Race Report Ironman Louisville 70.3

Team Iron Ladies Saga Prologue On Oct 13,2021, I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer with a tumor in my liver. A year of treatment including 6 rounds of chemo every 3 weeks, 4 surgeries, and 6 weeks of daily radiation treatments took me almost 10 months to complete. I had the port removed in September and my last Herceptin injection (these lasted a full year) was Nov 9, 2022. I was declared "NED" (no evidence of disease). Two weeks later, I left for Abu Dhabi for the world championships. I did a sprint race and did not win any podium slots but just competing that day was success. I figured I would never do long distance racing again at that point. I had to walk the 3 miles that day and imaginging I could do much more than an OLY was not possible then. In 2023, I did a few things, the multisport festival competing that summer in Dalls and qualifying for the OLY World Aquabike championships in Spain, I did a sprint in Ponte Vedra and another sprint but I'm not sure which one. I think I ended up doing 4-5 sprints that year. I also did some swim races that year. In 2023 late summer, it was announced that IM Louisville would return as a 70.3 in 2024. When this race was posted, I optimistically signed up for a relay and found a running partner so I could do the swim and bike. The spring of 2024 felt very hard for me. I had broken my knee in September 2023 and was not allowed to swim or do anything for months. I was finally released to train in January but other problems were appearing. I was constantly fatigued and sometimes dizzy and experiencing body cramps all over that would last 20-40 minutes at a time. I figured it was post chemo effects and heavy training. I later discovered it was a natural gas leak. All those symptoms are symptoms of natural gas poisoning. When I finally figured it out, I was 2 weeks from the race. I had had a great deal of trouble breathing, almost had asthma like symptoms on a few rides and had really struggled to do long rides. In July also, my father, who is 90, had some health issues and the situation was complicated by my mother's problems to manage him and the whole household herself. She was not used to my father being unable to care for many things and this created strife and conflict for them both. I was trying to get my apartment gas leak fixed during a 100F heat wave where the apt landlord turned off the AC for over a week twice, turned off the water heater for 4 days and left me with an apartment that was 85+F for about 14 days total. I also had guests twice in that time, fortunately they were there in the windows when the AC was working somewhat. So I had plenty of stress, insufficient appropriate training for the bike distance and health issues to work through. What follows is how that race unfolded.

August 18, 2024 I arrived about 5:30 AM after stressing all night about whether I'd be able to actually get to my parking place that morning. Turns out is was a non issue and I wasted a lot of rest time on this worry. I had my gear all set for the ride, which I was pretty concerned about. I was not worried at all about the swim. I knew I would be fine and predicted a 35 min swim. My run partner had to be changed midway through the run up to the race because IM would not accommodate my original partner's need to use a handcycle for the run. We were both very disappointed. I therefore dedicate my race to Ruth Buffalo who valiantly gave up her spot in time for me to find a replacement: Steve Martin who did a fabulous job on the run. Steve met me at the transition site and once I was set up I walked with him and chatted during the 1 mile hike to the swim start. Steve offered to be my Sherpa instead of me leaving my morning bag at the swim start and hunting it down at the finish...I've never had a Sherpa before..I liked that! I got stuck in a porta potty line and missed finding Susan DiCiccio to swim together which bothered me but I knew she'd be fine. The swim chute was filled when I finally got there after using the potty and I was unable to move up to the 35-40 min pace section. I ended up in the 43-45 min section. This caused a few problems on the swim.

Swim Leg The entrance for the swim was three ramps to the river that you could just walk into the water and swim off. I was sent to chute 2 in the middle. I set off and took my time getting settled for the long swim. I felt great. No wet suits were allowed as the water was too warm, but that's fine with me. I remembered to turn on my Form Goggles (that have a straight swimming function that helped a bit) and my triathlon setting on my Garmin so I was doing well at the outset. The water was calm but the swimmers were nuts. I got bumped many times on the swim, swam around a LOT of people, got slapped, and kicked in the chest once...really it was more of a contact sport than I had expected given the time trial start. I managed to keep calm and keep swimming and while I did not get a 35 min PR, I did match my best 1.2 mile time pre cancer at 42 mins on my garmin (official time is 43 mins) so I was satisfied with my swim. The trip to transition wasn't too bad on my feet or too long. I decided to walk and get my HR down and my breathing down. I saw Steve as I went through the exit chute from the swim. He's really amazing. :) I got my gear together, helmet clipped, shoes on, gloves on, took some nutrition, stuffed my pockets with the packets of nutrition for the bike and headed out thinking, "Here goes nothing."

