Dream Chaser On Wheels

On The Mend

The last few days have not been good but I think taking my rest is proving to be the smartest thing I could have done. I am slowly regaining my appetite and I am fever-free for close to 20 hours now. On top of that, my waking heart rate is back to typical range this morning. My number one priority now is to regain my strength. I lost 6lb in the last week and I am still feeling weak. As much as I want to eat, I am not feeling enough hunger to take my normal meal portions yet.

I am not happy that I have to defer all my intense workouts this week because it totally changes how I build up to Duluth. However, unexpected things do happen and I have to cope with them the best way I can. I just read what Mantia wrote about his bout of stomach flu at Worlds. His positive attitude in the face of adversity motivates me to look ahead and figure out what I can do instead of moaning and whining what could have been.

I am disappointed that I will not go to Montreal 24hr Relay this weekend. It is an event that I have been looking forward to for months and an opportunity to meet up with many of my skating friends. However, after weighing my priorities, I would rather be a little disappointed this weekend than to risk major disappointment next weekend. If I insist on going to Montreal despite my better judgement, I know that I will regret my decision if I do not skate to my best potential in Duluth. I have been working so hard all season...poor judgement has no place in my plan.

Edit: I had an easy skate today after work. Although it was only 10k on the track at a very relaxed pace, I felt good during and after. Things are looking up at last.

Day Off

I am feeling anxious, annoyed, and a little unsure. The source of all these negative feelings is a simple forced day of rest. Seems a little overkill, isn't it?

Although the fever has subsided, I have yet to feel like myself in the last couple of days. Losing my appetite is a big reason. I have only been eating a small portion of my normal meal and I am already full to the point that I can't stand the thought of food. Obviously, without the necessary fuel, it's no surprise that I'm feeling weak.

Logically, I know that I can't improve on my speed nor fitness a week before race day. The number one priority right now is to be healthy and well-rested so I will be the best that I can be. Taking a forced rest day is the best course of action at this point yet mentally, it is hard to deal with. I know that it is unlikely but what if I still feel sick this time next week? That added stress does not sit well with me.

I have a tough decision to make this weekend. My plan was to have some fun in Montreal for the 24hr relay but by the looks of it, I may have to bail to avoid the added burden of 10hr+ driving in one day. Even coach SZ advised me not to go. I will be very disappointed but Duluth definitely ranks higher in terms of priority. Sigh.

Feverish Again

I am a little worry that I have another case of mild fever, the second time in less than two weeks. The strange thing is the thermometer certainly does not agree that I'm feverish but that feeling of malaise, archy body, and skin that's hot to the touch certainly is how I would describe a fever.

Practice today was a bit of a blur as I was too uncomfortable to concentrate. I sulked through all of the technique drills. We did a bunch of 200m flyers with off pieces that seem too low in intensity. After every sprint, I felt so horrible like all my blood vessels were about to explode. The 10k did not go any better as my limbs simply lacked strength to do anything useful. When practice was done, all I could do was to sit on the floor in a cloud of confusion. Hopefully a good night's rest will make things better.

Ottawa Inline Festival

Finishing Time: 1:27:49 (official results available here)

Overall Placement: 40/96

Gender Placement: 10/31

A finishing time that would have me jump up and down in joy five months ago is no longer good enough. Coming into this race, I had my mind set on racing for placement so on that regard, I don't exactly see my race as a success. However, objectively speaking, I actually did many things right in this race except for one glaring shortcoming.

A rare glimpse of me on a deep outside edge! Okay okay, so it was warm up...but still. Photo by a Leesh.

Knowing my past history of not eating enough for the afternoon start time, I was very careful with scheduling my food intake including a cooler filled with many healthy nutritional snacks and a lunch of grilled chicken salad with rice. I had a long warm up which prepared me well for a fast-pace start (yes, I was thinking of what DA said about "rock those edges"). I was aggressive off the start and stayed comfortably with the lead pack for over 5km until we reached the first turnaround. At this point, I positioned myself really well for the race because there were only two other girls in the pack. Unfortunately, with my inability to skate turnarounds (no, really), I was dropped. I waited for the chase pack to come up and jumped in. This pack had at least 25 skaters, seven of which are women. I was paying close attention to attacks and went with two but we were reeled in back to the pack pretty quickly. The second turnaround came and I got dropped again (are you seeing a trend yet?). Luckily, I was not the only one who got dropped and the other skater towed me half way up to the pack before I sprinted off to catch up. When I got dropped for the third time at the turnaround, there went my chances to podium.

I skated about 10km by myself. It was brutal. Although I train to deal with these kinds of situation, skating alone on a windy open road is one sure way to wear down the body and the spirit. When JB's pack caught up to me (with two other girls in the pack), I couldn't decide if I should be happy or sad. Of course I know that logically I am not strong enough to hold them off by myself until the end of race. However, it was a chance to rest in a pack abeit with the added stress of two competitors at my side when we eventually sprint for the finish.

Things were very coorperative until we came to the last 6km of the race. I knew that I could not afford the chance to be dropped once more at the turnaround so I attacked up the hill, signalling JB to come with me. Things did not quite workout the way I hoped and I actually dropped everyone. I eased up the pace and was gobbled back into the pack (sans JB now) after the turnaround. I did not want to leave things until the field sprint so I quickly attacked once more. I got reeled in again though the pack was now only down to three girls including myself. i took a breather and continued with another attack. This time, when the pack caught up to me, coach SZ was leading the pack. My legs were pretty dead at this point but the finishing line was quickly approaching. SZ called out to me to attack her for the finish as she controlled the pace of the pack to a level manageable to my tired legs. With about 300m to go, the girl ahead of me pulled to the right of the pack and I knew that it was time. I followed her to the right, accelerated off her draft, and sprinted ahead of her with every last drop of strength left in me. It felt like the longest sprint ever but I managed to hold her off until the end.

My look of pain as I sprinted for the finish. Photo by cor1000.

Unlike my previous three marathons, I was actually out there racing and strategizing. I kept my eyes open for attacks in the pack and initiated a few of my own. I am disappointed by my placement (largely caused by my lack of agility...a well-known issue) but I am satisfy with my aproach to this race. It has been a while since I last "raced" and I know that I will need to be in this mindset for Duluth. Although Ottawa is not the confidence builder I hoped it would turn out to be, I do believe that it is a much better preparation race than another "hang on to the pack for dear life" experience.

Nerves

My goal this year for Duluth is something that I've been dreaming about since I raced there for the first time in 2006. I was way back in wave 6 yet I knew that one day I want to have that top 10 medal around my neck. It seemed like an unrealistic dream back then. A lot of hardwork later, it is now only a couple of weeks away from a chance to make my dream come true. That sense of anticipation mixed with self-doubt weighs heavily on my mind.

I've been getting increasingly nervous and it's becoming difficult to channel this energy into something positive. I want to perform well soooo badly yet just imagining myself racing is enough to set my heart pounding uncontrollably. To be fair, I have done everything I can to prepare for these races. In the last year, aside from the inevitable sickness or injury, I have not missed more than a handful of training sessions. It's only August and I have already matched the number of marathons I competed in 2007. I turned out consistent results in optimal condition, when I was sick with fever, when I was tired, when I had to pull my own weight for the majority of the race, and even when I bonked (and finally recovered) mid-race. All that is left for me to do now is rest well and eat well so I can show up at the start line at the best that I can be. It is not productive to worry about how well-trained my competitors are or how they will performn on race day. I will race my own race and trust that my training will take me where I want to be.

Much easier said than done.