Sara Gross

Game Changers

2012-01-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

Clint, Rosie, myself and Gramma Rosaleen on Boxing Day

After Ironman Arizona and Cozumel, I took a 3-week break. Clint and I started planning for 2012. We spent Christmas in Ontario with my Dad and his wife Mary, who had never met Rosalee. And Rosalee got to meet her namesake, my 101-year-old grandmother Rosaleen. I amused myself with big days of mountain biking and cross country skiing, not to mention a lot of family visiting.

Rosalee, age 1 and Rosaleen, age 101

On our return to Vic the plan was simple, improve my cycling. One of the things we did was talk to some knowledgable people about how to reach my goals. One of the people we talked to is Clint's friend Patrick, who also happens to coach Paula Findlay. Among other things, Patrick said that I need to find 2 or 3 Game Changers and implement them in training. For some reason I loved this phrase and it stayed with me.

One of the Game Changers we decided on was to attend a camp put on by the Pacific Sport Cycing Centre's Houshang Amiri, who is generally regarded as one the best cycling coaches in Victoria. This meant attending a 5-day, big-volume bike camp with some of the best riders in town. For me, this felt akin to jumping off a cliff, at least in terms of fear, and the possibility of pain. Its safe to say, I would be outside of my comfort zone.

Nervous as I was, I rolled up to the camp feeling positive about what i would learn. The first couple days were a bit of a struggle, especially in terms of my pack-riding skills which are negligable especially compared to guys and girls who race bikes at a high level. It took 2 days of falling off the group on corners, riding 2 feet behind the wheel infront and generally having to focus so hard i couldnt make conversation, before I settled into a reasonable skill level. Its still a work in progress, but at least i can now talk and ride at the same time!

On the first day, we did a couple time trials. One was a 12-minute quad-buster up a big hill that got steep at the top, and the other was an undulating 20-minute effort. Following the advice of another girl on the camp, I turned off my brain and went as hard as i could. I found out later that my times fell right in with the other girls, which i was quite pleased about. On the second day, we did some hill climbs. I was hurting and was already partially blown before we even started climbing. The second day was the roughest for me. I wondered if i could survive 3 more days.

Enough with the boring cycling talk Mom!

On the third day I started to come into my own, felt more comfortable with the group and was really starting to enjoy all the time in the saddle. We did team time trials that day, which were very fun, especially because i didnt get dropped. The fourth day was hills again, and my legs were getting heavy after 4-5hours of hard riding each day. I did my best, but still got lapped by the boys on the hill repeats. At least i know what i have to work on!

The last day of the camp got snowed out, and I was more than happy to go for a run and rest up. I came out of the camp having learned a ton, and also gained a new riding group. We met today for some more hill repeats and I fared a lot better than last week!

Here's a list of my "Game Changers" from the week;

1. A new skill level for riding in a group, cornering and generally being comfy on my bike.

2. A new group to do long rides with on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

3. Some great advice from Coach Houshang about my cycling training.

4. The feeling that maybe, just maybe, I can kick an ass or two on the bike.

Are you done writing yet? Can we play chase?

Happy Training everyone!!

An Interview with Julie

2012-01-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago I started working with Julie as our team manager for Mercury Rising. Julie has a wonderful blog chronicling her triathlon journey (see link below) and has recently started a video log full of great triathlon tips (http://trivlogger.blogspot.com/). After I finished the two Ironman races this past November Julie had some great questions for me, which in time became an interview for our coaching website. I thought I would repost it here. Thanks to Julie for her great writing and inquisitive mind!

Julie on her way to a 2h30 bike split at Great White North 1/2 Iron!

Doing the Double

By Julie Anderson

For many iron-distance triathletes, the transition from finisher to competitor is often years in the making. Training, recovery, tapering, racing. Lather, rinse, repeat. But every once in awhile something challenges the way we view our sport in terms of recovery and performance. Outside of the box kind of stuff – like racing two Ironman races only 1 week apart for example.

In November 2011, professional triathlete Sara Gross (http://www.saragross.ca/ and www.saragross.blogspot.com/) did just this. (Keep in mind that Sara gave birth to her daughter Rosalee last year. So, not only did Sara train to regain the fitness required to compete at an elite level, she did so with all the challenges of being a new Mom!) On November 20, 2011, Sara competed at Ironman Arizona. One week later she raced Ironman Cozumel. At both races, she placed in the top ten: 8th female overall in Arizona and 6th female overall in Cozumel.

The following is an interview I had with Sara about her successful execution of the Ironman Double:

1. How did you feel after IMAZ? In other words, do you feel as crappy as the rest of us mortals after an IM race? How I was going to feel during the week between races was actually one of my main concerns going in. After Ironman Canada this year I felt terrible for more than a week, so I worried this would happen again. Before deciding to do the double, I talked to Chris McDonald (and wife Marilyn) to pick his brain and get the low-down on doing the double. (Chris was very successful at it and actually won the second race, Ironman Wisconsin 2008, ed.) He told me that recovering from the first race is all about what you do (or don’t do) during the first 72 hours after the race. This includes getting hydrated, massage, using compression, recovery food, and the little bit of exercise that you do to keep things firing. To answer your question, I felt great after IMAZ. A lot better than after most IM races, and I contribute that to being more diligent with my recovery. I was also in a very positive frame of mind, which always helps.

2. Why did you decide to do another IM only 7 days after IMAZ? Have you ever done this before? I have never done back-to-back Ironman races before but I did race two long-course distances (4k-120k-30k) 8 days apart in 2005. I finished 2nd at the first race in Gerardmer France and won the second race in Sweden 8 days later. So, I had a good feeling about racing back to back. I am not sure exactly what made me decide to do both this time. I was signed up for both races and was having trouble deciding which race to do. Arizona is always very competitive and I really love racing against a tough field. That always motivates me, though it isn’t a wise choice if you are after Kona points! Once the idea of doing both popped into my head I just couldn’t shake it. I was worried that Clint (my husband and coach) wouldn't go for it, but he got completely behind me. I guess the short answer is; because I wanted to. It really is as simple as that. I thought I was fit enough to pull it off and it was a challenge that excited me.

3. In terms of recovery after an IM, what did you do differently, if anything, to prepare for IMCoz? The differences in what I did after IMAZ compared to what I normally do after IM were subtle. It was more a mindset that kept me focused after the race. I did everything a little bit more quickly and efficiently. I ate the post-race pizza immediately even though I wasn’t hungry. I went to the massage tent right away instead of hanging around and chatting with my friends. It was mostly little things like that. I had my Zoot compression socks ready to put on in the car on the way home. I ate lots of protein. I went to bed and actually slept for 8 or 9 hours. I stretched the next day. I had multiple massages. I walked around and didn’t allow my muscles to seize up.

4. Racing 2 IMs only a week apart goes against the widely held notion of training, tapering, racing and recovering. Do you think you were fully recovered for IM Cozumel? Lol! Well, you only have to look at my bike time to see that I was not fully recovered! I was however, recovered enough to finish in 6th place, so I consider it to be a success. So many things can go wrong in an event that takes all day that a little fatigue was not a great concern for me on race day. You know, this little experiment has really challenged the way I see myself and our sport. My performance at IM Cozumel was pretty much exactly what I would expect it to be if I were to do a full Ironman in the middle of a big training block (ie, with no taper). Its amazing how it panned out in such a predictable way. And, the fact that I wasn’t fully recovered sort of makes me want to try again. The whole challenge of racing back-to-back Ironmans is about how well you can recover in 7 days. I think I could do better. I could use my compression clothing from Zoot more effectively or try to get my hands on some of those compression boots that people are using. My daughter really kept me on my toes in the week between the races, so I would recruit more people to help out with that. There are a few bits and pieces that I would change.

5. Did you do any “training” in the week between the two races? Based on advice from Chris, I kept moving in the days after the race and also listened to my body. The morning after IMAZ I rode my bike for 30mins. On Tuesday I did an 800m swim and a short water run and on Wednesday I did a 1200m swim and was able to do some short surges of 15m or so. I also did a fair bit of walking (with my daughter in the stroller). If I did this again, it might be entirely different, but this was the right amount for me that week. My legs and energy levels started to come around on Thursday and from there on I proceeded with my normal taper week. I ended up taking Friday off and did the “biggest” day of the week on Saturday with a 20min swim, 1h bike and 20min run. My total volume for the week between the races was 4h30mins.

6. How much food did you eat after IMAZ? Did you eat even more (the day after and the days following) after IM Coz? Lol!! Yes Julie, if you do 2 Ironmans in a row, you can eat as many bananas and sweet potatoes as you like!! Seriously, one of the things I was thankful for was that I had a good appetite the night after IMAZ. I often feel too sick to eat after an IM. Clint took me to Chipotle after the race for a giant burrito. During the week after Ironman, I normally eat whatever I want. And I did that this time as well, but I also made sure I was eating enough protein for my muscles to recover. I thought that I would be painfully hungry for weeks after the second race, but shockingly, I just had a “normal” post-race appetite after Cozumel. Actually, this applies to how I felt after IMCoz in general. It really felt like I had just done 1 race. I had been warned that I may feel a lot of systemic fatigue in the weeks after the second race, but its been weeks now and I feel great! I am very happy about that.

6. How on earth did you run a 3:07, and then a 3:18 in an IM only 7 days apart? WOW! Ok. You always have to see things like this in relation to how fit you are and what you are capable of. So, In Arizona I ran 3.07 and had a couple minutes of walking break in there. In Cozumel, I had a low patch that lasted 4-5hours smack in the middle of the race, so I was running slowly at the beginning and built into it until I was running at a more suitable pace. The same would apply to the difference in my bike times when compared to my ability, the conditions etc.

7. Did the new Hawaii qualification system effect your decision to race back-to-back? Will we see more of these double IM races in the future? To be honest, the points system was a factor, but not the main reason I decided to try the double. If I had done only Cozumel, I would have likely had a faster day, got decent points from that race and made more prize money. For me, it was mostly about the challenge of it. I love Ironman and just really liked the idea of the double. I don’t know if we will see more of it in the future as many people worry (and rightly so!) that they would not recover in time for the second race. Though I did feel that by playing my cards right it was easier than I thought it would be. I was excited about it and had fun executing it. The race in Cozumel just felt like a celebration to me. It was the right thing to do.

8. Anything else you would like to say? First of all, thanks for the questions Julie! At the risk of sounding a little cheesy, doing back-to-back Ironman races has had a subtle effect on my worldview. It has reinforced the idea that we really can do anything we set our minds to. Once I got my mind linked into the idea of doing the double, it was easy to just follow the path and get the job done. It stretched me as a person and as an athlete. It has had a positive effect on how I feel about my future and on the attitude I bring to my coaching as well. All in all, it was a great experience.

Julie Anderson is the Team Manager for Mercury Rising Triathlon (www.mercuryrisingtriathloncom). She is also a successful age group triathlete and dedicated student of the sport. Julie writes extensively on her blog (www.runningwithdoggies.blogspot.com). She lives in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, Canada with her partner Mike and cats Mandalay and Peanut.

IM Cozumel Race Report

2011-11-30T11:29:00.001-08:00

Before i start my report, let me just say that Cozumel is one of the coolest places i have ever been. And the whole island came out to cheer us on. It is a really special Ironman. I could go on about the place, but this is a race report, not a travel guide and I suspect the report itself will be long enough!

I have a lot to say about this race, about doing 2 Ironman races 7 days apart, what i did in between and what i learned about myself and my sport. I thought i would start with the race itself.

I arrived in Cozumel on Friday afternoon, a bit late in the week compared to my norm, but in time to register and get settled. The legendary Ben Cotter (a fellow pro from Victoria) had hooked us up with amazing accomodations right by the finish line. We each had a rooftop bedroom overlooking the water. The rooms were simple and "mexico" all-over, but they were 1/3 the price of the regular hotel rooms below.

Saturday I got myself aquainted with the swim course, walked through the transition areas, did a quick interview with TSN and generally felt ready to go. I was feeling recovered and very relaxed. My legs weren't as fresh as they had been the previous Saturday, but they weren't too bad either.

Race morning came and I was so relaxed i almost fell asleep in the taxi on the way to the start. But by the time i set up my bike and waited in line for the porta-potties, i had built up plenty of nerves. As I stood with the other pros in the starting area I realized that this was the first time in long time that i really didn't know if i was going to be able to complete the task I had set for myself. And to be clear, the task was as follows;

To compete at 2 Ironman races in 8 days. Note the word compete. I was not there to complete the race, but to compete in it. I was not looking for a 12h finish, i wanted to race. And i have to say, it felt really good to step into the unknown. It felt good to be in that grey area where i knew i was going to be tested physically and mentally. This was the challenge i was looking for and I knew i would get it.

We got in the water for a quick warm and then we were off. Almost immediately, I got dropped by the first pack. I was swimming ok, but just didnt have the sharpness required for the sprint off the line. This didnt really phase me, i just got into my groove and trusted my own swim ability. It quickly became apparent that i was one of the better swimmers in the group I was with, so i made my way to the front and started to chase a small group that was about 100m infront of us.

The swim in Cozumel is non-wetsuit and the water is as clear as you can imagine. You can see every ripple of sand of the ocean floor. Its beautiful. Even though i led the pack most of the way, I came out of the water feeling good.

On the first lap of the bike I felt great. My legs felt strong and fresh. I overtook a couple girls without much effort and started to get excited about how well the day was going. On Thursday before the race, I had a last-minute tune-up with Bob from Sportexcel via Skype. Bob told me that when we feel fatigue or pain, our vision starts to narrow and darken. So everytime i felt myself going into "the cave", I would consciously expand my vision by focusing on the periphery and "brightening" my field of vision. This really worked!! It kept me in the moment and time was just flying by.

