Get In Your Bubble!!

STAYING INJURY AND ILLNESS FREE RIGHT BEFORE YOUR “A” RACE

“Get in your bubble.”  After my FOURTH major injury/illness before my “A” race, this was a phrase my husband starting using.  A lot.  Two days before my very first Ironman in 2007, I caught a nasty bug and took to the starting line with a fever and one helluva upper respiratory infection.  In 2009, five weeks before I was suppose to race Ironman Lake Placid, I crashed coming off my bike at Mooseman doing a new dismount that I had not practiced enough.  I had a wonky head, grade 2 left ankle sprain and was out of the game.  In 2010, the doozy of them all, as I was exiting the water of a ridiculously dangerous swim leg, I literally filleted my right foot open on sharp rocks and muscle shells exposing soft-tissue and cutting apart the plantar fascia four weeks before what I thought would be a Kona-qualifying race for me in Lake Placid.  I had a devastating, immobilizing injury that had many doctors question whether I would ever run competitively again (I showed them!!).  In 2011, a week before what actually WAS my Kona-qualifying race, I sliced my finger open on a bread knife requiring stitches and forcing me out of the pool. 

All of the above accidents/injuries/illnesses could have been prevented had I gotten in my bubble.  As a pro, I have a slight advantage in that I don’t have to sign up a year in advance for the big races, the ones that sell out instantly.  I can add my name to the roster a couple weeks before race day.  If something doesn’t feel right or if, God-for-bid, I get injured, I can just sign up for the next one.  Age groupers don’t have that luxury.  For MOST of the Ironman races and some of the other big races, like Rev3 Quassy or Alcatraz, you need to register months and some times a year in advance.  This means, if you are injured right before your race, you pretty much don’t have another option.  Staying injury and illness free is something we all want and there are definitely things you can do to prevent any roadblocks from a perfect “A” race.  One would think staying healthy and ready to go is simple- just don’t do anything STUPID.  However, the definition pre-race “stupidity” can vary from person to person.  And if you tend to be accident prone, “stupid” can be quite an extensive list.  I have jotted down some things that have come to my mind over the last few years in my experience with all the ridiculous accidents I COULD HAVE prevented and listening to some of my friends’ horror stories.

1.  Carrier monkeys, they’re EVERYWHERE!!  As I get further into the training and racing season, AND ESPECIALLY the weeks prior to a big race, I take an immune-boosting supplement every day.  My friends and family also know that if they or any of their family members have been sick, they better give me the heads up if I will be coming in contact with them.  And if they are just realizing this now in reading my blog…well…I love you, but keep your germs to yourself.  I avoid large crowds and DO NOT touch my face or mucus membranes with dirty hands.  If a spouse or child in your household is sick, be fastidious with wiping down doorknobs and handles and ask them to use a tissue when coughing/sneezing.  When it comes to germs, just act like EVERYONE you come in contact with has a deadly-disease.  You never know what someone might be harboring. 

2. Stick to the plan, man!  For the most part, no two athletes have the same training plan.  If your buddy says he/she is heading out for a five-hour hammerfest six days before the race and that is NOT part of your plan, wish them well and leave it at that.  Do not question your training.  Do not be tempted to go outside of the plan and tag along with someone else for an effort that is beyond what you have on the schedule.  Firstly, you have no idea what he/she has been doing during the weeks/months leading up to the race- so you might be thinking, “Ack, they are working so much harder then me.”  However- maybe they have slacked off up until this point, or done too much or their training plan is just simply different!  Doesn’t matter, eyes on your own paper, son!  And secondly, you have done your work-- the hay is in the barn.  You are not going to gain any fitness with only a few days left before the big day.

3.  Accidents, incidents, hazards and injuries…No, no, no and NO THANKS!!  Your daughter or son wants you to go out and play a couple tennis matches, no harm, right?  Body surfing sesh at the beach…  Completely innocent, no?!?  That tennis match can result in a turned ankle and you could take a face plant or shoulder dislocation from being tossed around in an unruly wave.  When talking about otherwise completely innocent extracurricular activities, unless it is folding laundry, I highly recommend you use extreme caution with everything you do, especially using sharp objects!  I am so careful, that I even exit the pool cautiously (stairs versus hoisting up over the edge).  Everything is hazardous in my eyes and I treat it that way.  I walk slowly and cautiously, I take the stairs one at a time, and I drive like a nervous teenager… anything to reduce the risk of an “incident”.

4.  “Don’t try anything new on race day.”  We have heard this a million times.  And yet a lot of us STILL try something new on race day!  I had done flying dismounts a couple times in training.  I thought I had the hang of it, until I crashed coming off my bike at Mooseman and the only thing flying was me- head first into the crowd barrier.  Anything that will be worn, consumed, or executed prior to or on race day should not be new.  Your race plan, transitioning, even water bottle exchanges should all be practiced well before the race.  If you have the ability to prepare your own food the day before the race, it is strongly suggested.  Food poisoning from the pre-race dinner out at the local restaurant is something that at least two of my friends have experienced.  Having a dairy allergy, I am VERY cautious and distrustful of anything presented to me.  If I do not have a kitchen available, I ask to personally speak with the chef when ordering out.  Trying out a new nutrition plan on race day is just plain asinine.  Don’t let your stomach and slightly delirious mental state persuade you into inhaling the buffet of cookies, pretzels, chicken broth, chips, etc. that can be found at some longer race course aid stations if this was not part of your regular nutrition in other races or what you used in training.  Even your nutrition belt should be nice and worn in- it may present chafing that you wouldn’t have imagined.  Wearing a camelback for fluids on the bike or run?  Well you better have used it a lot on those longer rides/runs.  Running from the beach while trying to peel a wetsuit off, flying dismounts, running while putting a hat, sunglasses, race belt, etc. on—all things that should be practiced prior to racing as they can all present trip hazards if you are clumsy and unsure.

My hope for you is that you can toe the line completely healthy and ready to go.  Just make sure you give careful thought to all that you do right before race day!!  Race hard, my friends J {C}

Winter/Spring 2014 Update

WINTER/SPRING 2014 UPDATE

Where has Kate been???  What has she been up to???  I know, I know…you all are just dying to know!!  I will try to condense three races and four and a half months of training into a nice and hopefully brief blog update!

