–By Elaine Sheikh, Team OAM NOW triathlete

It was a week before the first triathlon of the season for me. I was starting my season later than many of my friends – the end of May instead of attending collegiate national championships in April. I had kept a close eye on the registrations. I was being told what others were capable of. I was well aware of the strengths of some of my other competitors. But instead of being motivated by that, I was petrified. I had so much self-doubt that I would just panic any time I thought about actually racing. Despite that fear, that race went on to be ok and I PR’d my 10k off the bike.

The same thing happened before the Grand rapids Triathlon. I saw a competitor’s bike come in to the shop where I work and when a co-worker joked that she was going to crush me because her bike was so fast (not to mention that she is an amazing runner), I had to take a break so I could leave the building to get control of myself so I could actually do my job. I learned from these experiences that negative emotions are not only uncalled for, but are extremely damaging and waste a lot of energy that could be focused towards racing and training. Of course I’m still nervous when I have a race coming up. But instead of focusing on how bad I feel, I am working towards making a conscience choice to breathe, and have confidence.

Someone once told me that I am not capable of an “ok” race. I have great races or I have catastrophic races. My goal for the season is to change that. I don’t have unrealistic expectations. I know every race will not be a “great” race. But instead of having a race spiral down into catastrophe, I want to practice mindfulness and mental toughness to turn that race into something that is “ok.” I got a taste of that at my most recent sprint tri of the year. I came out of the water in 5th, 3 minutes down from a collegiate swimmer who was leading the race. On the bike, I moved myself into third. I felt strong and knew that I should be able to run right around 20 minutes for the 5k. I had put in a big training day the day before and was fatigued, but I know what I am capable of on a good day and a bad day. However, catastrophe struck as I finished off the bike. It was tight to get to the dismount line, and a man braked hard in front of me as I was getting my shoes off. I was forced to dismount with one foot still stuck in my shoe on the bike. As a result, I wasn’t aware of the position of my shoes and one caught the ground as I ran into transition. My bike catapulted through the air and crashed onto the asphalt. I bent over to pick it up and tried unsuccessfully to get it on the rack.

As I struggled, I knew I was wasting precious seconds. I finally got it on the bar and headed out on the run, trying not to think about the potential damage… just to have both hips lock completely. I felt completely fine cardiovascularly, and I had so much more to give, but I couldn’t run. I ended up averaging around 35 seconds per mile slower than I was capable of averaging on a “bad day.” I crossed the finish line and the announcer called out that I was the second overall female. I knew I should acknowledge it but the fact that I finished a sprint triathlon and I wasn’t even breathing hard was a terrible sign. On a good race day I would be on the edge of passing out because I would have run that hard. But that day my heart and lungs had so much more to give. I struggled with it for the rest of that morning. But then I realized – catastrophe is what you make it. Maybe that race was a catastrophe for me on a personal level, but was it really? By most people’s standards, my race would be considered “ok.” Sure, I don’t want to view my life through the lens of other people’s opinions, but I think my goal was met that day. I had an “ok” race… because that’s what I decided to make it. I could have chosen to view it as a trainwreck, but I decided to accept it, cry, breathe, and move on. Racing is just as much mental as it is physical. Even if your results aren’t up to your expectations, if you gave all you could on a particular day, adjust your mindset. Giving your all and having it not be enough is not a catastrophe!

The post On Confidence and Expectations appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Raquel Torres, OAM NOW triathlete

This past Sunday, July 17 I competed in my first Ironman 70.3 in Racine, Wisconsin. After this event, I decided to be more active in sharing my experiences in the hopes it will inspire others to keep fighting for their goals and dreams.  I suffered a stress fracture in my right femur at a very critical period on my personal life. Honestly, I spent a long time (Summer 2015-2016) seriously considering retiring from my dream to be an athlete as a profession. I considered finding a regular job, as I did in 2015 almost abandoning my sports career, but my heart would not let me.
I was willing to sacrifice even more to follow my heart, even with lots of noise and my own close family pushing me to abandon my dream. Many people thought that doing this is impossible, perhaps simply expressing their own fears. I make this comment as it has been one of the biggest challenges in my life. I have fought against a thousand and one obstacles: mental, physical, family-related, economic, emotional and even social.

