The Human Side of Ironman

September 2, 2012 I posted the following on Facebook: My 2012 triathlon season came to a screeching halt with the cancellation of my final race. So that leaves me no choice but to face the beast that lies ahead. Ironman Lake Placid 2013. 140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running through the Adirondacks. IMLP is the second oldest in Ironman history and one of the most difficult courses in the world. And that town was born of the Olympics. The combination of IM and the Olympics makes LP the one and only place I want to bear my heart and soul to the Ironman gods. July 28, 2013. I've got a lot of work to do in the next 328 days.

Well…314 days have passed and to say I’ve done a lot of work would be the understatement of the decade. I have become IronFit and I have an IronMind. I've been called a machine so many times I think I almost believed it. When my body didn't want to go, my mind made it happen. I’ve come to acquire the telltale signs of an endurance athlete – chiseled cheekbones and a roadmap of veins crisscrossing my arms and legs.

This weekend was to be my last big training weekend before I start to taper. I knew it would be a mental challenge to put in the hours, so in an 11^th inning play, I decided to go to Lake Placid and do the work there knowing I would get energy just being there. Little did I know how much I needed to be in LP. Or that I would be bearing my heart and soul to the Ironman gods, exactly as I stated in September…although when I said that I was talking about race day.

I arrived in town Friday night hoping to swim a loop of the swim course, but I didn’t have enough daylight, so I hit the grocery store for some provisions and went to bed early. My body was clearly sending a message because I slept for ten hours. My morning was going to be a big one. How big? 2.4 miles big. I was going to be doing two loops of the swim course. A full blown Ironman swim. I had never done this before and as you know, the swim is my weakness. I’m happy to report, the swim went flawlessly. I executed according to plan and swam a steady pace for the entire 2.4 miles. This was such a huge confidence boost, I could have gone home right then and the trip would have been worthwhile. I went back to the hotel, chilled for a bit, and headed out for a 4 hour bike session. I contemplated doing the full Ironman bike (112 miles), but I didn’t have time….and quite frankly I didn't have it in me. The training plan prescribed 4:00, so that’s what I did. I rode one loop of the bike course and then continued on for another 45 minutes to hit 4:00. 

The Olympic Oval

More Bikes & Skiing

You know you're in Ironman Country
when the gas stations sell these!

Navigated the course without a map. I’m starting to learn the nooks and crannies, or more accurately the ascents and descents! It was windy out there and every time a crosswind hit my deep dish wheels I was reminded of its presence. Other than being tired, the ride was pretty uneventful. Time for real food. The challenge with staggering two long training sessions is that you don’t get a real meal. Although I did buy one of those PB&J sandwiches and admit it was the best 99 cents I spent all day! After a shower, I found a seat at the bar at the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. Eric took good care of me, first filling a glass with the house Double Wit and then by bringing me a giant cheeseburger. Yup, you heard me….a cheeseburger! A bit of the TDF on TV and back to the hotel.

Beer first. If you insist...

I didn’t sleep well and woke up tired. I needed to do a 1:00 bike ride immediately followed by a 10 mile run. Since I was in Lake Placid, I decided to do the run course for 13.1 miles. I wasn’t excited about the bike, but knew the benefit of having to switch from my bike legs to my run legs. I set out on the bike course with the plan of riding 30 minutes and then turning around and riding back the same route. I reached my turnaround and was 40 minutes into the ride. I was reflecting on my journey, cruising down a -4% grade at 33mph in the aerobars. The crosswinds were still there pushing me around. I was overcome with the idea that my Ironman journey would come to a screeching halt if I were to get hurt. And that’s when it happened…. A car dusted me at full speed and the swirling draft sucked me across the white line. Way across the white line. Because I was in the aerobars I had no access to my brakes and my ability to react was limited. Some how I got out of the bars and corrected the situation without incident, but the damage was done. I was afraid to be on my bike. My bike. The place I spend so much time….the place that brings me so much joy. Terrified. I pulled it together and got back into town. Never was I so happy to start the climb into Lake Placid coming from the ski jumps. As the road flattened, I found myself unable to get back in the bars. I made it back to the hotel in a cold sweat with a twisted up stomach.

So much for my bike/run brick. I needed some time to compose myself and settle my mind/body. I finally switched over to the run gear and headed back out. Pure IronWill was calling the shots at this point. Had I been home, I probably would have bailed on this run. I was struggling big time. My body seemed to be in a good rhythm, but my mind was all over the place. I couldn’t focus. I reached the five mile point and stopped. Right there on the side of the road. These are Adirondack roads - no sidewalks, no shoulders, no nothing. I stopped, took a gel, and emptied a water bottle. I realized there was no place to get water out there, so I had to return back to town. Fine with me. But I couldn’t pull it together. I stood there overcome with emotion. Picture me squatting down, holding my head in my hands, tears pricking at the back of my eyes. I wanted to just sit down and let it all out. I didn’t. But I was there for several minutes trying to get my act together.

