Post - 2013 Edmonton ITU Paratriathlon International Event

Man, where do I begin!? Was quite a weekend in Edmonton AB. This race was definitely a tougher race then the UBC triathlon that I competed in, in March. The swim was in open water (which I find more challenging than pools), the bike route wasn't hilly so to speak, but it had a really good climb that you had to do on your way out, which was 4 times, and the run was flat (thank god because I had JUST gotten my running leg two weeks before of this was the portion of the race I was least confident about.

Splits

Swim 00:16:16
T1 00:06:59
Bike 00:55:28
T2 00:04:13
Run 000:42:24

Time 02:05:19

So overall I took 13 minutes off of my PR, which is great, but my goal was so come in under 2 hrs which would have meant taking 19 minutes off of my PR. Shy by about 5-6 minutes. So as elated as I am that I did do well on a tougher course, I still am feeling unsatisfied and even more that ever determined to do it faster. WAY FASTER.

My energy level has definitely not been up to par the last 8 or so weeks and this was definitely proven this weekend, I didn't have the extra "umph" to really push it the way I know I can when I am feeling my best. Fatigue aside, I need to work on a few mane things:

• Open water swimming (my time slows by about 2-3 full minutes in open water, not good. I had only done one open water swim before this race so I know that improving this with practise and hard work is totally doable)
• Transition time (this is where fatigue hit me big time at this race) the moment I stopped I was just dying, I had my transition set up perfectly but I wasn't utilising it efficiently. I also need to figure out something with my cycling leg and cleat clip in, mounting the bike is slow for me so I need to problem solve a way to do this WAY faster.
• Cycling hills & power, I actually didn't do bad after my first lap, but my first lap was horrible. My head wasn't in the game and I was really struggling with fatigue after getting out of the water, my fatigue had my focus off and I was changing gears like an idiot or not changing gears at all. Must strengthen hill climbs, cycling leg fitting great though.
• Running, I have to say that even though this was the discipline that I was least confident about I actually surprised myself. I was able to keep a pretty steady pace. (I did about 70/30 running/walking) I have only had this running leg ready for the last 2 weeks, that's 2 weeks of training. Not ideal, but the fact that this leg was made so perfectly and fits me so well really helped me push through the run. I'm really eager to see what kind of times I can do on in with more training.....and how how FURTHER I can run too :) 

All in all another wonderful day in my life. I am proud and am already setting goals for training (starting back tomorrow, two days off is MORE than enough for me!) and my future races. I'm even more dedication to my dream of making it to the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Its been a amazing first season as a triathlete and I have learnt so much and am eager to learn more.

I did promise my husband that I would be taking the rest of this season off of competing and just focus on my training and what not (have more time for him and weekend summer getaways).... but today I already found myself browsing upcoming races LOL I guess we'll see!

One thing I definitely need to remind myself:

STRIVE FOR PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION.

But I still plan on aiming as high as possible ;)

There is definitely no better feeling than being tewarded when you've worked inctedibly hard for something. Blood, sweat, tears, passion & dedication to my goals every single day - My babies from the event:

Gold Medal for First Place female TRI 2 

& 

National Champion female TRI 2

 

Will post more pics from the event soon! 

K

Pre - 2013 Edmonton ITU Paratriathlon International Event

(Forgive my spelling errors as I'm blogging from iPhone in my hotel room)

Deep breaths. 

It's been a interesting ride to say the very least to this day today. I'm laying in my hotel bed at the Sutton Place in downtown Edmonton, Alberta. It took me just about 14 hours to drive here over 2 days, (yes I could have flown but I have a ton of gear & actually enjoy long drives alone to clear my head.... Maybe not quite THIS long next time though lol). 

Steve had a busy week so he'll be flying in tomorrow night, him & I will take a couple days together after the event to drive home. My dad will also be here (filling in as my handler), along with Dave (my prosthetist), and a few of my uncles and aunts who live in Alberta.  I'm so thankful they're here to support me :)

As I lay in bed I can't help but think a billion and one thoughts. Some positive, some negative, some realistic, ALL full of emotion. My eyes are welling up with tears just writing this... Fuck I'll call it what it is, I'm just plain old bawling my eyes out. I'm not sad, but I'm a lot of other things.... excited, nervous, grateful... I'm having trouble finding the words to explain it. 