I competed in the ITU Elite level triathlon, classifying for the Central American Games in Veracruz, Mexico in 2014 and the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada in 2015 which was achieved with great sacrifices in pursuit of being an Olympian in Rio. I also competed in more than 20 races internationally and earn the necessary points to reach the world ranking, which is the way to qualify for the Olympics in triathlons. Despite the many obstacles, I believe that trying to qualify for the Rio Olympics was well worth it. By all means, it was my schooling, all this knowledge and experiences is invaluable, and with God all of this only the time will reflect.

In February/March 2016 I came to the U.S. for treatment and they discovered the stress fracture and informed me that the rehab period was going to be VERY slow. Stress fractures typically come from drastic changes in your training, nutrition or training terrain. In my case, it was probably the change from not training for 3 months and then going from 0 to 100 way too fast.

I started running in April 2016 after months off, slowly jogging one minute and increasing the time every 3 days so that after one month I was able to run for 15 minutes without stopping. I continued to increase slowly after that.  I committed to catch opportunities, to create them, to read and to gain mental knowledge in the field to develop and grow emotionally. I created a mental plan and got to know myself again well.

Now, after so many people commenting that I should try the 70.3 distance, I decided to try a new thing, I planned a trajectory so that I could do my first 70.3 in Wisconsin.

The Racine IM 70.3, July 17, 2016
Retrospective review:
I arrived on July 15th to Wisconsin to know the area and to train on my new bike which I had only had for two days, but I was happy to try something new with this “machine.” I was focused and I decided to mentally gain as much from this experience as possible, to concentrate on the details and not on the whole environment.
The day before the race I was happy, I would again compete after almost one year, after I had thought never to be able to run again after the injury. On this occasion my daughter Chantal and her Dad, Eque were with me, both of whom have been of great support to me.

Raquel with her new bike in Racine

On race day my 4:30 AM alarm went off to prepare for the day.  When we arrived at the transition area they mentioned the approaching storm and the possibility that the swim would be cancelled.  I just took it in stride as nothing had happened. My attitude was that we have to give our best and focus on what I have control over. Then, they announced that the race would be postponed to 9:30 AM, so we walked to seek refuge at a nearby restaurant. I slept for a bit there and we ordered breakfast since I had only had my light breakfast which is what I usually take before racing, my shake and two slices of bread at 4:45 AM.

 
Feelings, thoughts and good actions and errors:
9:15 AM, we ordered American Breakfast- Over easy eggs, hash browns and French Toast.
The race started at 10:20 AM and I had not warmed up well, with a full stomach and a not so positive attitude, I was almost in shock as I never accepted the idea in my head and heart of this change in the race. Perhaps a way to manage change was to not accept it as real.
A 70.3 Ironman race consist of: 1,900 meters swimming on open water, 90 kilometers (56 miles) on the Bike and 21 kilometers (13.1 miles) running. In this case, they had us do only 30k on the bike using a time trial start, where each athlete leaves 30 seconds apart according to their ranking. I was second to last to start.
The contemplative feeling in my mind and soul was starting to turn off while I was in line to start, which is when I am normally focused with an explosive mind.  In this case I was thinking about all the items outside of my control-  the wind, cancelled swim, all that went wrong. I allowed these thoughts to dictate the other factors for which I did have control such as nutrition, strategy, respiration and maintaining focus.