This was the view when I had my breakdown.
Breathed in some of that beauty and got back to work.

Started the five mile run back to town. Downhill. Right away the Olympic ski jumps are in sight. Thank you Lake Placid. I needed that boost. I finally settled my mind and grooved back into town. Those that know the course know there is a dreaded climb back into town and on race day a lot of people are known to walk it. I had already made up my mind I was going to run it. Twice. Right or wrong, in my world any act of weakness must be covered up with double the strength. IronBadass. So that’s exactly what I did. Up the hill, past High Peaks Cyclery and all the way to the Olympic Oval. Again….the powerful presence of the Olympics. And the finish line for Ironman. But I wasn’t done. I turned around, ran right back down that hill, and back up again. I needed that. Don't look now, but Nytro's back in control! I finished the run with a strong mind and body. I share this for all of you who think I am a machine; I am not. I am human. And today, that incident on the bike was a trigger for the physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that has been building. If I had been home, I would have stopped that run right on the side of the road. But I was in Lake Placid and the magic there provided me with the power and energy I knew it would. When I needed it most.

Olympic Ski Jumps

I went to Lake Placid to put an exclamation point on the last 27 weeks of training. Pretty sure I did just that. This journey has been amazing. These are the things I learned just this weekend:

• The darkest moments don’t always happen in the night. Sometimes they happen under the blazing hot sun right on the side of the road for every passing motorist to see!
• If you “fall off your bike” literally or figuratively, do what your parents told you to do and GET BACK ON.
• Free the mind and the legs will follow.
• If I never drink lemon-lime flavored sports drink after July 28^th that will be just fine with me. 

Fourteen days. The hard work is done, but this weekend I got a smack in the head and a reminder that I am human. The Ironman gods got a sneak peek of how it works in my world. My world…powered by an IronMind and IronWill. The next ten days are all that separate me from being back in Lake Placid where I will finish this journey over the course of 140.6 miles. Thank you to those that have supported my efforts and I look forward to seeing many of you in LP!

Whatever it is you are up to, always remember….Do Epic Shit!

REV3 Quassy Race Report

Sunday, June 2, I did my first race of the season – Rev3 Quassy. A 70.3 mile race made up of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run located on Lake Quassapaug in Middlebury, CT. I signed up for this race a year ago as a tune-up for Ironman Lake Placid. The timing was perfect (8 weeks out from LP) and the course profile was colored with climbing, climbing, and more climbing. Sign. Me. Up.

My best friend, Jolene, was taking a weekend off from being the best Mom/wife in the world, and was going to be my cheering squad, gear hauler, chauffeur, photographer, and moral supporter for the weekend.  I took Friday off from work to get ready. And by get ready I mean haul out the mountain of race gear that had been tucked away since last fall. I had a lot to do to get ready and I barely pulled it off. Thankfully I had already degreased and lubed my trusty steed earlier in the week.

Check out that de-grease job!

I never did get in my run or swim that day, but soon enough, Jolene and I were jamming to the TNT tunez at the Speeding Tahoe Lounge. We arrived at the Crowne Plaza Southbury, most appropriately located on Strongtown Road. Sounds about right… We checked in, confirmed the beds were fit for two queens, and then set out for beer dinner. Pasta with chicken, a side salad, and even the roll….and yes, one beer! Back to the hotel to fret about gear, logistics, my first open water swim, and everything else that was far too late to worry about. Off to bed.

I got up Saturday morning and banged out a short brick – 30 minutes on the bike and a 2 mile run – just to get the travel out of the legs and loosen things up. All went well and I was back at the hotel ready for my shower and a day of pre-race activity just in time for Jolene to be sipping coffee in bed. We drove the bike course. It was hilly for sure, with 4200 feet of vertical gain. Huge props to REV3 for having a course marked so well we navigated it without a map the day before the race. I’m glad we drove the course, as it helped manage the effort race day. We went to Quassy Amusement Park, home base for the race. The park is older and doesn’t have the thrill rides we adrenaline junkies prefer, but they had a wooden roller coaster….and let’s be honest, you can never go wrong with a wooden roller coaster. In fact, the older the better!

Never pass up an opportunity to ride a roller coaster!

I did the practice swim (my first time in the open water this year…in a new wetsuit). I went to athlete check in, got my goodie bag, checked the bike in, and went to the mandatory athlete meeting. It was hot. Really hot. So….it seemed fitting to have an ice cream cone. Everything went smoothly and my pre-race jitters were nowhere to be found. Probably because I was too busy moaning about the pink swim cap… I. Hate. Pink. (But I love P!nk. Let’s not confuse the two.) Back to the hotel for some respite from the sun and an afternoon of staying off my feet. We dined at the hotel, I applied my race tattoos, and settled in early(ish) knowing I had a 5AM alarm.

