Be Thankful

I’m currently sitting on a comfortable hospital chair, getting an IV to treat a debilitating disease, rheumatoid arthritis. It’s amazing that just 5 days ago I was racing in a triathlon. It’s incredible how I feel right now.

I have to come here at Mount Sinai Hospital every 2 months, sit in a chair for 4 hours to get that life changing infusion. The medication is called Remicade, and I’ve been on it for more than 2 years now. Remicade is a biologic medication that has been working incredibly well for me. I wouldn’t be where I am right now.

I wouldn’t be planning for next year’s racing season. I wouldn’t be able to ride for 2 hours, or even simply enjoy a walk on the beach with my husband and the dog playing around.

I know because I’ve been there. I’ve been stuck to my bed, not able to get up, not because I didn’t want to, but because my joints didn’t want to. I’ve been suffering from walking for only 15 minutes, or even just standing in one of the many line-ups the city life brings us.

I’ve been crying from desperation, wondering why it was happening to me, why no medication worked and doubting it was worth even fighting for. Remicade came at a right time in my life. I was ready for a change, not only on the medication side, but also in the way I took care of myself. I know Remicade is a big part of it, but at the same time I started to trust my capacities, take a better care of myself, by eating better, drinking less and exercising. I also have to give credit to my husband, whose support made a huge difference, and still does.

Yes I still have some bad days, but they are comparable to the good days from 5 years ago! As long as I don’t forget this, I will be happy.

I don’t need to win a triathlon (or relay, or Aquabike), I just need to be there. Body and soul. Being able to be there is the greatest gift I have. And it doesn’t just apply to triathlons. It applies to every single aspect of my life. Everybody should realize that they are lucky to be able to do whatever they’re doing.

Be Thankful.

Race Report - Guelph Lake 2 Triathlon

Saturday September 1st was the Guelph Lake 2 Triathlon.

It took me a while before writing this report, and I still don't know how to start. There are a lot of things to say, I just don't know how to put it in words right now. I suppose I just have to start and hope that the words will come.

Before I go into the details of the race, let's just say that me and my teammate weren't really ready for this one. He had a bad fall and hurt his back the week before. Not so good for running. As for me, I didn't really know what to expect. I knew theoretically, what would be happening during the swim, the transition, and the biking part. But I also knew that theory and reality are two different things, and you can't really know how you will cope with them until you are face to face with the different scenarios.

Something I didn't know was the bike course. The registration said rolling hills, fast course, so I figured it shouldn't be too bad! Fortunately, I went on a car ride on the morning of the race to have a look, so I wouldn't get surprised by hills, or whatever I would consider as a difficulty.

Don't worry, I'm not making any excuses for the race, I'm happy with the results and was not disappointed at all.

So my husband, the dog and I arrived at the race venue around 7:30am. I wanted to make sure I would have time to register, get my transition ready, and relax before the start. The venue was great, well organized. As for the temperature, the air was a cold 12C (54F) at the start of the race, and 18C (65) on the bike. And the water was a nice and warm 72F, so no worries about the swim being canceled this time! I was glad I could finally get my first real "Aquabike" race ever!!!

I got to transition. I setup my bike, got my helmet, bike shoes, socks and sunglasses neatly ready, and by 7:45 I was waiting for my teammate Neal to arrive, to get through registration. He called at 8:00am saying he took a wrong turn and wasn't so sure where to go. I tried not to stress too much about it, and trust his orientation skills. At 8:15am he showed up. Just enough time to get the race kit, get body marked, go one last time to the restrooms, put on the wetsuit, get my good luck kiss from my husband and jump in the water for a warmup as the first waves were starting.

The Swim
As I get into the water, the first thing I think is: I don't think I needed a wetsuit! Oh well, at least it's good practice for the transition! Then, walking to the start (it was a start in the water), I hit my big left toe on a big rock!! ouch! It really hurt, but I tried to ignore it, I had to concentrate on my swim. So here you go, our wave is called, and as I tried to seed myself, and get some space around me for a start, the horn goes off, and everybody throws themselves in the water and try to survive that first 100m. One women in the first row, right in front of me, started the race walking, when there was 4 feet of water! So I had to swim around her, bump into a couple of people and squeeze between two swimmer who weren't swimming straight.