Before I started, I had already heard that the route was very very bumpy with potholes caused by the long winter months. Using the aerobars on a street with bumps and with winds gusting from 25-30 MPH was very challenging. The first 10 miles I held a good pace and caught two other athletes who had left before me. I felt fast and strong and am very thankful to my Coach Mark Olson as it is nice  to see and feel improvements even in the worst conditions. However, I was honestly riding very uncomfortably as I was afraid to fall. I was not able to take more than one Gel and I did not have water as I left it behind thinking I wouldn’t need it since they had shortened the race distance, my stomach hurt and I did not have the desire to push hard. But after the first 20 miles, I was thirsty and I had no water.

I arrived at T2 comfortably, but I was not happy with myself and when I started to run I said to myself, keep the pace as your coach told you. It has been almost a year since I had run this much only doing 18 k twice. I kept the pace comfortable but I was dying of thirst, I was dehydrated and when I tried to eat something or take fluids other than water I felt like I was going to vomit. After the first 10 k I felt like  my body was wasting away, I had no energy. I tried twice to take Coke and Red Bull, which pushed me a bit but I had no desire for anything, so I just decided to mentally focus on completing the event. I finished 12th, but I discovered lot of space for improvement.

I think after all, I learned my weaknesses and how to manage situations, and to have a plan A, B and C. I realized the importance of quieting intrusive thoughts  and channeling the important and positive. I learned to concentrate on what I have control over, make intelligent decisions even when things change, and  not to allow the storm to stop me from rowing in the direction I want to go.

The post Overcoming 1,001 Obstacles- An Update from Raquel Torres appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Luke Cavender, Team OAM NOW cyclist

From http://www.ivbp.org/

I want to write to you guys about the Velodrome at Bloomer Park and how we would like to get more riders – especially from Team OAM Now – out to the track. Because I’m new to the team, you might not know that I’ve been racing the track for many years now. It has taken me places I never thought I would go, like Elite/Pro Nationals, Olympic trials, and the Olympic Training Center just to name a few. Track cycling boosted my riding ability much faster than just training on the road or the trails. Yes, you still need to get your endurance training done, but track cycling improves your power, speed, and bike handling skills tenfold.

If you’re not familiar with a velodrome, it is a banked bike racing track that varies in length. The one we are blessed to have in Michigan is 200 meters with 44 degree banking in the corners. That’s 200 meters of pure fun and excitement. If you like rollercoasters, the track will definitely interest you! There are many races done on the track: scratch race, points race, Madison, elimination race, match sprints, and time trials. Each race has its own different thrill and unique flavor.

The velodrome will improve your bike handling skills because it essentially makes you “one” with your bike. Since track bikes do not have brakes and only run one gear, you learn to look up ahead of the riders in front of you (so you’re not staring down at the wheel in front of you) in order to anticipate what is coming your way. A key factor in competitive and recreational cycling is being able to control your bike in a group or around a corner. The velodrome helps you get used to riding in a pack in a controlled environment without the worry of passing cars. When you get comfortable riding in a pace line on the track, you can ride a pace line anywhere. On the road, you either do one race a night/weekend, but on the track, you’re able to do 5-6 races in one session. Those extra races alone, though they are shorter, allow you to quickly gain experience riding in a pack at speed. The more reps you can do, the better. Along with gaining experience in a pack, you learn race tactics at an accelerated level, like how to get to the front, finish a race during a sprint, and how to establish a breakaway. The track is a great training tool to refine your skills so you become a better all-around rider.

There are many ways to gain power, speed, and endurance; everyone has their own methods to do so. As I mentioned earlier, since we do 5-6 races a night, it allows you to work on these things. The more times you try to chase down a break and finish a race, you will gain more top-end speed and the power needed to get to that speed.