At some point during the second lap, I started to feel really uncomfortable on by bike. My shoulders were hurting, my butt was sore, and worst of all, lots of age groupers were blowing by me. I started to get the impression that i was losing ground. The course in Cozumel is 3 loops, bone flat and windy as heck. By the third lap i knew i was really slowing down and had become incredibly uncomfortable. I kept trying to pull myself out of the cave, but it was a battle now. It was also very hot by this point in the day. A number of women passed me on the 3rd lap.
In 19 Ironman races, I can honestly say that i have never been so happy to see T2. The time on the clock said 6.38 which was exactly 30mins slower than i had entered T2 the week before. Feeling lightheaded, discouraged, hot and grumpy, I entered T2 and really had no choice but to take my time. Some cute, 12-year-old Mexican girls lathered me with suncream as I gathered myself and tried to face the marathon. The thing that actually got me out of my funk was a fellow pro woman who was in T2 at the same time as i was. She was cramping up and being carried away on a stretcher. It was a good reminder that things could be a whole lot worse. Her pain became my gain (Ben called this side of me "cold Sara"... I secretly like her).

So out i went onto the run course. At this point, I was reassessing my goals. I came into the race looking for a top 5 finish, but at this point i thought I would be happy just to finish under 10 hours. So, with this new mindset, I set out. At first, all i could do was jog.

I jogged out the first lap and the heat and wind continued. I don't think i mentioned, but Cozumel has a similar climate to Hawaii, but with more humidity. Oh, and windier. I usually hold off on drinking Coke until halfway through the marathon, but the way things were going i thought, screw that, I need it now. So, at about mile 9 I took my first sip of coke and it might as well have been cocaine. It was ice cold, still fizzy and absolutely awesome. Sometime, not long after this, the clouds rolled in offering some much-needed respite from the heat. I continued to take Coke at almost every aid station and life got a whole lot better. Then the skies opened and torrential rain poured about as much as rain can pour during hurricane season on a small island off the coast of Mexico. And not long after it started, a section of the run course flooded and we were all wading through knee-deep water. Other parts just turned into big puddles. It was actually kind of funny.

I spent most of the run thinking I was out of the money placings and was just trucking along trying to get my sub-10h finish. The route was 3 out-and-back loops and I hadnt bothered to count the number of women infront of me. As i started the third loop, I was really starting to come around. Marino Vanhoenacker was standing by the side of the road, looked at me and said, You are in 8th and you look good. 8th? Really? I was pleasantly surprised to learn that i was that far up the field. And so i ran faster. The last loop of the run was definitely the best part of my day. I was feeling human again and really running. I overtook 2 more women and ended up just one spot shy of my goal of Top 5. I got a little choked up in the finishing chute as i allowed myself to remember that i had done 2 Ironman races 2 weekends in a row and was about to finish the 2nd one. 9 hours and 56 minutes.

It was an interesting experiment and I look forward to expounding on what i learned. I will save that for another day.

I wont repeat my list of thank yous since you can find them below in last week's race report, but i will say this: Thank you to everyone who supported me the last few weeks in big ways and small ways. Thank you to everyone who encouraged me on email, Facebook and Twitter. I appreciate you all.

Sara

Ironman Arizona and Stuff

2011-11-24T17:08:00.001-08:00

I knew i was fairly fit going into this Ironman and coming out the other side I feel that my 9.18 finish is about right. I ran a 3.07, a PB for me (my previous best was 3.10) and I swam and rode solidly. The only time I've gone faster was in IM Western Autralia in 2006, which was not only a long time ago, but also pre-baby. The course in Arizona is a bit more challenging than WA, so 9.18 is pretty darn close to my best race ever. And i finished 8th. 8th. Yes, you read that correctly, 8th. The last girl to get a paycheck that day. It reminds me of the time I broke the course record at Ironman Florida, but unfortunately, so did 6 other women infront of me that day. Sigh. So I am content with my performance but the fire in my belly has also been stoked.

As for the race itself. I felt good in the morning when i woke up. I had been sleeping well in the week leading up to the race, so i was healthy and strong. I had virtually no warm up for the swim, but felt confident. I got in with a good group and was swimming well, at the right intensity. After the turn around at about the 2k-mark, the guy infront of me fell off the group and a gap opened up. I was lucky enough to be right there and see what had happened. I put in a hard effort for about 200m, swam around him and got back on the pack. Phew!! I was not surprised to learn i had swum a low-54. Thats what it felt like.

I left transition pretty quickly and felt good starting the bike. It always bodes well if the first few kms on the bike feel strong. Then i know i am in for a good day. The 3-lap, out-and-back bike course is well-paved and fast. There is a slight uphill grade going out and coming back is fast. There was some wind out there, so it was not without some challenges.

I was riding strong and girls just kept coming by me. The good news is that most of them weren't blowing by like i was standing still, but still A LOT of women passed me. The weird thing is, i was riding well. Going into the race, i expected to ride about 5.10 on a good day and i knew i was doing that. So many girls were riding under 5h out there! Its great to see, great for the sport and great for woman-kind in general, but WAIT UP GIRLS!!! It took me about 30mins post-race to start plotting how to improve my ride for 2012.

Starting the run, I saw Clint and knew he thought i was having a bad race because of the sheer number of women in front of me off the bike (i think i was in 17th or 18th then?). I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't feeling great about it (Clint would not do well in a game of poker). If i there had been time for a chat i would have explained that i was actually having a decent race and that i cant really control what everyone else is doing, but keep the faith. Its going well!!

Out on the run and I started at about 3h marathon pace, which i knew i was fit enough to hold. At mile 6, a salt tab exploded in my throat. I know, stupid right? It was the most painful bloody thing. It was like someone detonated a small bomb in my larinx. ouch. I walked and coughed and walked and coughed. White powder was blowing out of my mouth. Water just made it feel worse, but i knew i had to drink it!! Two women ran by me while i was having this little episode and just as the paramedics reached me, i came good and started jogging again and then running properly. My throat still hurts as i write this.

Once that nonsense was over, the rest of the run went by without a hitch. I felt strong and enjoyed striding my way past 10 or so women to finally grab that last paycheck and 8th place overall. HUGE kudos to the 7 fantastic ladies in front of me who continue to set the bar higher and higher! I love how fast the women are going these days. Special thanks to Linsey, Meredith and Amanda for their encouraging words post-race. They are classy girls and great competitors.

In October, when i was in Kona, I sent out an email to my support crew saying I wanted to do a training camp in Tucson and take Rosalee (my 11-month old daughter) with me. It sorta seemed crazy at the time, but I had a simple mantra in my head "lets make this happen," and so we did. That means that after all is said and done, there are a number of people without whom i couldn't have even raced and another group without whom I would not have raced as well as i did. Unfortunately, the $1000 paycheck is not enough to share, but if it was, a number of people would be worthy of a cut. Here is a short list (apologies to those who didnt make the list... I appreciate each and every one of you, I just dont want to bore my readers):

Shelley Thomson (without a "p")- Nanny, friend and swimming partner extraodinaire. There is no one kinder in this world.. at least not that i've met.

My Mom- My brave mother took the plunge and bought a condo in Tucson, allowed me and my crew to take over the place, babysat during some long training days and trips to Mt. Lemmon. Thanks Grandma D.

Rachel Kiers- This girl was all things when required, training partner, babysitter, chef, laundry folder, cheerleader, smoothie-maker, the list could go on forever. I have never known anyone who can figure out how to read the needs of others and help them more than Rachel. And husband Mike is not far behind. Thank you. Thank you.

Marilyn and Chris McDonald- Now here is a fabulous couple. So generous in every way, they helped myself and Clint dozens of times over the last few weeks. I am lucky to know them.

Angela Naeth- Angela showed me where to ride, and put up with me knocking on her door with a sheepish face saying "Can i borrow this? Can i borrow that?". Much appreciated.

Bill Kruse- Massage therapist to pretty much every pro in Tucson. Bill will talk your ear off about everything under the sun and you leave feeling not only physically good, but having learned a thing or two as well.

The Husband- My dear Clinton always makes sacrifices for me so that i can race to my potential and for that I am extraordinarily thankful. Without him there would be no triathlon.

My Sponsors- Zoot, Rudy Project, The Trek Store (Victoria), Sportexcel and Altitudetech. Without their ongoing support i could not afford to chase my dreams.

Mercury Rising Triathlon- Thanks to the team for all the pre-race wishes and post-race kudos! Its great to share my tri-journey with such an enthusiastic group. Lets go flaming squids!!

And lastly, thank you for reading my report. I also love comments and questions.

Sara

Photos above courtesy of Zoot Sports.
Photos below courtesy of Rachel Kiers.

Rosalee and Grandma D.

Shelley and I after a swim workout

A view from a training ride on Mt Lemmon

Subaru Ironman Canada Race Report

2011-09-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

Ironman Canada 2011. I am not sure what to say really. I swam, i biked, I ran. It was a day.

I dont want to mince my words and i have made an effort to be honest and straight forward in this blog, to be "real", if you will. So let me say first that I was happy with my day. In 2009 i collapsed while running in 3rd, so it was better than that. Last year, i was pregnant, so i had to be patient. Earlier this year i DNFed at IM Brazil. But at Ironman Canada, i had the best day i was capable of and i ended up in 4th place, only 5mins shy of my best time on that course. Not bad really.

My day started out with a sub-par swim. It was ok, but not great. The intensity was lower than i am used to (even for IM!) but i couldnt seem to get going. The bike and the run followed suit... i said to Clint after that i knew i wasnt going to blow up because i couldnt go hard enough to be in danger of that! On the run, maybe the fact that i couldnt exert myself saved me from breaking down in the heat like so many did. Maybe.

How's this for consistency; I came out of the water in 4th place (all placings are amongst the pro women, since the age groupers are in an entirely different race in so many ways), had the 3rd fastest T1, 4th fastest bike, 5th in T2 and 3rd fastest run, finishing finally in 4th. These stats say as much about my day as anything. I was consistent. And strangely, I was by myself ALL DAY! I passed one girl on the bike and one girl passed me. Other than that, i was just out there, chugging away, doing my thing. Its almost funny to think about now.

Most women have a couple days a month when they wont perform as well as they would on the other 28 days. Ironman Canada fell on one of these days for me. I actually had no idea why i was so lackluster during the race until the next day!! Aha!! Since having Rosalee things have been a little topsy turvy when it comes to girlie bits and hormomes and such.

Anyway, I am not complaining. I am not saying "I would have gone faster if only..." I dont know that for sure. What i do know is that i look forward to more racing. 9 months ago i gave birth to my little girl and I am awfully pleased by how fit i managed to get over the last 7months or so!

Now for the thank yous, there are so many people to thank, but i dont want to bore you so i will keep it short. David McColm was out there with his camera and captured some great shots as you can see. I was delighted to see that ProCityCycle had set up a tent on Yellow Lake and Bill was even out on the run course giving me splits! Thursday before the race i visited the Zoot tent and got some sweet new kit. The new endurance 4" tri shorts are the most comfy shorts i have ever worn. And thanks to Bob Palmer from Sportexcel I have improved my ability to stay focused and perform at my best on race day.

Thanks to the Mercury Rising team who continue to be my inspiration. Thanks to Carrie, Shelley, Clint, Pearl, my mom and all the other people screaming there heads off out there! You guys are awesome.

Francis the Conductor

2011-08-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

When i was 19 years old I had a mentor called Francis. She was in her fifties, strong, independent and smart and I looked up to her. She was married to my Master's thesis supervisor and I frequently looked to Fran for advice in those angst-filled years between childhood and adulthood - when i was trying to figure out who i was and what my place might be. As the years went by I didnt see Fran as much, but whenever i had a problem, my friend Meghan would ask me, "What would Fran say?" And so, over time, I developed my own "internal Fran", a kind of mind coach who would help me get perspective when making a decision.

Everything i've learned from Bob so far has been somewhat natural and intuitive. He doesn't throw crazy ideas at me that i find hard to understand or put into practice. Likewise, this past week he showed me how to create and use a mind coach, much like my internal Fran of past years. Its been many years since i've called upon internal Fran for advice and now Bob has helped me create a new version of her.

The new Fran goes way beyond the old one, to whom i would look for advice on the big, important questions like "Should i break up with that guy or not?" The new Fran knows all about all my activities, hopes and goals and helps me to transition from one role to another. For example, when i finish a training session, Fran can say, "Triathlete-Sara, your turn is over. Mom-Sara, you're up." And thus, i can move quickly from athlete to mom helping me to be present in each moment and each role and not miss a thing in my own life. This brings us back to my first Bob-blog when i talked about the Buddhist principle of mindfulness and being present in each moment of one's life.

If you are a triathlete, imagine your last race. Remember coming out of the water, going through transition and getting on your bike? How long did it take you, once you were on the bike, to shed your swimmer and become a cyclist? Did it take awhile to get your legs working and in the groove? How much time do you think you would save if you could transition faster from swimmer to biker? If the moment you pushed the pedals you were ready to rock the bike? 6 seconds perhaps?

The mind coach that Bob encouraged me to create can speed up the transition process by saying "Step aside swim-Sara, its bike-Sara's turn." Likewise, in day to day life, the coach can just nod at whatever part of you needs to be in action and voila! you are in it and ready to tackle the next challenge. The place where i have used my new Fran most effectively is with sleep-Sara. At bedtime when i lie down i think, "Step aside everyone, its sleep-Sara's turn". Its amazing how such a simple concept can actually help me sleep with such great effect.

