tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66954762887318784812024-03-04T03:54:36.824-05:00Tara MartinePlant-based dietitian and triathlete, racing for Team Zoot in 2018 and on the quest for Kona like everyone else ;) I love anything related to training, racing, health, fitness, food, nutrition, exercise, travel, and adventure! Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-56491635435369543752018-06-03T20:30:00.000-04:002018-06-03T20:30:17.794-04:00Race Indecision<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been in a state of <u>race indecision</u> ever since finishing Galveston 70.3. <u>Race indecision</u> may result when you don't have any upcoming races on your calendar. Symptoms can include:<div>
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*<b>Lack of motivation</b> to train, especially the inability to wake up in the morning to do workouts before work. What's the point of forcing yourself to do double days when you can swim/bike/run a few hours a week and maintain the facade of being in shape?</div>
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*Constant <b>worry and stress</b> about what your next race will be. You desperately want to sign up for something, but nothing is enticing you enough to pull the trigger. Those close to you may become tired of hearing about these #triathleteproblems. </div>
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*<b>Generalized anxiety</b>. You just don't feel good because you are totally out of your routine and your athletic goals are stagnating. Furthermore, the extra time on your hands allows you to think about other potentially problematic areas in your life further contributing to your overall feelings of malaise.</div>
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*<b>Weight gain</b>. Less time exercising combined with increased caloric intake from foods (and in some cases booze) starts insidiously increasing your body fat percentage. At the same time you can almost feel your lean body mass depreciating. </div>
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*<b>Inability to maintain watts</b>. When you do engage in the occasional bike ride you wonder if your power meter needs recalibrating or if you've really lost that much fitness. </div>
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To bystanders, the cure for <u>race indecision</u> is obvious:</div>
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For me, this was easier said than done, but I'm happy to report that after 2 months I've finally done it! I'm super psyched to have just signed up for the 20th anniversary of Ironman Florida!!! In the end it was the obvious choice given that it's close to home, friends & family will be there, traveling will be low-stress and low-cost, I will be acclimated to whatever the weather is, and my training terrain will be equivalent to the race terrain. As I mentioned in a previous blog I'm an ambassador for the <a href="https://tridot.com/">Tri Dot Training System</a> this year and will be using their training software to prepare for the race. I'm looking forward to using their technology to train smarter and get faster on fewer hours. Of course, the ultimate goal is to KQ. However, I'm not too stressed about that because my back up plan is Ironman Vichy 2019 and I am absolutely dying to go back to France so I can parler un peu de francais et manger des baguettes :-)</div>
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Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-37103919040053587672018-04-21T16:24:00.002-04:002018-04-21T16:33:09.334-04:00Race Report: Flora-Bama Mullet Man Sprint Tri<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transition Area in close proximity to Main Bar</td></tr>
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I ended my last blog post pondering what would be next for me in the wonderful world of tri. I didn't have to wait too long because I found out that the 22nd annual Flora-Bama Mullet Man Sprint Triathlon was being held this weekend. I've lived about 5 miles from the infamous Flora-Bama for the past 2 years and have never gone inside. I'm proud to say this triathlon changed that!<br />
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This race was supposed to be a 1/4 mile swim, 17 mi bike, and 4 mi run. I woke up and was pleased to see my phone said that the winds were only 9 mph. As soon as I opened the door though I realized my phone lied to me. There was a gale force wind coming directly out of the east, and by gale force I mean probably 15-20 mph. The results of this wind were threefold 1) the swim was cancelled and replaced with a 1/2 mile soft sand beach run, 2) the bike had a massive headwind on the way out following by a ripping tailwind on the way back, and 3) the run was 2 miles of tailwind + 2 miles of excruciating head wind. <br />
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Before I get into this race I have to mention the amazing pre-race smoothie I made! So, if you are eating 2 hours before a race you should aim for 2 grams of carbs per kg body weight. This smoothie provided 433 calories, 106 grams carbohydrates, and <a href="http://taramartine.blogspot.com/2015/01/beet-juice-part-deux.html">the performance enhancing benefits of organic nitrates from beet juice</a>! AND it tasted great! TRY IT.<br />
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1 medium banana<br />
1 cup frozen wild blueberries<br />
2 pitted medjool dates<br />
2 ice cubes<br />
1 can <a href="http://juiceperformer.com/">Juice Performer </a>beet juice (use code 'martine8' to get 10% off Juice Performer at the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A17LT33D8FR9K0&merchant=A17LT33D8FR9K0&redirect=true&tag=wwwbeetperfor-20">Amazon store</a>.<br />
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I was somewhat out of it before this race and I am not sure why. I left my house and realized I had forgotten my Garmin, so of course had to turn my car back around to grab that. Then when I arrived at transition I realized I had forgotten to bring any water! LOL. It's not like it's the first time I've ever done one of these! One cool thing about transition was that because this race was relatively small (~150 people), you got to rack your bike anywhere you wanted! I scored a spot right next to the bike in/out.<br />
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<u>The <strike>Swim</strike> Soft Sand Beach Run - 1/2 mile - 3:23 (6:46/mi)</u><br />
I rather enjoyed the fact that this race had an unconventional start! Don't think I've ever done a triathlon which began with a soft sand run before! Plus, it alleviated me from having to make the decision of wearing a speedsuit or a sleeveless wetsuit. When the ladies wave went off (3rd and final wave of the day) I executed my plan of sticking close to the front of the pack and my heart rate was probably about 200 bpm 5 seconds into the race. Running on soft sand is NOT EASY!!!! It remained there for the duration of the run and I almost felt like barfing as I ran into T1 in 2nd place.<br />
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<u>T1 - 0:58</u><br />
Didn't dilly dally.<br />
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<u>The Bike - 17 miles - 45:53 (22.2 mph)</u><br />
I passed the first female as she was clipping into her bike to take the lead. My plan for the bike was to red line it and go as hard as I could. The bike was the funnest (word?) part of the day! There were two waves of men already on course so there were plenty of people to pass. On the way out, as expected, was a relentless headwind. I stayed aero and envisioned myself punching the smallest possible hole in the wind. I was averaging 17-18 mph. When we finally turned the corner, the tailwind was a relief. Riding at 27-28 mph is always pure joy (unless you're descending with poor handling skills, in which case it's sheer terror). <br />
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<u>T2 - 0:36</u><br />
Lickety split! I saw the second woman pulling into T2 as I was heading out and realized I would have to run hard to keep the lead.<br />
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<u>The Run - 4 miles - 27:42 (6:56/mi)</u><br />
It took me about 1 mile to settle into a comfortable rhythm on the run. I was trying to bank some speed on the first 2 miles b/c I knew the last 2 would be a slow plow to the finish line. Hitting the turnaround felt like a 2 min/mi drop in pace combined with a 3 notch increase in perceived level of effort. I busied my mind with identifying various landmarks along the route and singing different songs in my head for each landmark.<br />
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<u>Total Time - 1:18:29 - 1st overall female</u><br />
Woo hoo!!!! I crossed the line as the first overall female and 7th place overall finisher. Not a bad way at all to start the weekend! I also got to meet fellow Team Zoot teammate Lenny and his wife Melissa. Congrats to Lenny for finishing 2nd overall and 1st master's man! I also met their friend Natalie, an uber biker from Lafayette who won 1st master's woman. We hung out at Flora-Bama for a little while and I'm not sure why I've avoided that place. It was really cool - live musicians singing classic country tunes, indoor and outdoor seating, gulf-front, and plenty of beer, booze, and Bushwackers flowing from multiple bars. It might have been my first time there, but definitely won't be my last :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this mug and think it's hilarious!</td></tr>
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-16205648510522080272018-04-21T15:26:00.002-04:002018-04-21T16:37:31.408-04:00Race Report: Galveston 70.3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I picked Galveston as an early season race b/c I figured it would be similar to training conditions where I live in Pensacola FL. Two of my friends who did the race last year confirmed that it was flat n' windy on the bike and blistering hot on the run. Perfect.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a surprise to find out my driving route required a ferry! </td></tr>
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As race day approached, forecasted temperatures kept dropping. Somehow I had the foresight to pack gear for all weather and thank goodness I did because it was a crisp 49 degrees on race morning! I had planned to wear either a speedsuit or a short-sleeved wetsuit, but I was thankful that morning that I had also packed my full-sleeve suit, which looked very professional paired with socks & sandals ;)</div>
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<u>The Swim - 1.2 miles - 36:28 (1:53/100 m)</u></div>
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The swim was an in-water start and jumping into the water off the dock felt like jumping into a bathtub! The water was WAY warmer than the air! Boom - the gun fired and my age group took off. The water was rather choppy and crowded. I never found any good feet to draft off of yet never seemed to have clear water either. The course felt long and when I checked my watch it confirmed that I was in there longer than I had expected to be. </div>
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<u>T1 - 3:44</u></div>
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Taking off that wetsuit was not warm. Burr!!!! My transition was a little longer b/c I chose to put on my finisher jacket from IM Chattanooga, a headband to cover my ears, and gloves. </div>
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<u>The Bike - 56 miles - 2:46:16 (20.22 mph)</u></div>
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The bike was a flat out & back on a road that paralleled the coastline. There was one bridge, but it was not much to write home about - I was expecting something big and scary like Perdido Key Pass, but it was basically a flat little thing over some marshland. On the way out, there was a massive tailwind. It would have been easy to over-do it and pay big time on the return trip, but I forced myself to stay within my goal watts. It started raining about 5 miles out from the turnaround. At first it was lightly misting but later on in the race I noticed that my jacket sleeves were completely saturated. As soon as I turned around the wind whipped hard into my face. I knew it would be a much more grueling trip back to T2. Although the headwind was tough, the worst part was how much colder it felt! I was so thankful I was dressed for winter and have NO IDEA how some people were out there in only a tri suit!!!??? My hands got so numb that I had to stop at the aid station and have a volunteer refill my bottle. My fingers lost the ability to change gears or effectively break towards the end of the ride. However, I was pleased that I was able to maintain the watts I wanted to and didn't die in the last 10 miles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank GOODNESS I packed this coat! </td></tr>
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<u>T2 - 3:02</u></div>
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This transition was pretty darn slow b/c my hands were incapacitated d/t cold. Thankfully there was a very friendly volunteer who undid my helmet strap and put on my running number belt for me! Thank you!!!!! I kept my gloves on and headed out on the run. </div>
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<u>The Run - 13.1 miles - 1:37:08 (7:24/mi)</u></div>
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At this point it had warmed up to somewhere around 53 degrees - still WAY too cold for a Floridian's blood! I started running and noticed my feet were numb and felt like ice blocks. I started running behind a woman who was clipping of 7:30 minute miles and figured that was a good start. I've been working on regaining speed lately but was really unsure of what I'd be able to do off the bike. After the first loop of the run, my feet and ears had thawed out and I ditched the gloves. I also took a caffeinated gel which was quite possibly the best decision I made the entire race. I felt like I was the run leg of a relay team for the next 4 miles! The effect wore off a little for the third and final loop and I had to dig in to get to the finish. I was pleased that I had been able to maintain slightly sub 7:30 pace and wanted to carry that out to the end. </div>
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<u>Total Time - 5:06:36 - 9th of 107 in Age Group</u></div>
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I finished in 5:06:36 and was very pleased with this result. It's the fastest 70.3 I've race in quite a few years and I have good reason to believe the new training platform that I've been using, <a href="https://tridot.com/">TriDot</a>, is working quite well. In fact, I have accepted an ambassadorship with TriDot and will be doing a post soon on the ins and outs of this training/coaching software. Overall, it's allowing me to train fewer hours while increasing speed.<br />
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Shout out to my friend Sharon for finishing 2nd in her age group!!! Sharon you are a total rockstar and I had such a fun time with you! :) </div>
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I'm not quite sure what's next for me but I need to figure it out soon b/c it's driving me crazy. I don't like not having my next race on the docket. I am deciding between doing another Ironman or a couple of 70.3s to build speed and maybe try to qualify for 2019 70.3 worlds in Nice France because I've been DYING to go back to France for quite a few years now! La France me trop manque! </div>
Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-47128987752253054602018-01-21T19:48:00.000-05:002018-01-21T19:48:06.609-05:00Plant-Based Protein Sources<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Recently, two things happened that spawned this blog topic:</div>
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1) One of my ultra-fit friends who is training for an Ironman asked me about how she could boost her protein intake from plant foods. </div>
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2) I watched an amazing presentation by Dr. Garth Davis (author of the book Proteinaholic which is definitely my next read) on vegan diets & protein intake.</div>
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The response to my friend's protein question has to be prefaced with this golden nugget: <b>the first nutrition priority for endurance athletes is getting adequate calories. </b> If you boost protein without consuming enough overall calories to support your training, it won't help much. Spreading calories as evenly as possible throughout the day is usually the best way to get them all in, breakfast - snack - lunch - snack - dinner - snack <u>or</u> snack - breakfast - snack - lunch - snack - dinner, depending on your schedule. If you were aiming for 3000 calories/day, this would equate to about 750 calories/meal and 250 calories per snack. Secondly, out of the three macronutrients in foods (carbs, fat, & protein), the one that gives us energy and we need to eat the most of as endurance athletes is carbohydrates. Skimping on carbs will leave you feeling tired and your muscles without any get up and go (because they are depleted of their glycogen stores). Good carbohydrate sources are: fruit, potatoes & sweet potatoes, corn, peas, beans, and whole grains (quinoa, oatmeal, barley, bulgur, millet, brown rice, etc). Whole wheat bread can also be a good carb source - Ezekiel is the brand I've been buying and they also make tortillas and pitas. </div>
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OK, so on to the protein issue at hand. Typically needs for an endurance athlete are 1.2 g/kg. So for someone like me at ~125 lbs, that is 125 / 2.2 = 56.8 kg * 1.2 = 68 g/day. That is much lower than a lot of people *think* they need to eat and are so worried about getting. If I spread that out evenly throughout the day it would be 17 grams per meal and 5-6 grams per snack, pretty easily obtainable numbers. Remember that the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range of 10% of total calories from protein meets the needs for ~98% of the population. Now, protein sources. Here are some excellent ideas for getting more plant-based protein:</div>
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<b>*Beans </b>- Beans are an incredibly healthy food and you should aim to eat three 1/2-cup servings daily. It is worth trying as many types as possible to find out which ones you like the most. Any type of bean is good and some you may not have considered are lentils, split peas, peas, chick peas (these can be roasted in the oven for a salty/crunchy snack), edamame, and hummus. You could also try disguising beans by making something like black bean brownies! Then you feel like you are eating a yummy brownie but the starch in it is coming from beans rather than flour and it is higher in protein. I've tried a few recipes that I've found online. Wish I could give you one that's great but never wrote any down; some are definitely better than others. </div>
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<b>*Nuts</b> - In a nutshell, these provide healthy fat, fiber, and protein. Include a wide variety of nuts in your diet and enjoy the use of nut butters! Cashew butter and almond butter can make things more exciting if you are tired of the same ol same ol peanut butter. Nuts also increase longevity - hip hip hooray!</div>
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<b>*Seeds</b> - Reap what you sow by eating these plain as snacks, sprinkled onto salads or other main dishes, in a home-made trail mix, or buy the blended versions (sunflower seed butter) which you could then spread on whole wheat bread and/or use in a sandwich. </div>
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<b>*Whole grains</b> - Whole grains are a really really good source of healthy complex carbs, fiber, and protein. Quinoa is a buzz word among whole grains b/c it is high in protein - this is b/c it is technically a seed not a whole grain but whatever, it's healthy. Go to a health foods store and hit up the bulk foods section - you will see tons of whole grains that maybe you have never tried before - millet, bulgur, teff, wheat berries, barley, spelt, etc. These can be eaten as a side dish or put into any soup or stew. You can also make a hearty breakfast out of them, instead of using oats, for ex - qunioa with cinnamon, walnuts, and chopped apples, mmm. </div>
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<b>*Vegetables</b> - Leafy greens are about 30% protein!!! Eating leafy greens daily is super important. This could be in the form of a salad, cooked greens, mixed into soups/stews, or in a green smoothie. All vegetables have a good amount of protein in them, so make sure to up your ante on veggies. If you don't like veggies start by trying 1 new thing per week until you gradually find things you like and can expand your palate. </div>
