Coaching a Coach

I coach VERY few adults anymore. But a little over a year ago a friend of mine, Blair, came to me and said he had a goal of training for/completing an Ironman. He asked if I would coach him. After we met and talked (in probably WAY more detail and depth than he expected) I said I would be very happy to be part of his journey.

If you've known me any length of time you know I typically do not talk about who I'm coaching and I "never" name people in my blog, and "never" post on social media about my athletes. I feel like their story is their own to tell... but I got permission to make a post about Blair (even though he has no idea what I am going to say!).

I started a FaceBook post, but as I started writing, I realized it needed to be a blog post, because it is going to be long...just get a cup of coffee, or a tall glass of tea and settle in for a minute or ten.

I met Blair many years ago. Maybe I met someone who worked out at Iron Tribe Fitness, or maybe I just saw the gym off the parkway and wanted to know exactly what it was. I remember being very immediately impressed with the place, but more impressed with Blair as the owner/manager. Although I think I was training for the Grand Slam at the time I signed up to start working out there. I loved it. I think I worked out there about a year...maybe until I started heavily training for IMChoo 2015. 

At that time I was also training A LOT of adults, I had a big kids team, I was training for IMChoo, along with teaching several Spin classes at the Y. There are only so many hours in a day so something had to give...the first thing I gave up was working out at ITF. Thankfully Blair and I remained friends over the years.

So when he said he wanted to take his time working toward completing an Ironman I was thrilled to be part of that journey with him.

I won't go into all the details of Blair's story, but suffice it to say, he has A LOT going on that takes priority over training. WAY more than the average person. The truth is, most people wouldn't even think of adding to the already full plate he had going on...but Blair is not like most people.

Blair is a man of strong character. He is the consummate family man (at least from the outside looking in). He's a business owner. He's a coach. He's very strong, determined, and dedicated. I told him he already had all the qualities that people usually do IM to prove they have. (I won't share his reasons for why he chose to make IM a goal-again, those are his to share/not share...but he could absolutely articulate a reason-which is a crucial foundation I require of anyone I choose to coach.)

Not long after training started, Blair had some MAJOR upheaval in his life (business and house moves to name a couple of the biggies). Then he had some knee issues and, illness...nothing major there just some nagging "stuff" going on that was counter to "perfect" training. 

But Blair kept pushing through.

And that was the theme of his race yesterday. He just kept pushing through.

Now, let me be clear...that's the theme of pretty much EVERY Ironman race. In fact, that's the HALLMARK of an Ironman...we keep pushing through. We don't let obstacles stop us...we simply figure out what has to be done to get over, around, under, or through them. We don't get permanently derailed when we are thrown off course, we do what we must to get back on track.

Back in May Blair toed the line at IMChoo70.3...but he pulled himself off the course during the run. He had been really sick leading up to the race and realized almost immediately during the swim that he was not better....but, true to form, he pushed through the swim and the bike. In an astonishing display of strength and self-awareness he realized when he got to the run it was not wise to continue. The cost of completing that race was not worth the bragging rights to say he finished what really amounted to a training day. 

He kept the end goal, finishing Ironman, in the very front of his mind.

Some people may have sacrificed other areas of their lives to make sure something like THAT never happened again. But Blair held steady. That apparent "failure" didn't shake him. (At least not outwardly.) It didn't cause him to doubt himself or his goal.

He never wavered.

One thing I've struggled with in life is balance. I'm an "all-in" kind of gal. Sometimes I've been "all-in" on something that was decidedly not the best thing for me....and oftentimes "all-in" has caused me to be very out of balance with everything (for example, I really NEED to be taking a nap, or maybe cleaning my house, but I'm "all-in" on this blog post!) Ironman seems like it's an "all-in" kind of endeavor, but the truth is, no sport we do for fun should rule your life. Training should fit your life, not the other way around. There's a very funny meme that I tried to find but couldn't...it shows a house with a VERY overgrown lawn and flowerbeds badly in need of weeding and it says something like "what Ironman training looks like". The point the "funny" meme is making is that oftentimes people training for Ironman neglect most of the other things in their life.