Last Friday night on the boards was a great one for me. Race #2 was a continuation of our season-long scratch race series; I won the race, and now I’m sitting in first overall for the series. This race started out pretty fast, with everyone trying to ride at the front. With about 5 laps to go, the field sat up and no one breaking away until Paul Hertzler, from Wolverine Sports Club, put in a great move and gained about half a track on the field because we were too busy looking at each other. Mike Dega from Team O2 put the throttle down and made it about halfway to Paul with me on his wheel. Coming into the bell lap, I made my move around Mike to overtake Paul on the back stretch for a comfortable win. The next race – elimination – I redeemed myself from a poor 5th place finish the week before. It came down to a final match sprint between myself and Nick Laughton of Team O2 after bettering the rest of the competition. With 2 to go, we were looking at each other. He had the front position on me and made a nice move to pick up speed with one and a half laps to go. We hit the front straightaway with one to go, and the sprint was on. I was able to ride up next to him on the back stretch, but he had one last little kick and edged me out at the finish line. We’re now tied for first in the overall elimination race series.

Luke and CJ Karas pair up to claim the win the two-person team race

Lastly, the feature race of the night and my favorite – the Madison. That night there was no glory, it was all for fun. I was paired up with CJ Karas from Marian University and we had a pretty decent race. The Madison is a bit different from other track races because it is a two person team race. When the rider in the race comes around to the rider on relief, he or she reaches up and grabs the hand of their teammate and throws them into the race. It’s generally ran like a points race with multiple sprints along the way, and the team with most points or laps on the field wins the race. The first two sprints saw us taking third and second, respectively. Coming into the final sprint, knowing we had to win the sprint to win the race, I timed an attack and throw CJ in with a nice lead. She was able to maintain the gap for the victory.

I hope that after reading this tidbit on track cycling, a few of you will come out and try the velodrome. It’s also a great spectator sport to see exactly what it’s all about before trying it yourself. The races are held every Friday night at 7:30pm all summer long – we even have a live band that plays while we race. There are plenty of new rider classes, even if you’re not new to a bike. If you don’t have a track bike, they have bikes for you to use. You just need to bring your shoes, helmet, and eagerness to ride. After a few classes, you’ll be ready to start racing and winning in no time. Get in contact with me (luke.cavender.racing@gmail.com) if you want more info or check out ivbp.org.

The post Why You Should Try the Velodrome! appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Terry Ritter,  Team OAM NOW Masters Cyclist

For the last decade I have been in awe of the acts of one man: Raymond Dybowski. Oh, sure, I’m with everyone else when it comes to being mystified at his ability to casually escape the main group and just roll away. The non-threatening vibe his motion exudes boggles the mind when you realize he’s done it a number of times and actually had success. No, what I hold “Big Ray” in reverence for is the rarely seen “Trifecta.” This is when you do 3 different Criterium races on the same day. Typically, with our structure in Michigan, that means a Masters 45+, then 35+, and followed by a Pro 1/2 race. I have witness his attempts a few times, and always thought it’d be a cool thing to try.

Unfortunately, the structure of our road teams prevents me from just doing a 1/2 race, even though I have a Cat. 2 license. If I did two other events in a day, I’d be useless to the boys, and that likely would be bad form. However, a special situation came up with a Criterium in Galion, Ohio. They not only had a more sedate (I hoped) 50+ Masters race (I am officially 50 on my racing license this year), but also a 40+ right after. Then, a few hours and the P/1/2/3 race would start as the sun was setting. This could be my chance!

If I had this control over other factors of my life, I would not have worked 12 hours on my feet the day before, or driven 3+ hours to get to the event. Oh, and also would not have pegged the thermometer at 90+ the entire race day. But, I was signed up, had my trusty co-pilot and teammate Andrew Guelzo along (he spins the tunes), and lots of ice in the cooler.

The 50+ Masters race had a dozen riders, two of which were actually familiar faces: Scott Kroski of the Wolverines, and Hendry Swinty of the Ft. Wayne Outfitters. The former I see weekly and the later races in Michigan a lot, and quite successfully. My hope was this small group would be easy to watch from the back, and also not be too charged up with the heat and a 45 min race duration. That prediction was correct and I camped out and drank lots, letting others close gaps as I followed. Then, with 6 laps to go, Scott took a flier. Being a fellow Michigander, I really couldn’t chase, so I waited to see if anyone else would. A few guys worked at the front, and someone made a weak attempt to go across, but it all brought us back together with 2 laps.

