Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD...

 

Looking back to move forward

“We do not learn from experience … we learn from reflecting on experience.” --John Dewey

I believe that Dewey, an education reformer and philosopher, was correct.  And I feel like my triathlon season this past July and August is rife with lessons...but now I need to do the work of learning them.  So this is my reflection on the 5 races in 6 weeks that comprised my multisport season in 2021. 

Races and Highlights

The first two races. the Door County Tri Relay and the Screw City Du Relay, were the subject of my previous post "Slaying Dragons" so I won't go into detail here. But there were 3 others the Naperville Sprint Tri, The Iron Girl Sprint Tri and the 4WomenTri Minisprint. 

Big finish at Naperville

The Naperville Sprint Tri was August 1, in Naperville, Illinois.  I had done this race before, a few years ago, and was hoping for at least as good a race as I had before. The first time was very hot...but I will admit I was more rested then.  

I started the day feeling relatively good as I waited in line to start the swim at Centennial Beach (a man-made pond/lake the makes the swim like a cross between open water and the pool).  The swim was 375 meters and I was truly not concerned about it until about halfway through when someone accidentally grabbed my left leg and pulled me under. I recovered alright, but my leg felt "tweaked" and it had been a little bit of a freak out. 

The bike was uneventful, expect perhaps for the uphill and into the wind portion...but that is pretty par for the course.  

I struggled through the "run."  The tweaked leg was unhappy and my back was tightening up.  Glenda met me and went with me for a little while, and I managed to create a big finish at the end.  

It was pure cussed-ness and the compliments on the Ciao Bella Tri suit (which I'll admit is pretty awesome) that got me through.  I wasn't fast, but I wasn't last.  I was pretty toasted. 

Over the next day I developed a hitch in my ribs...which turned out to be tight lateral muscles and seemed to take a long time to loosen up.  Let's just say sneezing was a joy. I started questioning whether I could do the next race two weeks later...

Iron Girl in the Buddy Wave with my best buddy

The Iron Girl Sprint Tri in Pleasant Prairie was on August 15.  It would be my longest swim in a race ever.  One of the unique things about this race is that it has a buddy wave.  This means that unlike most triathlons which are very fixed on individual effort (ie no outside help, no pacers etc.) there is one non-competitive wave that allows you to do the event with a designated buddy. If you signed up for the buddy wave you were not eligible for awards, but I wasn't worried about that anyway. Glenda agreed to be my buddy, mostly because of the long swim.  

Although after Naperville, I debated for two weeks about whether to do this race we were there on race morning.  We had spent two entries for the not-inexpensive race and I felt recovered enough, though not completely recovered. So we decided we "could."  Thinking about "should" didn't really happen until after.

Since we were racing as buddies, we decided that we needed to dress as buddies. And since it was a women's only race, we decided to go old school and channel our inner Tough Cookies (TC was a women's training group we had been involved with back in Austin).  Glenda said she was going to wear her pink tutu on the run....so, OF COURSE, I had to make myself a pink tutu for the run as well. 

The swim was 800 meters...there were plenty of buoys and platforms marking the course, and giving the uncertain swimmer a place to breathe a moment.  There were lifeguards on every platform and in kayaks on the water.  It was an exceptionally safe course...and an exceptionally difficult one in that it was straight east into the sunrise. We planned to swim to the right of the course, for ease of taking a quick breathe at the platforms if needed.  We started out, and with the glare on the water I couldn't see the platform or the far shore or ANYTHING.  I sort of freaked out, but Glenda grabbed my hand and put it on the first platform (I'd have swum right into it!) and as I calmed a little she said, "Sighting is tough, but I can do it...just stay on my hip."  and I did.  After the initial frenzy, I actually had a very good swim.

Then it was on to the bike which Glenda and I rode together as well.  I had trouble hitting a rhythm...but otherwise it was a great course, only a few hills and closed to traffic.  By the end I was feeling it and the fact that I was probably not fully recovered after Naperville was definitely an issue.

The "run" was a mosey, a ramble, a shuffle from bench to bench. I was doing 25 minute miles and barely holding on.  But I had Glenda, and I had my tutu (which got lots of cheers and compliments....and that kept me going).  We were the last people to cross the finish line and the announcer stopped awards to have us cheered in (which was very special).  We were not, by the way, the last in terms of time on course...there were people in earlier waves that took longer. But either way it didn't matter...I was just glad to be done and praying that I could recover enough to do the mini sprint the next weekend. 