Shortly after the New Year, I started on my attempt to get down to Florida for a winter of training.  My original date of arrival was to be February 13th—enough time to witness my cousin, Rachael rock out her first half-marathon (more on that later)…however mother nature had different plans for me.  As I drove down to Lorton, Virginia to load onto the auto-train, the East Coast was being slammed by a nasty storm (oh wait- I think that was just winter in general), which left the Carolinas covered in ice and the train tracks inoperable.  So I went BACK to Rhode Island and waited out the storm and was on my way to Ft. Lauderdale the following week.   My cousins Rachael and Rob had been gracious enough to host me the entire winter last year and while there, I ran the A1A half-marathon.  Despite my own slight disappointment in my effort that day and unnecessary pre-race mistakes I made, Rachael, as usual had nothing but praise for me.  In fact, at the 2013 race, she declared she would finish the half herself in 2014!!  This coming from the girl that although has always been active, certainly was not running the mileage for a half!  Sure enough, just like all of us Romer girls, Rachael remained determined, trained hard and finished the 2014 A1A half-marathon TEN MINUTES FASTER than she anticipated!!  I am so proud of her still and could not let this blog report post without giving a big shout to her accomplishments!!

After a nice week of some down time with Rachael and Rob in Ft. Lauderdale, I headed up to Clermont, FL to settle in for the rest of winter and some of spring.  Clermont happens to be pretty much the only hilly part of Florida and coupled with the warm temps, that suited me just fine.  I lived with the hostess with the mostest, Sara McLarty and Jilly P. and I must say, it was an experience for which I am very grateful.  There were several other pros down there for the same reason that I had gone down, so we had quite a nice little community and there was ALWAYS someone with whom to ride, swim or run…I even managed to pull Jill into a couple of my core workouts J  I got two decent rides with friends Kristin and Brian on the Florida 70.3 course and countless miles of running and swimming outdoors- can’t beat that in the middle of February!!  I would like to give a special thanks to Sara McLarty for being so hospitable and easy-going and to Misty Becerra for being the best “on-call” massage therapist/running buddy and listening ear!

I raced the Clermont Tri at the end of March—a nice olympic distance tri that I urge anyone looking to get away from the cold Northeast to come down and check out.  There is no prize money involved, but the swag is great, the course is just challenging enough to keep it interesting but not impossible and the race is very well managed.  I won the race and as far as my husband can tell, I think I might have broken a bike course record—or at least it was the fastest split for the ladies for as long as they have been keeping record on the web.  I went into the race with ZERO expectations and no pressure- it was simply to be a nice training day.  It is races that I feel like that where I seem to do the best…and I am working on duplicating that feeling of calm and control for races going forward with various techniques and therapies.

I had a couple weeks post-Clermont tri to recover and race Florida 70.3, which I was expecting to do fairly well in.  As race day approached, so did “move-out” day.  Foof came down to watch me compete and then help me pack the car to head back to the still chilly northeast.   Race morning, I just couldn’t seem to get my head together and had a lot of anxiety.  It left me feeling hollow.  I just felt like my legs and body were not with me.  Regardless, I raced as hard as I could and managed to almost reach top ten in a tough field.  I was 11th out of 22, which- racing the way I was feeling, I KNOW I was capable of a much faster race.  That being said, I am NOT an excuse maker, it is what it is.  The race went on and I just couldn’t pull my head out of my hiney and put it together…  Onward and upward!!  The day after the race, a bunch of the tri friends I had made and Foof and me decided to head over to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon to let our hair down and do “post-race recovery” the FUN way!!   We had a blast and I hope this will be our yearly tradition!!

Back home, it was back to the cold, which was a hard adjustment.  I had about a month of training and then it was out to Knoxville, TN for the final Rev3 PRO series race.  I had committed to Rev3 for the season and was just going to use this particular race as a training day, hoping to really nail it at the other Rev3 races I had chosen.  However, Rev3 has decided to cancel the pro series for the time being.  Although this decision will in no way affect the Rev3 race series in general, it just means that there will no longer be a pro prize purse available.  I am of course saddened by this development, as I believe that Rev3 is truly one of the best event management companies in the tri world.  Regardless, I plan on continuing to race Rev3 when the schedule will allow for it and urge all to put a couple Rev3 races on their schedule this year.

So I arrived in Knoxville with some heavy legs, just hoping that in some miracle, I would be fresh enough for the “hybrid distance” race to do fairly well…but my nerves and tired legs said otherwise.

I flew home from Tennessee and 12 hours later was in a car to pick up my BRAND NEW bike, a BMC TM01 with electronic shifting and Garmin Vector pedals.  Understandably, there is a bit of an adjustment period with a new bike and I am working through that!

Newbie tri questions answered!!

Answers to your most basic and pressing questions in the sport of triathlon

1. No, you don’t wear your undies underneath your bike/tri shorts.  The bike and tri shorts all have some sort of chamois in them.  The chamois is the padding that is carefully designed and sewn into the “seat” of the shorts.  They are designed to prevent chafing over the long ride and make the saddle a bit more comfortable.  Wearing underwear underneath your bike shorts adds seams that are not meant to be there and the proclivity for a sore hiney!!

2.  Along those same lines, undies underneath your lined running shorts are not necessary either.  Unless you like your hiney extra hot and sweaty when out for a run (bleck)…the liner or “underwear” that is in the running shorts is designed to serve as your underwear :)

3. Pull buoys are for pulling.  That nice little buoy that you see betwixt many swimmers legs?  It is designed to help one develop upper body strength in the pool.  It is there to help the swimmer shut down any activity with the legs and really just focus on the upper body movement through the pool.  So when you have your pull buoy shoved in between your thighs, it’s best to act as if your legs don’t work- that you are just dragging them behind you with your arms.  No kicking necessary.

4.  Save the costume changes for the stage.  There are very few races that actually have separate men’s and women’s changing tents.  Generally, the only races that have closed-off private changing areas for you to change during transitions are iron-distances races.  So if you have to get naked to put on what you are going to wear for the next leg of the race, well…don’t be surprised if you get in trouble with the officials or feel a little awkward.  That and you are going to shave a lot of time off your transition if you wear the same thing for the whole race.

5.  Surfing wetsuits are NOT the same as triathlon wetsuits.  Each sport-specific wetsuit is designed for the mechanics of that sport.  Tri wetsuits are made to allow for the swimmer to pull through the entire swim stroke, whereas the surf wetsuit will not allow for the same swimming range of motion.  Can you wear a surfing wetsuit for a triathlon…sure.  However you are going to waste a lot of energy swimming in it.  Your best bet is to either skip the wetsuit if the water temps are warm enough, or rent a triathlon specific wetsuit if you are trying to gain some additional buoyancy and speed.

6.  You don’t need a full buffet for a race that lasts less than 90 minutes.  If you anticipate your finish time to be less than 90 minutes, a good pre-race meal (my fave is a bagel with almond butter and honey) should carry you through most of your racing.  You may want to top off before the race with a banana or gel and then sip on some sort of electrolyte beverage during the race.  However, it really is not necessary to line the top tube of your bike with several gels and or ingest solids for the short races.

