2014 Age Group Nationals ~ Olympic Distance

While Milwaukee isn't normally a city I would vote to spend a weekend, with Age Group Nationals taking place there I wouldn't have asked to be anywhere else.  And at 9:18 am I joined 150 other women from the ages of 25-29 in Lake Michigan for the biggest race I had ever been a part of. 

 Friday 08 August 2014

The day before my parents and I met up in Chicago, IL, them from Hood River, OR and myself from Spokane, WA, and made the drive up to Milwaukee.  It was a relief to finally check in at our hotel as it had been a long travel day filled with very early morning flight, small thunderstorm, delayed flights, and lack of food.

The day before a race is always a little hectic and this one was non the different.  With 3700 participants people were everywhere; athletes running around picking up packets, bikers and runners weaving in and out of the crowds, spectators milling around the expo, and officials trying to keep the schedule moving forward.

After packet pick up I donned my new Volt X-Terra sleeveless wetsuit and hopped in the water to check out the swim course.  The water was perfect! At least 70 degrees making my new sleeveless wetsuit the perfect attire.  My dad heard from a local that we were extremely lucky for if the wind had been blowing out of the west instead of the east the water would have been in the mid 50s instead of 70s. 

At that time it was time to get the bike all racked up, which as with many pre-race extravaganzas turned out to be more of a hassle than wanted.  When I went to add air to the tires I discovered that the valve to my back tire had sheered off and while it seemed to be holding air that was not a chance I wanted to take.  So off we go in search of a new tube/the tools in which to change it.  Fortunately one of the bike reps took pity on me and he quickly changed it along with giving my bike a good once over.  Thank goodness otherwise it was going to be a two hour wait, and by that time I was hungry, hot, tired, and I must say relatively cranky.  

 FINALLY!! The bike was all racked up in rack J spot 2683 we could head back to the hotel, whew!

 Saturday 09 August 2014

So for time and your sanity I am going to skip ahead to race day. You don't need to hear about what I had for dinner and the process of scrambling around trying to find everything I had stuffed into my travel bag.

5:45 am and race numbers on!

Despite my wave not going off until 9:18 am we still had to arrive at race site by 7:00 am as transition closed at 7:30 am. This was something new for me as normally once transition closed I was jumping in the water within 15-30 minutes, not two hours.  Once all my gear was set up in transition I walked out and prayed that I hadn't forgotten anything. Now all I could do is wait and watch.

Swim

There was  definite buzz in the air during that long two hour wait.  You could feel the nerves, anxiety, and excitement radiating off the athletes.  After all the hours put into training for this it was time to see if it all paid off and everyone couldn't wait for their turn to see what they were made off, I know I had enough nerves for at least two people.  

At exactly 9:18 am the gun went off and my and 149 other young ladies my age took off in a froth of foam, waves, arms, and legs.  While it wasn't one of the most aggressive or brutal starts it was one of the most difficult starts I had ever been a part of.  People were every where and you could barely see in front of you (made sighting very difficult).  

1500 m never felt so long.  With each stroke I kept wondering if I was ever going to make it to the out ramp and worried that this swim was going to be one of the slowest I had ever done.  As the out ramp came closer I dug a little bit deeper praying that I wasn't as slow as I felt, turns out I had put in my fastest swim to date (which isn't saying much as I still came out of the water 91st).  

Bike

With no clue where I was in the field I struggled my way through T1--could not get my bike shoes on to save my life--and took off for a 26 mile ride.  The bike course was relatively flat with a three mile out and back to the north and then around an 8-9 mile out and back to the south.  When I came back around from the first couple miles and was about to head out for the meat of the race all I remember is my dad yelling at me to "bike faster".  He's such a wonderful cheerleader :)  

So I settled in and pushed as hard as could trying to make up the time I know I needed to make up.  I  kept my eyes on the person in front of me using them to pull me forward.  Each time I passed someone I would search for the next person in front and repeat the process.  

