October 5, 2009

We have a great quote hanging on our refrigerator: “Fail, it’s not in my dictionary." I’ve got a good dictionary up there and the words ‘fail’ and ‘failure’ have been ruled out for years. I don’t know what people who use those words are talking about. All I know is ‘temporary non-success,’ even if I’ve got to wait another 20 years for what I’m after, and I try to put that into people, no matter what is their object in life.” -Percy Cerutty

I tried to keep that in mind this week post- FIRMMan. As you can probably guess, I didn’t break 6 hours. I came in at 6:07. I have to say, that I really thought I had it this time. I stuck to the plan, did everything I thought that I could do, and still came up short. Here’s how it went...

The gun went off and the first thing I did was turn on my watch and then turned it onto HR mode only. I was not going to look at my watch at all. I was just going to give it my all and see where that brought me. I still understand that I have quite a bit to learn and while I wanted to break 6 hours, I did realize that I was still a work in progress.

With that said, I jumped into the water and had a great swim. The jellies helped move me along a little faster than usual, I popped up in the middle of some serious traffic and hit the beach. I ran up into transition, took part in my first wetsuit stripping (which I thought was awesome) and hit the bike.

Max and I had talked about dialing it back on the bike and I did. I was having some heart rate monitor issues as it kept coming in and out, so perhaps I dialed it back a little too much. When I couldn’t see it, I slowed down so that when it popped back on, I wasn’t way too high! Fixating on my watch has always worked against me, and rattled me when I wasn’t at a certain place at a certain time. I stuck to the new plan, and called it a 56 mile warm-up to my run. I kept saying that over and over to myself – you are just warming up, get ready to run. I finished my bike, thankful that I had no mechanical issues as it was total carnage out on the course and I think I passed about 100 people with flats. I felt great as I started to run out of transition and had an idea of where I was in time, as I had turned my bike clock on to monitor my eating on the bike, but mostly I was happy that I felt much better than at Patriot and I wasn’t fixated on my watch. I was just going to keep going. Keep going…

I hit the run and definitely felt better than I usually do. I don’t think that I will ever feel great on the run, but I was at least running. I was even passing people. That was a first for me. I tried to stick to my heart rate plan, but that quickly went out the window and then I just started to run as fast as I could. When my heart rate would max out, I would walk for a minute to try to get it back down and then run as hard as I could again, just trying to keep to mental landmarks. “Run to the water station, run to that tree, run to that next mailbox!” Anything I needed to say to keep me going. I still never looked at my watch, but judging by how many people were still out on the run, I knew that I was doing ok, and it was going to be close. I just kept moving, I hit mile 10, turned my hat around, threw my fuel belt into the woods (if anyone out there found it on Bridgetown Road in Narragansett, let me know) and hauled it back to the finish. I gave it everything that I had.

When I finally crossed the finish line and turned my watch over, I was honestly shocked! It said 6:07 and I started to weep.” The crying was probably half from the disappointment and probably half from the exhaustion. Lots of people at the finish knew that I was trying to break 6 and they all came up and hugged me and told me about other ½ Ironmans that were coming up in the next few weeks, but I knew that I was done for the year. 6:07, 6:07 – I have to sit with that until June. It’s not what I had planned for, but it is still my fastest ½ Ironman and fastest ½ Marathon to date. That is something to be proud of. As I walked back to my car, I started thinking how I didn’t want to end my season like this and that I definitely had a better half marathon in me. It didn’t take long for me on the drive to think that I should do the “Hartford ½ Marathon,” and see what I could do.

I got home, showered and called Max. We chatted about the race and what happened and how I thought that I really had done it, and how I had felt on the run. Then I told him that I was thinking about running Hartford. I really just wanted to sit on the couch and eat donuts, but I also didn’t want to end my season this way. He liked the sound of Hartford and thought it would be great to do a stand alone ½ to see what I could do. So, now I have been sitting on the couch and ridden my bike a little and am getting excited to do Hartford. I called in the big guns, my sisters-in-laws, Lisa and Missy, who are both great runners and pleaded with them to help me break 2 hours. They run, I chase, we all break 2 hours – it’s a plan.

So, the story continues. FIRM was a great race for me as I finally learned how important it is to lay back on the bike, and it really helped me on the run. I also realized that I have absolutely no pace on the run. I think that I run anything from a 9 minute mile to a 12 minute mile. I am curious to see if I actually could set a pace and stick to it, if I wouldn’t fare better. So with the “sisters” and my plan to stick to a time and not a heart rate, we’ll see where that lands me at Hartford. I was laughing as I was talking to them today and reminiscing about how I ran the Simsbury half a few years ago at 2:43 and was thrilled. I am a long way from 2:43 and should keep that in mind. Well, so much for September and October off. I’m ready for Hartford and will see if I can’t break 2 hours.

In the meantime, I am thrilled with my 2009 Tri Season. I did two halfs and one and ½ sprints; broke all my PRs; fell in transition and thought I broke my shoulder and had my first DNF; made some great tri friends that turned into great friends; put on “The Crabman”; beat my husband; conquered my ocean swimming fears; took on an entirely new run technique; had about a dozen meltdowns; hit the gym and got into the best shape of my life; made a fool of myself on more than one occasion bee-bopping around the Y; and learned more from Max than I ever thought was possible! I even enjoyed it!! Actually, I loved it!! I can’t wait to see what 2010 will bring! Yes, I am in the midst of a “temporary non-success” and didn’t break 6 hours, but, there is always next year!

We’ll talk after Hartford so stay tuned!

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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August 29, 2009

As I am winding down towards FIRM, I decided to try a sprint this week to redeem my fall at Cohasset.  I sent Max a text that I wanted to try the Lake Terramuggus series on Thursday and really race hard.  Of course, only if he didn’t think that it would not derail FIRM.  We all know what his answer was:”Go get it!”

So off I went with Jeff, his brother Chris, and my sisters-in-law Lisa and Missy.  It was quite the Robbins’ family triathlon.  I like Terramuggus, as it starts at 6:15 at night, is pretty casual for a triathlon, and is really just about racing, no frills!!

I have to say that it is nice after so many years to not get really nervous anymore at the start of the race; I just wanted to feel good and not trip and hurt myself.  With those simple goals, and always to try to beat Jeff, I took off.

I actually jumped into the middle of the pack, and got a little hammered in the swim, trying to keep up with the fastest ladies.  Perhaps I was feeling a little too confident, but nonetheless, I held my own and jumped out in around 10 minutes for a 600yd swim.

I hopped onto the bike and actually thanked Max for all of those torturous workouts at my max heart rate.  I felt great and had a 39 minute bike.  It was super hilly and my legs felt a little wobbly, but Still no spills and I thought that there were only a few ladies in front of me, as I had passed the majority and only seen a few out on the bike pretty close to me.

I started my run and for the first time actually felt great.  As you know, I have been plagued with this new run that Max has me trying, but I have to say that I really got it this time.  I know that b/c I never once felt pain in my quads, which is usually where I get that brick heavy feeling.  I was cruising along and actually passed quite a few people, which has never happened before.  My legs felt great, and I cruised into the finish line, actually feeling like I had some more that I could have used on the run.  But, being that this was the first time that I ever felt good on the run, I held back a smidge so as not to pull my usual slow and painful run death.

