Spring Ahead and Race Camp 2010

Mercury Rising Triathlon would like to announce:

Spring Ahead and Race Camp 2010

Get a head-start on the season with an early training camp, followed by the

Subaru Shawnigan Lake International Triathlon.

Where: Victoria, BC

When: Monday May 24^th – Monday May 31^st , 2010

What’s included:

- High quality mixed training week, with high coach-to-athlete ratio, ensuring individual attention while benefitting from group dynamics

- Race entry fee and transportation to the Subaru Shawnigan Lake International Triathlon (Sprint, Olympic or Half Ironman)

- Accommodations at the Howard Johnson Hotel & Suites Victoria Elk Lake

o 1 bedroom suite – each room has 1 double bed and 1 pull-out sofabed, as well as kitchen facilities shared with adjoining room

o walking distance to all amenities for camp, including grocery store

- Two team dinners at the Howard Johnson Hotel

Tentative Schedule

Monday

3pm: Check in at the Howard Johnson Hotel

4.30: Easy RUN 40mins

6.30: Welcome dinner and Announcements

Tuesday

8am: BIKE hill reps 2h

12pm: SWIM 1h30

4pm: easy RUN and group stretch

Wednesday

9am: BIKE 5h w short RUN off

5pm: Pizza night and swim video analysis

Thursday

8am: RUN hard 1h30

12pm: SWIM 1h30

4pm: RUN drills and core

Friday

9.30: SWIM 2h

2pm: Transition practice

BIKE 1h30 w short RUN off

7pm: Talk on mental prep for racing

Saturday

Race prep day

SWIM race prep and open water session

BIKE on course

RUN on course

Sunday

Subaru Shawnigan Lake International Triathlon

6.30: Farewell Dinner

Monday

8am: optional recovery RUN

11am: Check out of Hotel

Hosted by: Mercury Rising coaches: Sara Gross, Clint Lien and Carrie Meakin

Cost: $1500 per person; based on double occupancy.

For more information or registration, please email: carrie.meakin@gmail.com

Space for this camp is limited, so sign-up early to avoid disappointment!

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Serendipity

you know how sometimes things just come together in a way that feels like they are meant to be?
It happened to me this week. The events are as follows:
Carrie Meakin and i are about to launch a triathlon team/coaching business called Mercury Rising Triathlon. Things have all been coming together very nicely so far, with the help of Michael and Carlos, our team manager and webguy.
Michael mentioned that it might be a good idea if we got involved with a charity for 2010.
I liked this idea but it felt very impersonal, if i was going to raise money for charity, I wanted to feel connected to the charity somehow. I wanted it to mean something.
At a meeting a couple days ago, Michael talked about the sponsors we will be working with and we tossed around a few ideas about having an event/fundraiser with the team. Carrie and I loved the idea of being involved in the community in this way, but the question was, "What charity?"
We found ourselves in the unusual situation of wanting to hold a charity event without a charity!
On the way home Carrie said to me, 'I like this idea, but it would be nice if we could find someone to organize it.'
The next day:
My sister mentioned that she had done a hair cut for Alyson.
Alyson is an old friend from elementary school.
In May 2009, Alyson was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.
I sent a note to Alyson hoping we could do coffee.
I remembered that Alyson has a blog that i enjoyed reading, so I logged on and read her latest entry. I also remembered that Alyson was an intelligent, vibrant and motivating person. Then I read that Alyson was getting into public speaking and the light bulb went on.
Alyson! Brain Cancer Research!
A cause, a charity, a speaker, all in one.
I love it when a plan comes together.
Luckily, Alyson also liked the plan and as a bonus, she comes with her own organizer.
So there it is.
Of course the details of this charity event are yet to be decided, but i feel lucky to be a part of what might happen.