A year ago I got this crazy idea (really kind of out of no where) that doing a triathlon would be fun. Swim, bike, run. At that point I hadn't reeeeeally done any of the 3 disciplines since I lost my leg in 2004. I just knew I missed sport & competition and knew I was up for a challenge. I had attained a grant (from CAF) & sponsorship (from Barber Prosthetics) & had a basic running prosthesis (thanks to Dave & his tech Darryl who have put in SO much time building it for me & then went on to completely re build it & also build me custom cycling leg & a gym leg, needless to say I'm incredibly grateful). Had no bike (& hadn't ridden a bike in over 7 years). Hadn't swam (other than when we were boating) in probably closer to 10 years. My athletic foundation was there but it was old & possibly had a few cracks... Not to mention doing all of the above missing one leg was going to make it all a little "different" than before anyways. Regardless, in my mind & in my heart I was already committed, so I set out to find someone who knew triathlon & could maybe help me. Happenstance or what have you, I found that person in my coach Meyrick Jones (I'm sure if you've read my blog before you've heard me babbling about him before). The guy has taught me to utilize my running leg, taught me how to ride a bike & got me back into the water as a competent & confident swimmer. No big deal right? ;) I've trained countless hours with him & on my own. Let me just emphasize that a really good coach isn't just going to shape you up physically, he's got to keep your head in the game, so to speak, too. 

So here I am waiting for my big race in just 2 sleeps. Although I have a billion thoughts running through my head & some are doubt related, I've been trained well enough to know that I'm as ready as I can be for this. Of course, more time on the new running leg would have been ideal (it's only been 2 weeks) & possibly more time swimming in open water (I mainly train in the pool & this race is in a lake), I've also been dealingwith some   un-sports-related fatigue that has changed the intensity of my training as well but mostly it's all mental. I know I am capable of doing ALL 3 disciplines. I know because I trained for it. Every bruise, blister, tear, sweat & drop of blood is proof of that. When I get out there on Saturday & it's go time, the only thoughts I'm going to let myself think are I CAN & I WILL. I have the skills & a plan to finish this race better than I finished my last. Whatever doubt I have is getting a swift kick right the fuck out! There is no room for it. So with that, I'm signing off, excited & hopeful for a great race & a new PR :) 

First Open Water Swimming Training Session May 10th/2013

A little excited on my drive out :)

Getting ready to get in!

We did the beach to the first point and back, about 1.4km or roughly 1400m (not the full triangle) I normally swim about 3k but it was definitely a new experience in the open water. Thanks for a great FIRST open water swim coach!

Goals & Support Systems ~ Dedication to the Dream

I've been meaning to post a blog for a the past few weeks, but as usual life has gotten busy and it hasn't been a top priority. I've been training hard and have also been putting a decent amount of time with my prosthetist as he designs and makes my new running, cycling & athletic prosthetics. I've also been busy with my husbands and my business (Back 40 Mechanical) as it was year end and that ball falls in my court. Another little event that occurred was the wonderful welcoming of another beautiful niece by my sister and brother-in-law, tiny little Kennedy... making Jodie and Blake proud parents of TWO gorgeous little girls and upgrading their first born, Mikayla, to "Big Sister" status!

Recently I've also been in and out of the doctors office and have had some news that could change the path of how I reach some of  my goals. As frustrating as this can be, I am a firm believer that if you set yourself a goal there is always more than one road to take in achieving it.

I actually like to think of myself as someone who adapts to change very well and believe this is one of the most useful traits a human being can acquire. We all know perfectly well that life does not always happen as we picture or plan it. In chatting with a girl friend of mine she pointed out something I had said to her that resonated, and when I heard it back I realised that it actually sums up how I view life very well.