Who knew that I had it in me?  I finished 3rd in the 30-39 Women and 8th woman overall.  This is coming from the lady that usually brings up the rear and leaves the race directors regretting not having put in a run cut-off time!!  If only I can take what I did at Terramuggus and t make it work at FIRM. 

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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August 5, 2009

Last week, post-Crabman, was pretty rough.  I felt like I had been hit by a truck multiple times.  Just when I thought that I was recovered, a hard workout would send me onto the couch for a long nap!  I was really dragging.

Finally, a solid week and a half later, the fog has lifted from my brain.  Putting on the triathlon was quite an undertaking.  Forget about juggling the kids and Jeff and still trying to break six hours at FIRM, the triathlon itself was overwhelming.  But, the race was overwhelming to me in such a great and amazing way.

Following “The Crabman,” I received about 150 e-mails from the athletes about how much they loved the event.  To me, that’s what made it all worth it.  Newbie’s, vets and everyone in between seemed to really enjoy the race.  While I am glad that the South Kingstown Police and Recreation Department were pleased as well, without the athletes, there is nothing!  Jeff is also happy, which probably means the most to me.  Without him and his unwavering support, I would never be able to do what I do.  He is so incredible, and I love him so much!

There were a few bumps in the road that needed to be addressed.  Traffic concerns and neighbors’ voicing complaints, as well as the overwhelming amount of spectators that came, needed to be tweaked. But, you know me, I have all year to obsess about it, fix it, re-fix it and fix it again.

Now that I have had time to reflect on the day, I am so pleased, mostly b/c what I had envisioned, an opportunity in RI for people to try a triathlon, become introduced to the sport, hone their skills, or just come out and compete in a great sprint, all came true!  While my husband will never be able to retire off my aspirations of being a race director and offering a few great, quality races, he too saw the impact that we had on so many.  That to me is what triathlon is all about.  Empowering people to get healthy, stay healthy, and continue to get people to try this amazing sport that can change their lives.  I’ve started quite an addiction in South Kingstown, with people e-mailing me left and right, looking for more races to do.  That’s such an amazing feeling, that’s what I wanted.

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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July 27, 2009

Well, hmmm – I was pretty sure that I was going to start this blog with things like “Yeah Baby!!!”  or “I rock and I rocked Patriot!” or “Sub 6 is my new middle name!”  But, that is not my headline for today.  Patriot… hmmm?

The day started off perfectly for me with my fastest ever swim at 27 minutes.  The weather held, was cool and cloudy and I was pretty psyched to be on my bike in 31 minutes.  I was continuing to check my watch at every possible moment as I headed out onto the bike.  As you all have read, my run is my huge X factor and I am mildly obsessed with being on my run as close to 3 hours and 30 minutes as possible.  This is always stuck in my head, so I think I need to kill my bike to leave me as much time as possible on the run!  I hit the bike at 31 minutes and prepped for a 3 hour bike!

Big mistake and as usual, I learned something, but I learned it the hard way, again.

The Patriot bike loop is actually two 29 mile loops – Max told me to stay at 152 HR.  I did, for the first twelve miles, until Jeff came up behind me.  He asked how I was doing and I said “I’m bored, this is too slow.”  He warned me to take it easy and then casually continued to blast past me!  I of course responded and picked it up a little until I noticed my HR was at 170 and backed off.  I finished the first loop in about one hour and 35 minutes and I will admit that I was a few beats higher than 152 – probably more like 157-159.  But hey, I know what I’m doing, I felt great on the first loop, so I continued to push it slightly for the second loop more to a HR of 158-160.  But what’s a couple beats???  I finished the second loop in about one hour and 40 minutes – setting a new PR for my bike on a longer bike course – SWEET!!  I was pumped and on my run at 3 hours and 50 minutes!

Well, that’s it; the rest is the same old story from me – crashed and burned!

Max told me to keep my HR at about 162 for the first 6 miles of the run and then really turn it on for the last 7 miles.  I felt horrible from the moment I started to run, but was hoping to shake it off as I continued on.  I usually feel better around mile 4 and was desperately clinging to that hope.   I couldn’t get my HR down from 172 unless I was walking and I sure wasn’t walking.  So, I continued to struggle to slow down, and still watched the clock tick away from my sub 6 dreams.  Surprisingly, I didn’t fall apart or cry as both my ITBs went and my back felt like someone was driving a stake into it.  I continued on hoping to at least PR this race.  When I did finally turn the corner at mile 6, where I was really going to pour it on, I crawled into the aid station and drank anything I could get my hands on!   I walked out of the aid station and continued in my familiar Frankenstein shuffle – in agony through mile 7, 8 and 9 – setting small goals – to the next telephone pole, go to the aid station, just keep moving. 

The sun had broken through It was hot and it was also 1 o’clock in the afternoon.  I somehow managed to keep shuffling and hit the aid station at mile 12 and there was Jeff!  I couldn’t stop, without completely falling over, so we yelled something encouraging to each other, said a quick “love you” and then I continued to shuffle past him.  Well, my passing him sparked a final surge by the guy who had been at mile 8 at 5 hours and had then been relegated to a slow walk.  Suddenly, the thought of me beating him caused a final surge of energy and you can only imagine how we looked.

Thank God that Max was not there to witness his two “star” clients, trying desperately to cross the finish –line.  Me – literally hurling myself, completely straight-legged running across the finish line to grab a new PR by 2 seconds!  Jeff, desperately trying to catch me, again unable to bend his legs, shuffling as fast as he could to not let his wife beat him!   He confessed later, that my passing him, really sparked his final surge (if you can call what we were doing, surging?)   It was not only funny to witness, but completely embarrassing – thankfully we were not wearing “TRIMAX” gear.  We were absolute lunatics!  If Max had seen that display, we probably would have sent him to the ambulance for oxygen and a shot of vodka.  Do you think that Chris Carmichael has to put up with clients like us!  Oh Boy!!

Well, surprising to myself, I was actually very pleased with my new PR even if it entailed another horrendous ½ marathon at 2 hours and 20 minutes.  I learned a lot and actually got to pass Jeff, who still beat me by 2 minutes.  But I’ll take that small PR victory, beating his even more horrendous 2:30 ½ marathon and the run pass, as he will surely never let that happen again!!  Small victories – I grab them wherever I can get them!

But, it finally dawned on me and I think that Patriot was a great experience because I finally realized my big mistake.  I didn’t listen to Max.  I was sure that there was really no big difference between 152 HR and 158 HR and I paid for it.  There is a huge difference.  Now I understand that – I pushed it and it totaled my legs.  I was so fixated on a 3 hour bike that I didn’t see again, how much it would cost me until it was too late – but now I do.  I finally got it!!

I’ll take that PR and what I learned and move on to F.I.R.M ½ Ironman in September.  I will listen to Max and I will not make any racing decisions on my own – they prove to only blow up in my face.  If Max say 152 – I’m at 152 no questions.  I’m going to go into F.I.R.M. with a new confidence in my biking ability to add a few minutes onto my bike to save something for my run!  I really got it this time.

So Patriot was actually quite successful and I only have 9 minutes to take off to reach that sub 6.  I’m going to stop obsessing over my watch – and just watch my HR not the time – Stick to the plan!  I got it!!  I’m looking forward to Cohasset this weekend.  I feel the edge is off, and I am doing it with some friends and it is their first.  I think I will do it with them, encourage them and just enjoy it!  Then I will talk to Max and gear up for the summer.  I’m actually looking forward to competing in F.I.R.M. and not dreading it and not afraid of it or the sub 6.  I finally got it! 

