week and said, out loud to my training partners, “I love my bike!” Who does that? Maybe I should look into therapy, but writing a post is cheaper.

So, without further excuses or explanations, here’s my list of summer triathlon (I have to be a little different) #fitgear:

I feel fast in TYR durafast...

1. TYR Durafast diamondback swimsuit. I have tried many suits since I started swimming regularly 4 years ago. First up was a 14-year-old number that immediately disintegrated upon contact with the water. Fortunately I was swimming at night so no-one could see my awful technique… These days I am a swim snob and ONLY wear TYR diamondback suits. They fit great, don’t ride up (or down), allowing me to focus on the swim and not whether my suit is working its way into my butt crack. As anyone who swims knows, suits have a horrifyingly short shelf-life, and so I buy them in bulk from Swimoutlet. I’ll often buy the “grab bag” as I don’t care too much about color, just the style, and this saves a ton of $$$. (The suit pictured is my favorite; the color is Pacific Plaid.)

Nuun - don't ride/run/swim without it!

2. Kona Cola and Banana Nuun. While I like Nuun for its portability, great electrolyte balance, and low sugar, I must admit I’m not a fan of most of the flavors. I used to really enjoy Banana but then it was discontinued (story of my life, it seems). Fortunately I found Kona Cola, which soon became a new addiction…strange because I don’t actually drink coke. Just a few days ago Nuun announced they are bringing back Banana flavor as one of their special Tour de France flavors (Nuun says, “Banana: for the leaders” which I really like!) , so I plan to stock up! If you haven’t tried Nuun or are running low, now’s a great time to buy as from now until July 6th shipping is free!

For once my outfit matches...

3 AND 4. Brooks Epiphany Stretch Short and Athleta Sprint Seamless Bra. I love these shorts – they’re the only shorts I wear for running. They provide great coverage, don’t flap around, and have a cute color matching waistband that you can fold down to show off your abs. I love teaming up this pair with the blue Athleta sports bra as the colors match perfectly! The bra fits really well and, because it’s very stretchy, is much easier to pull on and take off (esp. when sweat-soaked!) than most other sports bras, so if you’re like me and hate getting all tangled up in your sports bra, check this one out.

Shorts with built-in AC!

5. 2XU Compression Tri Short. These are my favorite biking shorts. I don’t actually wear them when racing triathlon because I prefer the fit of my all-in-one suit, but I love wearing these shorts for long rides. The compression really helps my legs stay fresh and they have this ICE X feature explained on the web site as follows: “Xylitol is embedded in the yarn of the fabric to draw heat from the body and IR blocking inhibits penetration of infrared rays to lower skin temperature by up to 5.4°F.” I thought that must be bunk (how could a short provide cooling?) but I have experienced it for myself on a ride on the hottest day of the year when my team-mates were complaining about the heat and I felt like the Ice Queen. Fantastic, fascinating stuff.

Spring onions, radishes, zucchini, squash, kale, tart cherries!

6. CSA veggies. I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my weekly veggie box from Great Country Farms in the #fitgear list, as it’s an essential part of my training right now. I am far from a gourmet cook, and find it a challenge to incorporate all the veggies into my meals, but I am eating a much healthier diet because of it. The patty pan squash recipe I made last night was delicious and I found I had a little extra energy for this morning’s swim, probably because of it. Don’t forget to eat your veggies!

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: #fitgear, 2XU, Athleta, Brooks, compression tri short, CSA, Epiphany stretch short, Great Country Farms, Kona Cola, Nuun, Sprint seamless bra, triathlon, TYR

A 28-Year Love Affair

February 14, 2012 by Alison Gittelman 4 Comments

I started running (seriously) at age 11, when I was sent off on the school cross-country course along with my classmates. Back then, you were supposed to hate running. I tried to conform, but the truth was, I loved it. I loved the freedom I felt from gliding under the tree canopy, staggering up the hills and flying down, feeling that burn and still pushing on.

By the way, all the pictures are recent because cameras weren’t invented back then…

Racing at Hemlock in 2011

Running Twilight Four Miler in 2011

I took running with me to the track where I wanted to run the 800 but was told I was more suited to the mile. I took running to France for several cross-country meets, and we even traveled to the English Schools’ Cross Country Championship in 1991 – a highlight of our relationship at that point.

Of course, we’ve fallen out on more than one occasion, running and I. When I went to Sheffield University I succumbed to other distractions and became an unreliable team member, showing up for some meets and bailing from those that scared me such as the BUSF (British University Sports Federation) Cross-Country Championships, which required me to run farther than I wanted (I hid out in a pub instead of going). Running and I broke up when I transferred to the University of Maryland. I made a clean break and took sailing as my rebound lover.

But I couldn’t get my mind completely off running and, after two years, we started up again, cautiously at first. My first 5K after we reunited was a disaster. It was the Terrapin Trot at UMD, a race that started with a very steep downhill from the student union towards Route 1. (They’ve since changed the start.) I shredded my quads on the descent and almost had to walk in the latter stages of the race.