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<b>*Tofu</b> - This is protein packed. You can buy the firm or extra firm and use in stir-fries and other main dishes. You can use the silken tofu which is a lot softer in sauces and smoothies. Again, just like with the black bean brownies you can find yummy recipes, like vegan cheesecake and pumpkin pie, that use silken tofu if you want to disguise it!</div>
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<b>*Seitan</b> - Seitan is gluten, which is the protein portion of wheat. You can make your own seitan which is a lengthy process or you can purchase it pre-made at health food stores. Seitan has a very chewy texture similar to turkey. Use it in place of meat in recipes.</div>
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<b>*Tempeh</b> - Tempeh is a fermented soy bean pressed into strips. These strips have a much denser texture than tofu. You can purchase the strips pre-flavored at a health food store or a regular grocery store. I used to buy the bacon-flavored tempeh strips, cook them in a skillet, and then use them instead of bacon to make a BLT, which I called a TLT!</div>
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<b>*Faux Meats</b> - These are things like fake chicken strips (Gardein) and fake hamburgers (Beyond Meat) that are easily replaceable in your diet for the regular version of the food. They are not my top go-to protein source b/c they tend to be highly processed. I feel that eating these things 1-3x/week constitutes moderation. </div>
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<b>*Vegan Protein Powders </b>- These are typically made from soy, rice, pea, hemp, or other vegetable proteins. Just like with the faux meats they are processed so they are not my #1 recommendation. However, they are convenient and easily added to non-dairy milk or smoothies if you are just not able to get enough protein or are in a rush to get something in quick after a workout. </div>
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Lastly, keep in mind that ALL FOODS contain amino acids, which are the building blocks to protein. This essentially ensures that <u>as long as you consume adequate calories you will consume adequate protein.</u> Consider when I did the fruitarian diet...fruit is about 10% protein on average. If I was eating 3000 calories/day of straight fruit, that means 300 of those calories were coming from protein. Since there are 4 calories per gram of protein that means I was consuming 75 grams/day, which is greater than the 68 g/day that I gave you in the example calculation above. </div>
Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-26222444581714425782018-01-14T19:55:00.001-05:002018-01-14T19:57:18.165-05:00Purple CarrotOne of the coolest gifts I received for Christmas this past year was a subscription to Purple Carrot from my parents (thanks Mom & Dad!!!) When I opened it I was really excited because I have always been curious about trying a home delivery meal service (Blue Apron, Green Chef, Plated, etc) but have shied away due to the lack of plant based meal options. On the contrary, Purple Carrot is completely vegan!!! It was like a second Christmas the day my box arrived at my doorstep!<br />
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The fully insulated box was filled with goodies and had two gel freezer packs in the bottom to keep everything within the time-temperature safety zone.<br />
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Each week of Purple Carrot comes with three 8.5x11" recipe cards for 3 unique recipes. This week's menu was Socca Pizza, Spicy Red Curry Ramen, and Vietnamese Tofu Bowl. All the ingredients were partitioned by recipe and were in sachets of the exact quantity called for by the recipe! The only ingredients needed from my own kitchen were olive oil, salt, and pepper.<br />
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Two of the three recipes were absolutely delicious!!! Yum yum yum were the Spicy Red Curry Ramen and the Vietnamese Tofu Bowl! I struggled with my pizza when I decided to skimp on the oil in the skillet that the pizza was cooked in, resulting in the crust clinging to my pan as persistently as gum on the bottom of your shoe :) I improvised and used a spatula to pry the crust out and turned the dish into a pizza salad of sorts.<br />
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Socca Pizza<br />
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Spicy Red Curry Ramen<br />
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Vietnamese Tofu Bowl<br />
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I will leave you with my opinion of the pros vs. cons of Purple Carrot...<br />
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Pros<br />
1. Delicious meals!<br />
2. Explicit, easy-to-follow directions on large pretty recipe cards that you can keep for future use<br />
3. Quick - time from start to table was ~30 min<br />
4. Eliminates the question "What am I going to eat for dinner tonight?"<br />
5. Fun and exciting to try new meals that you wouldn't normally make with ingredients you wouldn't normally buy like bamboo rice (which was green) and daikon radish<br />
6. Each meal featured a hefty portion of leafy greens in some way<br />
7. Fresh, high-quality ingredients<br />
8. Each meal makes 2 filling servings (hiya leftovers!!!)<br />
9. Set weekly menu. I know some people might consider it a con that they can't pick and choose their meals each week, but I like pretty much all foods so the set menu concept for me is yet another simplification in the process of feeding myself by eliminating decision making.<br />
10. Variety. I can't attest to this personally yet, but I heard from another friend that she has been using Purple Carrot for a few months and has not gotten a duplicate recipe yet.<br />
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Cons<br />
1. My only real gripe is that these meals were a lot higher in fat content than I am used to. I try to get my fat from whole foods like nuts, seeds, and avocados. I have quit using oil to sauté foods and now only water sauté or sauté in vegetable broth. All of the recipes called for what I consider large amounts of oil and two of them had veganaise. To get around this you could simply use less oil than the recipe calls for - just don't do it with the Socca Pizza! ;)<br />
2. Cost - $72/week<br />
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Overall I am a highly satisfied customer and am waiting in eager anticipation for Wednesday when I receive my next box!<br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-44534846603771548642017-12-16T21:55:00.000-05:002017-12-16T21:59:49.362-05:00The Healthiest Chips<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-riF0urBFVgPpjQ1w9dVzEav7AqbM3mwxDXthUSa8HrqnyjCqQkFGUpm1kHLOwdAyq1TKbxexMPQZYrhB61ZasT-JnbAFNAO2PEQqD1ntlLG3V-XfRNQz9qo5b34PAzD6VM82nHFG2g/s1600/IMG_8198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-riF0urBFVgPpjQ1w9dVzEav7AqbM3mwxDXthUSa8HrqnyjCqQkFGUpm1kHLOwdAyq1TKbxexMPQZYrhB61ZasT-JnbAFNAO2PEQqD1ntlLG3V-XfRNQz9qo5b34PAzD6VM82nHFG2g/s320/IMG_8198.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here's a conversation I've had many times at my job as a dietitian:</div>
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<i>Q: What are the healthiest chips to eat?</i><br />
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<i>A: Chips are actually NOT a health food. </i></div>
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<i>Q: But what about veggie chips?</i></div>
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<i>A: Veggie chips are still deep fried in oil and do not count as a vegetable serving.</i></div>
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<i>Q: Well, tortilla chips are healthy right?</i></div>
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<i>A: No - tortilla chips, like potato chips, are deep fried in oil and high in calories and fat. </i></div>
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<i>Q: Then what in the world am I supposed to eat with salsa???</i></div>
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I have never had a great answer to this question until now! I purchased some Ezekiel brand tortillas and put one on the top rack of the oven which was set to broil. In less than 5 minutes, the tortilla was heated and I took it out and sliced it into triangular shaped chips. As they cooled a little they became crispy. These homemade "chips" were totally dippable and satisfying in salsa, hummus, and as a scooper for a delicious shredded kale salad I made (pic below). And best of all, they have about half the calories of regular chips, 75% less fat, are high in fiber (5 g/svg!), and are low in sodium! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DXhlskTIIG15u5rSODQOgwc3fJnPt5-y4k6CssbDKkkf4eA0PI6XyCqln2esht-TxUFwmI_QQv7ZkOsfr31XOQ7KPM_cIU9aMCvs0l-fVps2WNVEp0GdbyaD5JmolqymLMlo_ZZNKQ/s1600/IMG_8199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DXhlskTIIG15u5rSODQOgwc3fJnPt5-y4k6CssbDKkkf4eA0PI6XyCqln2esht-TxUFwmI_QQv7ZkOsfr31XOQ7KPM_cIU9aMCvs0l-fVps2WNVEp0GdbyaD5JmolqymLMlo_ZZNKQ/s320/IMG_8199.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCegZRoov0f-FuxLCtQSkBUlLj8WbPzF3wEINSSdrcSfIz10KqB1gSNt6vaRHQ8tS3nq06rylnYG0rYWpPeeDbtaJ7xDyPyDhbY5P2iV3Y540jWb3Z5D6yKr0bGRa32ub_w5ehfUN2g/s1600/IMG_8201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCegZRoov0f-FuxLCtQSkBUlLj8WbPzF3wEINSSdrcSfIz10KqB1gSNt6vaRHQ8tS3nq06rylnYG0rYWpPeeDbtaJ7xDyPyDhbY5P2iV3Y540jWb3Z5D6yKr0bGRa32ub_w5ehfUN2g/s320/IMG_8201.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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For those interested here is a comparison nutrition chart for some popular chip brands. To keep it consistent the serving size for each item is 2 oz. FYI one Ezekiel tortilla is 2 oz.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0x67-zg28_dZKNSpou25NS0RGFNd4IE0jjLaPgZoCpHTV4QOSHKvMW_RI2a-gQ9TMcH1UXUwCaaHwc7L29sNNEBFskHMTgxNlitW2P04PEK2K3tbcetkxJhstGT35igltTD1PMRR3uQ/s1600/Chips+Spreadsheet.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="799" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0x67-zg28_dZKNSpou25NS0RGFNd4IE0jjLaPgZoCpHTV4QOSHKvMW_RI2a-gQ9TMcH1UXUwCaaHwc7L29sNNEBFskHMTgxNlitW2P04PEK2K3tbcetkxJhstGT35igltTD1PMRR3uQ/s640/Chips+Spreadsheet.tiff" width="640" /></a></div>
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Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-60051352968489604622017-11-26T17:26:00.000-05:002017-11-26T17:46:51.785-05:00Race Report - Ironman Los Cabos 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4hkoJzNdCny_YsEbbfXpPOmKyKuhW01kFGuZ9WNIA05Bbp8yE7VoJYTYY28viy3CtiJuYAhQmdfOhJHAj5C3SxhZd_L_VTzNV0-9_X12YqFpV55FDOpDk63-SYohpoLNvwUqWoYw-g/s1600/IMG_8140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4hkoJzNdCny_YsEbbfXpPOmKyKuhW01kFGuZ9WNIA05Bbp8yE7VoJYTYY28viy3CtiJuYAhQmdfOhJHAj5C3SxhZd_L_VTzNV0-9_X12YqFpV55FDOpDk63-SYohpoLNvwUqWoYw-g/s400/IMG_8140.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ironman Los Cabos was my 4th Ironman and the hardest one so far! I also trained the hardest for this race, so am slightly disappointed/puzzled as to why I didn't get better results. I have been trying to qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Kona since coming in 3rd place in my AG in Ironman Chattanooga in 2015. My training was really inconsistent for IM Cozumel in 2016. Training for IM Texas 2017 was slightly better but not up to par for a KQ. From reading blogs & talking to fellow athletes, I gathered that 18-20 hours/week is generally what is needed for getting to Kona. So, I wrote myself a training plan and mostly followed it. I found that 20 hours/week was pretty much my max, given my full time job and having enough time to eat and sleep. Here's what I did in preparation for Los Cabos in comparison to Texas & Cozumel:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemnRiLfA6ArROw-gANIu2r4OK4TZAubH1B7H1K6gj55W5d1hp4iSt0PcXRzmHqKDpCEHzBtYODXbWTwR8_lr3mxDVyo3ejndSDBf4X1OgcM_kQhWF3MoMxWHs285oXOCKY94aRYihLA/s1600/IM+Training+Comparison+Chart.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1147" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemnRiLfA6ArROw-gANIu2r4OK4TZAubH1B7H1K6gj55W5d1hp4iSt0PcXRzmHqKDpCEHzBtYODXbWTwR8_lr3mxDVyo3ejndSDBf4X1OgcM_kQhWF3MoMxWHs285oXOCKY94aRYihLA/s400/IM+Training+Comparison+Chart.tiff" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also purchased a power meter for the bike --> the Garmin Vector pedals <-- and started training with power for the first time ever. I bought this book and did workouts from the book designed to increase FTP:<br />
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I did an FTP test on the trainer every 4 weeks and over the course of 3 months improved my FTP by 24 watts. (This was from July to Oct; I didn't do another FTP test after my last build b/c I started tapering). I also did a timed 500 yd swim every month and improved from 7:20 (1:28/100 yds) to 6:56 (1:23/100 yds) over the same time period. I didn't do test sets on the run since that has historically been a strength for me and I was focusing on trying to improve my cycling. So, going into this race I felt I had done as much as I could do. I felt confident that I would have a good race.<br />
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<u>The Swim - 2.4 miles - 1:07:53 (1:35/100 yds)</u><br />
The swim was really enjoyable! The water was not as clear as Cozumel, but visibility was still decent. Water temperature was around 80 degrees and felt perfect! I settled into a comfortable pace and felt good for the majority of the swim. The water was a little wavy and a few times I felt little tiny jellyfish stings, but neither of these things bothered me and for the most part I think I swam pretty straight. I drafted when I could. I wanted to get out of the water and not feel tired and that's exactly what happened. When I finished the swim I felt like I had plenty of energy left for the bike and the run. I had also posted my fastest non-current IM-distance swim. So far, things were off to a good start!<br />
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<u>T1 - 4:01</u></div>
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Transition was interesting because you put your bike shoes on in the changing tent and then ran through the sand to get to your bike:</div>
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To my surprise and delight I ran into Bobby! We exited T1 at the same time and laughed about how both of our shoes were totally filled with sand. Then we started the big climb out of transition and he was gone like a rocket!</div>
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<u>The Bike - 112 miles - 6:22:19 (17.6 mph)</u></div>
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I knew the bike was going to be hilly and tried to prepare for this by riding hilly courses in training. The most elevation I could find around Pensacola was a 128-mile route with 3000 feet of climbing. Between Sharon, Bobby, & my Garmin's the race course was somewhere between 6000-7000 feet of climbing, so essentially double what I did in a training ride! I got up to over 40 mph on the descents and was crawling at 7 mph on some of the climbs. There were two longer climbs - one 5 miles and the other 3 miles, both of which were done twice. I don't remember any flat sections. There was a small section of sand that we had to ride through b/c they hadn't gotten finished paving the road, there were boards over grates to ride over while descending one of the climbs, and there was this nice little ramp that they constructed the day before the race to get us off the highway:</div>
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This makeshift ramp didn't go all the way to the pavement on the other side. When you got off the ramp, there was a thick blue carpet that they had laid out over the sand to bridge the gap. LOL! Despite these quirks and how slow I was going I did enjoy the bike. It was very scenic with great views of the water coming down the descents. I didn't like the fact that it felt like the entire race was passing me, but I didn't want to push too hard and over bike. I stuck to my plan of keeping within a certain power range, which was a little challenging because it was hard to gauge overall output of effort since the terrain was so hilly. However, my normalized average power was only 10 watts higher than my average power, so I think I did a decent job. It got up to the low 90's, but I was ready for the heat and it wasn't a big factor in my performance on the day. </div>
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<u>T2 - 5:25</u></div>
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Not much to say about T2. Changed into running attire and commiserated with fellow athletes in the changing tent about the difficulty of the bike :)</div>
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<u>The Run - 4:01:11 (9:12/mi)</u></div>
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At first I felt really good getting off the bike and my first 5 miles were 8:00-8:30. I was happy to be chasing quite a few people down. Then things started getting harder and didn't get any easier until the finish. I think it was simply overall fatigue b/c my nutrition was on point all day. My legs were so tired and it was taking everything I had to not walk. I didn't let myself walk at all b/c I was afraid if I walked, even through an aid station I wouldn't start running again. It was great to see Bobby & Sharon on the race course and my spirits were lifted a little bit each time we ran by each other. The course was 4 loops, which was a tad bit monotonous. My last loop was mostly in the dark and really could've used a head lamp. I got a little pep in my step once I only had 3 miles to go and clocked my final mile at 8:04. I was sooooo happy to make that final turn into the finish chute and hear the announcer call my name, "Tara Martine - you are an Ironman!" Those words never get old!!!</div>
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<u>Total Time - 11:40:47 (5th AG)</u></div>
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I'm really happy and proud that I finished my 4th IM and the toughest one to date! It was an awesome experience and I enjoyed the entire thing and appreciated every moment. Since the race I've been mulling over how I feel about my results and I do feel disappointed. It's not that I didn't make it to Kona (or wasn't even close). It's more the fact that I put in all that time and effort and didn't see tangible gains in speed. On the contrary, I had my slowest bike ever and slowest run (not including Cozumel where I walked a lot). I'm not sure if I over-trained or just had a bad day or the course was just that difficult.... It has left me wondering whether or not to pursue another Ironman in 2018. I'm considering doing more local sprints & olympics, perhaps a 70.3, perhaps another full but focused more on fun than trying to KQ. I'm not sure what I would do differently in my training if I wanted to KQ. Cut down the hours a little bit to allow for more recovery? Or is it just a matter of stacking multiple years of the type of training I did for this race to get to Kona. I'm not sure I have the motivation for that kind of dedication right now. So, I'm going to enjoy the off season and do things like hang out with friends I have been neglecting, go for some walks on the beach, and take advantage of the fun things to do here in Pensacola. I've gotten back into cooking and remembered how much I love to cook and try new recipes. It's truly amazing how much time there is when you're not training 20 hours/week! </div>
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The entire trip to Los Cabos was awesome and I loved hanging out w/ Sharon, Matt, & Bobby! Major congrats to Bobby for finishing his 10th Ironman!!!!! We had tons of fun, went to the beach, partook of the swim-up pool bar, got massages on the beach, saw some big a$$ waves, went on jet skis, explored the marina, visited Cabo Wabo, found a delicious vegan restaurant, and of course took a boat to the famous arch! Can't wait for the next adventure...</div>
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Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-5504281677713744372017-04-27T22:07:00.003-04:002017-04-27T22:07:29.060-04:00Race Report: Ironman Texas 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ironman #3 is in the books!!! I started training for IM Texas in January with the hopes of qualifying for Kona, knowing that there would be extra slots since it was the North American championship race. Unlike my training for <a href="http://taramartine.blogspot.com/2017/01/race-report-ironman-cozumel-2016.html">IM Cozumel last summer/fall</a>, this time around I was MOTIVATED and CONSISTENT. I didn't skip workouts and although I had <a href="http://taramartine.blogspot.com/2017/02/dealing-with-injury-close-to-race.html">that dang achilles injury</a>, I was feeling pretty fit heading into this race. I cut out all added oils and sugar 3 weeks prior to the race to ensure I'd be running clean and lean on fruit, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, & of course <a href="http://beetperformer.com/">Beet Performer Beet Juice</a>! According to rigorous analyses of the finishing times of the women in my AG from the past 5 years performed by my training buddy/engineer/11-time Ironman finisher/7-time Kona qualifier/8:54 IM PR/Cam Loos, a sub 10:30 would probably put me in contention for Kona. It was a high goal but I believed it to be attainable.<br />