’m going to relish in my new PR, bask in my small victories and relax for a few days!!

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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June 17, 2009

Well, I know it’s hard to believe, but I am going to keep this one brief.  The SUPERKids Triathlon is in two days, so I really don’t know which way is up.

I actually really couldn’t even tell you how my training has been going over the last two weeks, but I guess – well good.  The only reason I can say that is nothing is bothering me; I have no pain anymore in my run and got in all my long workouts.  I feel great on the bike.  My run is my run and I did a 10 mile time trial and fared pretty well!

I did treat myself to a new long sleeved wetsuit and hit the open water a few weeks ago.  That was the best $200.00 I ever spent.  It is freezing still at the beach in RI, but I couldn’t wait any longer. 

But, for the most part I am all SUPERKids.  I have 300 kids coming to town on Sunday to tri and they are all counting on me to make it great.  So, while I would like to regale you with some great training fiasco, like I know that you come to expect, there isn’t one.   I think the fact that I am so busy with SUPERKids, has probably done my training some good.  Basically, I go get it done, and then move on with my day.  No time to lament about how slow I am or how worked up I am about Patriot – no time, got to go get ready for SUPERKids.

There is only three weeks till Patriot and I did notice that my plan read taper, although it doesn’t feel like it yet, as I just did a two hour race pace brick.  But, oh well, I got it done and now I have to get ready for packet pick-up! 

I’m looking forward to SUPERKids being over, and then it is back to business and my last blog before the big day!  But, I gotta go – the kids are waiting!

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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May 6, 2009

Well, I last left you with an ITB strain and today I am feeling great.  Well, great with an asterisk.  I used the foam roller that Max prescribed and the thing is magic.  I describe it is as brutally painful in a beautiful way.  The first week was agony and Max told me that I wasn’t doing it right if I didn’t have tears in my eyes.   Again as usual, he was right.  IT killed, but now it just feels like a great massage and I love it and best of all my ITB hasn’t even twinged!  I brought it to the YMCA and passed it around, I had to drag people off it, they loved it!  The foam roller – get one!

Anyway, the asterisk is that clearly my run form must suck!  Max agrees without even seeing me as I live in RI, but with his Dalai Lama-like knowledge, knows it to be true!  We, meaning me, needed to address it.  Otherwise, I was sure to inflict another injury upon myself, he said.

So, sure enough, the video links came over in full force and as I watched, realized that I might need some personal attention.  I was curious about the CrossFit training sessions that were going on, so I packed myself up at 4:30am last Saturday and headed out to Simsbury.  His wife wrote to me and asked me what was wrong with me, when she heard that I was coming out to CT?  Why would I want to endure even more from him, voluntarily?  I’m not sure what is wrong with me.  (Jeff’s got plenty of ammo to share if I let him).  Clearly something, because I was actually looking forward to CrossFit.  I told all the ladies that I was headed out to CT to workout with Max.  The looks of utter bewilderment crossed their faces. 
“You’re doing that why?”
“It’s gonna be great!” I told them.   
Well, careful what you wish for because it has been a week and a half and I still can’t fully rotate my arms without cringing.

I pulled up to Simsbury High School at 7:00am ready to go.  Me and the boys endured only 16 minutes of pure hell, but the pain endured much longer than that!  After everyone left, Max and I hit the track.  It was ugly, my legs were like Jello from the previous 16 minutes, but nonetheless, we spent the next hour, tweaking my form, talking about the race, and just having a generally great coaching session.  I needed and appreciated the pep talk just as much as I needed and appreciated the critique of my run.  We ended, as Max said, with a little “FUN!”  I did a 1 mile time trial to try out my new form.  Let me tell you, if I didn’t know It before, I now know there are many different definitions of FUN.

I headed back to RI and have been working on everything that he told me and re-watched the videos a million times.  I had a 5K for time this week to put it to the test and it was horrible.  I am having a hard time telling if I feel bad from the new running style or because my legs are just generally spent?  Either way, it was painful.  I did everything he told me but I felt so out of sorts, trying to keep up my form, my cadence, my kick etc.  I was so busy thinking about all the stuff I needed to correct and how horrible I felt that I never even looked at my watch.  I knew it was gonna be a bad time.  I felt so slow and awkward.  I pulled into my driveway and then I checked my watch at the end and somehow wound up taking over a minute off my 5K?  That was really unbelievable!  That was my worst run yet, but somehow my fastest.   I don’t know if I will ever figure this out?

Well, unfortunately, I need a little more tweaking on my form, as my right calf is killing me.  I seem to still be pushing off instead of pulling up and my foot is so tense instead of loose.  I am so tense trying to get it all right that I need to figure out how to relax.  I’ve iced it and it feels much better, but I headed back to the videos to recheck my form.  Patriot is 7 weeks out, I need to get my act together.

So I am back into the swing of it after a week off for my ITB, rolling on my foam roller “like it’s my job” and gearing up for a month of intensity that I have never experienced before.  7 weeks to go …. Oh boy!

I did finally get the nerve up to read the whole month of May and realized that I only have one long ride and to Max a long ride is only 2 hours.  Now that my be sufficient for him to do his ½ Ironman, but I usually do a 3:30 bike – 2 hours doesn’t seem like it’s gonna cut it, but then again, I’ve been wrong once or twice.  I read recently that, “You don’t need to be the smartest person in the world, but wise enough to surround yourself with people that are smarter than you.” 

Just keep going!

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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The Dream Is Over...Or Is It???

May 3, 2009

I had every intention of this blog being about a great training game I stole from Max and Kris Arnold.  I found a way, at least for myself, to tolerate these 85% max heart rate Bike Bricks that are not going away in my plan.  But then on Easter Sunday, I had a breakdown when I couldn’t run past my driveway.  During one of these said bricks, I cried through a 30 minute walk and then lay down on my office floor hysterically declaring to Jeff – “It’s over!  I can’t even run for 15 minutes!  It’s over!”

Well, let me back up.  Before my breakdown, I had wanted to offer some hope to those of you out there also suffering with these cruel bricks.  I did them all winter long on the trainer.  I think a better alternative would have been to drive bamboo under my fingernails, than endure these horrendous workouts.   But, not wanting to veer from my plan for a moment, I did them.  Sometimes, I was in tears. I was always swearing at Max, the kids, Jeff, or anyone who came in my path of vision, while I was stuck on my trainer, trying desperately to keep my hear rate above 85%.   There is nothing nice that I can say about this workout.  I dreaded it, I still hate it, but finally when I got my first break in the weather, I came up with an idea to somehow come to peace with this.

Kris Arnold used to tell me about training days that he had with Max.  They would be out on a ride, hit a big hill and then play the game.  Max would try to complete the hill twice to Kris Arnold’s one completion.  Hmmm, I thought, what if I could use this.  After a little planning, and a lot of coaxing, I lured “the ladies” to meet me for a ride one Thursday afternoon.  The game, give me a head start and I would sprint “The Crabman” bike route (I am trying to keep my hear rate above 85% of max) while they started 5 minutes behind me, sprinting certain sections of the course (I wanted them to do some pick-ups as well).   I would do the loop one and a half times to their one and see if I could catch them.  Loser runs hills 5 times!  Now, don’t get me wrong, this by no means makes the workout fun or less painful, but, it’s better than staring at a wall in the house and I have to say “chasing” down the ladies is a good motivator. 