Now, I am not close enough to Blair personally to know if he did or didn't neglect other things. I mean, the truth is there are only so many hours in a day. Training hours have to happen at some point...people with busy lives do have to push something "out" to make room for training (show me an IM who doesn't have a busy life...). Sometimes what gets pushed is family time or time with friends, sometimes it's sleep, sometimes it's yard/housework...sometimes athletes will pay money for things they could do themselves (yard/housework, grocery or meal delivery....). From what I saw (again, on the outside looking in), Blair worked to make sure the big rocks got put in the jar first...and training wasn't one of the biggest rocks many days. 

(If you aren't sure what I am talking about watch this.)

That is NOT to say he didn't train...but let's just say he didn't do every workout as written.

He was balanced.

Yesterday was the culmination of over a year of hard work. I won't write out his race report...but I will give you my spectator report...I saw him at the start, then twice out of the water (when he came out of the water then I sprinted across the green to watch him go up the "ramp"). Then I drove out to a spot on the bike course that allows spectators to drive from one side to the other of the "finger" ....so I got to see him 4 times on the bike-each time he looked strong despite the POURING rain! Then I waited on the Riverwalk (playing some music for the runners)...until I got worried. The (stupid) tracker made it look like he had stopped when in reality he was walk/running the whole time. I saw him twice more on the course, and then at the finish line....I cried like a baby when the announcer said 

Blair Morris...YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

Ironman is tough. Different people approach it in different ways. Getting to the start line is HARD, getting to the finish line is harder. But once you do it, it can never be taken away. It's not for the faint of heart.

This Saturday I will toe the line at a 70.3 once more...I'm not as ready as I'd like to be, but I have been training, and I'm as ready as I will get! Right now my plan is to, once again, set my stake in the ground of another Ironman next year. I hope I can be as balanced, unwavering, and push through to get to that start line (and ultimately the finish line) once more.

Putting the Last Bit of Hay in the Barn

In exactly one month I'll be "competing" in IM70.3 Memphis. I say "competing" because I've been (sort of) training for this race. I won't be competitive in the grand scheme of things-not against any other person in the race...but I will be competing against the voice in my head...okay, voiceS, plural. 

A couple of months ago I had made up my mind to train hard but life gets in the way when training isn't a top priority. But I have been at least sort of training. I'm swimming regularly, running 2-3 times a week, and riding my bike at least once a week (ugh). It's not the full-blown training plan I intended when I finally pulled the trigger and signed up for this race, but it's more than I've done consistently since 2015 when I was training for IMChoo.

I'm not as ready as I would like, but I still have a month to go. 

Let me be clear--you should not/can not train for a 70.3 in a month. But that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying I intend to get the last bit of "hay in the barn" before race day by being very intentional about what I'm doing. Last year when I did IM70.3 Choo I had done MUCH less before race day and I at least finished and I felt good the next day (other than a blister on my foot). My time was just barely less than the cutoff time, but I made it.

My A goal for this race is around 6:30. Looking at what I've been doing in training I think it's possible...not highly likely but possible. More likely my time will be between 6:45-7, but even that is huge given all that I've been through the last 7 years.

I still can't believe it's been that long since I started having big noticeable issues, but it was the fall of 2015.

For a while I thought it was just going to be a minor setback. I thought it was going to be like a minor injury that would resolve fairly quickly and I'd be back to my "normal" self, training and racing. My plan when I finished IMLT in 2013 was to do an Ironman every other year. But that plan was completely derailed. There was a time when I questioned if I'd ever be able to return to endurance sports.  Then it became apparent that I could "participate" in events with longer cutoff times, I questioned if I'd ever be able to "really race" again, 

But here I am!

One of the biggest things that has changed has been my thyroid meds.

When I was first having issues in the fall of 2015 I was on Synthroid. Somewhere along the way I switched to Tirosint (a more pure form of T4). Then after I finished the steroid treatments I was on a quest to figure out why my brain was attacked and ended up seeing a doctor in Kansas who put me on a desiccated thyroid hormone (first NatureThroid then Armour) which is a natural T4/T3 compound. But after a couple of years I realized what I was doing wasn't working as well as I wanted it to so I switched back to my local endocrinologist who put me back on Tirosint. But it didn't take long for me to see that wasn't the answer either. He ended up sending me to a different doctor who put me on a synthetic T4/T3 compound where he controlled the amounts of each I was getting. He also prescribed LDN (a medication that is meant to fight general autoimmunity).