Terry grabbed a podium in his first race of the day- Master’s 50+

By this point I was setting third wheel and watching the front. Scott had slotted right behind me. With two quick turns and then an uphill grade and 300 m to the line, I was ready.  But as the guy in front of me jumped as the leader went wide on the second to last corner, I hesitated. By time I shortened the gap we were ready to sprint, and I effectively gave Scott a decent leadout. He got second and I held on for third. My mistake and hats off to him for aggressive racing.

Scott, Henry, and I lined up for the 40+ race, which was the same duration. Still thinking I should be conserving, I did get a little more assertive in my position, and this allowed me the sight of seeing a guy bolt on the second lap. I watched to see if anyone would follow and, on the third lap, a guy jumped out and gave chase. At this point, there was still 40 mins of racing and it was easy to talk myself into not moving. I figured Henry or Scott would eventually try. The lead duo was about 30 seconds up with 30 mins of racing when Henry struck out. After he rolled 50 meters and I didn’t think anyone was going to follow, I bridged out.

The pace was high but I figured I’d get a chance to catch my breath as it was obvious we were cutting the gap down and the main group was left for dead it seemed. But, the head wind and Henry’s diminutive size made it hard for me to get any rest. After 4 laps of chasing we had cut the lead down to 12 seconds with 20 mins of racing left. Henry jumped when I was gassed on a pull and I couldn’t close it down. Andy said I had 30 seconds so I pushed through in TT mode the last 6 laps and finished in 4th .

When I asked Henry how he did against the two lead guys, he stated he never caught them…and that he needed one more guy to help him. I stood there speechless, with the satisfaction that there is racing karma after all.

With a few hours before the P/1/2/3 race, I hung out in the shade and chatted with Ross Williams, who races Cat. 3 on our team. He had came down with his parents from Traverse City. Just then a gust of wind knocked Ross’s Giant Propel over. This seemed innocent enough until Ross came back from his attempted warm up to show me a very bent derailleur hanger preventing any reasonable shifting. Fortunately, I had a spare and he was up and running again in less than 10 mins.

Terry, Andrew, and Ross line up for the P/1/2/3 race

The final race started at 8:00 pm and 91 degrees. The field was about 30 guys, with Ross, Andy, and I at the line. It started fast enough, then it got faster. About 10 mins in a rider had taken a wheel change and came from the wheel pit, past the peloton, which was averaging 27.5 MPH, straight to the front and then off the front! The group picked up the pace for the next 10 mins, which preceded to pop me and a few others. Eventually, the young buck lapped the field that was down to about 15 riders with 5 laps remaining.

For me, that wasn’t the most excitement. Just as Ross was coming unhitched from the back, Andy rolled through with the group but was obviously off the pace and looked like he’d given up as he crossed the start/finish line. I figured he was going to spin, so Ross, Jeff Johnson from EPS (another Michigan team) and I went out. We never ran into Andy and, upon returning to the course, the various stories started coming in detailing his demise.

Ross’s parents were holding Andy’s bike and explained they were told Andy crashed…but that made no sense. After I talked to an official, they said he’d stopped at a corner marshal and was being treated by paramedics. Still kitted up, and with my race wheels on, I rolled over to the direction they pointed. There, a corner marshal explained that Andy had came through after the group and the guy had to catch him to prevent him from falling off his bike. Andy then started ripping of his equipment. Finally, some paramedics took him to the hospital. At this point, I wasn’t sure what to do. But, Galion is a small town and, sure enough, the kind people at that corner gave me easy directions and I was at the ER in 10 mins (still on my bike, in a skinsuit that displayed the salt of three races).

