2013 Esprit de She Naperville triathlon recap

Warning: The first half of this recap is going to be pretty whiney. It gets better.

I crossed the finish line at the Esprit de She triathlon in Naperville on Sunday. My day started early at 4:15am. Transition opened at 5am and closed at 6:45am.

I arrived early to ensure I got a nearby parking spot. I was able to check out the set up and race course the day prior because there was no race day packet pickup (minus). Chicago area participants had to travel out to Naperville two days in a row. My wave was not scheduled to start until 8:17am. It was a long wait. I sat at a picnic table with a friend who also finished the race. We watched 19 waves start before us.

The swim: Awful. Centennial Beach is exactly what I expected, a giant pool with sand.

There is a graduated depth from the beach to about 5 feet, and then it drops off like a cliff to 15 feet. I walked the graduated portion and muddled my way through the deep end. I felt restricted in my wetsuit, but I was glad I wore it because I relied heavily on its buoyancy. My heart rate skyrocketed shortly after I hit the water. Less than halfway through the course my chest was burning. I switched between a loose interpretation of freestyle, breast stroke and the old trusty doggy paddle the entire 800 meters. I was so disappointed with the swim. It put me in a terrible mood to start to bike portion.

The bike: How is it possible that a loop course can feel like an incline the entire route? At some point I had to be going back downhill, right? The 14.2 mile course was two loops. The first loop was rough. I was still beating myself up from the swim. I forgot my water bottle. My lips were so dry. I did not like sharing the road with vehicles for a portion of the route, the exhaust was bothersome. My arms and shoulders ached. I really wished I had some aero bars to rest my elbows. The second loop is when I started to feel better, I knew what to expect, but I could not wait to get off that damn bike and run.

The run: I was so excited to dismount and put my feet on the ground. The 5K run course was more relaxing than anything. The first mile marker came and went quickly. It’s hard when you know you are so close, but you cannot see the finish line. I usually sprint once I see the finish. I did not this race. I had nothing left in me to give! My friends were cheering at the finish line which was so nice and gave me a much needed boost.

Looking at these photos, I’m amazed at how composed I look because I really wanted to quit and crawl into bed.

The race was very well organized with tons of helpful volunteers. The medal and race swag was primo. It was just not my best race. I was however happy with my time, sub 2:30. I’m registered for the Chicago tri in August. I have focus on finding a more comfortable wetsuit if I plan to survive that race. There is no shallow area of the lake on that swim course. The day after the race, I was surprised how well I felt. As emotionally draining as it was, I definitely felt better physically than I have after finishing a half marathon. I only had a little soreness in my shoulders. The tendonitis is my right foot did not flare up at all. This was my first experience with this distance triathlon. I’m confident future races will get better if I just stick with it.

Upcoming race: Esprit de She Triathlon in Naperville

This Sunday I plan to finish my second triathlon, the Esprit de She in Naperville, Illinois. The race consists of a .5 mile swim, 14 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run. Which is twice the distance of my first triathlon. I’m pretty anxious. I’ve been swimming throughout the winter and I feel very comfortable in the water. I’ve been running. But I haven’t been biking really. I’ve gotten in two rides. A 6 miler a few weeks ago and a 10 miler last Saturday. That ride was followed by a 1 mile run. I felt fine during the ride and got through that awkward feeling of the transition from biking to running. But post workout- I was zonked. Just thinking about adding a half mile swim to that makes me nervous.

I got some video at my last day in the pool. I was tired that evening and it showed! It has not been warm enough to get in any open water swimming, so pool training will have to do. The greatest difference between this race and my last is that I did the majority of my swim training in the lake. The Esprit de She swim portion is held in a man-made lake. So I expect it to be a cross between a pool and open water.


Breaststroke: I feel this stroke takes a lot of energy and that I move very slowly through the water. Arm leg coordination is crucial for this stroke. It's more effort than it's worth in my opinion.
Backstroke: This is my strongest stroke. Once I get over the fact that water will unpredictably run over my face, I can move quickly. My weakness is keeping my legs at the surface. They tend to drop.
Freestyle: This stroke is most comfortable for me. I'm not very efficient though. My arm tends to hang out in the air a few seconds as I'm pulling it out of the water to take a breath.

Per usual I will move at my own pace. I do not have a time goal other than to finish before the race time limit, three hours. I’m taking it easy this week; focusing on hydrating to avoid the wonderful calf cramps I tend to get while swimming. I’m visualizing crossing the finish line and getting my medal!

2013 Bay to Breakers 12K recap

I finished Bay to Breakers in San Francisco one week ago. I know I am terribly late sharing the experience!

First of all, San Francisco is a beautiful city. I spent the day before the race with my sister (who also ran the race) and her kids walking the piers along the bay. We took a boat tour to view the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.