After 200m it started to clear. Just as I was getting into a good tempo, one guy behind me decided it was a good idea to grab my ankle and pull it to help himself move forward. I tried really hard not to get frustrated about it, I knew it could happen, so I just sped up a bit and got out of reach. After that it was uneventful, going around the buoys wasn't so bad, and I think I did a pretty good job of swimming straight. My only issue, was that I didn't really know when to start sprinting to the end, or if I should have been sprinting at all. Oh well...I got out of the water in about 16 minutes (I'm not sure exactly), and started to run (or jog/walk) for the transition.
Distance: 750M Time: 18:10 (includes walk to transition) Rank: 10/17

Transition 1
The run/jog/walk to transition was rather long, at least for me, and it was also uphill. It took me almost 2 minutes to get to the timing mat at the start of the transition. I was also breathing hard and was starting to think that a sprint to the finish of the swim was not a good idea in a triathlon. I've been used to sprints at the finish in swimming competitions (a looooong time ago!). I got there anyway, and had already stripped the wetsuit below my bottom when I got to my bike. I sat on the ground to take it completely off. I figured I would loose too much time trying to keep my balance to take off my wetsuit, put my socks and shoes on, so I just sat. I struggled a bit with the wetsuit at my ankles, but it finally was off. I didn't wipe anything, there was nice grass to wipe the feet on the way up. Got ready, grabbed my bike, and I was ready (or not) for the bike course!
Time: 2:40 Rank: 16/17 (but it was a relay, so most people weren't really transitioning after all)

The Bike
That's the part where I'm a bit confused. I think I lost some focus, I think it kicked my but, and I think I could have pushed more.
There were challenging hills for me, but I climbed them all, and didn't hurt too much. The fact that there wasn't much pain is probably the reason I think I could have pushed some more. Also, I was not gasping for air as much as the last (and first) triathlon I did. My nutrition was good, I didn't feel a low in energy, no cramps, no upset stomach, nothing! Even my joints were in good shape! I guess I was expecting some sort of pain, because the first tri I did was painful, and it was on a flat course!
I passed some people, most people passed me. But I saw a couple of people walking their expensive bikes up some hills, and that made me feel a bit better. Sorry for the walkers, I think it's great that they're in triathlons anyway. :) I used the aero bars for about 90% of the time, and felt very comfortable riding aero. I made some last minute adjustments to my bike the week before, and it paid off. The only problem is that it was so hilly I had to change gears quite often, and had to get out of aero every time. Aero shifters are definitely an upgrade I'll get soon! Nothing special happened on the bike, except that I wasn't fast enough to my liking.
Distance: 30km Time: 1:08:18 Rank: 14/17

My Husband and the dog Cheering for me (or checking how long it took me) :o)

Transition 2
I got to the dismount line, unclipped my bike without a problem, and ran through transition to the bike rack, where somebody racked their bike on my spot! My bag was still there, but I suppose they liked the idea of the closest more convenient spot! I probably lost 10-20 secs there because I fumbled with the bike to get it racked successfully. Then my teammate was gone for his run.
Time: 1:21 Rank: 16/17

The Run
The run went well for my teammate, considering his bad back. He was lucky enough to run at the same pace than a 3 times Ironman finisher, recovering from an injury. That gives some boost! He was able to finish his longest run ever, a 7km, without making his back worse, and enjoying his day!
Distance: 7km Time: 47:37 Rank: 17/17

Overall: 2:18:04 Rank: 16/17

Whoohoo! Not Last!!

All in all, we're pretty happy with the result, and we had an amazingly nice day! Oh and I won a t-shirt. Too big for me of course, they never carry x-small, so it's my husband's now! He's starting a collection. :oP Anyway, I'm starting to think about the possibilities for the next season. Sprint, Olympic for sure, Half Iron as an Aquabike if possible. As for the toe, it was red for two days after that, and it was hurting. At least it didn't turn blue! I was limping quite a lot, but it's back to normal now. I didn't feel it at all during the race.

Race Report (my 1st!):Toronto Island Triathlon

My thoughts are all over the place right now. This is why I didn't write earlier.
So here's an account of my first triathlon competition, at the Toronto Island Triathlon on August 18, 2007.

The day started really well. Of course I didn't get enough sleep, but I was up in no time. I didn't feel too tired, but I knew it could have been better.

It was a sunny, crisp morning, or I should say a chilly 10C (50F) at 5:30am. My gear was ready, I packed, reviewed and double-checked all that was needed. If you know about my story, you already know that I can't run. So at least I didn't have to pack the running gear. I have a friend who started running last year, and I asked him if he would do the relay with me. I would do the swimming (750M) and biking (30km), he would do the running (7.5km).
He jumped in, even though at the time we registered, which is about 3 weeks before the race, the furthest he ever ran was 5km. Two total newbies having no clue what they're getting into. Sounds like a fun day! :)

Because we had to take a ferry to the island , we didn't know how long it would take, how the line-up would be, and how quickly they would "process" the athletes. We waited about 45 minutes in the line for the ferry. The ferry ride was about 10 minutes. The walk to the race kit pickup, bib pickup, marking, chip pickup was another 10 minutes, the wait to all of these was close to 30 minutes. All the extra time we thought we had didn't seem much now.

