Something isn't right

Through the winter and spring, I have focused on swimming as my main sport and mode of exercise.  I developed a workout regimen that included 5-6 swims and 2-3 lifting sessions at the gym per week. Sure, it was a tough schedule to follow, considering I had to be up around 4:40 am most days of the week to swim before work and then go to the gym after work several days a week, but it was well within my capabilities with the high level of fitness that I have gained over the last several years following my surgeries. It tested my commitment for sure, but my goals for the year were clear, I wanted to get stronger and I wanted to be competitive at swimming.

But...

My body had other plans.

In February, I began experiencing shoulder/scapula and elbow pain, primarily on my left side.  I worked with my coaches to really hone in on my swim technique to ensure that my stroke was biomechanically sound.  That helped somewhat.  

In March, I was completely surprised one morning at swim practice by knee pain.  It was mild at first and only bothered me in the pool, then it continued worsening until it was not only limiting my swimming but becoming difficult to complete my activities of daily living on land like walking, going up stairs, sitting normally, and sleeping restfully.  

In April, my shoulder/arm and knee issues became debilitating and rendered swimming and exercising nearly impossible.  I couldn't swim with my top or bottom half, the best I could do is use a pull buoy to float my bottom half and scull (drills that swimmers do to work on feel for the water and hand position) with my top half. I had this gut feeling of terror that something major was going on with my health again.  How these joints felt was eerily similar to how my ankles felt on the path to collapsing and requiring reconstructive surgery.  I've gone through two surgeries already and somehow found a way to come out well on the other side, I DO NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS ALL AGAIN. Tears...tears...and more tears were shed.

While extremely hesitant to go to a doctor regarding joint problems again, I made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor to get checked out.  The ortho diagnosed me with IT Band Syndrome and Bursitis in the knee and Impingement Syndrome and Bursitis in my shoulder.  He also gave me cortisone shots in both places.  He didn't think that these new injuries were connected in any way to my ankles, and couldn't provide an explanation for why my ankles collapsed, the same as my former doctors.  I continue to be a medical mystery.

The cortisone shots provided a little relief, just enough for me to resume some level of training to prepare myself to compete in the US Masters Swimming National Championship Meet.  I had been training for this meet for well over a year, so I was thrilled that I was on the mend just enough to swim well.  I absolutely crushed my former times and exceeded both my own and my coaches' expectations of me for that meet.  My goal was to be competitively last in my age group for each of my swims, and I accomplished that and beat a few people along the way.  With my limited swimming background and my ankles/shoulder/knee issues, I was beyond proud of myself.  It was also the first time that I ever competed in a tech suit, the very thin, water repellant, and buoyant suits that go down to your knees, the ones you see olympic swimmers wear. I had reached the ultimate level of swimmer...

and then...

In May, less than two weeks after USMS Nationals, I couldn't swim at all.  All the pain returned in full force.  I was in so much pain that I couldn't sleep, that it was distracting me from work tasks, that it became tough to make it through each day.  Having tried and failed treatment by cortisone shots, I decided to completely back off my training and return to physical therapy. I was preparing to travel to the national conference in my field, the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting in Boston, and then to spend the month of June in Thailand.  I had a short amount of time to stabilize my condition before embarking on these trips.  

I switched to a new physical therapist and a brand new sports medicine clinic for these injuries. My goal was to learn some rehab exercises that I could do while I was away.  In the first few minutes of meeting my new physical therapist, I knew I was in the right place.  From the questions he asked me about my health history and the thorough evaluation he performed, I felt like I couldn't be in better hands, the same way I felt with my original physical therapist who worked with me through the very dark days after both of my surgeries, before I moved.  Not every healthcare practitioner treats the person, many just treat individual symptoms as if they don't belong to a real living and breathing human, I could tell that I was working with someone that was going to treat me as a whole and not just my injuries. When he checked me for muscle imbalances and flexibility issues that could have contributed to the diagnoses that I was given by my ortho, he couldn't find a rationale for me having severe issues with those joints. He was impressed by the muscular strength and athleticism that I had built back, all on my own since ending physical therapy after my second surgery.

These were clues that I had been misdiagnosed, and that something else entirely was going on...

Race Report- Santa's Tune Up for Nationals

I'm back in the water full time!!! Tri season is over, my dabble into running for the 5k last month is over, now the pool has my focus.  My last meet was in March, so it has been quite some time.  This swim meet was a "tune-up" for the US Masters Swimming National Championships coming up in late April.  The meet was held at the same pool that Nationals will be held in.  That is my ultimate 'A' race/meet to end this solid year of training I have put in and physical gains that I have made.  I'll take a break next summer and regroup.

Overall, the meet was ok.  I had some solid swims, but there is certainly room for improvement.

Results
50 free: 38:32 (+ 1.08 :/ GRRR.) Slow start, botched the flip turn, gave up after the turn.  I'm not happy and this race out of all of them showed me how much work I need to do to be able to execute technically at masters nationals.

100 free: 1:27:89 This was my first time racing a 100 free, and I had to channel my inner Michael Phelps, as my goggles filled up with water from the dive.  I raced the whole thing blind and nailed all 3 of my flipturns!  I need to take out the first 50 faster and work on closing better, but overall, I was happy considering the circumstances.

50 breast: 52:84 Second time racing this event, first time with a legal time. I am TERRIBLE at breaststroke, but that is exactly why I make a point to race it each meet.  I want to improve my IM (all four strokes), therefore, I need to master all of them.

50 butterfly: 44:45 First time racing fly in a meet, first full 50 of fly, EVER.  I did really awesome!  Much faster than my coaches expected of me, and certainly faster than I expected of myself.  My technique needs some work as I am very new to this stroke, however, it looks like it will be my bread and butter.  My coaches say that I am a natural, which is both a gift and a curse, as butterfly by far is the most challenging and tiring stroke.

100 IM: 1:52:32 (- 1.99) My favorite event, but it was the last one of the day.  I was totally beat by the time I got to this race and told myself to focus on executing perfect technique and not worry about the time or maxing out my effort.  Even without going full force, I dropped time, which tells me that my non-free strokes are coming along.