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We packed all imaginable tri gear into 1 car - with 2 sets of everything it was like Noah's ark of triathlon. We drove 10 hours to Texas and met up with some rockstars from NC - PA and super dad Lawrence Landrigan, pro triathlete <a href="http://www.glutenfreetriathlete.com/">Tim Nichols</a>, and awesome sherpa/most supportive girlfriend ever, Barb Kornegay. It was fab hanging out with you guys and thank you Barb for all the cooking & cleaning you did for us!<br />
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The days prior to the race were all about those last minute workouts, the expo (loved seeing my <a href="http://www.zootsports.com/">Zoot</a> peeps Mark, Jake, and Jill), practice swim (rubbed elbows with fellow high-octane vegans Kyle, Shannon, & Taylor), gear bags, and fine tuning the bikes. My bike was optimized to the MAX! Thank you Justin for letting me borrow your Enve 808 rear wheel with disc jacket - that thing looked sick and no doubt made me go faster. Other optimizations: Grand Prix 4000 IIs tires, latex tubes, and an aerodynamic water bottle for my seat tube. Trayvon was ready to roll.<br />
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<u>The Swim - 2.4 miles - 1:12:18 (1:43/100 yds)</u><br />
Surprise!!!!! The swim was non-westuit legal. A week prior to the race, word was that the lake temp was a delightful 69 degrees. Didn't think there was any way it would creep up over 76 degrees within a week, but expect the unexpected, it did! Sooo, this resulted in the purchase of a new <a href="http://www.zootsports.com/">Zoot speedsuit</a> (YES, I had one packed in the ark, but its so old that wearing it probably increases drag - anyone in the market for a dragsuit speedsuit?). During the practice swim I swam up to a SUPer to fix my goggles and when I pulled myself up onto his board he exclaimed, "Whoa! I just saw all the water bead down your back like a duck!" Excellent - the new suit was performing well already!!! <br />
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On the day of the race Lawrence and I lined up near the front figuring we'd start together and take turns drafting off each other in the swim. I was only able to stay with him for about 100 yds d/t the pure chaos of the swim. The entire way to the first turn felt like a brawl - it was so rough, simply d/t being in and amongst so many other swimmers. Not sure why exactly, but it was a lot more physical compared to Cozumel and Chattanooga. When you make the final turn into the canal you still have over a half mile to go and I was mentally prepared for this. I was not prepared for the water to smell like someone had emptied all the porta potties into it. With about 300 yds left another swimmer passed me and as they did so, smiled and waved. Was I hallucinating from the permeating odor of sewage??? No! It turned out to be Cam who was the very last non-wetsuit swimmer in the water! haha<br />
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<u>T1 - 4:27</u><br />
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<u>The Bike - 112 miles - 5:51:33 (19.12 mph)</u><br />
When I started the bike I didn't feel very good. I think this was b/c the swim took more out of me than I was expecting. I told myself that eventually I would settle in and start to feel good, which did happen after about 20 miles. It was a very windy day out there, eventually building to 15-20 mph. The meat of the course was a double out & back on a toll road. The pros were that there were no cars and no turns. The cons were that (to me) it was a boring course and there was a ripping headwind on the way back. I must have told myself "do not over bike" at least 100 times. I over biked in Cozumel and had nothing on the run - I did not want history to repeat itself. <br />
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I kept myself in check even though a lot of people passed me, including women in my AG. But I knew I had to stay within my limits and I while I was doing that on the final lap a pack of no joke about 30 triathletes caught up to me. This wasn't a legal paceline or even an illegal paceline. This was a PELOTON of riders all 4-5 inches off each others' wheels. They were easily going 2 mph faster than I was going solo. I was pretty pissed off. How can someone riding legally possibly compete with that?!?! And I never saw 1 person in the penalty tent all day. In fact, a draft marshall drove up from the opposite direction and put both arms up in the air to say "What are you all doing???" but no one left the peloton nor did anyone get a penalty. What do you do in that situation? Expend extra effort to stay ahead of the pack? Let everyone pass you? Try to "legally" draft off the back? Or just fall in with the group? I'm not sure what the right answer to this question is and would be interested to hear what others think. My nutrition was on point during the bike - I ate a <a href="http://boomnutrition.com/">Carb Boom gel </a>or margarita shot blocks every 30 minutes and drank water plus electrolyte tablets. I was hoping that both my legs and stomach would feel good heading out onto the run.<br />
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<u>T2 - 4:45</u><br />
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<u>The Run - 26.2 miles - 3:43:19 (8:31/mi)</u><br />
The run was a bit of a question mark. I had to take a full month off of running during my training d/t <a href="http://taramartine.blogspot.com/2017/02/dealing-with-injury-close-to-race.html">the achilles injury</a>. I supplemented with some water running and eventually worked back up to doing one 20-miler prior to the race, but was never able to resume speed work. Perhaps the worst thing about not running so much was the mental aspect - going from 0 miles/week to a marathon in 9 weeks was an intimidating prospect. My coach and others told me that no matter what I still had a solid running base, but it was hard to find solace in their words. <br />
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When I got off the bike, which I was soooo happy to do, it was a joyous moment when I realized that my legs felt good. I knew I'd be able to run today. I started off at about 7:55 pace and had to force myself to slow down. I figured that based on my training I'd be able to average between 8:30 to 9:00 miles for the marathon and I didn't want to start out too fast. It's the classic debate of do you A) bank time at the beginning of the marathon when you're feeling good knowing that you're likely to suffer in the later miles? or do you B) force yourself to stick to your goal pace and hope that you're able to stay consistent for the entire thing? Cam and I had discussed this and he is a big proponent of strategy B. I'm still not sure what I think, but I knew I didn't dare let myself run faster than 8:00 miles for the first loop. Turns out I averaged about 8:00 pace on the first loop, 8:30 pace on the second loop, and 9:00 pace on the third, thus putting me at my goal pace of 8:30 for the entire thing. And yes it got really damn hard. I kept hearing my friend say, "whoever walks least gets to Kona" and this kept me going. I wonder, would it have been easier if I had slowed to 8:30 from the beginning? Thoughts?<br />
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A word about this run course - it was AMAZING!!!!! As dull as the bike was, the run was equal in magnitude but in the complete opposite direction. Great job Brian for putting together a real winner. It started off by the river, wound through some neighborhoods, a few shaded sections of paths, and then the last 3 miles were the bomb diggity. Both sides of the river front were lined with thousands of spectators. Music was blasting and cheering was on in full force. You'd think that doing a 3-loop marathon would be a drag, but running through this section 3 times was something to look forward to! It had a lot of variety and was very well supported. It was my favorite IM run course so far (favorite bike course was <a href="http://taramartine.blogspot.com/2015/10/race-report-ironman-chattanooga-2015.html">Chattanooga </a>& favorite swim was <a href="http://taramartine.blogspot.com/2017/01/race-report-ironman-cozumel-2016.html">Cozumel)</a>. <br />
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My big goal for the run was not to walk at all. After <a href="http://taramartine.blogspot.com/2017/01/race-report-ironman-cozumel-2016.html">crumbling on the run in Cozumel</a>, I wanted to put together a solid overall race with a strong marathon. I didn't let myself walk once, even though the aid stations, and I am really happy and proud of that. <br />
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<u>Total Time - 10:56:22 (12th AG, 67th female, 349th overall finisher)</u><br />
I felt elated to cross that finish line and hear the famous words, "Tara Martine, YOU ARE an IRONMAN!!!!!" I believe I executed the race as well as I could have and there's nothing that I would have changed about it on the day. I feel happy that I was able to put together a solid performance and I know that I have a strong fitness base that I will keep building on. Everyone says that getting to Kona takes 3-5 years of hard training. Well, I'm about 1.5 years into it now and am not planning on stopping. I will get to Kona. I have a lot of work cut out for me (especially on the bike - I have no clue how women in my AG managed to average 22-23 mph in those winds). However, I am really enjoying triathlon right now and if I didn't like doing the workouts and love going to races I wouldn't do it. I'm already plotting my next race, which I am thinking just might have to be Los Cabos.... :)<br />
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Congrats to all finishers and thanks to everyone who supports and encourages me!<br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-43707189712680378372017-04-03T20:38:00.000-04:002017-04-03T20:38:43.504-04:00The Best Veggie BurgerNow that I've been plant-based for about 10 years, it's fair to say I've had my fair share of veggie burgers. They are one of the easiest meat-free meals to make and are usually well-received by vegans and non-vegans alike. It's been a little while since I've made a veggie burger (cause I've been mainly living off of a variety of bean & vegetable-based soups & stews) and when I went the local organic co-op, I was amazed at how many brands of veggie burgers they had that I had never tried! I got the great idea of buying a bunch of them, cooking a different one every night, and doing a taste & nutrition comparison. I cooked all of them in a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and served them on a 100% whole wheat sprouted bun with melted Chao "cheese", lettuce, and ketchup, served with baked sweet potato fries. The winner of this mouth-watering experiment was.....<br />
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<u>Sweet Earth Natural Foods Santa Fe Veggie Burger</u><br />
This hefty burger had FLAVOR and a fantastic texture!!! It was crispy on the outside, had a chewy mouthfeel, and was slightly spicy. I credit the texture to the first ingredient being vital wheat gluten, the protein portion of wheat from which seitan is made. Seitan is a meat-alternative with a texture similar to turkey. Another plus about this burger was the ingredients - all whole natural foods, no protein isolates. Additionally, it's not high in fat, with only 5 grams per burger. I don't have anything bad to say about it - it was absolutely delicious and I highly recommend adding it to your shopping cart. <br />
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The silver medal goes to Hilary's veggie burgers . I've had her adzuki bean burger and black rice burger and enjoyed both! They are made from whole food ingredients, but just have slightly more fat than the Sweet Earth Burger. In taking <a href="http://www.hilaryseatwell.com/products/">a peek at the website</a>, it looks like there's a lot more exciting products to try including a spicy veggie sausage!<br />
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And finally, the last burger to make the podium, HODO Soy Tofu Veggie Burgers. These were a slight departure from the typical veggie burger, in that the main ingredient is tofu. This resulted in a texture similar to fried tofu or to a Boca "chicken" patty. If you are looking for your veggie burger to imitate meat, then this is not the burger for you. However, I enjoyed the (mild) taste and appreciate that it was made from whole natural ingredients, no protein isolates.<br />
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Honorable mention would have to go to Boca Burgers (make sure you get the Original Vegan if you are 100% plant-based). Boca burgers are a good staple to keep in the freezer; they produce a healthy satisfying meal, but nothing to write home about.<br />
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Lastly, the two veggie burgers that I am not a big fan of are Lightlife Smart Patties Black Bean Burger and Don Lee Farms Veggie Patties. The Lightlife patties didn't have much flavor to them and they had a gummy texture. They also contain protein isolate and other non-whole-food ingredients. The Don Lee Farms Veggie Patties simply taste too greasy to me and they leave my mouth feeling like a paper towel that had potato chips sitting on it. <br />
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Clearly, these are not the only veggie burgers out there and there are tons of delicious (and nutritious) recipes for home-made veggie/bean burgers. What is <b>your</b> favorite veggie burger?<br />
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Here's a nutritional breakdown of these burgers for those who are interested:<br />
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<u>Sweet Earth Natural Foods Santa Fe Burger</u><br />
Calories - 230<br />
Fat - 5g<br />
Sodium - 360 mg<br />
Carbs - 31g<br />
Protein - 17g<br />
Ingredients: vital wheat gluten, sweet potato, millet, brown rice, peppers, barley, quinoa, brown rice flour, black beans, corn, chipotle sauce, ginger, kombu, garlic, tomato puree, yellow onion, brown rice syrup, ancho chili pepper, chipotle peppers, canola oil, white vinegar, evaporated cane juice, flax seeds, celery, carrots, anaheim chili peppers, jalapeño, lime juice, hickory smoke, nutritional yeast, pumpkin seeds, expeller pressed canola oil, agave, cilantro, celery seed, smoked paprika, cinnamon, oregano, spices<br />
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<u>Hilary's Adzuki Bean Burger</u><br />
Calories - 180<br />
Fat - 7g<br />
Sodium - 270 mg<br />
Carbs - 25g<br />
Protein - 4g<br />
Ingredients: millet, adzuki beans, quinoa, expellar pressed coconut oil, onion, sweet potatoes, green chilies, salt, psyllium husk powder, arrowroot, apple cider vinegar, cumin, garlic, chili pepper, oregano, lime juice<br />
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<u>HODO Soy Tofu Veggie Burgers</u><br />
Calories - 200<br />
Fat - 9g<br />
Sodium - 400 mg<br />
Carbs - 11g<br />
Protein - 19g<br />
Ingredients: organic tofu, carrots, cabbage, onions, soybean oil, salt, dried shiitake mushroom, garlic powder, white pepper<br />
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<u>Boca Burgers</u><br />
Calories - 70<br />
Fat - 0.5g<br />
Sodium - 280 mg<br />
Carbs - 6g<br />
Protein - 13g<br />
Ingredients: water, soy protein concentrate, wheat gluten, methyl cellulose, salt, caramel color, dried onions, yeast extract, sesame oil, hydrolyzed wheat protein, natural and artificial flavor, disocium guanylate, disodium inositate<br />
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<u>Lightlife Smart Patties</u><br />
Calories - 100<br />
Fat - 2.5g<br />
Sodium - 330 mg<br />
Carbs - 11g<br />
Protein - 10g<br />
Ingredients: water, textured soy flour, cooked black beans, natural flavors, soy protein isolate, soy sauce, tapioca starch, cellulose gum, soybean and sunflower oils, spices, dried onions, dried garlic, salt, cane sugar, caramel color, paprika oleoresin<br />
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<u>Don Lee Farms Veggie Patties</u><br />
Calories - 160<br />
Fat - 7g<br />
Sodium - 390 mg<br />
Carbs - 21g<br />
Protein - 4g<br />
Ingredients: sweet potatoes, onions, celery, spinach, brown rice flour, egg whites, sunflower seeds, soybean oil, sea salt, spices<br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-57626224408147747122017-02-19T22:37:00.000-05:002017-02-19T22:37:51.620-05:00Dealing With An Injury Close To A Race<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While an injury can send an endurance athlete down a gradual spiral of doom and gloom, an injury with a race on the immediate horizon is categorically apocalyptic. <br />
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When I first felt a little bit of an ache in my right Achilles tendon I did what any other athlete would do - I ignored it and hoped it would go away. I'm not very injury-prone and I figured it would work itself out. However, 1-2 weeks went by and it was slowly getting worse, not better. The next weekend I set out on a 20 mile run and my Achilles immediately started barking. But, I otherwise felt so good physically, that I kept going and ran the entire thing at a good pace (it actually felt easy, that's how fit I was getting!) Needless to say that really pissed off my Achilles and it was swollen the next day. I had to face the fact that I had an injury a mere 11 weeks out from Ironman Texas. I saw a sports med doc and he informed me that healing Achilles tendonitis is a slow process because the area is not very vascular. NOT what I wanted to hear. He did give me some ideas and I have been:<br />
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*Icing every night<br />
*Wearing compression socks to bed<br />
*Using anti-inflammatory patches during the day<br />
*Putting a turmeric paste on it<br />
*Doing calf raises to stretch & strengthen at the same time<br />
*Using my Compex on my calf and foot<br />
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I also bought some KT tape today and plan to start taping it. Another friend suggested alternating between soaking my foot in a bucket of ice water w/ a bucket of hot water on 2-minute rotations. I'm even going to try my coach's "magic smoothie" tomorrow which she swears promotes faster recovery, though it doesn't sound very appetizing to me, hence I've been avoiding it:<br />
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<u>Sharon's Magic Recovery Smoothie</u></div>
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V8 juice (8 oz)</div>
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Spinach or other greens</div>
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Turmeric (1 tsp)</div>
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Ginger (1 tsp grated)</div>
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Nutritional Yeast (2 Tbsp)</div>
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Pepper (dash)</div>
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Juice of 1/2 a lime</div>
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Beet (1/4 - 1/2 of a whole)</div>
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Cucumber</div>
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Carrots</div>
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Garlic</div>
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Jalapeño</div>
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Ice</div>
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I'm trying to stay positive but it's so difficult. I'm trying to tell myself that this is allowing me to focus on improving my cycling and swimming (which are both getting better). But it still doesn't change the fact that I haven't run in over 2 weeks and will be running a full marathon in 9 weeks! Couch to marathon program anyone? <br />
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So, what else can I do???? What has worked for you? Any suggestions to heal this thing quicker or strategies for mentally coping with an injury this close to the race would be greatly appreciated! <br />
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On a lighter note, I rode an awesome century today with 135 amazing local cyclists from Pensacola to the Battleship in Mobile AL and back. Some pics from the day :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-Ride Pep Talk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aid Station #1</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turnaround Point!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoot Teamies!</td></tr>