 

 

"I TRY TO JUST STAY POSITIVE AND HEALTHY. I CAN ONLY CONTROL SO MUCH IN LIFE, SO I CONTROL WHAT I CAN AND JUST ENJOY THE LIFE I HAVE. ANYTHING MORE WILL BE A MIRACLE AND A BONUS"

I whole heartedly believe that you make your life what it is, even when things happen that you have no control over, you still have the POWER to control how you react to what is happening AND how you choose to deal with it. In short, your attitude about a situation can make or break your end results. So instead of choosing to just throw in the towel and basically just say "Oh Fuck it!" and quit, I have time and time again chosen to re plan, reroute and problem solve until I have figured out a way to still achieve my goal(s). After all, achieving something that you have had to really work for, something that you have faced road blocks, something that you have had to show true grit and dedicated to acquire the final goal is one of life's greatest feelings.

"NOTHING WORTH HAVING COMES EASY"

Something I have found really amazing is the power of positive people around you. Surrounding yourself with people who really believe in you is seriously KEY in my books. These are the people that, when you feel doubtful and question yourself, bring you the obvious truth that YOU ARE CAPABLE to do what you have set out to do. For me, these people are my family, friends, prosthetist, coach and even acquaintances. People who have reaffirmed to me that they KNOW, not just think, that I can achieve anything. I had a friend say something to me when he found out what I have have been dealing with medically recently... I was telling him what was going on and I probably sounded a little doubtful in myself, he just said "Well, now it sounds like something you definitely WILL achieve, this just made it harder to achieve and that seems to be some you like". I actually had to laugh because growing up my Mum and Dad always liked to say that I took the hard road, I like a challenge. The bigger the challenge the better, if the odds are against me it actually makes me want it that much more. My husband also likes to say I achieve things because I am stubborn, which is also true ;)

"IF THEY AREN'T HELPING YOU DREAM BIGGER, INSPIRING YOU TO WORK HARDER, MOTIVATING YOU TO BE BETTER... YOU DON'T NEED THEM! STOP LETTING PEOPLE "CHILL" IN YOUR LIFE, THEIR PRESENCE NEEDS PURPOSE"

^ That may sound a little cold, but honestly, this is something I have learnt. People who verbally doubt or questions your dreams, goals and ambitions are not necessary to you. Avoid them. Use their doubt as part of your power, their doubt COULD have been yours too, but you have chosen for it not to be, you have chosen to succeed. Always, always, ALWAYS remember that YOU set your goals, YOU also set out the path to achieving them and it is solely up to YOU to design and redesign your path to them.

Thank you to the AMAZING people in my life that support me, you may not realise the impact you make on me... but your words of encouragement and love feed my desire and fuel my dedication to constantly work towards bettering myself and achieving my goals. Even when I have had to face setbacks and obstacles, when I have had to re plan my route, you have stayed the course. I love you guys :)

 

Motivation Monday ~ Dream Big Girls

"Little girls with dreams become women with vision."
~ Unknown

This post is dedicated to my Mum, the biggest female role model in my life. She is independent, strong and beautiful inside & out. I love you Mum, you inspire me every single day to dream bigger & do better.

❤

Fall 7 Times, Get Up 8 ~ Moments that seem like failure & embarrassment

Moments of extreme embarrassment or what seems like failure, I have a more than my fair share of these in my pursuit of becoming a triathlete. I feel like these are the moments that make or break you as an athlete, because in the process of making yourself great, there WILL BE times that you fail.

• My first hill climb (cycling training) ride with my coach, Meyrick... It was a tough ride, for me, but I was managing to do pretty well, we were on the last leg of the final hill and I could tell Meyrick wasn't completely 100% convinced I was going to make it to the top. In full support mode, he stayed beside me supportively encouraging me and of course just in case I needed him to steady me or give me a push, but to his surprise and mine, I did it! He pulled ahead of me and waited as I rode up beside him. Just as I began to unclip I realized that I was slowing down faster than I could get my tired legs unclipped from my peddles. Loosing momentum, I bailed, tipping right over onto my side, (and the hard pavement). Ego bruised and disappointed in my poor finish I crawled to my feet and lifted my bike off the road. FALL 7 TIMES, GET UP 8.