Run

By the time I got off the bike I was on track for my goal time and feeling pretty good.  I took off on the run at a steady 6:32 min mile pace.  At this time it was starting to get very warm and you could feel the sun beating down on your head.  After every aid station I would immediately wish there was another one right after.  I was able to maintain that 6:32 min mile pace for roughly three miles when all of the sudden I hit a wall.  My stomach started to growl, throat was on fire, breathing got ragged, and legs started to feel hungry.  I was feeling the affects of having taken my second GU much earlier than I normally do and was seriously wishing I had another one.  My 6:32 pace dropped to around 7:30 and while I continued to pass people it was at a much slower rate.  After running close to a mile at this much slower rate I told my self to stop being pathetic (my verbiage was much less politically correct) and start running.  

I was able to bring the pace back down to under 7:00 minutes and though I hated every minute of it started picking people off again.  It was a long long run.

With a mile to go the feeling of pain and hurt dissipated and adrenaline kicked in.  It helped that once again my wonderful cheerleader of a father was out at 1 mile to go yelling at me to "Run Faster" and "Pick more people off.  Pass more people."  At least he caused some people to laugh while they were out there, and I must say as always his cheering helped to spur me on.  

I want to say thank you to the guy on my left in the above picture, I don't know who you are but he kept me going in the last 500 m.  In fact at one point I think he even said "come on let's go" as we both raced in to the finish line.  I came in at a time of 2:24 and a 31st Age Group Placing. 

Despite coming in with my fastest time yet I was a little disappointed.  I believed I was able to make the top 25 and qualify for worlds and I was so close.  I needed to shave off two minutes and I would have done so.  I kept thinking to myself two minutes I could have shaved two minutes off, if I hadn't have had that slow mile or if I had pushed a little harder on the bike so many what ifs. 

Then I had to remind myself that I have only been racing for one year.  I have been doing all of the training on my own, making up workouts on my own, forcing myself to get out there and go for long rides by myself, paying for everything, and while I have an amazing support team I have mostly been figuring it out the process on my own.  I also had to realize that I was should be proud of what I had accomplished. I went from 91st place to 31st in a span of two hours.  I worked very hard the past year not only with my training but with work and life.  

Looking back this last year has been a crazy one.  In the past year there has been a lot of change; with moving, starting a new job, finishing some classes, applying and getting denied from physical therapy school, racing, and most importantly meeting the most amazingly wonderful man I could ever dream of.  I am grateful and blessed for the opportunities that I have had and the chance to experience them with the people that I love most.  

My AMAZING family who came out to cheer me on

So if I take a second and actually look at everything that I have accomplished I cannot say that I did not succeed; because in reality I have more than succeeded in the things that are important to me. If 31st is the best place that I ever accomplish then it is the BEST place there could be because I know I gave everything I had and did it with the people that I love.  I have grown and learned every step of the way and that is success.  Where I placed at Nationals is only a number, and while it would have been fantastic to qualify for World's I am not done yet and there is always next year.  So triathlon world you better watch out because I am coming for you.  

I know this was long one and if you made it all the way through it I hope I did not bore you to much. 

Next up for me is the Black Diamond Long Course 70.3 and my first ever marathon in Tri-Cities.  

Did you race this past weekend? How did it go? What is up for you next the rest of the season? 

Ten Day You Challenge: My Secrets

While searching the blogging world one day trying to gain inspiration not only for an article but myself as well, I came across Glitter and Dust inspired by Kristen.  Upon discovering she was a fellow Oregonian, myself growing up in Hood River, and a fellow triathlete I was drawn to her story.  One of her most recent articles was the beginning of a challenge, The Ten Day You Challenge, and I instantly thought this is brilliant!  What a fun way for others to get to know you a little more, and maybe for myself to discover a deeper meaning to whom I really am.   That being discovered I will now be joining Kristen in posting, as regularly as possible, a little something besides training, triathlons, and exercise.   