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-25009502310159735232017-01-01T21:20:00.001-05:002017-01-01T21:20:20.858-05:00Race Report: Ironman Cozumel 2016Chock full of mental, emotional, and physical challenges, Ironman Cozumel was truly an unforgettable experience! This race exceeded my expectations and I would recommend it to anyone!<br />
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Pretty much the moment I finished IM Chattanooga 2015, I started planning for IM Cozumel 2016. My goal was to qualify for Kona (spoiler alert - that did not even come close to happening). For various reasons I didn't put in nearly enough training hours or intensity to fully prepare for this race. Note that his had nothing to do with my coach Sharon, who is awesome - if I had done half of what she prescribed for me I'd probably have a ticket booked to Hawaii right now. Regardless, Sharon, her husband Matt, my parents, and myself all booked flights and a sick VRBO right on the beach in a gated community on the island. The race happened to coincide with my dad's birthday and Thanksgiving weekend so the whole trip was going to be one big celebration of triathlon and life. <br />
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Unfortunately, as the race got closer, my grandma fell ill. I spent a lot of time with her and my grandpa growing up and have so many amazing memories of us together. She was literally the best grandma I could have ever wanted or asked for. We were close. About a week prior to the trip her health continued to deteriorate and my parents cancelled their trip. I rerouted mine and flew up to VA to see her before the race. She was very frail and unable to eat or drink much at all. Though she didn't look at all like the grandma of my childhood she still had the same spirit. As soon as she saw me she said, "Tara! What are you doing here? What about your race???" I hated it for her that she felt so terrible. I wished there was something I could do to help her feel better. I felt conflicted about going to Cozumel, but my mom and grandma both wanted me to go, and I did.<br />
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I was so thankful to be staying with Sharon and Matt in Mexico - thank you both for being amazing friends to me and the perfect company in a time when I had such an odd combination of feelings and thoughts in my mind. I was a mixture of guilty for going on the trip (especially since my parents were not), sad about my grandma, happy to be there with friends I haven't seen in a long time, a part of me was excited to race, and then I also felt guilty about being excited about racing. It was confusing sometimes. And then the day before the race I got news that my grandma had passed away. I felt some relief for her that she wasn't suffering any more and I also felt a lot more sadness. I decided I would dedicate this race to her.<br />
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<u>The Swim (2.4 miles) - 1:09:44 (1:39/100 yds)</u><br />
One of the reasons I picked IM Coz is because the swim is supposed to have a current the entire way. Plus, I figured I'd be more buoyant in the salt water. And, as an added bonus, visibility is 100% so you can see coral, fish, and avoid swimming into other swimmers. The start was a self-seeded rolling start. I'm a huge fan of these because it brings the chaos level of mass starts down a bunch of notches. I didn't feel the current like I thought I would. In fact, I almost felt like I was being pushed in towards the shore from incoming waves. From speaking with people after the race, it seems like the general consensus was that there wasn't much of a current the first half and then it picked up for the second half of the swim. Hard to say for sure, but overall the swim was enjoyable. It did feel long and I was disappointed to see that I had been swimming for over 1 hour when I got out of the water.<br />
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<u>T1 - 5:14</u><br />
I wore a full piece Zoot trisuit so didn't have to waste time changing in T1. The suit was very comfortable (and aero) on the swim and on the bike! In fact, I'm <u>super excited</u> to be racing for the <b>Southeast Zoot Team in 2017!</b><br />
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<u>The Bike (112 miles) - 5:50:42 (19.2 mph)</u><br />
The bike is what I had been anxiously anticipating all summer. Exactly how bad were the winds going to be??? Well, for the first two laps they weren't all that terrible. Nothing worse than what I had trained in in Pensacola. I was never afraid that I'd be pushed off the bike and was never out of control (FYI the depth of my rims was 50 mm). I was still averaging around 18 mph during the 15-mile stretch of headwinds on the back side of the island. I felt pretty good and at 4 hours into the ride I was at 80 miles - sweet 20 mph average! Then things got significantly more difficult. My neck started hurting really badly. Holding my head up to look forward was SO painful but I knew looking down would negate the advantage of wearing an aero helmet and that it was also dangerous b/c of scattered water bottles on the course. As soon as I made the turn into the wind on that 3rd loop it was the start of 15 miles of misery. The wind had gotten a LOT stronger. I tried not to look at my Garmin, but I did at one point I was going 12 mph! Demoralizing! I wanted to sit up and get out of the aero position so badly because it was so hard to pedal and because my neck was killing me. However, this was the most important part of the course to stay aero. I saw a lot of people sitting up and you could tell this part of the course was crushing people - mentally and physically. What got me through that 15 miles was thinking about my grandma and talking to her and remembering all the times we had together.<br />
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<u>T2 - 4:27</u><br />
When I got off the bike my legs hurt so bad, I could barely walk into T2. I wondered how in the world I was going to run. I felt like this was a bad sign b/c last year at Chattanooga as soon as I got off the bike I felt better and had a spring in my step. This year, my legs just felt HEAVY. And I felt really nauseous.<br />
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<u>The Run (26.2 miles) - 4:24:19 (10:05/mi)</u><br />
As soon as I started running a woman in my age group passed me. That usually doesn't happen on the run and was frustrating. I tried to tell myself to just go at a comfortable pace and then hopefully my legs would warm into it and my stomach would come around. Unfortunately the opposite of that happened, the more I ran the worse my stomach felt, the more my legs hurt, and the slower I was going. I went to the porta potty twice, hoping it would alleviate my issues, but it was to no avail. Nothing seemed appealing in terms of food or drink - I even tried drinking some Coke (a chemical sh*t storm) but it was not my friend. I was debating in my head whether I could keep going and when my friend told me I was in 7th place in my AG, I gave into the my body's cries to walk. This was my biggest mistake. The greatest lesson I learned from this race was DO NOT WALK ON THE RUN. Trust me, you <u>will</u> regret it. I started walking and felt pretty dejected about it. I also started thinking about everything else that was going on and in that state all my emotions came to the surface. At that moment, Iron Bob caught up to me and started walking w/ me. I was so thankful for his company and after 4 miles I felt my spirits and physical ailments lifted! It was too late to race for a place on the podium, but it wasn't too late to enjoy the rest of the race and finish that b*tch! I crossed the finish line w/ a smile on my face and really proud of myself for finishing the race despite all the challenges I had faced. I know I would have made my grandma proud.<br />
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<u>Total Time - 11:34:26 (9th AG)</u><br />
I finished over an hour later than I was hoping to, but was elated to finish. I was even more excited when they immediately handed me a fresh coconut with a straw in it - yum! As I was recovering, a man and his young daughter came up to me and he said "My daughter and I live on the island but she has never seen the race before - can she get her picture taken with an Ironman?" Seeing her smile after I said yes and gave her the rose they gave me when I crossed the finish line is one of my favorite memories from the race :) <br />
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I know it was a really tough day out there for a lot of people and it was so good to see so many familiar faces out there on the course: Sharon, Matt, Tricia, John, Charlie, Iron Bob, Misty, Erin, Sami, and Elizabeth - every time I saw you guys it helped me persevere! <br />
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The last thing I have to say about this race is that the organization was impeccable and the volunteers were AMAZING! I really felt like the entire island supported the race and everyone came out to cheer the athletes on. Basically Cozumel was totally devoted to Ironman that whole day! The result was a first class race experience in a paradise destination location. If you ever have a chance to do this race, jump on it!<br />
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Sharon, Matt, and I spent a couple days after the race exploring the island and then I flew back to VA for my grandma's funeral. It felt good to be around family and we celebrated her life and the amazing person that she was. I still miss her and I know I always will. However, my overwhelming feeling now is gratitude that she was in my life and unconditionally loved me for the last 34 years. <br />
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Looking forward to 2017, I have a really good and positive feeling about everything. I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally strong. I can just tell that it's going to be a great year and I know that nothing is going to stop me from getting to Kona.<br />
<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-56241661309331369842016-10-30T16:05:00.000-04:002016-10-30T16:05:11.263-04:00T - 1 Month Until Cozumel!!!!Wow, I can't believe there's only 1 month until my next Ironman!!! When I signed up for IM Cozumel a year ago with the intention of trying to qualify for Kona after <a href="http://taramartine.blogspot.com/2015/10/race-report-ironman-chattanooga-2015.html">missing it by 10 minutes at IM Chattanooga</a>, it seemed like I had so much time to train and get faster. And yet somehow the race is about to be here and I didn't put in the hours I shoulda coulda woulda... <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3d7DHJFFo_y1dgmazjPqFW2qwZ8BvxZ0mE_lzPvq3ugO1fYSMHRD9BdTGjp23L-QdOnB6-_I-XLAYACRY1vyNADPzq7XMkEPpx5FQ00d37dL_OnBLzhyK-y_YLwivEs2fq5R-w6S9aw/s1600/IMG_3870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3d7DHJFFo_y1dgmazjPqFW2qwZ8BvxZ0mE_lzPvq3ugO1fYSMHRD9BdTGjp23L-QdOnB6-_I-XLAYACRY1vyNADPzq7XMkEPpx5FQ00d37dL_OnBLzhyK-y_YLwivEs2fq5R-w6S9aw/s320/IMG_3870.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool I've been swimming in. Yes, the lane ropes are about 4 inches under water and no, there is no black line on the bottom or black T on the walls. Flip turn at your own risk!</td></tr>
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I've managed to put together some decent training the last couple months, but still only been averaging about 12.5 hours/week. I've done a handful of 4000+ yd swims. I've done five hundos, including one 112 miler on the bike in the past 2 months. I've been struggling on my long runs a bit and not sure why. Although, I finally had a good 20 mile run yesterday off of a 1 hour bike. So maybe things are slowing coming together as best they can. Another good sign for me on the run was that I raced the Pensacola Perfect 10 Miler last weekend untapered and finished in 1 hour 7 min (6:45 pace). </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use the code "martine6" to get 15% off of your BeetPerformer at Amazon.com.</td></tr>
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I am really looking forward to this trip and will go as fast as I can on race day. Hopefully I feel good and the heat and wind aren't too terrible (though I'm expecting the worst). I've got 2 more weeks of work and then taper. I also really cleaned up my diet 2 weeks ago and I can tell it's starting to make a real difference in my physique, the way I feel during training, and how quickly I'm recovering. I swear it seems like I don't even need as much sleep as I used to! Here's an example of a typical day of my diet that I've been doing for the last 2 weeks and plan to continue until I reach Mexico at which point it going to be a rice & beans bonanza! </div>
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<u>Breakfast</u></div>
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*Old-fashioned oatmeal (1 cup dry) cooked w/ 1 Tbsp peanut butter, cinnamon, & 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed over top 1 cup thawed frozen blueberries, topped with 1/2 cup strawberries</div>
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*8 oz orange juice</div>
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*1 medium banana</div>
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*Coffee w/ 1/4 cup soy milk</div>
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<u>Snack</u></div>
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*Lara bar - blueberry muffin flavor</div>
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*1 medium red delicious apple</div>
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<u>Lunch</u></div>
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*Baked potato (1 medium)</div>
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*Salad: 2 cups mixed greens, 1 cup cooked quinoa, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 cup carrots, 1/2 cup kidney beans, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1 Tbsp raisins</div>
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<u>Snack</u></div>
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*1 can <a href="http://taramartine.blogspot.com/2015/01/beet-juice-part-deux.html">BeetPerformer beet juice</a></div>
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*1 banana</div>
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*1 fruit squeeze pouch (Happy Squeeze Organic Superfoods - Apple/Kale/Mango flavor)</div>
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<u>Dinner</u></div>
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*Baked sweet potato (1 medium)</div>
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*Salad: 2 cups mixed greens, 1 cup brown rice, 4 Campari tomatoes, 1/2 cup cucumber, 2 Tbsp lime juice, 1/2 cup black beans, 1/2 cup corn, 15 grapes</div>
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<u>Snack</u></div>
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*2 kiwi</div>
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*1 banana</div>
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*4 oz blackberry, blueberry, acai juice</div>
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All of this totals to about 3000 calories and:</div>
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*590 grams carbohydrates (~78% total calories and 10.5 grams per kg body weight)</div>
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*78 g protein (~10% of total calories and 1.4 grams per kg body weight)</div>
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*55 g fat (~16% total calories)</div>
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*85 grams fiber</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new and exciting Lara bar flavor!</td></tr>
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Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-88940180273713728052016-10-01T15:47:00.002-04:002016-10-01T15:51:48.584-04:00Race Report: Santa Rosa Island (SRI) Triathlon 2016I've done 2 races and a moderate amount of training since my last blog. I'll do a super sprint update on these 3 things then update you on the race I did today SRI Tri and the drama that went down... (if you want to skip straight to the drama scroll down to the third to last paragraph).<br />
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1. <u> 2016 Pensacola Beach Triathlon (300 yd swim, 10 mi bike, 3.1 mi run).</u> This race went really well - my parents were in town and I was the first overall female finisher! :)<br />
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Swim - 4:07 (1:22/100 yds)<br />
T1 - 1:35<br />
Bike - 27:21 (21.9 mph)<br />
T2 - 0:39<br />
Run - 20:04 (6:42/mi)<br />
Total Time - 53:46<br />
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2. <u>Ironman Raleigh 70.3 (1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike, 13.1 mi run).</u> This race was also a lot of fun, but I rode on my 2003 Bianchi road bike, the first skinny tire bike I ever owned. It was good to me, but not as speedy as the IA. It was hot n' hilly!<br />
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Swim - 39:13 (1:51/100 yds)<br />
T1 - 2:19<br />
Bike - 2:52:26 (19.49 mph)<br />
T2 - 2:34<br />
Run - 1:40:02 (7:38/mi)<br />
Total Time - 5:16:34 (9th AG)<br />
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3. <u>My training the last 5 months</u> has been very sporadic. I'll have a week where things go well and I do 15 hours and then a week at 6 hours, then one at 10, and so on. I have been struggling to maintain motivation to train which is really unusual for me. I think it has been due to stress, lack of sleep, & fatigue. My coach forced me to take 3 days off in a row to help regain the desire to train. It somewhat helped. I feel like I've turned a corner, albeit probably too late. I only have about 2 months left to IM Cozumel and I feel like I was in WAY better shape last year when I was 2 months out of Chattanooga. All I can do stick to the training plan from here on out...and I think I feel motivated to do that, perhaps motivated by fear of what it will feel like to race 140.6 miles if I don't start training more! <br />
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On to the good news - SRI Tri! This is one of the biggest local races in Pensacola, sponsored by Gulf <a href="http://www.gulfcoastcycleandtri.org/">Coast Cycle & Tri. </a> I was on the fence about racing it d/t #3 above and the fact that when I have been training I have not been doing the type of training required to do well in a sprint.<br />
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<b>Swim (600 yds) - 10:22 (1:44/100 yds) race time [9:11 as per my Garmin (1:23/100 yds)]</b><br />
The swim was a TT start, with athletes running into the Gulf two by two every 5 seconds. I was number 482, so there were 481 swimmers in the water ahead of me, which meant total chaos especially around the buoys. Despite this, I managed to navigate the crazy pretty well. I felt strong and was able to sight the buoys easily. I saw a jellyfish as big as my head after I turned the first buoy and that freaked me out a little. Did some dolphin diving in/out of the water (thanks Courtney for the idea!) and I could tell I was ahead of most women when I exited the water and started running up the beach to T2.<br />
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<b>T2 - 0:55 [2:18 as per Garmin since I pressed the button before going over timing mat]</b><br />
Bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses, go.<br />
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<b>Bike (18 miles) - 48:59 (22 mph) race time [Garmin recorded 18.5 miles and 22.7 avg]</b><br />
18 miles is a long bike for a sprint! I was worried the longer distance would cost me because I have been losing time to stronger cyclists in recent races. But, my legs felt great and I was riding strong into the headwind on the outbound leg of the course. There were TONS of people on the course so had to weave in and out of them before it cleared up on the way back. Ohhh the way back - we had a slight tail/cross wind and I was passing people, including guys!!! This hardly ever happens! It was pretty exciting and no women had passed me (I passed a few of them). I felt like I was doing well and enjoyed seeing 24-25 mph when I looked down at my Garmin. I only broke aero at the turnaround and over a section of cobblestone driveway. My Felt IA was doing it's thang.<br />
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<b>T2 - 0:48 [same on the Garmin]</b><br />
Running shoes, race belt, visor, go.<br />
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<b>Run (3.1 mi) - 19:37 (6:20/mi) [same on the Garmin].</b><br />
I popped off the bike and got into a good rhythm early on the run. I held steady 6:20's the entire way and felt pretty good. Was pleasantly surprised. I saw the two women who registered as Elites ahead of me and who had started at the very beginning of the swim line, but that was it so I figured I was probably in the lead for amateurs! <br />