I highly recommend Alyson's blog: www.alysonwoloshyn.com

Here is an except from an entry about fear that I enjoyed. I find that much of her writing speaks to the athlete in me, the goal setter, the girl who knows she can but is sometimes afraid of becoming a champion;


Yet there are still some fears that silence both the motivator and the cynic. I have a lot of new thoughts that come up that revolve around my mortality and none of my voices know quite how to handle these yet. Most of the time I am confident my treatment will be successful and my prognosis will improve but there are moments where the severity of my diagnosis sets in. I will remember how my grandfather, who died of a Grade III Astrocytoma, so quickly deteriorated and how my mom and Aunt Carol had to take care of him during his final months. I remember the woman who was across from me after my surgery and how she could not communicate with her family or nurses what she needed, when she needed it although I knew that she still had good mental capacity to know what it was that she wanted. I remember what that doctors and statistics have told me that a good survivor rate is 10 – 15 years – which would make me 47 at the tail end of the curve. With these thoughts there is no inner monologue; just a scary movie playing in my head where the heroine knows that the killer is coming for her, she just doesn’t know when or how. She races through the field in a desperate attempt to save herself, but she knows that the inevitable is coming. Typically at this point in a movie I would change the channel for a moment, let the inevitable happen then come back for the next scene, however with the movie inside my head I can’t seem to find the remote. I play over the images of what is coming and all I can do is hide my head in the pillow to try and avoid my fear of dying.

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What Happened.

First, let me thank everyone who emailed and FBed before the race wishing me well. I appreciate it more than you know. I don't have much by way of explanation as I am still collecting my thoughts on the matter but i can say a few things.

It became very obvious to me late in the day on Saturday that despite good physical preparation, my mind was struggling with the idea of going through the pain of doing another Ironman race. I had moments of mild panic and a fear of destroying myself mentally in such a way that I may not be able to race again, at least anytime soon. This is about all I can say right now, i simply couldn't put myself through it again yesterday and I need some time to recover if i want to have a good season in 2010.

My only regret is that I didn't realize sooner.

Time for some offseason, unstructured fun!
S.

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Arrival in the desert

Click Here for a preview of the women's race here in Arizona:
http://tinyurl.com/yjmgl3q

Check out our humble accommodations...


Its 4pm and I am horizontal, with a bowl of corn chips and guac, and sun streaming in through the window. I am definitely in Arizona.

Our journey here was definitely not without hiccups. When we boarded in Victoria, they promptly told us the plane was broken and we had to offload. Not only that, but we had to reclaim our luggage and check in again. Crappy. Thankfully, we were armed with a laptop and 2 seasons of the Xfiles. Plus, the nice lady upgraded us to first class for our troubles and we had a very comfortable flight once we got going.

Clint and I are staying at an amazing homestay, we are in the guesthouse (yes, an entire house just for guests!). And, being that its a small world, Tara Norton and husband Bruce are staying here as well, Yay! They are great people, so that was a stroke of luck. I hear Chris and Marilyn Mc and Mac Donald are arriving today, also fun people to have around.

This morning I went to the University pool for a little swim. Love love love outdoor pools and miss them very much from when I used to live down here. Really felt amazing in the water which is great for my confidence and unusual for a taper week! Though i have tapered pretty hard core this time, how could I not be fresh?

On the way here and earlier in the week, I felt really unsure about racing again. Its been a long season, I have raced a lot... But now that i am here I feel ready to go body and mind.

So that's about it for now. After the race, I will be eating lots of cheesecake and ice cream... but also, Clinton and I are heading to Calgary for the swim/run technique camp. Really looking forward to spending time with the Mercury team.

Adios for now.
S.
P.S. Tuesday before I left, Troy at Pro City Cycles waved his magic wand and a new bottle cage appeared on my bike. Backrack be gone. Hello fast.

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my favorite blog

As a coach, many of my athletes become friends, and some even like family to me as we embark on our journeys to find out just how far we can push and how fast we can become. In various ways, i admire each of my pupils. Today, I want to share my favorite blog. The writer is so full of enthusiasm for her sport and life, its hard not to learn something. Here is my favorite entry from this summer:



The very nature of triathlon leads one to live an organized, compartmentalized, regimented sort of existence. Training is a priority -- we will get up at ungodly hours and shuffle errands and obligations around to get our workouts in. When we travel, we suss out the local pool, running paths, and local bike routes. Vacations, weddings, family outings, etc, are all planned around our race season and our training schedules.