Day one: My Secrets

1. I love to read. I can sit down in get lost in a book for hours.  Growing up we lived 20-30 minutes outside of town so when I would have off-site during high school it was pointless for me to go home just to turn around and come back down for after school athletics; so I would go to the library pick a book off the shelf open it up and start reading. There is something calming about opening up a book and taking a deep breath of their pages.

2. My younger sister is one of my biggest inspirations and motivators.  She is so strong, independent, and beautiful.  I strive every day to be as strong as she is.

3. I despise wearing jeans.  If I could do everything in work out clothes, yoga pants, and sports bras I would be one happy camper. :) 

4. I used to despise riding bikes.  My mom would always ask me to go on rides with her and I complained the entire time, usually I wanted to stay home and finished whatever book I had my nose smashed into.  I chalk it up to having fallen off one to many times when I was a kid.  Luckily as I grew up that changed and have now fallen head over heels with road biking (good thing too as that is one of the longest sections of a triathlon).  

5.  The Food Network is my favorite channel. Whenever I get a chance to control the remote that is all I watch.  

6. Skiing is my favorite hobby (though running comes in a VERY CLOSE second).  Even though ski boots are extraordinarily uncomfortable I never feel more at peace than I do when stepping foot in the mountains. And if it is in the middle of a snow storm it is all the better.

7. Up until high school, maybe even college, I had an extreme fear of staying the night at other people's house.  Sleep over, unless at my parents place, were a no go.  Thank goodness for my fabulous parents who with stood my constant calling to have them come pick me up.

8. The best part of my day is going to the gym with my hugely supportive boyfriend.  Despite the fact that our routines are completely different, we often won't talk to each other for the two hours we are there, nothing makes me more happy than our daily gym session.

9. I prefer quiet night in much more than a rowdy social gathering any time.  Don't get me wrong I love getting together with friends, and saying no to happy hour is never fun;  but between work, training, and life spending time with my boyfriend, looking a pictures, and relaxing on the couch is par to none.

10. My family is my everything.  I am more than blessed to have a mother, father, sister, and boyfriend who's constant love, faith, and support keeps me going every day.  I love them more than anything and look forward to every day I get to spend and/or talk with them.

  

Thank you for letting me share "my secrets" with you.

I would love to hear ten things about you!!

Stay tuned next week for "my nine loves" and recap of the Chelan Man Olympic distance triathlon

PARADOX, HUMOR, and CHANGE

For female weightlifter Amy Hay it began as young girl growing up as a gymnast in the beautiful and active town of Hood River, OR.  With a passion for competition and an inane desire to push her-self to the limit athletics defined who Amy was causing people to quickly jump to the conclusion that she was an unstoppable power house.  Over the last couple years Amy has paved a new path in her life by following three simple words; paradox (life is a mystery don’t try to solve it), humor (don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself), and change (change is inevitable, embrace it).  LifeStyle Fitness (LF) recently spoke with Amy about her journey towards creating positive change in her life through choosing to follow a healthy lifestyle of strong body and mind.

LifeStyle Fitness (LF): I know you started your athletic and competitive ventures as a gymnast and track athlete.  What was the shifting point for you as an athlete from gymnastics and track to competitive weightlifting?

Amy: I began doing weightlifting competitively as injuries ultimately kept me from competing in either gymnastics or track in college.  During my first year in college, and my first year not doing anything competitive, I began to feel the “competitive itch”. I missed it. Local cross fit gyms lured me into their gyms and I competed for them for a while, however, I didn't find it challenging enough both physically and mentally so I looked into Olympic Weightlifting. I contacted a local coach and he agreed to assess me and see if I had any talent. It turned out I did, so he began training me.

LF: How does competing in the weightlifting circuit compare to the gymnastic world for you?

