This year I am raising money for a charity that is very near and dear to my heart…The ASPCA. This agency is always hard at work rescuing animals as well as preventing cruelty to animals. I have been a monthly donor for some time and when I was looking for charity to back me in the 2015 NYC Triathlon I was so excited to see the ASPCA on the list! I signed up immediately with TEAM ASPCA and couldn’t be prouder to say “I’m doing it for the animals”
Charity begins at home…found this guy as a kitten in my driveway 5 years ago
This years NYC Triathlon will only be my second time doing an Olympic distance event. Over the last year I’ve been training very regularly in all three sports. I’ve completed a few sprints and even completed my first half marathon last spring. I definitely feel stronger and more confident and I’m definitely hoping to improve on my finishing time in this years upcoming race.
In the 2013 NYC Triathon I did fair on the swim and bike portion but ran into a wall going into the 6.2 mile run. I’m certainly not going to make excuses but I think it’s good to reflect on what didn’t go right that day.
Daisy, a stray i rescued from a warehouse at work a few years ago
Inadequate sleep…The NYC Tri is probably one of the best races I’ve ever participated in. The event is very organized, the crowd support is unprecedented and the volunteers are very enthusiastic. However, it’s also very crowded and it takes forever to do anything. A lot of people means getting to the race site early to wait on line to get into the transition area. Having to walk a mile to the swim start means making sure you get your gear set up in transition and suited up to head to the swim area to wait for the race to start. And then there’s the long wait for your swim “wave”. If you’re in your fourties…bring a snack and reading material, because it’s going to be a while! All this means A wake up time of 3:30 AM on race day!
Meet Norman, he was adopted from the ASPCA by my friend Stretch
Hydration:“the condition of having adequate fluid in the body tissues.” This was probably my biggest issue in the 2013 race. I was feeling good about the 24 mile bike ride. The course was hilly and hot which I had trained for but I had not trained with a ton of other bikers around me. I was slightly anxious about falling. I was having difficulty reaching for my Gatorade bottle beneath my bike seat while keeping away from other bikers. While my bike time was not horrendous as soon as I got out of the saddle I went into severe leg cramps. After some Gu and Gatorade I felt decent enough to head out of transition to finish the race and hoping to be able to have a decent run. I had a terrible run but I did finish the race in under 4 hours.
Normans brother from another mother , Jet, also adopted from the ASPCA
Lack of BRICKS…prior to the 2013 race i didn’t get many BRICK workouts. I had certainly run a lot of miles and several long runs more than the 6.2 mile race distance. But my beginner training plan focused more on building volume with very minimal BRICK workouts. The main reason for this – too much, too hard, too soon = INJURY! Advice I’m glad that I listened to because despite my mediocre finish time my body was not too beat up the day after the race.
Henry, getting some time in the saddle on the trainer
Mapping out the road to the 2015 NYC Traithlon
Zoey. my middle child mapping out the plan for 2015!
The road to the 2015 NYC triathlon has been paved with lots of training. I’ve followed a winter maintenance plan which has kept me in the pool, on the bike, running on the treadmill and building a solid training base.
Put a buck in this dogs jar and he shakes your hand. GO METS!
I’ve been doing some pre-race sleep research and it seems as though most people have the issue of inadequate sleep the night before a race. The experienced triathletes I spoke with told me not to take any sleep aids prior to race day but to make sure to get adequate sleep in the weeks leading up to the race, especially 2 days before. In addition, to have all my things packed and ready to go for race morning to avoid worrying that I’ve forgotten something. Then when the alarm goes off at 3:30-4am I can just suit up and head out the door.
Meet Emma! She never worirries about sleep! She’s always ready to play BALL!
To help me stay hydrated better on the bike this year I’ve decided to go with a more accessible hydration system. Apparently, I’m not the only rider out there with “crash anxiety”. There is an entire market of bike hydration systems that don’t require a rider to take their hands off the handlebars.
Meet Sport! This guy can run all day and not get tired. i wonder his trick to staying hydrated?!?
This winter I’ve also added strength training to my program 2-3 times per week with rochefitness In the short time I’ve been doing full body workouts my core has gotten very strong and I can already see the improvements to my swim, bike and run performance.
And no discussion about triathlon would be complete if I didn’t mention the swim portion. The swim leg of the NYC triathlon is known be one of the fastest thanks to the swift moving tide of the Hudson River. In 2013 it was my least comfortable portion of the race. Prior to signing on to partipate in the 2013 race I did not know how to swim unless you count the doggy paddle. Thanks to the very helpful swim coaches at excel swimming in Nassau county I have improved greatly in both my comfortability in the water and my swim efficiency. Over the past 2 years I have been consistently in the pool several times each week.
Lastly, something I didn’t give much thought to in 2013…although it’s not a muscle, the brain is a very powerful thing! I’ve discovered when pushing myself physically most times it’s not my body that want to quit – it’s my mind! In my regular life I’m a positive person and I choose to see things in a good way but when I’m pushing my body past its comfort level and it’s getting tough my mind tells me “I can’t” and that is bad news!
In fact, most sports performance articles say that “our minds don’t process anything after can’t”. So when I’m pushing it hard instead of saying I can’t walk during this run I should be saying I CAN keep running. I’ve been working on this for a little while and this positive affirmation of sorts definitely works for me!
Remember…You CAN make a difference in the lives of animals that need it most by donating to the ASPCA. In fact, you CAN go to my fundraising page and donate right now. Click the link and enter your payment method, it is that simple:)
help animals like “sticky” find good lovong homes
Hit up my donation page and help the ASPCA continue to help the animals and support me in participating in the 2105 NYC triathlon.
hilltackler 