Thus, triathlon very quickly eases one into a routine. Everyone develops his/her own unique routine, based on countless hours of experimentation and careful strategic planning. Some of us sleep in our workout clothes in order to capitalize on early-morning training time. Some of us buy multiple soap/shampoo/lotion products and leave a set at work, at the pool, and at the gym. Gradually, one becomes quite adept at packing swimming-to-work-to-running gear; stuffing sufficient tubes, C02 cartridges and nutrition in jersey pockets and bento boxes; and yes, even toting almonds, chopped up veggies and other snacks in various ziplock baggies to ward off the ever present nibblies. Whatever we do, we do it because it works for us.



Like mice finding the quickest path to the cheese, we follow our own habitual paths over and over again, until our routines harden into a substance very much like concrete. To the uninitiated (and to our loved ones), these routines can seem like border-line (or even full-blown) neuroses. For example, I treat my schedule like a writ from God. Let's call it "The Book of Sara." Whatever is on my schedule, I do. Religiously. Without excuses.



When a run is scheduled for 8:00am, I run at 8:00am. Through rain, snow, shine, doctor's appointments, life, whatever. My schedule says "do it" and I obey. If I have a bike ride scheduled for 3 hours, I will ride for exactly 3 hours. If I misjudge and go over the 3 hour mark, that's OK. But, if I am under, I circle the block, so to speak, until I reach the required time. I've prefaced so many of my conversations with, "I have to swim/bike/run today..." that my friends and family now ask ME what I have on schedule before they ask me for coffee or dinner! Terrible of me, I know! Hahahaha!



There are times when this blind, unthinking addiction to routine backfires though. I know I'm not alone in arriving at the pool only to realize that I forgot to pack my swimsuit. Or towel as was the case last week. The towel was no big deal -- my pool has a paper towel dispenser by the bathroom sinks. There I stood, butt-naked, pressing the paper-towel lever again and again and again and again. I'd grab a few rough brown paper sheets, dry off a random body part, and then start pumping the lever again.



Two girls who usually always swim when I do were just getting into the showers...I laughed and explained I forgot my towel. Instant friends. Isn't it strange how quickly you can make friends with people when you're naked? Hahahaha!



OK, back to when routines backfire...



Sometimes, I am so used to the timeless nature of my routine that I fool myself into thinking no time has passed --- not so good when your swimsuit needs to be replaced. Right Susi? Hee-hee!!!



But, what makes a triathlon routine so different from other routines? Ahhhh!!! Here is the sweet part:



It is true that a triathlon routine on the surface can appear to be rigid, unmovable, unforgiving. But appearances are deceiving. Triathlon teaches you to prepare for the unexpected, to deal with life's unexpected challenges. Hence, while sticking to my schedule, I've had to bike in hurricane-force winds, snow, sleet, rain, and sometimes even sun. I've had to deal with two flats, no C02 cartridges, and a long bumpy 50km bike ride back to my car.



In essence, I've learned how to get things done. To deal with life as it happens and not stress and worry when life throws me a curve ball: To change a flat tire, to get my hands dirty, to inhale a lot of water so I can learn how to flip-turn, to LIVE.



This is the innate paradox of triathlon....and I love paradox. Embedded into triathlon's seemingly strict tenets is a hardy resourcefulness; a penchant for dealing with the unexpected --- and thriving.



Last Thursday, I gauged the weather to be too hot for my dog of 11.5 years to join me for my run. She's older, I'm faster, and I worry about her cooling down enough in the various watering holes which I include in my route. Toby was rolling around in ecstasy in the shade in the backyard, when I made my move, and left to go for my run. The few times I've left her at home, she guilts me with an incredibly depressed look -- big, liquid dark brown eyes, gazing up at me with the saddest expression you will ever see. Tail down, body posture shrunken in, like she has been kicked and abandoned. GAD!



Nonetheless, it was HOT, and I told her to "Watch the house," like I always do, and off I went. Ipod cranked, I ran about 2.5km when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I was running up the highway, when to my immediate left, a little black shape cruised up beside me. TOBY! Hahahahahaha!