Race morning…..I was up and in the shower before the alarm went off. Why? Because racers never sleep the night before a big race. Why do I take a shower before a race? I’ll let you in on a little secret…I lube my body head to toe with lotion (it’s the secret to my silky smooth skin!) and that lube serves me well when peeling off my wetsuit! I’m not joking. Plus I have to shave my legs, but I digress…. I had a plain bagel and some applesauce and drove the couple miles to Quassy. Secured a prime parking spot and proceeded to transition. I hadn’t setup a transition area since last fall, so I was indecisive. It was nice to have assigned spots, but they were tight and I was forced to lay things out a bit different than I was used to. I got things situated just in time to get kicked out when transition closed at 6:30. The cannon was going off at 7:00, but my swim wave was at 7:35, so a lot of time for anxiety to build. I ate a CLIFbar and went to the portapotty line. Sorry, but this is a very important pre-race step. Made my way down to the beach and proceeded to get very nervous about the swim while sucking down a caffeinated gel. The swim is the hardest part of the race for me. My approach is simply to manage the swim and begin my race on the bike. While my swim was far from fast, it went better than predicted. I swam steady, focusing on my breathing, technique, and counting buoys. 11 buoys to be exact. I only got clobbered once (many thanks to the dude that swam over me!) and for the most part I was able to have some space of my own on the buoy line. Nothing special to report because the mere fact that I’ve already said the swim went better than I expected is success for me. I hit the beach, stood up, and like every racer immediately glanced at my watch. There staring back at me was a horrible sight – 00:00. Great. I never started my watch. After a long run to transition, I started the switch to the bike. Asked the girl to the left of me what her swim time was (knowing it was close enough to mine because we arrived in transition at the same time) and she also forgot to start her watch. Asked the girl to the right what her time was and she was laughing before I could finish the question because…yup, you guessed it….she forgot to start her watch. Nothing I can do about it, so out of transition I go ahead of my competition. Although I did take my time to make sure I got everything right. My time on the swim was 46:23.

Out on the bike I am immediately happy. For any of you that follow my training (which really means if we’re Facebook friends I bombard you with boring details of my training which you probably care very little about….sorry ‘bout that!), but I love to be on the bike. I spent considerable time training on the biggest hills in Vermont, so the hilly course of Quassy which has a scary reputation, wasn’t of huge concern to me. My plan was to go out and be more conservative than normal. Ride one gear easier and save the legs for the run. It proved to be a winning strategy for me. More on that later. My bike was a bit slower than I had hoped, but I must give credit to the 4200 feet of climbing I had done. Everything went as well as it could have on the bike. I passed so many people. (That’s a foregone conclusion when your swim wave is second to last and you happen to be a sucky swimmer, but a decent biker). So I’m passing people left and right. Well….left only, because USA Triathlon rules say I can only pass on the left, but you don’t care about that. Passing passing passing. Oh how a girl loves to pass boys like they’re standing still. Especially on the hills. Even sweeter on the BIG hills! Very few people passed me on the bike. One guy made a $hitty pass and I wanted to share some words with him, but I just brushed it off. (NO, I didn’t gloat when I buried him at mile 5 on the run. Take that, Bastard Buddy!). I executed a great pacing strategy and nailed my nutrition. It was hot, so hydration was key. Water, Gatorade, and Fig Newtons were my friends out there. 3:20 minutes later I was pulling back into transition, happy to see no bikes from the girls around me.  A change of the shoes, on with my visor and hydration belt, a quick application of sunscreen, and off I went on the run course.

Starting the run…13 miles to go.

There was Jolene, offering up a huge smile and tons of encouragement to fuel my run. 13.1 miles to go. When you get off the bike, you realize just how hot it is. In this case….it’s really hot. And I’ve got 900 feet of climbing to do. The first three miles are flattish, but then come the hills. More hills. And more hills. The only torture I endured out there was at mile 8 when the run course had you go right by the park. Yup, there’s the finish line. And I’ve got 5 miles to go. Not nice, REV3…not nice!!! But the final five miles were flat or downhill, so no more climbing (except for that brutal little hill at mile 12…). The key to managing the run for me was to walk through each aid station and take in as much fluid as I could. One cup of water, a second cup of water, sometimes Gatorade, salt tablets, and two cups of ice down the back of my shirt. There were 11 aid stations on the course. I walked every one of them. This cost me a lot of time, but in the end, managing my nutrition and hydration was critical and I believe it paid huge dividends. Why do I say that? Because my last half iron run was 2:34. This time I ran 2:09! Unbelievably even splits, never slowing down.