• Any triathlete knows how important transition time is, as a paratriathlete it's even more important to get this done as quickly as possible, taking into consideration that not only are you going from swim, to bike, to run, with that needed equipment but as an amputee, myself, also changing legs for each discipline. This being the case, Meyrick had me scheduled to practice transitioning during one of our sessions. This wasn't my favourite session, I felt slow, clumsy and awkward and eventually I also got flustered, frustrated & tired. He set up a practice area in his facility with all my gear, part of it including getting on the treadmill and walking a distance (for time purpose). I was doing decent, that was until I got to the section where I was supposed to get on the treadmill. With my mind processing all the new steps, I failed to get on the treadmills' stationary section and jumped right on to the moving belt. FAIL. My feet went straight out from underneath me and I went flying off the end of the treadmill onto my knees. Facility packed with other people & trainers, my face now beet red... I looked up at Meyrick sheepishly with tears filling my eyes as I pulled my embarrassed self off of the floor. FALL 7 TIMES, GET UP 8.

• During my very first triathlon Meyrick had warned me, don't forget where you left your bike in transition & don't fall off your bike during dismount. Sighhhh, I had a GREAT ride and once I got to the dismount line (with a crowd watching) I was calm and cool (or so I thought) as I began to hit the brakes I suddenly lost all track of what to do next, as I stopped I failed to firmly plant my real leg on the pavement before I unclipped my prosthetic leg. EPIC mistake. I threw my entire body off center, lost my balance and came crashing to the ground (although by crashing I mean falling in slow motion as everyone watched)... Hit the pavement... Volunteers rushing to try and help me up... A firm "no thanks, I'm fine!!", was all I could say as I pulled my body and my bike off the pavement. FALL 7 TIMES, GET UP 8.

• (This ones' a real goodie...) Leaving the facility with Meyrick for a training ride, we headed up a hill toward the one set of lights at an intersection that we had to navigate to begin our ride. As we climbed the hill I slowed my pace in hopes I could coast a bit and keep my momentum so I wouldn't have to come to a full stop and unclip, (clearly an area needing work for me). There was one car ahead of us waiting at the light, (in the car were two of the trainers that work at Meyrick's facility). Unfortunately, for me, this happened to be a long light... As I got closer and closer to the intersection and literally right beside the car I realized (in an extremely delayed reaction) that I was going to have to unclip. Too late. I lost momentum and started falling over, not just onto the street but onto, against and basically on top of the car, apologetically yelling "I'm SORRYYYYYYY!!!", as I hit the ground. MORTIFIED, I quickly pulled my road kill self off of the ground, hobbled to the side of the road (out of traffics way) and to a safe place I could remount my bike. FALL 7 TIMES, GET UP 8.


Those are just a few samples of times I've had to suck it up and get back up. Of course I have bailed while running at the track, I have even had my leg just fall off right in the middle of a workout and I have had more cuts, bruises and sores from training that have left me sitting on the "so called side lines" until I healed up, feeling a bit battered and absolutely left out but those, in particular, are a few of my most memorable moments. TRUST ME when I say there have been many other moments like this and I'm sure that there will be more in the future. Having a prosthetic leg doesn't make me the most graceful creature on the planet, but it has made me a very resilient one. In those moments when I feel like I'm about to die of embarrassment or frustration I have learned to take a deep breath, calm myself and just move on. After all, the only way to really save face in these situations is to get back up and prove myself worthy of this sport. I'm not the only one who has found them self on the ground and embarrassed, this I am sure of. Each training day that passes by allows me to become a more efficient and competent athlete, my skills grow and so does my confidence. I can proudly, with a slightly embarrassed smile on my face, say I am proud of all these "falls" I've gotten up from.

If I fall, I will get back up.
If I am beaten, I will return.

Motivation Monday ~ Never Stop

I value my intensity because it drives me to push forward even when the feelings of fatigue, pain or frustration arise.