While we were waiting in line, a race volunteer started to tell everybody that the winds turned and the water was really cold (56F). Now that is cold. I swam in the lake before at that temperature in June, and it was far from being comfortable, and after 20-25 minutes I had to get out of the water. But I knew I could do it. The race officials strongly suggested all triathletes should change their registration to Duathlon. The juniors were racing earlier today, and 2 of the athletes had to be pulled off the water. I still wanted to swim.

Further in the line, an announcement comes up: the swim is cancelled!! ARGGGG! At that point I was really disappointed. My mind was set on experiencing the transition between the swim and bike, and I also wanted that swim badly, probably more than the biking part. But the worst part is that my partner would have to do most of the work now! And he was not prepared for it, in his mind it was one run and done.

I have to give him tons of credits, he didn't seem to hesitate and decided to go for it! Two 5km in the same day would be an awesome accomplishment! There was no time for disappointments anymore. Just get ready, setup my bike in transition, wait in line (another one) for the portapotties.

Our start was at 9:30, and I was able to look at my teammate go and come back from the turn around. After that it was my turn to get ready. I went to transition and put my gear on. And started to stress a little bit. I realized that if he did a smokin' time I wouldn't have much time to be ready. My heart rate was at 134 already, and I was just waiting!! I took a power gel (now I know it's too sweet for me), some water, and was ready to go.

I decided to use my camelbak for water, as I don't feel comfortable reaching for bottles just yet. I didn't fill it too much, to make sure it wouldn't weight too much on my back. It ended being good for me, I couldn't even feel it during the ride.

So, having all my gear on, I waited about 2 minutes for my partner to arrive in transition. He did great, but I didn't really have time to find out how he felt, as I grabbed the chip, put it around my ankle and ran out of transition.

Running in the grass with a bike and biking shoes was something new for me. I think I did ok. At least I didn't trip, fall or both. I've seen a couple of people having difficulties at the mount/dismount lines, and I was a bit scared of that part, especially because I'm still not used to the clipless! I ended up doing just fine, and from that moment, I kept smiling and enjoying the day!

The first loop, for me was really to get used to people all over, passing (many, many of them passing), and me passing 1 or 2 bikers (on MTB) I averaged 28km/h, and I was a bit disappointed, as I was expecting 30km/h. There was some wind, but I don't think it affected me that much. I just didn't seem to have much fuel.

I also tested the aero bars for the first time! I hear you, it's kinda weird, to try aero bars for the first time ever in a race environment...For my defense, I didn't ride my bike a lot (not enough) before, and it was a course without cars, so I went for it. I saw the difference in speed. I was now around or above 30km/h.

The second loop was about adaptation and pain. At that point I realized that you have to get used to the aero position. My back was really fine, it seems my core is strong enough for the position. Fortunately, the adjustments I did to my bike earlier last week seem to have solved a nerve problem I had in my right hand. I didn't feel any tingling, or numbness.
The problem was my private parts! It was really painful. I think I will have to bring my seat back a bit downwards, to alleviate the pressure. Every bump was torture. So I started getting out of aero every 5 minutes to get out of the saddle for temporary relief.

By that time, I was also starting to breathe hard, and felt like I needed more energy. So I had another power gel, about 45 minutes after the 1st one. Immediately I started burping and didn't feel quite good for about 5 minutes. It seemed to settle down as I started my third-and last-loop.

My last lap was definitely the best. I felt (and was) fast, strong and powerful. Still nothing compared to all the people passing my at 34km/h or more, but I passed maybe 10 bikers on that lap. Of course they were most likely doing the duathlon on their own, but for me it's still a victory. :oP

I arrived at the dismount line, unclipped one foot, stopped (I can't do the bike still rolling thing), and dismounted. The guy next to me was not so successful and crashed. I ran through transition with very wobbly legs, it was the first time I experienced that, not running, I don't do bricks! I gave the chip to my teammate, and off he went.

He did great and finished on his two feet! :o) Congrats to him!

We knew we were far from being competitive, we both just started to exercise seriously last year, and weren't necessarily consistent throughout the year. Nonetheless, we are not last in our group! 7/9, which was enough to make both of us really happy! All the credit goes to my partner, as he charged into the challenge and did something he wouldn't have imagined doing the day just before.