Amy: I find the two very similar as they are both largely individual sports so the pressure is all on you; there is no one else for you to fall back on when things do not go well an aspect I really

love as it forces you to hold yourself accountable. This can be really hard to get used to, you have to be so brave and learn how to block everyone else out. I haven’t been able to find anything else in life that really tests you all the way down to your core. Gymnastics was and always will be my number one passion, but weightlifting is a close second due to the similar mental and physical reward.

LF: Not only are you competing at a high level but you are working on finishing up school to receive your degree in Exercise and Sports Science with a minor in Spanish.  How do you balance your studies and training?

Amy: Finding a balance is very hard, and sometimes I have to make school a priority and skip a training session. I currently train twice a day on M, W, F, and once on T, Th and Sat. That means getting up early and getting my morning sessions in before my classes. Often times I am not finished with classes, homework, and my internship until late at night and so my evening workouts sometimes go as late as 11pm.

LF: Do you follow a specific training and/or diet plan to help you find that balance? What does a typical day look like for you?
Amy: A typical training day for me starts at 8. I wake up and eat a bowl of oatmeal or eat a banana. Then I am doing my morning workout by 9am. Morning workouts are usually shorter and only take me about an hour and a half. I am usually in classes until 3, and then I come home and have a snack of either yogurt or an almond butter and honey sandwich. Then I am working with athletes for my internship until about 8:30pm with a more intense, usually around 2 hours, evening workout. Sometimes I do conditioning after lifting, depending how late it is. When I get home I always cook green veggies with rice or potatoes and meat, either chicken or grass fed beef. I don’t particularly follow a strict diet; I just try to eat a wide variety of healthy foods with a balance. 

LF: Despite being a lifelong athlete you didn't always follow the healthy lifestyle you do today was there a wake up call for you that caused you to start making positive changes in your life?

Amy: I think that the biggest wake up call came for me when I had put so much stress on my body through extreme exercise and eating disorders that I became anemic, my thyroid stopped working, I developed adrenal fatigue, and my body fat percentage was so low I no longer

Post workout smoothie

menstruated. During this time I also developed a stress fracture in my leg due to over use. Part of me knew that I had done all of this to myself. But I was very stubborn and I tried to lie to myself about it for a long time. The pivotal moment during all of this came when a coach of mine said to me, “Amy, people will still love you if you don’t do gymnastics.” This may sound like common sense to most people, but in my mind I was nothing without sports. I was worthless—a failure. These intense ideas led me to my eating and exercise disorders. When I heard what my coach said I broke down into tears on the floor. It was something I needed to hear for so long. I had forgotten that I am AMY. I am a person. Someone who matters outside of sports, outside of having a perfect body. That was the moment that changed my entire life. That’s when I began to make changes.  Three simple words became my everyday inspiration:

Paradox, meaning life is a mystery, no use wasting time trying to solve it.

Humor, don’t be afraid to laugh at your mistakes, and don’t take yourself too seriously.

Change, change is inevitable, so don’t resist it, embrace it!

Thinking of these three aspects of life help to keep me grounded. I laugh at myself often and don’t tear myself down when I make mistakes. When things don’t go as planned I realize that it is meant to be that way and I let it go. You have to keep moving forward as life comes at you.

LF: What helps you to continually push past those obstacles and what advice would you have for others who may be or have struggled with similar obstacles?
Amy: I have learned to love myself and pay attention to the love that others have for me. I have begun to view life as something so precious, so rare, and something to cherish. Ultimately you have to completely love yourself. Just like you love your family unconditionally, you must too love yourself unconditionally. Imperfections are meant to be there and so you must embrace them, don’t try to cover them up. They’re part of you!

LF: What was the journey like going from whom you used to be to the confident vibrant person you are now?
Amy: It definitely wasn't easy, but it has been very fun! I finally was able to relax and not constantly stress about my body. I have become entirely care free and I can enjoy food and exercise without obsessing about it.

LF:  What has been the biggest obstacle for you to overcome in your training?