I couldn't get mad -- she was quite pleased with herself -- you could see that in her grinning smile. Somehow, she sneaked out of the yard and ran DOWN THE HIGHWAY behind me so she could join me. Hahahahaha -- I can just imagine how it looked to traffic. Hahahahahaahahaah!! Toby has ran with me all over the Crowsnest Pass -- she knows where she is going. She doesn't own a collar -- I usually carry a leash (just in case I come across another dog) and loop it upon itself to make a collar/leash thing. I hadn't brought her leash on Thursday, since I wasn't bringing Toby, but she is so good, we didn't need it. We never do. :)



Toby's great escape taught me it is through the apparent faults and unpredictable nature of life that we flourish: love and grow. It is when things don't go according to plan, when our routine is challenged, that we rise up and become more than what we are.

In 2009, Julie took an hour and a half off her Ironman time through hard work, and more importantly, a good attitude. I think the secrets to her success are written in her blog. She has a refreshing honesty than I admire greatly. Here's a link:

http://runningwithdoggies.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

S.

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butternut squash and other unsolicited thoughts about curry

2 weeks and 2 days until Ironman Arizona and the taper is on! Our approach to training has been different this time, focusing on key sessions that will give me the confidence that i can put together a good Ironman. I feel really good.

Since I am training less, I have had more time for other things I enjoy, so one afternoon I spent a couple hours making a chicken and butternut squash curry. Having spent my highschool years in the middle east, I have a lot of experience with curries; Indian curry, Thai curry, Arabic curry, I love it all.

As a triathlete, I don't really have time to make a proper curry (anyone who knows anything about curry will tell you that it takes days, not hours, to make a good curry). So here is a recipe for an easy curry that i learned along the way;

1. Partially fry 2-4 large chicken breasts in a big frying pan with onions.
2. At the same time, put a whole butternut squash in the oven for 45mins.
3. Add curry powder, cumin and cinnamon to the chicken. (Now, dont ask me how much because i dont know. At a guess; 5tbsp curry powder, 2tbsp cumin, 1tbsp cinnamon?). If your curry power is not hot (most arent) and you like it hot, then add some chilli sauce (or not, in the case of Loopy-Lou!).
4. Keep frying the chicken and spices until its fully cooked, then put it all in a big pot.
5. Add as many vegetables as you can fit in your pot!
6. Add something juicy. I suggest the following: a can of chickpeas or beans with the juices, a can of pineapple with the juices, or a can of chopped tomatoes. Your sauce needs some juice!
7. Add some honey. (Again, amounts, not sure!)
8. Keep the whole concoction simmering on low for 1-2hours. Curry vegetables need to be mushy, not crispy like stirfry.
9. Add more honey if its not sweet enough.
10. Take the butternut squash out of the oven, chop it into little square chunks, add it to the mixture and stir.
11. Now, you're pretty much done.

A few other tips:
1. Leave it overnight, it will taste better!
2. Add a jar of pre-made Tikka Masala, or Rogan Josh. Its kinda cheating, but it tastes good! (Still cook the chicken with the spices, the flavor will be very rich!)
3. Have mango chutney and plain yogurt with it.
4. Use the leftovers to make a wrap the next day OR, my favorite thing, add a big scoop to a bowl of vegetable soup. It adds flavor, protein and a lot of goodness!

Enjoy! And happy Autumn!
S.

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New Website, Launched!

Thanks to Carlos Vilchez from Barrie Ontario (www.omis.ca), I now have a flashy new website that went live a few short hours ago! Thanks a tonne to Carlos for his hard work. Check it out... www.saragross.ca

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Novembering Along...

Mercury Rising Presents:

“Novembering Along”

Swim-Run Technique Camp 2009

What: A weekend training camp focused on the technical aspects of swimming and running with video analysis.

When: Friday, November 27^th @ 7:00pm - Sunday, November 29^th @ 3:00pm

Where: Calgary, Alberta (various locations)

Coaches: Sara Gross, Clint Lien, Carrie Meakin

Details: The camp will include 3 swim sessions, 2 run sessions and a video analysis session in each discipline. Each camper will receive a DVD of him or herself both swimming and running. Breakfast (and coffee!) on Saturday and Sunday are also included. Cost is $300 per person.

Contact: Questions welcome!

Sara; saragross@yahoo.com, 250.896.1026

Carrie; carrie.meakin@gmail.com, 403.804.9726

Clint; writerguy@shaw.ca, 250.818.1026

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Kona Vids

This is what it looks like to run tough (yay michelle! I am so proud.)