The good news is, I think he's hooked. And that's from one of the first who told me I was crazy to get into the world of triathlons :oD As for me, well, I asked him if he would do another one before the end of the season, so I can put my swimming and biking together :o) It might be on September 1st, I'll get the confirmation later on this week.

I have to say that even though we're at the back of the pack, I feel like I won a million. Only a couple of years ago, I would never have imagined even doing a 30km ride without crying from pain in my joints. Just the waiting in line before the event would have killed me! Now, two full days after the race is over, I can tell that my joints have decided to collaborate with me, and that I'm in much more control of my body than ever before. I take this as a very important victory, and I'm determined to keep it that way!

I suppose you want to know how long it took us. Here it is, but let me warn you, if you are anything above the back of the pack, it will look awfully slow! But I don't mind, it's just going to be a definite PR next year! :oP

Run1: 30:01
T1: 0:48
Bike: 1:00:35
T2: 0:53
Run2: 32:58 (includes a stop at portapotties, and stretching)

Here is what I learned:
-Powergel is not good for me. Find another one that is less sweet
-The aero position should be practiced.
-I still have some adjustments to do on the bike
-I need to do speed work. My legs are fine, but my lungs and heart were out of sync (avg HR 164, for an avg speed of 29.7 didn't seem very good).
-Keep smiling! (which I did!)

In conclusion, I had a blast, and even though it wasn't as it was supposed to be, I want to do it again, and I want to plan for next year!!

Here are a couple of pics:
The team

Getting my first body marking

The Start

Getting ready in transition

Out of T1

Smiling after my successful mounting


Last Lap!

The finish

Registration Scare

OK, Maybe I'm paranoid because it's my first race ever. Or maybe I didn't trust the organization 100% because they charged me the registration fee twice, and then refunded me one when I asked to, but didn't receive any confirmation from them afterwards.

When I checked the website this morning, this very scary message was posted:

*THE TORONTO ISLAND RACES - VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
If any spots become availalble, we will contact people on the waiting list. We are no longer taking new names for the waiting list. Below are the participants lists. If you are NOT ON THESE LISTS then YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED.*

And they posted 4 lists:

• Junior Championship
• Try-a-Tri
• Duathlon
• Triathlon

So I check the triathlon list: I'm not there. "If you are not on these lists then you are not registered." What? Wait. There's nothing about Relays. It might be a different category. Don't panic. So I call. No answer, so I leave a voicemail. 3 hours later they call me to let me know that they haven't put the information on Relays online just yet. How many people did they scare with the "If you are not on these lists then you are not registered"?

Maybe I expected everything to be clearer, especially because it's my first one and I need some direction. Also, they didn't know exactly in which of the waves the relay would be when I talked to them this morning...
Maybe it's just that I'm a paranoid newbie! :oP

Icy Water

What is the lowest temperature in which you can swim? Personally, I don't know yet, but it's definitely above 46F!!!

Last night I had a group open water swim in Lake Ontario. I really wanted that last swim in before the race on Saturday, and by the number of people who showed up, I was not alone!

We've had a very nice weather in the last month, always close to 30C (around 86F), but I suppose it doesn't affect the water temperature that much. Maybe there was a storm on the lake the day before...or currents or winds...

A week ago, the temperature readings were around 70F. It was perfect. Not too cold for the extremities, not too warm for wearing a wetsuit.

Yesterday, the readings were at 45.9F. I should have checked before going (I'm not sure I would have believed it). But hey, water was perfect just a couple of days before! Apparently nobody checked, and we were all expecting a nice pleasant swim.

We arrived at the beach, about 20 ppl in their wetsuits, ready to plunge.
-20 people touch the water with their toes
-General reaction: Arggg! It's wayyy too cold!
-6 people get water up to their waist (including me)
-2 people turn back (including me), 4 try to start swimming (the tough ones)
-4 people try to jump in again (Including me...hey I really wanted to swim!)
-They all turn back
-And the 4 trying to swim come back after 2 minutes (the tough ones)

How does 45.9F water feels? It was definitely much colder than in June. I'm not sure if the reading was good, but was certainly not far from that. I've bailed out at 55 degrees, but it was more because of comfort rather than capacity. Yesterday, I knew I would not be able to swim at all in that water.
After 30 seconds with my feet in the water, I couldn't feel them anymore. After 1 minute, they were burning. When I tried to put my hands in the water, it hurt. I had to shake my hands out of the water to get them back to normal.