Bike Leg The walk to the mount line must have been 3/4 of a mile, it seemed to take forever. My T1 time was like 10 mins due to this and my decision to take my time. I knew a few minutes wasn't going to make that much difference honestly. I'd be back of the pack on the bike finish most likely. The ride out to Lagrange feels pretty fast and I was able to get some good 17-18 mph speeds on the "flat" which is actually a slight descent for about 10 miles. Then the turn onto 42 and the hills began. They are long hills so the climb slowed me down and the descents didn't give much uptick in speed. I did my best on this section but very soon, my left leg began to cramp on the inner thigh. I just kept spinning and ignored it but this affected me for about 15 miles. (about and hour) I had hoped to start the bike by 8AM but I was close to 8:20 by the time I was on the course so my estimated bike times were off by about 20 minutes. I got close to catching up to my estimates by about 30 miles but the ride back was not as fast as the ride out...headwinds and a long ascent tired me out. I made it to the first turn and was passed by a few folks who knew me and called out to me around mile 15...that would continue all the way to mile 45. I also had my left had cramped, so my thumb could not grip the handlebar for about 30 mins and my right torso cramped up for 15 mins later in the ride. I was surprised at how many people were behind me and who continued to pass me through the whole race up to about 45 mile marker, honestly. Anyway, I had planned to stop and get off my bike for a couple of minutes at mile 30 rest station and I did. However, although I took water and drank a lot and ate some sport beans, I forgot to replenish my water bottle which was at about half at that time. I didn't run out by mile 43 rest station but I was pretty close. I sort of decided that since I wasn't going to run, I'd push myself and not worry as much about nutrition and hydration, although I did keep drinking water, my stomach wasn't too happy with more sport beans or my electrolyte drink mix so I had only water from about mile 40 to the end. It wasn't too hot but the hills really took it out of me. I enjoyed the downhills as much as I could, passed people on the hills down a lot only to be passed as I slowly labored up the next one. One hill had a bump and bridge and there was a maze of water bottles scattered all over and I was going about 35 mph through that area, dodging bottles and passing several riders. I did okay though and kept the speed for the hill up pretty well. I got the turn on 42 and knew I had a lot more work to do to get back. I kept track of the time and it looked like I might make 4 hours (the goal) but the ride back had me doing like 11-12 mph for much of the ride and I ended up arriving at 4:20. I was pretty beat up at that point. I could barely get off the bike, I had to lay it on the ground and step over it because I could not get my leg up over the bike. My kit, which I had worn before but not for a really long ride, had chafed me a lot. I have NEVER had chafing before so this surprised me. I had to walk that long walk from dismount to the transition area and I was very gladdened to see Steve still there patiently waiting for me to arrive. When I racked my bike and gave him my chip I started to cry. I apologized for taking 20 mins longer than planned and worried I'd put him in a bad position for a finish. He reassured me, gave me two high fives and took off and I immediately collapsed in sobs with fatigue and sadness that I had done so poorly. Karen was there and she gave me a hug and told me it was all okay, which I needed. I laid down next to my bike and called my daughter who is rather unfamiliar with triathlon racing venues and had not found my transition spot I tried to direct her to. She was at the after party which I had gotten a wrist band for her to attend. I was so late arriving back, by waiting a few moments I was able to gather all my gear and take it out of transition to the car and then walk to the after party...quite a long walk. I met Desi at the Landshark tent and we walked together. (I had arranged for her to have parking in the same lot which was halfway between the transition and the party on 4th street). We loaded my bike and gear and slowly made our way to the party. My legs took about 2 miles to finally loosen up. I knew I'd made a good decision to do this as a relay because I would not have been able to do that run at all with my legs in such terrible condition. We found seats and food at the party, and sat to wait on Steve to arrive from his run. Run leg We tracked Steve on his run (Team Iron Ladies...which he thought was funny) and saw him arrive in the chute. His wife Shonda was there and she and I met for the first time as we waited for him to arrive. I thanked her for sharing her husband with me and told her how much I admired him, what a great guy he was and how well he was doing. His speed got him at the finish by 7:29 total time for both of us and about 2:30 for him 13.1 miles. He had said he could do it in 2:15 -2:30 and he did. I felt like I let us both down a bit because that extra 20 minutes put him on the course later with more heat, but he smiled and was happy as he finished. Epilogue In retrospect, I am happy with my performance, although my bike was almost an hour slower than my former 70.3 races, I did as much as my body could do that day. I didn't leave anything on the course. I am pleased with my swim and lately I've been considering doing long distance swim races or swim vacations. I really love to swim. I'm still training this week to get ready for the Bike to Beat Cancer ride and the Oct world championship OLY Aquabike race which will be pretty flat. I have not decided to sign up for 2025 IM 70.3. I may try to do a different race location. Knowing that cancer could return, I sort of feel like I need to see the world more than just do the local race again but we shall see. One never knows what the future will bring. My Coached athletes NOTE I coached 3 people for this race. All 3, Charlie Pulliam, Kendrick Ford and Hannah Diehl finished the course in official time. I was extremely pleased and proud of my first timers at this race. I had no doubts they'd finish but you never know. There were some wrecks and in fact Charlie did wreck at mile 55, but he picked himself up and continued on. Traveling this journey with these 3 was very fulfilling to me as a coach. I can't keep up with them physically but I was able to prepare them very well for their races and help them on the road to success.

