Race Day Has Arrived

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 0

Activity: The New York City (Olympic Distance) Triathlon

Today was the New York City Triathlon and it was amazing. My goal this year was to finish the race faster than I had in 2010. I was not sure if I would be able to beat my time (3 hrs and 30min) from three years ago as I my travel schedule the last few months made it difficult for me to be consistent with my training. There were few differences between my training this year vs. the last time I trained for this event:

1. I trained less but smarter

2. I focused on my least favorite leg of the Triathlon - running; 3 years ago I went to my happy place which is swimming and put in a lot of hours getting better at what I was already good at 

3. I did my bike training in central park vs. the west side highway; I have to admit it was boring to train in the park, to get the miles in I had to do numerous rounds but what helped me were the hills 

4. I focused on my 'week-of-the-race' nutrition with lots of hydration and eating right which helped a lot

5. I had an amazing meal of fettuccine with a spicy sausage & tomato sauce the night before that my husband cooked

All of the above made a huge difference and I shaved 7 minutes off my previous triathlon time; I finished it in 3 hours 23 minutes and 11 seconds. Below is a breakdown of what I did / felt for each of the segments:

I woke up at 3:30 in the morning, I had packed everything the night before and all I needed to do was get ready and eat my peanut butter and banana sandwich (yum). We were out the door at 4 am and in a cab heading to the transition area on 72nd and Riverside. Once in transition I set up my area; we had very little space but I managed to pack in all my stuff on my mickey mouse towel. I walked over a mile to the Swim start at 99th street. Once at swim start we watched the elite athletes jump in first and waited our turn. The age groups moved pretty quickly and I was on the barge at 6:50 am ready to leap into the Hudson.        

The Swim: I was watching the swimmers who went in before me and noticed that the current was strongest to the right side; so as soon as I jumped in I swerved to the right to take full advantage of the strong curent. The swim was easy, enjoyable & refreshing; the water was 75F so not too cold. Right after the swim I had to run half a mile in my wetsuit from swim exit to transition to get into my bike shoes and start my 25 mile bike ride.

The Bike: The bike ride felt much easier this time round; I attribute this to my training on the hills in Central Park. I was thankful that I did not fall off my bike or get a flat tire; I saw many people on the side of the road hurt or fixing a  flat. My ride was uneventful, I have no idea what I would have done had I gotten a flat - changing tires is not a skill I mastered.

The Run: The run was the toughest part for me, during the first mile my legs got used to running and there were a lot of people cheering. Mile 2 I had my cheering squad on duty (thank you thank you for coming out -> you know who you are). My strategy for running was to run to each water station without stopping and then walk through the stations while sipping on water and Gatorade. The hills were brutal as they are meant to be; but then I hit mile 5 and it was the home stretch, I started to think about packing for my trip to the Galapagos (I leave Monday); this helped me get my mind off running and before I knew it the race was over and I had crossed the finish line!

I was very happy with my time; not sure when I will do a Olympic Triathlon next. I do want to thank all the people who donated to my cause (http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nyctri13/Alefiyah) and Team In Training for helping me train and cross the finish line. Not sure what will happen to this blog now that the Trials and Tribulations are over; writing about training was very satisfying it kept me honest and motivated - Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it.     

The Day Before THE DAY

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 1

Activity: Dropping bike at transition and getting race ready 

In exactly 12 hours from now (it's 4 pm) I will be at the New York City Triathlon transition setting up my transition area. I am excited and nervous; I just want it to start now! 

I slept in this morning as I know tonight I will be twisting and turning before my 3 am wake up call. I packed my transition bag and set up my transition area (pic below). There are so many things that go on in a triathlon; changing from swim to bike to run can be quite nerve wracking. i am hoping that I have not forgotten anything.

After packing my stuff in the clear transition bag (new security measures) I readied my bike. I had to check the air in my tires, put my race number on and stick my nutrition on the front. With my bike ready I left for 72nd and Riverside where I would park it, the me time I will see my bike is tomorrow morning before I walk to my swim entrance on 99th street. My ride to transition this afternoon was through the park, I passed the finish line on 72nd street - oh to be there tomorrow afternoon will be so sweet! After parking my bike I walked to the swim exit and checked out the run and bike ins and outs as well. I plan on spending the rest of the day relaxing, drinking lots of fluids and having a nice home cooked meal. Wish me luck, next time I write will be about THE race.

The Night Before the Day Before

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 2

Activity: Picking up Race Packet

The day is almost upon us. I walked from work to the Hilton on 6th Avenue this evening to pick up my race packet for Sunday. Before you pick up your packet you have to go through a briefing that gives you the do's and dont's Of race day. The packet contains race numbers, tritats - these are tatoos of your race number that goes on both your arms and your hand, your computer chip that will track your time and other goodies from the sponsors. The most generous sponsor was zico who gave a liter of coconut water. You also get a tag that they put on your hand; this tag will remain on your hand till you pick up your bike from transition after the triathlon is over. This year because of the Boston marathon bombings we can only take all our transition gear in a plastic bag - no bags allowed, security is going to be tight on Sunday. Tomorrow I take my bike to transition and I have to pack my transition stuff in the clear bag. Tonight I need to get a good nights sleep! 