7.  No, you don’t need a fancy bike to do your first triathlon.  We’ve all seen them on the course- the guy or gal that is riding a beach cruiser during the bike leg of a sprint or Olympic distance race.  There is no reason to get a fancy new road or tri bike just to finish your first triathlon.  Unless your first triathlon happens to be an iron-distance race, using what you’ve got available is just fine!!

8.  Race belt?  YES!  Race number belts make management of your race number infinitely easier.  We are talking about a $5 investment that is MUCH easier to clip around your waist while you are running out of transition than it is to stand in transition, sweaty/wet, trying to yank a shirt over your head with your number pinned on it!

9. Practice suit, goggles and (especially for those with hair chin length or longer) a cap?  Having a tight-fitting suit and goggles to swim with is a good investment.  When we are swimming for fitness and training, we want to focus all of our attention on our form and strength, not on a shifty suit or leaky goggles!!  Most beginner swimmers (and even some veterans) can probably go down a size in the suit they wear!  When the suit gets wet, it will loosen up and you are left constantly tugging it up!  Furthermore- a latex cap will keep that long hair out of your eyes and prevent it from being whipped up into something that resembles a tightly woven ball of yarn.  If you find it difficult or painful getting a latex cap on/off, for around $10 you can get a silicone cap, which lasts longer and is MUCH gentler on your hair getting on/off!

10.  One thing that is free and helpful?  Training partners!!!  Let’s face it, in triathlon you are usually competing as a one-man team.  Solitude during your workouts may be your preference and the way you spend most of your training time. However, getting together with a swim bike run pal, especially one that is closely matched to your abilities will help you push yourself and keep going on the days when you are just exhausted!!  Try it!!!

Review of Louis Garneau P-09 Aero helmet

I apologize for the delay in my review of the Louis Garneau P-09 Aero Cycling helmet.  I am very grateful to Louis Garneau for the awesome gear for 2014!  So, let me just say, I LOVE THIS HELMET. I am not just saying this because LG graciously gave it to me, but because it is amazing!! 

Let me give a quick and easy on the technical specifics that make this helmet so unique.  Firstly, this helmet has the dimpled surface similar to a golf ball to improve airflow over the top of the helmet.  The frontal part has been reduced which makes the helmet overall more compact.  No more looking like “Alien” with a TT helmet tail reaching half-way down your back!  The speed port is great- you can put the “plug” in it for short TTs.  For longer efforts- half and full iron tris, you can pull the plug out which allows for air to flow right up and over your skull and out the vent in the back of the helmet.  The visor is designed to securely clip into the front of the helmet (vs. magnetized like most TT helmet visors) and can flip up with one hand for easy removal of the helmet.  The helmet has ear flaps, BUT those ear flaps are designed with a special cord (I guess that is what you’d call it) to allow the flaps to extend out while you put the helmet on/take it off.  And then of course, the helmet tightening system, the spiderlock is a turn wheel tightening system.

Most of you know that I categorically would rather pay for something full price than endorse a product that I do not believe in.  My transitions have literally been faster because of it.  I am able to smash it on in a fury without crushing my ears.  Not having to fiddle with sunglasses and having the ability to tighten the helmet with one hand means: the visor flips down when I am already on the road and the helmet gets the final tightening while I am…you guessed it, ON THE ROAD.  Not having sunglass temples crushed against my skull is a relief too as I always suffered headaches with my previous TT helmet.  The visor is the perfect shade for riding in all conditions- not so dark that you can’t see on cloudy days, but shaded enough for the sunny ones.  Finally- the front air vent provides a fantastic amount of cooling.  Most people’s biggest hesitation in wearing the TT, especially for iron-distance is the concern for overheating.  No overheating to worry about with this one.  You literally can feel the airflow going right up and over your skull inside the helmet and the Icefil padding enhances that cooling effect.

The helmet is just super awesome.  I have had SO MANY positive comments on it.  You want the fastest most innovative TT helmet on the market?  Look no further, The Louis Garneau P-09 is the helmet for you!

A Food Blog for Valentine's Friday

Well, this was suppose to be a training update and it was suppose to be written from the comfort of my own private space aboard the Amtrak Auto-train and I was suppose to be 2 hours away from my destination of Clermont, Florida...but mother nature had other plans for me.  More on THAT later...ho-hum...

I had a request from a friend to include the calorie count, so I will try my hardest to keep an accurate tally and provide that to you also.  I am unsure of what day this food journal came from as I wrote down everything but the date!

Breakfast: cup of white tea, handful of nuts, couple dried apricots, mojito smoothie (oy- BAD choice before a supra-LT bike session), ~1/2 granola (dry) and half a pink grapefruit w/stevia sprinkled on it

1 hour supra-LT bike trainer session, then went straight to one hour HARD masters swim practice-- DEFINITELY should have eaten a snack in between bike and swim!

Post-swim snack: Clif Bar

Lunch: split peas with brown rice and cinnamon sprinkled on top, two dark chocolate squares, one piece of toast w/Earth Balance buttery spread, big handful of Earth Balance Popps.

Snacks: five mission figs with almond butter smeared on them, cereal bowl of popcorn made with EVOO, kale chips

Dinner: acorn squash stuffed with apples, lentils, sweet potatoes, cranberries and quinoa and a side of steamed broccoli 

Total calories: ~2250 (give or take 100)                          Total calories burned that day: ~2300

I didn't include my water intake, but I would bet I fill up my 32 oz. bottle at least three to four times a day

Daily Nutrition Transparency

It occurred to me on Wednesday night after speaking with the wonderful students at Providence College (more on that in my next training update) that I did not provide them with a very clear picture of my daily nutrition intake.  And furthermore- "what do you eat?" seems to be a question I am asked often.   As my training changes throughout the year, so do my nutrition needs and I am going to try to post at least once a week what a day's worth of calories looks like so there is a clearer picture of how I fuel as healthily as possible!  

As I tell anyone who asks, I am mostly vegan.  I will never eat another animal, or any poultry or any form of dairy (butter, milk, cream, whey, casein, etc) for the rest of my life for ethical reasons, health reasons and overall I personally feel I am doing better for the planet that way.  When available, I will pick up some eggs from the hens that live down the street from me.  In addition, on rare occasion, I transgress my own rules and eat tilapia or other MSC certified seafood.  However, I am finding those situations less common given my concern for the levels of pollutants in our oceans these days :(  Overall, I satisfy my protein requirements with plant-based protein. 