Nearing the end of the mini sprint at 4WomenTri

The 4WomenTri was a first year event in Chanhassen, MN. Glenda had received an e-mail about it and after some consideration we decided to support this new event.  Glenda did the sprint, and I did the mini sprint which was advertised as 100 meters/6 miles/1 mile....a perfect distance for a fun race to cap the season.

The race venue, Lake Ann,  was beautiful.  They took some time to set up the swim area for the sprint, and told of us doing the mini to follow the buoys for the swim area. Which we did, only to find that the swim was more like 150-180 yards...not a big deal, but longer than expected.  It went by quickly and uneventfully.

 

Then up the hill and through transition onto the bike.  The bike was only 6 miles long...but Holy Hills, Batman!  I concentrated on trying to keep steady up the hills and lower the impact on my legs by using the downhill for recovery.  Again, it was relatively quick and uneventful, and soon I was rolling into transition again. I lost a little time there as I ran right past my bike spot!

My major goal for the run was to run some of it, not walk, mosey, stumble and sit my way through it as I did in the longer races.  I was feeling the long season that came before this race and was clearly not fully recovered, but I did it, running and walking, not fast but at regular intervals.

Because this was a short race, I did it in my TomBoyX rainbow swimsuit.  I just added biking undies and a bra for comfort and a bib skirt to hold my bib on the run.  This suit is very bright and can be seen for miles around...or so it seems.  It was a stroke of brilliance, because before the race, after the race and during every leg there were positive comments and questions about it. It made me visible and got me cheers...not a bad thing when you are struggling in a race (and pretty good even when you aren't struggling).

Lessons learned 

Lesson #1--Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

It is not surprising, I suppose that I piled on so many races.  So many things were cancelled in 2020 that I (along with many other people) was hungry to do some in person events.  Naperville was  a deferral from 2020,  Door County we were working for the photo company so why not be on-site and do the race, Screw City was one of the few races we were able to do in 2020 and we wanted to support them, Iron Girl had been on our radar for a while and 4WomenTri was a lark.  These were all things we COULD do.

However, the day after the Door County race while I was editing photos for the Half Iron distance race, I found myself feeling run down and very achey and just really tired.  I ended up sleeping nearly 12 hours that night.  I wasn't sick, I was just very tired.  I chalked it up to a hard race, maybe a little dehydration or issue with nutrition.  The same thing happened after Naperville and Iron Girl...each time there were more extra aches and pains and it seemed harder to recover. 

Looking back, I raced 10.5 hours over that 6 week period...multiple marathons for some people...without enough recovery. My body yelled at me especially loudly after anything that took more than 2 hours.  I heard it yell, but I didn't listen.  

I should have listened.  I am very grateful that I am not injured...because I could easily have been.  I have decided that I have to scale back to be able to do this longer.  And the new mantra in race planning (and maybe in other parts of my life) is going to be "just because you can, doesn't necessarily mean you should."

Lesson #2--Never underestimate the power of a great outfit

You might noticed that I mentioned what I wore for the various events. And though it may sound vain or silly, I've discovered more than ever that it matters.  Why?  A couple of reasons.  First is how what you're wearing makes you feel...obviously you want to be comfortable, but does the outfit make you feel confident? fast? fun? Does it make you bold?  Does it make you smile? Picking the right outfit for a race is a kind of a serious matter for me.

The other reason is what reaction do you get from others.  (Hint: this is also part of the reason I like to run in costume).  If my outfit makes other people smile or provokes a reaction like "great kit!" "love the tutu!" or "where did you get that suit?" it just automatically makes me smile back. It also makes me feel seen and lifts my sometimes flagging body and mind.  In short it helps me keep going and give it my best effort. 

So silly or vain it may be...it is still powerful.

Lesson #3--Keep moving, they can't bury a moving body

This lesson I learned from a fellow competitor at the final race of my tri season.  Her name is Judy Rykken, she is 83 years old and she was the last to cross the finish line in the Sprint at the 4WomenTri...she also won her age group! She did two things after the race that impressed me.  

The first was immediately after we had all cheered her in and the race director asked if she needed anything.  Her reply was "just to sit down."  They got her a chair and I thought there is a woman after my own heart, because that is always the first thing I want after pretty much any race. 

The more important thing, though, was the advice that she offered to us all during the awards ceremony.."just keep moving, doesn't matter how or how fast...remember they can't bury a moving body."  And in that sentiment is a new mantra for me ... Keep Moving, They Can't Bury a Moving Body. It seems a very useful and important mantra as I approach my 65th birthday!

Sorry, not sorry...but not again!

So, do I regret doing all those races in such a short time?  No, not really.  Do I think it might have been healthier and better for me if I had maybe backed it off a bit?  For sure.  