Quick Run

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 4

Activity: Run by the East River 

It is hot and humid in Manhattan today. I keep checking the extended forecast hoping that it is going to be cooler on Sunday, the forecast shows a high of 88 and a low of 70, but it keeps changing. Today I did an easy thirty minute run along the east river. The idea is to keep the workouts going but at much lower intensity and duration, the body needs to rest. It was very humid but the cool breeze along the river was welcoming. Tomorrow I have to travel for work so no workout but I plan to go biking in central park for my last workout on Thursday.

Last Swim Session

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 5

Activity: Swim Group Training Session

 

Today was my last trip to Brooklyn for my Monday evening swim group session. I can't believe that it is almost over, I am going to have so much free time without triathlon training looming over me at all times. This week the focus is on drinking a lot of water, getting a lot of sleep and eating right. I created a list for what I need to bring for the triathlon transitions. Doing a triathlon is quite complicated, you need to know what you will be doing at each transition and when you need what kind of wearable or nutrition during the bike and run. Keeping fingers crossed that I don't forget anything and it all goes smoothly. 

At the swim session today we did a 20 minute warm up followed by drills, we swam approximately 60 laps. It was a simple workout that felt good. At the end we simulated what rough waters would be like, with ten people swimming down the middle lane and the rest lined up on either side splashing water on the swimmers. There is no way the water can be that rough on race day, but we are being prepared for any eventuality. This may be my last swim before the Hudson. I am ready for the triathlon to be here, but I feel this week is going to crawl. 

All in the Mind Now...

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 7

Activity: Short Run and Transition Orientation

One week till the triathlon, the time has now come to taper down; which means no crazy workouts and a lot of rest. As our coach puts it; the physical training is over and the only preparation you can do now is mental. Today at our group training session we got familiar with all the entrance, exits and transition areas for the race. There are a lot of them, you start the swim on 92nd street (or there about) swim down the Hudson with the current propelling you forward and exit at 72nd street, run till your transition area where you get on your bike and exit out Riverside Park onto the Henry Hudson. There is a very sharp uphill turn as you exit the park where many people falter. After the 26 mile bike ride is the run, again you enter the transition area ditch your bike & helmet, change to your running shoes and your out onto 72nd street which is a mile long stretch before you enter the park for the remaining 5.2 miles. We went over what we would do on race weekend. I need to spend this week visualizing my race and thinking about what I will be doing before, during and after my race. Today we ran 3 miles as we went to the start of the swim and back.  

The Calm Hudson River

BRick Number Three

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 9

Activity: Biking and Running in Central Park  

It is July 4th, the streets are empty and people have fled the city for the mountains or beaches. I was hoping that this exodus from the city meant that the park would be less crowded, that is if the tourists would gravitate to the 4th of July festivities vs. a stroll in the park. Today was my last long work out and the goal was to bike 20+ miles and then run at least 5 miles; I am pleased to say I did both! The bike ride felt relatively easy; I did 3 rounds of the park, afterwhich I rode home, changed my shoes and headed out for the run. I entered the park at 59th and 5th and ran till 72nd street, crossed over on the transverse and started running up the west side; the idea was to run as much of the actual race route as I could. It was really hot today and I started my run at 11:30 am so by the time I was half way through it was noon and the sun was overhead - I had to take a break at mile 4 as I was feeling too hot. I hope that on race day the weather cooperates and it is not as hot so that I can tackle mile 4, 5 and 6 with not too much pain.

On the North End of the park I passed Lasker Pool and all I could think of was how amazing would it be to take a quick dip and cool off. Instead I stopped took a break from the hot sun and clicked a picture. 

The 72nd Street Transverse

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 11

Activity: Run Group Training Session 

A transverse is defined as 'lying or extending across'. In Central Park there are many such transverses, they are on 97th, 86th, 72nd  and 65th streets, the transverse connects the park from east to west. The 72nd street transverse is an important one for the NYC Triathlon, it is where we enter the park after running up from riverside drive and it is where we end the race coming in from the east side ending at Cherry Hill. 

 

Today we did out and backs from Columbus Circle crossing the transverse at 72nd street  from west to east and then turning back to Columbus circle again. We did this four times, it was hot, humid and sticky and the course was hilly. I was pretty tired by the end of the run. It started to rain after we finished running, if only the rain had come 30 minutes earlier the run would have been so much easier but I guess the tougher the better. I am trying to get all the grueling workouts in before the end of this week, as next week I will be tapering down to ready myself for the race. 

 

 

Drills Drills and more Drills

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 12

Activity: Swim Group Training Session 

Today we did a lot of drills at the Swim GTS. Starting with a 400m warm up we transitioned into the following:

- right hand arm drill: you lift your arm till it is straight up, bend it and then enter the water; while the arm is straight and horizontal to the water. 

- sculling with arms in front

- pulling: you have a person hold your ankles while you swim pulling them across

- drafting: this drill is the best of them all; you swim just behind someone else so that you are swimming in their stream of bubbles - this helps you cut the water and go much faster and is easier. 

We did 50m of the above drills interspersed with 200m of regular free style. After the drills we swam the snake swim for a good 20 minutes. I was so hot by the end of it - I couldn't wait to get out of the pool and take my wetsuit off. This was the second last swim session, one more next week and then I am done with my trips to Brooklyn on Mondays!