So here's what to do. Remember the 3rd perspective from a couple weeks ago? Create a mind-coach who can oversee all your activities and make sure that you are focused on the right thing at the right time. This will help ensure that you will meet your goals in all aspects of your life and also that you will enjoy each aspect more because you can be fully present in all roles at all times knowing that each aspect of your personality will have its time and its place in due course. Because the conductor is turning the notes into beautiful music!

Calgary 70.3 Race Report

2011-08-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

The pro race started at 6.10am mountain time with the sun not yet over the horizon. Even on a beautiful summer's day, its still cold at 6.10am in Alberta! I kept warm by hiding in one of the race buses while i put my wetsuit on, then did a longer dry-land warm up than usual followed by a short warm up in the water. On the start line i was cold but ready to go. I tapered more for this race than my other races this summer and i felt ready to "unleash fury" as Clint would say.

The swim was ok. I found myself in a small group of pro men who i later noticed were friends Trevor Wurtele and Kyle Marcotte. Thanks for the draft boys! I was the 2nd woman out of the water and was pleased with that even though i lost 1min 47s to Tenille. T1, however, was a gong show. I was so cold coming out of the water that i stumbled and fell right there on the boat ramp. I still wonder if the TSN guys caught that graceful moment?! And that was only the beginning! My hands wouldnt work, so i couldnt get my wetsuit off or put my sunglasses or bike shoes on! It was a bit of a comedy show. Check out the photo below... I clearly have no blood left in my face or hands. I recognize that it was the same for everyone, but it was pretty funny!

Out on the bike course I was all alone. Three pro men passed me and i didnt see anyone else until Mackenzie overtook me with 10k to go. I had a solid bike ride, made good use of the mental skills i have been learning from Bob and treated the solitude as good practice for Ironman Canada. I rode strong and solid and felt good about it. The only other mishap was that i punctured coming into T2. 37th street needs to be repaved! After such a smooth ride, it was a bit of a shock to have to deal with brutal road surface, especially riding on my rim!

Starting the run i was in 3rd place, almost 9mins (gulp!) down on Tenille and just a minute behind Mackenzie. I knew Mackenzie was a good runner, so i had to think tactically. I ran solidly but made sure i had a little in the tank. I approached her slowly from behind and as i passed, listened to her breathing and could tell she was working quite hard. I moved past her hoping that would force her to run at my pace instead of hers. I am not sure if it worked, but i do know she held strong and with 4k to go was still just 50m or so behind me. I tried to pick up the pace but had very little left at that point. As we approached the finish, i felt certain that second place was mine. Then i saw her. Tenille. Suffering. I rallied whatever energy i had left and ran harder. As we got closer to the finishline i started to sprint, but it was too little too late. She won by 6 seconds.

6 seconds. Yes, 6 seconds after 4.5 hours of racing. It really puts a little perspective on things. I sat down and wrote a list of all the times during the race that i could have saved 6 seconds. I came up with 10 times. That's 1 minute total. I've never looked at a race like that before, going over every single detail in my head, looking for 6 seconds here, 6 seconds there. It was an extremely valuable learning experience that i will take with me to future races.

I want to note further that there was lots of talk about my close finish with Tenille, but that until about 100m to go, Mackenzie had also been running strong and pushed me all the way to the finishline. Also, Danelle Kabush, a mother of two herself, had the fastest run split of that day finishing 4th. These girls deserve much credit.

There are many many people to thank. My mom let me sleep on her floor all week. Her and my sister fed me every evening and got up early on race morning and cheered their heads off in the their matching "team gross" t-shirts! My sister's son Oliver (picture below) was also part of the cheering committee. My BFF Carrie and our Mercury Rising Team were out in full force. In the women's race we took 3 of the top 10 spots! Carrie is the best BFF a girl could ever ask for and she was smart enough to marry a guy with the skills to take beautiful photos like the ones shown. Thanks Kaz! Thanks to Zoot who have supported me for years and also ProCityCycles. Rob Hasegawa from Cedar Hill Sports Therapy has been keeping me injury-free for many months. His help is irreplaceable. My husband Clint and daughter Rosalee couldnt make the trip, but without them, none of this would be worth the trouble. Clint keeps me consistent in training (not to mention sane), and i couldnt be more grateful.

My post-pregnancy return to racing has been a great adventure so far and i look forward to more. If you want to watch my close finish with Tenille, the race will be aired on TSN on August 31st, time TBA, probably in the evening.

Changing Perspectives

2011-08-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

This week I was in Calgary preparing for the Ironman 70.3 race and catching up with family and friends. Bob and I spoke early in the week which set me up to have a good “mental week” and as a result I was able to enjoy race week more than I usually do. I was able to feel the excitement of the upcoming race without my usual nerves and fears.

In our meeting, Bob and I talked about perspective. We talked about the importance of being conscious about the perspective from which you see a situation. We also talked about how I can use perspective to my advantage by moving between mental “positions”.

Here’s what I mean; there are 3 basic mental positions that we tend to “think from” and usually we move between these unconsciously and often get stuck in one position. The first position is when you are seeing things through your own eyes, you have decided on an outcome for a situation and you will not be swayed by that. For example, you feel that you know the best route to a certain destination and no matter what anyone says, you are going to take that route. Second position is a position of empathy, when you hear someone else’s story or feelings and you feel them too. You start to see the world through their eyes. Third position is when you step back and see the situation from the outside, like a third party observer. This position is underused by most people, but can be very helpful. For example, imagine you are racing and someone passes you, what should you do? Try to keep up with them? Let them go? Overtake them again right away? This will depend on the circumstances. Take a moment to look at the situation from a third party perspective. It will be much easier to make a decision now. And, it takes the anger or frustration of being passed out of the equation and allows you to make the best decision for your race.

The day before my meeting with Bob, something happened with a fellow competitor that got under my skin. It was nothing this person did on purpose, but it rattled my confidence. I felt negative about my ability to race well. I took a moment to think about the situation through my competitor’s eyes (position 2). Did she question my ability to race? The answer was no. Once I put myself in her shoes, I realized that she respected me as her competitor. And then I looked at the situation from 3^rd position. How does someone on the outside see us two girls as we stand beside each other. I realized that to the outsider, we look like two professional triathletes, each with strengths and weaknesses, ready to race. AHA!

In essence, by simply stepping out of myself and seeing things from another perspective, I recognized that my 1^st position perspective was quite inaccurate and was driven by fear and insecurity. By consciously guiding myself to see things from another perspective, I could quickly get out of my negative frame of mind and get back to a race-ready way of thinking. Taking control of where my mind was going quickly snapped me out of that dark place. This reminds me of something that happened at our recent training camp in Penticton. One of the girls at the camp saw herself as being under confident on the bike because of a bad crash she had a couple years earlier. Conversely, the rest of us saw her as being a very brave person for getting back on the bike and on the road so quickly after it happened. When we pointed that out to her, she quickly took the information on board and by the end of the evening was radiating confidence! I saw this girl recently in the pool and she was still glowing. It is simply amazing how quickly we can change our minds about things.

Bob has taught me that our minds accept positive thinking very easily, and that steering ourselves in that direction can be simple and rewarding. Being aware of, and making use of various perspectives is just one way we can make this happen!

Calgary 70.3 race report coming soon!

Controlling the Rush

2011-07-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

In my most recent meeting with Bob we talked about adrenaline. He showed me a technique to help me "wire in" an adrenaline "hotspot" which allows me to access adrenaline when i need it for a training session or a race. Throughout the week, i looked for an opportunity to try out my new adrenaline "button" to see if it would really work, but i found that there was never really an appropriate time. In fact, what i learned is that i spend a fair bit of time controlling my adrenal responses. If anything, I am naturally over-excited and need to reel myself in in order to perform. This is something that i had never really reflected on before.

I noticed that there were a number of times in training that my adrenal system kicked in; at the start of any interval for example, whether in the pool, on the bike or running. Also, the exhileration of descending on the bike, or a near-miss with a pothole or a vehicle bring on an adrenal response. Group training situations tend to get me fired up more than training alone, which is a good reason to train with groups, but also a good reason not to sometimes.

Further, i cant think about a race at bedtime or else I will get too excited and have to calm myself down. In fact, i found that throughout the week, i had to calm myself down from the excitement of upcoming races, even races that are weeks away. Every time i thought about testing out my adrenaline hotspot, i got a shot of adrenaline just thinking about thinking about it. I never knew i was such and adrenaline junkie!

Reflecting on this has been eye-opening for me and made me realize that i need to harness my excitability if i am going to unleash it successfully on race day. They say that dogs immitate their owners, its no wonder my dog is so spastic! And my last dog was excitable too...

In the process of wiring in my hotspot, Bob talked me through a wonderful exercise in which i had to think of 6 qualities that i possess that will help me win races. Then, i thought of each of them as i let adrenaline rush through my body and wow it sure made me feel excited and confident. The purpose of the exercise was to wire in the hotspot (which i still havent used!) but in this case i found the process itself was quite powerful. What a wonderful way to get excited about racing, to reinforce the idea that i possess all the skills required to reach my goals. I highly recommend taking some time to get excited about your abilities and how things can play out on race day when you execute your master plan and finally get to show off your fitness!

Over the last couple weeks, i think Bob has been slightly taken aback by my focus on pain (I forget sometimes that we endurance athletes have an unusual relationship with pain). He told me to make sure I reward myself from time to time. It was a welcome reminder to step back and acknowledge the little accomplishments along the way. Thanks Bob!

Pain, Perspective and the Past

2011-07-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

During my last meeting with Bob we started with a long talk about pain. In previous sessions, Bob told me that when you are in the Zone, there is no pain and i did not question him until i really started to reflect on how i experience pain in training and racing. In fact, I often use pain as an indication that i am going hard enough in training. During some sessions, my specific purpose is make use of and acquire better skills for dealing with pain, so i am prepared for race day. AND, on a couple of occasions, I felt sure that i was feeling pain and also in the Zone. This sparked a long discussion between myself and my mental training mentor on the question of pain in the Zone.

We talked about good pain versus bad pain. Good pain being that nice burning you get in your legs or your lungs when you are working right on the rivet, in that place that tells you that you are doing your very best. Bad pain could be caused by injury or could be the outcome of losing the Zone and giving in to the negative voices that will inevitably fill your head when you lose focus.

A few things stuck with me after our discussion. Bob said, you need to shift your metaphors, reinterpret the wall, learn to love it and enjoy it. He talked about euphoric pain (it all sounded a little too S&M for my liking, but i knew what he meant!). As with so many things in life, it's all a matter of perspective.

From here our conversation shifted to the issue of fatigue. Bob told me that tiredness is natural, but fatigue is a learned behavior (Aha!). We used some visualization techniques to "clean up" the past and unlearn fatigue. I learned to brightened up the memories that were clouded with pain or fatigue so these experiences will stop effecting my current experiences. In the 2 weeks since our last meeting I have been using any down time i have to clean up all kinds of bad performances and experiences and change them in my mind to things that will make me stronger and better today.

In the last few minutes of our meeting Bob talked a little about how i look at my competitors. If you can see them, Bob said, they have already beat you.... ummm what? Of course i can see them, you just asked me to bring them to mind! Slowly but surely, I was able to see that my competitors need to blend together in my mind and not one of them should stand out as an individual, because the one who does is the one who will beat me. Bob helped me understand that i am the leader of my race and they are just pawns in my performance game.

As soon as i got off Skype, I tested Bob's theory by choosing the most competitive female in long course triathlon and trying to make her disappear. And poof! She was gone. As i've said to anyone who will listen since then, I made Chrissie Wellington into a girl i have never met! Of course, i know on a conscious level that Chrissie is a woman who has smashed records, won world titles and basically left a trail of destruction in every race she enters (amongst the men too!), but i was able to let go of all the emotional ties i had to her performances, including awe, fear and disbelief. Now Chrissie is just a girl i have never had the pleasure of meeting.

What i have taken with me since our last meeting is that i can clean up any past experiences, feelings or thoughts that are effecting my current reality by simply brightening the memory in my mind's eye and imagining myself in the Zone during that time. Something as simple as improving the weather during memories of fatigue has really changed my perspective on past and present. Times when i used to feel burdened with the weight of training tiredness have become brighter memories of times when i did the work required to succeed in my sport and i can bring all those miles with me into my next race and my next season. In this way any bad memory can be cleaned up whether you used to be fat, or in an abusive relationship or you once lived life of crime. Its very freeing indeed.

Subaru Vancouver International Half Iron

2011-07-06T14:52:00.001-07:00

Rosalee, Clint and I traveled to Vancouver this weekend for the Subaru Vancouver International Half Iron. Clint was volunteering and I was doing a "relay".

I recovered from the Victoria Half Iron pretty quickly and after the race, we launched into two pretty tough training weeks, at the end of which i was planning to do a hard 90k bike as a relay. As the race got closer, i thought, it would be better training to do the swim and the bike. And then Clint added a transition run. And so, it emerged as a half ironman.

I was pretty relaxed going into the race because my expectations were low. My swim was strong, controlled and solid, i didnt want to go into the bike ride completely trashed! Starting the bike, my legs were pretty roughed up. I knew i could still manage a solid ride, but it would be more painful than usual. Sorry Bob, but i struggled to stay in the Zone. My thoughts were more like "F**k the Zone, this is bloody painful." It got better as time went on, I warmed up into it that's for sure.

Onto the run and it was the same story, i started out jogging for my "transition run" and in all honesty, couldn't manage much more. After the 7k mark, i started to feel better and loosen up a little. I overtook a couple girls and it looked like 2nd place was mine. This kept me going to the finish line. Huge kudos to Rachel McBride who was completely uncatchable out there!