That being said, here is my first "food blog"

Wed 1/29: Workout, 65 min LT trainer session, 1 hr masters swim, 30 min core sesh

Breakfast: Two cups of green tea, smoothie of: raw cacao powder, almond milk, frozen banana, spoonful of Earth Balance coconut and peanut spread, couple teaspoons of blackstrap molasses, maca powder, handful of spinach

Snack before swim: banana and Clif Bar

Post-workout meal: Giant salad with: avocado, carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, pistachio oil, balsamic, S&P, "chick'n" strips.  Handful of apricots, big handful of unsalted, roasted nuts 

Afternoon snack: rice cake with a smear of almond butter and generous handful of raisins squished on top :)    "healthy" mojito: coconut milk, big handful of spinach, cup of frozen organic green grapes, one or two T of mint leaves, splash of coconut water, little squeeze off a fresh lime, blended to frothy deliciousness!  Cereal bowl portion of Earth Balance cheddar popcorn with a Zevia cream soda

Dinner: spaghetti squash with lentil sauce (from Forks V Knives cookbook) and a GENEROUS salad.  

In addition, I drank probably three or four 24 oz water bottles full of water

Early 2014 update

Happy New Year to all of my friends, family and followers!!  Without necessary healing time from a bike crash OR recovery time from an influenza hospitalization, I am already WAAAAY ahead of the game this year!  I am so grateful to be healthy! 

The holidays went by quickly, as it seems they always do.  As soon as we returned from Arizona from the race, it was time to start preparing all of the goodies for Thanksgiving!  We spent the holiday in Long Island with the in-laws and visiting Foof’s cousins, aunts and uncles whom we cherish dearly.  No Thanksgiving holiday is complete without a good old-fashioned road race and against Coach Cliff’s better judgment; I chose to race my town’s Turkey Trot (perhaps the $100 cash prize for first place was the motivation).  I was hoping to set a decent PR, and if you count taking :03 sec off your last 5K a decent PR, then I am awesome!  It’s always a good day when you can earn $100 in 19 minutes!  I chose to do this race which was only six days after I had raced Ironman and although a 5K is not very long in comparison to iron-distance racing, it is still a huge risk to take getting injured.  I am happy to report that I managed to stay injury-free post Ironman Arizona. 

Maintaining a low volume of base training, I headed to NYC to spend a long fun weekend with my three sisters and then as soon as I got home, I boarded a plan for a week in Disney World with Foof.  Spending the week in sunny Florida made it hard to come back to the chilly, snowy Northeast, but I definitely enjoyed doing my Christmas baking and catching up with my new neighbors.  We shared a peaceful, quiet and happy Christmas by ourselves in our new home.  Just days after Christmas and not quite ready to give up sipping glasses of wine by the fire, it was back to work for me.  The increase in intensity and volume of my workouts was obvious.   We made one more quick train trip down to Philly to spend a blissful New Years Eve and New Years Day with my best friend and her family/friends.  It was that trip that my body threw the white flag of surrender up and I wound up with a fever, what I can only assume was a migraine (since I have never experienced one before) and some nasty chest congestion.  A good college friend came to my rescue, though, in allowing me to tag along with her to the herbalist/acupuncturist and I was back on my feet in less than four days, THANK YOU Vicki and Dr. Alice Shi!

Over the holidays, I also confirmed my training plans for winter/early spring, new sponsors and a tentative race schedule.  I am VERY PLEASED to announce that I have confirmed partnership with Zevia, the natural soda, Breakthrough Nutrition, Cycles 54, Headsweats and Tristar Athletes.  I am also very pleased to be the recipient of product support from Louis Garneau, TYR, BlueSeventy, Boulder Brands (Glutino, Earth Balance, etc) and FuelBelt.  I speak from the heart when I say that these products and nutrition are what I have used for years and truly believe in.

I will be finishing out my early season training here in the Northeast the first week in February and then packing up and heading to Clermont, Florida where I will live with two other pros until the mid to end of April.  I am feeling some early season fitness returning already and must say I have never been so excited to see what we will build for the 2014 season!  The stars are aligned and it’s time to shine!!

High Altitude, New Attitude

The past year has been a blur, a whirlwind, chaotic and character building.   The last race report I did was for the Bassman half, for which I broke the tape.  Shortly after, we bought a house and moved in at the end of June.  The house is amazing and the major selling point for us was the heated backyard pool that is almost 20 yards long and a big beautiful room that has become my training lab.  Oh, and 2.5 wooded peaceful acres doesn't hurt either!  A welcome change from the constant car horns, emergency sirens, and miles of pavement that comes with living in a high-rise city apartment.  After having most of my possessions in storage for more than eight months, it sure was nice to finally sleep in my own bed!!  I digress...  
 
At the end of July, I decided a day or two before the Crabman Sprint in Narragansett, RI that I was going to race, adding it to the workout I had for that day.  It has been so long since I have done a sprint tri and although sprint races are not necessarily my favorite, sprints are so quick that you never fully get deep into the hurt locker before the race is over.  I quickly took the lead just a few short minutes out of T1 and stayed in that position for the whole race.  I raced to first female (and top 15 overall men and women) in a quick 59 min, and quickly went back home to finish my workout for the day.   I was supposed to spend to two weeks in Colorado for some high-altitude training in July, but my schedule just wasn't working with my friends, so I asked Coach Cliff what he thought of me spending the rest of summer preparing for Tahoe IN TAHOE.  I got the green light and worked with the best realtor on the North Shore of Tahoe- Kim English.  I highly recommend her, should you find yourself in need of Tahoe accommodations.
 
I emptied enough moving boxes to gather what I would need for a summer of high-altitude training in Lake Tahoe and packed up the trusty Volvo wagon for a cross-country adventure.  After a quick pit stop in Long Island to witness the matrimony of my beautiful sister-in-law and her amazing husband, I literally left in the middle of the reception to start making my way to the Golden State.  I stopped through Northern Virginia to pick up my traveling companion, Alison (my younger sister).  Picture two teenagers goofing and giggling their way through four days of driving and that pretty much sums up our adventure.  I have to mention my gratitude and thanks to Nate Miller for graciously allowing Alison and me to crash at his house, while he spent the summer in Israel.  I am also super grateful to Michelle Peacock Thompson and her family for hosting a wonderful dinner and to her husband Sean in letting me tag along for his early morning ride up Emigrant Canyon.  Only a good friend that you have not seen in over 20 years that would have no problem with you taking off for a two-hour bike ride with her husband at 5:00 a.m.
 