Crossing the finish line.

For the first time at this distance, I crossed the finish line with gas in the tank. A lot of gas in the tank. In two previous 70.3 mile races, I was spent. Empty. Couldn’t wait to reach the finish line. This course was by far the hardest I’ve ever raced. I PR’ed by 12 minutes and had tons of gas in the tank. What does that mean? It means I could have raced harder. Next time I will. But on that day on that course with that heat and humidity, I’m pleased. It is the first time I executed according to plan. I nailed every piece. But…I’m never satisfied. I want nothing more than to go out and have my chance again at this distance on a more forgiving course to see what I'm capable of. Sub-6:00 baby! But that’s not in the current plan. This was an important step on my journey to Ironman Lake Placid. The pacing strategy for Lake Placid doesn’t allow for Nytro to put the hammer down. If she does, she’ll likely get a ride in a sag wagon to the medical tent….game over. No thanks. Follow the plan, Nano. Follow. The. Plan.

Post race, Jolene took charge and did everything I needed her to do without having to ask. She met me at the finish line and gave me the best hug. She made sure I had cold water. She ushered me to the timing trailer to get my official time (since I forgot to start my watch). She brought me to the ice baths which I wouldn’t have even known were there. I took off my sneakers and plunged. Fully submerged Penguin Plunge style! Upon plunging, my visor came off and was floating in the bath with me. I looked at her in all seriousness and said, “Where are my sunglasses?” Thinking they had been atop my visor. She just looked at me with a smile and said, “on your face.”  The only response, “oh….” And then the roar of laughter from both of us. She carried my gear. She brought me to food. She made sure I got a shower and proceeded to drive me home. Jolene, you are the best tri-sherpa, a real pro. And more important, you are the best friend a girl could ever have. Thank you for being mine. I. Love. You!

NO and JO

Post Race Plunge

Many thanks also go out to my sponsor, The Tri Shop, from Ann Arbor, MI. Check them out online at www.thetrishop.com for all your swim, bike, and run needs, as well as like them on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/#!/TheTriShop?fref=ts. They have the best gear and low prices. In fact, use discount code TTS10 for a 10% discount.  I also need to give many thanks to my teammates at TTS. You guys are supportive, provide much inspiration, and have a special place in my universe. Thank you all.

And lastly, many thanks for Coach Dave for building the plan that got me this far. Your support and encouragement sometimes surpasses my own beliefs. Having been sick for two weeks not once, but twice this winter and spring, I am amazed at my level of fitness. I know 140.6 is a different beast, but I look forward to the rest of the journey.

What did I learn in this race?

•          Trust in the process. Trust in my ability. I anticipated a mediocre performance. I raced a personal best on the hardest course I’ve ever tackled.
•         I will not die on the swim!
•         Even though I had an electronics failure and had no idea what my race time was throughout the race, I paced appropriately based on feel and NAILED IT!
•      Hold back a little to be able to gain a lot. I was a bit conservative on the bike and took my time walking through every aid station on the run, yet I shaved 12 minutes off my previous best HIM and 25 minutes off my last HIM half marathon.
•      My fitness is exactly where it is supposed to be. Despite illness and missing more training than I ever have in a  training season, I am stronger then ever. It’s more about consistency over time than any individual workout.
•          Take in the entire race experience. Even eat ice cream and ride a roller coaster!
•         Get my electronics in order. Start my watch at the beginning of the swim and make sure to zero offset my Joule. Ugh….stupid.
•         Follow the plan. It is built based on performance during training and will lead to a successful race.
•         I could have pushed harder. I ended with too much gas in the tank. Good simulation for Lake Placid. Confirms I can go longer distances at the paces I was working.
•         Nutrition and hydration are game changers. I nailed it at Quassy. I’ve never bonked, but I always get depleted during races out of shear laziness. Here I was deliberate about hydration and nutrition. Water, Gatorade, and salt tablets. Fig Newtons are the bomb!
•          My bike and my run are considerably stronger than my swim. I was 33^rd out of 47 coming out of the swim. Not a surprise to me. But after the bike I was 21^st, and after the run 19^th. That’s a significant improvement. Overall, I finished 108^th out of 270 women. If I can just get my swim in line with my bike and my run, I can work my way out of the top of the mid-pack and into the bottom of the top pack. Yes please!
•         And while it pains me to admit it….the ‘effen pink swim cap had no negative effect on my race. There. I said it.

Power. Performance. Possibilities. Yup…we do that here. Next stop….Lake Placid. 54 days and counting. 

A friend recently shared a mantra a friend had shared with him. Do Epic Shit. I am adding it to my short list of favorites, which also includes Shut Up Legs. It's good to have mantras to help anchor yourself when the going gets tough. DO EPIC SHIT. Yup, makes sense to me…

Nytro Customized Aero Bars!