Thankfully, a photographer friend, David McColm was there and took some great shots including the one of Rosalee above.

Thanks to everyone who supports me in small and big ways. I couldn't do it alone.

My New Shoes

2011-07-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, I left my meeting with Bob very excited indeed - not just about how the new ideas could help me, but about how they could help my athletes as well. Carrie can attest to this, as she had the misfortune of calling me right after and got an earful of what i learned!

So, while we covered lots of ground in our meeting, i will focus on the things that effected me most, my "aha moments" as Oprah would say. (Sorry Clint- i just mentioned Oprah in my blog.)

The first point that stuck with me is that all along i have been talking about "mental training" though the Zone is very much a physiological experience. So, in relation to my injury, I have been focusing on the injury, trying to imagine the healthy image of it that Bob helped me to create the week before. But Bob said, Don't focus on the injury, just focus on the Zone.... Aha! So, for the last week, while i've been crazy busy and in need of simplicity, this type of thinking sure fit the situation. In any given moment, if i realize i am not in the Zone, I just bring myself back. I do this by looking for physiological clues, like relaxed shoulders, good posture and a general feeling of centeredness.

Secondly, Bob and I did an exercise to help me work on my perceived weaknesses and learn from my fellow athletes. In short, i put myself in the shoes of people who already have the skills that i would like to possess. For me, one thing i would like to improve is my bike handling. So, I thought of 3 uber-bikers and then imagined myself stepping into their shoes. As i did the exercise, thoughts and images started to flood my mind, positive things about cycling. I felt strong and powerful, I felt excited about riding, as if i could own any bike course. I felt the exhilaration of riding fast and well. The best part about it was that, like last week, these thoughts came to me. I didnt have to conjure them up myself because i was trying to be positive. The positive thoughts just arrived in my head. Aha!

And so, once again this week, I feel like the missing pieces of my mental game are being found. We already know how important it is to think positively, and i know from my experience as a coach that people who are naturally positive improve faster. But if you are not naturally a positive person, this is hard to learn. Or if you have negative experiences about certain aspects of your sport or life, then it is hard to change your mindset, even if you want to. Many of the exercises that i have done with Bob help to accelerate the process of literally, changing my mind about something.

This is the revolutionary aspect of Bob's program. It helps you change your mind, and your physiology by using the Zone experience as the central focus of your everyday activities.

Some of you have been asking about how to get in touch with Bob. The series i am doing is called the Ignition Series and Bob and I meet every week for 6 weeks on Skype. Each week, i also receive follow up information by email that helps me to remember everything we covered in the session. Mercury Rising athletes receive a 10% discount. Also (this is the best bit), Bob offers a free session on Skype to anyone who is interested, so you can decide whether you would like to continue with the series or not. Obviously, I highly recommend it.

Bob's email is: bpalmer@bell.net

His website is: www.sportexcel.ca

Part 2: Bobbing for Wisdom

2011-06-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

During my first session with Bob we mostly talked about theory, what the Zone is, how to know if i am in it or not and how it can help me be a better athlete and coach. I really had a handle on what we were trying to accomplish, and in all honesty, felt like we were building on skills that i already possess. Now, after our second meeting, i am aware that i have a long way to go. New experiences and terminology were flying at me so fast that i am not completely sure that i really got my head around all of it!

Bob has a large toolbox filled with tricks to help change my unconscious mind and ultimately, always bring me back to the Zone. The first thing we did was an exercise called Fusion in which we integrated negative memories with positive ones, effectively taking a bad memory and making it good. Or, in Bob's terminology, we take a Zone experience and apply it to a no-Zone experience.

I was asked to think of a time when someone had effected me negatively so i chose an occasion on which someone had said something negative about me that made me feel bad. Then I thought of 3 times when i had good experiences with that same person. After that i was told to "fuse" the good and bad experiences and was amazed by what happened next. Almost immediately, my unconscious mind began to give me reasons why the person in question said the negative things that he did. I didn't have to try to understand him, i just did. Even more amazing was that the whole process was entirely unconscious. And over the last couple days, whenever the person in question comes to mind, i find myself feeling endeared to him, completely unable to feel hurt by what he said.

I have always been a believer in the power of the mind and my previous attempts to change how i think about something could be called "the-little-engine-that-could method", i think i can, i think i can, i think i can. Or likewise, i love hills, i love hills, i love hills, etc... And this method does work as long as you can control your mind enough to keep the positive thought train running and the negative one in the station.

What i learned from Bob is that there are easy methods that we can use to change our minds on the unconscious level that will actually stick! In another example, we used a similar approach with my Si joint injury. Once i got my mind to imagine a healthy image of my lower back, i couldn't even conjure up the injured image. My whole mindset about the injury has changed and I now see it as an opportunity to teach my body to function properly again. I now see that i can use my mind to do this.

This effectively means that changing our perception about something that is holding us back can be done swiftly. The challenge then is to recognize those things and change them one by one. I am excited and curious to see how Bob and I are going to build on this during the coming weeks.

Subaru Victoria Half Iron Race Report

2011-06-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Well now that's a relief.

I needed to have a good race. I needed to know i could sleep the night before. I needed to test my fitness and I needed to finish my first triathlon since Rosalee was born. Thankfully i managed to accomplish all these things on Sunday. Winning was just a bonus. Check, check, check and check!

For the most part, my own personal race was won before it started. I slept. Not a lot, but some. When the alarm went off i knew i had definitely been under and a huge smile spread across my face. I get to race today.

If i am honest, i knew this race was make or break for the rest of the season. Clint and I and our families have made many sacrifices so i can train as much as i do, and if i hadnt slept again, I am not sure what we would have done next. It would have gone from a small problem to a big problem very quickly. I am so relieved that things went the way they did.

Onto the race. I had a solid swim, a solid bike and a solid run. Nothing special, just solid. I wasnt sure how my bike and run fitness would hold up in a half ironman, but the pieces seem to be falling into place. Another relief.

I am hugely grateful to so many people, now more than ever because the opportunity to race comes at a greater cost when you have an infant daughter!! Most of the sacrifices come from my husband Clint, who also writes the smart training program that i need to balance my training with motherhood and coaching. Clint's mom Pearl had Rosalee for the whole weekend, allowing me to get some rest before the race. It couldnt have happened without Pearl.

Thanks to Zoot who have continued to support me through my pregnancy and now during my comeback to racing. ProCityCycle set me up with that beautiful Trek Speed Concept which is so aero it takes care of the descents and flat sections practically on its own. I just have to point it in the right direction. Thanks to Shelley, babysitter extraordinaire! And also a big thanks to Paul and the Lifesport gang who are so great about taking care of the pros at their races, who always make sure we have a little money to fight for as well! Also want to give a quick mention to Bob from Sportexcel. Though i have a lot to learn, after only 2 sessions, Bob's advice helped keep me in the right mindset for most of the race, or at least made me conscious about what my mind was doing while i was out there!

Additionally, i want to give huge kudos to Rachel and Christine (2nd and 3rd place finishers). Rachel, who is also coached by Clint, stayed with us this past week and besides being her usual helpful and smiley self, also put in a solid training week leading up to the race. And Christine, who i know was not having the best day, challenged me (as she always does) on the bike course, which kept me riding strong. It was great to share the podium with these girls.

And last but not least, thanks to Rosalee for being the best baby ever!!

Moving forward.

Week 1; Bob's Building Blocks

2011-06-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

So I had my first session with Bob on Wednesday. As I mentioned, Bob is not a trained sports psychologist, just a guy with an idea, a system, that helps athletes, teams and coaches achieve their potential. In our first session we discussed how that system works, and how it will help me achieve my goals in the triathlon world and in life in general. After that, we talked about how i can identify when i am in the right place for optimum performance and when i am not. I am told that over the course of the next 6 weeks i will be learning strategies that will help me be my best self at all times. (These are my words not his!)

Bob likes to talk about The Zone. This is a phrase used in sports psychology to describe the mental state of being completely in the moment. It is also sometimes referred to as Flow. It is a single-minded immersion in the moment that can help us harness our very best performance. Bob's goal is to help athletes achieve The Zone not just once or twice in their careers, but all the time, every day.

I personally prefer to apply different language to Bob's "Zone," to talk about a sense of centeredness, or of just being being. A place where swimming, biking and running flow out of me and my best performance just is. The concept is the same (i think!), but the semantics are different. Imagine a kid playing a video game, he is the game and the game is him. Like the Buddhists and their non-duality.

Traditional sports psychology starts with goals, makes plans and works towards achieving The Zone, maybe, someday, eventually. Bob wants me to start with The Zone first and let everything else take care of itself. The challenge is to stop thinking and to live from that place. To live as if my goals have already been achieved. So my decisions on a day to day level become unconscious. I no longer have to fight the urge to eat the chocolate cake, i simply don't eat it because i want to be lean and fast. The idea is to take the thinking out and live unconsciously at my best. Yoda comes to mind "Do or do not. There is no try."

So, over the next few weeks, Bob and I are going to build a series of strategies to help me get into this state of centeredness and also to help me get back there when i fall out. We identified some of my "blocks" and are going to explore strategies to clean them up. They are as follows:

I have lots of tired, overtrained bike rides to "clean up"

I am still bothered by my SI injury and feel tight in the back

I have a problem with sleeping before races

I never have enough time in my life and always feel behind on my work

We discussed my goals of racing well in Hawaii and of racing consistently over the next few years. If Bob can help me with all this then truly he will have rebuilt my mind. For now, my homework is to learn what cues, feelings and sensations let me know that i am in The Zone. I am also supposed to take note of what takes me out of The Zone. Here's what i have learned so far:

1. When I am in The Zone i feel relaxed in my shoulders and core.
2. When i am not in The Zone i carry tension across my shoulder and if i am training or racing, my limbs feel tight and sore.
3. I have some skills that help me get into the Zone during training, like focusing on technical cues and controlling pain with my mind.
4. I have more of these skills for swimming and running that for biking.
5. Thinking too much is the first thing that takes me out of the Zone. In training and racing this is often related to what others are doing, for example, if someone overtakes me and i start thinking about them instead of myself.
6. If the pain in training is too intense, my mind starts to wander and pulls me out of The Zone. Usually i start thinking about my athletes, planning programs etc... This way, my mind can convince me that i am doing something "useful" when i should be focused on myself. My mind can be very crafty when it wants to be.
7. I am much better at getting into The Zone swimming, biking or running than i am in everyday life.

Thats my summary for this week. We have a big job before us, me and Bob.

OHM!

Coming Soon: Adventures with Bob

2011-06-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

In the course of my triathlon career I have done bits and pieces of mental training. Starting with the work i did with Russell Martindale, a graduate student who was working on his PhD in Sports Psychology while i was pursuing my own PhD at the University of Edinburgh. This was followed by a bunch of book-reading and note-taking over the course of the next couple years. In 2006-07, i would plan specific visualization sessions into my schedule. Now, as i begin my post-baby comeback to triathlon, I am pleased to say that i will be working with a new mentor on the mental side of things, Bob Palmer from Barrie, Ontario.

Bob was a teacher and martial artist who stumbled upon a technique for optimizing performance in his own athletic career and life and is very keen to share than technique with other athletes and coaches. Bob is not a trained sports psychologist, just a guy with an idea that he feels passionately about and wants to share with as many people as possible. In my experience, people with great ideas and the drive to make change are often the best people to have in your corner.

Bob and I will be doing a 6-week program together called The Ignition Series. Each week I will be blogging about my experiences with Bob, what am i learning and how it is changing my perceptions and my performances. I feel that my first meeting with Bob is what helped me stay so calm when i punctured in St. Croix 70.3 and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together over the 6 weeks.

To learn more about Bob, check out his website here: www.sportexcel.ca

Watch this space for the six-part series "Adventures with Bob"

Disappointment

2011-06-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

"Ok seriously, enough with the camera already. I'm cute. I know. Get over it. I am trying to focus on playing here."

***********************************************************

Today i find myself in Houston airport in transit between Rio De Janeiro and Vancouver. In the last 5 weeks i have spent 5 nights on planes and last night was the best one. i am getting the hang of it. How to position myself, the seat and pillow comfortably so that i dont wake up with every bump, neck bent and contorted. Its always nice to see progress, even in the simplest of tasks.

Since DNFing at IM Brazil I have had to deal with disappointment on many levels. The main disappointment is that my hopes of going to Hawaii this year are squelched. It was a long shot but now its pretty much impossible. This actually has an upside in that now i can plan my comeback to racing with a little less urgency and a little more smarts. Also on the list of disappointments are; the loss of income, the 9 days spent away from Clint and Rosalee when she is only 6 months old, and last but not least, the disappointment in myself for deciding to end the race. (Now before all my extremely kind and well-meaning friends jump in with various reassurances and reasons i should not be disappointed in myself, give me a chance to explain why i feel this type of disappointment is actually a good thing. This is not a pity party.)

First of all, the main reason i did not finish the race is because I did not sleep the night before and was thus, not coping mentally with the task of racing a full Ironman. And when i say i did not sleep, I mean, i did not sleep. At all. Not 5 minutes. Not even 30 seconds. This has happened to me before. It happened at Ironman Brazil in 2009. It happened in St. Croix 4 weeks ago. In 2009, I managed to finish the race, but it was the most painful of my career. In St. Croix, I was actually feeling ok on race morning, still positive and ready to go. But it was not a full Ironman.