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Reflection

I was really upset by my dismal 50 free time.  I put 8 more months of training in, and my time was slower!  I'm a much better swimmer now than I was then, but you have to execute.  There are so many moving parts to a perfect race and I did not have it today.  I am mostly upset with myself because I had a poor attitude when I finished.  I was ANGRY!  It felt as if all my work was for nothing and I focused on external factors as excuses, and not the things that were in my control.  This meet inspired me to re-focus and step up and take responsibility for my training.  I've been doing a lot of yardage with my teams, and I'm coming off a summer of endurance training for my triathlons.  As an exercise physiologist, I know this to be true--You can go fast or you can go long, NOT both.  I have to be more strategic with my training and focus on shorter, high intensity sets to get my speed back.

Race Report- Huge 5k PR!!!

So pumped to have set a huge 5k PR on the road to recovery from bilateral ankle reconstruction surgeries.  34:43, 11:11 min/mile pace...now within 3 mins of my pre-surgery PR with no run training.  Swimming, cycling, and triathlon has helped me regain my fitness and far surpass my doctor's post surgery expectations...oh and saved my life too!!!  

Absolutely wonderful day spending Thanksgiving morning running a 5k with my family.  This is our tradition and it feels so great to participate again for the second year in a row after we took 2 years off for my ankle surgeries.  I knew that I was going to set a good time based on how I felt right from the start line.  Running felt effortless again, what an amazing feeling! I beat last year's time by over 2 minutes! I'm going to cherish this moment, because today, I felt as if I never had my ankles reconstructed, like the original Amanda, version 1.0.

I hope you have as wonderful of a Thanksgiving as I am having!

Race Report- Half Iron :) DFL>DNF>DNS

1st Half Iron Distance Race! 

Date: October 17th, 2015
Event: Half Iron Distance Aquabike (1.2 mile ocean swim, 56 mile bike)
Time: 5:10:12
(Swim: 45:15, T1: 13:49, Bike: 4:11:09)
Female Aquabike Place: 12/12...last, but still proud.

***TRIATHLON #10***
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                                                  Race ready!!! ------>

The Swim- 1.2 mile ocean swim (45:15)

Average Pace: 2:09 per 100yd

I was calmly confident in my training and my fitness and fully expected a great day out on the race course.  This was my first wetsuit legal swim and the first in a waterway with a strong current.  It was really cold on race morning.  I was appreciative of my wetsuit both on land and in the water.  They started the full swim first, 1.2 miles up the waterway from the half group.  We had some time to wait on the dock.  The whole time I was waiting, I was thinking about my surgeries, the pain, all the rehab, physical therapy, and training I had done to get to this point.  As I wrote on my forearm for motivation on race day, I have taken these broken feet and learned to TRI, try, and try, and keep trying.  I have had low points on this journey, and come close to giving up, maybe I have given up for a few minutes or a few hours, or even a day, or days.  While this is true, I have always found a way to get myself back on track and keep moving towards my goals.

The full swimmers passed by us, and I knew that it wasn't long before we would be in the water.  They called up the first group and got them started, then the next and so on, until my group was called.  I got in the water and realized how well the wetsuit was doing its job, as I could feel the water was chilly with my hands and feet, but my body felt perfectly comfortable.  Not too hot, not too cold. Before I knew it, the gun went off, and it was time to race.  I started swimming and immediately I knew there was a problem.  I felt uncoordinated and dizzy.  I found it hard to breathe.  My stomach was unsettled.  Every time I turned my head to get a breath, I got more dizzy.  Then my science brain kicked into full gear...your vestibular apparatus (the little balance and spatial orientation sensor that feeds back to your brain) is located in your ears.  Every time I turned my head to breathe, I was getting more dizzy because I was throwing off my balance even more.  In the pool, I wouldn't be turning my head as much, rather I would be relying on my body rotation to allow me to take a breath without much movement of my head.  However, this was choppy water, extremely choppy water.  The water was flowing one direction and the wind was flowing another, churning up the water like a washing machine.  I had to more aggressively turn and even lift my head out of the water to get a clear patch of air to breathe.  It didn't take me long to realize that I was full blown seasick, less than 100 yds into the race. Now, what to do about surviving the swim.  First, I threw my time goals out of my mind and knew that this was about making it to the dock at the finish of the swim.  Second, I told myself not to panic.  I actually treaded water for a moment to center myself and refocus on my mission.  Third, I had to come up with a plan to be able to swim freestyle, as it is by far the most efficient stroke, and the one I definitely wanted to stick with for the 1.2 mile swim I had ahead of me.  I came up with a 4-5 stroke freestyle pattern followed by 1 breaststroke arm stroke while continuing to kick freestyle to allow me to pull my head out of the water, sight, and breathe. I was extremely appreciative of my advanced swim training that provided me the skills to come up with a plan to get through the swim while feeling nauseas the whole time.

That 45 minutes felt like it was a lifetime.  I felt like I was battling the water, fighting to make it to the end of the swim, and to not give up on the race, and my goal of the ultimate comeback. When I climbed the ladder at the finish dock to get out of the water, a huge wave a relief came over me.  I am hard headed and never plan to get a DNF (Did not finish) in a race, so I kept swimming, even though I was feeling sick enough that I probably should have let myself be rescued by the safety officials patrolling the water. When I got out, the wetsuit strippers pulled my wetsuit off and I was on my way to the transition area.

It took me some time to get my bearings again after the swim, hence my nearly 14 minute transition time.  I wasn't running or rushing, I went at the pace I was capable of to switch into my biking gear.