The Book of Firsts…by Nytro

It’s been a while since I’ve written. Sorry about that. I’ve been busy…what do you want me to say??? Ski season is over, so now I have more time! I’ve had some significant “firsts” in this journey to Ironman, which got me thinking… Here is a rundown. It goes without saying the ultimate first is tackling Ironman. Never done that before!

1.     I got my first all carbon road bike in February. Stared at it in the garage on weekends while loading up the ski gear to head to the mountain. Finally it got nice enough to ride! Bye-bye skis….hellooooo SuperSix! This thing is a dream. It doesn’t replace my beloved P3, but there is a place for it in my training program. More about that later.

2.     I’m running my race wheels on the SuperSix as training wheels. The SS came with crap wheels that weigh a ton and rather than buy decent wheels, why not run the awesome wheels sitting in my basement? Done.

3.     I’ve embraced the social aspect of training. I used to be the girl with her head down, laser beam focus, who didn’t see a thing around her. Not only have I learned to raise my head and take a peek around, I’ve also enjoyed training with other people. Don’t look now, but I’m having fun. Who knew? Warning: If you are participating in my training, that’s cool and I thank you, but its all fun and games until race day.

4.     I have reached the point in Ironman training where I am hungry all the time. I feel like I am eating non-stop. And my jeans are falling off! For the most part, I’m following a healthy diet, but there is plenty of room for some extras. I bought my first jar of Nutella. The tiny little one….I promise! They should call that stuff what it is – CRACK! Just today I ate inhaled an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie the size of a hubcap! It was sooo good. Thanks Erin!!!!

5.     There is milk in my fridge. Huh? Right….I don’t drink milk. I have no use for it. It doesn’t belong in my fridge. But having just unveiled #4, I must confess, I am eating Life cereal by the box. Do you find it ironic that I’ve chosen LIFE of all cereals? What’s the hidden meaning here?!?!? At any rate, I need some milk to mist my cereal.

6.     I’ve discovered an unbelievable group of tri crazies online. I never knew I could find so much inspiration and support from people I’ve never met. So happy to have found the Ironman Lake Placid group, and of course there are my teammates at www.thetrishop.com! These guys rock. Most of them are well into their race seasons and I think everyone who has raced has set a PR, so the bar is set high! Kind of glad I’m not racing against them (see the fine print in item 3).

7.     I rode my bike 70 miles Saturday. That’s the longest ride I’ve ever done. Hey…before that I was only a Half Ironman, so there was no need to be able to cover more than 56 miles. I had trained up to 65. Saturday I rode 70 miles. Sunday I was supposed to ride 70 again, but I only did 68. Call me a failure, I don’t care. I climbed the App Gap….on a bicycle…on a day after I had already thrown down 70 miles. All I can say is thankfully that SuperSix has a compact crank! I’m thinking if I do that climb 1-2 more times, Lake Placid might actually feel FLAT! No???

8.     I got my first professional bike fit on both bikes. If you haven’t gone to see Ian Buchanan at Fit Werx, what are you waiting for? I’ve never felt better on the bike. We made some major changes and in some ways my body is still adjusting, but I can already feel the difference. Check them out at www.fitwerx.com or better yet, make the drive to Waitsfield. So worth it! And if you want a bike fit, let me know….I can save you $25. Yup yup yup… Ian’s the man!

9.     I withdrew from a race for the first time. Yes, you heard correct. I withdrew from a race. It was a C-race at best and Coach Dave was asking me to run it as an Ironman Marathon simulation. Hummm….Ironman marathon pace is much different than open half-marathon pace. The race really put a crimp in my personal plans to get to Connecticut to the MUSE concert and I don’t have confidence in myself that I could follow the plan to not race in a race setting, so I withdrew. I did the 13.1 mile IM race simulation. The night before. On the track. Alone. And proceeded to go to one of the greatest rock concerts ever! Without rushing and with legs well on their way to recovery. Don’t look now, but I think I’m starting to mature as a racer. Long way to go, but taking steps in the right direction.

10. I have branched out a bit in an artistic sense. Girl who loves black bought purple running kicks!!! Hey, that’s a big deal for me considering my last six pairs of sneakers were black.

So there you have my list of first. I have continued to strike a balance between my life and Ironman. I knew there would come a time when I would have to start making even more sacrifices…and that time has come. The training volume is getting really high and aside from work, I feel like the majority of my time is being spent preparing for training, training, eating, recovering from training, sleeping, and realizing I need even more sleep.  I ask for your continued support over the next 75 days. If I decline a social invitation, please understand. If I do come out, but choose to drink water instead of beer, don’t harass me. If I fall asleep while socializing with you, just wipe the drool from my face and cover me up with a blanket!