This time, i managed to stay positive through a long night of tossing and turning. Even when the clock said 3am i was still thinking "i can have an hour nap and be good to go!" It wasn't until I got out of bed at 4am and started getting ready for the race that i really lost the desire and will to put myself through it. A cup of coffee helped me shake the gloom for a short time but it only lasted about an hour and by the time the gun went off i was already looking for an out. This is a terrible feeling. When i look back on it, i see that in one night my hopes and aspirations for the race just slipped though my fingers. At the time I just carried on regardless, but in retrospect, I feel like i was robbed.

I felt tired for the whole swim but my time was good enough. The first part of the bike was a bit of a comedy show... combine the fatigue of not sleeping, the adrenaline of racing, a girl with sub-par bike skills with a technical course and someone is gonna get hurt!! I was very aware how slow my reflexes were and had close calls with multiple potholes, cones and even another competitor when i didnt see a dead turn coming up and almost plowed into the back of him.

So back to my "good" disappointment. I know that in similar circumstances other competitors would have finished the race. I can think of multiple examples, heck, I managed it 2 years ago in the same race!! Every decision has consequences and one of the major ones in this case is that i didnt get the satisfaction of finishing. In 2009, I finished the race and was pleased, but i didnt have the result i wanted. This time i feel disappointed, but i get to start training again tomorrow. I dont have to recover from a full Ironman physically, but i have to recover mentally. I don't think there was any right or wrong decision in either of these cases. Just 2 choices, neither of them good, each with a different set of consequences. So there are 2 aspects to what happened on Sunday, the part that was out of my control and that leaves me feeling robbed and the part that was in my control, the decision not to finish the race. Both are disappointing.

This may sounds weird, but i will own the disappointment and i will take it with me to fuel future training and racing. I feel like i earned the right to be disappointed. I almost kind of like it. I like it because it reminds me of who i am, of the fact that i am taking great risks for rewards that are few and far between. I am disappointed because somewhere inside me i truly believed that 6 months after giving birth, I would be able to compete in an Ironman race on a professional level. If i didnt believe it in the first place, I would be neither surprised nor disappointed when it did not work out. The disappointment becomes a reminder of who i am and that i am definitely, on the right path. So i will own it, take it with me on my way, let it fuel me and use it as a reminder of who i am and what i am trying to accomplish.

Thank you to all my supporters, to ProCityCycle and Zoot, to my friends and family, my athletes and the tri community in Victoria. Big thanks to Amy, Chris, Marilyn, Giancarlo and Shawn for all the laughs this past week. And also huge congrats to Amy, Chris and Giancarlo on jobs well done. Roll on!!

On my way

2011-05-25T05:22:00.001-07:00

One thing is certain about having a baby, it hardens you up. Or at least, it hardened me. Not in the ways i expected mind you, but in ways that are useful not only for mothering, but for training, coaching, travel and life.

I sit at a busy coffee shop in Sao Paulo airport waiting for my flight to Florianopolis, drinking my second espresso of the morning and feeling, really, pretty darn good. My trip to Ironman Brazil started yesterday morning with the 9 o'clock ferry from Victoria to Vancouver, a bus to the airport and a flight to Chicago. I flew out of Chicago in the evening and arrived here in Sao Paulo at 10am local time. This is a trip i have done twice before and on both ocassions, i recall feeling dizzy from exhaustion at this point in the journey. But today is different. Last night on the plane I watched a movie and slept intermittently for 6 hours. I woke up at 8.30am local time (4.30am at home) and thought, that was pretty good. Now i feel ready to attack the day, get to my hotel, go for a little run and get settled. I am tougher.

Clint recommended that i write a blog before the race about my hopes and aspirations, as well as the challenges and worries that go with racing my first Ironman since Rosalee was born. I think this is a great idea, but struggle because i know it will make me accountable to my readers. I would rather wait, see how the race goes, and then blog about it. But I know from experience that how things look post-race and how they look now are two completely different things and that now is a perfect time to write something meaningful. It may take a couple posts to get everything out of my head and into cyberspace, but i will get started today.

So on the topic of feeling tougher. Many of the things i thought would be different after having a child are not different at all and many of the things that changed i never could have seen coming. For whatever reason (and i am not even sure of the reason), i feel better equipped to deal with day to day challenges without being thrown off course. So, for example, it used to be that if something went wrong during a race, i would have to talk myself back to reality. Like the time I punctured at Ironman Canada. I can still remember how my hands were shaking as i tried to change my tubular, how i couldnt help counting the pro women who went by me as i stood at the side of the road. This time, when i punctured in St. Croix, i stayed in the moment. I dealt with the issue at hand without worrying about the outcome of the race which was not in my control. This increased ability to problem solve comes very naturally to me now, even on a day to day basis, I seem to be able to roll with the punches so much that they are no longer punches, but just gentle pushes telling me which direction things are going. I no longer feel the need to control things all the time and feel much better equipped to deal with things head on as they come to me. Its like an increased ability to problem solve combined with a laissez faire attitude which allows me to be here, now and nowhere else.

I wonder if this is a common experience of new mothers? Interestingly, I never considered myself a control freak in the first place so i really had no idea it was something i needed to improve on. In fact, i think those who are closest to me will agree that i am really, quite relaxed. I had no aha moment and i certainly didnt try to change. How could i try to change something that I didnt think needed changing?

In terms of my hopes and aspirations? I want to race at the World Championships in Kona and improve on my 20th place from 2008. With the new qualifying rules for professional athletes this means that i have to gather points over a series of 5 races. My competitors have been gathering points since September 2010, when i was still 6months pregnant. So, qualifying this year is a big ask, but i am up for the challenge. At the race on Sunday i am primarily looking to collect some points towards this goal.

There, i said it. Anyone familiar with the ins and outs of the new qualifying system will know that my work is cut out for me. In some ways, many of the toughest decisions are already made in terms of which races i should do, what i can be prepared for and when. This leaves the thinking out of it, and allows me to get on with what has to be done. A task that, thanks to motherhood, i am well-equipped for.

A Training Day Worth Blogging About

2011-05-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since i've had a training day that's worth blogging about. Back in the day, when i first started training for Ironman I would have noteworthy days all the time; the first 200km ride, the first double run day, you get the picture. But all these years later, it pretty hard to come up with something truly epic and different.

For the last... oh i dont know... couple years I guess... I have struggled with long rides. I never look forward to them. I find them boring and tedious. Worst of all, i often feel that i don't get the training effect that i am looking for because inevitably my mind wanders and my HR slips down or worse, i have energy problems and end up stopping twelve times for coke and cookies. Its rarely pretty.

After returning from St. Croix, Clint and i were looking at the next couple weeks as I prepare for IM Brazil. You'll have to do a 5h30 ride on Tuesday or Wednesday, Clint said. Ugh, I thought, can i split it up? Can we do 2 sessions so i have something to focus on? And then without thinking i said, I'll do a triple ride day, and run off all of them.

Ummm... what?

Clint's eyes lit up, Great idea! And so it was.

Here's what i did:

7.30am:
BIKE 2h45 with 4x 15mins above IM race pace w 5mins easy spin between
RUN 30mins build

2.00pm:
BIKE 1h40 trainer ride as follows:
6x
(3mins tempo/1min easy
2mins tempo/2mins easy
1min tempo/2min easy)
This is a fun little session if you want to try something different, by the time you hit the 1min intervals you feel like a lion ready to pounce!
RUN 25mins as 15x 30/30, 10mins easy

5.30pm:
BIKE 1h20 trainer as follows:
6x
(6mins overgear/4mins steady)
RUN 10mins easy jog

And that was my day. 5h45 of biking and 1h05 of running.

The best thing about it was that i felt strong and good all day long, making me feel like i might just be able to handle a 180km ride on race day.

Here is a picture of my office. Its more like a messy corner of the kitchen, but it does the job. Notice how i set up my computer to watch shows while on the trainer (I am currently watching The Sopranos, Season 2). Also notice how suweet my new Trek Speed Concept is!

When i am not biking, this area quickly converts back into a desk where i write programs or call athletes. If you look closely on the far right, you can see Rosalee's Jolly Jumper where she does her training!

Happy Days!

Reflections on St. Croix 70.3

2011-05-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

There is something freeing about being able to accept one's experiences for what they are. To live, as the monstrously overused phrase dictates, "in the moment". As athletes we are wisely told to control the things we have control over and to forget about everything else. We hear this a lot in Ironman circles because the race is so bloody long that the opportunities for things to go wrong are multitude. And many of those things are out of our control like weather, wind and water temperature.

At about mile 37 of the 56 mile bike course in St Croix, I punctured. Even though i wasnt exactly having the race of my life, I was definitely focused and in the moment, so when I realized my back tire was flat, it didnt even occur to me to get angry or upset, I just thought, "Well, better change that now." Three tubes, six cartridges and a broken valve later, I still wasn't back on my bike.

Once the mechanic found me, he fixed the problem and I was able to finish the bike course and rolled into transition about an hour later than expected. As i dismounted and walked towards my running shoes, I pondered whether i should run or not. I hummed and hawed and slowly put on my socks and shoes, though deep down i realized that the decision was already made. I simply had to accept it and stop resisting. So i ran.

I wanted the highlight of my trip to be the race itself but thats not what i got. I wanted to find out exactly where my fitness was at compared to girls like Catriona, Angela and Mirinda, but thats not what i got. I wanted to push hard and kick my own ass in a race, but that's not what i got.

Instead, I had the opportunity to go to a race and behave like a professional athlete in circumstances that were far from ideal. I got to stay with one of the most wonderful homestay famillies of my career and catch up with some old friends. I got to go out for nice meals and swim in the ocean and ride my bike in the heat.

My one hope is that next time i can accept what is happening more quickly and completely. If i could do it again, I wouldnt dawdle so much after getting back on the bike and I wouldnt take all that extra time in transition "deciding" whether to run. I would accept the inevitable more freely. And above all, if i could do it again, I would carry a spare valve extender in my saddle bag.

Special thanks to Ed, Linda, Beth, Ted, Will and Nia who accepted me with open arms. Thanks to all the people who stopped and donated CO2 cartridges on the bike course. Thanks to Bill and ProCityCycles who got my new Trek Speed Concept up and rolling in time for the race and thanks to Zoot who got me into some new race gear and shoes. Big thanks to Rob Hasegawa who kept me running with twice-weekly treatment. Special thanks to Grandma Pearl who helped take care of Rosalee while i was off having my adventures and to my dearest Clinton who is my heart and my life.

I look forward to more awesome experiences in St. Croix.

First race done!

2011-04-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Just had to share this super cute pic of Clint and Rosalee. I wrote this blog on Monday but didn't get around to posting until today...

Here i am in San Francisco airport waiting for a flight to Maui. My BFF is getting married tomorrow (yay!) and i will use the 4-day trip to acclimatize for an upcoming race. I miss my little family already.

Yesterday i ran my first race since Augusta 70.3 in September 2009. The big, international, Sooke 10k.

I decided to do this little race a week ago to test my legs on a hilly course and to help gauge my current fitness. Everyone i talked to told me how tough the course is, and i have done precisely zero threshold work since Rosalee was born, so I had no expectations for a fast time, but i was nervous. I was nervous that i would embarrass myself with a slow time. I was nervous that the hills would be too much for my SI joint which continues to be loose since childbirth. I was nervous about the pain of a 10k race.

I got up early to get a few miles in before heading to the race (i am training for Ironman after all!) and did 40 easy minutes with Zoey, including some surges around the dog park. Another 30mins warm up came later when we arrived at the venue and then there i was, standing on the start line amongst the other runners nervously swaying from one foot to the other. The 17months between me and my last race might as well have been 17days.

I told myself the same things i tell my athletes if they have the tendancy to go out too hard in a race. Relax and run fast. Be in control. You want feel fast and flowing.

I didnt pay much attention to the time, I just ran hard. At about the 6k mark it started to get really hard, and by the 8k mark my brain was sending out messages of "you cant do this for much longer"and "you might not make it". Perfect. In the end I ran a time that was slow for me but i was the second woman, so i take comfort in the fact that there was only one other girl out there who was fit enough to beat me on this day. I must have some fitness. A flatter course would have brought a better time, but the training effect from those hills is now stored in my legs for use in future races.

Clinton and Zo-dog were waiting at the finish line (Rosie was with Grandma Pearl), I jogged another 21mins to make 2h10 total running for the day, collected my ribbon and then headed to the pool for a swim.

My first race as a new mom is now in the bag. My SI joint held together largely thanks to my chiropractor, Rob Hasegawa.

Hard, hilly 10k race: check. Maui here I come!

While i am training (warning: must love babies)

2011-02-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

So, I am officially training again. Its real. My legs are sore. I am tired.

I did my first "tempo" run on Tuesday. I use quotation marks because the effort was tempo, but the pace was not. I wish i hadn't worn my garmin because then i would not know how slow i am.

The best thing about being unfit is that you improve very quickly. In the pool, I am practically faster every day. Well, not quite every day, but certainly every other day. Once i got over myself and accepted my complete lack of fitness, i started to have fun with the process. Now i have learned to celebrate each time I accomplish a new "PR" (post-Rosalee). I still have another 5s/100m to go before i could even consider racing. I started 20s/100m off my norm. Now that is progress!

While i am training, Clint looks after our little Miss Munch and they do various things together like stare at bright colours and watch horror movies. The other day, I came home from a run to find Clint reading to Rosie from a Clive Barker book. The chapter was entitled "Harvey the half-devoured." This is what i get for procreating with a guy who writes horror films. I am told its a children's book. Turns out Harvey was devoured by the gloom of February. Something we can all relate to.