The Bike- 56 miles (4:11:09)

Average Speed: 13.4 mph

After that sickly swim, I was looking forward to the transition to the bike.  I walked my bike out of the transition area (still not caring about my time at all) and mounted it.  I got going and I felt ok as I was navigating out of town.  About 10 miles in, the sea sickness returned.  Why?  Well...I borrowed an aero water bottle to go in the holder between my aero bars (the orange and green striped bars seen in the picture) from a tri friend.  Well...little did I know that that bottle would swish, swash, and slush back and forth just like the sea for the entire bike ride.  That sound took me right back to the nausea and dizzy feelings I had while in the water.  At some point, I started closing my eyes and thinking of better times for brief moments and opening them just to make sure I wasn't going to crash into anything.  The course was long, flat, and straight.  Just like my international race, the course was quite boring.  The challenging part was that on top of the sea sickness continuing on to the bike ride, I was battling serious cross and head winds.  At one point, a head wind was coming at me so hard that I was putting in the power to go 18-19 mph on the bike (as I trained for) and I was only going around 12 mph.  I had no plans to be on my bike for 4 hrs today, but that was what was in the cards based on the adversity that I faced.  Once I hit 40 miles, I really was over the experience and ready to ride to the finish line and be done for the day.  I fought through the last 16 miles by eating 2 peanut M&Ms every 5 miles as the carrot to get me through to the finish.

Battling through the bike course was even tougher than the swim course, but I finished that too!!!  And again, just like in the International distance race last month, I was happy to be done after the bike portion.  Simply elated that I didn't have a half marathon to run.  Sure, I had the fitness to do it, that is not my limitation, I just don't enjoy the long stuff any more and this race was the cherry on the top of that cupcake.  5 hrs out on the course!!!! I made it!!!

The CELEBRATION!!!!

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Reflection

DFL (Dead freaking (or a bad word) last) > DNF (Did not finish) and >> DNS (Did not start).  It was a rough day out there for me, but I did finish.  It was slow, turtle place, much slower than I trained for and a performance beneath my fitness level.  But you know what, I was out there trying my best.  Your best changes by the day, and most importantly, I DID NOT QUIT!!! I had the opportunity to quit several times, but I kept going.  These surgeries have taught me to always keep going.  And as the quote reads below, "QUIT" isn't exactly in my vocabulary.  To me...I feel that this athletic feat marks a full comeback and makes me feel that I really don't have anything else to prove.  I have regained my athleticism from my surgeries.  I have learned to run again.  I am out here competing with athletes, just as I was before.  Of course, I fall much further down on the ranking list than I am accustomed to, but to be out there finishing races of this magnitude, races that are tough for anyone to finish...I mean today I went over 57 miles between swimming and biking, makes me extremely proud to be back out there competing.  No matter your circumstances...DO NOT EVER LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR GOALS OR QUIT LIVING THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS

Race Report- Sprint Triathlon #7: Top 10 Performance

I made the top 10 in my age group!!!

Sprint Triathlon #7

Date: September 20th, 2015
Event: Super Sprint Triathlon (250 yd pool swim, 9 mile bike, 2 mile run)- > Women only!
Time: 1:02:35
(Swim: 5:32 (7th/34), T1: 1:05 (3rd/34), Bike: 29:03 (7th/24), T2 + Run: Timing Error)
Age Group Place (25-29): 8th/34!!! First Top 10 finish with a large number of people in my age group and Top 25% :)

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The Swim- 250 yd pool swim (5:32)

Average Pace: 2:13 per 100yd

Grrr. The swim.  It started out ok, until the person who started behind me didn't seed herself properly.  She probably should have been one of the first to go.  She was speedy.  Instead of passing me at the wall, she decided to repeatedly pull on my feet, then my legs.  She also mouthed some choice words about how I needed to get out of the way.  If you are the one passing, you need to spend the extra energy to sprint fast enough to pass me cleanly.  I shouldn't have to slow down to let you pass.  That altercation with the other swimmer made me lose count of my 50s, and I had no idea where I was in my swim.  I kept going, but I didn't know when to start picking up the pace, as I didn't know how much I had left.  We only swam one way in each lane, instead of going down and back in the same lane, so it was much harder to count.  As I did start to pick up the pace, I went to turn and then people were yelling at me to get out.  I had already finished the race requirement, but was turning to do another length.  An absolute mess!!! Needless to say, my time was impacted and I was "HOT" the rest of the race. I still managed to rank 7th out of 34.  My swim coaches would be happy about that.

The Bike- 9 miles (29:03)

Average Speed: 18.6 mph!!!

After my interrupted swim, I was determined to make up some time on the bike.  I was a woman on a mission!  As soon as I mounted my bike, I took off and gassed it.  The first part was a downhill...I think I rode that momentum the whole race.  The best I have ever averaged on the bike is between 15-16 mph even for shorter distances.  To be able to average close to 19 mph, shows how upset I was about my swim, and also demonstrates the level of fitness I have attained in my final preparations for my half iron distance triathlon coming up next month.  Maintained my position of 7th out of 34.

The Run-2 miles 

Average Pace: Not Sure

There was a timing error, so I do not know my run split, however it was consistent with my last super sprint.  I'm sure it was around 24 mins, approximately a 12 min mile pace.  This run had a monster hill that seemed to never end, but with the long uphill, there was a long downhill, as the turnaround was at the top of the hill.  While my pace was slower going up, my feet still don't do uphills well, it was faster going down, so it evened out.

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Reflection

 Just like my other super sprint race, I had a blast!  I knew that I was doing well in this race because I was within a mile of the finish line when I heard the announcements of the winner crossing the finish line.  I haven't ever been that far up in the race to hear that.  It was an extremely proud and rewarding moment for me, because I am out here doing this with reconstructed ankles, competing against people with far less limitations than me. It also validates my decision to go back down to sprint type events, as I am far better at them, enjoy them the most, and am the most passionate about them.  I am really good at pushing myself to the limit and beyond for short bursts.  With my performance today, there is no question that I have the fitness to complete my half iron race next month.  This was the final tune-up. I was also proud because one of my college buddies came and watched me race my super sprint in August, and I inspired her to sign up and compete in her first triathlon- this race, in which she finished as well! 

On Endurance Racing: A love that has been lost...

It was just a normal day at swim practice where we were asked to do an endurance set after our normal warmup and stroke drill sets.

5 x 300 yd (ugh!)

I started just fine, and somewhere in the middle of the workout, after swimming too many yards to count, it hit me.  I DON'T LOVE ENDURANCE SPORTS ANYMORE!  I'M NOT EVEN "IN LIKE" WITH THEM ANYMORE.  I have spent my entire life as an anaerobic/power athlete who primarily played team sports before I had a moment of inspiration in grad school to pick up endurance running.  I think the initial draw for me was proving to myself that I could train myself to cover long distances, that I could gain that level of cardiovascular fitness.  It was also to experience what those sports were like, as that is one of the major focus areas of Exercise Physiology.  I didn't want to earn a PhD in it without fully experiencing all aspects of sports myself.  It adds to my credibility that I know more than the science side.