At the same time I also got another iron infusion and I started eating Juice Plus. I almost immediately felt better. But I didn't get repeat blood work for my thyroid...fast forward to that fall (2021)...

We got to go out to Colorado Springs for 6 weeks. Just before we left I got another iron infusion. While we were there I started noticing a MARKED improvement in how I was feeling. Then the month after we got back (after I did the Boston (virtual) Marathon-on the course) I got covid.

My immune system went completely haywire. When I got my thyroid numbers checked they were WAY WAY WAY off (VERY high antibodies, high TSH, low T4, low T3). We figured it was due to covid and he increased my LDN. But that didn't work. So he increased my T4 and T3. But that still hasn't completely worked (my numbers are still not where they need to be).

I think my thyroid hasn't ever really been "right". I think it was close but not really ideal between late 2010 and fall 2015. But I don't think it's been even close since then. I don't think it's really good even now.

The thyroid impacts EVERY SINGLE CELL in your body! It regulates the rate your cells use energy. So if the thyroid isn't working properly you might be either amped up (hyperthyroid) or sluggish (hypothyroid). 

So, in the analogy of putting hay in the barn (training)...if the thyroid is slow to produce or if it isn't converting what your body makes (T4) into what your body uses (T3) then you will not be producing much hay, not matter what you try to do...the hay is going to be VERY SLOW GROWING and you'll be able to store VERY LITTLE of it in the barn. Now, I think I'm doing better than I have been in a VERY LONG TIME, but I'm still not where I need to be.

But I'm so much farther along than I have been in the last 7 years! I've FINALLY started losing weight...I'm at my lowest weight since early 2016. I'm running better than I have since like fall of 2015! My swim is not great...I don't understand why but it's just not. I'm attributing it to a lack of upper body strength which is the most likely culprit. My bike is "fine"...but I REALLY need to put more time in the saddle. The hard part about bike training is that Dwayne REALLY does not want me riding anywhere except the Arsenal-that makes it nearly impossible to get good miles in. I do have a trainer, but it's a PAIN to take the back tire on and off...(excuses excuses...)

Well...I have one more month until race day! By this time a month from now I should be on the run (I better be on the run by now!). I'm so stinking excited!

Challenge Accepted...

Several weeks ago a couple of the kids I'm coaching challenged me to a duel...okay what actually happened is this...

One of them was training for the Huntsville Sprint Tri, the other one was training for that race as well as the Kids Fly Tri (a local kids triathlon I direct). They asked me if I was going to do the Sprint. I explained that I wasn't going to do it because my personal opinion is that race should be "reserved" for beginner/novice triathletes. It sells out pretty much every year so if "seasoned" triathletes flock to it, that doesn't leave spots open for first-timers who are maybe on the fence about signing up. I also prefer long SLOW races over short (pedal-to-the-floor) sprint races. At each training session they kept saying "Coach Dana, you should 'slow down' and do that race with us." I explained that I wouldn't be "slowing down" to race "with them"...I would have to speed WAY up to be "with them". Along the way it seemed they were spending more time fishing than training so I agreed to race them. I told them they should easily beat me so I made a deal with them-if I beat them they had to wash their mom's car! For the record they didn't accept those terms, but I did sign up.

I started training harder for all things sprint-snake swimming in the pool, fast transitions (including putting speed laces in my shoes), and I even practiced faster turns on my bike (I usually slow down quite a bit in turns). I coach these things but it's been a LONG TIME since I've raced a sprint, and I've only ever done one pool triathlon (my very first).

I was NERVOUS leading up to the race. I can't remember a time when I RACED an actual person (two people in this case). I have mentally set my sites on people in races trying to pass them, or I used to find out who was racing in my age group and I would have a goal of doing better than someone who was about my speed but they never knew that was my goal! I figured I would do the swim in about 9:15-9:30 based on paces I had been swimming (I predicted 10:00 when I registered). I figured I'd ride about 17mph with little/no wind. The run was truly a toss up. Some days I can run well, some days I can't. I was thinking I'd end up with about a 10:45ish pace. 