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<b>Total Time - 1:20:38 (1st Female Finisher, 10th overall finisher)</b><br />
Turns out I beat the two women who registered as elites and came in first! I was pretty psyched, especially because there was a $1000 prize for 1st overall female. My teammates and I were sitting under the tent and talking about if I would win the money or not since I had placed first overall. The woman pro who finished about 10 sec behind me piped up and said "Well since the prize purse is less than $5000 the money is open to anyone, but I won." My teammate said to her, "Did you check the results?" She admitted that she had not and then crankily said, "Well I finished in 1 hour 20 minutes." I said, "Well so did I!" She then started changing her tune and said that in fact only she and the other woman in the Elite wave were eligible for the money. A referee came over and we asked him about it. He said that because the prize purse was under $5000, anyone was eligible for the money. The "elite" wave was just another category, like any other category in the race, e.g. athena, clydesdale, 30-34 female. The pro got mad and walked away. When they did awards, the race director awarded her the $1000; and awarded the other "elite" $350 who I had beat by 4+ minutes. They didn't award the $150 for third to anyone (nor did they award any money on the men's side). I asked the RD afterward if that had in fact been a mistake. (Not to mention that the owner of the shop I race for, GCCT had gone up to the RD the morning of the race and asked if I could be moved into the Elite wave (as simple as a few clicks on a computer mouse). The RD said no, that I would have had to have won some big races...I guess B2B half and Savannah marathon and 3rd place AG in IM Chattanooga last year aren't good enough. The Race Director told me that ultimately the decision was his and in his race he only gives out money to those racing in the elite wave and in order to race in the elite wave you have to have a pro license or be approved by him. I posted a query about this on Slowtwitch (because of course that's where you find the answers to all triathlon questions) and the consensus seems to be that if prize purse is <$5K, then it's at the RD's discretion. Needless to say it was kind of a bummer and my mind had already gone to thinking about using the money to buy a ticket to NC to cheer on all the people I know racing at Ironman North Carolina in a few weeks! <br />
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Ok, that was me ranting for a minute and I'm not going to dwell on that anymore. Overall, it was a great day! I had an awesome race, which felt good because it gives me a few shreds of confidence going into Ironman Cozumel. It was great to see everyone out there, especially my GCCT teammates - congrats to everyone on a great race! I also walked away with a really cool prize. It's a 3-foot tall hand-carved wooden totem! I mean, how sweet is this?!?!:<br />
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Lastly, a huge shout out and thank you to <a href="http://beetperformer.com/">Beet Performer</a>! I drank a can of BeetPerformer beet juice every day this week and 1 can about an hour prior to race start. I think it was a big reason why I was able to perform well today! To save 15% on your order of BeetPerformer through Amazon, use code "Martine6."<br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-69947330313000017042016-04-18T23:40:00.001-04:002016-04-19T00:02:24.476-04:00Race Report: NOLA 70.3 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First things first - I'm SO happy to say that I'm on a new triathlon team!!! My very first day as a resident of Pensacola I went to Gulf Coast Cycle & Tri and I was super impressed with the shop, the inventory, the friendliness of the staff, and the knowledge of the mechanics. Not to mention that the first thing I saw was this bad a$$ Felt IA hanging in the window, beckoning me to go inside:<br />
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Turns out the tri team members are just as awesome as the shop, so I jumped at the chance to race w/ this crew! We're working on a team blog so stay tuned...<br />
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So, NOLA, my first race of the 2016 tri season and I really wanted to do well so I could justify my spot on the new team. I haven't been training excessively (as is required to improve in triathlon), but I still expected to finish this race within 5-5.5 hours. Instead of the sweet taste of victory I was left savoring the flavor of humble pie.<br />
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I anticipated that this race was going to be windy. It was so windy when I did this race back in 2011 that there were waves in Lake Pontchartrain and they wound up canceling the swim. Since then, the swim has been moved to the marina, but winds were 20+ mph, creating white caps on the water. Allison & I were in the same wave and when we got to the front of the dock they told us to jump in after the sound of the beep. The beep went off and like an old reflex from summer swim team I dove into the water - crap I thought, did I just get DQ'ed?!?! The swim felt like swimming in the ocean. There was a lot of chop and some people were definitely panicking. I swallowed some water (but no used sanitary hygiene products - thanks Mike for putting that thought into my head). I tried to steer clear of other swimmers and focus on staying as true to course as possible. I knew that it was going to take extra effort to get through this one, so the less extra yardage I added on d/t poor navigation, the better. I didn't do a terrible job, especially given the weird "N"-shaped course!<br />
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I finished the swim in 37:42 (1:47/100 yds). Had the water been flat, I would have been looking for closer to 1:35/100 yds, but exiting the swim I felt pleased with that split. I've been swimming twice per week at a masters group at the NAS Pensacola and this was a good result for the work I've put in.<br />
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I got out on the bike course and it was ridiculously windy. I was thankful that Allison, Aaron, & I had ridden the day before because it boosted my confidence about my handling skills. In the past the wind has been a real nemesis for me. I have ridden a few 70.3s on the handlebars the entire time b/c I was scared to ride in the aero position. However, not today! Today I put that fear to rest. There were times when I was going super slow and times when I got surprised by powerful side gusts, but I was confident I wasn't going to get blown over. I made a point to make sure to eat on schedule; I figured other people would probably forget to eat d/t battling with the wind and that it could give me a leg up later on in the race. I started getting into a pretty good groove and was catching some of the 25-29ers and a few women in my age group - fantastic! However, when I was about 5 miles from the turnaround I started getting some unbearable pain in my upper hamstring/groin/muscles around the sit bones on both legs. I've experienced this before in flat windy races, particularly when riding into a headwind, but have never been able to figure out what to do about it. It got so bad that I was wincing with every up-stroke and started tearing up a little bit. I tried sitting up, getting out of the saddle, shifting my weight forward and backwards on the saddle but nothing helped. I stopped at the turnaround and figured I would try to walk it out/stretch it out because it had become too painful to keep going. I want to make it clear that it was not a muscle cramp. The only way I can describe it is that it felt like complete muscular fatigue. But the frustrating thing was that it was muscular fatigue of those specific muscles - I wasn't tired, my quads & hamstrings were fine, my heart rate wasn't out of control. <br />
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I pulled over to the side after going over the timing mat and tried to get off my bike. Lifting my leg up caused me so much pain that I had to try a few times before I could lift my leg over the saddle of the bike. An official came over to me and I told him what was going on. He said, "Well you're not going to throw the towel in now are you? You still have plenty of time before the cutoff." Oh wow thanks. Just what I was hoping for - to make it in before the cutoff. I hobbled around and tried to stretch, while all the while masses of people were passing me. I was so frustrated and pissed off that this was happening and in so much pain I started debating quitting. "If I keep going, I know my time is going to be bad and my new team is going to think I'm a slowpoke." "But if I don't keep going and I DNF they'll think I'm a wussy with a capital P." I weighed a lot of pros (no more pain) and cons (having to tell people I quit) and about 30 minutes later decided to get back on the bike. It still hurt like a biatch. I rode another couple miles and pulled off to the side again, so angry that my body was not holding up and all these other people were whizzing by me. I was mad that I finally had the confidence to ride in the wind and I couldn't even show it. <br />
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Again I took a few tries to dismount the bike and I walked it over to two police offers and said, "I think I have to stop." They called in a car to come pick me up and told me it would be a while. I leaned my bike up against their car and kept trying to walk and stretch it out, all the while feeling sorry for myself that the race was coming to an end like this. About 15 min or so went by and I'm in the middle of wallowing in self-pity when a dude rides by with 1 arm. Seriously!?!? That was it. I didn't care if I had to ride back at 10 mph, I was going to finish this damn race. Here I was out on the course on a nice day, doing a supported ride, in the middle of a race of the sport I love to do, healthy, alive, and nothing to complain about other than #triathleteproblems. Witnessing this amazing athlete hit me like a gale and my ego blew away in the wind along side all the discarded gel wrappers and abandoned water bottles. I told the cops to cancel the car and got back on my bike. I figured at worst I could coast most of the way back since the wind was so strong (24 mph as per Garmin Connect). I started out really slowly, but then it seemed like I was able to start putting a little more force into the pedals. I clocked a few 5-mi splits that were 22-23 and I knew I could make it back to transition. My focused changed to turning the race into a hard training day. I caught up to the incredible athlete and told him how much he had inspired me to finish the race. He said, "It's been a tough day out here for everyone, but we're almost there now!" I thanked him and may or may not have started crying a little as I pushed on towards T2. When I got there I noticed that 99.9% of all the bikes were back on the racks.<br />
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My official bike split was 3:42:05 (15.13 mph). Had I not had issues, I think I would have been somewhere around 3 hours, but who really knows...<br />
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The muscles around my sit bones really hurt when I first started running. But, I knew from past experiences that the motion of running has never made this issue worse. I was running a little gingerly the first 2 miles. I stopped at a porta potty at mile 1 and a volunteer jumped ahead of me - this normally would have made me mad, but I just figured getting angry at this point would be much to do about nothing. Around the second mile I was able to pick up the pace and enjoy the full benefits of the massive tailwind. I could tell people were really struggling on the way back and mentally prepared for 6.5 miles of suckfest on the return trip. The only other interesting thing to note about this run was that I felt like I needed some salt and was asking the aid stations for it. The only thing one of the stations had was pickle juice!!! LOL I was like what the heck and swashed down a dixie cup of the stuff (Alli I hope you are proud of me). And honestly it didn't taste too bad, haha. I would definitely do it again. The last few miles of the run got really hard, as to be expected in a 70.3, but with every step I knew I was getting closer. And there were so many people out on the course, I passed the time by playing the passing game and singing Iggy Azalea songs in my head. My run split was 1:42:37 (7:50/mi), not stellar for me but I'll take it given the day. <br />
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So there you have it, my total time was 6:07:55 (17th in my AG, 101st female), making this race my slowest half ironman to date but at the same time, one of the ones I'm the most proud of!<br />
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Congrats to all participants, especially my fellow GCCTriathletes Allison (who picked a helluva 70.3 for her first half-iron distance tri - seriously you don't even know how hard this race was compared to other 70.3s), Erik, and Aaron (who qualified for 70.3 World Championships)! And a huge thank you to Mike & Karrie for being awesome sherpas and having to go all day without food and almost all day without beer ;) - you guys rock!<br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-73319841645337433262016-03-06T20:10:00.002-05:002016-03-06T20:10:27.273-05:00Race Report: Run Pink Pensacola 5K<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, it's official now. I'm a real resident of FL and I have the driver's license to prove it! I recently moved to Perdido Key, which is in Pensacola, and I haven't even been here a week, but I love the area already! It's beautiful, has a vibrant down town, and I can already tell that it has a tremendous endurance community. <br />
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I signed up for the Run Pensacola race series to find out firsthand what "We Run This City" is all about. The race distances range from 5k to 1/2 marathon, and although I don't typically do that many 5ks (because they're so painful) I figured what the heck, it'll be a good way to force myself to incorporate some speed work. The first race of the 11-race series was this afternoon, with a 2 pm start time.<br />
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It was held in down town in a really cool area called the Seville Quarter. I thought it was cute and had quite a bit of character. I did about a 1.5 mile warm up, with some pick ups and drills to get my legs moving. I lined up at the front of the starting line and the cannon went off (literally they shot off a cannon and it scared the hell out of me!) The first mile was a breeze. There was a slight tail wind and I felt great. One of the golden rules of racing is "don't start out too fast," however I think this goes out the window a little bit with a 5k. My first mile was 5:55, a tad faster than I was expecting. As soon as the second mile started things started getting progressively harder. The course turned back into the wind and I felt my legs getting tired. The second mile was the worst, but I knew if I could get through it, then I could carry myself to the finish. Once I hit mile 2, I knew I only had a little more than 6 minutes of pain left and each step was one step closer to the finish line. The course was well-marked & I enjoyed the cheers of the people on the streets. I got to "break the tape" when I crossed the line and my jaw dropped to see that I had run a sub 19! I've never been able to break 19 minutes in the 5k, even when I was doing speed work. My official time was 18:44, a new PR!!! How exciting! I honestly chalk this up to drinking a boatload of Beet Performer Beet Juice this week. I moved from Panama City Beach to Perdido Key and had nothing in my refrigerator for the last few days except for 2 cases of beet juice, so I probably consumed an inordinate amount! See my <a href="http://www.taramartine.blogspot.com/2015/01/beet-juice-part-deux.html">blog on beet juice</a> for how it can make you faster & if you want to try it for yourself use the code "<b>martine6</b>" to get 15% off your order at amazon. <br />
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Congrats to all finishers and can't wait for the next Run Pensacola race!!!<br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-40278048827609825342015-11-22T15:12:00.003-05:002015-11-22T15:19:55.908-05:00Off-Season Volunteering, Training, & RacingI haven't blogged since IMCHOO, partly since I've been really busy with my new job as Health Promotion Dietitian at Tyndall Air Force Base and partly because I've been doing nothing. Nothing, as in I took a month off of training after the race. I really think it's important to take an "off season" because it lets your body recover and it also refreshes you mentally. I did stay in the tri scene though by volunteering at Beach2Battleship and IM Florida. Here's a brief recap of those experiences.<br />
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<b>Beach2Battleship 2015</b><br />
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I flew back up to NC for B2B since I've been on the run course committee all year and wasn't about to check out for the main event. Under the strict eye of run course committee chairman Brian Bohrer (aka Brian#1), Brian Moxey (aka Brian #2), Robert P. Cristman (aka Ricky Bobby), and I executed all directives to the best of our abilities, though sometimes our best wasn't good enough. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian #1</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian #2</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ricky Bobby</td></tr>
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When Ricky Bobby & I got there at 5 am on race morning our first task was to set up all the arrows for the run course. We marked every turn with black arrow signs and every straightaway with neon green duct tape. After about 2 hours we were done and reported back to Brian #1. He was moving a million miles a minute and was 7 cups of coffee and 1 granola bar deep (little did we know that he wouldn't consume a single additional calorie for the rest day). "What do you think this is?" he barked, "A YARD SALE!?!?" Apparently he thought the arrows we put up looked like sh*t and we had to go back and remove every single one, velcro them to bigger signs that had the B2B logo on them, and place them back in the all right spots. He was also displeased that I had put double sided duct tape arrows on the pavement instead of taping down 2 directional arrows in opposite directions. I tried Brian #1! I tried! And honestly, I will say that once we had the arrows with B2B logos on them, it looked 1000% better. <br />
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We spent the rest of the day (and by that I mean until 1 am the next day) doing odd jobs and filling in wherever was needed, including but not limited to:<br />
*directing runners on course, including the finish cute (i.e. stay left to finish, stay right for the turnaround, no you're not done you still have another 13 miles to go)<br />
*working crowd control to keep spectators off of the most crucial part of the run course<br />
*shuttling high school volunteers to and from aid stations, which was like herding cats & quite possibly the most difficult task of the day<br />
*watching Brian #2 show off on his fat tire bike (don't worry we didn't tell anyone you went over the handlebars ;) <br />
*cheering on participants<br />
*picking up injured participants in the sag wagon<br />
*cleaning up the course after all the fun was over<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out to the lake</td></tr>
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Overall it was an awesome day and a super fun experience to be on the other side of a race! I was very impressed with how well the B2B committee communicated with each other. They had the walkie talkie system down pat. They squashed any and all fires that came up and I want to say a huge GOOD JOB to everyone involved. I've raced the B2B full once before and the B2B half a few times and have always had nothing but good things to say about the race and now I can say that I know why! I also have to say that it was amazing to see all my Wilmington buddies again and I miss you al!!!!<br />
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<b>IM Florida 2015</b><br />
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When I moved to Panama City Beach, FL one of the things I was super excited about was of course IM Florida! I immediately signed up to be a volunteer chip collector from 9 pm to 12 am. Once I moved down and started hanging out with my former Rev3 teammate Chloe and her posse, I was invited to be a draft marshall with them for the race and I accepted. First of all it was pretty cool during race week to run along Thomas Dr. and see all the hype starting for the race! I went to a draft marshall meeting the night before the race where we reviewed all the penalties and got our blue and yellow cards, as well as some pretty official sweet gear. <br />
