Rain, Rain, and More Rain (aka Knoxville Oly Race Report)

Flashback to Knoxville in May 2012 and you will find not a cloud in the sky, the sun shining bright, and temps in the 90s.  These were the conditions when I did the HalfRev in 2012 and the two H’s, hills and heat, kicked my butt resulting in my poorest half performance to date.  That’s why I decided to take it down a notch and do the Olympic distance race this year, which proved to be an excellent decision.  However, it wasn’t the heat I would have to battle this time, it was the complete opposite: cold, rain, and cold-rain!

Matt and I got down to Knoxville Friday afternoon and headed to the expo to meet up with some of the Rev3 staff and team, get our race packets, and get my bike checked out by the mechanic.  I was having issues shifting after cleaning my bike on Thursday when the wind knocked it over on the component side of the frame.  Thank goodness I took it in on Friday instead of waiting until Saturday because it turned out I had bent the tab that connects my rear derailleur to the frame.  Oooops!  I guess that’s what happens when buy a $19 Target brand bike rack and leave your bike unattended on a windy day.  Thankfully they were able to call the shop and bring the part in to fix it on Saturday.  A huge thank you to the Appalachian Bike Co. for helping me out!

After quite a bit of time with the mechanic we met up with Rodney for a light dinner prior to the 5K Glow Run.  At 6pm on a beautiful Friday evening it was difficult to find a place with open seats, but we managed to get seated at Uncorked and enjoyed some spaghetti and meatballs.  It wasn’t too long after that we found ourselves at the starting line of the 5K.  Now, this event was a charity event for a local girl who was injured at the Boston bombing.  It was advertised as a non-timed fun-run complete with costumes and glow sticks.  Some people were pretty decked out, head to toe with glow sticks and tutus, but I am clearly biased in thinking that my husband had the best ‘costume’ of the night!  You see, we have a little thing on Team Rev3 called the shimmer suit!  The girls have super cute bikinis and more functional one-piece suits which can be purchased at the merchandise tent at any Rev3 event. The poor guys only have the option of a speedo, no shorts, no jammers, JUST.A.SPEEDO.  So, I decided to purchase one of these fantastic suits for my husband with thoughts of blackmail flashing through my head ;)  But when it comes to Matt, blackmail is hard to come by.  You see, he is all too willing to participate in attention grabbing shenanigans, which makes it difficult to find anything that he is embarrassed by.  

Seeing as this is a family friendly event, we checked with a few teammates and the race director, Eric Opdyke, to make sure Matt’s apparel was acceptable.  And with one quick, “Why not?” from Rev3 teammate Elizabeth Kaplanis, Matt’s shorts were off and the shimmer speedo was revealed, pasty white thighs and all.  Now, you had to have been there to get the full experience, but it was as if the entire crowd turned and stared at Matt at the exact moment he took his shorts off and revealed his shimmer.  There were quite a few snickers, and OMGs, some people that wanted to get their picture taken with him, a few jokes about it being cold out, and even a direct call out from the race announcer, but Matt took it all in good fun!  That’s also when he decided that this was no longer a fun run and he wanted to show this crowd that a big boy in a shimmer speedo can also run.  My favorite comment of the night was, “look that guy is wearing his underwear….and he’s FAST too!”  All in all, I think the Glow Run was a fantastic addition to Rev3’s family friendly race series and I hope they offer them at all future triathlons!  I also wanted to note that Rev3 raised $25k from this event and every penny was donated to the local victim of the bombing!  What a class act company! 

Matt and I waiting to start the 5K, shimmer suit, glow paint and all!

Saturday rained all day which made the meet ups and race preparation seem like more of a chore than the pre-race excitement that they normally are.  I got my bike fixed first thing in the morning, then headed down to meet the team to promote one of our amazing sponsors, SBR Sports and their line of Tri-Slide/Foggle products.  I also took some time to jump in the water during the practice swim and feel how my body would respond to the 58° water temperature.  It turned out that the first two minutes were freezing, but once you got going it warmed up and was quite comfortable.  The only thing I was worried about was my hands and feet going numb.  Thankfully I had a neoprene swim cap which kept my head and my ears pretty warm.  Matt reminded me to make sure I wiggle my toes and hands throughout the swim to keep the blood flowing.  I took note and followed through with that tip and it seemed to help a lot. 