Amy: I would say the training is definitely the hardest. Physically it is exhausting; you have to be able to maintain technique and form while fatigued. It’s especially hard during school when many of my workouts are late at night. So many times I would rather be getting into bed and instead I am putting on my lifting shoes. The tough workouts take so much confidence. I am constantly telling myself that I can do it, you can’t think for a second that you’re going to miss, otherwise you will. I think this mindset translates over directly into my everyday life and the confidence I have there as well.

LF: As a female weightlifter do you feel pressure from the stereotype that often follows the sport that it’s meant only for men?

Amy: Yes at times! This question actually made me laugh a little because it reminded me of some of the comments I get from men on this subject. I have been accused by men countless times of using steroids, usually it’s because I am stronger than them and they can’t handle it! I have also been told that I am getting “too bulky” and that I should stop so I don’t get any more muscle. None of these comments ever come from women. Women are always very supportive and think what I do is awesome. I think a strong woman makes some men insecure and so they come up with hurtful things to try and bring me down. I laugh off any comments like that.

LF: As with anything in life there are days (even weeks were you just want to throw in the towel; what inspires you to keep motivated and constantly pushing your body to a new level
Amy: Weightlifting takes so long to get good at, and so I remind myself on bad days that day does not define me or my potential as a weightlifter. The only way I can survive this frustration is my not being too hard on myself. I have developed so much patience. My competitors and coaches are my biggest motivators. I stay in contact with my competitors and we share videos with each other of our lifts and that really helps to push all of us. When I see women in my weight class making lifts, it makes me think, “Wow! She did it, then that must mean I can too!” Even though we’re all trying to beat each other, we’re also very supportive and want the others to do well.

LF: So we understand that training and school make up a majority of your time but in your downtime, when you aren't training or in school, what do you like to do?

Amy: Any free time I have I take my dog with me to trails in the gorge, both in Washington and Oregon, sometimes every day of the week! I have a huge passion for the outdoors. It’s very relaxing for me and I love the views. I also get to run! Typically my coaches won’t let me do any running at all, but my dog keeps a fast pace so I am constantly running to keep up with him. It’s a nice change of pace from lifting weights all the time.

LF: As you have competed on the national level for two years now you must have a competition that stands out in your mind as one of your favorite experiences.
Amy: I would say my most memorable and fun competition was at a meet in the fall in

Washington.  There was a HUGE crowd watching (which is rare for weightlifting meets). Everyone was cheering me on, the energy was fantastic and I ended up getting personal records in both the Snatch and Clean & Jerk and ended up winning the meet, which got me prize money and new weightlifting shoes. It was so much fun!

LF: Should we look for you in the Olympics any time soon?
Amy: I would like to compete on an international stage however as it takes such a long time to get that elite of a level in weightlifting that is a VERY long term goal.  Currently I am focusing on medaling at nationals.

LF: Outside of the competition world what do you see yourself doing in the future?
Amy: I would love to help and reach out to teens that are going through the same struggles I faced and to help them move past it towards living a healthy lifestyle.  Eventually I would love to be a teacher either at the middle school or high school level.

LF: The goal of LifeStyle Fitness is to promote a healthy way of life through exercise and clean eating; what advice do you have for those who are looking to make positive changes in their life?
Amy: I would say that baby steps are key! If you want to make changes in your life you must do them progressively and work them into your daily routine. Maybe that means changing just one meal a day at first, or going for a walk instead of watching a movie. Eventually that will get easy and you can continue to add healthy choices into your life. The biggest mistake people make is trying to change everything all at once. That can be overwhelming and frustrating and usually sets you up for failure. Baby steps are the wisest way to go about it. And once you have reached your goal of living a healthy lifestyle, don’t be afraid to treat yourself or take the day off when you need it. Life is too short to completely restrict yourself.  Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself and have fun. 

Never forget that life is a journey and if you don’t keep moving forward as it comes at you, you will miss it.