Race Report Shelbyville Tri #3

SHELBYVILLE TRIATHLON #3 The weather was predicted to be chilly at the start and warm to the 50s so I planned to wear my one piece Coeur Kit under long pants and a long sleeve bike top for the Run and Bike legs. Due to the weather, we did this last one backwards again: Run - Bike - Swim. It's not my favorite because I run slow and am normally one of the lagging few to get out on the bike course making for a lonely ride. The swim is nice because when I finally arrive I have a clear path to the finish with no one to pass, or very few. The tri starts at 7:30AM or there abouts. It's a pretty casual/relaxed race start which makes my anxiety less of an issue. I don't have to get up until 6:30 AM and can get there by 6:45 normally after feeding the pets and getting some breakfast. I set up my bags the night before, laid out the clothes I planned to wear and was pretty ready once I was dressed to load the car and head out. Took my coffee on the ride. My piriformis as been tweaking me for days now and I wasn't sure how much running I'd be able to do. It does tend to limit my left leg forward movement and makes my hip joint hurt on the landing. I started out with a light jog and decided pretty rapidly to just walk the hills at a pace I could manage without pain. For mile 1 that was about 17 min mile, but I finished the mile in 14:15. So I was doing a lot more running than I expected to be able to do. Mile 2 was marginally better for pain but it has some pretty big hills. The pain is worse on the hills so I had to slow a bit. That mile was at 14:25. By mile 3 I realized the pain has subsided a lot and I could run on the flats and downhill but still had to walk the uphills. That mile was 14:55. Not my best performance but the best I could muster today. Race results indicate that's the leg I fell behind my competitor. I matched or bettered her in the other two legs, but was 5 min behind her due to my run. One issue, I'm still skinnier than I used to be and my long black leggings kept sliding down on the run. I decided to ditch them for the bike. I race in my Hokas because they have more cushioning and this seems helpful to my injury, reducing the pain on landing a bit. I took the gloves off but stuffed them into my bike shirt pocket in case I wanted them on the bike. This was a good idea. The run path heads up a paved area around a field and a golf course, across a gravel area and a bridge with lots of trip hazards, then across some grass to an entry road to a campsite contiguous to the start at the community center, then up a short way near the damn and back. I also walked any of the uneven pavement areas. I managed not to trip at all. 45 min run 3.2 miles I arrived at transition, found my bike and was able to keep that time to a short one. I had mentally practiced what I would do in that transition several times on the run, so upon arrival I was able to quickly strip off the pants, get my bike shoes on, set up my garmin and get my helmet on and set out. I took my time walking to the mount like because the transition is on asphalt and working on asphalt with bike shoes is how I slipped and broke my knee cap. I don't want to repeat that! Set out on the bike, wasn't having too much trouble breathing and was able to spin up pretty well. Hills were still slow 6-10 Mph on each. This bike ride was a 3 loop ride that heads out from the transition to the right going west with several hills to 55, right onto 55 for about 1.5 miles of false flat, then right again for a fast portion (I was doing 17-18 mph here) for a short 3/4 mile, then another right heading back toward town and this part is REALLY fun and fast (I was doing 20-30 mph) for about 1/5 miles then a short hill, a right turn, a left turn and a right turn in quick succession and a big hill down - up- down back to the start where I was again doing close to 30 mph. I had a blast on the ride. By loop 3 my hands were frozen as I passed the start so I dug out my left glove and struggled to get it on but I was so happy I had it. Weirdly, putting on glove on, warmed my other hand. I knew if I arrived with frozen hands I'd have trouble getting my bike shoes and helmet off so I decided the short loss of speed was worth the struggle to get my glove on. It was but I still had trounle getting my shoes off. I was a bit worried that I might be ruining my swim by pushing on the bike and running today. I have been fighting with muscle cramps a lot through all my training so I was mildly worried I'd cramp up on the swim and end it all there. I decided to set that worry aside and do what I could do. I had one bottle of mix: Precision electrlytes and Base aminos (rocket fuel) and another bottle of tea. I have found that tea hydrates me and quenches my thirst better than water usually. I alternated both through out the bike ride and consumed 3/4 of each by the ride's end. I spun up the cadence on the last few turns to try to release the blood from my legs and coasted into transition, carefully walking after dismount. I found my stuff and grunted my way through removing my shoes, helmet, bike shirt, socks etc to be ready to just jump in the water once I arrived. I had my swim bag packed with after race coverup, towel and some nutrition. I wore my sandals up the grassy hill to the pool. I had a lot of trouble getting my bike shoes off. A guy cleaning up his stuff said "lots of noises coming from over there!" laughing at me. I said "yes, I'm making old person noises!" WE laughed. I fnally got everything removed I wanted to leave behind and headed up the hill, slowly as my legs were still pretty heavy. I wished I had drunk some water in transition, but forgot. 1:08 14 mph avg 28 mph top speed, 188 max HR I got to the pool, finally got my cap on (my hands were still stiff and it wasn't cooperating...took 3 tries) goggles on and had set up my garmin for the swim on the walk up so I was ready to swim fairly quickly. The pool house was quite warm and as I entered I felt like I couldn't breathe it was so humvid. I stepped into the water and started swimming. I took the first 50 yds slow and gradually added speed at each lap. I had to stop once for a foot cramp (OH NO! I thought...is this going to continue?) and stopped once to clear my goggles and reset them, but otherwise I was doing okay. Not my fastest swim by far...I knew I could swim it under perfect circumstances in under 7 minutes but my garmin at the end said I used 9 minutes. I did pass a team mate on the last lap who I had not seen after he passed me on the run. 9:50 according to Garmin, but I started before I got in the water, and the timer mat is a few paces before water entry. Results are: Place Name Age Overal Place Rnk Time Run---------Time T1 Rnk Time Bike---------Time T2 Rnk Time swim---------Time Total 1 Marcy Rucker 102 65 1 1 2 40:51.5 1:27.4 1:06: 20.8 10:14 2:02:50.0 2 Terri Friel 108 67 2 2 1 45:07.3 2:20.8 1:08: 49.0 10:08 2:11:08.0