I was certain the boys would beat me on the swim-although they didn't seem to be swimming very well in terms of endurance. I was certain they would beat me in transitions because I was going to be riding with bike shoes whereas they would be in tennis shoes. They should have EASILY been able to beat me in the run, but they had not been running any distance so I wasn't sure what their endurance was going to look like. I was HIGHLY confident I would beat them on the bike because I have a fast bike, but I knew it wouldn't be enough to really make up for time I would lose on the swim and run --IF they put in time training, even just a little bit.

I picked up my packet on Friday and found out I was number 135 out of 400 (that seemed like a LOW number given my estimated time of 10:00 for a 400m swim). One of the boys was number 77 the other was like 153 or something like that. Interesting side note-the boy who was behind me put down 10:00 for his predicted swim finish time--that means A LOT of people predicted (guessed) 10:00. 

RACE MORNING

I woke up super early race morning and debated back and forth about eating breakfast. I typically workout fasted and don't eat until about 11ish. I was estimating a finish time of about 1:10-1:15. I usually workout longer than that so I decided not to eat breakfast (I think that was a mistake). I had packed my bag the night before so I just puttered around the house until it was time to go. I got to the race and set up my stuff and talked to friends until the boys got there. They got set up and we walked through all the transitions (swim in, bike out, bike in, run out). Last minute potty break, and I got in the shower to get my hair wet (so it wouldn't soak up as much chlorine). We listened to the pre-race announcements and then got in line. As we got in line my stomach started to GROWL! I had brought a pre-race Gu so I choked it down without water and told myself I would be fine.

This race sends swimmers in two at a time about every 6 seconds. The line moved really fast. There was a little girl of about 9 behind me with a man I learned was her coach. She is a fast swimmer and had a very low number but held herself back so she could be on the road with him for the bike. We ended up going in the water together so I moved her closer to the lane rope to give her a better line.

I've been training for IM70.3 Memphis since April, but my swim has been SLOW. Like SUPER SLOW. And I've had a VERY hard time swimming without fins. I actually went last week to have my iron checked because I really seem to get very short of breath swimming more than biking or running. Last week I practiced 400s in the tri kit I intended to wear and shockingly my times were faster than they had been, but still very slow. 400y (swimming short course) is the longest continuous swim I've done without rests in probably a few years! (I only did that because of this race). All that to say I fully expected to be one of those people hanging on the end of the pool to catch my breath. Instead, I actually swam the whole thing with two tiny little stops (only because of congestion in the water), and I passed A LOT of people. I did get passed by several people...including the boy who started after me that I was racing!! As he passed, on the last like 25m, he said "hey Coach Dana!!".

I was JUST behind him coming out of the water. I ran to my spot, put my sunglasses on, helmet on-snap, and bike shoes on...grabbed by bike and ran to the mount line. I wish I could do a flying mount, but I've never even tried to learn how. I used to start with my shoes on my bike already but I decided not to try that this time-since it's been so long I figured I'd lose time fiddling with my shoes vs just climbing on. I didn't realize it at the time, but saw it in the boys' dad's video-153 FLEW out of transition and did the most beautiful flying mount to get ahead of me on the bike!! So I was a little shocked to see him about 1/2 mile in when I passed him. He was on a slower bike so I told him to catch me on the run as I raced to try to see if I could catch his brother.

The course kind of makes a big square of right hand turns, but there's one little section where you make a left, right, left, right then left again to go down the wrong side of the road...then you turn around, come back up on the wrong side of the road...then move over to the correct side again. As I was headed to the U turn I saw 77... I yelled out "I'm coming for you!!" and I cranked it even harder!!

Coming into that turn around I made sure there wasn't anyone behind me (some people will try to pass in turns even though it can be dangerous, but I also knew I was going to slow down to make that U turn)...it was clear. I started slowing about the time I heard the volunteer say "watch the hole"...about that time my tire apparently hit that hole and I was going down-pretty much directly onto my hip (good thing that's the most padded part of my body!)! A police officer ran over to make sure I was okay. I was up and checking my bike-it was fine...I quickly checked to see if I was bleeding-I was not, and then after a few people I had passed earlier passed me I got back on and took off knowing that was probably going to hurt later. I passed several people and played leap-frog with a few people...I kept telling people I was passing "I'll see you later when you pass me on the run!" 