Next on my list was to pick up our new team kit, which is amazing!  Pearl Izumi always does a phenomenal job with the design and comfort of their apparel!  I also went to the mandatory athlete meeting where they urged us to be extra careful on the bike since the roads would be wet and slick.  I managed to get in a two hour nap and then it was time for dinner.  We met up with Rodney and Beal at Olive Garden, my go to restaurant for pre-race meals.  Plain spaghetti and meatballs with sauce on the side never fails! 

Sunday morning I got to sleep in a bit as the half started before the Oly and they gave us until 7:45 in transition.  The first thing I did was look at the weather forecast: 53° and rain.  Great!  Knowing I am a freeze baby I over packed my transition bag with any garment I thought I would possibly need for the race.  The two key pieces of apparel that got me through this race turned out to be my neoprene swim cap and my Pearl Izumi waterproof cycling jacket.  I also appreciated the black garbage bag I wore down to transition and to the swim start to keep me dry and warm for as long as possible in the rain.  It’s a cheap and simple solution to stay warm pre-race and not have to worry about leaving a good article of clothing behind. 

The Swim (28:48 - 1:59/100m):

Having done the practice swim made me a little more confident that I would survive the cold temperatures, but the swim is my least favorite part of the trifecta.  I always have anxiety going into the swim and minor panic attacks prior to getting into a groove.  I was happy this was a deep water start as it gave us a little bit of time to acclimate to the water before the gun went off.  I lined myself somewhere in the middle of the pack knowing I would be looking at a 30 min swim time.  My swim is consistently 2 min/100 m no matter what the conditions, so I know my place is definitely not up front.  

The gun sounded and us ladies, the last wave of the day, were off.  Like I said, it took me awhile to get into a groove and I had my mini panic attack within the first 100 m.  Thankfully, when I bobbed my head up for a bit, I saw a familiar face bob her head up too.  It was my teammate Jill from @tribirdie.  I looked at her and said, “Hey,” super-excited to see her!  She seemed to be struggling a bit too and made the comment, “I can’t do this” to which I responded, “Yes you can!  LETS GO!” and started swimming again.  That’s all it took for me to find my happy place and get into a groove.  So, I have to send out a huge thanks to Jill for being the support I needed to start swimming.  And in case you are wondering Jill ended up kicking butt on the swim and the run (her relay legs)!   

The swim was an out and back with the first .3 miles against the current and the rest with the current. To finish the swim, we had to swim to a floating dock where they had volunteers waiting to pull us out of the water.  Matt volunteered for this position so I made sure to swim to him.  He told me I was doing good and I was on my way.

T1 (5:35):

T1 included a quarter mile run to the parking garage where the transition was staged. This year, Rev allowed you to stage a pair of shoes, but I opted not to, knowing this would only be a hassle and waste time.  With the cold temperatures and having just come out of cold water, the pavement felt like needles stabbing the bottoms of my feet.  I tried to run on grass where possible, but it definitely didn't make for a fun run.  I also took a little extra time to put my cycling jacket on and blow my nose….I have not mastered nor do I care for the snot rocket technique.

The Bike (1:26:13 – 16.7mph):

The bike is where things got interesting.  It was cold, it was pouring down rain, there was standing water on the course, and there were two sets of railroad tracks we had to cross twice.  I couldn't feel my feet or my hands which made shifting quite a challenge.  I literally had to shift with the palm of my hands.  It also made taking in nutrition a chore.  I knew there was no way I would be able to open the PowerGel’s I had packed, but I was thankful to have thought ahead and pre-opened my PowerBar Energy Blasts.  Those were difficult to grab though as my hand coordination was lacking and the rain made them very slippery.  I kept dropping them, but did manage to eat at least four throughout the 24 mile ride.  I also had PowerBar Perform and water that I sipped on, but with the cold conditions I didn't really take in much fluid. 