So, off I went on the first time, very cocky, starting with the ladies, then taking off on the first turn of “The Crabman” and “hauling ass” around the loop.  I was moving, and very sure that as soon as I got back onto the backside of the course, I would surely see the ladies and blow by them.  “The ladies” are riding mountain bikes and older road bikes, have no idea what sprint workouts are and are very skeptical of going over 10 miles an hour – or so that’s what I thought!  Well, I hit ever bend in the road, every turn and when they were nowhere to be found, I got my heart rate up over 90% as I was totally annoyed at myself that I couldn’t catch them.  The thought of losing to “the ladies” is an even better motivator.  When I finally pulled into the school where we started, they had their running shoes on and were halfway out the school driveway.  I had been whooped!  They were laughing and actually enjoyed the chase, saying they were constantly looking over their shoulders waiting for me to attack, but loved the workout.  It kept their mind off the sprints, as they were much more concerned about seeing me in the rear view mirror!   I was happy that I had been able to sprint for 45 minutes!  Even though I hadn’t come close to catching them, and subsequently had to run the hills while they watched and jeered, I kept my heart rate up!  I did the workout and it went by quicker and was mentally so much better than being inside.  It was so successful; the ladies asked when the next one was?  After I caught my breathe, from the hill repeats, I shook my head (I’m creating triathlon monsters – I love it!!)  “According to Max, I’ll see all of you next Thursday, same time, same place!” I said.

Now, back to the breakdown!   I did that few times with the ladies, but had one on my own on Easter Sunday.  I couldn’t convince anyone to ride with me at 8:00am on Easter Sunday, go figure?  I finished the ride, feeling fine, came in and put my running shoes on.  I hit the road for about one minute before my ITB seized up and I was walking like Frankenstein.  I did my loop, walking and crying, counting the weeks to Patriot and utterly devastated that I had tortured myself all winter and it had come to this – a painful walk – I was out.  The dream was over!!

Well, you can imagine the e-mail I sent to Max.  My husband tells me that I am slightly melodramatic, but I don’t see it.  But now maybe Max does.  He e-mailed me, called me on his holiday to talk me off the ledge.  I was too upset, disappointed and afraid to talk to Max so I waited until Monday for my couch session with him.  Unfortunately, I was getting ready to hike Mt. Chocurua in NH – a mere 4000 vertical feet, when he called me.  I could actually see the steam coming from Max’s head as he was utterly speechless that the day before I was slitting my wrists, and today getting ready to hike a mountain.   He told me that he was missing something. 

Well, in my own defense, and maybe some of you Type A’s can relate, the thought was, well if I can’t run anymore, at least I can walk up this mountain, at least I can do something.  I can’t give up!  Yes, it hurts, but I’m gonna keep going. Otherwise, I am going to sit at home, cry over my injury and eat Ben & Jerry’s!   But unfortunately, that is the attitude that got me to the ITB strain.  “Don’t stop! Just keep going and hope for the best!” is not a good motto apparently!   

I have been complaining about my ITB since February, its April.  If I had just accepted the injury and told Max about it 8 weeks ago, I would have learned how to treat and heal it and how to get right back out there.  Instead, I let it really stress me out for 8 weeks, haunt my runs, as I always wondered at what point my knee would give out and generally just make my training that much harder.  I knew better, but didn’t want to stop training.  I knew I was hurt, but the thought of not running or missing the race prevailed, and it all blew up in my face anyway.  I knew better, but sometimes being dumb wins out over common sense!

Well, Max put a stop to the hike, a stop to the running, and a stop to my nervous breakdown.  Apparently a week off, a big bottle of Advil, ice, stretching and something called a foam roller are all that I needed.  I added in a massage and feel good to go.  Max, coach/psychiatrist informed me that this was actually not a life-threatening injury!   I need to stop running, but could continue everything else with full-force and vigor and that I would, yes, be able to kick it at Patriot!  I wonder if sometimes he asks himself, why he endures my absurdity?? 

My dad said I always liked to do things the hard way.  At 36, I’m actually starting to believe him!  Next time I feel a twinge, I think I’ll just call Max, rather than send myself into a tizzy for weeks, contemplating doom and gloom and a 7 hour ½ Ironman.  This might be another one of those annoying life-lessons that I keep getting handed!

The short of it is, try the chase game to help you get through those horrendous bricks.  Jeff has a few coming into his plan and now wants to chase me down!  “The ladies” were stopping him all over town, bragging how they were kicking my butt – I haven’t caught them yet – and how much fun they are having.  I think they are only enjoying beating me and watching me as I pull up after them, ready to throw-up!  They also love watching me run hills, as I am usually yelling at them while they run hills – I think they call that karma!!  The chase won’t make it any less painful, but it definitely helps mentally!  And secondly, call Max.  The guy has an answer and an internet video link for every question, problem, twinge, and pain that we can think of!

Finally after a week, I’m headed out for a slow two mile run and I can’t wait!!  I’ll keep you posted!

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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March 24, 2009

I have entered the “Build 1” Phase of the program – but so far, it is quiet.  I have been doing this long enough to know the quiet is temporary.   I am afraid to look too far ahead in my plan to see what’s coming in the next few weeks; instead I am thankful for the “Lighter” workout load.  I’m beat and my body is beat up!  So, since my training is quiet, I was thinking about this blog and few things popped into my head.

First, I can’t believe that I blogged last time and admitted to everyone that Jeff and I bring our bike trainers and our bikes on our vacations and actually use them.   I think that we may have reached a new point in our “tri-geekdom!”  Planning family vacations around our workouts!  I am a little embarrassed about that.  Yes, now you all know that we are total dorks!! In case you hadn’t figured that one out already!

Secondly, I keep learning over and over how little I know about triathlon.  Now that I am training with Max it is becoming very apparent.

 I had to walk home from a run the other day as my ITB on my right leg was screaming.  I was pretty upset, I have never really had an injury and this one had been getting a little worse over the winter.  I had been chalking it up to the cold weather and the endless amount of sprinting 10ks that Max had me doing.  I have to admit that I have really never run this much before, so a running injury was new to me.  The pain finally was affecting my workouts so; I called Max to see if he had any advice. Here’s our conversation. He listened to my story and then simply asked… “Have you ever had your gait analyzed?”  “My what,” I replied?   “You know how you run,” he said to me.  “Do you pronate or blah blah…” and then he spit out some words that I didn’t know that apparently meant how my foot hits the pavement.  I thought for a moment, because I knew where this was going.   I smirked to myself, a little mortified about my upcoming answer - “Nope, I never have done that, “I replied, “I have absolutely no idea how I run.”  Damn, I thought.  Caught again! Then he asked me how I bought my sneakers.  Whoops!  I hung my head in shame in again and admitted to him that I bought my last pair of sneakers, less than a month ago, because they were pretty.  “Is that wrong?”  I laughed.

I could just imagine his eyes rolling back into his head, rubbing his temples as the headache of Kathy Robbins bore into his brain.  I could see his hand shoot out from his shoulder in a very straight line, finger pointing – GO!  He sent me off to do something that was so obvious to him, but that had never crossed my mind.   I was to immediately have a professional look at how I run and buy my sneakers accordingly. 