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Race morning they had a nice breakfast for us and the motorcycle drivers at the host hotel. After marshals were paired with drivers I went out to the swim start and met up with the Wilmington crew.<br />
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It was so great to hang out with the Wheeler's, Davis's, Wellersdick's, and Miss Christensen again! I was pumped for Doug & Phillip's first IM (congrats guys!!!) and Shawn's enthusiasm for spectating and getting the perfect picture was unrivaled! The surf looked rough to me that morning and the red tide was burning my eyes, but the racers didn't seem to mind and I'll admit I was a little bit jealous that I wasn't out there racing myself! <br />
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Once swimmers started making it to T2 I met up w/ the draft marshall crew and we got out on the bikes. I've never been a big fan of motorcycles but it was pretty fun to cruise the whole course on the back of a Harley :) It was like I was right in the thick of the race, but without all the suffering! I don't think I'm cut out to be a draft marshall because I just don't like handing out penalties! I didn't mind carding people for blatant offenses like passing on the right, but I did not like dealing with people arguing about whether or not they were drafting. For the record, I let anything go that I thought was even slightly questionable. All the drafting penalties I gave out (~10) were extremely blatant. Later on in the race people stopped arguing the penalties - I think that they were so tired that they just grunted at me to acknowledge that they knew they needed to stop in the next tent. It was a cool experience and I'm thankful I got to be a part of it.<br />
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After we got back to transition I went home and crashed for a quick nap. I got back up and headed back out to the finish line for my second volunteer gig. They had enough chip collectors and "catchers" so I ended up calling out every number that came across the line to another volunteer who wrote down the numbers, as a back up to the timing system. This was actually quite difficult at times when people came in together in bunches. I really enjoyed watching the end of the race! It was so inspiring to see everyone finish, especially those who weren't sure if they could or would make it! More than a few people hobbled across the finish line and there were a couple collapses. There were lots of triumphant fist pumps, impressive muscle flexes, and epic hugs. Some people started crying because they were so happy and overwhelmed. This made me feel like I was going to start crying too b/c I was so excited for them! It was an emotional 3 hours :) Needless to say, by the time 12 am rolled around I was ready to sign up for another IM! My initial plan was to sign up for IMFL 2016, however I'm 99% sure I'm going to do IM Cozumel instead! <br />
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<b>Off-Season Training</b><br />
So now I'm back to light training and base building. I've done a LOT of yoga, which has been awesome for mind and body. I found a spectacular <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfUcZY3EZvY">90-day yoga challenge on YouTube by Lesley Fightmaster</a> that I highly recommend! I've only been on the trainer a few times for 45-60 minutes each time and have only swam twice since IM CHOO. I have started running consistently again, but only about 20 miles per week (if that). I plan to slowly build back up in each of the sports and then start focused training again probably in January. <br />
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<b>Draggin' Tail 18-Mile Challenge</b><br />
My friend Ron invited me to do the Draggin' Tail 18-miler as part of a 3-person relay team. I thought he said "Dragon <i>Trail" </i>and so I agreed b/c I thought a trail race sounded like fun. I've almost sworn off all 10ks & 5ks b/c I think they are too dang painful, but this would be 6 miles on trails and I knew that would be more enjoyable. <br />
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We showed up on race morning and I'm like, "So where are the trails." Chloe and Ron were like, "Uh, what trails?" "Isn't this a trail run...?" Turns out, there were no trails to be ran. The entire race was on paved roads through a neighborhood. I was signed up for the 2nd leg of the race which I was told was the hilliest part, and they were NOT joking about that. You think there's no way it can be hilly in Florida, but in Sunny Hills Florida there are indeed real hills!<br />
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I felt good for the first two miles and clocked in at 6:17 for the first mile and 6:20 for the second. Then the hills hit and I had a hard time keeping it under 7:00 pace. I passed a couple people who were running the whole race solo, but couldn't make up much time on the relay team ahead of us. I was just hoping that I could run faster than my former marathon pace ;) I finished the 6 miles with an average of 6:34/mile and am pretty happy with that. It gives me a good starting point as I start increasing training again. It was really fun to race as a relay & congrats to Chloe & Ron on our awesome 2nd place finish!<br />
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<b>Next Up</b><br />
I plan to keep increasing consistency and mileage. Not going to worry too much about speed. I'd like to force myself to get back in the pool, but we'll see if that happens...<br />
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I may run the PCB half marathon in December and I'd like to target another half marathon in January as a time trial. <br />
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The only other two races that are on my to-do list at the moment are NOLA 70.3 and IM Cozumel, but I'd be willing to bet that more will be added as 2016 gets closer...<br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-41375642267341686402015-10-03T13:13:00.001-04:002016-10-01T21:31:35.287-04:00Race Report: Ironman Chattanooga 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've had a week to reflect on and recover from one of the most amazing experiences of my life: Ironman Chattanooga 2015! This race was a true test of intestinal fortitude and made me dig deeper than I had ever expected or knew I could go. <br />
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I am so thankful that I got to experience this race with so many of my NC training buddies and friends! It was SO awesome hanging out with you guys and seeing everyone out on the course :) I have to give a HUGE shout out and thanks to Misty Brown and Erin Green. Misty is a 16-time Ironman finisher and Erin is a 10-time Ironman finisher!!! That's 26 IMs between then two of them!!! I stayed with these ladies and they know the ropes so well that I didn't even have to think. I just did what they told me when they told me to do it - I'm smart enough not to question people with that depth of experience :) Seriously, you two are amazing athletes and I can't thank you enough for all the great tips you gave me for the race and keeping me calm and unstressed the days before the race! One of the best things we did was get a hotel a block away from the transition area. This was SO convenient because once I got to Chattanooga there was no more driving to mess with. It was walk to the expo, walk back, turn in the bikes no biggie, drop off special needs bags the morning of the race then pop back to hotel for breakfast & bathrooms, post-race head up take a shower and come back down & watch everyone finish :)<br />
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<u>The Swim (2.4 miles) - 55:33 (1:26/100m)</u><br />
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The swim was one of the best parts of the race! We all met in transition and took a shuttle to swim start where we got in a big long line and just chilled until it was time to go. This was awesome b/c since there were no age-group or time corrals, you just got to hang out with your buddies and all jump off the dock together at the same time! Erin & I are about the same swim speed so we decided we'd stay together on the swim and take turns drafting off of each other. This worked out extremely well! We switched about every 500 or so and I noticed a big energy savings when I was on her feet. I was hoping it would be wetsuit legal, but it was 77 degrees on race morning, so I chose to wear my speedsuit w/ a sports bra under it. The current made up for the lack of wetsuit buoyancy; it was pretty strong, though I heard a lot of people comment that it wasn't as strong as last year. I also thought the water was pretty clean - no where near the visibility of the Gulf, but when my watch beeped I was able to see my 500 yd splits on my watch. At one point the swim got a bit choppy and then at the end near the finish of course it was crazy crowded. I set my sights on the stairs and made a beeline for the exit. Overall the swim was very enjoyable and by far the easiest part of the race.<br />
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<u>T1 - 5:22</u><br />
Getting out of the water was super exciting!! The announcer's voice was booming and there were people everywhere cheering you on as you ran from the water up to the changing tents. I couldn't help but smile and be thankful that I was there to take in the whole scene. Plus, when I saw that I finished the swim under an hour I felt like the race was off to a fantastic start! Even though I did a full change into cycling shorts & jersey my time was still decently quick and I was out on the bike in no time!<br />
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<u>The Bike (116 miles) - 5:52:13 (19.76 mph)</u><br />
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The start of the bike was CROWDED. It was a little scary actually b/c there were people of varying speeds and you had people passing in full aero position going as fast as they could go while others were getting their shoes on or putting on arm warmers; all the while we were going over railroad tracks and a few large bumps. I decided to play this part safe - no point in crashing in the first 5 miles of the race to save a minute. Not too long into the bike, Erin & Misty blew by me like a steam train. I was tempted to try to keep up with them, but I knew that they are both stronger than me on the bike and I'd be better off in the long run (pun intended) if I raced at my own pace. <br />
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The course was beautiful! The mountains were very scenic and the entire course was rolling/hilly. I remember going 9 mph at one point up a hill and I think my max was around 36 mph. I really enjoyed seeing so many people out on the course, checking out the bikes, thanking the volunteers, and being in the moment. I was feeling great! However, things took a turn for the worse about 75 miles into it. I started the second loop of the bike course and there was a large headwind. The hills felt bigger this time around and my body was hurting. I was tired and it wasn't even close to being over with. I thought that maybe it was a bad idea after all to try to race my first IM. I told myself to just keep making forward progress and rested a little bit on the downhills. I got into a really dark place of pain and all I wanted to do was get off of the bike and walk, though thankfully I convinced myself this would be a bad idea. Somehow even though I was hurting badly, my 5-mi splits weren't too far off where I wanted the to be, so I was able to keep pushing through it. At one point I was exhausted and I calculated that I had about 2 hours to go - 2 HOURS!!! I thought, "I am never ever doing this again." Ugh, just don't stop. Once I hit 100 miles I felt a little excitement b/c for a second I thought that I was almost there....but then again there was another 16 miles left...at least another 45 minutes. The course had thinned out at this point and all I could do was try to keep up with each person that passed me. I wasn't doing much passing at this point. My shoulders, neck, & back were SO sore that I didn't want to be in the aero position any more. I rode out of aero on the climbs and tried to stretch out as best I could. When I got to 106 miles, a switch flipped. All of a sudden 10 miles to go didn't sound that far - I knew I could hammer that home and get off the bike within 30 minutes. Thankfully there was a bit of a tailwind taking us back to town. I took advantage of this, put my head down, and let my legs churn out the rest of the bike course. I've never been so excited about the prospect of starting a marathon! I couldn't wait to get off the Adamo and onto my own 2 legs! I never stopped on the bike - I missed the special needs bag and then towards the end I really had to pee, but didn't want to get off the bike b/c I was afraid if I stopped it'd be really hard to get going again.<br />
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<u>T2 - 4:41</u><br />
Ahhh, sheer joy to be done with the bike! Rolling into T2 was exciting and when I hopped off the bike a volunteer told me to run towards the transition bags. I was like...how am I supposed to run!?!? My legs were stiff and didn't want to move. But, by the end of the little jog to the changing tent I think they loosened up a little. I gotta say I was disgusted by the changing tent. It smelled like piss and I later learned that people sit down on the chairs and pee in there! EW that is so disgusting. There are porta potties right outside of the tent and you can't take an extra 5 steps and pee in there? Disgusting. Anyhow, the volunteers inside the tent were AMAZING! Thank you so much for your help and getting me situated after doing another full change into running clothes. I ran out of the tent, <u>peed <b>in the porta potty</b></u>, and then headed down the chute to start the run.<br />
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<u>The Run (26.2 miles) - 3:40:29 (8:24/mi)</u><br />
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I was so thankful to be out on the run course and when I started my legs felt amazing! I ended up going with the Saucony Zealot as my running shoe and they were wonderful - nice & light & just the right amount of cush! The first 7 miles of the run course are relatively flat and I was flying along at 7:30-8:00 pace, passing tons of people. This was really fun and I felt good. I didn't know if I'd be able to maintain that pace since a marathon is a LONG way, but I thought might as well take advantage of feeling good now. The run is 2 loops and the last 6 miles of each loop is a b*tch. That's the only way to describe it. There are no flats - it's all up or down hill; and not the type of gradual up or downhills that I like. These were STEEP mother chuckers. Running uphill wasn't so bad, but it was the downhills that really got me. I could tell that this part of the course was just blowing people up. It looked like the walking dead and it wast even dark yet. Not to mention that right about this time the sun decided to come out and it was getting hot. I didn't mind that so much b/c I like the heat, but by the end of those 6 miles my quads were DEAD. I thought holy shit how in the world am I going to run another 13 miles right now. And my pace was slowing big time. I decided to take the next 7 miles of flats to try to recover and just cover the ground as efficiently as possible. I'm used to running on flat ground, training in Wilmington & FL, so I knew I could get through that. I got through it, and was encouraged b/c I passed a few more women in my age group. I had no idea where I was in the field and I was at the point where I didn't really care. In your mind you go from having a certain goal time to just wanting to make it to the finish. <br />
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The last 6 miles of the race was the hardest racing I've ever done. With every step my legs were screaming out to stop and I was ignoring their pleas. I started focusing on just making it to the next aid station, where water and coke took my mind off my agony for a few seconds. I got to the biggest hill on course and let myself walk for about 30 seconds. Then I thought, this is stupid because walking doesn't hurt that much less than running. And for me it was really the downhills that were the most painful. So I decided I couldn't let myself walk any more and needed to gut it out. Again, I said to myself, "I am never ever doing this again." With 3 miles to go I caught up to another lady in my age group. She was walking and I was like, "yes!" As soon as I passed her she started running again and passed me back :( This continued on for the next 2 miles and I was like, "Dammit, I can barely keep it together right now and now I'm faced with the mental battle of trying to race someone in the last couple miles of a 144-mile race!" Again, since I had no idea what place I was in, I knew I couldn't just let her run ahead of me - what if that was the difference in making it to Kona vs not!? So, I slowly reeled her back in and as I was doing so, a 51-year old woman passed me. I was like, "Oh hell naw!!!!" And I fell into stride w/ that lady. We passed the woman in my age group and I hoped that she didn't try to keep up, but I wasn't about to waste time or energy to look back. The 51-year old & I ran the last mile stride for stride and it felt like we were running 6:00 miles as we approached the final quarter mile and finisher chute (I'm sure it was more like 7:30 pace, haha). There were tons of people out cheering and the excitement was exhilarating! I found an energy reserve and pulled ahead of the woman and ran down the finish chute as fast as I could for having been on my legs for 10+ hours! The crowd was deafening as I got closer and closer to the Ironman banner and I heard the announcer boom, "Tara Martine, YOU are an IRONMAN!!!!" I think I was smiling from ear to ear and threw my hands up in victory! I defeated the course and it was <u>finally</u> over.<br />
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<u>Total Time - 10:38:18 (3rd AG, 38th female, 159th participant) </u><br />
I felt so ill after finishing and could barely walk. I sat down on the curb and cheered in my friends as they came in one by one. It was so awesome to see everyone finish such a momentous task! I ate a few potato chips and a Sprite and it brought me back to life a little bit. I learned that I came in 3rd in my AG and was a little stunned! I didn't think I was that far up in the ranks! That meant there was potential for a Kona slot!!! I started getting really excited b/c even though when I initially signed up for this race over a year ago getting to Kona was my goal, life happened, things got in the way, and I didn't think I had done enough training to legitimately have a shot at Kona. Turns out there were only 2 slots in my AG and both 1st and 2nd place took them, so I didn't make it (missed it by 10 minutes). BUT, I'm still super psyched with my race, finishing 3rd in AG, and also getting over a 2 hour PR on my iron-distance time (I have done one other iron-distance race before - Beach2Battleship in 2008 and I finished in 12:55:08)!!!<br />
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Thank you SO much to the best coach ever - Sharon McDowell! You are an amazing coach, mentor, & friend. I know if I had done 1/2 the training you had prescribed I would have made it to Kona, lol! Maybe next time. Wait, did I just say "next time?" Now that the pain has faded a little bit and I can walk again, I'm starting to consider the possibility of doing another one of these. I'm volunteering for IM FL in November and there's a chance I could get caught up in the excitement of the moment and sign up for IM FL 2016....but for now it's time to rest, recover, and enjoy the off season. Not sure what 2016 will bring but I feel amazing to have ended the 2015 season on such a high note!<br />
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Congrats to all #IMCHOO finishers! We did it! We are all IRON men and women!!!! :-)<br />
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<u><br /></u>Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-3070471025392943162015-09-21T07:00:00.000-04:002015-09-21T07:00:06.383-04:00Saucony Shoe ReviewI recently realized that in the last year and a half I've had 7 pairs of Saucony shoes (5 different models total) and that I should write a brief review of the brand in general and a little comparison of the models I've worn.<br />
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<u>Saucony</u><br />
First off, I'm sure you want to know how the heck you pronounce the name of this brand for real. Here you go: <br />