This was only the second time I had been out on my tri bike this season, and I wasn't 100% confident with my riding skills in the rain.  I wanted to maintain aero as much as possible for the obvious reason of speed, but also because it was much warmer to be in this position than to be sitting upright.  However, the conditions of the slippery road and the technical hills and curves of the course made it difficult.  I took the downhills with extreme caution, not able to go the speed I would have preferred to go, but this was not a day to go all out.  I saw many people standing with their bike on the side of the road: a few with obvious mechanical problems, and others that just seem to have been defeated by the weather.  I felt bad for them having to stand out in the cold rain waiting for a SAG vehicle.  I also felt really bad for all the volunteers battling the elements all day.  The only thing I could think of was to be thankful I was able to ride my bike to stay warm and get back to transition as quickly as I could.  I really had no idea what my time was or how fast I was going because I opted for safety reasons not to wear a watch this race.  I thought it would be too much of a distraction on the bike when I really needed to focus on the road ahead of me. 

All-in-all this bike course is a beautiful country course and I wish I could have enjoyed the scenery more than I was able to.  I was just happy to have finished without incident and without being too cold, other than my feet and hands.  I was not super happy with my time, but I accepted it given the conditions.

T2 (2:24):

I hopped off the bike and started running to transition.  This is where it got interesting.  My feet were completely numb and it felt like I was running on stumps.  As I got to my rack I saw teammate Pam and another girl standing nearby.  Pam apparently had some bad luck in the swim and made the decision to pull out early.  It was nice to see her as she gave me a recap on what was happening with the other athletes.  Apparently a lot of people had been pulled out of the swim due to hypothermia.  Not good!  I told her she made the right decision as it was freezing and extremely dangerous out on the bike course.  

As I was  chatting and trying to take off my helmet I realized I had no feeling in my fingers and couldn’t unbuckle the latch.  I began to panic as I didn't know what to do.  The girl next to me offered to take it off and my immediate reaction was, “NO don’t touch me, I can’t take outside help.”  I tried a few more times to unbuckle the latch and even tried to pull the helmet off without unbuckling it.  I really had no idea what to do and thoughts of running in my helmet were going through my head.  The girl next to me tried to calm me down by saying she had helped others with their helmets and she thought the race officials would understand given the conditions.  Not wanting to waste any more time I gave in and let her unbuckle the latch.  Honestly I felt super guilty about this and thought that if there was a chance of me placing in my age group that I would tell the official that I had outside help, but it turns out a lot of people ended up having outside assistance in taking their helmets off and putting on their shoes/socks etc.  And I didn't place so it wasn't as big of a deal as I made it out to be in my head. 

The Run (52:01 – 8:23/mile):

Honestly, the run was a blast!  It reminded me of my old-school cross country days.  There were giant puddles everywhere and there was really no option except to go straight through them, splashing like a little kid!  My only goal for the run was to keep my breathing under control and I think with the cold temps I was able to do this pretty well.  It did take a good three miles for my feet to thaw out and the sensation of running on stumps to go away, but it did, and I ended up being very comfortable temperature wise.  I would even say that I was a little bit warm running with my PI jacket on and probably could have done without it. 

I saw a lot of teammates on the run and made sure to cheer them all on as they returned the favor for me.  Rounding the corner to the finish, I saw Matt and he ran the last 100 meters in with me for a fun finisher’s photo!  I am very thankful to him for his support all weekend and his fun loving sense of humor which makes every event more fun!

The pain face, nearing the finish.

Overall (2:55:00 - 7/20 AG - 28/104 F - 159/355 OA):

Overall I was happy with my performance.  My only goal was to be under three hours and I accomplished that.  I was 8 minutes over my Olympic distance PR, but given the conditions I don’t think I could have safely gone any faster on the bike, which is where I thought my performance was lacking the most, besides the obvious slow transitions.