“Hmmmmm.  Interesting, “I thought!   So off I went to buy appropriate sneakers instead of pretty ones.  Who knew?  Obviously Max did!  Well as you can imagine, now my knee isn’t bothering me as much and I’m off and running again!  Sweet!    I don’t know if that counts as a life lesson or just another embarrassing moment on my road to a sub 6 – don’t buy sneakers because they match your favorite running outfit!  Lesson Learned!

Finally, I know like the rest of you, I let out a little shudder when I got Max’s e-mail about his receiving his official “Certification to Torture” from Crossfit.   I am loving the e-mails that I exchange with Max’s wife, about her training.  It’s funny how her experience is almost exact to mine and Jeff’s experiences so far:  Pain, Pain and more pain.  But, that made me think of the coming months ahead.   If his wife, the love of his life isn’t immune from his torture, what does that say for the rest of us – a group of total stranger?  Yikes!!  I only know that that assures me that this spring is gonna hurt.  Max especially drives that point home when he titles the e-mails that he sends to us “PAIN IS GOOD!”

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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March 08, 2009

I am so happy to report this week that I have nothing to report about.  Phew!!  I am so relieved that for this moment in time things are just humming along.

Max is quietly watching and torturing Jeff and I, but other than throwing my check in the garbage, things are good!

Jeff is happily enduring the same level of pain and suffering that I am, FINALLY!!  Misery loves company in triathlon training and we are doing a lot of limping around and going to bed at 8:00pm, getting ready for the next day of agony that Max is inflicting on us.  I still believe that any workout at 88% of your max heart rate is either a typo or illegal!!   But regardless, we are plugging away, desperately hoping for a break in the weather to renew our vigor, but for the most part getting it done!  We did get to go away to NH for 8 days of hill training, snowshoeing, and skiing that we are not used to at the beach.  Our calves were screaming from the relentless hills.  But, something about riding your bike on the trainer and getting to stare out at the White Mountains is not a bad way to spend an hour, even if you are dripping in sweat and gasping for air!

No one has lambasted me this week in regards to my blog, my life, my triathlons or anything else for that matter – so I would call that a rousing success!!  It’s nice when the chatter is quiet or even better, all good.  There was nothing negative, just some of those fun e-mails with people laughing at me, calling me kooky or just wondering at what point in time I completely lost my mind.  That’s what I like to hear.

Call it the calm before the storm or what have you.  I am going to relish in this quietness for a few days or a few more hours or however much longer it lasts.  It’s rare and nice.  I can just concentrate on Jeff and the kids, working out and putting the race together, thankfully.

My training is coming along.  I am so tired and could really use some warm weather to recharge my batteries.  I am tired of dragging myself outside day after day for hour plus sprints in sub zero weather.  I am really looking forward to spring.  Although, I haven’t been reading my plan to closely, as Jeff pointed out the other day, I am just now after 16 weeks, transitioning into “THE BUILD PHASE!”  I had to look twice at the plan and noticed that he was right.  I asked him, “Wait a minute.  Isn’t the build phase harder than the base phase?”  He smiled at me and laughed!! Oh brother, it definitely won’t be quiet for long!

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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Life Lesson #2

February 22, 2009

I usually wait for some Jeff and Max shenanigans to help with my blog.  Not this week, this one's all on me.  I knew that when I signed on with Max and agreed to blog about my training, that I would undeniably learn a few things about myself.  It has been an interesting journey in just a few short 18 weeks…up and down, side to side; I am all over the place.  It's been great!  I learned my first big lesson of "rolling with it" when I got bronchitis in December.  I think I've also learned that I am a little tougher and stronger than I thought and can take what Max is dishing out.  It's painful and brutal, but I surprise myself each time I finish one of his workouts. I gather that he already knew all this about me already - that's why I like training with Max, he believes in you even before you believe in yourself.  But this week, a lot of that toughness and inner strength went flying out the window, and I am a little disappointed in myself.

On Friday, I opened up my TRIMOM e-mail to check on race registrations, questions and vendors for the SUPERKids and Crabman.  I spotted an e-mail in regards to my blog and opened it up.  I am usually positive and upbeat, excited when people send me quick notes about what a clown I am, but as I read into the body of the e-mail I started to cry.  The person on the other end had decided that they didn't like something about me and my blog.  Whether they read way too much into it or took a guess at whom or what I am, or what I am not, they loudly voiced their unhappiness and I was devastated.  Now most people take these kinds of things with a much thicker skin and hit the delete button, brush it off and move on.  I wish I could do that, but instead I let the comments bore slowly into my brain.  I sent the e-mail over to Max, to make sure that I wasn't losing my mind.  I read it over and over and knew that it was way out in left field.  Max, in his poetic self, told me to shake it off and take it out on my bike.  At the time, I didn't appreciate the advice, as I was looking for a little sympathy, but looking back on it - he was absolutely right. I should have done just that.

My husband also just told me to shake it off.  "Not everyone is going to like what you say, like your races, like you.  That's just how it goes" he said.  "When you put yourself out there to either blog or be a race director or PTO President, people will complain to you and about you.  Shake it off and get a thicker skin."

Well... after a dozen e-mails/ calls from "the 'Ladies" and friends, coming to my defense and a week of "alone time," I am finally feeling not so self-conscious.  Although, I am still a little wary about opening my e-mail account.  Lesson #2, whatever you want to call it, "Getting a thicker skin" or "Not being so sensitive" or just plain "Shake it off and take it out on your bike," was a tough one for me.  While I realize now that the only one who suffered from letting the negativity get to me, was me! The person who sent it went on their way after sending the e-mail without ever looking back.  I let it take away a week from my life.  More unfavorable comments and e-mails are sure to come my way as SUPERKids and the Crabman approach.  People are undoubtedly going to be unhappy with the course, the support, the t-shirt color, the weather - who knows.  But what I do know, I need to shake off those comments a little faster, grow a much thicker skin and try to move along with my life.  I need to smile at those who love to criticize and just keep doing what I am doing and feeling good about it.  I can honestly say that I love this sport and everyone I have met in it.   I have finished last in races and rarely near the front and judge no one.  I am the first to make fun of myself (or maybe Jeff is the first to make fun of me) and I just want everyone to feel as good as I do when I finish a race, no matter where I finish in that race.  I know that if I stay true to that, my training and races will be successful, and I can sleep at night.

I need to remember the countless Crabman triathletes and the SUPERKids, over the coming years that will have a great day and not the one person who will absolutely make a point to complain to me.  I will take the criticism and try to fix it, but know that it is not an attack on me personally.

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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Some Kind Of -ism Going On Here

February 08, 2009

As I’ve said before, my husband and I feed off of each other; in a good way. Well, finally Jeff signed up for a training program with Max.  I was excited for him.  I was happy that he was feeling good, thinking about racing, out of his post-ironman depression!  I was happy, until I saw the plan come over.

Jeff and I just happened to be sitting in the office together, when the plan came over.  I downloaded it and printed out a copy for him and one for me.  Jeff said he had some questions for me as he perused it. Since I had been doing my plan since November, he wanted to talk about it.  Great – we’re back on the same page and I’m loving it.  He was excited, so I was excited!

As I quickly scanned his plan, I started to notice some things in Jeff’s plan that were different than mine.  Now I certainly didn’t expect cookie cutter plans from Max, but from the other bloggers and clients’ of his, I knew that we were all in a world of hurt or “Cave of Pain” as another of his athletes phrased it.    As I read Jeff’s plan more closely, I started to scratch my head.  “What’s going on here? “ I said to Jeff.  “You are only lifting once a week and you get to have your third week off?”