We left Utah and began what Alison promised to be the most boring part of our entire journey-the drive through Nevada to Tahoe.  Alison had done this drive once before a couple years ago- only it was by herself!!  Boy was she right about boring Nevada.  Kansas?  No problem.  Nebraska?  Piece of cake.  1-80 through Nevada?  YIKES!!  All I can say is, you better have some good snacks, a reliable vehicle and perhaps some caffeine if you want to make it through.
 
We pulled into Tahoe around dinnertime.  We got to my cabin, which was at 7,000 feet above sea level, unpacked the car enough as to not look like hoarders and drove down the summit to grab a quick view of the lake in Kings Beach before finding a bite to eat.  We got up VERY early the next morning to get Alison on her flight back to the east coast.  Muchas gracias to my sister for not only keeping me entertained, but for having the patience to wait around for me while I did my (sometimes) three hour workouts in the morning before we could start driving and MOST IMPORTANTLY, for never complaining when I asked her to drive.  From the airport, I went to Safeway to grab some groceries and found myself almost buying a liquor cabinet full of spirits just because it was the first time I had seen not just beer and wine, but liquor, in the grocery store.  Who’d a thunk- California lets you buy vodka IN THE GROCERY STORE at 7 o'clock in the MORNING!!!  I came to my senses; put the case of Knob Creek back and hurried home to prepare for my first long run at altitude- a two-hour run.
 
I have been running my whole life, for as long as I can remember.  I started competing for MHR track club when I was in the second grade.  I grew up on the track; developed mentally and physically.  Occasionally, I have non-running friends or friends that are just starting out for the first time come up to me and say, "Ok, Kate, how do you BREATHE when you run??  I always feel like I can't catch my breath, like my lungs are burning!!  How do I get past that?"  And I usually would say, "You just have to find your rhythm."  I have been running for over 30 years of my life and I suppose that I started so long ago that if I did experience the lung-burning, out of breath runs, I certainly don't remember them!  That is, until my first long run at altitude.... this had to be the hardest run I have ever done.  My lungs were GASPING for air, my legs were SEARCHING oxygen-rich blood and it just wasn't there.  On top of the thin mountain air, during that two-hour run I climbed over 1,000 feet of altitude.  I have never felt the desire to stop and take a nap so badly in my life!  So, I can now say from experience, that you just have to stick with it, because it WILL get better.  It will not be overnight, but you will start to "find your rhythm" and maybe actually start to enjoy your runs!  
 
In trying to keep this update as short as possible, I will say this- those first few weeks were tough.  I am very grateful to my dear friend and my first boss in the fitness industry, Kristine and her VERY polite children, Hilary and Nick (who are both superstar college athletes).  They INSISTED in taking me out for my birthday, bought me dinner and gave me a very nice gift.  Being homesick wasn't so bad the few days they were out in Tahoe vacationing.  
 
Five and six nosebleeds a day, disruptive sleep, lethargy, very dry skin and training targets that went to the crapper were all things I experienced while training at altitude, especially the first three weeks.  I found myself desperately scouring the internet looking for any and all information I could find on high-altitude and how it affected the elite athlete.  My physical condition wasn't the only thing suffering-I found myself INCREDIBLY lonely.  One day in particular, I was doing repeats of the Brockway Summit- five of them to be exact and was actually excited when the dude I had passed at the Ritz on 267 had worked his way back up and wanted to chat.  Normally- being at almost 7,200 feet and climbing at about a 8-12% grade on your bike for a half hour straight, you might find yourself too breathless to even get a "hello" out.  However, when you have spent three weeks talking to no one but your husband on the phone, you somehow find the strength to muster up conversation.  His name was Josh and he and I ran into each other a couple of times climbing up Rte 267.  We talked about how in love we are with our Felt bicycles and about our ambitions for the race.  I often wonder how he wound up doing on that tough race day, as it was his first Ironman.  Once we got to the top, I started to turn around to start my fourth summit repeat when some ladies who had stopped to take a break stopped me.  In our conversation, she mentioned that she had met a female triathlete looking for an open water swim buddy.  She gave me Kirsten's number and I figured I might as well give her a ring.  I was kind of desperate for a friend at that point and perhaps a swim partner.  Kirsten and I became instant friends- I LOVE her silly/fun personality and the similarity we share in our desire to always be grateful for that which we have been blessed.  I really believe that the Universe connected Kirsten and me because I needed a pal.  Even though it was still tough being so far away from home, my sweet little fur-babies and of course, Foof, without Kirsten, I probably would have packed up and headed home before I even got to race.  
 
I had settled into Kings Beach and the Tahoe community very nicely- I was even starting to win over the aquasize ladies at the High Peaks Community Center (any lap swimmer KNOWS that isn't easy)!  I found a great bike store in Tahoe City called Olympic Bike Shop and have mucho appreciation to Carl, Nok (I probably butchered that) and Peter for the great service while I was there- they sure do take good care of everyone who walks in the door!  I became a regular at New Moon natural foods and found probably the best massage therapist in the Tahoe area- James at Tranquility in Truckee.  I also cannot speak highly enough about Dr. Barry Triestman of Performance Chiropractic’s in Truckee.  Many of you know how heavily I rely on Active Release Technique to make sure my body is functioning at its best.  I have seen A LOT of different ART docs around the country and I have to say, he is absolutely one of the best.  If you are in the Tahoe area and find yourself with any type of sports injury or in need of an adjustment, there is no reason to go to anyone else.  
 
As race day drew closer, my fitness seemed to start to come back around- at least in swimming and running.  My open water swims were getting faster and faster and I actually was comfortable with the 60 degree lake temperature.  That being said, something felt off with my cycling, but I could not put my finger on it.  Ever since I got back from Arizona training camp in February, it just seemed off.  I had gotten a major bike fit adjustment while out in Arizona and despite being told, "don't worry, your power will come back around" it just hadn't.  I had talked to Coach Cliff about it, and we both figured it was just training at altitude, as it was well known that your power output could sometimes be lower.  I had the opportunity to circumnavigate Lake Tahoe four times for training rides while there and see some of the most glorious views of the lake.  My elevation gain on long rides went from 3,000-4,000 feet in Rhode Island to 8,000-10,000+ feet of climbing in and around Tahoe.  Unfortunately, most of those rides were spent inhaling thick (and what the health department declared risky/unhealthy) forest fire smoke from the famous Rim Fire that claimed over 10,000 acres of forest.  The rumor swirling around was that the race was going to be canceled because it was just that bad.  I couldn't even fathom coming out all that way, training hard and not even being able to finish the race ha...ha...ha...had I only known.  
 