  

Unfortunately we were not able to stay for the after party with my Rev3 teammates, which looked like a blast.  I did have an awesome time otherwise and cannot wait until Rev3 Maine (I may try to sneak in another earlier Rev race, but shhhh, don’t tell Matt).  I want to thank all the staff, volunteers, and friends/families for battling the elements to make this a very well run and fun event!  I think they had a more difficult job than the athletes for sure!  I also want to thank my teammates and our sponsors for their support!  There is never a dull moment with Team Rev3 and I am so happy and humbled to be a part of this wonderful organization.  Here’s to hoping next year in Knoxville will be just a little bit warmer and a little bit drier!  

We are all dying...

It's been a really rough few weeks for Team REV3 following all the lightheartedness and fun that was had at the summit.  There have been far too many deaths and serious illnesses that my team mates have had to endure; some of them so untimely and tragic that it doesn't even seem real.  I wish it wasn't real.  

In one of the emails we received notifying us of one such tragedy we were reminded that, "We are all dying."  When I read this for the first time, I was taken aback.  The first reason I was  taken aback was because I have been saying this my whole life, "As soon as you are born you begin to die." As morbid as it sounds, if you think about it, it's the truth.  We only have a limited amount of time on this Earth and it begins with day one.  Its like having a brand new, fully charged battery; once you start using it, it slowly begins to die.  I honestly thought I was the only person who thought this way, or at least had the courage to say it out loud.

The second reason I was taken aback was because for the first time in my life it made me really sad to hear [read] those words.  Not just one glistening tear, "Oh that's sad, but life goes on," type sad.  But the kind of sad that makes you reflect on your life and tears at your heart for several days/weeks/months....  In the days following this email,   I began thinking of my life as it was, as it is, and as it (with God's grace) will continue to be.

Admittedly, I have a wonderful life.  I am surrounded by people who love me for who I am.  I have a great job with co-workers that I truly enjoy working with.  I have a wonderful and supportive husband and the two best pups a girl could ask for.  Financially, I am not rich, nor even "well off", but I have few worries.  I am able to take time off work to vacation.  Physically I am healthy and am able do the things I love.  I have supportive parents who instilled in me morals and values that are unrecognizable in today's world.  I have traveled.  I have been educated.  I have lived. And I have loved.  In fact the only thing that stands out that I don't "have" in my life and may never have is children of my own, but most days I'm truly okay with that.

I am sad because I think I have finally come to the realization that I love my life. But I am getting older, time is continuing to pass me by, and life as I know it is going to start changing whether I like it or not.  I see my parents aging and that makes me sad.  I see my aunts and uncles growing older and that makes me sad.  I see my brother with a wife, a kid, and as a responsible adult and though I am very proud of him, it makes me sad that we are no longer kids ourselves.  Each day I see new wrinkles and age spots in the mirror and that makes me sad.  I see opportunities that I am no longer able to take advantage of because I am too old.  I have dreams that I realize will never come to fruition, because simply stated, "it's just too late."  I realize there are things I want to do with my life that I probably won't ever get to do just because of a limited amount of time and money, and that makes me sad.   I see families being torn apart by disease and illness and that makes me sad.  I see friends losing their loved ones in such an unfair and untimely fashion and it just eats at my heart.  Yes, people are resilient and life will go on, but sometimes you just need it to stop for a while so that you can wrap your head around everything going on around you and hold on to what you have in the current moment.

Life is such a precious gift and it should never be taken for granted.  I think society is driven to "live in the moment" making it almost acceptable to take things for granted and feel a sense of entitlement.  Sadly we are reminded of life's precious gift only when tragedy occurs.  This in an of itself makes me sad.  So, it is my goal to take some time out of my day, on a daily basis, and reflect on my life and the good fortunes that I have been granted.  It is also my goal to look at some of the challenges I have been faced with and in them, find some good, or at least accept them and make peace with them.  It is my goal to brush off the insignificant and material things and focus on what really matters.  I no longer want to take life for granted.  I want to live every moment to its fullest and experience everything that I can possibly experience while I am on this Earth.  You never know what tomorrow may bring, there are no guarantees, there are no promises, there are no take backs or do overs.   Life can change in an instant, and when/if it does I want to be able to say that I have done everything I can to appreciate life up until that moment comes.