I spent over a year building up my endurance base before my surgeries.  I've been through hell and back twice (two surgeries), fighting to walk and run again, and to get my endurance base back over the last 2+ years.  I am to the point where I can actually race again, rather than just survive to the finish line, and now that I've reached my goal, I've completely lost interest.  What exactly is fun about swimming for over a mile in the open water, or biking or running for hours on end?  NOTHING.  It is something if you haven't been there, done that before.  (Don't let my rant deter you from ever trying endurance racing, because it is awesome...the awesomeness just wears off after awhile.) I've played many sports in my life (dance, tee ball, soccer, gymnastics, cheerleading, tennis, softball, basketball, track and field, swimming, cycling) and have crossed many finish lines (5K (too many to count), 10K, half marathon (2), full marathon, 8 triathlons), and am over the thrilling sense of accomplishment you get when you win the big game, or give the performance of a lifetime, or cross the finish line.

What I had to overcome, the strength I had to summon, the pain I had to ignore, and all the voices shouting NO that I had to silence to get to the finish line of my full marathon, no one can take away from me. However, I'm over that feeling at this point because I have crossed the finish line of every distance running event up to a full marathon, and now every tri distance except half and full iron distance.  Maybe I am also over it after realizing that what I had to go through to learn how to walk again from scratch twice and return to living a "normal" lifestyle again was much harder than any athletic or academic feat that I have ever accomplished.  My half distance triathlon comes up next month, so I will have crossed every finish line in the tri world too, except for full iron, and I don't think that I will ever want to do that.  Per my race report from my international distance aquabike, I just don't like being out on a race course for hours and hours on end.



Maybe I got into doing longer runs and tris because I thought I couldn't call myself a "runner" or a "triathlete" if I didn't do the ultimate distances in each sport-> full marathon and full iron distance triathlon, respectively.  But I am happy to have a good head on my shoulders and realize the error of my ways.  Why do we always say, "Just" a 5k or sprint triathlon when referring to the shorter distances.  It's not "just" anything, those are accomplishments too, certainly different from the long stuff, but you're a runner and a triathlete the moment you do any distance race, not "just" when you do a full marathon or full iron distance triathlon.  I had the most fun that I have ever had when I did the super sprint race back in August, a race I frowned upon for years because it wasn't a "real" triathlon.  Bullshit.  Does it have a swim, bike, and a run component? Yes you say? Then it is a triathlon.  It doesn't matter what the distances are.  I had so much fun because I could go all out and see what I was really made of instead of trying not to light all my matches and blow up too early (hit the wall), as you have to worry about in the longer races.  Maybe I just TRIed so hard to get back to a place where I felt I was worthy to call myself an endurance athlete again after my surgeries and in the process I lost sight of the fun of it all.  


After this next long race, I am going to focus on my swimming races, which are sprints!!!! I am a far
better sprinter (back to my original nature and physiological predisposition) than long distance swimmer.  I'll be competing in 50s, and 100s in the different strokes + IM- Individual Medley Relay (all 4 strokes) and think that I am going to focus my tri training for next season on going fast for super sprints and sprints.  I think that I am hanging up the towel on races that are over 2 hours at this point.  Maybe I will find my inspiration for the longer stuff again, but at this moment, I just want to have fun and embrace the challenge of going all out, giving it everything I have, until I touch the wall or cross the finish line...

Race Report- Why Tri when you can Aquabike?

1st International Distance Race! 1st Aquabike :)

Date: September 12th, 2015
Event: International Distance Aquabike (1500m lake swim, 28 mile bike)
Time: 2:42:24
(Swim: 47:45, T1: 5:15, Bike:1:49:26)
Female Aquabike Place: 8/9...not last!

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The Swim- 1500m lake swim (47:45)

Average Pace: 3:11 per 100m

While waiting for the swim, a group of ladies were expressing how nervous they were and they didn't feel like they were going to make it.  I told them, "You are going to make it.  You only have two options, sink or swim.  I know you will choose to keep swimming no matter what happens."  They appreciated how much I simplified the task ahead of us.  To be honest, I was nervous too, this would be my longest open water swim by double the distance.  However, this PTTD journey has taught me to never quit, no matter what.  It has also taught me that life is about sinking or swimming.  Are you going to be defeated by your circumstances or are you going to rise above them?

My actual swim wasn't great.  I never seemed to get into a rhythm, I had trouble sighting, and I know for a fact that I wasn't swimming in a straight line (which means I swam a lot further than 1500m). On the last leg of the swim, after turning around the last buoy, there was nothing to sight from except for a brown pier that blended in with the forrest in the background.  That leg took me an absolute eternity.  When I looked down at my watch when I got out of the water, I was in shock at my time.  It felt like I was in there for awhile, but I expected it to take me at least 10 mins less than what my time was.  I wasn't upset, I just know that I need to spend more time open water swimming if I want to improve.  Believe it or not, it is completely different from pool swimming.  Kind of like running outside vs. running on a treadmill.

The Bike- 28 miles (1:49:26)

Average Speed: 15.4 mph

While I was swimming, it was raining the whole time.  This didn't bother me on the swim, of course, but it made the transition area an absolute mess.  The transition area was set up on patchy grass/dirt that was now mud.  As I ran into the transition area, I picked up mud all over my bare feet.  Thankfully, I always keep a gallon jug of fresh water at my transition area, so I used that to wash off my feet.  I also had an extra towel to dry them, then I put my socks on, followed by my cycling shoes. I took my sweet time.  It was pouring rain and was muddy.  This race was about completing it, not about my finish time, especially in these conditions. I spent over 5 mins in transition with everything being so muddy and rainy.  To make matters worse, after I got my cycling shoes on, I had to run my bike out of transition before mounting, as is customary for triathlons, but this time, that really sucked!  I wasn't able to run, I had to walk through the mud in my cycling shoes, which got dirt stuck all in my cleats and kicked up on the back of my legs.  When I got out of transition and mounted my bike, my cleats would not lock into my pedals.  I had to use my fingers to dig dirt out of my cleats to allow them to clip in.  Now my hands were muddy!