I started to prepare for the final countdown...the last week of the race...and my anxiety was at an all-time high.  Not only because I still wasn't feeling strong on the bike, but because it was pretty much set in stone that it was going to be a cold race start- somewhere in the mid-30F range.  I do not do well in the cold; I just cannot function.  My body shuts down in the cold.  Given that all of my race PRs have been in hot conditions, it's clear at this point that the heat is my friend.  Cliff and I had decided on this race because we felt that since I am lean, and I would have two months to prepare on the course, the bike course would be a strength for me.  In two months, we figured I could build some serious bike fitness and I would just FLY up those mountains where others might struggle.  With an already strong run, this seemed to be the perfect course for me.
 
I picked up Foof from the Reno airport three days before the race.  He was SUCH a sight for sore eyes.  For eight weeks, my life was this: wake up, eat breakfast, train all day, and come home to a quiet, lonely house.  Although it's nice to have nothing to do but eat, train, sleep, it was so lonely to not have a companion to come home to.  It was certainly a relief to have someone in the house when I got home.  From the airport, we went straight to registration so I could get checked in and get back to the house to prepare for the race.  With two days to go, the weather reports were showing more than just cold weather on race morning.  The whole time I was in Tahoe, it did not rain ONE TIME.  Nada.  Nunca.  Nothing.  I did not see one rain drop the whole time I was there.  However, it looked as if Mother Nature was going to be opening up the skies the day and night before the race.  And it looked like it might be somewhere in the mid 20F degree range at race start.  I was cold morning, noon and night at that point.  It wasn't warming up enough during the day for me to not be covered in goose bumps and shivering throughout my workouts.  The Saturday before the race came and there were massive wind gusts, three foot swells coming off the lake and heavy rain that turned into snow by mid-day.  I got out to do my last pre-race workout, but had to cut it short because of the dangerous weather conditions.  We built a fire in the fireplace and I sat in front of it while I watched the snow fall outside the window and thought about the fact that I would be diving into a lake at 6:30 the next morning to do an Ironman.
 
I have to say that the time I spent training in Tahoe was one of the most challenging periods of my life (physically and mentally) I have ever experienced.  I look back now and realize that I have grown so much.  I have nothing but the deepest appreciation for the opportunity I had to go out to California.  I believe that difficult things, situations and experiences in our life are brought to us to help us learn something about ourselves.  And if you don't learn from the experience, you will just keep repeating it until you do!  I think what I learned most is that I always thought I can "go it alone".  I thought I didn't need to rely on anyone- just put your nose down and do the work that needs to be done.  The reality is, we need to surround ourselves with friends and family.  While it is true that you have to do the work yourself, you need a support team to help you get through the days that you want to just give up; to throw in the towel.  Don't ever take your friends and family for granted, they are there as your support beams- just as you are to them.  You would never take an ax to a support beam, so keeping that in mind, hold those that hold you up close to your heart and treat them with kindness and respect.  You as a structure may be strong, but when the storms roll in, those support beams are what will keep you standing- so there better be a good bond between the two.

BASSMAN HALF-IRON 5/5/13

After returning from a winter of warmth, it was time to tackle the housing situation.  Foof and I got to work looking at houses on my off days, which left me very little "recovery" time on those days.  I was itching to race, but knew I could not plan a far trip away from our temporary home because finding a house was the first priority and I needed to make sure I stayed close by if we found a house to buy.  I had planned on doing Kansas 70.3, but definitely needed something before then to prepare.  Coach Cliff and I decided that the Bassman international distance triathlon the first weekend in May at Bass River State Park would be perfect, as it was on my home turf in South Jersey and would be close enough that I could drive down for the weekend.  

Training was going really well back in Providence, I even ventured out on my own a couple of times and rode some hills in the area.  My power was looking good on my bike and my run splits were strong and fast.  About ten days before the race, Coach Cliff suggested that instead of the international distance race (which is the same as Olympic), I should go longer and do the iron-distance race.  Jumping up to the longer distance sounded great, since longer is better for me, but I was a bit nervous, as it wasn't the original plan.  I also knew that this was going to be one of those races where I was going into it with a small taper-- kind of training right through it because I am focusing on other races later in the summer and fall.  This meant that I wouldn't necessarily be racing on fresh legs.

I arrived in NJ on Wednesday and stayed with a very good running pal in Monmouth County (about 45 minutes north of the race venue).  While there, I squeezed in a massage with Leanne "Magic Fingers" Arcuri at Bodies 21, had a great healing reiki session with Karen Foote, got an ART tune-up with Dr. Liz and enjoyed some time with my favorite fast-leg running girls!

When I got to the registration the day before, I was told the bike course had been changed from years past and the traditional two-loop straight-shot out-and-back was now a three-loop course with many turns including two U-turns.  I was familiar enough with all the roads that I wasn't too worried, but was kind of bummed as the old course looked like it was not as technical (AKA faster).  For as long as I lived in South Jersey, I had never done this race ... I had considered it, but never signed up.  Everyone seemed to like the course, or at least the old course, so I was eager to see how all of these turns were going to play into the speed of the race.  I had the chance to talk to the race directors when I picked up my race packet, who were both very pleasant.

The night before the race, I stayed with a former client-turned very good friend who lives right on the bay, about 20 minutes from the race start.  It was the most relaxed and at-peace I think I have ever been before a race.  I managed to get a full night of sleep despite my concerns about the temperature at race start.  Being that it was early May, the weather could either be really hot or really cold ... this year it was looking like it was going to be the latter.  I woke up and had my breakfast of a white-flour bagel with almond butter and honey right about three hours before my wave start of the race.  I packed up my belongings and made my way down to the race, without even CONSIDERING taking in a cup of coffee or pre-workout energizer.  I had intended on sipping Nuun lemon tea flavor on the bike because it has just a little bit of caffeine, but I grabbed the wrong canister, so it looked like this race was really going to be void of ANY caffeine at all!  I had prepared my nutrition for the bike -- a concentrated bottle of Carbopro that I would dilute in my aerobottle with water provided on the course.  It was cold when I jumped in the car at 5:45 a.m.  --42 degrees cold, to be exact!  I was NOT looking forward to racing in this cold weather.  I do MUCH better in the heat; in fact I always say, "The hotter the better."  I got to transition, began to set up my transition site and made small talk with a guy next to me.  I asked if he knew where the water stations would be on the course (so I could decide whether I needed to bring any) and he said that they should be at the end of the first loop, at the turn-around.  I said, "What do you mean should?"  He then went on to explain that sometimes, especially if you are out in front, they don't have the water station set up yet when you come through and suggested that I consider bringing my own.  Eh --I figured it would be fine; they would have the water station (bottle exchange) set up because the international distance folks were going off before us.  That decision was a big mistake.  I then ran into my friend Fran, who asked me what I was wearing on the bike leg.  I told Fran that I had planned on just wearing arm warmers and my tri-suit.  Fran INSISTED that I take her windbreaker, for which I am SO GRATEFUL!!  It's likely I would not have even finished the bike leg without that jacket!  It was about 40 minutes before race start, so I decided to hit the restroom one more time, eat my banana and get the wetsuit on.  I was so incredibly cold, I was actually looking forward to putting on my BRAND NEW Orca Alpha 1.5. (Thank you to Cycles 54 for your help with that.) 
With my wetsuit on and banana consumed, I made my way to the beach, where I ran into more friends and we sat and waited for the international-distance athletes to take off.  And waited ... and waited ... and waited.  As it turns out, our actual start times were almost an hour PAST the original posted times.  That is one more hour for your body to break down and go through the nutrition that you are relying on to fuel you.  We were all essentially starting this race half-empty, which could cause a problem for a solid race effort.
  