It was good for me to know that I could do these things, however slowly.  But it was better to learn that though I could do these things, It would probably have been happier (and healthier) if I had spread things out.  My body just needs more time to recover, and the slow recovery took a mental toll too.

So I'm proud that I could pull this off, but I have NO plans to try to do so much in the future.

A season of slaying dragons

This dragon is on a circus wagon at the Circus World Museum

 What are my dragons?

For me, a dragon is something I consider "unfinished business."  For instance, the biggest one I have probably ever dealt with is my Ph.D.  My daughter had her accident about halfway through my course work and I ended up taking a leave of absence with no expectation in my own mind that I would ever go back.  I assumed it was over, but after about a year and a half I went back (oddly, Glenda and Melanie both always assumed that I would finish..I did not).  I didn't meet my goal of a degree by 50, but I was only a few months late.

That was huge...but there have been other little dragons. Most recently they have had been athletics related.  There are only 3 races that I ever started and didn't finish: A half marathon in San Antonio, The Door County Tri and the Screw City Du.  San Antonio never became a dragon for me, for reasons I won't go into here. But those other two...or more particularly, PARTS of those other two became dragons that popped up to taunt me now and then. 

Why did they need slaying?

Well, strictly speaking, I don't suppose they had to be slain.  There is some virtue in just letting it go.  Oddly enough, though, only some of my unfinished business becomes something that needs finishing...but when something does get in my head, I do need to get it done.

The two races that were stuck in dragon mode were both multisport.  At Door County on the first try, I had been pulled from the swim, finished the bike strong and blown up on the run.  The conditions were not great in the swim that year and many people were pulled...that didn't bother me particularly. But not finishing the run, even though it was the right choice for that day, just bugged me.  I needed to know I could finish a run after such a relatively long bike.

Similarly, the first time I attempted the Screw City Du I got through the first run...and it was soooo hot and miserable I stopped there and dropped to the 2 mile run category.  I wanted to go back this year...not to do the whole race but to run more than 2 miles for sure.  Technically there was a 2 mile run division so I finished the first time, but it did not satisfy me, I wanted to finish something there that I actually set out to do. So I set out with different expectations. 

How did I do it?

In both cases, I chose to close the book on this unfinished business...to slay these particular dragons...by setting out to finish relays. And I did them just 8 days apart!  It was my short season of slaying some old dragons. 

When I did Door County the first time in 2019 as I mentioned above,  I was pulled from the swim (I didn't argue, the conditions were not good for me, and several people were pulled that day). I went on to have a really good bike, and I'm proud of that still, but in the end I pulled out of the run about 1.25 miles in.  Partly that was mental (having been pulled from the swim I couldn't claim a finish so it was hard to care enough to push through) and partly physical (I had biked frustrated and pushed too hard). I didn't feel any need to do the swim again, so I signed up for a relay.  Glenda swam and I biked and ran.  

I knew I could finish the bike, but didn't know I could do it as fast as I did

So I started with the bike, and I tried not to go too hard, because I wanted to have enough "legs" left to get through the run.  Even so, I biked it 3 or so minutes faster than in 2019...a big surprise to me!

I might possibly have walked most of the run (OK I did), but there was some run left at the finish!

I felt pretty good off the bike, but I was fatigued and it was getting hotter.  I started out trying to run more, but in the end it became more of a slog...lots of walking. I kept telling myself that if I just got through this it would done and I would never have to do it again. About a third or quarter mile from the finish Glenda met up with me and I told her I wasn't sure I could do it.  But she reminded me that I had come that far and it would be silly not to finish.  She came with me from that point, and I even mustered up a run at the finish. 

As for the Screw City Du, it was one of the only races that we did live in 2020, so I had a stake in doing well.  But it was also almost 90 degrees that morning.  I couldn't even face the bike after the first run.  So I dropped to the 2 miles run and called it a day.  Good enough, I suppose...but I wanted more.  Not necessarily the whole race, but more.  So Glenda and I decided to do the relay...I would do the 2 runs and she would bike. 

Pre-race at Screw City Du in our Ciao Bella kit

I ran the first run, and though it wasn't fast in usual terms, the first mile was the fastest I had run in quite a while.  The second was mostly uphill and slower, but overall it was faster than expected.  I sort of blew it out.  Glenda killed the bike and sort of blew it out too.  We then muddled through the second run together.  About 3/4 of a mile in, I tripped and nearly fell...which probably would have ended my day.  Fortunately, however, I managed to save it and we managed to muddle to the end. 

Yep, definitely finished!

And I definitely left it out there!