Seventy-five days….that’s all that’s left. Thank you all for being a part of my journey. These next 75 days are going to be the most critical ones. My #1 goal is to prepare my mind and body to get to the start line on July 28^th, while remaining injury-free and maintaining some semblance of sanity. Although some of you would argue I had none to begin with. Ironman is the BOSS! This journey has been filled with self discovery, success, times when I fell short, and a list of ten “firsts”.   Three-hundred days ago I couldn’t have imagined being where I am now.  What’s your dream? What’s the one thing you think isn’t possible? Here’s the truth….The time is going to pass no matter what….so why not follow your dreams. Work toward something. Look fear in the face and show it whose boss. What are you waiting for? 

Yup, sounds about right to me… I'm hungry. Time for some Life!

SNAP! I’ve Only Got 90 Days to Get Half Iron Ready…

I’ve been so focused on Ironman Lake Placid I kind of lost sight of the half iron distance triathlon I’m doing on June 2^nd. Literally 90 days away. REV3 Quassy...possibly one of the most difficult half iron courses in existence. <Gulp> What makes it so difficult? Aside from the fact that it goes through Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, CT and I will be wooed by roller coasters and funnel cakes, it’s a little known blip in the terrain called hills. For you data weenies, here's the bike elevation chart.

The truth is, I was pretty sick for ten days and missed more workouts than I logged, so I’m feeling a bit behind here. It was mostly a head cold I couldn’t shake that took a side trip on the vomit train and then back to the head cold. I must make a confession. I’ve not done myself right by ensuring I’m getting ample sleep, especially when sick and requiring extra. So I am hereby committing to correct my bad sleep habits. If I am cavorting with you late at night, please feel free to send me to bed immediately. And quite frankly, those of you who routinely cavort with me after hours (you know who you are), YOU should be in bed too!

My coach assures me I have plenty of fitness in the bank and this sickness isn’t going to set me back in the long run. I hope he’s right. I don’t want to bore you with sickness or training woes. All I want to do is share some of my winter through photos. In Vermont, people tend to fall in one camp or the other – they love winter or they hate it.  Have a look at some of my favorite pics from this winter and decide for yourself where I pitch my tent.

Night time hike up Smuggler's Notch.

Well worth the effort for one sweet ride back down!

Amelia and I at the top of that hike.

Check out what she called my "rice noodle hair"!

Hotel Vermont Ice Bar

A bar setup outside and yes...made entirely of ice!

Monkeying around at Jay Peak

The truth…I’m having the best winter ever. While training is always a constant in my life, I’ve struck a balance and it feels good. Today I skied all day and then ran five miles. (Does that count as a brick?) What’s the lesson in all this? Don’t be so singularly focused on one thing you miss out on the rest. Makes sense to me…

Oh….and if you’re wondering about my fitness and whether or not I’ll be ready to rock 70.3 miles in 90 days, have a look at my secret weapons!

P.S. I’m in the process of acquiring a new bike! More to come on that later… 

It Takes A Village….My Ironman Village

I’m six weeks into training and counting down to race day. Only 176 days to go! Half a year...so much work to do and so little time. Yikes!  I thought I would take some time to give some shouts out to people who have helped get me on this road to Ironman Lake Placid.

These first two…. I honestly do not know where to begin.  Ryan and Amelia….I love you guys!  They are kick a$$ personal trainers and get tons of credit for hardening my body and preparing it for the demands of long distance training. My life intersected with theirs at Body Resolution. Never did I imagine their span of influence would spill over from personal torturer trainer to therapist and friend. Check out BR at www.bodyresolution.com. They both challenged me in ways I had never been challenged; pushed me to new limits; and taught me to demand excellence, but also be good to myself. In some ways, they knew me better than I knew myself. Ryan is the one who first started calling me Nytro. Training and racing for long course triathlon means constant pounding on the legs. The cumulative fatigue that builds up over a race season doesn’t leave room for heavy leg training. After every race, there would be two questions: 1. How’d it go? 2. Nowwww do I get to train your legs?!?!? I guess it’s fair to say my legs are my strong suit and they always wanted a piece of them. Sorry guys, maybe some day we’ll get together for some Total Leg Annihilation!

Here’s Ryan, Amelia, and I (I'm in the middle) at the start of Tough Mudder Vermont in May 2011. Epic day. Greater than epic people.