For my friends and family (and even enemies and acquaintances) who are battling hardships, illnesses, or the loss of loved ones please know that my heart is breaking for all of you.  If there is anything I can do to ease the pain I would do it in a heartbeat.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you and your families!          

The Evolution of Triathlon....from my perspective

Over the last five years I have noticed the development of unique trends in the sport of triathlon.  I am wondering if it is this way everywhere or if it's just me.

Trend #1) So, coming from a running background I started getting into triathlons in 2010 when Matt and I learned about Cleveland Triathlon Club's local indoor tri's.  At this time triathlon still seemed like a relatively new sport in our little community of endurance athletes.  Though the interest quickly grew and by the time 2011 rolled around it seemed like everyone was doing or interested in triathlon; not just those from running backgrounds, but people who had never done an endurance event in their life.  Granted this could just be the "new car trend" where if you get a new car, you suddenly become more aware of that make and model and soon it seems like everyone is driving that same car.  Regardless, triathlon seemed to be thriving as a sport! So, trend #1: 2010 triathlon seemed to become a main stream sport (in our community). 

Trend #2) The next trend I saw in the sport of triathlon was the desire for everyone to be a part of a team.  I have to admit that I have always enjoyed individual sports as opposed to team sports.  Though 100% of the pressure is on you in individual sports, there is absolutely no pressure or guilt of letting anyone else down other than yourself (see my blog from 2011).  I can handle being disappointed in myself, but I don't do well with letting down other people.  People pleaser much?!?!?!

Looking back and finding out about Team REV3 in 2011 certainly changed my perspective on this topic.  The thing I love about Team REV3 is that I am able to be a part of a team and share the experience that is triathlon with like-minded people, but there is still no pressure to perform well "for the sake of the team".  Team REV3 welcomes all levels of athletes from complete newbies to Kona qualifiers and those like myself who will forever be a "middle of the packer."

So, in this respect I can now see why people want to be part of a triathlon team! So, trend #2: look around you at your next race.  Doesn't it seem like everyone is wearing some sort of team kit? If you are fortunate to be on a Team like REV3 most of your teammates are in it for the camaraderie,  like-mindedness, fun, and laughter.  They are not judging you and they are not putting you down for not performing at a certain level, which brings me to the next trend in the evolution of triathlon...

Trend #3) Coaches! Now into my fourth year of triathlon I have come to find that everyone and their brother seems to have a coach or a personal trainer.  Alot of the time I feel like I am the lone soldier holding down the "this is supposed to be fun, I don't want a coach on my back telling me what to do" fort.  By no means am I saying that having a coach is a bad thing.  The majority of my friends and teammates have coaches, and I personally know alot of really good coaches (I also happen to know alot of really bad coaches).  However, coaching is just not a priority for me (at this point in time).  My personality is such that I am self motivated,  highly disciplined, and OCD when it comes to doing workouts as scheduled.  In addition, I don't like people telling me what to do and I don't like feeling like I am being held accountable to someone other than myself.  For me triathlon is supposed to be fun, a hobby, something I do to stay in shape and clear my mind of the daily stressors from work, marriage, family, and life in general.

Now there are certainly triathletes that I would say 100% need a coach, e.g. a triathlete who is working to Kona qualify or to become Pro; or someone who is completely new to triathlon and has no idea where to start (i.e. just needs a basic training plan to get through the first year).  However, it seems that alot of middle of the packers these days all have coaches now.  To me the only logical reasoning for a middle of the packer to have a coach is: 1) they really are looking to improve and just haven't found what works for them yet, or 2) they are the type of person that needs to be held accountable to someone.  But if you are like me, a middle of the packer who is happy being a middle of the packer and just wants to have fun, what is the point of paying more money out of your pocket for a coach who really isn't benefiting you (as if triathletes don't spend enough money on the sport as it is).  It seems odd to me that in other endurance sports, like running, coaches are few and far between unless you are an elite athlete.  So, trend #3: everyone is getting a triathlon coach.  Is it really just a trend or a fad where its "fashionable" to have a coach, kind of like the whole fancy bike thing (which yes, I fell into 100%....who doesn't want to have a badass looking bike even if you are not fast enough to enjoy the benefits)?  Or am I completely missing something?