I came to the mount line and got stopped without incident, ran my bike in, racked my bike, helmet off, bike shoe off, bike shoe off...and proceeded to put my bike shoe BACK ON MY FOOT! LOL. This is why I preach "THINK about what you are going to do in transition before you get there!" My fastest transitions are always the ones I'm thinking about every move. I do NOT like my current running shoes. They are HARD to get on my feet. I bought new ones but since I had not been running in them I didn't want to start on race day. I got them on, grabbed my bib, my hat and a second Gu I had left in my hat and I took off. 

The run is where the rubber really meets the road. Did I push too hard on the swim and bike? How will I hold up on the run with only 2 Gus worth of nutrition? (It had only been about 35 minutes at that point so I didn't feel like lack of fuel was going to be a factor.) I realized that if I could hold about a 10:00 pace I would come in a little over an hour...but almost immediately I "had to" walk.

I truly don't think lack of fuel was the issue. I found out today my iron is actually looking good. I discussed with my hematologist how I feel when I try to push (like I just can not get enough air and like I'm just gassed)...she really believes it's related to my low T4/high TSH (thyroid). If she is right the increase my thyroid doctor just made SHOULD have a good impact on my performance. 🙏🏼🤞🏼 

I had talked to a guy earlier about the run...he LIED TO ME saying the greenway part would be in the shade...it was definitely NOT in the shade! But it was super nice to know I wasn't going to have to do two loops like the course used to be. It was also SUPER nice to be able to see 77 on his way back as I was on my way out...but he was looking STRONG. I "knew" there was no way I would catch him-I didn't. I saw 153 as I was on my way back (he was on the way out)...he looked like he was hurting (stomach/side cramps). I told him he was strong and he could catch me-he didn't.

I shifted my focus to the next person in front of me...I played leap frog with several people. One guy I passed on the bike was particularly memorable because he is a bigger guy wearing an orange tank top. As predicted, he passed me on the run (actually in transition because he was riding flat pedals and didn't have to change shoes in T2); he was just ahead of me at the turnaround. I laughed and said "see, I told you you'd pass me on the run!" He laughed as said something like "it won't stay that way" implying I would pass him eventually. I wasn't so sure, but I was trying.

I was playing leap frog with a 52 year old woman (age is on the left calf)...I couldn't see the number on her arm so I didn't know if I had started before or after her. In the last like 1/4-1/2 mile I passed her with orange shirt guy in my sites....about that time he turned around and jumped as if he had seen a bear chasing him...and he sped up accordingly!

I usually have a decent finish line kick. As hard as I pushed, I was certainly not feeling like I was really speeding up...and then I saw my honey pot at the finish line! I had seen him twice before (at the start and end of the bike course). Seeing him always gives me a boost...but it wasn't enough to pass orange shirt guy!

I finished in 1:07:32. 

Swim: 9:08
T1 1:20
Bike 24:15
T2 1:10
Run 31:38

Good enough for 2nd in my age group (out of 17), only 1:19 behind a really fast Ironman athlete...I found out later she hadn't trained at all but I was super stoked to be so close in time to her! I was 27th out of 93 females and 74th out of 272. Interestingly enough in my age group I came in 3rd for the swim, 5th for the bike, and 4th for the run. I came in 1st in T1 and 4th in T2....it's incredible that I came in 2nd in the age group. (First place came in 4th in the swim,  3rd in the bike and 2nd in the run.)

Overall I feel VERY good about how well I did. I can see a few things I could (should) have done better...

I should have eaten breakfast (although I really don't think it made a big difference)
I should have paid closer attention at the turn around to have avoided the hole (although I felt like I was paying CLOSE attention so I don't know...)
I should have maybe run in my new shoes-or my old ones (although that might have saved a few seconds on my T2 time, it might have hurt my run)
The main thing I should have done... focused harder on embracing discomfort on the run...I talked to a lot of people on the run (not conversation, but cheered). I think I could maybe have pushed harder, but who knows.

Before IM70.3 Memphis I need to move my aero bar pads-they are new and they are too close together to be comfortable. It wasn't a big deal for this race, but for a 70.3 it will be annoying. I'm REALLY looking forward to Memphis! I have FIFTY-FOUR DAYS to keep training! It will be here before I know it!