Joey Adams of Intelligent Fitness (website coming soon at www.intelligentfitness.com) is a Master’s level Exercise Scientist. That means he knows how to interpret all those complicated charts and graphs that leave me scratching my head. He is a trusted advisor and someone I work with a couple times per year for VO2 testing. It’s brutal, but very valuable stuff. He has taught me some important lessons. While I didn’t want to believe him, the theory of base building is magic. For 8 weeks last February and March, Joey sentenced me to Zone 2…Do not pass Go, do not collect $200, do not let the heart rate go above 150 beats/min. He also taught me to categorize my races as A-B-C. I used to approach every race as an A race, but I also raced almost every weekend, so you can see this was not a winning formula. Joey has helped me build my engine. I’ve got to tell you, he's on to something here with this base building stuff because I PR’ed at every distance I raced in 2012. Thanks Joey! Still working on patience….and will be for a while.

Joey introduced me to Dave. Dave is my new tri coach. He is a USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach and can be found at www.1K2GO.com. It’s great that Dave is certified, but he better have a whole lotta’ psychology based tools in his belt if he’s going to manage Nytro! She doesn’t always listen, she often does things the hard way (the really hard way), and mostly is in need of saving from herself. But you didn’t hear it from me…  Dave manages my training plan and trains with me twice per month. I’ve never had a coach before, but I’m really excited about working with him and seeing how it translates in Lake Placid.

Next up for supporters is Dealer.com. This is where I work. We are the leader in digital marketing solutions for car dealers. If you researched cars online in the last decade, you probably used one of our 15,000 websites. Dealer is unlike any place I’ve known with a strong commitment to healthy living. We have an organic café, a gym that rivals the best gyms in the country, a group exercise schedule that is far superior to anything available locally (CrossFit, yoga, kickboxing, spinning….on bikes that actually put power back into the grid!). We have a Life Team who is dedicated to all the missions at DDC to keep us healthy. I just won a scholarship for six months of training with the head coach. So now I get to add Scott to my list of supporters. He will focus on sport-specific strength and conditioning, body alignment, and nutrition. Nutrition…..my nemesis. Lots of opportunity here. Thanks DDC! Check 'em out at www.dealer.com.

A huge shout out goes to Sarah and REV Indoor Cycling….the newest love of my life (REV, not Sarah…although she’s pretty awesome!).  REV is the hottest place in town, specializing in kick a$$ spinning. Check out www.revindoor.com.  Sarah has not only allowed me a coveted spot on her team, but she indulges my crazy thoughts. She let me develop a concept called clubREV where the underground club scene meets the spin studio! This place is truly awesome and there is nowhere else I want to be. Sarah has created something special. REV and the people here will be a constant part of my Ironman journey. Come check it out.

Last but certainly not least, I want to shout out to these two guys – my big brothers! Meet Norman and Michael….the two people responsible for helping me develop what may be the most important tool in my Ironman tool kit – my mental edge. The ability to go deep into the pain cave. The ability to tolerate unbelievable amounts of discomfort. A never-stop-fighting approach. Why do they get the credit for this? Well for starters, they are my older brothers and I believe they were put on Earth solely to torture me. Daily. For at least 17 years. I had to learn to fight back. If I wanted to play, I had to play with the boys. If they weren’t physically pummeling me, we were playing the World Cup of soccer or the World Series of Baseball, even the Super Bowl of Football (tackle of course). Sports were a huge part of our childhood – both organized and unorganized – and survival of the fittest was of Olympic proportion at our house! Many thanks to my Big Bros for teaching me how to have the mental edge that is so important in endurance racing.

There are many others – family and friends – that support me in my journey each and every day. It would be impossible to list everyone, but some notables are my parents, JoJo, Jennyb, JT, Shawn… Thank you all.

Today I learned a valuable lesson. It’s Saturday night and I needed to do an hour long “easy” run, so I decided to play my clubREV playlist to pass the time on the indoor track. Final song was one of my favorites, Greyhound by Swedish House Mafia. Have a listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBRKSIj2tMc. Seven minutes of pure adrenaline administered via a Skullcandy central line. I finished my hour and kept it in Zone 2, exactly as the plan said. And then I replayed the song and laid down an extra mile. Screw Zone 2!!! “Hello my name is Nytro and I am an addict.”

On a side note, today I participated in the Penguin Plunge. For the sixth time, I took a plunge into the frigid depths of Lake Champlain in beautiful Burlington, Vermont to benefit VT Special Olympics. Water temp was 36…air temp 16. Yup, another shenanigan to remind myself I'm alive.

You can see I am surrounded by the most amazing support system. I can’t imagine taking this journey without them. They will play crucial roles over the next six months. Wait for me at the top, guys, I’m on my way! The point is…You don’t have to do the hard stuff by yourself. Have a support system. Lean on them. Let them prop you up when you need it. Don’t profess to know all the answers. Surround yourself with those that have the answers or can help you get them. Just open yourself up to learning and discovery in whatever journey you are on. And don't forget to have fun doing it. Makes sense to me…

Triathlon is My Drug and Ironman is My Dealer

I often get asked why I do what I do. It’s a fair question….as it is seemingly nonsensical to train and race for such ridiculously long distances. And for what? It’s not like I get paid for this. In fact, I pay hefty fees to race. Time off from work, hotel and meal expenses, gas…you can see how quickly it all adds up. Many thanks to TheTriShop.com in Ann Arbor, MI for sponsoring me and allowing me the privilege of being their ambassador to spread triathlon goodwill in the world. So why do I do it?