So bye bye the last open water swim before the race. Oh well, it's not like I've never done it...Now I just have to cross my fingers for a good enough water temp on race day! Please cross some fingers for me too! :)

A race around the corner

I signed up for my first triathlon! Because I can't run (you can read here for more information about that), and there are no aquabiking competitions in my area, the plan was to get into a relay with my husband. Unfortunately, he was just starting to run, and didn't feel ready for it. I can't blame him, we've had an hectic month of July, and we both didn't have much time for training. I would have loved for my hubby to do it, but I'm sure he'll go for it next year. For now, he'll be part of the cheering squad! :)

It turns out I have a friend who's into running, and he accepted to do the running portion of the relay, so I could do the swim and bike without a DNF. The nice thing is that my friend doing the relay with me is also totally new in the triathlon world!

So we registered for the Toronto Island Triathlon relay, on August 18th. 750m Swim, 30km bike, 7.5km run. I know I can cover the distances. I just don't know how fast. I'm very excited and a bit nervous, but with less than two weeks from the event, there's not much more I can do to get ready. I practice open water swimming every week (I finally got my practice with waves and I loved it), I bike regularly, but I don't feel I've been training seriously enough with my tri bike. I've been doing more mountain biking this summer. However, I've had a good base training in the winter and spring, and the mountain biking was keeping me in higher HR zones, so I think it shouldn't be that bad.

I've been averaging about 27km/h on the trainer in HR Zone 2, so it might be around that speed on the actual course, considering that I'm going to push harder, but taking wind resistance into account. It's a flat course. I'm going to test it next weekend, and will have a better idea of what to expect.

I think I'm more worried about the transition. I really don't have any clue how it's going to be. I've read a lot about it in books, in forums, but I've never been a spectator to a triathlon, so it's all in my head right now...Oh well, I guess I'll find out, and learn!

My goal is really to just finish, have fun, and get to learn some more, so I can get ready for the next one. But, I think it's also good to set some time goals, because I'm the kind who needs numbers to keep moving.
So, here is what I would be happy with during the race. I think I'm being very conservative, but it all depends on the conditions (weather, other people around, and how my body feels) and I'm not attached to these numbers. They will change if I realize it doesn't make sense.

Swim: 750m 0:17:00
T1 : 0:05:00 (I just have to take off my wetsuit, to put my socks (no I can't bike
without socks), shoes, helmet on and I'm good to go, I have a tri suit)
Bike: 30km 1:10:00 (This is if I'm using the tri bike. I will ride the MTB if it's raining,
because I'm not confident enough with the tri bike)
Passing of
Timing Chip: 0:01:00 (I really have no clue...)
Run: 7.5km dunno (Not my call, and I don't want to put any pressure on my partner.
Even though I'm setting goals for myself, I'm not competing against
anybody, and a non painful finish is all I'm wishing for)

Total time: We'll find out!

First Open Water Swim

I did it. Lake Ontario, 60 degrees. It IS cold! Even with a wetsuit. Especially the first couple of minutes in the water. Filling the wetsuit with water was a shocking experience.

After waiting for the water to warm up in my wetsuit, I started to get used to the cold on my hands and feet. Then another shock. My face! Arg. For two minutes I get an ice cream headache. Probably my brain trying to tell me this is not such a good idea. But I ignored it and pushed to get to that first buoy.

Once I started swimming, I forgot about the cold. All that was in my mind is the openness, the fresh air, the smell of the water. Anything else than chlorine is good! And my goal, different from usual, getting to a buoy, swimming straight. How wonderful it is not to look at a line at the bottom of a pool, feeling the waves and trying to be in sync with nature. This is how swimming was meant to be.

It might sound weird, but my first experience with open water swimming was far from being scary. Just a bit cold. So I did only about 1100m, which I think is acceptable for a first time, and in 60 degrees water. I really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to the next group swims, I'm actually thinking about going twice a week, when my initial plan was once a week in the lake and twice in the pool.

I have to say this boosts my swimming motivation, which was extremely down lately...

My First Clipless Ride

I said I would come back to that short and not so sweet ride. So here it is.

It was about a month ago, when I decided that it was about time to take my tri bike out for a first ride. Let's see. First ride on something that is not a mtb, first ride with clipless pedals. Mmmm calls for some scratches and a bit of pain.

So, that day, I figured, because it was an easy ride in Zone 1 that it was the perfect time for a non-stressful ride. HeHe (sarcastic)


I thought that slow was equal to low heart rate. Errr no. Stress = high heart rate. So my low intensity training was gone. Oh well, at least I'm learning to use the clipless pedals! Everything was perfectly fine, I was able to unclip/clip properly, until I arrived at a cul-de-sac.