Having spent a couple of weeks putting these dragons to rest, I am moving forward to other things.  I am sure there will be other dragons, athletic and otherwise, but for now, it's on to more fun stuff

Live Races are Back! And so much more!

Races are back!  And this Slow Runner is back on the Road!

Catching up

It has been a long time since I last wrote here and sooo many things have happened! 

Moderate travel returned for us before we were really ready, due to family issues.  We had planned to visit Glenda's family in October.  We had barely determined to suck it up and go (while being very careful) when we were told that her father was ill.  At that point they had thought it was a sinus infection and cough that just wouldn't let go.  Of course we were concerned it might be COVID, but he had a negative test and the doctors were quite sure that that was not the case.  And we felt we definitely had to go. 

It was clear that my father-in-law, Robert, was quite ill.  A week or so after we came home we got a definitive diagnosis, sarcomatoid mesotheleoma (lung cancer).  We went back to help with some things in early November and Glenda went again by herself around Thanksgiving.  Several days after this third trip, in early December, Robert Adams passed away.  From an active 80 year old who travelled the world and shepherded young boys through all manner of projects when volunteering to run the boys' club at church, to gone....in less than 3 months. We went back to St. George, separately and together,  a number of times since then...for the funeral, to help with some clean-up projects, and just to visit Glenda's mother, Janice. And of course Glenda did the St. George Half Iron in May. 

Winter was rough. Within a few week's of Robert's passing, my mother's last remaining sibling passed and my son's family lost a beloved pet (a puggle named Drucker) rather suddenly.  Right before Christmas my daughter was diagnosed with COVID-19.  She did reasonably well despite being one of those people who tested positive (with no symptoms) for months.  Spring couldn't come soon enough for us!

Running continues...virtually and in person

We were what you might call "early adopters" of the return of in-person racing.  Our first one was a trail race in late October.  However, it was different from earlier races.  Masking was required when near others and start times were broadly spread out to ensure maximum social distancing.  Still it WAS a race with other people.  What didn't change was our penchant for costumes! 

Cookie Monster chases a Girl Scout for our first in person running race

The virtual races continued, from September 2020 to July 2021, I did 20 or so virtual races, everything from 3k to sprint dus and tris.  It helped me keep my sanity, but I'll admit, I was plenty ready to get back to in-person racing more regularly.

Just some of the virtual races, in costume and not during the time that live races were very rare

After the October trail race we took another brief hiatus from in person racing until the socially distanced spring race series...three 5ks in March and April.  We got even more brave in May and drove to Mackinaw Island for the Fort to Fort 5 miler, then 2 5ks on Memorial Day weekend and one on the 4th of July.  Each had some new rules in an attempt to keep everyone safe and healthy....but they felt more and more like the real thing.

As live races resumed, the costumes continued....

Pleasure travel is back

Given the rate of our travel before the pandemic got in the way, we were beyond eager to do some traveling.  A brief winter weekend visit to a cabin an hour from home helped, but by Spring we really wanted to get away a bit. Sooo, even before we were vaccinated we signed up for the Mackinac Island Fort to Fort 5 mile race and made plans to stay isolated and masked up (the race itself already had a good social distance plan).  

Fortunately, by May 15, the day of the race, we were both fully vaccinated, making the trip even safer (though we definitely had qualms on and off).  So off we went on a road trip, and some fun adventures. Highlights included a spur of the moment trip to Kitch-iti-springs (Big Springs) in the Upper Peninsula and, of course, the race. (Fort Mackinac played a role in the War of 1812 and our costumes were based on uniforms from that era).

Glenda on the view boat at the springs

What you could see from the boat

In addition to racing, we took a bike ride around the island

...and enjoyed the view and the food at the Pink Pony (a popular local restaurant)

In July Glenda's mother, Janice came to visit and we took her and my mom, Jeanne on a road trip to Door County.  More adventures!

Mom, Janice, me and Glenda enjoying a sunny day in Door County

And of course there were S'mores!

Now that we've caught up...what's next?

Well for one thing, we've gone back to live racing...carefully.  And we have further plans for that. 

Glenda has retired at the grand old age of 54, and I will be retired (again, ha!) by the time I publish this. So there will be new and different adventures.

My daughter Melanie is "between places" in a respite nursing home setting, and what's next for her remains to be seen.

My son and his family built a house and got a new puppy during the height of the pandemic...and I'm sure there will be more stories and adventures from that quarter too.  

Glenda's sister is going through some life changes, part of which involves her moving further from their mother.  So I'm sure there will be plenty of issues, stories and adventures for us (and them!) too. 

In other words, I am unlikely to run out of things to talk about. And so, until next time......