The other day, I was flicking through Clint's camera looking for new, fun photos of Rosalee when i found this video. I gather i was on the trainer at the time;

Rosalee goes for a swim

2011-01-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

The last 6 weeks have been, ummm... eventful...

In the last weeks of my pregnancy, I slowly started to do less and less training. It just felt right to do that, like a taper ;) I stopped running at 32 weeks. I felt i could have kept running, but made the decision with view to preventing injury. At that point i added water running to my "regime". At 37 weeks my pelvis started to feel "loose" and achy on the trainer, so i stopped biking. In the final week i swam every other day and walked 1.5h with the dog every other day and that was enough!

I was in labour for 30h, which was painful. There are no two ways about it. Its painful. I am often asked which is worse, childbirth or Ironman, and i'm gonna go with childbirth. If i had been in labour for 9h instead of 30, I might feel differently about that. But, labour is something that comes upon you, you have no control over the pain. It just is. Ironman is all choice. You choose to do the race, you choose to push hard or go easy, its like the "choose your own adventure" of pain. Labour, not-so-much.

My comeback to training has been slow. Slower than i would like. I had to barter with my doctor over how soon i could go to the pool. We finally met in the middle and I went back after 3.5 weeks. I am now in my second official week of training and while slow, my fitness is returning. The dog is sure happy to have her running partner back.
We are lucky because our baby sleeps. A few times a week, Clint and I get up and head to the pool. If he is coaching, he watches Rosalee and I swim. At noon masters, Coach Paul or Coach Dan watch over Rosie while we both swim. Here is where Rosie sits while Dad coaches and Mom swims:

On Tuesday after our swim session, Rosalee got to go swimming as well. I am not an expert, but I say she's a natural. Here is a sample of her backstroke. She is already a better backstroker than her mother.

And here is her frontcrawl... i still have her beat on this one.

Happy New Year everyone!
Thanks for reading/watching.
Sara

Puppy?

2010-11-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

This is Benny.
Benny is 7 weeks old.
Benny's mom was rescued during her pregnancy and shortly thereafter gave birth to 6 healthy pups thanks to Pearl Lien.

This is Benny's sister Dora.
She does in fact, like to explore.

This is Daisy.
She is ferocious like a lion.
I'm sure you are quite scared!

Benny, Dora, Daisy and their other siblings are up for adoption starting this week. They are $500, have had their shots and come with a voucher for spaying or neutering.
If you are in the market for a cute little fur-ball, email me at sara@saragross.com

what to do if its raining, you are pregnant, and you just have to go for a ride

2010-09-24T18:00:00.001-07:00

1. Make sure your front wheel is high enough that you have good clearance between your thighs and your unborn child. This is particularly important if you plan to do high-cadence work.

2. Tilt your saddle down to compensate for the slightly raised front end.

3. It is important to have the best equipment possible in order to maintain the feeling that you are a "real" athlete. For example, top-of-the-line road bike, dedicated trainer tire, carbon-soled bike shoes, to mention a few. Its like wearing nice underwear... it makes little difference but makes you feel good.

4. Wear a HR monitor to "control" your effort. If you are like me, this will maintain the illusion that you are somehow fit enough to go anaerobic for a length of time and are thus protecting your baby from oxygen depletion. Ha.

5. Always have good tunes and remember to laugh at yourself in situations such as these.

6. And never, under any circumstances, allow your husband to bring out the camera and make dumb jokes at your expense while you are enjoying your "session".

alien in my belly: part III

2010-09-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't resist posting another 3D image of my little alien... why post ugly shots of me looking bloated, when we can have pictures from the inside?

So... picking up where i left off...since sometime around the end of May, my sickness has dissipated, my energy levels have improved and my relationship with food has almost gone back to normal.

I am still occasionally overcome by "hunger attacks" that come on strong and that genuinely feel like if i dont eat immediately, something terrible is going to happen. While i was in Calgary in July, i was driving home with Carrie after a little bike ride, when i casually said, "Sooo, what kind of food do you have at home?" Carrie had just moved house, so the answer could realistically have been, "nothing". She named a few items, none of which sounded appealing, all the while, the hunger was mounting... Trying to sound calm, I said, "Would it be ok if we stopped somewhere?" She agreed, but had obviously picked up on the mild panic in my tone saying, "We are 20mins away, do you want to stop sooner rather than later?" She followed that with, "There's a Subway, do you want me to turn in?" Without pause, i agreed and next thing you know i was happily gobbling down a foot-long steak and cheese.

Though amusing, these incidents are few and far between. Things have become almost normal. I can eat salad again. I "only" need 3 meals and a couple of snacks per day. Like a normal person.

In terms of exercise, i have been doing 1-1.5h per day, sometimes in one session, but often split into two. I have been ticking over nicely like this for many months, though i am quite slow at all three sports.

I have found that there are some advantages to being slow. For example, while running, i can actually take in quite a lot more of the world around me. During our open water swim sessions on Friday mornings, I have learned what its like to swim with a "less fast" group than i used to. This has helped me understand what things are like for some of my athletes, who will often find themselves in swim packs full of people with very few open water skills. Its a whole different ball game back there!!

Further, at the swimming pool, Canadian legend Rick Say (Multiple Olympian and Canadian record holder in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle)offered some stroke advice on a number of occasions. It has been many years since i have made any significant improvement to my stroke, and Rick noticed a couple key areas that needed tweaking. Having seen the new stroke on video, I am very happy with the changes and seem to have lost the mid-stroke "dead spot" that i have wondered about for years. So the advantage to being the slowest swimmer in the pool is that a nice guy like Rick took pity on me and helped out!

In early August, I took a trip to Ontario to visit family. Normally while i am there, I am either training or "maintaining" my fitness on some kind of schedule. But this time I was free to do what i wanted when i wanted and this pretty much amounted to mountain biking every morning for an hour or so and running for 20-40mins in the afternoon in the National Park right beside my dad's house. Love it. Now i know those trails inside out and loved the opportunity to be able to explore them daily.

Also, each time i leave the house to exercise, i do so without expectation. This really is quite different to my usual performance-oriented thinking, and has been quite refreshing on many levels. A welcome break.

On the flip side, attending races has been very difficult. Racing has always been what i enjoy most and my reason for training hard day in and day out. Its really difficult not to be able to do the things i love. Further, as a professional athlete, i haven't been able to go to work for 6 months now! That can become depressing after awhile. Imagine being a doctor or a teacher and not being able to go to work because you are pregnant? Especially with a healthy pregnancy!

With just 10 weeks to go, I am planning my triathlon comeback practically daily, nagging Clint to help me choose races while he helps me learn about patience.

And so *sigh* i pass the time with short swim, bike and run "sessions" while waiting for my little alien-girl to be ready for this world. I hope she doesn't wait too long... and for the most part, I am trying to enjoy the process.

And a little later... just wanted to add this photo... the look on my face pretty much sums up my current feelings about the fact that human gestation takes almost 10 months!!!

The Trailer for Clint's Movie!!

2010-08-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

When I was in 2nd year university (the first time around!), one of the girls i was living with (Daria) had been cast as an extra in the 1995 film "To Die For" starring Nicole Kidman and Joaquin Phoenix. The film had been shot at her highschool just outside Toronto the year before. My best friend's brother was also in the film and I seem to recall he had a bigger role, maybe even a line... he was a good looking kid with amazing long sandy blond hair, just like his sister, Christy.

So, when the movie was released, we all trundled down to the cinema with great excitement, anticipating what our friends might look like on the big screen. I remember the scene that Daria was in; Nicole Kidman was exiting a car in slow motion, and there in the background, stood Daria. Of course, no regular movie-goer would have noticed her, it was Nicole who was the obvious subject of the shot, but we were transfixed, as if somehow this made our friend famous! What is it about the smallest shot of ourselves or someone we know on film that gives us such excitement, or makes us lose our heads?? Even in a case like this where literally, no one else would have noticed Daria's three seconds of fame!!

Later, when Christy's brother appeared, tossing his beautiful hair back, she could no longer contain herself. She jumped from her seat right there in the cinema and pointed to the screen shouting, "That's my brother!" Hilarious. I still chuckle to myself over that.

And so, the first time i watched the trailer to Clint's movie (which is his directorial debut) I found myself childishly thinking in much the same terms as my 19-year-old self back in those days. With giddy excitement, i thought: "I was right there when they shot that scene!" and "I know the director!!" And most embarrassingly, as the final line of the trailer was delivered, I exuberantly exclaimed to myself "Go Daniel Go!"

And so, with the same sentiment as my 18-year-old friend standing and shouting in a public cinema, i present to you, the trailer for Clint's movie;

Behind Your Eyes - Trailer
Uploaded by dreadcentral. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Video Tribute to Kerry

2010-08-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post this for awhile. This is the video tribute that two of our Mercury Rising team members put together to remember Kerry. We played it at our Charity event on August 1st. Thanks to everyone who came to that event and made it special.

Here is the video for those who could not be with us that evening.

Alien Update and Charity Event Info

2010-07-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

It's been an "eventful" couple of weeks to say the least, with the tragic death of one our Mercury Rising athletes, PHAT camp in Penticton and the various ups and downs of pregnancy. I still have a Part III for the Alien in my Belly series, but that will have to wait for another day. For now, a quick update.

Clint and I went to 3D baby for a "gender" assessment yesterday. (The social scientist in me cringes at the use of "gender" instead of the more appropriate term, "sex") So, start again. We went for a sex test...Oh, Now i see why they dont use that phrase...

Here are a few things i know so far about my alien;

1. It's a girl!! We both wanted a girl, so yay!
2. She is smart... ok, thats maybe a stretch, but at 23 weeks she has found her thumb already to suck on, a sure sign of a genius, right?
At first glance, she looks like she has a grandma chin, but thats her little hand in her little mouth!
3. She is very active. She seems to move around a lot. Not only do i feel it, but at every ultrasound and every time the doc takes the heartbeat we see or hear kicking and flailing of arms! During the first ultrasound she woke up and immediately put her feet and hands over her head!

My energy has been really good and at the camp i managed a little bit of "training" in the wonderful Penticton heat AND still had energy for the rest of the day! I lead a drills session on the track one afternoon. Imagine preggo doing ABC's!! I guess there was one drill where i looked particularly ridiculous and i wondered why the campers werent doing the drill properly. Then we got Rachel to demo the same drill and everyone went "oh!! thats what its supposed to look like!" Lesson learned. Thanks Rach.

Here are a few belly shots from the camp:
On Tuesday, the gang did a long run (and they really champed it up, in my opinion). I, on the hand, ran 45mins forgetting to bring a post-run hoodie (it was overcast that day), so I ended up wearing baby Ryan's blanket for 2h15. Thanks for the loaner Ryry!

For some reason I love this photo of Carrie and I striding across the parking lot during our bike skills practice. Last year she was pregnant and I could wear little jean shorts!

And finally, here i am with some of the girls on the track. i was pleased to be able to do a "double run" that day, 30mins in the morning and drills and strides in the afternoon!

Tomorrow I am off to Calgary for the 70.3, to support my athletes and team members and also because we have our charity event on Sunday. If you are in Calgary this weekend, please consider coming to the event. Our speaker Laura has fetal alcohol syndrome and i hear she has put together a very inspiring talk about how sport and triathlon have changed her life. All money raised goes to the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Network in Calgary. We will also be doing a short memorial for Kerry Enick, so if you knew Kerry, please consider coming. Two of my athletes have put together dozens of photos of Kerry with some very nice music. I am very grateful for their contribution! Kerry's wife Sharon will also be attending.

Here are the details of the event:

The Inspiration Series: Event #1

From Humble Beginnings: How Ironman triathlon helped me overcome the challenges of living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

With speaker Laura Dodds

A charity event in support of individuals and families living with

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Also including a tribute to the life of Kerry Enick

Sunday August 1^st 2010, 6pm-late

Location: Jr's Billiard
LOUNGE • BAR • BILLIARD

3181 32nd Street NE
Calgary, AB
T1Y 6Z7

Includes: 3-course dinner

Silent Auction

AND,

After-party for Calgary Ironman 70.3!!

Tickets only $50

All money raised will go to Calgary Fetal Alcohol Network “Empowerment Fund”

www.calgaryfasd.com

Join us for an inspirational evening of food, fun and learning!!

Email me at sara@saragross.ca for tickets!
Thanks for reading!!
S.

Kerry Left Early

2010-07-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

For a number of days now I have been mulling over words in my head... what to say about Kerry, his life and the tragic way he left us. I have gone through disbelief and denial, deep sadness and anger as I struggle to understand what happened to my friend and athlete.

For 3 years Kerry attended every training camp I organized in Penticton, Tucson, Calgary and Victoria. It didnt matter where or when, Kerry would make it a priority and Kerry would be there. We spoke on the phone every week or two about his training mostly, but sometimes about how he was feeling, his worries about his job stability and how to deal with the negative voices that we all hear sometimes when we set our sights on big goals like Ironman.

In 2009, Kerry had a breakthrough year in which he PBed in almost every race. He improved his half ironman time and finished Ironman Canada in 16h17.

Here is Kerry on the run course in Penticton 2009. Neither of us ever doubted that he would finish that race, though it was very hard for him. He had 3 punctures and I know it was a mental battle to run (and not walk) the marathon.

Kerry was an inspiration to many in the triathon commmunity. During his journey, he lost over 150 lbs. He always worked extraodinarily hard in training, to the point that i had to slow him down sometimes to make sure he did his base training properly! Kerry laughed easily and heartily, and had that special quality of being able to laugh at himself. He also loved his wife Sharon deeply. I remember one time at a camp, I caught Kerry pouting a little bit by himself and asked him what was wrong; "I miss Sharon," he said. It was charming.