I stop and put one foot on the ground by unclipping successfully. Hurray!
I start to pedal again, with one pedal clipped in, only to realize that I forgot to set my bike to a lower gear. Oh No!
My leg cannot rotate with enough strength, I need my other leg. Quickly. Arggg!
I cannot clip my second leg. Cr*p!
I have to stop and put my unclipped foot on the ground. I said my unclipped foot!
I'm leaning on the wrong side! Nooooo!
I wipe out at 1 km/h. Even if I had one foot unclipped. Great! First reaction: Get back up as quickly as possible, and make sure nobody saw me. Second reaction: Go back home as quickly as possible, before it happens again, avoiding humiliation in front of high school students heading out home.

Oh well, I bet I'll be careful about leaning on the right side the next time! I hope at least you've had a good laugh on that one! :) I am still laughing about it myself!

Numb, Numb and Still Numb

I've had my bike for over 6 months now, but I haven't ridden it much outside yet. There was winter, and I did a lot of indoor training, but come spring, I took my mtb out for rides instead of my tri bike, the main reason is that my seat was very uncomfortable. So now I got a new saddle (Fizik) which I love very much, and there's no more reason not to go out with that bike.

I guess I'm a chicken , I just started using the clipless pedals and that was very scary for me at first. It took me a lot of kicks in the butt to get out there with my tri bike. I love biking, but I'm far from being comfortable, compared to my mtb.

In fact, today was my second time only. Clipless was fine, didn't have a problem and I can really appreciate how useful they are. I didn't talk about my first ride with clipless yet, but that story will be coming soon.

Of course I'm not very confident, and I suppose it's going to take a while. But the main problem is that after only a couple of minutes, my right index finger became numb, especially the tip, and it made me even less confident about controlling my bike. I suppose aero position would be more comfortable, but don't get me started on this one, I'm far from that point right now! So after a 25 minutes ride only, I came back home.

My finger is still a bit numb now, 2 hours after my ride, and I was wondering what might cause that. If it was my bike fit (and I got a bike fit at my LBS), than I thought I would have felt something in both hands if my weight was too much forward (which I found out is wrong)...I also wear biking gloves with a very good padding.

So I discussed on the Trifuel forum about my problems, and here's the feedback I got.

Problem #1: There might be too much weight on my hands, caused by either my seat angle pointing downwards, or by my handlebars being too low. This could be compressing some nerve.

Problem #2: My grip is too tight. But without confidence, I don't see very much how I can loosen up a bit. Hey, I'm just holding on for dear life here! :p No but seriously, I think I'm a bit too stressed, but you can't blame me, it's a lot of new things at the same time for me!

So, I'll have to experiment a bit I suppose, but I also don't want to damage any nerve. I'm hoping that numbness goes away quickly! I think it's getting better...or am I just getting used to it?

The Wetsuit Challenge

Last weekend I got my first wetsuit!

I should be excited about it, but in reality I'm not that thrilled. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to swim in the lake, to feel the openness and the waves. As opposed to most people, open water swimming is very attracting to me. It's a synonym of liberty and fighting the elements.

Much more appealing than the line at the bottom of the pool, which I've gotten really bored of lately.

I hear you: What's the problem?

Short explanation: Arthritis

Longer explanation:
I've had a really hard time to try on the different wetsuits. In fact, I couldn't put them on, I had to ask my husband to pull them up. My fingers wouldn't cooperate.
These dawn fingers!! This is the one thing that has been annoying me the most lately. I suppose I shouldn't complain, because I used to be much worse than that, and now in comparison, I'm doing so good! But the reality is that once you get better, it's not enough. You want more, you want it to be perfect. At least that's how I feel.

See, the thing is, with bad knees, or ankles, it's possible to compensate by improving the muscles around and make these muscles bear the weight and absorb the impact to lower the stress on the joints. How do you do that for fingers?? I have yet to find a method/exercise/stretching that will help to improve these. So that means my fingers aren't in sync with the rest of my body. They're weak, and painful.

I'm trying to be positive and remind myself that I was sweating a lot, and that it just got stuck on my body, that most people probably have as much difficulty to put them on at first, that I will get used to it and will find effective and painless methods. But part of me believes that I will always need my husband to help me put it on! Not that I don't like my husband's presence and help, but I like not to depend on anybody.

I'm hoping that the first open water swim will just erase that negative part of the wetsuit. I will find out soon, as the group open water swimming in Ontario lake starts on June 13. Hopefully, I will have a chance to try it before that, it would be a shame to just let it sit in the closet for another 2 weeks! :)

Elliptical Tentative

As I said in my previous post, my husband started triathlon training about 3 weeks ago. Because he was running on the treadmill at the gym, and I was feeling particularly great and wanted to spend more time with him, I decided to follow him in his debut of running, by using the elliptical machine.