SWIM
We were finally called into the water --the ladies under 40 and duathletes were first up for the half-iron racers.  I was so grateful the ladies got to go first -- this NEVER happens!!  We would be doing two loops of the lake.  I seeded myself front and center knowing that I would cut in toward the buoy as soon as I starting moving.  The water temperature was in the low 60s, not terrible, and actually felt a lot better than the air temperature at the time, which was 42 degrees, Brrrr!  I felt that my swim was going to be a good one.  I had been working with Coach Ian in the pool to really perfect my stroke and it was finally starting to show signs of a good turnaround.  The siren went off and I went out HARD!!!  Dig, dig, dig!!  After the first approximate 200 yards, I got the feeling I was out in front, but it was hard to tell as my focus was on swimming and not counting heads.  As I approached the first turn buoy, I noticed that I had company --another female swimmer in my wave had caught up to me (or she might have been there the whole time) and we were swimming shoulder to shoulder.  Moments before I had to round the first turn buoy, I realized I had two choices: round the buoy on the inside and avoid crashing with the other swimmer, which is technically cutting the course (no way, I'm NOT a cheater) or round on the outside and crash with the other swimmer ... so my heartfelt apologies go out to that other swimmer if she is reading this --I am so, so, so sorry that I got tangled up with you!!  Once we were able to straighten out, I made sure to keep good distance and avoided further bumping of elbows.  We caught some of the slower international-distance swimmers and surprisingly I was able to maintain my arm turnover and not get tangled up with any of those swimmers.  I finished the first loop, and started on the second, all the while swimming pretty steady with the other female swimmer.  As we neared what seemed to be about the 1.75-mile mark, I decided to punch it up and see where it got me.  It appeared that the other swimmer could not meet my surge.  I was able to maintain that effort and swim very strong into shore.  First out of the water: about 25 seconds up on the next swimmer.
Swim split: 29min 53 sec.  Watch showed that I swam a little over 1.2 miles, but hey -- who even swims a straight line in open water?! 

BIKE
I lost all of the time I had on the swimmer behind me as I watched her fly out of transition while I was still struggling to pull the windbreaker sleeves over my soaking-wet arms.  Off I went, freezing and dripping, trying to get my heart rate down and punch through those first few miles until I could settle in to a good speed.  We had a short time coming out of the park with a nice tailwind ... and that was about it.  It seemed to me that pretty much all but those couple of miles leaving the park were met with a relentless cold Northeast head- and side winds.  I passed the one female athlete that passed me in transition shortly after getting onto the main road.  The first couple of miles were pretty quiet, besides the occasional age-grouper male that passed me.  I approached the first U-turn --seeing the sign that read "slow down, U-turn ahead" very clearly.  The actual U-turn was not visibly marked with a traffic cone or anything in the middle of the road that would indicate to turn around right at that point, so I blew right past the volunteer going over 20mph. I didn't realize I had completely overshot the point that we were supposed to "U-turn" until I heard the young volunteer yelling "COME BACK, COME BACK!!!"  Oops!!  As I passed I suggested they put a cone in the middle of the road and sure enough when I came around for the second and third loops, a cone was there.  As I suffered through that first loop, it was clear that my L foot was going totally numb, I felt like I was in a bar fight with those winds and my heart rate was dropping.  I was so cold I had a hard time staying focused.  I also realized that there was another female athlete that was clearly gaining on me.  I approached the second U-turn, the one in the park that was supposed to have water and an electrolyte drink.  Except, there was no water.  I yelled out "WHERE'S THE WATER???%"  Nothing but crickets ... There were NO fluids to pick up, which meant I was going to go another 50 or so minutes with nothing but a very super concentrated syrup of Carbopro and Nuun.  In all honesty, I wanted to quit.  I wanted to give up.  I had never before been that cold racing.  I really didn't think I could go on.  The numb foot issues I had dealt with in the past paled in comparison to what I felt on this particular race day.  The numbness was traveling up my L leg, I had no feeling from the ankle down.  I tried to keep the watts in the target range, but it just wasn't there -- my heart rate was dropping below 145 bpm at times and I was shivering.  I unclipped my L foot from my pedal every 5 minutes and wiggled it around to try to get feeling back.  Fortunately, when I made it back to the park entrance to start the third loop, the water was out and I grabbed a bottle while staying upright on my bike!!  I made it back to transition, so completely relieved, but wondering how in the H-E-## I was going to run on this foot.  I also REALLY had to go to the restroom.  It is so important to stay on top of your fluids on cold days like this -- but when it's cold, you aren't sweating out as much, which leaves you with a full bladder.  I saw Fran as I came into transition and just gave her a look of "Ugh."  
Bike split: 2:36 (This is off my computer, which I started late, so the official race results might be a minute or two slower.)

RUN
Heading out of transition, someone yelled out, "You're only 45 seconds up on the next female triathlete."  Oy -- this was A LOT closer than what I had estimated.  I was told that only two or three of the 13 miles were trail and the rest was road.  With this in mind I was hoping to run around 1hr, 27min off the bike and it seemed like it would be possible.  If I was able to run a 1:27, I felt pretty confident that I would be able to hold off the next female behind me.  However, the trails were presenting a challenge since they were pretty sandy and my foot was so totally numb that I was having a hard time keeping my footing ... and then there was also my bladder painfully reminding me how full it was with every step.  To say the least, those 6:40 miles just weren't happening.  I didn't think that having the need to use the rest room that badly would actually HURT.  I also felt very depleted --down on my calories.  I hit the first run turnaround and realized that the 2nd place female was now only 30 seconds behind --she was gaining on me!!  At this point, I figured "Well, crap, at least as soon as she passes me, I will finally get to go to the bathroom!!"  Because I was not running the pace I had planned on, I abandoned the intricate plan Coach Cliff and I had put together and went to plan B: run as hard as I could, for as long as I could, until I couldn't run as hard as I could anymore.  As the miles marched on, I finally started to feel a little better.  It was at about mile 7 that I felt my foot coming back to life and I noticed that I had opened up the lead --I was now about one minute up on the 2nd place female.  Based on my Garmin watch and the map it created of the run, that course was about 40% trails, NOT 15%.  I pushed at about a 6:45/mile pace on the roads and just did what I could on the trails.  With about three miles left, I did one last check and realized that I was at least three minutes ahead of the 2nd place female and thought, "Holy moly, I think I'm going to win this thing?!"  With one last push to the end, I came into the finish line as the first place female overall, so relieved and desperate to get to the porto-johns!!!
Run split: 1:34                          Overall time: 4:44                 Porto-john split: 2.2seconds