Unfortunately, they had no record of Andrew. I left a number and headed back to the race course only to get flagged down by Ross’s dad, telling me Andy was back and fine. Sure enough, I found him talking to a young woman, with his magnetic smile on full display. He explained how he’d gotten a terrible cramp in his side and couldn’t go on, how he’d gotten to the corner marshal but about fell over, and then couldn’t stand having his clothing on any longer. I pretended to follow but was just happy he wasn’t suffering from any condition that would require treatment.

From there we licked our wounds, packed up the car, and headed back to our great state. We’d had some fun, even experienced an adventure, and made some new friends. Next year, though, I have to be a little better prepared if I ever hope to mirror my endurance hero, as I missed out on my own Trifecta.

The post In Pursuit of the “Trifecta” appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Kathy Braginton, Team OAM NOW Multisport Athlete

It is better to look back on life and say: “I can’t believe I did that,” than to look back and say: “I wish I did that.” Last October, I began to think about trying my first half Ironman. Knowing I couldn’t do it alone, I looked to recruit a few family members to join me. I asked my niece if would be interested and got an immediate, YES! My sister on the other hand, dragged her feet until the last day before the price increase. The next step was to find a coach. Athletic Mentors made that decision easy with the introduction of their newest coaching package, the Custom TRI Coaching Subscription. With my weekly training plan laid out for me, I was on way. Let the training begin!

West Michigan offers two half Ironman races in the Grand Rapids area, one in June and one in August. The Grand Rapids Triathlon held in June is known for its flat, fast course. It’s ideal for the new and experienced triathlete alike. With a beautiful swim in the lake-like Thornapple River with virtually no current, to a flat country-road bike course then on to the scenic, shaded run course with loads of local support. This race offers several free clinics leading up to the event, a pre-race swim and pre-ride at the race site the week before, along with an amazing expo. It’s the largest triathlon in Michigan and offers a Sprint, Olympic and Half Iron, all with separate transition areas to give you a small race feel. With a description like that, I decided Grand Rapids Tri was the race for me.

Finding your race day focus

After 5 months of focusing solely on training, how was I going to shift my focus from training to racing? A friend of mine once told me that I had R.A.C.E. written across my forehead. Apparently, that was all I could think about. For the first time in my racing career, I found that was not true. Those letters were now T.R.A.I.N. Being so focused on training, I suddenly realized the racing season was rapidly approaching and I needed to shift my focus once again to R.A.C.E.

Nothing happens without focus. To gain my race day focus, I searched for a local race to use as my warm-up race. I chose Double Time Triathlon, hosted by Spirit Racing. It is staged at the Nazarene Church Camp on Indian Lake, just east of Vicksburg. Double Time also marked a milestone for me. It was triathlon number 50! After 49 triathlons, you would think I could transition with my eyes closed. However, after a 9 month hiatus, it takes 1 triathlon to refresh your memory, verify all your equipment is in working order, and to confirm you can slip your feet in and out of your bikes shoes without crashing.

With my focus established (or so I thought), it was on to Grand Rapids. When I decided to transition from a race that takes less than an hour and a half to a race that would take approximately 6 hours, I started to rethink everything I thought I already knew. Should I transition this way or that way? How much should I eat? What should I eat? How fast should I bike? How should I hydrate? And most importantly, when am I going to go to the bathroom?

Then the race horn sounded. All the months of swirling emotions: excitement, anxiety, confidence, self-doubt, apprehension, they all drifted away. It was an amazing sense of freedom, as though a huge weight had been lifted off me, and I simply put my head down and swam. I swam 2 minutes under my goal time. My bike time was right at my goal. My total transition time was 3 minutes faster than estimated. Feeling amazing at the start of the run, I took off like I was on the run leg for a sprint distance race. I quickly settled myself down and got into a comfortable pace. I found I really liked the 2 loop run course as it made it easy to cheer on all the other competitors along the way.

As I crested the last hill and into the final stretch of the run, I scrolled my Garmin to display the total race time and distance. The distance read 69.5 miles. That is the moment it really hit me as to what I was about to accomplish….70.3 miles!

The post The Road to my First Half Ironman appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.