My transition woes were hard to shake off, as everything kept getting worse.  The rain went from a sprinkle...to a drizzle...to a torrential downpour.  It was also dark and foggy, no sun was in sight.  Here I was on these back country roads riding in the pouring rain.  I was by myself the whole time, except for when I passed a few riders that had been dropped from their waves.  They put the aquabike as the very last wave, so we were the last ones out on the bike course.  There was water dripping down off the front of my helmet onto my sunglasses (yes, I was still wearing them, it was my only guard against the rain), my jersey was soaked, if I adjusted my seat position I could make water wring out of the padding in my tri suit...and so on. My pace felt good, I was happy with my average pace, but I did realize after awhile that I wasn't enjoying myself.  By the time I got back to transition, I gathered my stuff and left quickly.  My family was ready to go, they were standing in the rain all that time, and I was ready to go.  I didn't stay for any of the post-race festivities, I just wanted to go home!

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Reflection

Long, boring, lonely, and wet!  My fitness was there, I felt great physically, but my motivation left after the 2 hour mark.  I was all alone for most of the course, a serious contrast from the race day experience of my super sprint last month. I realized somewhere out on the road with the rain pelting down on me, that I have come a really long way in regaining my fitness; however, I enjoy the shorter races much more. The best part of this day was being able to end my race without doing the run.  The aquabike category is great for anyone that has weight bearing/high impact restrictions.  It is it's own race category and even has a national championship that you can qualify for through USA Triathlon sanctioned races.

Race Report- Sprint Triathlon #6

Race Summary= BEST RACE EVER!!! 

Sprint Triathlon #6

Date: August 16th, 2015
Event: Super Sprint Triathlon (225 yd pool swim, 8 mile bike, 2 mile run)- > Women only!
Time: 1:04:24
(Swim: 4:40 (6th/24), T1: 0:57 (2nd/24), Bike: 33:43 (10th/24), T2: 1:01 (14th/24), Run: 24:05 (18th/24))
Age Group Place (25-29): 12/24! Top 50% :)

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The Swim- 225 yd pool swim (4:40)

Average Pace: 2:04 per 100yd

Well the swim was great, the entry, not so much.  We had to jump in feet first in the shallow end of the pool.  I jumped in a little too aggressively and jammed my toes on the cement pool floor.  I shook off the pain quickly as I kicked, but I did worry the whole time if I had broken them.  Really happy with my swim ranking, 6th best time in my age group!

The Bike- 8 miles (33:43)

Average Speed: 14.2 mph

Before I could begin the bike course, I had to go through the first transition.  The race volunteers were yelling at me not to go so fast, I yelled back, "It's a race!"  My hurrying paid off, as I was the 2nd best in T1, running from the pool to get my bike and my bike gear on, and to run my bike out, all in 57 seconds! I'm doing these shorter races mostly to practice my transitions between the three sports, I couldn't care less that they were yelling at me.  I had my goal in mind and I followed my race plan.

The bike course was easy, except for a heartbreak hill that had to be completed twice, as it was a two loop course.  This hill was so hard that a majority of the racers were dismounting their bikes and walking them up.  I fought hard to stay on mine and got through it, but boy was that tough.  I was again happy with my ranking, 10th best time in my age group.  My baby calves still ache and bother me quite a bit when I am climbing hills.  I also am not as strong as pedaling out of the saddle, as that requires the toe off motion--same one in running, same one in heel raises, and we know that anyone with PTTD, especially those who have undergone surgery are not great at that. I was really starting to feel confident in my performance and proud of what I already accomplished.

The Run-2 miles (24:05)

Average Pace: 12:03 min/mile, Average Speed: 5 mph

Are you kidding me???? 12 min miles in a triathlon?  I swam and biked before this leg. This race has gone from good to great!  Of course, my ranking in my age group is much lower for the run, because 12 min miles aren't fast for the everyday runner, but I have reconstructed ankles!!!  I am so proud.

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Reflection

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE RACE!!! I only signed up for this race to support some of my newbie triathlete friends, something.  It is a women's only race and is catered to beginners. As a more experienced triathlete, I felt a little out of place signing up, but I am sure glad I did.  I probably wouldn't have signed up if I hadn't gone through my ankle surgeries, as I would have thought that I was "too good" for a little race such as this one.  I would have been wrong, it was a great experience.  Everyone was cheering you on from the sidelines, they write your name in marker on your arms and also print it on your race bib (corny, but also thrilling to hear people that you don't know cheering for you by name), everyone was supportive of each other, and it was all about finishing, less about time.  For me, I obviously was concerned about my times, since this was a training race for me, but I was pleasantly surprised to finally find a distance that my ankles didn't hold me back from as much.  Still thrilled on my 24:05 for a 2 mile run!!!

Race Report- Sprint Triathlon #5

Race Summary= ABSOLUTE DISASTER!!! 

Sprint Triathlon #5

Date: July 25th, 2015
Event: Sprint Triathlon (750m lake swim, 15 mile bike, 5k run)
Time: 2:11:18
(Swim: 21:33, T1 + Bike + T2: 1:07:43, Run: 42:04)
Age Group Place (25-29): Last...10/10

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The Swim- 750m Lake Swim (21:33)

Average Pace: 2:52 per 100m

Now that I've been swimming consistently for a couple of years now, and have competed in Masters Swimming Meets, my swimming is my strength...that is if I can put my goggles on right!

Race Error #1:  Put goggles on upside down.