Kerry also had his struggles and we struggled in our relationship. Sometimes coaching him was like wrestling with a bear. At times, he would become so convinced that he was getting slower, not improving, doing it wrong etc... I would have to talk him back to a place where he saw himself as the rest of us did, successful, improving, not to mention constantly losing weight! Sometimes i could talk him back into a positive mindset and sometimes i could not.

Over the last year, Kerry and i had more and more of these moments. I felt like i was constantly having to tell him that his glass was half full, that a positive mindset is the only way to achieve your goals and to make the seemingly impossible, possible. Increasingly, however, Kerry did not believe me.

I recall one particular email conversation we had that keeps replaying in my mind now that he is gone. At our camp in Victoria, Kerry left abruptly from our final dinner and did not say goodbye. We were all perplexed by his actions and i emailed to ask him where he had gone. He told me that one of his friends had died in a cycling accident and he had just received the news;

"I felt so down about it Sara. I didn't know what else to do."

"But Kerry, sometimes its important to put your feelings to one side for a moment, just to be polite. And sometimes sharing your feelings can help you feel better."

"I think i see what you are saying Sara, but in this case, I don't feel i had that choice. I was too upset, i had to go."

And so this conversation and so many more like it replay in my head since i found out he decided to leave us for good.

"But Kerry, you dont have to go this way. There are other options, we all care for you, we can help you.."

But one thing i know is that when Kerry gets a plan in his head he follows it through, just like he did when he lost 150lbs and just like he did when he trained and completed the Ironman. And so, in the end, whatever his final reason may be, Kerry decided to leave early. I will never know what went through his mind in those final days, and i will probably always wonder. I know that if we could talk one final time, the converstation would be the same. He would tell me that this was his only choice, and I would try desperately to convince him otherwise. As usual, I may or may not have succeeded in convincing him that things were better than they appeared.

Kerry left early and I will remember him always as the hard-working triathlete who got things done, laughed easily and charmed us with his ability to love freely.

I will miss you Kerry.

We will be holding a memorial for Kerry in Calgary in tangent with our triathlon team's charity event August 1st 2010 at 6pm. Details below:

From Humble Beginnings: How Ironman triathlon helped speaker Laura Dodds overcome the challenges of living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

A charity event in support of individuals and families living with
...Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Includes: 3-course dinner, Silent Auction & After-party for Calgary Ironman 70.3!!

WILL ALSO INCLUDE A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF KERRY ENICK.

Tickets only $50

All money raised will go to Calgary Fetal Alcohol Network “Empowerment Fund”

www.calgaryfasd.com

For tickets, volunteer opportunities, or to donate items, please email: saragross@yahoo.com or michellemilot@hotmail.com, or contact via FB.

There are no words

2010-07-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

Kerry Update

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/07/15/calgary-missing-kerry-enick-inglewood-truck.html#socialcomments

Police Seeking Assistance in Search for Kerry

2010-07-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

Kerry running at Shawnigan Lake Sprint, May 2010.

UPDATE

Kerry's big red truck was found this morning in Calgary at the Bird Sanctuary. The police are now calling for assistance in this matter, see link here:

http://newsroom.calgary.ca/pr/calgary/seeking-public-assistance-163831.aspx

I have also been asked for a "plain clothes" photo of Kerry, since all i have are swim/bike/run shots. If you have a plain clothes shot of him, please send it to me at sara@saragross.ca. I would really appreciate that.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the search so far by passing the information far and wide. Please continue to do this and contact the police directly if you see or hear anything.

Thanks!!!
Sara

Kerry concentrating hard at the November swim camp.

triathlete missing- please read!

2010-07-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Triathlete and Mercury Rising team member Kerry Enick has been missing since Wednesday. Kerry is 50 years old, 5.9", 180lbs and lives in Calgary, Alberta. His wife Sharon and family in Saskatchewan and Ontario are both extremely worried and exploring all available avenues to help discover his whereabouts.

I have been coaching Kerry for almost 3 years and recently he has not been himself. If you see him he may seem sleepy or confused. If you are reading this and have seen Kerry since Wednesday, please call me immediately on 250.896.1026.

Thank you for reading.
Sara

Kerry (2nd from left) at our recent camp in Victoria.

alien in my belly: part II

2010-07-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yay! Finally found time to write a new blog!

Two people have actually told me that they are waiting for part II of the pregnancy story... so i must keep my myriad of fans happy! :)

I just opened my training log from my first trimester to make sure that i remember accurately how i felt and how bad it was! I remember that i felt nauseous ALL the time, but never puked. I remember reading that many women get some respite from feeling ill, but i didnt. I also know that it gets a lot worse for some women, i have a friend who was hospitalized because she couldnt eat or drink. I also know that many women "get away with it", like my sister who actually started an exercise program when she found out she was pregnant, and said quote, "i was a little tired in the 1st trimester". A LITTLE TIRED!! Some days i could barely get up to walk the dog or write a program for an athlete.

So, here are some numbers from April and May. My weekly training volumes were as follows:
2h55, 3h, 55mins (lol), 4h40, 5h10, 2h30, 4h10, 3h20, 5h.

Some quotes from my training diary:
"2 long naps, feel worse than after Ironman"
next day; "worst run ever"
2 days later: "well, at least i swam"

And a week or so later: "worst run ever, had to walk home", followed but 6 days completely off.

Besides the nausea and fatigue, my blood pressure was up and down. One Sunday morning, Clint, Zoey and I went on a 10k run that took us almost an hour!! Half way through my blood pressure plummeted and i didnt know if i would make it back to the car. I remember swimming for an hour one morning and then requiring a 4h recovery nap while my mother-in-law was busy cleaning our house, vacuuming and all, i slept though it!

And, i just have to make a comment about so-called cravings... Cravings? I wish! A craving is almost a nice feeling, you desire a certain food and when you have it, its so satisfying! What i had was anti-cravings. The complete opposite to cravings. In the first trimester i was STARVING but could not imagine eating. I would stand in the kitchen and look through the fridge and every cupboard until i could find something i could actually imagine getting down my gob. Often, i failed and would end up in the supermarket, going isle to isle, trying to find something, anything to squelch my raging hunger. Frequently, the answer would be citrus fruit, oranges, grapefruit, or even lemon. If that failed it was oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. On a number of occasions during this time i bought food that went bad before i could handle eating it. We ate out a lot, since dealing with a menu was often the best option, sometimes i ordered a burger and and fries and could only eat the burger, or only the fries, depending on the day. I could only handle vegetables sometimes, so when i could handle them, that was my opportunity to get some good nutrition to my little alien!

During this time, it was not difficult to not be training since i felt so sick, i was just surviving day to day. Its much more difficult now that i am feeling better, not really with regards to training as i can now do enough exercise to keep me happy, but to not be RACING! With each race that i go to watch and cheer, it gets harder and harder... but thats another story, part III i guess!!

Here are some recent photos:

Clint and I at dinner after IM Couer D'Alene.

Here I am watching the bike during IM Couer D'Alene. I wish i had some better photos of the alien bump, but in every photo, i seem to just look chubby!!

That's all for now!

Happy training!
S.

a pregnant woman, a dog and a family of mice

2010-06-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Warning: This story does not end well for the mice.

Despite its tragic ending, this story has some comic potential, so i will do my best to do it justice.

I was out running with Zoey McCrazy this afternoon, as we do most afternoons these days. We were on our way home when Zoey decided she was going to go elsewhere. I can't even really explain what happened, I wasnt paying attention and she just ran away, leash and all. She took off so fast, i barely saw where she went. A woman pointed and said "that way." So i searched and called, and let her know i had treats.

After 10mins or so of this, i gave up and started walking home, i was quite upset at this point and there were tears. I kept looking back to see if she was coming, and then, there she was. The minute i made eye contact, she turned and ran in the opposite direction. I knew she wanted me to follow her, so I ran after her. Every once and awhile, she would look back to make sure i was following. A bit like Lassie saving Sally from the well but much more morbid.

I followed until i lost sight of her in the bushes, and just then out comes the somewhat-crazy old European woman who we always see on our runs. She calls Zoey "Blue Eyes." She looks at me and says, "She's in there, where the rabbits are, thats where she is." And walks away.

I look over and see there is indeed some movement in a nearby bush. A wave of relief comes over me as i see a familiar blond tail sticky up. She seems to be very interested in one spot in particular. Then i hear it, the squeals. Sure enough, my crazy dog has her nose in a nest of what i later learn, are mice. She removes one, i hear one tiny squeal and then watch as she swallows it whole.

If you happened to be walking by the nearby path at this moment (and there were people walking by), this is what you would see; a pregnant woman wearing running gear, standing in the bushes shouting "What's this?" (That's my code for "I have a treat", as if any dog is ever going to choose a milkbone over the prey she has recently seized). The dog, at this point, is not visible and the only other noise is the tiny squealing voices of tortured rodents.

After effectively watching her eat 3 babies while trying various manoeuvres to get her to either come or to grab her collar, i sneak up on her from behind, grab the trailing leash and pull her ass out of there. GEEEEZ.

On the way home, she is so tired i can barely get her to run, and she keeps stopping and belching, each time I imagine that a mouse carcass is going to drop out, but none does. I am only grateful that it was mice she found and not bunnies, which probably would have scarred me for life.

As for Zoey McCrazy, she's lucky she's cute, otherwise i might not be so understanding about her misadventures.

Alien in my Belly: Part I

2010-06-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

So, they tell me I am pregnant. The signs are adding up... i was "sick" for 2 months, i am tired all the time, my boobs are ridiculously big (for me!) and growing and i havent had a period in months! And despite all this it is still kinda hard to get my head around the fact there is a mini-person in there... weird.

Since people generally choose, as we did, not to tell anyone until 12 or 13 weeks (we actually waited until 14 weeks) because of the risk of miscarriage, often pregnant women start blogging in their second trimester, when everything is hunky dorey. I would like to tell the story from the beginning, maybe over a few posts. So here is part 1 of what it was like for me, professional Ironman athlete, to have an alien conceived and implanted in my belly:

In retrospect, we must have conceived just before we left for a training camp in Australia in early March. We arrived in Noosa on a Sunday and on Tuesday noon hit the track in 34-degree heat. We were to do 20x 400m w 60s rest. I was concerned about the heat and had to overcome a bit of a mental battle just to get myself going. I felt that having been there less than 48h was too soon to be training that hard in the midday heat. But, I gave myself a pep talk and got going. The first 400 was ok, a lot of effort for a slow time, but we were on a grass track, so whatever. After that, each 400 got slower by 1 second... what the? was it the heat? On the 6th rep (so barely cracking the surface of the planned workout) my body just completely shut down. I could barely run. I shuffled through a 15min cool down. Weird, we both thought.

Two days later, i was doing some overgear hill reps on "the hill", 9 of them actually. During the 7th rep I had REALLY BRUTAL menstrual cramps, but kept riding and finished the session feeling pretty tired. In retrospect, it was probably the little bugger implanting itself into my uterus. I figure this means we are going to have a stubborn little one on our hands, with a good dose of determination.

Throughout the rest of the week, similiar things occurred (remember, I was less than 1 week preggers at this point). I got dropped on bike rides... everytime. I was swimming ok, but only had one pace. The next week, we did our hard run on a soft surface trail and a similar thing happened. Then i said to Clint, "I think i'm pregnant". I left the run early, went home and took a test, negative. It was still too early to test, but by then i "knew". I even told Rachel and Julie who were on the camp with us, i think i am pregnant. I was supposed to do a splash n' dash with the rest of the camp crew that weekend, but opted out. The next morning I tested, twice, and this time, both were positive. Clint said "Are you sure its mine?" Funny boy. (I did notice his eyes were wet though... shhh... don't tell anyone.)

For the first 2 weeks, besides being unable to go anaerobic, i felt really good. I was even hungrier than usual, which is hard to imagine, but its true.

After those first 2 honeymoon weeks though, things got really bad, really fast... i'll save that fun story for another post. So in sum, I did 27h of aerobic training in my 1st week, 23h the 2nd week (when i suspected but wasnt sure) and 14h the 3rd week (when i knew and decided to do a little less).

In real time I am actually 16 weeks today! Only 24 to go! I dont really have any good belly shots yet or anything, but i am looking "thick" through the middle and of course, there's the give-it-away boobs that I can no longer hide or even contain for that matter!

Here are some shots that i found, they are all from our recent camp by photographer Kaz Matsumoto (www.kazmatsumoto.com):

Here I am with fellow Mercury Rising coach and BFF Carrie and her daughter Ryan. The wetsuit i am wearing was WAY too big when i got it, and now, fits perfectly! I did the math and I am 16 lbs heavier than my race weight (gasp!), but only 7 lbs heavier than my normal "off season" weight. AND i put on an extra 3 lbs this winter since we were "trying," so am only 4 lbs heavier than that weight. You can just see the beginnings of a baby bump...

Here, Clint and I are giving a talk on race equipment. Notice how i can now hold up a board between my breasts!

And here we are again with 3 of our athletes who raced at Shawnigan Lake Half. These are the biggest pair of jeans i have in my wardrobe and they now only fit me really low so when i bend over, everyone gets to see some nice bum cleavage (apologies to those who got an unwanted eyeful!). I have since upgraded to some borrowed maternity pants and shorts which are the best invention ever, by the way. Those elastic waistbands are genuis!!

I guess that's enough about me and my girlie bits for one post!

I am planning on doing some relays this summer as the swimmer, so watch out!!

More soon,
S.

Mercury Rising website is live!

2010-04-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

It's here!