Race Report: Shelbyville Tri #1 Feb 25 2024

 SHELBYVILLE TRI #1

Out alone on the bike

I knew I'd be pulling up the tail on this one.  Running is first and I'm never at the front in my runs.  This tri is done backward so I'd be trailing everyone for the whole race.  Not a fun place to be but the broken knee requires time to heal so I have to listen to my body.  As expected I came in 2nd to last on the run.  Despite that, I had a PR mile time of 14:27 which is a great improvement on my prior run walks since last September so I was cheered by that notification on my Garmin.  

Note to self, I was overdressed on the run and pretty warm by the time I finished.  I had my onesie, a long-sleeved IM finisher shirt, my windbreaker biker jacket, two pairs of gloves, and thermal-lined pants.  However, I was glad I had these on for the ride.  The wind got pretty wicked after the second turn. I also had my shoe covers on my shoes which kept my feet nice and warm.  The gloves gave me issues though, they were slipping around on the hoods so next time I need to actually find my bike gloves.  (ya think?) 

I took the time to stop and reset my Garmin to the bike in transition and I carefully walked to the bike out because those bike shoes are the ones that caused my knee break in the first place.  They are slippery because they lost the gasket on the heel that keeps you from slipping.  (note to self, replace those gaskets...and likely the clips as well, they are quite old).  But I like those bike shoes because they match the bike.  Oh vanity.  

As I set out on the bike the guy who ran in after me exited before me so I was actually the last biker out.  But my trusty steed "Winning Colors" and I were clicking along between 14-23 MPH for the ride.  The hills did slow be briefly and at one point I think I was doing 5.5MPH up one of the short hills, it was pretty steep, but I felt pretty good as I passed rider after rider and slid into transition ahead of four other folks.  

I got my bike racked and bike shoes off and made my way up the hill to the pool.  I had left a lot of energy on the bike leg so I wasn't moving fast up that hill.  I took my time and tried to get my breathe back.  

I arrived at the pool and realized I had to cross the timing pad to get to my gear so my swim time looked incredibly long.  I got everything off, switched my Garmin to swim and got into the pool.  I kept feeling like I had something I needed to remove but "race brain" said "nah, we good."  After two laps, feeling like I was smothering, I realized I still had my gator on.  I got to the end, grabbed it, slid it off, and left it on the side, hoping I would be able to retrieve it later. (I did.) After that and after some guy rammed into me at one end, I swam pretty well.  I was tired though so I figured I was doing 2 min 100s instead of my expected 1:40s.  I decided to just enjoy the swim, push as much as I felt I could, and accept the time I got.  I passed 3 people on the swim.  

I felt pretty good after the race, ate a banana and a pickle, drank a lot of water and when I got home I made a mix of Base greens and Base aminos and drank that before lunch.  Ate a full-sized panera chicken Chinese salad for lunch.  