He shrugged.  Jeff explained that in his conversation with Max, he went over all the physical things that he had to do during the week.  “I don’t need to lift as much as you.”   

Humph! Really???  I thought to myself.   Is this true?  Maybe Jeff is just smarter than I am.  He used to be a psychologist in his former life.  Let’s see, talk a little about his work as a contractor and gets to do half the amount of lifting torture.  A little mention of some knee issues, a few more weeks off?  Interesting??  I thought to myself.  Maybe Jeff was playing this game better than I was.  I probably whined to Max that he could throw anything that he needed to at me to make me faster.  My plea to Max was of desperation.   Not Jeff’s, his was super cool and nonchalant.

So what’s this about? Is it nothing or is there something else going on here?  Is this perhaps… favoritism??  Is there perhaps a little… chauvinism here?  Is Jeff automatically stronger because he’s a guy?  Do I really need double the torture because Max thinks that as a woman I am apparently sitting around all day knitting and eating ho-hos while Jeff the man’s at work?   Hmmmm..

 I thought that I would do a side by side comparison to see if I was misreading these plans??  Here’s what I came up – you decide:

1. Jeff “Humps” shingles up a ladder onto a roof vs. Kathy “Humps” overflowing laundry baskets from basement to second floor.
2. Jeff lifting 2x4s and other heavy building materials around job site all day vs. Kathy lifting up 30lb 4yr old and 40 lb 5 year old hundreds of times a day for hugs, kisses, breaking up fights etc.
3.  Jeff hanging drywall, doors, windows etc all day vs. Kathy lugging endless bags of groceries from store to car to house and putting all said groceries away, with no help whatsoever, several times a week.
4. Jeff on his feet all day – It’s no desk job! Vs. Kathy running around like a lunatic starting at 5:30am everyday till she collapses at 10:00pm with just everyday life.
5. Jeff having Fridays to himself to take yoga  at 9:30am, then catch a swim, and possibly a bike and run maybe out to lunch vs. Kathy at Y at 5:30am to be home by 7:00am to get everyone up, fed, dressed and to the hundred places that they need to be.  Back to the Y at 8:00pm to finish the workout.
6. Jeff knee bothering him from a high school injury and Ironman, maybe work aggravates it a little vs. Kathy’s entire body hurts from 15 weeks of TRIMAX Torture, not a day off, 5ks, 10ks and anything else including the kitchen sink that Max can throw at her.

Hmmm…  I’m probably just reading too much into it – I’m sure that it was just an oversight on Max’s part?  Or is there some kind of –ism going on here??

I made the mistake of calling Max and questioning this oversight in Jeff’s plan.  Why so light on the lifting?  Max told me not to worry after 17 weeks of straight lifting that I would finally get a day off.  But never fear he replaced the lifting, laughing maniacally, with a race simulation brick at 85% of Max HR and don’t forget to follow it with an upper aerobic swim.  Gee, thanks – sounds like a great day off!!

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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January 23, 2009

Before I start, I just want everyone to know that because our house is so focused on triathlon, my husband and I spend a lot of time jabbing at each other, goading each for fun.  We laugh at our little tri competition. Neither of us are ‘fast’ in any sense of the word but it’s all in good fun.  I love him and he is my number one fan as I am his, so we can do this smiling and laughing.  With that said….

Jeff says that us racing together is all in good fun but I do REALLY want to beat him.  A few things have rekindled my “beat Jeff spirit” this week. He’s back into his training mode.  For a while it was just me and without him racing I was a shoo-in for #1 Robbins!  While Jeff is back in the game, Max made me see if I had any game with an all-out 5k.

 I’ve adopted the “run Kathy run” mantra while I’m racing.  I say it on the run when I have nothing left, and it’s my last hope to dig as deep as I can to make it to the finish.  I really used it the other day to run the 5K as fast as I could.  But, it also brought me back to my disastrous half ironman “Devil man” from early May 2008. Give it everything I had, Max said to me.  Run, Kathy, run!

I was a little nervous.  This was a little test.  Max wanted to see where I was and I was just as curious to see where I was after 12 weeks.  So Thursday, I hopped onto the treadmill and started to go.  All week I had been telling Jeff that I needed to do this run, keep an eye on the weather, I needed a break in it to head outside; otherwise I was on the treadmill.   The weather never broke and I headed into run-of-the mill YMCA for the test.  I bragged a little and joked a little that I only needed 24 minutes to do it.  Jeff eyed me with his ‘no way’ facial expression.  But in my mind I really thought I could hold that pace.  I’m stronger and faster, I feel great.  This was the same mentality leading into Devil man.  So of course, I hit the treadmill and took off at 8 minute miles.  Well, immediately I realized that I couldn’t hold the 8 min pace so upped it a click to 8:24.  After the first mile, my heart rate was in heart attack zone so I upped it again to 8:41s and collapsed at 25:54.

In the last 5 years of triathlons, Jeff and I have probably worked out together 5 times.  This was one of those lucky days, where he hopped onto the treadmill next to me and ran his nine minute miles at a tauntingly casual pace.  I was dying, bright red face, breathing hard, pounding on the machine, grunting and talking to myself – run Kathy, run!!  He muttered to me – It’ll be tough to beat me at that pace!”  I growled at him. He really knows how to motivate me…in a lovingly painful way.

Devil man was the race where I felt great and bragged a lot to Jeff that I was going to break 6 hours.  I informed him on more than one occasion that I was going to pass him on the way to the finish.  We are lucky to race together occasionally.   But he kept telling me that we weren’t racing because he wasn’t trying for time, just the distance as Ironman training.    I was all “game on” and wanted to crush him and the Devil man.  It all came back to bite me hard and I think worse than my horrendous 2:45 half marathon was the fact that it was a triple out and back ½ marathon.   I was constantly passing Jeff who was miles ahead, stretching to keep loose, singing and all in all rather impressed with his non-race performance.  I was third to last, crying, miserable and defeated.  ‘Run, Kathy run’ meant nothing, I had nothing left.  He cheered for me when we passed, smiled, tried to be encouraging.  I wanted to kill him because he was chugging along where I had wanted to be.  He was doing what I had bragged I was going to do.

It was coming around again.  Max asked me how my 5K time was and I was a little nervous to send it his way.  I have warned him on many occasions, probably every time that we talk, that my run is horrendous and really where we need to focus.   I bravely typed in my 25:54 and pushed send.  A moment later a funny response came back from Max. 

“What is your 5K PR?”  He asked.
I laughed out loud and Jeff walked over to the computer and started laughing as well. 
“I don’t understand the question?” I said to Jeff.  “That’s it baby.  That is my PR!”

Jeff laughed at me as I started scrambling onto the internet for old running times.  Muttering again about not wanting to disappoint Max and embarrass myself.  His response was.  “That’s why Max wants to help you so he can show people how you go from really slow to much faster, you can’t really get any slower.”    I growled again at him.  He was lovingly poking fun at me, again.  I scoured the internet.  PR, better than 25:54 let’s see – Cohasset – 28:47; Terramugus – 28:53 and another attempt at 28:35.  Where was that PR??  Oh yeah, maybe Niantic this year – closer 26:42.   Jeff said – “oh stop and check out my Terramugus time – hmm 25:00min.  Run, Kathy, run.”  I laughed and growled and added a sneer this time. Darn it, that’s it 25:54! 