The gun went off and I started swimming.  I didn't realize anything was wrong until I looked up to sight for the first time.  I couldn't see, but I attributed that to the thrashing water that was all around me from the chaos of an mass swim start.  I kept opening and closing my eyes, and everything was just cloudy.  I finally figured out that there was water in my goggles.  It wasn't a leak, they were completely full, which made it hard to distinguish that there was water in them.  I emptied the goggles and kept going.  They filled right back up! I emptied them again, and same thing.  I finally turned on my back and treaded water and realized that I had put the goggles on upside down.  I had to take them all the way off my head and flip them.  There were several concerned triathletes that tried to stop and help me.  Many thought that I couldn't swim.  This was funny to me, because of all the people in the water, I am one of the best swimmers, and my time would have shown it...you know if I managed to put my goggles on right.  I told them that I was ok, just trying to figure out my goggles.  I finally got them situated, but when I turned back around, I realized that I was far behind the group of triathletes I started with, and the next wave was upon me.  I used this to my advantage and challenged myself to keep up and draft from the better swimmers of the wave behind me.  I ended up passing several in my wave by the end of the swim, but obviously I lost minutes of valuable time fighting with my goggles.  My swim was still about 2 mins faster than last year, but I was bummed that a stupid mistake like putting my goggles on wrong sabotaged my time.

The Bike- 15 miles + Transitions (1:07:43)

Average Speed: Not sure

Race Error #2:  Forgot timing chip in transition. 

About a mile into the bike course, I looked down at my ankle and realized that I forgot my timing chip in transition.  I have to take it off after the swim in order to put my socks on, and I forgot to put it back on!  I was already down from the swim debacle, and now this!  I shook the mistake off and kept riding.  The hills were challenging, I have only been training for a few weeks since my trip, but overall, I was happy with my performance.  I don't have an accurate ride time since my transitions were included.  After finishing the bike course and changing into my run gear, I had to run my chip back up to the bike finish to record the end of T1, which actually represented T1+ bike split +T2, before moving on to the run.  That was embarrassing.  Other athletes and even my former tri coach were yelling at me to go the other way towards the run start, and I had to explain to all of them that I had to go run my chip to the bike timing gate first.

The Run-5k (42:04)

Average Pace: 13:32 min/mile, Average Speed: 4.4 mph

Race Error #3:  Watch malfunctioned.

 As if I needed any more drama for the day, my GPS triathlon watch malfunctioned.  It wouldn't switch to run mode and start tracking my mileage and time.  This race error was the least of my worries, since I am perfectly capable of running without feedback from my watch, however it is what I am accustomed too.  I usually use an interval timer, I like to see how much mileage I have completed, and monitor my pace and time.  I had to just run the course based on feel and mile markers.  At mile 1, I switched my watch to a normal stopwatch, so I did have at least time feedback for the remaining 2 miles.   When I crossed the finish line, I don't think I have ever felt that relieved.  I wanted to quickly put this day and race behind me.

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Reflection

My race was an absolute mess today, but I refocused my energy after each debacle and finished with my head held high.  Let's hope that I've gotten all the race glitches out this time and won't have these issues for my international and half iron distance tris coming up this fall.

Race Report- 1st Criterium Cycling Race

I'm a runner.
I'm a triathlete.
I'm a swimmer.
I'm a cyclist!

When I started this year, or this life, did I ever dream that I would compete in a cycling race? NO! Well...this is what happened: I was invited to watch a local criterium race with some friends on Friday.  Criterium racing is when cyclists complete several laps of a 1-2 mile loop at high speeds.  At first, you just complete laps for a certain period of time, the goal is to just stay with the pack.  And then, at some point the race officials will announce that there are 10 laps left, and then the real racing begins.  Competitors jockey for position to ultimately sprint around the last corner for the win over the finish line. It's intense to watch, even more intense to be in the race.

I was talked into participating in the beginner's racing clinic the next day and was told that I should also be prepared to race an hour after it finished.  My friend gave me an ultimatum, "If you participate in the clinic, you are also going to race!"  When I went home on Friday, I thought that there was no way that I was going to go back the next day and race.  I am not even trained.  I am still trying to catch up from taking time off of training for my vacation.  But...I really want to improve my cycling skills by participating in the clinic, and you only live once, right?  The next morning, I packed my bike in the car and all of my cycling stuff and mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. The beginner clinic was tough, I had to learn to draft from the other riders, to corner (take tight turns), and to ride in a pace line.  These skills were all out of my league, but I did pretty well.  I decided that I would go ahead and race in the women's novice race that came up after the clinic. Let's just say that it was an experience of a lifetime, and something I will probably NEVER do again.  From the time the gun went off, those ladies clipped in and got going so fast, that I was already left in the dust from the start line.  I sprinted the first few laps to try to catch up with them, but that was a near impossible feat since they were moving as a pack and getting the benefit of drafting.  I quickly burned myself out (terrible race strategy). Needless to say, I was lapped a few times, but I DID NOT QUIT.  I also managed to average well over 16 mph, which is fast for me at this stage of my training and recovery from my surgeries.  The reason I say I will probably never do it again is because it is dangerous.  Riders are very close to you, they whip around corners at full speed, and there is a very high likelihood of crashes.  Not my cup of tea. On Friday, several riders were rushed to the hospital.  I'm lucky to have gotten out of there without a scratch.

The grand irony of my cycling experience is that two years ago on July 12th, 2013, I posted the comment and picture below from the PT clinic.  On July 11th, 2015, I competed in my first cycling race, as shown in the second picture!!!  Thanks to the wonders of Facebook and their "On this day" reminders, the picture from the clinic popped back up on my timeline.  I texted my physical therapist (#1), whose clinic I was in when I took the picture back in 2013, and he said, "I got so happy reading your text.  So proud of you.  You make what I do worth it."  I was happy that I made him happy, and happy that I made myself happy by going after another first and doing something I never dreamed of even when I had perfectly functioning feet.  

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Reflection

Race Report- Sprint Triathlon #4

First tri of the 2015 season!!!

Sprint Triathlon #4

Date: May 16th, 2015
Event: Sprint Triathlon (300m pool swim, 12.4 mile bike, 5k run)
Time: 1:45:10
(Swim: 6:30, T1: 2:23, Bike: 53:30, T2: 1:14, Run: 41:34)
Age Group Place (25-29): 9/11 (still not last!!!)

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The Swim- 300m Pool Swim (6:30)

Average Pace: 2:10 per 100m

Really proud of my improvements in the pool.  I've been doing more sprinting in my pool racing, but I have also improved my endurance.  I cut 1 minute and 29 seconds off of last year's swim time!