Total time 1:06:26

Place 1st AG 65-69

Run time 25:34 pace 14:12  Transition 2:18

Bike time 25:48 pace 14 Transition 1:00

Swim time 12:45 pace 55:29

Cancer and remaining an athlete

 

October 2021

On October 13, 2021, I was diagnosed with DCIS HER2+ ER- PR-.  This diagnosis was particularly lucky because the drugs they developed around 2000 changed this diagnosis from a death sentence to one of the most curable and treatable types of cancer.  While luck and cancer are rarely in the same sentence, I want to be clear that I certainly did NOT feel lucky about this diagnosis despite my doctor's optimism.  My tumor was fairly large and I had a spot on my liver.  All of this was rapidly determined, as well as surgery to insert a port all occurred prior to my first infusion on November 16. 

Athlete's Perspective. 

Through all these treatment events, I walked daily about 3-4 miles no matter how badly I felt.  This appears to have helped me to endure and recover better than most according to my doctor.  I also read all blood tests and worked hard to fix my diet to help mitigate the impacts on my body chemistry through nutrition, even when food was not very fun. 

Treatment plan: 

6 rounds of chem every 3 weeks; Tamoxifen, Carboplatin, Herceptin, Perjeta, plus an injection of Neulasta 24 hours after chemo.  

1 month preparation

Mastectomy, right side removal of breast, skin, and lymph nodes.  (this was under discussion for quite a while and I managed to find a surgeon eventually who helped me get surgery that would help me with my quality of life after everything...not all surgeons care about this) 

2-6 week recovery

Radiation 6 weeks, every day plus a possible bonus of 1 week, which I elected to do.  

This amounted to about 9 months of treatments.  

September 2021

On September 25, 2021, I drove to New York and raced the Toughman long-course aqua bike.  This was indeed tough.  You ride down a mountain and slowly drive your way back.  I did this race in hopes of qualifying for world championships.  I came in last in my age group of 10. 

November 2021

On November 17 (Wednesday) 2021, I began my chemo treatments.  The first four weren't too bad.  Well that's relative, I had some nausea and some diarrhea and by the following Tuesday I felt pretty bad, but that was the worst day and I'd recover by the following infusion.  I lost my appetite and my taste was very off due to the carboplatin, everything tasted metallic,  This continued for 9+ months.  I lost 30 lbs during my treatments.  

December 2021

Notified that I had qualified for world championships in Abu Dhabi.  I talked to my friend who had worked there and he said he'd go with me.  I signed up for the shortest race (super sprint) because I had no idea what shape I'd be in by that time.  I figured I could just spectate if I couldn't race.  I had no idea what it would cost me to be on Team USA.  I had to buy a new kit and parade clothes to participate.  I decided to rent a bike.  This ended up being pretty affordable because I was asked to share with another athlete doing a later race and split the costs.  Great bike.  

March 2022

Last infusion.  Chemo is cumulative so with every infusion the side effects worsened and in the end, I had some serious neuropathy in my hands and feet, high levels of fatigue, and wasn't eating well at all.  

Scans showed the cancer was completely gone in my breast and my liver.  

April 2022

Traveled to Chicago for my surgery with an all-female team including a plastic surgeon for reconstruction.  The male surgeon in Louisville told me to find another surgeon because I was asking too many questions indicating to him that I didn't trust him.  The female team in Chicago was awesome, empathic, and very professional.  My incision was sewn by the plastic surgeon and it was so delicately done, I have nearly no scar and it's completely smooth.  They removed one lymph node through the breast incision so I had no incision in my underarm.  Overall I was very happy with how it turned out although I was very unhappy that I had to do this in order to get radiation.  The national protocol is that radiation only is given to mastectomy patients.  If you skip it, they do not do radiation, which to me seems backward, and according to the radiologist he agreed.  He told me that there are studies about the actual effectiveness of mastectomy and some are advocating that we not do it due to the body damage, recovery, and lasting side effects like lymphedema.  I have no lymphedema because they did a test of the removed lymph, which showed no cancer so no further removals were required.  

Athlete's Perspective

I did walk, missing two days due to surgery and painkillers.  I stopped taking painkillers in two days and had no pain at all.  I walked 6 miles with a friend on day 3.  

Drugs tend to stick around even though the large portion will wash out of your body with water and time, there will be small residual amounts that get stuck in your fat or your joints.  Movement and water will help flush these out.  Adding Epsom salt and baking soda baths also helps.  There are some other detoxing products that I used as well to gather up heavy metals from the scan contrast chemicals.  Walking was my go-to activity since I could not swim (infection risk) for this whole time.  I wasn't steady enough to ride I felt.  I was often dizzy or short of breath and my Garmin with my wrist HR monitor would show me when my HR would rise indicating my body was working overtime even when I didn't feel it.  Rest, naps and responding to my body's signals was important.  

