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!      

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 3^rd in his age group, and despite a day of reevaluation, I was able to finish 2^nd 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

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.

HCM Team Challenge Update

Find out what HCM Foundation has been up to by clicking on the following link:
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/HCM-Team-Challenge-Update--.html?soid=1102775044314&aid=aKNiyKrThPQ

Wet and Wild Times at North East Triathlon, 08/14/11!

Got a nice medal...then got the heck out of there while there was a break in the rain!

Everyone in the racing world knows that each event can be a “character-building” experience in its own way.  The North East Triathlon in North East, MD was no exception.  With thunderstorms and record rainfall hitting the area the night before and morning of the race, all registrants were wondering what would become of the event, if it was even held at all.

Day before the race...I'm smiling to keep from having a complete freak-out!

Chris and I had a particularly interesting pre-race experience.  Camping seemed like a great idea on Friday night…not so much on Saturday.  Not only did we have puddles in the tent, but a river was literally flowing underneath it due to the drainage for the entire camping loop flowing directly through our site!  After Chris attempted to stave off the water with “Verry dam,” we literally threw in the towel(s) and joined our friends, David and Deanne at the Comfort Inn, about two miles from the start of the race.

Pol, Chris, David and Deanne...nice and dry at dinner the night before the race

Race morning was full of uncertainties, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be the frantic race directors who were running around trying to decide what to do.  First, the race was delayed by half-an-hour due to thunder.  A duathlon was surely the next decision to be made, right?  Wrong!  We would indeed swim, though only 750 meters instead of 1500 (due to the debris up-river)!  Then, due to the fact that most of the roads on the course were flooded or full of debris, the bike course was shortened from 24 to 11 miles!  The good news?  The run was not affected and would remain 6.2 miles!

Chris coming out of the swim...hey, no worries - you're already wet!

Adding insult to injury, there were several power outages during the race broadcast.  Bob, our illustrious announcer had to lead everyone in the National Anthem because the sound system broke down!  When the race finally got underway, it wasn’t so bad!  I was in the last swim wave and by the time I started, there was an actual break in the rain until just after I finished the bike.  Awesome!  Not having planned on a “sprint,” I was actually happy with my swim and bike legs.  People were being extra cautious on the bike and it was very crowded from the Sprint race, which started ahead of our Olympic, but all-in-all there appeared to be no major mishaps.

Doing my best to power through on the wet roads!

Transition was a mud pit, with much of it completely underwater!  Going out on the run, you literally had to run through a lake of water.  So much for dry shoes, but it ended up pouring on the run anyway.  All the better for staying cool on an August day!  By the end, I was definitely ready to be done with this.  I kicked it up a notch and sprinted in the last .2 as Bob shouted my name at the line (Chris had alerted him that I was finishing, as the electronics were again down at that point!).  The day’s efforts were good enough for 1^st in my age group, so after collecting my medal we were ready to get out of Dodge!  Unfortunately, we still had to retrieve our soggy tent and break camp in the pouring rain!  But, I can truly say that after this harrowing event, things couldn’t get much worse, could they?!  Here’s the breakdown of Chris’ and my results:



Chris going super-fast in his new aero-helmet!

Polly: 4th overall female; 1st in age group (F35-39); 30th out of 162 finishers
Swim: 15:20; T1: 2:02; Bike: 34:33; T2: 1:08; Run: 42:09; Total: 01:35:12

Smiling through the pouring rain!

Chris: 5th in age group (M35-39); 22nd out of 162 finishers
Swim: 16:04; T1: 1:50; Bike: 31:06; T2: 1:21; Run: 43:20; Total: 1:33:41

Way to go, Chris!



Ironman Lake Placid: July 22, 2012 HERE WE COME!!!

It's official!  After 5 years of competing in triathlons, Chris and I have finally taken the Ironman plunge.  On July 22, 2012 (which also happens to be my 38th birthday!) we will be competing in Ironman Lake Placid!  In order to just sign up for this race, we needed to volunteer in 2011's race.  Fortunately we had several friends from the Philly Tri Club competing and it was great to be there to support their amazing achievements.

Chris and I volunteered at Bike Special Needs Bags 1, which was an amazingly crazed experience!  We were responsible for #'s 351-400, so when one of our numbers was called out, we had to quickly find the bag and bring it to the competitor.  It was great to be able to talk to the participants, see what they had packed (a cooler, McDonald's cheeseburgers, you'd be amazed!) and wish them well.  We even got to hand our friend Jessica her bag, which was SO awesome!

SO...after you volunteer, you're not done yet!  The next day Chris & I had to wait in a line (got there before 6:30am!) which opened around 8am, fork over $$$, then go online after a few days to officially confirm our spots.  But we are IN, so let the insanity begin (well, after a few months)!  We are SO looking forward to sharing this special day with our family and friends and thank them immensely for their encouragement and support.  We couldn't do it without you!

July's Training (heat, vacation and a dream set into motion)

Not only did July bring the heat, but another olympic tri, a birthday, a Lake Placid/Adirondacks vacation and the beginning of an exciting journey: Ironman Lake Placid, 2012 here we come!!  Fortunately, there is time to digest the madness of that event, so here is a recap of July's training:

Sunday July 3rd-Saturday July 9th
Race: Splash 'N Dash (1/4 mi. swim: 08:08; 5k run: 20:04; Total: 28:12)
Swim: 1 mi.; Bike: 31 mi., 2:10; Run: 9.6 mi., 1:19:15; Bike Commuting: 35 mi.

Sunday July 10th-Saturday July 16th
Swim: 1 mi.; Bike: 41 mi., 2:37; Run: 10 mi., 1:23:51; Climbing: 1 day; Kayaking: 2 days; Bike Commuting: 56 mi.

Sunday July 17th-Saturday July 23rd
Race: Anthracite Triathlon (Swim: 27:08; Bike: 1:15:12; Run: 46:12; Total: 2:28:32)
Swim: 2.2 mi.; Bike: 56 mi., 3:30; Run: 7.2 mi., 53:49; Bike Commuting: 42 mi.

Sunday July 24th-Saturday July 30th
Run: 4.5 mi., 45 min. (Adirondacks); Climbing: 1 day (Adirondacks); Hiking: 3 days (Adirondacks)