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Saucony was founded in 1898 in Kutztown, PA. The word "Saucony" comes from the Lenni Lenape Native American word "saconk," meaning "where two rivers run together." Inspired by the original location on the Saucony Creek, the logo represents a running fiver marked by three boulders. <br />
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My experience with Saucony running shoes has been fantastic!! I think they make a very high quality shoe and I haven't found one that I don't like yet. As you will see, I've run the gamut of their neutral line from super light racers to full cushion pillow top trainers. <br />
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<u>The Ride (Version 7, 8.5 oz, 8 mm drop)</u><br />
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The Ride was the first Saucony shoe that I tried. I had been running in Mizuno Wave Elixirs and was devastated that they stopped making them! I tried on almost every running shoe in TrySports before deciding on the Ride. I had just signed up for <a href="http://www.taramartine.blogspot.com/2014/03/race-report-quintiles-marathon.html">Quintiles Wrightsville Beach marathon</a> at this time and although there was a little more to this shoe than I was used to, I thought extra cushion might be a good thing considering the mega miles I was about to start running. Turns out I was right - The Ride is a mid-weight, mid-cushioned shoe in which you can log some serious miles! I wore out two pairs of these between training for Quintiles & some for Savannah.<br />
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<u>The Cortana (Version 3, 7.9 oz, 4 mm drop)</u><br />
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I love love love these shoes!!! As soon as I saw them I loved them and I loved the way they ran just as much as the way they looked! They are very similar to the Kinvaras, however I think they have just a <i>touch </i>more cushioning and as per the website they have the slightest <i>hint </i>of stability. To me, they felt like light-weight neutral shoes with just enough cushion for racing long distances. I bought 2 pairs of these and used the blue ones for a lot of training heading into Savannah and then I saved the orange ones for racing and they ran me all the way to <a href="http://www.taramartine.blogspot.com/2014/11/savannah-rock-n-roll-marathon-2014.html">my sub-3</a> :) </div>
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<u>The Triumph ISO (9 oz, 8 mm drop)</u></div>
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After returning to triathlon and signing up for an Ironman, I decided to try Saucony's premium cushioned shoe to help save my legs from all the running & cycling I was doing. This is the heaviest shoe I've worn in a while and by FAR the most cushioned. At first I wasn't sure if I'd be able to keep running in them because they are SO soft. It's like running on a trampoline and I felt like I wasn't getting the type of road feel and energy return that I usually like in a running shoe. I was springing along on every run like a bunny. However, I stuck with them and I didn't get injured while Ironman training so they served their purpose! Another interesting thing about this shoe is that is has a seamless sock-like upper, which I like and felt very comfortable on my feet. </div>
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<u>The Zealot ISO (7.4 oz, 4 mm drop)</u></div>
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I like to say that the Zealot is the Kinvara on steroids. What I mean is that like the Kinvara, it has a low drop and is very light! But with a little bit more added stack height made from a super compressed foam it gives you maximum cushion. This shoe is made to compete with the Hoka Clifton and it is indeed very comfortable and very cushioned (not quite as cushioned as The Triumph). I honestly haven't run that much in it (for no particular reason) but I have worn it a lot around town and while traveling. This shoe has the same comfortable, seamless sock-like upper as The Triumph. </div>
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<u>The Type A (Version 6, 5.2 oz, 4 mm drop)</u></div>
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The Type A is a true racing flat. There is not, as intended, much to it. I ordered these because I have been contemplating what shoes to wear at Chattanooga and I read a lot of glowing reviews about them online. When I received this box of shoes in the mail I lifted it up and my first thought was, "Holy cow, it feels like there's nothing in here!!" They are <i>that </i>light. They are the least cushioned Saucony's that I've run in with the least amount of stack. They do not want for ground feel. When you put them on you just <i>feel </i>fast. These shoes are narrower than other Saucony's that I've worn, which I like b/c I have a narrow foot. It feels like the shoe is perfectly form fitted to my foot and the first day that I wore them I got 3 compliments on them. I can't help but increase my turnover in these shoes; they make you want to go from jogging to running to racing. I ran 10 miles today and felt good, but I'm not 100% sure if I should wear them in Chattanooga or not. They are so minimalistic and such a departure from the Triumphs....are my legs going to want more cushion after 116 miles of biking? How are they going to feel 18 miles into the run? I'm leaning towards wearing them and stashing a more cushioned pair of shoes in my special needs bag just in case, but the jury's still out. Lastly, to be clear, I wouldn't recommend these to anyone that pronates, is carrying a lot of extra weight, or has poor running form. <br />
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So I guess that about sums it up. If you've never worn Sauconys before, I encourage you to give them a try! Who knows, you just might <b>#findyourstrong</b>...Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-50860459823690390792015-09-08T07:41:00.000-04:002016-10-01T21:31:46.402-04:00Tour De Moore 100-MilerYesterday I rode the Tour de Moore with 18 of my closest Wilmington training buddies! It felt a little bit bitter sweet b/c I knew it was the last ride I'd be doing with this awesome group of people. But, thanks to Mike for reminding me that it's <u>not</u> my last ride with everyone, just my last ride before I move :) For sure I will be back in Wilmington to visit family & friends and will be joining in on the good ol' Poplar Grove & 421 routes!<br />
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So the Tour de Moore started off with a bang ... literally. We were all lined up at the start and it was very congested. I was next to Erin when someone rode in front of her and she had to unclip unexpectedly. She got one foot out, but unfortunately fell to the side that was still clipped in towards me and bless her heart she made sure not to fall into me - thank you!! The crazy thing was that when she fell, her hip bone landed right on her aero pad and the entire thing broke off - like not just the pad, but also the piece attached to the aero bar! Not the ideal way to start the race. She & Misty had a delayed start due to this but they were able to eventually jerry-rig the pad back on and they caught back up with us later in the ride.<br />
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Back to the start of the ride ... it was rainy/misting out and the roads were damp. It had been over a week since I'd been on my tri bike and there were a lot of people out there on course. All of this made me a bit nervous to begin with. I rode at the back of the paceline of my usual group. They started off at 20+ mph and there was no way around it, the effort felt hard. Too hard. After 10-15 min of this, I decided that I couldn't maintain that pace for the entire century so I backed off and just did my own thing. I rode at my own pace for the first 30 miles and over the course of that time I started feeling a lot more comfortable and confident on the bike. And my legs were warming up nicely. I caught up with my group again at the first aid station.<br />
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We got going again and this time I didn't have a problem staying with the pacemakers. I even did a little pacemaking myself :) I started really enjoying the terrain and the change of scenery! The sun came out and the roads dried up. It was a perfect day! At 50 miles in I think we were all feeling good!<br />
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Once we hit the Pinehurst section of the course there were some pretty tough hills! As opposed to Doug's big chain ring 40 rpm cadence, I used all of my easy gears and mostly spun up the hills! This worked pretty well and I felt like I was climbing decently. I was going up one of the hills and remembered that my horoscope for the day read "Any exertion you make today is effortless." I laughed to myself and thought "I wish!" I will say though that Doug singing "Jesus take the wheel" on the climbs did in fact make things a tiny bit more effortless. We rolled into the last aid station and Sami had made a new friend, surprise surprise, haha. She said she'd been interviewing him for the last 10 miles and we were all like, "We know! We can hear your voice a mile away!!!" :) Brian said that sometimes she builds up lactic acid in her vocal cords rather than her legs, haha! Actually I'm super thankful for all the encouragement you yelled out Coach Sami! And the smiling Yoda nestled in between the two water bottles on your rear hydration system was a nice touch!<br />
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Before we got rolling on the final stretch, we thought about texting Mark & Lindsey but we were all too tired to actually do it! Erin warned us that the worst was yet to come and omg she was right! The last 8 miles or so of this course was entirely uphill - nothing super steep, but just a long enough and insidiously graduated enough to make you want to cry. In fact the last 2 miles were just brutal. You hit 100 and then you have 2 more miles of pure pain to get through before the finish! I wanted it to be over but I didn't want it to be over. It was such a great day out there and riding with all of you who I've trained with this entire summer for IMCHOO was really cool! <br />
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After the ride, Mike & I threw on our running shoes and headed out for a short t-run. We ran a mile out (all downhill) and a mile back (all uphill) and my legs felt surprisingly springy. At the end of it all, I felt like my confidence was boosted for IMCHOO. Erin says that TDM is more difficult than IMCHOO and I really hope she's right! I also hope that my elbow finally fully heals before the race. I rode on it today without any additional padding for the first time since the accident and it was uncomfortable. By the end of the ride it had turned into a disgusting blood blister - sick.<br />
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I gotta give a huge shout and and thank you to the organizers and volunteers of this ride! It was so nice to have support, rest stops, porta potties, and food out there on the course! The course was marked so well I didn't look at my cue sheet once. And at the end of the ride there was a lot of food and it was vegan!!! Salad, rolls, veggie pasta marinara, & FRUIT! Yum! Cheers to a great day and to great friends and training partners. I will surely miss all of you when I go to FL, so please make a point to sign up for IMFL 2016 ;)Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-49769706971093206172015-08-17T22:56:00.002-04:002015-08-17T22:58:43.211-04:00Race Report: Lake Logan HalfWow I can't believe a week has already gone by since racing at Lake Logan! I gotta do a quick race recap before I forget how it all went down...<br />
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I made the excellent decision to drive to Asheville with Jack & Erica and they were a constant source of entertainment on the trip! THANK YOU guys SO much for being such awesome and fun travel buddies! It was a super quick trip - we drove down on Friday, raced Saturday, and then drove straight home. Exhausting really. But still tons of fun. A big non-race-related highlight for me was eating at The Laughing Seed in downtown Asheville. It is an awesome vegetarian/vegan restaurant and 100% delicious. I highly recommend the Harmony Bowl (brown rice, black beans, tons of veggies, & an Asian peanut sauce). We ate outside and an added bonus was that right across the street was a climbing wall. There was a girl climbing it with only one leg; Erica and I made a mental note to remember that <strike>if</strike> <u>when</u> we started getting tired in the race. <br />
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Race morning came early. We thought we were ahead of the game cause there were very few cars going up the mountain to T1. Unfortunately when we got to the top, we realized why - everyone else was already there! <br />
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We were probably the farthest car parked from the transition area. This resulted in a slight rush to get everything situated and use the porta potties. I had to choose between doing a swim warm up or using the bathroom a 3rd time; I chose the latter. Here's a quick porta potty side story for ya: <br />
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Poor Erica had been waiting in line forever to use the lone porta john that was located in the parking lot. When she finally got to the front of the line a guy came out and said to her, "Be careful in there; a lady who was in there earlier had an accident." <br />
Erica was like, "WTF do you mean an accident?! What's going on in there?!" <br />
He said, "Let's just say she missed the hole."<br />
"Oh pee on the seat, I'm a PA, that's NBD."<br />
"It's worse than that." <br />
"Ummmm, how the hell does that happen!?!?"<br />
"Apparently it was dark and she didn't have a head lamp or phone light."<br />
"Yeah, but who the f*ck hovers to do a #2?!?!" <br />
She was then faced with doing some risky business or walking all the way to the transition area and getting in the very back of that porta potty line. And if you've ever raced before, then you know that when one gets to the the front of the porta potty line, one cannot simply go to the back of the porta potty line ... it's not physiologically possible. Haha, so poor Erica gets in there, rolls her sleeves up, and a lot of toilet paper, hand sanitizer , & f-bombs later, finally gets to build her own nest and do what she went in there to do. <br />
Erica - I still don't know how these things happen to you, but I'm sorry that was the first thing you had to deal with before starting a half iron! Not ideal, haha! And, for the record, I'm a little insulted that you almost didn't tell me this story cause you were worried that the woman who had the accident was me!!!!<br />
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OK, so on to the race....<br />
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<u>The Swim - 1.2 miles - 30:01 (1:25/100 yds)</u><br />
I hadn't been in the pool once since my accident, so basically for 2 weeks prior to this race. My elbow was still not fully healed and so I decided to wear a sleeveless wetsuit to prevent having something super tight around my arm. This worked out perfectly cause the water temp was 74. I stayed to the back right of the open field because the last thing I wanted was someone to kick my elbow. I found a good pair of feet to draft off of and essentially did that the entire time. It was a pretty pleasant swim & was over quickly. <br />
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<u>T1 - 2:52</u><br />
There was a decent run on grass from the swim exit to T1. I was moving slowly and took my time putting on a cycling jersey for the ride. In hindsight, I wish I had tried to go faster here.<br />
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<u>The Bike - 56 mi - 2:56:31 (19 mph)</u><br />
The start of the bike scared me to death. It's about a 5 mile descent down a windy hill and the roads were still damp. It was the second time I had been out on the road since my accident and the first time riding my road bike in 6 months. (I took the road bike b/c I didn't want to put pressure on my hurt elbow in the aero pads of my tri bike). People were flying by me and I was worried that I'd take a wide turn and someone would crash into me while in an aerodynamic blaze of glory. Thankfully that didn't happen and I made it down without wiping out. I was pretty tentative at the beginning of the race, but my legs felt good going up the hills. Both of those things changed as the race went on. I felt more and more comfortable bombing down some hills on the bike (and actually I could have used another gear cause everyone was passing me on the down hills - my road bike came with an 11-23 and prior to this race TrySports Charlie let me borrow his 12-28 so I could have some climbing ability). At the same time, I got more and more tired as the race went on. I saw some drafting which really pissed me off, but I couldn't catch up to say anything to her (pink Wattie Ink). There was a very large incline around mile 40 or 45 that felt like it went on FOREVER. I was definitely doing about 6 mph up that thing! I was successful in doing a water bottle handoff, but that bottle was unsuccessful in staying put in my cages. It came halfway out at one point and I had to toss it with 10 miles to go cause I didn't want it to get stuck under my wheel or someone else's. By the end of the bike I was so tired that my brain started telling myself that I felt bad due to residual effects of the crash. But I had to be realistic and tell myself that that wasn't the case and I was just tired and being a baby. Remember the one legged wall climbing woman!?<br />
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<u>T2 - 1:43</u><br />
Another stroll through the transition area.<br />
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<u>The Run - 13.1 mi - 1:34:20 (7:12/mi)</u><br />
I was not looking forward to the run, but conversely to how the bike was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, the run was a lot easier than I thought it was gonna be. The run is essentially 3 miles up a hill, 3 miles down, 3 miles up the same hill, and 3 miles back down. I remembered this hill being pretty steep, although this time the gradient seemed milder. It felt like running into the wind in Wilmington and wasn't steep enough to tear up my quads on the way down. I was in 10th place off the bike and was quite a ways back. But I was holding around 7:30 up the hill and 6:50 downhill and could tell I was gaining on people. I passed quite a few people and was enjoying the shadiness of the route. I wish there had been a few more aid stations because it seemed like the volunteers got a little overwhelmed at times and I got a coke once when I asked for water - it went down easy though and made me laugh cause Erica had told me a hilarious story about a time when she was so bloated on the bike that she couldn't even take a single sip of water without getting reflux. She was unable to see her own feet over the profile of her midsection while on the run and it was by taking one sip of coke at a time that she could visibly see her belly deflate and was able to fit comfortably into the waistband of her running shorts for the second half of a marathon in a 140.6. If you get the chance, ask her for the details on that one - you'll laugh so hard you might pee your pants! So I ended up passing 5 women on the run, including the drafter who stopped for water at mile 12 and I was like "see ya" like when Macca passed Raelert FTW at Kona 2010 as described in "I'm Here To Win." <br />
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<u>Total Time - 5:05:25 (5th woman)</u><br />
Overall I'm pretty happy with how this race went. It was a good confidence builder coming back off of injury. It's kind of annoying that I was only 5 minutes from 1st place and you look back and think, "geeze I'm sure I could have cut 5 minutes out of somewhere over the course of 70.3 miles!" BUT I'm still happy with this and I beat my White Lake time by 30 seconds and I know that was a much easier course. Next up ... Chattanooga 140.6!!!!!<br />
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Congrats to all racers, we had such a beautiful day and beautiful scenery to be out there!!!!<br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-84984571409717535002015-07-27T08:27:00.001-04:002015-07-27T08:27:49.783-04:00What It Feels Like To Be Hit By A CarI didn't realize that my last blog "<a href="http://www.taramartine.blogspot.com/2015/07/training-peaks-and-valleys.html">Training Peaks & Valleys</a>" was perhaps a foreshadow to what happened to me yesterday... As I wrote in that blog, we all go through ups and downs in our training and sometimes we have no control over whether we find ourselves in a peak or in a valley. This past week my training was going awesome! I did a swim/bike brick on Tuesday, a hard 10-mile track workout on Wednesday, swam and did a solo century on Thursday, ran 20 miles with 3 fast finish miles on Friday, took a day off on Saturday, and then yesterday headed out on the group ride for another 100-mile dose of cycling.<br />