This was definitely not my fastest half-iron race, but I would say it was the most mentally challenging.  I have never really had such an overwhelming urge to give up as I did during this race.  However, the thought of a young runner who is currently fighting for her life after being struck by a car while running was on my mind a lot throughout my time on that course and I wanted to do this for her --for Lauren Murphy.  You can read more about her story here: Lauren Murphy Fund

So Lauren -- this win was FOR YOU!!!!  

I think this is a great low-key season opening race.  The race directors are very nice and accommodating.  The lake swim is clean, clear and well marked.   After speaking with the race directors, it is my understanding that the bike leg will probably go back to the old course of previous years for the Fall 2013 Bassman.  It is great that this race largely takes place in the state park --makes it so easy to get from your car to transition in no time.  It would benefit the athletes tremendously if the race started on time, as we all depend on our pre-race nutrition to get us through strong to the end.  I also think that (although expensive), if there are going to be out-and-back sections of the bike leg, a timing mat at the turnaround points would eliminate confusion and erase any doubt as to whether the course had been followed as directed.  Overall, this was a nice race to "Blow out the carbon," as they say!

Many, many thanks to my sponsors: Cycles 54, Breakthrough Nutrition and of course to Coach Cliff at Tristar Athletes.  You all keep me tuned up, fueled up and trained right!!  I also would like to thank my Jersey girlfriends who helped make this race weekend so special.  Finally, I would like to thank my baggage handler/short-order cook/travel agent/equipment manager/fire-putter-outer/love of my life --my husband.  Without you, honey, NONE of this would be possible. 

In closing, I would like to ask one tiny request from all you reading this -- please take a moment to say a healing prayer for Lauren Murphy (the runner I wrote about above).  From what I understand, "Murphys don't quit," but Lauren has quite an uphill battle ahead of her.  However, with all the prayers and her strong will, I am sure she will come out of this just fine!

Thanks to everyone for all of your well wishes and most of all, for BELIEVING IN ME!!!

Now I Believe......

Well, I know it has been a damn long time since I have written anything other than one-sentence Facebook status updates and cryptic tweets.  Actually I have started a couple of times on some blog entries, but nothing was really sticking.  Enter today's subject: Believing in yourself.
 
As a personal trainer, I am required to keep up with continuing education classes in order to keep my certification.  I usually choose to go to all-weekend/all-consuming fitness conferences rather than taking online courses because I feel like I am more of a hands-on person and, well- to me, it's just easier to bang it all out it in one weekend.  Although I absolutely LOVE to workout all day long, this conference came at a tough time of year as hard-core training is in full swing for me.  Doing squats, lunges and core work all day can make it tough to just sit down and stand up, let alone do a long, hard all day workout for which the coach is assigning some pretty high targets.  
 
I woke up Saturday morning wondering how I was going to get out of bed and tackle 5 miles at an "easy 7:30 minute/mile" pace at 5:30 in the morning through the chilly streets of Philadelphia.  No music, and no one but a couple of shady characters here and there to keep me company.  First couple minutes were pretty sluggish, but I had faith and believed in myself.  Sure enough, I was feeling pretty great and like most runs, I soon found myself wearing a grin running down South Street.  
 
I went back for more fitness classes all day Saturday and then straight to a benefit for a friend.  Seeing old friends that I have not seen IN 17 YEARS (whoa) and hearing a couple stories of their personal successes was inspiring and rejuvenating!  Nonetheless- I knew that I had my work cut out for me on Sunday and it sure as hell wasn't going to be easy.  
 
I managed to get a decent sleep in on Sat/Sun night/morning.   I woke up and was a little concerned that I had to call for help to get out of bed, he he!  Eating my breakfast, and reading my emailed workout for the day, going through my head was "holy friggin crap, I am in for a world of hurt and there is just no friggin way, just no friggin way".  And then it occurred to me: I had a choice.  I could either believe in myself or I could give up before even trying.  Now- I would never just officially give up and NOT DO THE WORKOUT- but isn't giving up in your mind just as bad as physically giving up?  I said to myself: "hell yes, I am going to do this, and I am going to give everything I have!"  Needless to say- with legs SO FATIGUED, SO FRIGGING SORE FROM SQUATS AND LUNGES THAT I COULD HARDLY GET MY SORRY ASS ON A TOILET SEAT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE I not only met the targets set by coach, I friggin CRUSHED IT!!!!
 
So- my point is this (yes, there is one): we all have doubts of our own capabilities.  Even those of us whose job it is to inspire our clients, friends, family, etc. feel like our goals are bigger than our bodies can handle.  I don't wake up every day and the first thought in my head is YES I CAN.  I, JUST LIKE YOU have doubted what is possible.  However, I then let my brain wake up and realize one thing: dream it, BELIEVE IT, achieve it.  Most of you reading this are now adults.  You don't have parents, teachers, coaches and/or schoolmates standing at the pool deck, on the side of the track, at your locker or in your bedroom saying to you: "I believe in you!  You can do it [enter your name here]!  You are a winner!  You are going to do this, etc."  Even though I have a coach, he most certainly is not standing in my basement or riding a bike along side of me while I run screaming in my face: "GO KATE, YOU GOT THIS, I BELIEVE IN YOU, PUSH, PUSH, PUSH".  My motivation, just like your's, comes from me, not a cheer squad.  Reaching your goals is not about being an elite athlete or having a personal cheerleader with you every step of the way.  We all have doubts, however, we have two choices.  You can choose to give up before even trying; to throw in the towel before the game has begun.  Or you can choose to fight, TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.  Your dreams and goals aren't any further than what you believe is possible.  So, don't give up on yourself- even when you and everyone around you is thinking "there is just no way", you have that choice- and should always choose to believe in yourself.  Even if you fall flat on your face, you get back up, dust yourself off and get back on your horse. 
 
"The deepest cuts are healed by faith... NOW I BELIEVE"