Recovering from that setback, and making a commitment to better training, running and I became close again. I signed up for Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and shared running with a group that kicked my butt in Rock Creek Park every Saturday.

Running at Burke Lake in 2010

Running at Haines Point in 2012

When I got engaged, my (now) husband’s baseball team mates joked that I wouldn’t let him play baseball once we were married. I retorted that I planned to keep my paramour and he was therefore more than welcome to keep his.

After my sons were born I felt an even greater need for running.

Introducing my boys to running

Hoping my sons love running, too!

We started seeing more and more of each other, until I finally felt ready to run a marathon. We’d been together 22 years at that point. We’ve run 5 more marathons, including an ultra, since then.

Disney World Marathon 2008

Boston Marathon 2009

Shamrock Marathon 2011

Three years ago, feeling that I needed more excitement in my life, I decided to try a threesome – triathlon. Triathlon made me appreciate running even more. Of the three disciplines, running is my strength and has helped me place numerous times and, on three occasions, win.

1st Female at South Riding Tri in 2011

Finishing at Charlottesville Triathlon in 2011

Of course, there are times when I get frustrated with running and just don’t feel like doing it. It’s too hot, it’s too cold, I’m tired, I have a headache… But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and there’s nothing like a forced break such as injury or travel to make me realize the importance of running in my life.

I hope to grow old with running by my side.

Happy Valentines’ Day.

Filed Under: Blog, Running and Triathlon Tagged With: running, triathlon

How to Turn a Turtle into a Fish

March 8, 2011 by Alison Gittelman 12 Comments

Three years ago I couldn’t swim. Unless you count swimming like a turtle, with your head held out of the water, actual swimming. I decided if I was ever going to attempt a triathlon I was not going to turtle swim, so I figured I’d better learn how to swim with my head in the water.

So…did I hire a coach? No, of course I didn’t. I was much too embarrassed to do that. What I did was watch and listen to my 6 year old’s swim coach, and then, under cover of darkness, when (I hoped) no-one was watching, I went to the pool and practiced swimming with my face in the water. I got the hang of it pretty quickly and, while I later learned that my stroke was horrific and I had no reach, rotation, or pull to speak of, I actually mastered the breathing part pretty quickly. Which was good for me because that actually terrified me more than anything.

Of course, swimming more than one 25-meter length without stopping was another matter. That seemed impossible. My terrible form, coupled with a fear of drowning that caused me to hyperventilate, resulted in my needing to “get my breath back” after each length. Thankfully, shortly after embarking on my swimming adventure I took a vacation to Cornwall, in Southwest England, with my sister. There I got to practice my swimming in a 10 meter indoor pool, which was perfect as I could rest every few strokes. (I was also chased by a cow during a run, but that’s another story…)

I kept up my “swimming” over the winter at The Freedom Center in Manassas. The pool at this facility is particularly nice, and the lifeguards had probably never seen anyone quite as pathetic as yours truly. I was sure one of them was going to jump in and “rescue” me at any point. I would swim for 30 minutes, once a week. Each time I went I willed myself to swim one more length without stopping, until I could manage about 6 at a time. I could also keep going longer if I switched from freestyle to breaststroke. Just to clarify, my breaststroke was no slower than my freestyle….

By that point I had signed up for the South Riding Triathlon, and in June 2009 I attended a triathlon clinic to learn how to transition from swim to bike. When I signed up I thought we were just going to do part of the swim but, when I got there, I realized I had to swim the entire 400m – all at once! I did my usual freestyle-to-breaststroke switcheroo to get through the swim, but on the second go-around the coach said I’d have to swim it all freestyle. I can’t remember if I actually managed it, I was so freaked out!

So I joined the Master’s Swim program. That was painful. I was the youngest and fittest in our group of 4 ladies, but I was the slowest swimmer. I got through each one-hour workout using sheer determination and stubborn will, and by the time the triathlon rolled around in September, I was actually able to swim 400m, freestyle, without stopping. I think it took me about nine minutes.

Shortly after completing South Riding Triathlon I joined Tri Performance. I have been swimming twice a week with the team ever since. There have been good days and bad days. There have been days when I have thought I will never, ever, get the technique right. There was one day last summer, during which I had some of my worst swims ever, when my coach picked apart every part of my stroke and I did my best primadonna impression by jumping out of the pool and stomping off. And there have been some great days, usually when I realize that I love swimming and give it that little extra effort.

Today is exactly 18 months since my first triathlon. I have just returned from a 1 hr, 3000m workout. I swam a 300m in 5 minutes. (Thanks for the push, Jack!) While swimming is still my weakest event in triathlon and I still can’t do a flip turn, I have come a long way since those days in the 10 meter pool.

And that’s how you turn a turtle into a fish.

Filed Under: Blog, Uncategorized Tagged With: freestyle, Master's swim, stroke, swim, triathlon