This is what it looks like to win the race:




Today was great.

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Kona Bliss

Greetings from the Big Island. Been training hard and the heat has killed most of my brain cells, so better stick to pictures, which apparently say a thousand words.

First, some big news, this guy asked me to marry him yesterday:


And I said yes!!

Photographer David McColm has been out capturing some great shots as usual. Here are some samples:




Now tell me this isn't an amazing place???

Rockstar Michelle arrived last night and seems to be in good spirits. I'll be cheering like a crazy woman out there on Saturday.

Things are pretty good around here.

S.

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Augusta 70.3 Race Report

(photos by David McColm)

How y’all doin?

I’ve never been to the deep south, but after my experience this weekend, I would definitely go back, it may be the friendliest place I’ve ever been. Myself, and fellow elite triathlete Christine Fletcher made the long trek to Augusta, Georgia for the 70.3 on Sunday; 15 hours of car, bus, plane, plane, car and we finally arrived in the land of golf.

The days leading up to race were humid and stormy and race day started out much the same, clearing up in the afternoon. The swim was non-wetsuit with a dive start for the pros which was fine with me since I got to show off my Zoot speedsuit (in Canada we don’t often get that opportunity). It was a point-to-point swim with a 0.5 knot current, making for some fast times. We weren’t able to warm up in the water beforehand which left me feeling handicapped at the beginning of the swim with no chance of sprinting and getting on the feet of the ITU-swimmer-chicks, so I stuck with the next little group until about half way. At that point, I was sufficiently warmed up and decided to see if I could put a little time into the other girls. I broke away successfully without expending too much energy and promptly proceeded to go the wrong way. Crap.

I always laugh at people who go off course. Somehow, the idea of spending all that time training and then getting to the race only to go the wrong way and lose time strikes me as very funny, so I laughed myself into T2, now 15s down on the girls I had just worked to drop. Going the wrong way is extremely unprofessional, and believe me, I will double check where the swim exit is for future races.

Out on the bike, my newly tweaked position on the Cervelo feels way more powerful than before, my power numbers in training have been higher and it was nice to feel it in a race as well. The legs were still a little cranky from my efforts at Ironman Canada, but not to devastating effect. About 30k into the bike, Christine and Desiree came by and I was not going to let them go. We kept each other in sight for the remainder of the ride, which is always motivating. (I also got stung by a bee on my forehead but didn’t register it until after the race… days later it turned into an infected mess about the size of a raised nickel smack in middle of my head.)

Onto the run and my legs were still complaining. I wasn’t running as fast as I would have liked, but it wasn’t a disaster either. The most satisfying thing was that the girls in front of me were all within a mile. In the end, I finished 6th, in the money and only 8mins down on the winner (who was Laura Bennett, no less!). I am content knowing that things are going in the right direction, that all the hard work is bringing about changes in strength and fitness that will soon bridge the shrinking gap between me and the best in the world.

Thanks an absolute tonne to Cervelo and Zoot for their ongoing support. I am so proud to be working with the two best companies in the sport. Thanks to Christine who put up with me, drove us around and was a great travel companion for the last 4 days. Thanks also to my massage therapist Attila Apt and chiropractor Rob Hasegawa who helped get my left quads and hip flexors working to (almost!) full capacity again, and of course, my love Clinton who has been stretched to his limit trying to figure out how to get a decent bike ride out of me! Next week we are off to Kona to cheer on some friends, not least Michelle Milot, my hard-working athlete whose positive attitude will reap great reward.

All the best,
Sara

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She's here!

Welcome to the world Ryan Teague.

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How I learned to swim faster than i thought i could

At Ironman Canada this year I swam 53.27.
It was the 4th fastest women's time, and 38th fastest overall.
It demonstrated a marked improvement in my swimming.

Let me say for the record, I am not a fast swimmer. I was not a swim-club-kid, and at the beginning, I was much slower. I had to learn how to swim.