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Anyways, it is certainly fun watching triathlon thrive and evolve as a sport.  I really do like observing, and falling culprit, to the trends which develop over time.  OR maybe they are not trends at all and are just my perception at that point in time.  How about you?  Have you noticed any major trends or have perceived notions in the sport of triathlon?

Rev3 Team Summit

This past weekend was the REVOLUTION3 Triathlon team summit in Boulder, Colorado.  I was very fortunate in being able to step away from work and travel for the weekend!  Knowing what I know now, I would have been extremely sad to have missed this experience!

I flew in on Thursday evening and met up with some of the team at La Cantina for dinner and drinks!  It was good to catch up with some familiar faces and meet some new ones!

Team REV3 at La Cantina.

Friday morning, we met bright and early at Hotel Boulderado for our first full day of sponsor meetings.  The morning started off with an icebreaker egg drop competition.  Here are a few photos of Team Awesome and our Lunar Lander Egg Mobile.  We rocked it, although I have to admit that no one's egg actually broke.  Yep, we have a team full of smart cookies!

Team Awesome putting the final details on our egg drop device.

L to R: Heather Oravec, Jen Small, Nina Jack, Steve Muckerheide, Robin Blackburn, Davind Naelon, Jeff Vanis, Tim Andrus.

Our egg even had its own aero helmet, designed by JSmalls!

The rest of the day continued with very informative sponsor meetings and question and answer sessions.  We are so lucky to have such wonderful and supportive sponsors!  Make sure you check out my sidebar to view all of Team REV3's awesome sponsors!  Click on the logo to learn more about their products!

After lunch we got to go to Pearl Izumi headquarters for a tour of their facilities and a preview of the 2013 product line.  This was one of the big highlights of the summit!  Pearl Izumi is an amazing company with some quality products and it was great to get a behind the scenes peak!  Here are some photos from PI:

PI warehouse and where clothes get repaired.  Did you know their products offer a lifetime guarantee? Just send it back and they will fix it for you free of charge!

Jordan Vance taking a bite out of my favorite shoe in the 2013 lineup!

Tim DeBoom telling us about his sponsorship!

Some old PI cycling jerseys.

Susan Zody in the PI warehouse.  Yay for getting to try on kits before we order them!

One of PI's advertisements.  They had an entire wall of awesomely inappropriate advertisements!

After the tour at PI the majority of the team ended up going out to Centro for happy hour and dinner.  I was a total party pooper and needed some normalcy in my day, so I decided to head back to the hotel and get a run in.  I will admit I am sorry to have missed out on all the fun though.  The stories from that night were quite entertaining and on the verge of  well over the line of "TMI", but that's just how Team REV3 rolls....what happens in Boulder stays in boulder ;)  

Saturday was round two of sponsor meetings.  And our team dinner at Maggianos in downtown Denver.  It also happened to be initiation night for the newbies and let me just say it was high quality entertainment for all!  If you haven't seen the video check it out on my FB page.  I have to say that these newbies are pretty bad ass and awesome team players.  They fit right in with this crazy bunch.

2013 Team REV3.

That's more like it!

Dinner at Maggianos.  Thanks for the grub, CP!!!

Carole and Jen, two of my favorite peeps!

Much of the team stayed an extra day for hiking and skiing.  I was bummed to miss out on the team hike/run on Sunday, however I got to spend the day with one of my really good friends from grad school and her husband.  They took me rock climbing, which I haven't done in about 6 years, but it was absolutely AWESOME!  I am currently in climbing withdrawal and need to find a local rock climbing gym to go to!

Rock'n & Jam'n Climbing facility.

They have a million different routes and levels to choose from!

This inversion climb was the most fun of the day!

Making my way to the top.

All in all it was a fantastic trip!  I got to hang out with old friends, meet some awesome new friends, and learn a lot more about REVOLUTION3 triathlon and our sponsors!  It didn't hurt that Colorado is a beautiful place and the weather was sunny and in the 60's.  I am sad to be home, but life must go on ;)

I'd like to give a huge thank you to Charlie Patten, Carole Sharpless, and Alex Poon for putting together an amazing weekend filled with fun and lots of memories!  You guys are the best and I am honored to be a part of this team!