I love to work myself to a salty, crusty mess. I do my best thinking in the solitary miles of the weekly LSD. Oh no…more drugs! In this case, Long Slow Distances…. A 20 mile run or what will eventually be 80-100 mile bike rides. It’s just me, the voices in my head my thoughts, and my music out there. It’s cheaper than therapy. It grants permission to eat and drink! I like the structure of the plan. I just love to test the limits of possible. The sense of accomplishment.

Ah yes….the sense of accomplishment. Not just on race day when I get that sweet moment of crossing the finish line, but after every training session where I did the work. There’s nothing like starting a speed workout and after doing the first two 800 meter intervals you know you can’t do eight, but somehow you do and the last one is the fastest. Or getting in the pool not knowing how you’re going to swim 2000 yards continuous, yet you do. Or putting on your running shoes and asking the tree trunks that are where your legs used to be to run after biking for three hours.

Nothing is more satisfying than putting forth the effort and reaping the reward. The reward comes in many forms. Faster race times. Lower heart rate. Rockin’ my favorite jeans. More mitochondria! Wood fired pizza and ginger martinis (Hello Amelia, what are you doing on Thursday?). More capillaries!! The ability to keep up with the boys on the bike. Did I mention faster race times?

In 2012, I won my age group twice and qualified to compete in the USA Triathlon National Championship. None of that came for free. I worked for it. I earned it. So when you’re frustrated and not getting the results you desire, stop and ask yourself if you’ve put forth the effort to effect the change you are wanting. Do you want it bad enough? You say yes. But are you really willing to make the sacrifices? Maybe you have to get up at 5AM to get in a run. Maybe you have to decline social invitations that tempt poor decision making. Ask yourself if you can give more; I bet you can. Take care of your body. Eat right. Sleep. Maintain a positive attitude. Find balance. And when all else fails, don’t take yourself too seriously.

Yeah, yeah, yeah….. So I have a lot of reasons to continue to fuel this adrenaline junkie way of life. But why did I start all this? Right… Must. Answer. That. Question.

Why do I really do this? <Insert delay tactic and redirect here.> This is a hard one for me, so I’ll just get to it. Rewind to July 2008. I had an appointment with my doctor for a routine physical. Six months overdue. No big deal…I was healthy. I was an athlete. I walked out with cancer. Whoa. What? After a battery of tests, it was confirmed and five weeks later I was on the operating table. Surgery was supposed to be a breeze. It was not. My right vocal cord was paralyzed and I lost my voice. I continued with treatment. Radiation. I carried on with life. Hormone depletion. I went to work. More radiation. Still no voice. Secondary surgery to bolster the vocal cord. Finally after ten weeks, my voice returned, albeit very fragile.

At some point, cancer became secondary to the loss of my voice. To be silenced….literally and figuratively…was unbearable. And…I didn’t actually tell people I had cancer. I was supposed to sail through the process. I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. I didn’t want people to think I was sick. I didn’t want to be the subject of hallway chatter. But with the loss of my voice, protecting “the secret” took on a life of its own and became equally as difficult as managing the disease. I’m not perfect. Sometimes I do things the hard way. I wouldn’t do it the same again.

While cancer doesn’t define me, it certainly has shaped me. What was important became crystal clear. Priorities were mapped out with laser precision. People were precious. Not disposable. Relationships became my lifeblood. Never again did I take anything for granted. I didn’t want to miss out on a single moment of this precious life I was gifted. I had been sleepwalking for too long. It was time to wake up.

And wake up I did….. First I reclaimed my health. Then I shifted gears. Made some changes. Simplified. I started racing triathlon. First a sprint…then another…and another…double the distance to Olympic. Why stop there…. double it again and conquer half iron. Again…and again…and again, I crushed every goal I set for myself. And so it would seem I had unleashed a beast that was on a mission to prove I am capable of anything I set my mind to. The human body is a powerful machine. Seemingly unstoppable. Mind over matter. My spirit cannot be crushed. This is why I do what I do. Because I can. Nothing reminds me just how alive I am like the pain of long course racing. It’s that simple, boys and girls. I am high on life. Where do I go from here? 140.6 baby! For the next 198 days I will be locked in a staring contest with the granddaddy of Ironman…Lake Placid. Bring it on, LP! I’m ready. I’m already a winner. I’m a cancervivor. In a strange way, it was a gift and for that I say thank you. Makes sense to me…