I figured that the reason I can't run is because of the impact it has on my joints (ankles and knees), therefore the elliptical should be good for me! The first couple of shots were great, as I was going for about 15-20 minutes at a generally slow pace. I felt the new range of muscles working, and of course I liked it!

Then the first disappointment came.

When I started to go over 30 minutes, the ball of my foot was starting to be painful, and if I continued, it would evolve in a throbbing pain where my toes would become numb. So I did some research to find out what I could do about it. I got inserts for my shoes and tried them the next day. I saw the difference in my left foot. But for my right foot, nothing improved. The pain disappears after the workouts, but on the mornings, I generally felt like I had been hit by a car during the night. This is typical of arthritis flares, and is something I didn't experience so much lately, due to a very good medication and a good level of fitness. That told me it was enough.

There are a couple of problems I see, some I could do something about it others I can't do anything.

First, my shoes are totally inappropriate for running, which I just found out. I know elliptical is not exactly like running, but the movement is very similar, and with my sensitive foot, I need a rocking shoe.

Second, my feet are so different, that insoles are no good to solve the problem on both feet at the same time, I would need orthotics (read more $$$). If you want an idea about how different they are, my left foot is about 3/4 inch shorter, and with a pronounced arch, and claw toes, thanks to arthritis! My right foot looks totally normal, with a normal to low arch.

Third, one of the first joints that got diagnosed with arthritis when I was 5 years old, were the metatarsal joints (ball of the foot joints). There's nothing I can do about that one. There might be permanent damage in these.

For these reasons, I decided to give up the elliptical until I can talk about it to my Rhumatologist (arthritis specialist) in July.

The good news is that I was able to continue with my training, and I started to do yoga regularly again, as it helps a lot with my joints.

Oh well, another learning experience! I'm getting to know my body's limits better!

Swimming Form

I forgot to mention that my husband filmed a small part of my performance during the 5000m charity swim on Sunday. So now I know a couple of things that need to be improved!

1-My hands seem to cross over the half of my body. This certainly slows me down.

2-Every 6 kicks or so, I give a bigger kick. I don't know why, and I don't know if it's always the same leg. I'll need a bit more filming to find out more.

The good news is that I can keep the pace throughout the entire swim, and my arms move in a regular motion, both arms are synchronized, and my gliding seems pretty good. My breathing is also good, and I don't precipitate the recovery, meaning that the amount of time that my arms are in the air when I breathe is the same than the other strokes.

I'm pretty happy overall, especially since I haven't had swimming lessons in over 10 years and was afraid I would just be reinforcing bad habits. I will have to ask my husband to film me from time to time to make sure I'm improving!

My first time...

So much happened since the last time I wrote that I was postponing on writing about everything.

First of all, training last week was not so good. Change of temperature, laziness and the prospect of dipping my feet in water early on the dark mornings held me back too much. I also had difficulty with going early to bed, so I was not starting really fresh on mornings.

Another thing: I have to resist the snooze button! Not so long ago, I was a night hawk. I really love getting up early and feeling I actually accomplish things during my day, but apparently, I forgot about it and have to relearn some things. I started better this week (biked on Monday and this morning, and swam yesterday)! Actually, I had some extra motivation: new toys!

It was Toronto’s fall bike show this week-end. An inventory blow-out sale…I knew before getting there it would be hard to resist. I didn’t know at what point though! My first idea when I decided to commit to an Aquabike, was to do my first couple of races on my mountain bike. I’ve never had a road bike in my life, and I knew I would like to get one eventually, I just didn’t know how soon I could.

Hubby, being very supportive, helped a lot with the decisions on that day…Ouch for the wallet, but hey you should have seen my smile! :-) I was in fact alternating between smiles and shaking my head…

So my first idea was to get a road bike. And I got one. Entry level Specialized Allez, satisfying and was running quite smooth. Also didn’t hurt too much the budget (750$ CAD taxes in for brand new). Once I got that, we started thinking: if I get a bike right now, might as well get a trainer, so that I can ride it as much as possible, especially during winter…So we start looking for a good trainer. We spot one, a fluid CycleOps for 300$ CAD + tax (usually worth 400$). We decide that we want to go (again) around the different kiosks to check if there are better prices for the same trainer. There’s a lot of competition in there, so might as well try to take advantage of it!

So my bb, comes back to me after a couple of minutes, and asks me to follow him. Cool, he found a good deal! Well, yeah, it was a good deal: a tri bike! Arg! I had my bike already! I was not shopping for a bike anymore! So my husband decided to keep my road bike for himself, and I got an entry level 2005 never used tri bike (Quintana Roo) for (900$ CAD taxes in.) plus a fluid trainer for 260$ taxes in. Boy, what a day!