Kiefer Swim Fin Review

If you are a triathlete or a swimmer then you have definitely heard of, have used, or own a few Kiefer swim products! Kiefer has been in business for over 65 years and was founded by Adolph Kiefer who began his swimming career after a near fatal fall into a Chicago drainage canal and went on to become and Olympic Gold Medalist, world-record holder, and pioneering swimmer when he joined the Navy in 1942.  To read more about his passion and commitment to the world of swimming click here.

Being a fan of Kiefer products myself, I was thrilled when Kiefer contacted me to let me try out one of their products in exchange for a product review.  My initial thought was to try out the Kiefer Safer Swimmer Buoy  as Matt and I do alot of open water swims in the bay of Lake Erie where there are a plethora of ignorant ski boat and jet ski drivers.  I have always wanted to try one of these and make ourselves more visible.  However, being January in Ohio I would not be able to test the product until May at the earliest, so I opted for something else that I could use in the pool.

I ended up choosing the Kiefer Silicone Training Fins.  I have personally never used fins before, other than scuba fins, but see people religiously training with them at the pool.  I was curious to try them out and see what all the fin hype was about.

Here are the product details:

Soft and pliable Kiefer Silicone Swim Training Fins are extremely durable in the pool and offer a very comfortable fit, the perfect swim training tool for kicking drills and swimming sets. Short blade fin design improves kick strength and ankle flexibility, causing development of proper flutter kick technique. Fins are color coded for quick and easy sorting for swim teams and aquatics programs. When swimming without them, you'll notice an improved strength and efficiency! Compare with Speedo, TYR or Zoomers.

* Shorter blade improves kicking mechanics and efficiency
* Color coded sizes for quick selection and sorting
* Flexible foot pocket and closed ankle provides extra support

* Made from 100% top quality silicone rubber for comfort and added durability 

Not knowing too much about swim fins I had to contact my Rev3 teammates and ask for advice on what the heck to do with them!  I really had no idea if they were for form drills, endurance, strength, or whatnot.  So after some good advice and a bit of research on my part I set out on my maiden fin-pool voyage!  The following are my thoughts and opinions based on my personal use of the Keifer Silicone Training Fins.  I used the fins multiple times in the pool for both form drills and longer freestyle sets.

• Fit: My shoe size is a women's 7.5 so I ordered a fin size women's 7-8 (men's 5-6).  When I first tried them on my toes stuck out of the front and I feared they were a little too snug.  However I learned they are supposed to be snug!  If they are too loose they will fall off or rub your feet leaving burns and blisters.  I didn't have any issues with these fins as far as sores or blisters go and they were quite comfortable in the water.
• Drills:  These fins proved to be excellent for working on stroke form.  They provided just enough speed and float that I didn't have to worry about my legs sinking while I was trying to concentrate on my upper body.  I was able to tune into different things such as timing and forearm pull without having poor body position in the water.
• Distance: And I thought the paddles were a good pool workout!  If you want to get a solid leg workout engaging more leg muscles then use fins!  I found I had to start with a few laps and build up each time because initially I would get cramps in the arches of my feet.  With time these went away and I was able to do more laps with less cramping.  I could definitely tell the difference in how my legs felt post swim when using the fins and not using the fins.  I think they will help build leg muscle and strength for sure!  
• If you have trouble kicking and with ankle flexibility these will definitely help!  I often times used the fins for my kicking drills instead of using a kickboard.  Using the fins instead of the board allowed me to maintain proper body position while focusing on kick, instead of swimming with my upper body elevated in the water as you would do when using a board.  
• Quality:  These fins seem to be durable, yet comfortable.  But only time will tell how they hold up in a chlorinated pool.  
• Price: as with anything price is relative these days.  I found these fins at a price of $26.95 to be par with the cost of similar products from their competitors.    

