Nationals 2010

In late February I decided to race a duathlon- the National Duathlon Championships in April. I am not sure why I choose that race. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Just running and biking--no swimming. Jeff committed to helping me get ready for this race, the training would be a little different then training for a 70.3 race he warned me. He also told me I would have to get some work in on the track (gasp!). I was ready for the challenge though. I have about 2 month to get ready!

All of a sudden, it was April 22nd, and I was leaving to go race Nationals! Where did the 8 weeks go!? I wanted a few more weeks. More hot days with sun. More rides and runs with Jeff there to push more. More core work sessions. I just needed a little but more. However, there was no more. There was only the race 4 days away. I piggy backed a trip to visit my sister and her family while I was on the East coast. It was a nice change of pace to chase kids around rather then worry about the race.

I also had one of my dearest friends Jax coming to support me as well. All good things to keep my mind off of the race Sunday.

The weather called for rain, rain, and more rain. And humidity. About 70% of that. Living in Colorado, you forget how sticky the east can be (I even grew up there). Things don't dry quickly. Slick roads with 1300 racers on them is not exactly my ideas of fun. But what can you do. I prayed to the rain gods to wait until noon to open the flood gates. Bike check-in occurred Saturday night. Rain was expected all night. I wrapped up my bike as best I could, racked her up, said some encouraging words to her, and said goodbye. The next time I would see my bike would be race morning.

RACE DAY: 9.15 AM start. No rain.

At 7.15 I was pumping up my tires when I hear what sounds like carbon cracking. I look at Jax. She looks at me. Front tire is flat. No worries. I have 2 hours. Take it all over to the mechanic to fix for me-I don't trust myself. Wheel got fixed and the anxiousness of the morning continues.

At 9.10 we line up at the start line. We have to run first. Not swim. I think I like running first and not swimming. I have not done a duathlon in almost 3 years. This is a strange feeling-no rubber constricting my neck and shoes on my feet. I look around and don't know what to expect. I don't know who these people are anymore. I am the new kid.

Jeff and I talked about a plan the night before based of my training. I was going to stick to it and race smart. First 5K, the women go out FAST. I figured they would come back to me. At 2 miles they are still out there. Maybe they will come back on the bike. I am working comfortably hard during the 1st run-running off a girls' shoulder. Making her do the work. First 5k goes through in 19.20.

The bike course was technical and wet. And a lot of people were on this 3 loop course. The corners where tight and the approach to them at 30+ mph after coming of a hill was nerve racking. I managed to hold my own on the bike picking of a few girls. My cycling is improving...this was validation for me.

The 2nd run had a lot wrong with it. I was the cause of most of that wrong. There was 1 girl ahead of me (about 5 seconds) and I passed her in the first 100m of the run. I was running comfortably--not redline, but not easy. At about 1.5 miles, a women passes me in my age group. I know she is fast. She and a few other women ran sub 19 on the 1st 5K. I let her pass me and keep running my pace. In hindsight, I should have pushed more. There was too much left when I finished. But what can I do. Lesson learned as I looked at the results after-about 4 minutes separating 1st place though me (8th place).

Overall, I finished 8th. And 4th in the 30-34 age group. This age group was tough this year. This was one of the toughest duathlons I have ever raced in terms of fast women. The women who won our age group and overall title ran 2 sub 19's (low 18's) I am complacent with my result, but know what I am capable of. I guess I will just have to race again.

BIG THANKS to all those who helped and supported me: Specialized, Native Eyewear, Splish for the kick ass top, PowerBar, SKINS, and Boulder Running Company. HUGE THANKS to the love of my life Jeff and bestie Jax for being there when I needed it. You are rock stars!

Rock On

JK

Flow

"Music and rhythm find their way into secret places of the soul" -Plato

Research has demonstrated that music can affect concentration, endurance, muscle tension, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. Music increases positive emotions and lifts spirits by stimulating neurochemical changes associated with healing. According to the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, training to music can bring good health, motivation, and harmony. Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of training to music. A treadmill study at Ohio State confirmed that exercisers felt less perceived exertion when they jogged to music. Another investigation reported in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness showed that music makes exercise seem less difficult, allowing the participant to continue longer.

Our iTunes collection is extensive. We have everything from Chopin, Johnny Cash, PDiddy, to Bobby "Blue" Bland. We frequently change out iPod selections to keep it fresh. I have been spending quiet a bit of time of the trainer listening to music and thought I would share some of my motivation. (Note: Please don't judge me based of my music!)

Hello Good Morning-Diddy

Don't Stop the Music-Rihanna

Sunshine Hotel-Louis La Roche

Shiny Disco Balls-The DJs of Euro Trance

Break Your Heart- Taio Cruz

Genesis-Justive

Sleepyhead-Passion Pit

Beautiful People-Marilyn Manson

I don't Like Your Band-Annie

Something Real-Hott 22

Kings and Queens-30 Seconds to Mars

Walkie Talkie-DJ Shadow

Work That-Mary J.Blige

Rock On (with or without your music)

JK2

Man Noises

I was in a class at Lakeshore today and I was having deja-vu from this blog post....