May June 2022

Recovery...started Radiation at the end of June.  I tolerated the radiation pretty well.  I didn't really feel a great deal of fatigue.  It was fatigue per the normal for that year.  I managed to avoid any radiation burns by using frankincense and aloe.  

July -August 2022

Radiation ends, recovery of 6-8 week recommended, no swimming. 

Herceptin injections continued every 3 weeks until November 9, 2022

September  - October 2022

Liver Scan showed I was still cancer free. 

Athlete's Perspective:

Started swimming.  Boy was I slow.  Did Bike to beat cancer, 18 miles.  Tried to run but HR spikes were a continuing problem so I decided I'd just have to walk at the race.  I continued walking every day and added in biking at Hotworx (Infrared is very helpful for healing and inflammation control), Yoga weekly, and swimming twice a week in my gym pool. (it was only 21 yds so hard to gauge my progress, but I targeted for 14 min on the race swim). 

November 2022

Nov 9, last Herceptin injection.  Side effects last 3 weeks.  Neuropathy is still a real problem on my feet and hands.  All very sensitive and hard to do things with my hands, walking sometimes made it worse. Felt like I had a ball of sand in my shoes under the ball of my feet all the time. 

Athlete's Perspective

The race was on Nov 26 during Thanksgiving.  I signed up for the Thanksgiving buffet and me and my friend prepared for a great 10-day stay in UAE.  We would land in Dubai where he'd show me around, we'd drive to Abu Dhabi,  see the sites, I'd race and we'd return to Dubai for more days of fun there before returning.  

On the day we were to leave, his sister called at 4 AM and notified him that his mother had had a massive stroke and was dying in Cincinnati.  I was at his house in Chicago.  He and his partner threw clothes, the dog, and food in the car, canceled his airline ticket, and left before 6 AM to try to get there for his mother.  They did make it in time for him to say goodbye.  

I had to decide if I was going to go ahead on this trip then.  Departure was 6 PM that night so I cleaned the house, emptied the garbage, watered the plants, and tried to put it in order so they would come home to a clear place.  I talked to my parents who tried to tell me not to go, but my daughter who had been with me through all of this said "YOU'RE GOING RIGHT?"  And yes I went. I have traveled overseas alone extensively and felt I could handle it although I wasn't totally 100% myself all the time.  Chemo brain is real and it had affected my thinking more than once.  

Race week November 23-28

It wasn't an easy trip.  I had made virtually NO PLANS for any sightseeing because I knew my friend would show me the coolest stuff.  I had to figure out what I wanted to do, figure out how to get the rental car, contact the Airbnb person and meet her..it was weird, I picked up the key in a parking lot from her car.  I had a hard time turning off the AC for three days I froze until I finally pushed the right buttons.  The toaster was broken.  It wasn't terrible but it was lonely.  I did manage to join a tour of AbuDhabi and took some awesome photos that I'm turning into artwork now.  

Race day was wonderful.  I picked up my bike and checked into transition.  I decided against training rides or runs knowing I had a limited amount of energy.  I did do a practice swim though, the lure of that beautiful bay was too much.  I found the swim (salt water) to be quite easy and enjoyed it a lot.  Same on race day.  I swam it in less than 14 minutes and was thrilled.  The trek to the transition was at least 1/2 mile and my feet were not very happy. It was hot, gravelly, and difficult to navigate and I took my time even though some locals were shouting "YOU CAN DO IT USA! RUN!"  I laughed and yelled back my feet were very tender. One guy ran with me and encouraged me along the route.  I found the UAE locals very supportive obviously.  

I got on my bike but right out of the chute, I took a turn that took me off the course. I figured it out pretty quick and turned around and as I was entering the course, some volunteers started shouting "LOOK OUT!"  I turned to see what they were shouting about (a guy was coming but he was way back) and I fell into the stanchions.  I got a pretty good bruise on my hip but managed to recover and head out successfully.  The bike ride was okay.  Lots of speed bumps to navigate, and lots of turns, but I wasn't worried about my speed that day.  I got off the bike and headed out to the run and knew with the temps so high, I was going to have to walk.  I was passed by an 80 yo world champion and managed to come in just after she did. I wasn't upset. Tim (Team USA coordinator) caught me as I neared the finish chute, gave me an American Flag and I crossed the line, crying and smiling at the same time.  

Final Thoughts  August 2023

This race kept me going through all my treatments.  I'd visualize myself running the race and away from cancer regularly.  It kept me walking every day because I knew I needed to stay as healthy as I could to be able to race in November.  I'm proud of what I went through and how it turned out.  Today I'm on "cancer watch" for the next years and every twinge is a bit scary but I'm continuing to train and move forward despite that.  I've done 9 races this year, qualified for worlds again next year in Malaga Spain, and feel pretty good.  