So, that's my review in a nut shell.  After having tried these fins I am a definitely believer that they will help with my form and strength in the water!  I will be integrating these as part of my regular training from now on.  If nothing else, they at least make me feel fast in the water and it's nice to feel that way once in awhile!

I want to thank Kiefer for allowing me to try out and review their product!  If you haven't heard of them be sure to check them out at http://www.kiefer.com.  They have a ton of other swimming toys, tools, apparel, and safety gear to choose from!

2013 Race Schedule

Here it is!  The official 2013 Race Schedule:

April 26-27: 200 Mile American Odyssey Relay (Gettysburg, PA to Washington DC)
April 28: Inaugural Nike Women's Half Marathon (Washington DC)
May 5: Rev3 Knoxville Olympic Dstance Tri (Knoxville, TN)
August 3-4: MS Pedal to the Point 150 Mile Bike (Sandusky, OH)
August 25: Rev3 Maine Half Distance Tri (OOB, Maine)
September 7: Rev3 Cedar Point Sprint Distance Tri (Sandusky, OH)

And that is it for races/events that I am 100% doing.  I'm tossing up the idea of an Oly in June, most likely Rev3 Quassy, but haven't finalized that decision because it falls on our anniversary weekend.  Most likely I'll be doing alot of shorter local events or just volunteering for stuff, but nothing that I am going to sign up for in advance.  If I feel like doing it I'll sign up, if not, no pressure.

I have decided on a  low volume low pressure season for a couple of reasons:

1) I am still burn out from all the traveling and racing we did last season.  Though we had a blast visiting so many new places, I have developed a hate-hate relationship with packing.
2) Matt and I need to focus on other things right now with some big changes/decisions on the horizon AND we really need more free time to enjoy our boat and our pups.  The pups are currently on strike due to training neglect. Though they love to travel with us, you can tell they get depressed during race season and it's quite sad.
3) Our contract with NASA runs out in July and there is no guarantee that the University will get a new contract with them.  As you can imagine this is a high stress situation for me and I need to focus on  having other employment options lined up.  
4) If all goes as planned, this year will be fun and refreshing because I would like to do another 140.6 in 2014.

So there you have it!  Nothing but fun events and low pressure lined up for 2013!

2013 New Year's Resolutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well we are just about two weeks in to the new year and it's about time I reveal my new year's resolutions and how I am doing with them thus far.  It's always nice to have them in writing so I can go back a month down the road and reevaluate.  So  my top five "resolutions" or rather focus areas for this year are:

1. Let go and let God ( or whoever the higher power may be).  Pretty much my biggest downfall is not being able to let go of things that I have no control over.  I tend to be a people pleaser and things will eat at me forever until I feel they are resolved to my satisfaction.  However this is not always possible and I need to learn that the only thing in life that I can control is me myself and I.  I can't control other people and their thoughts, actions, or decisions, so I need to let go and focus on myself and my happiness. 
2. Spend more time focusing on family (Matt, myself, and the pups) and less time trying to please other people.  This includes being more mindful and respectful of Matt.  This goes back to the whole control thing....
3. Attend church on a more regular basis.  I don't want to sound like a Holy Roller here, cuz I am far far FAR from it.  But I do enjoy the structure and balance that a good Sunday mass brings to my life.  Plus I enjoy the added benefit of Sunday morning breakfasts after church ;)  
4. Focus on health including eating a more well balanced diet without so much processed, sugary, and fatty foods.   This is so hard to do, especially when you are time limited, yet it makes such a huge different in performance, recovery, and overall mental wellness.  
5. Expand my workout horizons and try new things such as cross-fit, more consistent yoga practice, anti-gravity yoga, and possibly a self defense or kickboxing class.  For the last few years my life has revolved around running and triathlon, but I think it's good to mix it up a little.  

So far I have been the strongest in implementing numbers 4 and 5.  Those are the easiest to change for me.  Numbers 1 and 2 will definitely be more of a struggle as I think that involves a whole psychological change, which is never easy.  But the first step is to raise my awareness and I think I have been very stressful at this.  And now that I am aware of it, I can begin to implement a positive change.  And finally number three is just a matter of making it a priority.