January 2008

I can recall two times in the 5.5 years that Jeff and I have been together that he has went to yoga/gym class with me. Once last year he tried Bikram Yoga (surprisingly he actually went back a few more times) and then today. Both times, he has had to have male support. For yoga it was his friend Greg and today it was Marky V. It wasn't planned this way-Jeff and Marky V were just going to go to the gym to swim and do the stairmaster, then come back to our house and ride for a few hours. But somehow, Jeff was game to go to the "Athletic Core" class and he roped Marky V into as well.

Let me preface this by saying Marky V and Jeff are both high quality age group athletes. Jeff went 9.14 at Kona this year, and Marky V led the amateur race in Kona for 125 miles and posted the fast swim of the day (including the pros). They are TOUGH, DEDICATED, TALENTED, and STRONG athletes. But that does not matter in this class. This class does not care what you have done, how fast you have gone, or what you are training for. It will make you hurt in places you are not used to using.

At 7.55 we begin to gather the torturing devices, Bosu Ball, Fitball, weighted bar, dumbbells, sliding disks, and a mat. 8.02am we start class. 58 minutes of core work. The instructor, Wendy, was great. She had a great knowledge base of what athletes do and what muscles they use and don't use. She also made the class fun despite the hard movements.

8.05am. I start to hear grunts and groans from the "man corner". I try to dismiss it and focus on my own movements. 8.09am. More noises from the corner. Concentration at this point is hard. I look over and see Marky V and Jeff twisted in positions I have never seen before. I muffle a laugh and move on. 8.15am. I think I heard some curse words and some comments about running and swimming. At the end of each set, we have a rest period and there are a few "Jesus Christs" and I think a "Holy Shit" muttered. During one movement, were we had our upper body on the Bosu Ball and feet on the Fitball, I think hear Jeff fall to the floor. I look over and he IS on the floor--laughing. Way to use your core!

Then I notice all the other participate in the room-in particular the women. They are working hard. But you can't tell it from the talking or looks on their face. You can see in their body and in their eyes. They are stoic. They are focused internally on the action at hand. Not wasting any energy on noises or words. The men, on the other hand, grunt and groan, letting everyone know they are working hard. Why is that? It is not just in this class I have noticed this. There is a gentleman in a spin class that lets everyone know he is working hard by puffing and breathing heavy in the class. He also adds the occasional "Oh Boy" and "Oh No" when asked to go into Zone 3 or 4 on the bike.

9am. Class in over. We have survived and are better for it. And hopefully a bit stronger. We finish the day with a swim, stairmaster work, and a 2 hour ride. All in a days work. Jeff just mentioned to me that he might have to take some Advil before going to bed. Still groaning.

Rock on
JK2

Secret Word

The secret word yesterday morning was "NO". My body and mind knew the word. They told it to me 4 minutes into a workout. I had been thinking they were hiding something from me during the warmup, but dismissed it. I pushed on. They pushed back. I pushed hard. They tightened their grip. I called the workout and just ran easy for an hour. I came home, showered, put on some SKINS, and went on with the rest of the day.

Jeff said he was proud of me. In all honesty, no one has ever told me their were proud of me for not doing a workout. But I'll take a compliment. He was proud because I called it and did not force something that could affect the upcoming week of training. A year ago, I would have been upset at this situation-questioning myself and my training. But with age (and Jeff tutelage) I recognize that this is a part of training. I am getting better at recognizing when my body needs a break. My training is much different then it was last year at this time. My body is adapting. And adapting well. With my first race in about a month, these next two weeks are important. I need my body to be there.

The secret word after yesterday's workout was "ACCEPTANCE". That is a much better word then NO.

Rock On

JK

Time Trial to Ward

One workout that Jeff has me do to test my fitness. Luckily, I only have to ride up. I get a ride back down from the sag wagon..with a waiting Americano for me! Now that's a great coach.

Back in Business

New look. New Motivation. Renewed interested in updating the blog. Jeff and I have gone back and forth about whether to update the blog or just ignore it. As you could have figured out, we chose to ignore it for a bit. We needed a break from the "blogword". We debated the pros and cons of blogging. How much do you let people into your lives? Do you disclose everything? In the end, we decided that we would give blogging another try, to share our experiences, and hope that people don't make the same mistakes we do.

So here it is...The New Team Keil Blog. (Read at your own risk!)

Rock On,

JK1+ JK2

A real short review of Chicago!

The #1 question people asked us when we went to Chicago is "Why would you come here on vacation in February?". To be 100% honest, Jeff and I were considering moving to Chicago and some awesome work opportunities were available for Jeff. The trip was not only a chance to see our friends, but also to check out the area and have some conversation around the possibilities of moving to the area.

Fortunately, the weather was great when were were out there. Jeff and I actually saw the sun and blue skies...although it was pretty cold. It is amazing what a little humidity can do to temperature! It cuts right through the clothes! But the warmth of the community and the people out there makes up for the coldness. All in all, Chicago was a blast! It was the prefect solution for a rest/recovery week. Jeff and I can not thank the Endure It! crew enough for all their laughs and hospitality. In particular, Sara and David for opening their house and family to us.

Rock On

JK2