My doctor is amazed at my recovery.  I think my fitness level prior to the start of treatment (from triathlon) was a better place to begin than most have.  But my focus on remaining healthy, detoxifying, and moving through treatment helped me to tolerate and recover much faster than most.  

When I lost my hair, after fooling with wigs and scarves and getting annoyed and lots of pitying looks, I decided to embrace my baldness and got a henna tattoo on my head.  Then I got admiring compliments and lots of positive feedback.  I think embracing what is happening and making the best of it helps your mental health as well.  

I also took advantage of all the support UL Health offered in Acupuncture, massage, art and music therapy, a photo session, etc.  I tried to continue to live normally and looked at that year like I would training for an IM or a marathon.  You know it'll be tough at times, but you have a goal to achieve by getting through it.  

My goal was to race in Abu Dhabi.  I did it.  

Women are not "small men" Training and health issues

 One author I follow is Dr. Stacy Sims.  She has been doing research on female athletes for some time now and is active in promoting new ways to train, eat and maintain healthy bodies during athletic pursuits.  I sure wish this information had been known when I was an athlete.  

She wrote "Roar" and conducts research and presents at scientific conferences around the world.  I believe she will, with other researchers like her, help women to achieve more than they have.  

Recognizing and incorporating the menstrual cycle and all variations (using contraceptives) is one very important step she and others have made known.  I see it becoming a part of fitness trackers for women now.  (one problematic issue with this is that such information can be known, tracked and used against women of pregnancy age in areas where abortions are prohibited, so beware).  

Another "new" idea is that women require different nutrition than men.  Here we have a real problem because women are often encouraged by society to remain thin, but not eating enough has created an issue.  Women are more likely to be victims of LEA and REDS (Low Energy availability and Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome) Remembering that LEA is the exposure, and REDs is the outcome.

Here is the link to her Blog   You can sign up to follow her reports.  If you are a female athlete looking for help to maximize or optimize your outcomes, I strongly suggest you find a female coach who is aware of these issues and can train you appropriately.  

It has been my experience that male coaches tend to overtrain female athletes for a variety of reasons.  Age, biology, and genetics do affect a woman's ability to persist and recover during endurance training.  It's much more evident and important for long-distance races than it is for short-distance if finishing is the goal.  However, if you are seeking to podium on short races, it becomes relevant even for short races.  

If your coach isn't asking you about your cycles, or other female only issues such as breast feeding, pregnancy, mesntrual cycles, peri or menopause, you should wonder if they are actually giving you the best training for you.  So far in my certification training, there has been nothing about these issues in any of the educational programs despite the increasing awareness that these issues are very important to understand and factor in for women's training.  Right now the only way to find a coach who understands and factors in these issues is to ask what they have done to educate themselves about this.  Dr. Sims is one great resource and I recommend her books for both coaches and female athletes.  

Race Report: Tri Louisville July 23, 2023

 

I was originally slated to be a Race Official for this race but they cancelled all officials so I was free from that job.  I thought about just spectating but finally, only 4 days out, decided to do this race.  They had a variety of race options and I finally decided that the heat and humidity would be pretty bad that day and running would be miserable so elected to do the Sprint Aquabike.  The race at Fort DeSoto had quite a few Aquabikers but it turned out that they only had 4 racers in all categories for this race.  I did not know this when I set out.  I had decided I'd do my best but would focus on having fun for this race instead of being fastest.  

I had my new Garmin watch with the multisport function all primed but when I pushed the button just as I jumped in, it did not start.  Somehow I had hit the button that locks the garmin unintentionally so that was a big fail.  I did have my little Fenix set up and it did a find job keeping track of my time.  I also had my old 910XT on the bike as a bike computer and I had my data for riding just fine.  Next time I'll know to check my garmin with more time before I hop in the water.  

I got out of the water in about 19 mins.  It was 850 meters so I wasn't unhappy with that time.  I would have liked to do a bit better because there's a current in the channel between Towhead Island and the shore but I had to dodge a few beginners and work around some slower folks at the exit.  The trip to transition was pretty long and I had to walk most of it although I might've been able to do some running, the ground was pretty rough and my feet are more sensitive than they used to be so I was walking carefully to my bike.  

So transition was pretty long, but I took my time and got myself set up.  

I had decided I'd push myself on the bike more since I didn't need to save anything for a run.  I had a grand time on the bike.  There wasn't much in the way of winds or hills, some false flats, but there were lots of turns.  This bike course for the sprint was two laps with about 3 180 turns along the way.  That required that I slow for the turn and then pick up speed each time.  I was surprised that I was able to get a pretty strong avg speed regardless.  

I didn't even check my finish position.  I knew I had finished in about 1:02 or slightly less but wasn't too worried about a podium position.  I was surprised to learn I had finished second and figured it was of a field of 65-69 year olds.  They did not give out age group podium awards for the aquabike and once I checked the results I realized why.  Here's the whole field of people racing the sprint aquabike.  