One of the most valuable things that I learned from my old coach is to always compare myself to the best in the world. If you think you are good, that’s the end of improvement.
Compared to the best swimmers in the world, I am not fast.
The women’s world record for 1500m long course is 15.42.54. That’s 1.03/100m. Now that is fast. Until you are among the best in the world at something, you are not fast.
This perspective has served me very well over the years. If the “ceiling” of swim performance is 15.42 for 1500m, then I am so far off that room for improvement is significant. My mere 1.25/100m pace is, in reality, quite mediocre.

That said, when I reflect on where I came from when I started this journey, I am very pleased with my progress in the pool and the lake. I attribute my increased speed (in 2005, I swam 1.01.23 at IMC) to two very definite factors:


1. The patience of Darren Smith.

Darren coached me for 5 years, and it probably took 3 of them before I made significant and permanent change to my swim technique. For 3 years he tried every trick in the book to effect change to my stroke. I can remember swimming endless hours with a band tied around my ankles, or weights attached to my wrists, or various contraptions strapped around my hips. I remember one day in Spain when Darren took a saw to a plastic crate in order to make hand paddles in exactly the right shape that he felt I required. One fall day in about 2004 or 2005 we spent 4-5hours together, just him and I, on swimming. Our video equipment was anything but state-of-the art. His little handheld camera had a waterproof case and he held the contraption just below surface level as I swam by. Then, I got out of the pool, into the next room to watch. After that, I would jump back in the water, try some changes (that invariably felt awkward and weird), video again and repeat the process. By the end of the day, I was a prune, but I still consider that to be the day that I learned to swim properly. More to the point, that was the day that I learned to catch the water.

The following spring, I started racing consistently with the main group of pro long course women. My swim was no longer a weakness. It simply set me up for the rest of the race.

For years I was frustrated with the fact that my swim technique always seemed like it was better than my speed showed. I was often told I was a “pretty” swimmer, but believe me, I would rather be fast than pretty!


2. The cunning of Clinton Lien.

Gone are the days when the swim is not important in Ironman. It’s increasingly difficult to win an Ironman if you spend over an hour on the swim. So, when I first started my coaching relationship with Clint, we increased my swim volume and intensity. This year I swam about 25k a week and swam hard more often than not. When I used to train with Faris (yes, Al Sultan, that’s a whole other story which I will blog about one of these days), he told me “you need to swim harder”. So, 3 years later I finally took this advice. Clint put together a great swim program whether I was training alone or with a group.

The other thing I changed this year is that I started swimming with the new long course elite group here in Victoria (VELCA) which is coached by Clint himself. With a handful of swimmers in the pool who are faster than me, and another handful who are about the same, I was in good company and I have definitely been pushed out of my comfort zone.

This final change really put the meat on the bones of the swim stroke that Darren and I perfected together those years ago. No amount of technique work can replace hard work and a smart training program.

If I have advice for others wanting to improve their Ironman swim times it would be this: Be patient with yourself when it comes to swimming. Technique may not change overnight. It may take years, and it will feel awkward and you will wonder if anything is really changing at all. Work hard consistently and have faith in the process, and like most things, the changes will come.


My new website is under construction so I am using this blog temporarily. Please send coaching requests to saragross@yahoo.com.

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Ironman: Its Always Epic.

I woke up on Sunday morning feeling excited. Always a good sign; “today I get to do Ironman!” Everything went smoothly on race morning and I jumped in the water 20mins early for a warm up. I couldn’t wait for the race to start so my nervousness would stop.

I had an awesome swim. I had a feeling I would. My swimming has improved tonnes, largely thanks to Clint’s training smarts and the new long course elite group he is coaching in Victoria. It’s been very good for me. In my journal I wrote 53.30 as a best case scenario for the swim. I swam 53.27. That was inconceivable last year.

On the bike I knew right away that my legs were feeling heavy, but you cant dwell on crap like that in a race. If you feel bad, its too bad, but today is Ironman day and you have to keep moving. I was riding a disk wheel that Lori Bowden gave me (of all people!). I have never even met her, but she is a good friend of Clint’s and so I inherited a very nice 650 Zipp disk to go on my baby Cervelo.

The conditions were windy and everyone suffered as a result, seemingly with the exception of Tereza Macel who was absolutely flying. She biked faster than my little brain can conceive. My stomach also felt off on the bike, but again, you cant dwell on these things, just make good decisions and try to get the calories in the best you can.