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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January 4, 2009

This blog has been working on itself, for the past 8 weeks.  I don’t know about you, but I work out at a regular, run-of-the-mill YMCA.  Average bodies outweigh the hard bodies, middle-age to upper age is prevalent, and loose sweat pants the norm.  I wonder sometimes if Max must work out at HARDCORE USA, with some of the workouts that he gives to me.  I wonder this, b/c at my gym, I have been transformed into “That Guy!”  In my house, he or she, in this case, is affectionately known as “THE TOOL!”  You know the one.  The one that everyone is staring out b/c they are working out harder than anyone at the gym, breathing and grunting loudly, and just all around drawing attention to themselves.  Now some may aspire to be “THE TOOL.”  I, however, was elevated to this position, thanks to Max!

When I first received my plan from Max, I read it with enthusiasm and excitement.  When I started reading the plan more closely, though, and watching the video demos that Max sent to me, I started worrying about the logistics at the Y.  How am I going to do this?  My gym is set-up in a way where half the gym is treadmills, elliptical etc – all facing into the center.  Then, the other half is 2/3 nautilus and 1/3 free weights.  Everyone’s gaze is pointed at the free weights and the free weights section is relatively small potatoes.   This is not Hardcore Gym USA!

My lifting workout, and I suppose that some of you are doing the same, consists first of a set of squats. This is a relatively normal exercise to do, so fine.   But, then the workout moves into unchartered territory.   After the squats, I need to jump up on a flat bench 15 times, then step-up onto that same bench carrying a barbell across my back, then lunge my way across the gym, with a barbell over my head.  These unusual exercises are tough enough, but also keep in mind that I am panting like a rabid dog, just trying to catch my breath, because it’s brutal.

Now, those of you at HARDCORE GYM have no problem doing these exercises.  Everyone is doing them! Everyone is grunting loudly and sweating profusely!   However, people, at run-of-the-mill YMCA, have never seen anything like this.  They have never had someone jumping up and down, grunting and groaning and swearing.  They haven’t witness that same person proceed to lunge around the gym.   They definitely do not understand repeating this torture two more times.  It is quite a spectacle, to be sure.  I haven’t even mentioned the ab routine that comes after.  The jaws are dropping, the eyes are rolling.  This is all accompanied by whispering and lots of stares.  I am “THE TOOL!”

So the YMCAers are staring!  I know this for a fact, as they have approached me around town, asked me questions, wondered what I was doing?  This is all water under the bridge for me, though.   I’m 8 weeks into my plan and I’ve been jumping around twice a week.  I’m surely over the embarrassment?  But now, Max, not satisfied with turning me into “the tool” has decided to up the ante.  Yup, I couldn’t believe it, but it got worse.

Las t week, Max sent over his new “recommended” swim workouts.  Now, as you can guess, when Max sends something over, I read it, study it, and I’m doing it.  I read the swim workout.  At first, again, I thought this was a really great and interesting workout.  But as the day passed, and I thought of the logistics at the pool, I wondered what was going on?  Did he really want me to do this? 

My husband sat next to me on the couch later that night.   As I was checking the workout out for the four hundredth time, and getting ready for my swim in the morning, he asked, “What now?”   I was shaking my head and laughing.  He listened as I went over the whole “I am already making a spectacle of myself at the gym” routine.  “But let’s be honest,” I said, “Most people already think we are sort of off the reservation with all the swimming, biking and running.  But…., “I said to Jeff, “I think that this swim workout might even be too much for me.”  I explained the workout.  He laughed.  “You know what you are now, forget THE TOOL.  You’re THE POOL DORK!”  We laughed in agreement.  He was right, I am THE POOL DORK!

Now here it is!  Keep in mind; I’m in a bathing suit!  I’m not wearing a thong or bikini, but nonetheless, in a one-piece Speedo.   Now, if I thought the gym was not conducive to hard-core training, then the pool is a thousand times worse.  The pool has at any given time a minimum of three deep per lane.  You can add in life guards and windows where passer-bys can look in, possibly an 80+ water arthritis class and maybe some swim lessons for the kids.  It’s jammed! 

But here it goes!  First, I am to swim a 600 warm-up.  OK, that’s cool.  But then, the real workout starts and I’m still laughing.   I’m to jump out of the pool and do 50 squats!  Squats?  Squats?  I’M IN A BATHING SUIT!   So fine you say, suck it up and do the squats.   But if doing the squats doesn’t send me into that new category, don’t worry.   I have to jump back in the pool, swim some more, then it’s back onto the deck again for a round of push-ups.  Not enough!  Never fear, this workout finishes strong with another swim round that’s followed by one of the most hideous exercises I have ever performed!  Even if I was in shorts and sneakers, it would be torture, BUT I’M IN A BATHING SUIT – the BURPEE!  Check it out online, it’s real bad.

But, you know me; I’m going to at least give it a try!  I asked, no begged, Max to help me and if he says do it, I’m doing it! Even though Jeff and I have never ever seen anyone at run-of-the-mill YMCA do deck work. I’m going to try it!  Again, I wonder, does Max jet off to train in Boulder, where these workouts are status quo?   This might be his gym’s norm, but at the Y, I’m gonna send some 80 year old into cardiac arrest, as I am sticking my butt out in my Speedo, squatting, then jumping up and down, IN MY SPEEDO, doing burpees.  It’s quite a show, I must admit – elevating me without a doubt to POOL DORK!

I decided to spare myself some humiliation and changed my swim to late the next night.  I thought I’d head over right before the pool was to close.  This would assure that hardly anyone would be swimming.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t shake a friend, who likes to swim with me.  I came up with a few lame excuses, but she wasn’t biting and was going to join me at night.

Well, thankfully it was just her and I.  I quickly explained to her the workout, and then apologized if I was going to embarrass her.  She understood that I wanted to try it.  She’s an angel, and tried not to laugh too hard as I was jumping and bouncing around.  At the end, she was even nice enough to tell me “It didn’t look too bad.”  But I knew and she knew – the pool dork.

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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No Wrenches, Please!

December 21, 2008

I’m sure this is true for everyone, when things are going great – life is so good.  I was into my workout routine and was seemingly fitting in all the things that I needed to  Let’s see,  I hadn’t forgotten the kids at nursery school, I had food in the fridge and I was getting in all my workouts – humming along through November and December.  I love routine – it’s what keeps me going and happy!    My husband said prophetically to me a few weeks back, as the kids were getting their back –to –school colds, “You don’t think that you’re going to make it through this season without getting sick once!  You’re gonna miss some workouts, it’ll be ok.”  I shook my head and smiled at him, but I should’ve known. 

Right before Thanksgiving, I had a little cough.  It kept hanging around through December.  My whole family had it, but mine was the only one not going away.  Three weeks later, with all the coughing, I was getting a little pull in my back.  It wasn’t bothering me, but I could feel it.   Still, though, I was humming along, vowing to not let any wrenches get thrown into my plan!

Last Friday Night, my husband and I went to CT for dinner with my in-laws – the triathletes!    I walked into my brother-in-laws house and I was absolutely coughing up a lung.   They said that I was “looking a little pale.” But nonetheless, I had my workout bag stuffed to the brim.  No wrenches here!  Saturday morning I was getting up for my swim, bike run and lifting session! 