The new website for Mercury Rising Triathlon went live just moments ago!

See the new site at www.mercuryrisingtriathlon.com

Thanks to Carlos and everyone who made this happen!

Visit often.

triple training days with z-dawg

2010-04-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

Since we got Zoey we've been walking her in the morning and then either running or walking again in the afternoon (depending on my training schedule). But i noticed that she gets a little restless and bored mid-afternoon, most likely because she is still young, so we've added a lunchtime session to help keep her relaxed and happy. Here she is showing off her new skill:

What you can't see is that i was able to do some sunbathing while she was finishing her workout.

Maybe tomorrow we'll do some intervals.

dog days

2010-04-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

And i'm not talking about the jet lag... although its been pretty bad, certainly my worst return from Oz. I feel awful!!

Anyway.

Clint and I have been shopping for a dog. We knew we wanted a rescue dog that was a decent size, but those were our only requirements. We looked at a pitbull called Casha with 3 legs (i am a sucker for pitbulls) but she didnt get along with cats. There was the bear-dog (part Mastiff) Jasper who was full of energy, but perhaps a bit too large for us. There was also Deuce, the 12-year-old ex-sled dog who was gorgeous but clearly would rather run free than on a leash.

And then came Zoey. Cross-eyed and just out of surgery, Zoey is an adorable husky-retriever who lay depressed in her pen with one of those ridiculous cones on her head. When we took the cone off and took her out for a walk, she perked right up and we knew she was the dog for us!
She looks cross-eyed, but really its just a little discolouration in her eyes (her eye isnt red, that was the camera, i just wanted a shot of her goofy look!). What a sweetheart!

The story continues.

As we arrived home with Zoey, Clint's mom pulled up with 2 foster dogs! Their mother is sick so they needed to be away from her to avoid illness themselves. So in one day we went from zero dogs to three.

Anyone want to adopt a puppy? They can be adopted together or separately. They are Bijon/Poodles and are sooo tiny and cute. Jackson and Prince. They are $400 each which covers all their medical costs. They were rescued from an overcrowded reservation.

This is what Prince looks like when he wants to be on your lap while you are trying to write a blog.
Let me know if you are looking for a puppy!

Happy days.
S.

noosa blogging

2010-03-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

here i am in noosa, australia!
2 weeks gone, 1 to go.
its been great so far, with highlights including, the laughter i have shared with rachel and julie and some of the solid sessions i have managed to put together.
my fave was 9 hill reps on noosa hill in the big ring, descending 1-3.
rachel, julie and clinton have all blogged about our adventures, so here are some fun links:

Julie's Blog

Rachel's Blog

Clint's Blog

back in action

2010-02-23T19:27:00.000-08:00

After yesterday's news, anything else kinda pales in comparison,
but in the silver medal position...
I STARTED TRAINING AGAIN!
Yay!

After a full 3 months of optional training with no desire to do anything more than stay healthy and limit weight gain, I finally got my desire to race back.
I always find it strange how things like this hit you all at once.
One day, I'm wondering what i'm going to do with the rest of my life, and the next I want nothing more in the world than to race against the best in the world at an Ironman triathlon.

Last week was my first week back at it.
I slogged through 2 swim session with Clint's group (and a couple others on my own).
I rode and ran with the intention of making myself fitter than I was the day before.
I sat down with my husband (!) and made a plan for the season.
Wow is it ever good to be back.

In other news, Clinton was interviewed by Dread Central regarding his upcoming movie, Behind Your Eyes. Click on the sodomy horse for details:

a random day in february

2010-02-22T18:21:00.000-08:00

Clinton and I got married this morning.

We tried our best to remain composed while exchanging vows.

His parents, Pearl and Thorbjorn were our only guests.

After the ceremony we had a very nice lunch.

Then i went swimming.

It was a very very good day.

Perhaps the best i have ever had.

This is my Gramma. She is 100.

2010-02-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

My paternal grandmother turned 100 on Valentines Day.
She is amazing.
She lives by herself in an apartment.
She shops, cooks and cleans.
She makes friends easily.
And has a great sense of humor.

I love my Gramma.
(since childhood, i have called her Gramma instead of Grandma)
Her name is Rose.

Happy Birthday Gramma.

a what horse?!?!

2010-02-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

Today is our last day in LA, and I have to say, I am ready to go home. Just thought i would post a few photos of my fave director (i am quite proud) and of his invention (i am quite perplexed), which has made many simultaneously laugh, cringe and scratch their heads.

Director, Sir.

planning the next scene.

this tree is actually in the movie... lets hope they don't edit it out.

and presenting... the sodomy horse! enough said.

That's a wrap.
S.

feeling healthy in LA

2010-01-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

The fun continues here in LA. While Clinton is preparing for the next block of filming, I personally feel like i am on holiday. For example, yesterday i went out for breakfast, went for a long run along Venice Beach, loaded up for the rest of the day at the local salad bar, did 30mins of swim cords and core and watched not 1, not 3, but 4 movies! In LA, you watch movies... (when in Rome and all that).

Venice Beach, the scene of today's training

the boardwalk where i ran

the market along the beach, also on my little run route

In general, the last couple weeks have been very, ummm... healing for me. Using the word healing means there must be something i am healing from. What that is i couldn't tell you exactly. Sometime last year between a difficult break up, a move to a new city and a batch of disappointing and unsuccessful races, i needed some recovery time. These last few weeks, I have refocused on my own health, AND am starting to feel really quite good.

I want to tell you what i did. And i also want to tell you what i didnt do.

I didnt decide to change anything. I didnt make any resolutions. There was no beginning and no decision made that "I am going to feel better".

Here's what happened:

1. After a 3-week break from training, I really wanted to be out there doing some real excercise again. Training, by definition, is the process of breaking down and building up. A lot of the time, its hard. Lately, I've been training for health and fitness, a completely different reason. Dont get me wrong, I've been doing 15-20 hours of training/week, some of it hard. But, given my sports background, I can do a solid 20h week and still recover from each session, and feel great waking up every morning.

2. The second thing i've done to improve my health is to stop drinking coffee. (crazy. I know). I was inspired by my friend Anna's detox blog (see Vitality for Life on the right, its a good read, she's a childhood friend and a naturopathic doctor). By drinking green tea instead of coffee i no longer have the slumps in my energy levels that i used to experienced daily.

3. Lastly, I have been eating fairly "cleanly", having almost no sugar, reduced wheat and have been eating my fill of quality grains, like brown rice and quinoa. Also, veggies and fruit (I always ate lots of these), beans, pulses and some chicken and fish. My diet was always fairly healthy by normal standards, but i know from past experience (I ate gluten-free for all of 2008) that i feel better without refined wheat and sugar, my bloodsugar levels are even and my body says "Yay!"

I have found (surprise surprise) that by watching what i put in my body, I get more out of every day, every moment. Its been amazing to be able to depend on my energy levels and really enjoy the little things. I have always felt that enjoying the little things, the ordinary things of everyday life is really the best we can ask for.

I want to reiterate that I never thought "I am going to start a new diet" or "i am going to make some changes", just slowly but surely, I kinda thought, "i'll try this", or "i feel better eating that" etc... basically, there was no "resolution" involved. My process has been entirely organic. So with no rules, I also have no worries. If i am at a friend's house for dinner, i will eat what is on offer and be thankful, dessert and all. Saturday night I went to the pub and had a burger and salad and a beer, for no other reason than thats what i wanted. There is a lot of freedom in not deciding.

On that note, I am not trying to give anyone advice. Just acknowleging that the most permanent changes come from the inside out. Another childhood friend, Alyson, wrote an honest and insightful blog recently about New Years Resolutions, some of the themes are simillar to my musings here. Link here. Enjoy.

S.

Sweating on Sunset

2010-01-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

So I find myself in LA, Hollywood actually, where Clinton is directing a little horror film (its called Behind Your Eyes for all the inquiring minds out there) . After filming for 10 days in the snowy San Bernardino mountains, they are moving production to the city for the final 3 days. So here we are. We started the morning with a nice little breakfast at the Sunset Grill, made famous by Don Henley:

Let's go down to the Sunset Grill
We can watch the working girls go by
Watch the "basket people" walk around and mumble
And stare out at the auburn sky
There's an old man there from the Old World
To him, it's all the same
Calls all his customers by name
Down at the Sunset Grill

We both had the sunset omelet (with chicken, avocado and swiss cheese, yum!) and then i decided to go to the gym.

Clint waiting for his breakie.

Now I have to say, I was a little intimidated by the idea of going to a gym on Sunset Boulevard. I had an image of all these perfect people lined up on treadmills and ellipticals, and of me rocking up, looking dishevelled and makeup-less, wearing real workout clothes rather than anything that could be considered fashionable.

I am relieved to say that i was wrong. The gym was no more filled with beautiful people than any other gym i have been to. Though, for noon on a Saturday, the place was packed. The treadmills were all lined up with their individual TV screens (you had to bring your own headphones), as were the ellipticals. I decided on a nice tempo workout of 10x 500m @ 5k pace. I made the mistake of thinking i could do this with 20s rest... ouch. It was a lot harder than i bargained for and it was extremely hot in there. As per usual, I was sweating and gasping for air more than anyone else around me, which in the end, was the only thing i felt self conscious about. I finished off with 15mins easy on the elliptical and 10mins of core. Phew.

Afterward, I sat in the sun at Starbucks (some things are the same no matter where you are, like a Starbucks chai latte with soy milk, par example) while my loverboy made a shot list (see i am learning the movie-making lingo!) with his cinematographer. After that we took a drive around to see all the places Clint used to hang out, including a cool house in the hills off Mulholland Drive with an amazing view!

Finally we pulled up to his friend's place where we will be staying for the next week or so. I took some photos on my phone to share:

the view

the house

the pool and view

the view at a different angle

Now its time to do swim cords and a maybe hop in the pool for a little water run. The pool is freezing, but water running works up a sweat so here goes!

More adventures to come.
Sara

my best culinary invention so far

2010-01-16T18:48:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago i was busy making my fave snack of veggies and guacamole when i thought to myself, this really is a tasty treat, but it doesn't have any protein in it (read: less than ideal for recovery).

How can I add protein to my guacamole?

Answer: cottage cheese!

Many meals and treats that are missing protein get the "cottage cheese treatment" in my house, fruit salad, pancakes, granola, and most dinners include cottage cheese. So why i didnt think of this sooner, I am not sure.

So here's what to do at home; (By the way, when i read blogs with recipes on them i often think, "that sounds good" but never get around to making the thing myself or even write down the ingredients under some kind of illusion that i am going to make it someday. If you are like me, I suggest you make an exception this time)

Take the following ingredients; 1 large avocado, a huge dollop of cottage cheese, some lemon juice (this stops the mixture from turning brown in the fridge), salt and pepper and mash them together in a bowl.

Dont forget the secret ingredient; Hot sauce!

And voila, you have the perfect dip for veggies, rice crackers or corn chips. Tonight i even loaded some on a grilled chicken breast. Yum.

Occasionally i get something right. This is one of those times.

4pm in Terrace

2010-01-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

I find myself in Terrace BC. To get to Terrace, go to Vancouver and then go 1000km north.

I kinda like this quirky little place. The people are friendly, the running trails are good (at least when the bears are in hibernation), the pool is not crowded. And today, the sun came out. Beautiful.

In Terrace, as in most small towns, the local's idea of distance is a bit different than city-folk's. For example, the first time i came up here, i was told that the pool was "on the other side of town." So i layered up and headed out the door for the big trek. It took 14 minutes. Last night when i arrived, my mom mentioned that there is a nicer, newer gym than the one i normally use, "but its a bit further away," she said tentatively, thinking that i might not want to make the effort. So during my run this morning i thought i better check out just how "far away" this gym really is. Turns out, its 3 blocks.

Ahhh... the simplicity of having everything you need within a 14-minute walk.

For a few weeks I have been feeling blah. Not crazy about the idea of training, and unable to even consider a race plan for 2010. blah. I am still scarred from my breakdown at Ironman Canada. Blah blah and more blah.

However, of late, I have sooooorta started to come around. Slowly i have started enjoying the simple pleasures of aerobic exercise again. Somewhere between Christmas and New Year, Santa delivered me my desire to train again. Thank goodness.

I have been riding my cross bike (basically a road bike but with thicker, knobbier tires) up and down pretty much the same route for 3 weeks. Sometimes shorter, sometimes longer. Sometimes I ride straight up the path and sometimes I duck into every side trail i can find. On New Years day, I took a few photos of the sights i have become accustom to. I feel thankful to live in a place where i can ride outside all year round.

Apologies for the poor quality, i took these on my phone.

the biggest pigs ever

Here's to a 2010 filled with many happy footsteps and pedal strokes!
S.

Spring Ahead and Race Camp 2010

2009-12-19T09:55:00.001-08:00

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!

Serendipity

2009-12-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

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.

What Happened.

2009-11-23T09:10:00.001-08:00

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.

Arrival in the desert

2009-11-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

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.

my favorite blog

2009-11-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

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!

butternut squash and other unsolicited thoughts about curry

2009-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

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.

New Website, Launched!

2009-10-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

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

Novembering Along...

2009-10-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

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

Kona Vids

2009-10-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

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.

Kona Bliss

2009-10-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

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.

Augusta 70.3 Race Report

2009-09-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

(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

She's here!

2009-09-19T10:16:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the world Ryan Teague.

How I learned to swim faster than i thought i could

2009-09-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Ironman: Its Always Epic.

2009-08-31T02:57:00.000-07:00

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.

Office Romance: The Athlete’s Perspective.

2009-08-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

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.