And it was not over, I had to get biking shoes + pedals, another computer…So it ended up being pretty expensive, but I’m almost done with guilt by now.

Was a tri bike necessary? Definitely not! Especially because I’m not doing the running portion. But my idea was to buy an entry level bike and upgrade in a couple of years, so meanwhile I’ll have a bit of fun.

I’m a road/tri bike virgin! Never rode them, never even try clipless before!

So this week I did some experiment. The first time I tried to unclip, I simply wasn’t able to. Good thing I got that trainer! :-) The second time, I hurt my ankle. Then I checked if the release tension was at the minimum. Did some adjustment here and there, and it is better. I still don’t think I’m ready for a ride out there, as I have difficulty to unclip quickly, but I’m getting there.

This morning, I did one leg drills. Oof I have some work to do with my left leg! As expected, it’s my weak leg, and I’m quite clumsy with it. Not only am I a rightie, but it’s also the left side that was first affected when I was a kid. I wore crutches often and was relying on my right leg most of the time. So it’s pretty cool that I can now focus on improving this side!

I also tried the aero position. Thank god, I already have a good core and my back seems to support it pretty well. I can also guess I’ll be scared to death trying that on the road. I’ll have to get used to the position first. It’ll probably take me a while to get confident enough. Once I get there, I know the main difficulty will be with my neck, to look forward while riding and still try to be comfortable.
Any exercise ideas to reinforce that area?

Oh, and I also need to give a name to my bike! Got any idea for the tri bike? By the way, it’s a she; I reserve the masculine name for my mtn bike. :-)

A bit about me and why I decided to commit

I was diagnosed with Rhumatoid Arthritis when I was 5 years old. I couldn't do any high impact sport during my childhood. I was the kid forced to go to the library during physical education classes. At least I became good enough at swimming! I did a bit of competing, but because I was not a top performer in the club, I was kinda left aside by the coaches that were putting more energy in promising swimmers. I lost some interest in swimming because of that. I didn't like the "compete to win" mentality, I was mostly the "do it as best as you can" kind, especially in my condition!

At 14, my doctor decided to stop completely my medication (not good), it seemed like I was back to normal! I went nuts. I tried every sport I could and was really enjoying life and appreciating each moment. You heard that before, but yes, you really only enjoy things fully when you lost them. The thing is, having been diagnosed so young, I did not know at that time what I was missing. I was therefore discovering life in a new light.

The blast came to me when I was 17. After feeling pain I thought was due to a twisted ankle, I had to go to the doctor and they told me that it was back! But this time, it really hit hard. You're a teen, everybody around you is at the best they've ever been, you're at your worst. I've tasted what it felt to be in good shape. It made it feel much worse. Everything went quickly. Most of the time, I had to use crutches. My ankles, toes, knees, elbows, fingers, wrists and neck were affected. And no medication would help, not even what used to work before.

At 20, there were days I couldn't get up from my bed, both my legs wouldn't support me. My boyfriend at that time had to carry me to the bathroom. Simple buttons or zippers were a nightmare for me. I was crying from pain and was totally depressed. I was also not taking good care of myself, it was an endless cycle. You move less because it hurts like hell, and it gets worse because you're not moving enough. When my doctor told me that if it continued like that, I would be stuck in a wheelchair before I turned 25, I got angry. I just decided this wouldn't happen. I got a new doctor (I thank the old one today for shaking me out of my situation). I went on cortisone for a while until I heard about biologics (expensive!!! but not much for such a miracle).

Since I was 22, my situation has just been improving, and I became more and more active. Now, at 26, I am living a perfectly normal life (except that I can't run), and nobody would guess I've been through that.

I've always admired triathletes and wished I could someday participate in such an event. I also like the community feel, and how a lot of people are competing for the personnal accomplishment, rather than the glory. Until last year, there were triathlons and duathlons, but nothing that would combine swimming and biking, mostly the only two sports I could hope one day to put together for multisports, without endangering my joints. And yes, last year, some US triathlons decided to introduce Aquabike! I learned about it only recently, and was totally delighted! Then Canada got in this year, and it is getting popular. There are a lot of people out there that can't do high impact sports, because of injuries or diseases.

So, with that said, I'm very enthusiastic about having the possibility to show everybody (especially people that have had a similar experience) that I've been through all this and today it is possible for me to get out there and enjoy the chance I have to be able to do this stuff!

Anyway, wish you all a good day!

Sorry for the long story, I tried to make it as short as possible! :-)