Now my family loves to stick it to each other.  It’s all in good fun.  All with love and affection!  But still, they’ll stick it to you and tonight was my night!  As I continued with one of my coughing fits, I rattled off my respective workouts and told them what I needed to get done in the morning.     Everyone was staring at me like I was a lunatic!  I held my hand up, ‘”Just a little cough.”  I explained .  They shook their heads  and laughed at me.  “Whatever, “I shrugged them off, “You guys don’t know what you’re talking about!  This is how you really train!”   Oops, I might have taken that one too far and quickly ducked for cover, as the comments came flying. 

“You look terrible, you can’t workout tomorrow.”
“You’re insane! Take the day off!”
“ I don’t feel bad for you – you’re doing way too much, it’s freaking December!” 
“I don’t remember doing this much during my Ironman training!”

Back and forth, the comments continued.  Then, they landed the final blow.  My brother-in-law said to me, laughing “I’m calling Max – you obviously can’t handle training with the big boys.”

 They room exploded in an uproar of laughter!  “No, please don’t call Max! “ I cried.
I pleaded with him as we went to dinner –“I’m fine, I’m really fine! 

Fast forward three days later; I’m crawling into the doctor’s office!  When I finally called Max, I now had a debilitating pulled muscle in my back and bronchitis!  I swear it was just a little cough! Max and I laughed, he knows my family well.  I know that he could imagine my husband and brother-in-law talking back and forth to each other, “Did you train like this for Ironman?”  ‘I didn’t train like this for Ironman?” 

But, story aside, I did have bronchitis and was derailed from my fine-tuned plan for a full week.  I sat on the couch and licked my wounds, complaining to my husband that I had surely put on 20lbs and that this was setting me back weeks. He rolled his eyes and went out for a run.  It was a tough week; my free time was relegated to naps, icepacks and heating pads.  Not a single workout.  But, I am actually proud of my willpower to not workout.  I actually stopped and listened to the ribbing, and realizied underneath all those digs, they were just looking out for me.  I must be maturing.   Normally, I would just keep going until what could have just been a week off turned into a month off.    I’ll never tell them that they were right, but they were right!   It’s weird to get older and start actually listening to others advice!  Who knew?

 So, I let my finely orchestrated plan fly out the window, much to my chagrin!   I learned that it would be ok!  The world would go on, even when it didn’t go according to my plan.  One week later, I’m back into my routine, like my illness never happened.   All the worrying and all the sulking was for nothing.  It was a great early season lesson to learn.  I learned that there will be wrenches thrown at me over the next nine months.  I’ll do my best to duck and cover, but even my best laid plans, will sometimes run awry.  I’ll do my best in my type-AAA personality way, to “roll with it!”   As for my family, they are amazing, brutal, funny and frustrating.  Especially when they are right!

Keep on triing!

Kathy

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TriMax TriMom Introduction

December 7, 2008

I’m Kathy Robbins, the newest edition to TriMax.  I have being doing triathlons since 2004.  And with Max’s help, this is my year for a new personal record (pr).

I started doing triathlons after the birth of my second son, as a different way to get back into shape.  My great brother-in-law, Chris Robbins, was doing triathlon way before it was cool – and we have the pictures from the late 80’s to prove it.  His enthusiasm, for a sport I had never heard of, and things that he was accomplishing were fascinating to me.  Who can swim for 1.2 miles and why would you do that?  But curiosity got to me and I tried “The Wild Dog Sprint” in 2004.  I was hooked.   My husband also decided to join in the fun and the competition between the two of us has grown fun and fierce.  He too is joining TriMax in the winter. 

But that’s just the beginning – triathlon has had such an incredible impact on our lives. Over the last 4 years, we’ve traveled to Lake Placid twice for Ironman, headed to New Hampshire for the Timberman 70.3 and down south to Jersey for the Devilman half-iron event.  We’ve raced sprint triathlons everywhere in between and dragged our three kids around with us.   We love this sport so much we produced our first kids’ Triathlon last June, the SUPERKids Triathlon, with 300 kids.  This year we added a second triathlon – The Crabman Sprint – to continue to inspire kids and adults to try a triathlon and change their lives. 

While my husband delved into Ironman this year, with all the commitments on my plate, I decided this year to focus on the half Ironman.  I’ve competed in 4 and my times aren’t shattering records, but I love the distance. It’s hard enough, where things can go drastically wrong if you’re not prepared, but not as demanding training-wise as Ironman.  Its super tough for me and this is where Max came in.

Max stayed with my family, in Lake Placid this summer, while my husband Jeff and his brother were competing in Ironman.  Max had come to support clients that he had competing.   I had heard about this Max Wunderle from my friend Kris Arnold.   Kris and Max had been training partners for several years and he had spoken very highly of him.  I needed triathlon help and to me it felt like karma that I was finally going to meet Max.  To Max it probably felt like bad luck!  

When Max finally arrived in Lake Placid, my husband told me to keep my distance and not to scare him off with 10,000 questions. “Please don’t pounce on him the moment he steps in the door,” he warned me.  I tried, but couldn’t hold out for too long.  I finally cornered Max and unleashed on him my triathlon woes.  I had finished in the bottom 10 finishers for two 70.3 races.  I was tired of being last.  I was tired of being out on the course for 7 hours and coming into an empty transition area.   I needed his help.  I begged and pleaded for him to take me as a client, and after hours of whining on my part, he agreed.

So now, I am into my first month of training and the saying “Careful what you wish for” creeps into my mind.  My legs are like cinderblocks; my heart rate is through the roof, relegating my run to no more than a shuffle.  There are moments when I wonder what is so bad about being last!

I’m here now, to chronicle my journey to hopefully two Sub 6 Half Ironmans this year – The Patriot Tri on June 20th and FIRM Man, in Narragansett RI, in September.  I am coming off a 6:10 at FIRM Man this past September and with Max’s help I am going SUB 6!  Keep in mind, I will be thrilled with only a 5:59:59 on the clock.  I hope that my days of 7 hours on the course are over!

People always ask me how I fit it all in.  Wife, mother, Race Director of two triathlons, President of the PTO… the list goes on and on.  It’s not easy, but my husband Jeff and I decided that triathlon is just too important to us to be an afterthought in our lives.  It has to be on the forefront.   There are so many obvious reasons like good health, mental toughness, perseverance, and the determination that it has brought into our lives. But mostly it has brought us hope.  Hope that our kids will learn from us how important it is to be healthy and to take care of their minds and bodies.  Hope that they will learn from us not to give up, even when the entire race is finished, but you are still out on the course.  Hope that they learn from us that when things don’t go as planned, you get back out there and try again!  Hope that we can inspire other kids and their families to take control of their health and try a sport that can change their lives.  We want everyone to cross the finish line of a triathlon.  To have the opportunity to say “I just did I triathlon!”  I say it!  That’s why I tri, because it is so inspiring!

And with that said – triathlon is a sport that begs of you to eat better, train better and learn all you can so that you are not out there for almost 7 hours.  So Max is going to teach me how to train better, eat better and be a better triathlete.   I’ve been a triathlete for 4 years, but this is my year to be a faster triathlete.

So I’m going to sit down and plan my workouts for tomorrow and the week.  Then I’m going to plan my time,  my family and my jobs, and don’ forget my fun.  I know I can do it -  I know I can fit it in this season.   It won’t always be pretty – but I can do it.  I’m a  triathlete!

Keep on triing!

Kathy

To learn more about Kathy Robbins’ races and events, please visit http://www.trimomprod.com/.

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