I had a great time.  The weather was great and my decision to skip the run was a good one I think.  I might've done the Olympic aquabike but really I had a good quick race and was happy with the outcome and during the event.  I recovered pretty quickly, but by Tuesday I needed a long nap before my swim training with the masters at 6:30 PM.  

Race Report: Fort De Soto Triathlon....Sprint Aquabike

 

I signed up for this race as most likely the last tri I'll do in FL while I'm down here.  I can't find anything close in the next 3 weeks, not even a 5K, but I'll keep looking.  I've had a great time here doing two triathlons, one on each coast in the last 3 weeks.  

 I've done this Fort De Soto tri in the past.  About 6 years ago, I did the Olympic Tri and came in first..and last.  LOL.  It's a small race, but they give out AG awards, so most people get a place in the older age groups.  

The swim is a beach entry and a swim parallel to the beach and out with a very long run to transition. I loved the swim.  Swimming in salt water is so much easier, and there were few waves.  I passed many people on my way to the finish, both in my own wave and the wave ahead of us.  400 yds isn't a lot of time to pass folks.  We had a time trial entry, so the first 100 yds were relatively crowd-free, but I rapidly caught up to the beginners doing breaststroke and struggling and on to others swimming well but slowly.  The transition run is through sand and across a pebbly tarmac that my feet won't hold up to these days.  My foot neuropathy makes my feet very sensitive, so I had to leave flip-flops at the swim exit and pick them up on my way across the sand.  I took a bit long on the transition. The bike is a long flat loop inside the park which is closed to traffic during the race, so it's very safe.  There are some headwinds to deal with that slowed me to 14.5-15 MPH a couple of times, but I was spinning well at 16-19 mph through much of the race.  I passed a lot of people on the bike as well, only a few passed me.  That's unusual.  I was happy with how I rode; wished I could keep the power going on the headwinds but I'm still coming back from the last two years I think.  I still get a bit dizzy when I lift weights if I don't keep it slow and rest well between sets.  I rode 12 miles on Thursday, and I felt good afterward, but still was pretty tired that night.  Recovery takes longer than it used to.  Total race time 51 minutes.  Swim 8:50 by my Garmin but they had 9:25 for me. 5:36 transition  36:18 bike.  Total 

I was happy I had signed up for the Aquabike and not the Triathlon, though.  I did not have to run after I racked my bike.  I changed into flip-flops, put on my hat and walked to the finish line.  I got some water and race food, some free sunglasses, and a coozy and finally meandered over to the race results, where I was listed as 1st place!  I was very pleased about this.  

I had met a woman pre-race who apparently sought me out. She was the only other person in my race in my age group.  I didn't know this at the time.    She chatted with me a bit, said she was from Sarasota and that she hadn't been training much.  She told me she had tried to check my race results on Athlinks to see how competitive I was.  HMMM.  She was frustrated because I had made my results private....I do the same thing in real competitive races where I want to qualify for something, but I hadn't even thought about it for this race.  This race is not a qualifier; in fact, it had very few race officials, if any.  A lot of drafting and blocking on the ride was happening.  Anyway, she told me she was "VERY COMPETITIVE" and tried to get me to predict my times for her.  I told her I had no idea I was a cancer survivor and that I was here to enjoy the race.  She started her swim after me, and I never saw her again until after the race.  

We were all standing around chatting and waiting for the awards ceremony, and she sidled up to me.  She told me that there was a "glitch" in the timing, and she had gone to the official's desk and had them use her Garmin time for her race results.  When they announced the awards, she was in first place, and I had been moved to second.  

I briefly thought about objecting to this outcome, but then I thought, I don't really care.  If she needs to be first and she had to manipulate her way to that, then fine.  Alternatively, those results could be accurate...I have no idea.  Why create drama on a lovely day? There is no damage to me, I still did my race and enjoyed the day, met some friends, made some new ones, and enjoyed being outside that morning.  Aside from a flurry of mosquito bites while I waited to check in...I had a blast.  I loved the swim, I loved the ride, and got two medals...what could be better?  I went down to the beach and did another quick swim for recovery. Plus, I'm 1:30 hours from the beach on either coast, so anytime I get to be in salt water, I take the opportunity!  

I had driven over from Winter Haven that morning, started at 4 AM, and arrived at 5:30AM, and I had to get back because I'd left Scooter behind.  I got home at about 11:30 AM,  I stopped for a breakfast sandwich because I was starving.  I had thought I would get home for a meal, but I got too hungry and figured I needed the nutrition for recovery.  

I walked with Scooter for a few miles that afternoon and rested for the remainder of the day.  

Me, Linda and Susan post race