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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Keeping it Clean With Grease Monkey Wipes!

It’s about time that I share some accolades for Grease Monkey Wipes as they’ve literally been slipping through my fingers since the day I started using them!  Most days I commute 14 miles to work round-trip, so the condition of my road bike chain, cassette and other adjacent components reflects this (or more appropriately, collects this).  Not only is there the commute, but I have raced 7 triathlons on my tri bike this year which translates to a lot of training miles in a lot of interesting weather conditions (I live in the Northeast, after all!).  That being said, the love of my life, a.k.a. my training partner Chris gently reminds me (frequently) that my bikes look like they’ve been ridden through a mud wrestling pit, oil slick or pond scum depending on the day.
Grease Monkey Wipes to the rescue!  I’ve been getting the 30-count canisters for the past several months and one might guess that I actually enjoy cleaning my bike now!  I only use one or two wipes at a time and they take the grease, grime, grit and gunk right off my chain, cassette, frame and other assorted parts it ends up on.  They’re also great for cleaning the grease off your hands and that chain “tattoo” that you always get on your calf when riding!  We pack the individually wrapped wipes in our bike tool kit to take to races and training weekends.  In short, they are a lifesaver for any bike enthusiast and I no longer have any excuses for that gravel in my chain!  Thanks Grease Monkey Wipes for sponsoring the Falkee Triathlon Team!      

Monday, September 12, 2011

Crashed, But Not Burned! Shoreman Half-Iron Tri September 10, 2011

I read something recently that if a race isn’t going your way, sometimes you just need to reevaluate things and set different goals.  The Shoreman Half-Iron Tri in Port Republic, NJ was just such a race for me!  First of all, the bike course was extended by almost 2 miles because they had to reroute it due to all the recent flooding.  Knowing this, I was prepared to tack on some time…but not as much time as I ended up tacking on!

Race day morning was nicely rain-free (yay!) and we started out with a refreshing 70-degree 1.2-mile swim in the lovely red cedar waters that frequent the Pine Barrens area.  Things were going well when I hopped on my bike for the 57+ miles, and the course being fairly flat, I was cruising along nicely…until I hit the divot in the road around mile 7.  Before I knew what had happened, I was launched on top of my aerobars, my front wheel turned sideways and I was skidding across the pavement on my hip, side and elbow.  As I lay there in the road with fellow competitors speeding by me calling out, “Are you o.k.?!” I tried to figure out what to do.  A kind man in a pick-up truck stopped for me and was prepared to cart me off the course.  “Gimme a sec,” I said as I got to my feet.  No broken bones.  No warped bike frame.  At that point, I thought about racing for HCM, the people who’ve donated to families dealing with cancer on my behalf, my dad, my friend Sharon who took a nasty spill in a race and kept going, and I put thoughts of quitting out of my mind.  “Let me see if I can still ride,” I said as I got back on my bike.  Everything seemed to be operational, including my body despite the pain, so I continued.

Bleeding from my elbow and side was a problem yes, as was not being able to lean very well on the right elbow pad of my aerobars.  But of further concern was the fact that all my Gatorade and dissolved salt tablets had dumped out of my aerobottle when I fell, so I would have to wait to get water until the bottle exchange (about 10 miles).  Not the best of circumstances, but it could’ve been worse!  I’ve never been SO happy to be done with  a bike leg in my life.  Speaking of legs, however, the problems continued!  Most likely due to the fact that I had no electrolytes on the bike, as I started the run my hamstrings cramped up so much that I had to stop and stretch several times on the first loop of the run.  “This is the worst race ever!”  I was shouting in my head.  But I quickly replaced that thought with, “Keep going…and don’t you DARE walk!”  I listened to the voices in my head and kept going.  Near the first turnaround, Chris and I passed each other coming opposite ways and instead of slapping his hand, I showed him my bloody elbow.  After he freaked out and I reassured him that I was “o.k.,” I continued the long, hot shuffle that was the 13.1 miles.  It was actually a hot, humid day which we hadn’t had in a while, so it made the run all the more…challenging!

Throughout the run, I continued to reevaluate this race.  “Just keep moving.  Just finish it.”  These were my new goals.  The enthusiastic volunteers and the boy scouts handing out water were a great help, even as some of their faces turned to looks of horror when they saw the blood stains on me!  As the finish line approached, I managed a last surge across the line, then was promptly “patched-up” by the race director with his first aid kit.  True to form, Chris and I were a mere 11 seconds apart (he got me this time!) on our total time!  Chris bagged 3rd in his age group, and despite a day of reevaluation, I was able to finish 2nd overall female.  I have to say, I learned a lot on this day, mostly about the power of determination and self-talk.  It actually works!  Here’s a breakdown of our results:
Polly:
Overall:  13th out of 215; 2nd overall female
Swim: 34:04; T1: 1:27; Bike: 2:54:23; T2: 1:05; Run: 1:42:14; Total time: 5:13:14
Chris:
Overall: 12th out of 215; 3rd in AG (M35-39)
Swim: 37:37; T1: 1:26; Bike: 2:43:59; T2: 1:16; Run: 1:48:47; Total time: 5:13:03

Friday, September 9, 2011

August's Training (earthquakes, hurricanes and upping the run!)

Neither earthquake, nor hurricane, nor non-stop rain, nor flooding can stop an athlete from her appointed training!  Well, it could certainly throw a monkey-wrench in it at times and force one to be creative (or just say "forget it!" and go to happy hour!).  With Marine Corp Marathon quickly approaching in October, the running miles started to increase as quickly as the flood waters rose (well, maybe not that quickly!).  Here's a rundown:

Sunday July 31-Saturday August 6
Swim: 1450 yds.; Run: 17 mi., 2:17:24; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 32 mi.

Sunday August 7-Saturday August 13
Bike: 11 mi., 45 min.; Run: 21.5 mi., 2:58:36; Kayaking: 2 days; Bike Commuting: 56 mi.

Sunday August 14-Saturday August 20
Race: North East Triathlon (750 meter swim: 15:20; 11 mi. bike: 34:33; 10k run: 42:09; Total: 1:32:02)
Swim: 1 mile; Run: 18.5 mi., 2:29:47; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 38 mi.

Sunday August 21-Saturday August 27
Bike: 108 mi., 6:09; Run: 20.8 mi., 2:50:00; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 66 mi.

Sunday August 28-Saturday September 3
Swim: 1 mile; Run: 35 mi., 4:57:49; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 38 mi.