The Bike- 12.4 miles (53:30)

Average Speed: 13.9 mph

I'm a lot smoother and more skilled on my bike, but my calves still hold me back quite a bit. The race course was hilly and cramps in my calves struck me.  

The Run-5k (41:34)

Average Pace: 13:23 min/mile, Average Speed: 4.5 mph

My 5k time for a tri keeps hovering around the 41 minute mark.  I strategically go much harder on the swim and the bike, and then just see how I feel on the run.  By the time I got to the run, I realized that I haven't done enough training to push it on all 3 legs yet, but of course, this is just the first race of many this year.

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Reflection

I didn't feel great over this race, but I was proud to be out there.  I really enjoy racing and am just happy to be able to compete again.  I have some work to do to prepare for my "A" race of the season, which is a half iron distance aquabike in October.  Good starting point, but I am ready to finish wrapping up the academic year at my job, take a break from training, and head on my backpacking adventure!

Race Report- Marathon Relay

I'm a marathoner* again!!!  

*Full Marathon, run as a relay with 4 people.

Gotcha!  Hey, maybe there will always be an asterisk behind my accomplishments...maybe two, one for each of my reconstructed ankles.

Today, I ran a full marathon with my family.  My mom and dad have only ever done a 5k, and my brother has done up to a half marathon.  I am the only one in my family to have run a full marathon before, but that was before my surgeries.  As an exercise physiologist, I always look for fun ways to keep my family active.  Our Thanksgiving Day 5k tradition is always fun, so I thought it was time to up our game.

 It was a really cold day and tough for me personally coming off of my swim meet yesterday.  Run training has been going well, I'm doing 2-3 runs per week.  My "long run" is about 1 hour 15 mins,  and then I do up to 2, 30 min runs otherwise, ~8-10 miles per week max.  My pace varies with how I feel; I run all off of feeling now.

For the marathon, I ran about 7 miles of it and averaged 11-12 minute miles.  The relay format was a little under a 2 mile loop repeated until we reached 26.2!  We could switch off at the end of each lap when we wanted.  It was easy for my feet to handle the shortened repeated runs compared to running 7 straight, however my feet got tight and cooled down after each run while waiting for my turn, so getting started again was tough.  This is the longest I have run on a single day since my surgeries.  It was really great to cross the finish line of another race!

Maybe it's not the full marathon I'm used to running by myself, but it sure was fun getting my family involved and accomplishing the task together...
 

Race Report- State Masters Swim Meet

First Masters Swim Meet

I've been training really hard since my first meet back in January.  I am now swimming at least 3 days a week balanced with my tri training (cycling, running, and strength sessions).  I really am feeling stronger each week.  For this meet, I entered the 50 breast, 50 free, and 100 IM.  For these events, I only had a few weeks to become proficient in all 4 strokes!!!  Breaststroke has been the hardest for me to learn and butterfly is the hardest to do (for everyone, so I'm not alone on that).  Really jumping right into the deep end with my life challenges this year.  #LiveLifeOutLoud

Results

50 breast- DQ (Time- 53.18)  I was too deep off my dive and I took two strokes underwater before surfacing...whoops!

50 free- 37.24 (Time Drop -2.16)  Extremely happy with this time!  Over 2 seconds dropped in less than 2 weeks.  I am most proud of myself for only taking two breaths on the way back, and I nailed the flip turn.

100 IM- 1:54.31  That was really hard, but oh so fun! It is challenging to swim all four strokes in the same race, but I really love how hard you have to think to keep yourself doing the right thing at each wall and during each length.

Race Report- 1st Swim Meet

I'm a swimmer!!!

I mentioned to my coach a few weeks ago that I wanted to swim in a meet, he immediately responded, "You will, and a year later you'll swim at US Masters Nationals."  I've been swimming for a year now, and it is time to challenge myself.  Being ready for Masters Nationals, I don't know, but I definitely want to start competing to see where I am.  Don't forget my motto for the year- "Live Life Out Loud!"  He and a few of the other local coaches convinced me to sign up for an event in a local high school meet.  It was an extra HS meet for swimmers to earn qualifying times for their conference and state meets, so anyone could really sign up because everyone competes as individuals.

So here I am..27 years old, competing in my first swim meet!!!  The days leading up, I had a lot of work to do.  One of the big things was learning to dive, period, and then to dive off the blocks! I also had to work on my flipturns, since I was going to have to nail one at full speed for the 50 freestyle.  I was soooo nervous that day.  My coach entered a seed time of 39.99 seconds and I was determined to beat it.  No matter how fast I swam, I knew that I would be eating the high schooler's bubbles. But, this was all about me and pushing outside my comfort zone.  I climbed on the blocks when they called us up and my legs were shaking.  I nearly fell off the blocks and false started.   I haven't been that nervous doing anything in a very long time. When the gun went off I dove in and was off.  I swam as fast as I could, the whole time worrying about having to nail the upcoming flip turn.  I took 4 or 5 breaths into the wall (A big NO NO in the swimming world), basically hyperventilating, flipped ok, but came off deep.  After getting out of the turn, I swam as fast as I could and got my hand on the wall. No matter what my time was, I was proud of myself for what I had done.  I crossed a huge hurdle in my swimming career, swimming in my first event!

But then... I turned my head to look at the scoreboard and it said 39.40!!! When I started a year ago, it took me 1 min 15 seconds to swim a 50. I have almost cut my time in half! I beat my Coach's goal time for me and exceeded my own expectations!!! And in that moment, I realized I was hooked!!!

Race Report- Turkey Strut 5k

A Thanksgiving tradition...renewed!  My family and I did our first 5k together back in 2011 on Thanksgiving day.  Since then, I've been sitting the bench waiting for a chance to return to the action, until this year!  My family decided not to do it without me the last several years too, because they didn't want me to feel any more left out than I have been.

It was a cold and rainy morning, but I had my mind set on posting a good time.

Are 

YOU

READY?!?!?!?!

37: 08 

(11:57 min/mile, 5 mph)-  SUB 12 min miles!!!!

Place (25-29 Age Group) - 90/127  (nowhere close to last)

These reconstructed "superfeet" are on the move...

Race Report- 1st 5k!