Starting the run I knew I might be in trouble and really felt like shit. But this is Ironman day and I cant change it, so its either run or quit. The latter was very tempting. At mile 4, I was running in about 8^th or 9^th and Clint said, “You can catch at least 5 girls.” This was the perfect thing to say and so I kept running. And one by one, I picked them off, never feeling good, but still moving forward faster than those around me. At mile 20, I overtook Janelle Morrison (who, kudos to her, had her own problems out there and still finished 3^rd!). Its tough overtaking another “runner” at mile 20 of an Ironman, because, unlike some of the other girls, she was actually moving forward at a fair clip and I was scared she might latch on and we might have a battle on our hands. I was in no mood for battling. As it turned out, I just went past and very slowly pulled away.

It happened at mile 23, just after the mile marker. In the space of a minute I went from running reasonably well to walking and staggering all over the road. I bonked hard and it wasn’t pretty. The medics were there immediately trying to coerce me into the ambulance with promises of a nice bed and some morphine. It was very tempting. But in the end, the nice ambulance man (from Victoria!) walked an entire mile with me to get me safely to the next aid station. It was touch and go whether I was going to finish.

I gobbled down loads at the aid station, then walked the final 2 miles to the finish. Ironman #15 done and dusted.

There’s one thing I can say about Ironman: its always epic.

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Office Romance: The Athlete’s Perspective.

This blog is a response to Clint’s blog, Office Romance, www.clintlien.blogspot.com

What’s it like to be coached by your boyfriend?

I am often asked this question. And while the relationship feels so natural from the inside, I can remember posing the same question myself to friends in similar situations in the past.

My first thought is always the same; it only works because we are a true partnership. I don’t deal well with being told what to do. After many years in the sport, I know myself fairly well and I find I have the greatest confidence in the training program when we write it together.

As such, the coaching relationship becomes an extension of our total partnership. We make decisions together about how to get me to peak fitness in just the same way that every couple makes decisions together about important things like buying a house, or parenting a child. We discuss all the issues and then we decide. Its really very simple. More often than not we are thinking the same thing anyway.

In all honesty, I think of Clinton as my boyfriend pretty much 100% of the time. I recognize that he is a good coach because I get to watch him coach others, and as a result, I respect him and his opinion on matters of training and racing.

In his post, Clint said I made him feel like he has the final say. I suspect he is just sensing my respect for him, because in all honesty, he makes me feel the same way.

After my bike ride went poorly in Lake Stevens, he questioned whether he gives me his best, but I have no such question. He does.

Accountability runs deep when you are dating your coach. If things go badly, I am not just letting down someone who I pay a couple hundred bucks a month online, but I am letting down my partner. This both adds pressure and is motivating on a new level for me.

I really wanted to race at Lake Stevens last weekend because at the Calgary 70.3, I got a taste of what I might be capable of, but felt I was really affected by the altitude. I wanted another shot at the distance. So, we agreed that Lake Stevens could fit into my training plan and off we went. In the few days before the race, it became apparent that I wasn’t recovering as well as we had hoped.

The outcome was that I had no power on the bike and the hilly course spanked me hard. I came off the bike 20mins down, worried that I might be crushing myself with view to Ironman Canada in 2 week’s time.

One downside to being coached by my partner is that the whole process carries an emotional weight that it might not otherwise. For example, out on that bike course, I was worrying about him worrying about me. I knew he would be thinking that I might have crashed. I saw him as I pulled into T2 and tears welled up in my eyes. I also didn’t know what to do. I needed a coach who could read my mind and tell me if I should run or not!!

Though good, Clint’s not that good, so I started running thinking it was a ‘transition run’ in my ‘training session’. ‘I’ll just do 5k.’

But, after 5k, I knew I was moving well, so I continued, 5km at a time, until I hit the finish line.

As a coach myself, I know that it’s fairly easy to make a beginner faster. Its not really too difficult to take someone who has been training poorly and to make them faster. It is quite a bit more difficult to take someone who has been training well for 6 years and find that extra 5% that will raise that person to the next level. So, it is this difficult task that we are working on together, and frankly, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Coaching together in Penticton.

At a family wedding.

Next stop IMC.

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