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The ride itself went great! There were so many smiling faces and it felt SO much better to ride 100 in a group vs. alone. Plus, the miles ticked by a LOT faster (thanks Ren, Mike, Shay, Sami, Shay, Ken, JR, Walker, Doug, & Lawrence!) At the end of the ride I said g'day and started riding home since I had ridden to the ride start.<br />
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I was 1.2 miles from my place when I entered a roundabout. I'm circling around and an SUV pulls up to another entrance to the roundabout and does not stop, slow down, or yield at all to moi, who was already the "traffic" in the traffic circle. I yelled at the car but her window was up and clearly she didn't hear me. I didn't have any time to react and next thing I knew the left driver's side of her vehicle was colliding with the right side of my body. The force of the impact didn't really hurt, but it knocked me down onto the ground and that hurt a lot. My right foot came unclipped, my left foot remained clipped in, and I skidded across the ground, almost out of my intended exit from the roundabout. I was laying there, moaning in pain, too shell shocked to move or get up. I saw another car coming into the roundabout and I thought "please oh please don't run over me!!!" Thankfully he stopped, as did the lady who hit me, and a few other bystanders as well. I don't think anyone knew exactly what to do, if they should just leave me there or help me up. The woman who hit me was freaking out and asking me if I needed anything (um yes, I needed you to look to your left before entering the traffic circle and yield to the oncoming bike). I couldn't help but notice when she opened up the back of her van that there were about 5-6 cases of beer in there and it was approximately 12:30 in the afternoon! One person called 911 and being that I was literally less than 100 meters from a fire station, the firefighters arrived on the scene first. I sat up and unclipped and someone took my bike off of me; I couldn't help but worry about whether or not the frame was cracked. At this point, pain was starting to sink in a little bit and I got up and sat down on the side of the road in the shade, feeling a little headachy and dizzy. The firefighters performed some preliminary first aid and surveyed my road rash - I didn't like that I could hear them talking about how bad it looked. I gave my dad a phone call that no parent wants to receive, "Dad, I got hit by a car (but I'm ok)" and he was there within a few minutes. EMS arrived and ushered me into the ambulance. They checked my vitals, asked how I was feeling, looked at my wounds, and recommended that I allow them to transport me to the hospital for further inspection. At first I didn't want to go, but they said it'd be a good idea to x-ray my elbow, which had taken the brunt of the impact of the fall, to make sure it wasn't broken. They also wanted to be sure I didn't have any head injuries, as there were a few pretty large cracks in my Giro. <br />
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I arrived at the ER and it was fantastic b/c there was literally zero wait time. As I was sitting there on the cot, I started to realize how much the right side of my body (neck, shoulder, elbow, side, & back) were hurting from getting all scraped up. The nurses cleaned everything out, I got an x-ray on my arm, and they gave me a bunch of pain killers. They told me that things were going to get stiffer and more sore over the next 24-48 hours and, boy, they weren't kidding about that. Everything is so stiff, especially my neck, this morning and it kind of hurts to move. I feel like I've been hit by a car. Oh wait, I was hit by a car! Damn it! <br />
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The bright side of this situation is that I am not seriously injured. X-ray came back ok and it doesn't look like I have anything other than road rash & some seriously bruised muscles. I know I got really lucky to come out of that with just some scrapes! I'm so <u>thankful </u>that it wasn't worse. And I'm so thankful for all the kind people who helped me on the scene, in the ambulance, and at the hospital! Thanks for being there for me Dad!<br />
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From a preliminary inspection, my bike looks ok. The carbon fiber base bar is chewed up on the right side and pedals are scratched, but I think my body took the brunt of the impact and actually protected the bike! I won't know for sure though until TrySports Charlie looks over the entire thing from head to toe. This will most likely affect my training for the next few days. The doctor didn't give me any restrictions to working out, so I'm assuming it's to be done as tolerated by pain. So, this accident has transported me from a training peak to a training valley, though hopefully this valley is just a small one ;)<br />
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Cyclists, as always, please be careful out there. And to drivers, please please please be on the lookout for cyclists and other pedestrians. It's not worth running someone over to get to your destination 30 seconds faster!<br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-25207002050941401582015-07-23T15:23:00.001-04:002015-07-23T16:42:24.929-04:00Training Peaks (and valleys)It's hard to believe that <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/chattanooga.aspx#axzz3gkCUi7oZ">Ironman Chattanooga</a> is less than 10 weeks away!!! It's scary actually cause I don't feel ready. After <a href="http://www.taramartine.blogspot.com/2015/05/race-report-over-mountain-2015.html">Over The Mountain</a> my training sort of took a nose dive down to around 10 or fewer hours/week. I kept skipping workouts, was sick for a week where I basically did nothing, did some traveling for work, and couldn't string together any consistency. There was a 2-week stretch where I didn't swim at all! This left me feeling unfit and also bummed because prior to OTM things were starting to come together again and I was feeling especially good on my long runs. <br />
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Well, I'm happy to say I've turned the training train around and have had a few solid back to back 17-hour weeks again. I'm feeling fit, though I know I don't have too much time left to get to the point that I had originally hoped to when I signed up for IM CHOO. That's ok though because I've been immensely enjoying training and am so thankful to be able to be out there doing what I'm doing :) Here's a quick SBR breakdown of where I'm at:<br />
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<u>The Swim</u><br />
As before, I am still not putting a huge emphasis on the swim since the race is supposed to have a decent current. Now I've heard rumors that the powers at be are not going to open the dam as much as they did last year - damn it - so my strategy could ultimately backfire. I usually swim 2-3 times per week around 3000 yds per swim. I've been swimming in various outdoor pools, which have all been about 85+ degrees, making it more difficult than it needs to be. I've been too scared to swim in the channel after all the shark attacks on the NC coast this summer, but most of the outdoor pools I've been swimming in don't have lane ropes so that's similar to open water swimming right?! Thankfully, the YMCA just opened again today so I'll start going there next week :)<br />
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<u>The Bike</u><br />
I have REALLY enjoyed the weekend group rides leaving from Poplar Grove. It's so awesome to see 20+ Wilmington triathletes showing up for these 6 am rides and it always makes me smile. I've had the good fortune of being able to ride with some really fast ladies & sick fast dudes which I believe is making yours truly faster! Plus, I love being able to knock out 80 miles in under 4 hours! That being said, I know I'm not going to have all these great cyclists to draft off of in my race so today I did a solo century and it took me 5 hours 20 min. Definitely not where I'd like to be, but it's improvement so I can't complain. I'm feeling super duper comfortable on my IA and I can't say enough great things about that bike. *LOVE* it! <a href="http://www.taramartine.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-saddle-battle.html">My saddle situation</a> is under control thank GOD. I've also gotten very comfortable riding in the wind, which used to be my nemesis. Hopefully I can continue to increase my endurance on the bike over the next 2 months and pick up a few mph!<br />
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<u>The Run</u><br />
The run has been rough lately. Prior to my training hiatus, I was going out on 20-22 mile runs and feeling great. I'd run for 3 hours and feel like I could keep going forever. More recently I've been having trouble going the distance. I keep getting these side cramps under my ribs, which makes it hard to take deep breaths. Maybe this is due to the heat a little bit or maybe it's due to me running out of my PowerGels and using <i>other</i> gels to get by until my next shipment comes in. At this point I've worked my long run back up to 21 miles. I was supposed to do some pickups in my last long run, but it was a victory to just get the mileage in. In contrast to the long runs, my track workouts are going great! I keep hitting my paces and have had some good training partners out there which always makes it 1000 times better! I've got a 20 miler tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes - I'm sure my legs will feel fresh after riding 100 today...<br />
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Next up for me is <a href="http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_detail&eventID=2702">Lake Logan Half</a>, which should be interesting. There are about 20 open women & masters open women signed up for this race which is going to make it really exciting!! I haven't raced a half since <a href="http://www.taramartine.blogspot.com/2015/05/race-report-white-lake-spring-half-2015.html">White Lake back in May</a>. I'd like to beat my time from then, but then again I recall Lake Logan being a really hilly course. I'm uncertain how I"ll perform in the hills, but I'm certain that It'll be a good pretest for Chattanooga!Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-50330378034696386842015-07-10T15:11:00.001-04:002015-07-10T15:14:02.642-04:00Race Report: 3rd Annual SetUp Celebration Time Trial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This race was over a month ago, but it still deserves a write up because it was really cool! Every year SetUp Events holds a <a href="http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_detail&eventID=2861#overall-results-text">FREE celebration time trial</a> to thank their race participants. It starts at the Coast Guard Station and goes straight down Banks Channel w/ an incoming tide and finishes at the sandy beach on the channel side of the The Blockade Runner. </div>
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I figured this would be a great workout, plus any triathlete who's a triathlete in Wilmington does this race. Logistically it's simple; you park at the finish and they shuttle you to the start. I loaded into the trollies with a few buddies :) </div>
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The race started with the national anthem and then the oldest swimmer had the honors of being the first one over the timing mats. From there it's up to you where you'd like to start. They give you a timing chip so you can start at the front, at the back, with friends, wherever you want! I started in the middle cause I didn't want to get swum over top of by the real swimmers in the bunch. I got into a good rhythm early on and just held race pace the entire time. I drafted a little bit, but nothing too appreciable. I made the bad decision towards the end of the swim to veer into the center of the channel, which was a dumb idea b/c it only added yardage to the route. The fastest course would have been to stay as close as possible to the docks. Here's my route:<br />
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At the end of the swim you run up the little beach area and through a mini finish line! It was pretty fun! There was also free food from <a href="http://www.taramartine.blogspot.com/2014/01/epic-food-company.html">Epic Food Company</a>, which is one of my all time favorite places ot eat in Wilmington! Yum! <br />
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I ended up coming in 10th out of the females and 4th in my age group of 30-39. However, I actually felt pretty good about that b/c my age group was <b>stacked</b> with Kristen Smith & Jenny 2.0, so 1st & 2nd place were basically predetermined before the race started lol! As per my Garmin watch, total distance was 2,447 yds and total time was 32:05 (1:19/100 yds). <br />
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It was a great way to start the day and I highly recommend this race to anyone! How often is it that you get to do a FREE timed and supported open water swim with free food, music, & all of your friends!?!? Thanks SetUp :)Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-8053331296383692222015-07-04T13:41:00.002-04:002015-07-04T13:41:41.358-04:00Surfberry Organic Cold Pressed Juice Cleanse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjos31BeQwHeCmKWWZPpKVNw90d8BwVj3IzaD6yUnL7zaZ0fg8L5pJuZ4ey4ewMIyYAyjhDvndoIxwDY7nhO1_yl1zYh8J7wMoYB1HbrQIS7Ze8E3EN4vOHqRFN78lHA2Gn9SOicksioA/s1600/IMG_5857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjos31BeQwHeCmKWWZPpKVNw90d8BwVj3IzaD6yUnL7zaZ0fg8L5pJuZ4ey4ewMIyYAyjhDvndoIxwDY7nhO1_yl1zYh8J7wMoYB1HbrQIS7Ze8E3EN4vOHqRFN78lHA2Gn9SOicksioA/s320/IMG_5857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A few weeks ago I was looking for a way to reboot my system and get back on track to super healthy whole foods plant-based eating. I came across Surferry's organic cold pressed juice cleanse and decided to give it a whirl! For those of you who live in the Wilmington area and haven't been to <a href="http://www.surfberry.com/">Surfberry</a> yet - what are you waiting for?!? They are located at Wrightsville Beach and I've been going there for a while to get their awesome smoothies & acai bowls. What I really like about this place is that they are all about clean, fresh, organic, natural, whole, healthy foods. There aren't any additives, syrups, or extra sugars that go into their smoothies or bowls - instead they are made with real fruit, fruit juices, and almond or soy milk. Basically, the same ingredients that I would use if I were making a smoothie at home in my Vitamix. <br />
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I gotta mention the acai bowls for a sec cause I'm kind of addicted to these things. My understanding is that they originated in the surfing community as a way to refuel and replenish after long days out on the water. Acai berries are a superfruit found in South America and they contain beaucoup d'antioxidants. Acai bowls are made by blending frozen acai puree with almond or peanut butter and soy or almond milk. Then they're topped with granola, shredded coconut, fresh fruit, & a drizzle of honey! Sooo delicious! I sometimes eat these instead of cooking a meal :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JeAS0E0AD1zaZUg9Bbe8mlogYY7V9mObuxOS5Lu-lM27FPbQSgNqlkCDwO1ioWUzNpF38uWrZRI9mcGjI0v4Rf9BAV7geUSNpNL6bQiAt1pkpnqpglJ6GgEdCOZTReikxb0tkqUD_w/s1600/Surfberry+Acai+Bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JeAS0E0AD1zaZUg9Bbe8mlogYY7V9mObuxOS5Lu-lM27FPbQSgNqlkCDwO1ioWUzNpF38uWrZRI9mcGjI0v4Rf9BAV7geUSNpNL6bQiAt1pkpnqpglJ6GgEdCOZTReikxb0tkqUD_w/s320/Surfberry+Acai+Bowl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ok, so back to my juice cleanse. I had been feeling the effects of toxic hunger. Don't know what toxic hunger is? Then<a href="http://www.drfuhrman.com/company/pdfs/2012-articles/Health-Naturally-Nov-2012-Toxic-Hunger.pdf#search=toxic hunger"> this article</a> is a MUST-read! I wanted to get back on the quick track to healthy eating and feeling fantastic. Surfberry offers 1-, 3-, and 5-day juice cleanses. Each day consists of six, 17-ounce bottles of cold pressed, fresh, organic juice:<br />
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*3 Green: kale, spinach, cucumber, romaine, parsley, ginger, green apple<br />
*1 Root Veggie: carrot, beet, orange<br />
*1 Citrus: lemon, cayenne pepper, filtered water, maple syrup<br />
*1 Almond Milk: raw almonds, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup<br />
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There are 1145 total calories in the six bottles of juice, so if you are an athlete, you need to time the cleanse with a day that you don't have a big workout and/or supplement with additional bottles of cold-pressed juice. I waited a couple days after Over The Mountain b/c I wanted to recover a little bit before doing the cleanse. The recommended schedule for drinking the juice is every 2 hours, starting at 9 am. This actually worked out perfectly because it seemed like after 2 hours I would start to get a little bit hungry and it was time to drink another juice. I never felt like I was deprived or hangry. <br />
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The taste of the juice was very refreshing! The green juice tasted like Mean Green juice that I have made in my Jack Lalanne juicer at home. I learned about Mean Green juice from the movie <a href="http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/">Fat Sick and Nearly Dead,</a> in which a trucker is sick and tired of being sick and tired. He installs a juicer in his cab and only drinks the juice of fresh produce from stands along the routes of his trips. He ended up losing a boatload of weight and reversing just about every one of his chronic diseases.<br />
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I also liked the flavor of the root veggie juice because of course y'all know how much I like my beet juice :) The almond milk was the perfect juice to end the day with because it tasted like a dessert! However, my favorite juice of the day was the citrus! The combo of the tartness of the lemon combined with the peppery cayenne has me stopping by Surfberry from time to time just to purchase this juice by itself! <br />
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The purported benefits of juicing include:<br />
*More energy<br />
*Improved sleep<br />
*More balanced moods<br />
*Clearer skin & brighter eyes<br />
*Better digestion<br />
*Weight loss<br />
*Less belly bloat<br />
*A clearer mind<br />
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For me, I experienced no stomach issues and I'd say I had a lot of energy during the day and clearer thinking. I also lost a few pounds, though I suspect this was from consuming fewer calories than normal and having lower glycogen stores ;) My favorite thing about doing this juice fast is that it got me ramped up to eat clean again. After doing a day of the juicing and only putting healthy nutrients into my body there was no way I was going to ruin it the next day by eating vegan junk food! It got my system running cleanly and I've been eating A LOT better ever since! I'd be happy doing this monthly and trying a longer cleanse next time.<br />
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Happy 4th of July to everyone and if you need a way to re-boot your system after eating and drinking too much this weekend, it might be perfect timing for you to try <a href="http://www.surfberry.com/">Surfberry's juice cleanse!</a><br />
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<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695476288731878481.post-42803198917136202572015-06-04T16:04:00.000-04:002015-06-04T21:23:31.048-04:00DubSmash ThisJust in case you need one more app to help you waste time, you should really check out DubSmash! It'll give you lots of laughs and ensure that you don't get too far up on the productivity scale. Here's how it works:<br />
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1. Download the app.<br />
2. Select one of the thousands of 10-second clips from movies, songs, tv shows, political speeches, etc. (Or upload your own sound bite.)<br />
3. Use the app to video yourself dubbing the clip.<br />
4. Immediately share with friends via text, Facebook, Twitter, or email!<br />
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If you still don't know why you would want this app, here's some motivation for you to go back to the App Store (like you need it).<br />
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At the very least I hope this gave you a few laughs :)</div>
<br />Tara Martinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06684025774942028414noreply@blogger.com2