My university had a 5k to welcome back the students to the new school year in a healthy and active way.  I took this run seriously and BROKE 40 MINS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MY SURGERIES!!!!  38:20!!! How awesome is that?!?!?  Doctors told me I would never run again and now I'm averaging 12:20 miles (4.9 mph) on a hilly course!

I was only limping a little after the race, but no lingering pain.

Sprint Triathlon #3- End of racing season

Sprint Triathlon #3

Date: August 23rd, 2014
Event: Sprint Triathlon (500m lake swim, 12.4 mile bike, 5k run)
Time: 1:55:05
(Swim: 13:33, T1+ Bike + T2: 59:46 (due to timing error), 
Run: 41:45)
Age Group Place (25-29): 12/13 (not last!!!)

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Before I give my race report, I should preface that on Friday, the day before this race, I didn't even want to pack my stuff up.  I think that I was already over my inaugural tri season back from my surgeries.

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The Swim- 500m Lake Swim (13:33)

Average Pace: 2:29 per 100m

MUCH better pace and experience compared to my last race.  I tried to calm myself and focus on the task at hand and not let the fear of the open water and all the people swimming around me shake my nerves.

The Bike- 12.4 miles (59:46 including transitions)

Average Speed: Not Sure

The best race directors ever decided that the transition should be at the bottom of a monster hill.  It was AWESOME having to climb for a few miles right after the swim.  Said no triathlete ever...  Overall, I really had to work hard to stay mentally focused during this ride.  In the midst of climbing the initial hill, I was ready to quit.  I was already over this race.  I didn't want to start it and had no desires to finish it...except that I AM NOT A QUITTER.  I got my head back in the game and climbed hill after hill after hill after HILL and had to cross several lanes of "live" traffic without much police regulation.  This was the poorest managed bike course I have raced on thus far and I was astonished that I had to worry so much about the cars during a race.  Alas, I finished and headed back into transition for the run.

The Run-5k (41:45)

Average Pace: 13:26 min/mile, Average Speed: 4.5 mph

Remember that monster hill? Oh yeah...I had to run up that out of transition for the run course.  By run, you know that I mean walk.  This chica does not run uphill anymore. The run course was as hilly as the bike course.  But...I stuck with my strategy, walk uphill and jog/run the flats and downhills, respectively.  Luckily, I had my head back in the game by this point, because I was focused on the finish line.  I finished this much tougher 5k in a faster time than my last tri, so obviously happy to have made some progress.  Of note, I ran my last 1/2 mile continuous!  It was downhill, but I didn't stop to walk once during that stretch.

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Reflection

Improvement all around on this race, but I'm done.  I'm all raced out for the season. I am ready to transition to off season training where I will focus really hard on my swimming and pick up my biking as well.

Race Report- Sprint Triathlon #2

Sprint Triathlon #2

Date: July 26th, 2014
Event: Sprint Triathlon (750m lake swim,15 mile bike, 5k run)
Time: 2:14:46
(Swim: 23:56, T1: 2:07, Bike: 1:04:53, T2: 1:29, Run: 42:22)
Age Group Place (25-29): Last...6/6

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The Swim- 750m Lake Swim (23:56)

Average Pace: 3:11 per 100m

FIRST EVER OPEN WATER LAKE SWIM!!!!

All I can say is chocolate milk.  Chocolate Milk! That's all you could see through the goggles in this lake.

They called my group- the ones with the pink swim caps- up to the water to find our starting positions.  I lined up somewhere around the middle and waited for the gun to go off.  I ended up being next to a little girl, no older than 13-14 and thought I would be ok at the start.  Little did I know that this not so innocent little girl was clearly an experienced open water swimmer and actually smacked and kicked me several times at the start.  It wasn't just her it was everyone around me too!  I felt like I was in a swarm of bees or a washing machine.  I didn't know which way was up or forward.  I had to slow up to let most of the swimmers go around me because I didn't feel comfortable swimming in a pack like that.  Once I got some open water, I made my way to the first buoy just fine.  The swim got interesting after that because it was a oval course and swimming circular is hard!  I'm used to chasing the black line in the bottom of the pool...which is straight!  How the heck am I supposed to make myself curve while swimming? Needless to say, I kept getting off course.  I didn't think it took me as long as it did until I got out and checked my stop watch.  I was happy with my actual swimming, I just need to get more comfortable with the bunch start and sighting in open water.


The Bike- 15 miles (1:04:53)

Average Speed: 13.9 mph

This bike course was mostly flat with only a few major climbs.  I know I have some work to do to get my average speed up because people were passing me left and right, but mostly on the climbs.  There was one funny story from the course.  This woman with a really nice and expensive triathlon specific bike (I race on an intermediate quality road bike) yelled, ON YOUR LEFT! Of course, her intentions were to pass me.  The mistake she made was passing me on a flat just before a massive downhill.  I'm a great descender, mostly because I am an avid Tour de France rider...and absolutely love Peter Sagan! He's a sprinter, but also a bike handling specialist and gets in a full on tuck off of his saddle in the most aero position he can while descending.  I don't go as extreme as he does, but I'm much faster than most on the downhills.  I zoomed past her and then fought like hell to climb the subsequent hill and told myself that I can't let her pass me again.  She got close on one of the other climbs, but couldn't seal the deal.  I held her off for the rest of the race.  After the race, she came up to me and told me how great of a rider I was!  Too funny.  The little joys in life :)

The Run-5k (42:22)

Average Pace: 13:38 min/mile, Average Speed: 4.4 mph

2 loop trail run.  Exposed roots, dirt, and gravel, and hills!!!!  I had to throw my intervals out the window and just do my best to jog the flats and walk up the hills.  I quite like the trail part, it was really fun "running" through the woods.  Best part- in the days after the race, I had NO PAIN in my feet after this tri.  Takeaway-> if you do want to run again, pick trails for training and racing.  They lighten the impact significantly.

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Reflection

I feel AMAZING to have finished another triathlon and for finally getting to wear my trisuit from my college tri team.  Due to my surgeries, I never got my chance, but now I have!!! I got complements on it the whole time and even met fellow alumni that came up to me.  Very cool because I live states away from my college town now.  This was the longest in distance and hardest triathlon to date, but I made it!!!