Secondly, Bay to Breakers is bananas! Runners are encouraged to wear costumes. If you don’t want to wear a costume, you can always just go nude. I saw way more fannies than I needed to so early in the morning. There were also plenty of people who had obviously been up all night drinking before the race.


The course is amazing. It starts near the bay and ends at Ocean Beach. We made our way through beautiful homes and parks. There was a massive hill at about mile 3. I walked the hills. I took advantage of the downhill slopes and jogged until I hit the next hill. Because of the incredible amount of distraction from runner costumes, the race went very quickly for me. I finished sub 2:00, but it definitely did not feel like I was out there that long. Bay to Breakers is more of a parade than an actual race. There were ‘serious’ runners out there just like us. But for most part, it was just about having a good time. I had couple of gripes though. There was no post race grub (bananas, bagels, etc.) only coconut water, and the race t-shirt is cotton. You could get a tech tee for an additional $30. I've done smaller races that offered much more. I would do the race again in a few years after the visual traumatization of this year’s race has worn off.

Koss FitClips Review

I wrapped up my training for Bay to Breakers and pulled out my bike for the first time this year in preparation for the Espirt de She. For my past few workouts I've been using my Koss FitClips headphones.


A few things I really like about this product:

• Great sound quality (my sister thinks they are perfect for listening to gangsta' rap - lots of bass)



• Flexible material helps the headphones stay in place

• Ear cushions block out ambient noise (saves your ears from having to crank the volume up too loud)

Bay to Breakers is this weekend! I'll be jamming through 7.46 miles with these babies this Sunday. Race recap soon to come.

Koss Fit Series launch event with Dara Torres

I traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Wednesday for the Koss launch of their newest product line, Fit Series with Olympic gold medalist swimmer, Dara Torres. The new line includes Fit Clips and Fit Buds. It is the first headphone series ever designed for women by women. I was very excited to have an opportunity to participate in the event with several other FitFluential bloggers. I have been working hard on my swimming skills over the winter and spring and was excited about meeting a true professional swimmer – Dara!

Just a few FitFluential bloggers (L to R): Nicole of Apples and Arteries, Tina of Carrots 'n Cake, Sarah of Skinny Runner and Veronica of Anatomy of a Gastroenterologist





What I didn’t know and learned from talking with founder John C. Koss is that Koss is the manufacture and inventor of the world’s first SP/3 stereophone created in 1958. The design was inspired by headphones worn by pilots. Photo by Tina



Michael J. Koss (President and CEO) and Dara Torres introduced the product to the media at Elite Sports Center. We were then lead to spin bikes for a workout using Koss Fit Clips.





This was my first spin class, and I think I’m addicted! The class started off with a pretty intense hill climb (butt off the seat in high gear) but got more enjoyable with plenty of hill/flat intervals. I can truly feel the burn today. The nice thing about Fit Clips is of course that they hook onto your ears. Also, the hooks are flexible. I own another brand with firm hooks that leave my ears a bit sore after prolonged use. The Fit Clips fit snuggly in my ear, and I didn’t fidget with them at all during the class. Both the Fit Clips and Fit Buds come with three size ear buds to switch out for a perfect fit.

Post workout we had an opportunity to chat with Dara about spinning, swimming, and staying active as we get older among many things. Dara is 46, and she’s got a rocking body. I asked her about suggestions for adult beginner swimmers. Her response was to “Listen to your body.” She went on the say that as we get older it does take longer to recover, and that’s o.k. Rest days are a must, and help improve overall performance. I’m definitely feeling the effects of getting older and trying to remain active just in the past 5 years! She also suggested joining a Masters swim class for the structure and the support of other swimmers. Dara is taking a break from swimming now, but she will be back in the game for sure. To stay in shape she loves to spin and typically fits in a run at least once per week.





Would you like to try the Koss Fit Series line? I have a discount code for you! Get free shipping and save $5 on purchases made at Koss.com by using the discount code Fit4Life at checkout. This campaign was sponsored by Koss through FitFluential. Fit Series is also available at Walmart. So, I know Fit Clips work great in the gym. I’ll get in an outdoor run with the Fit Clips this weekend and share my review soon!

2013 The Race That's Good for Life 5K recap

I finished The Race That's Good for Life 5K in Oak Park this Sunday. I'm loving short races lately! I once again decided to participate in the Clydesdale/Athena category which required me to get on a scale at the race and weigh in. I've been avoiding scales. Mine is collecting dust.

The races started with the youth mile dash which was a blast to watch. The winner finished in sub 5 minutes! During my race I stuck to my 5 minute run 1 minute walk routine. I finished sub 39 minutes, and 5th in my weight category (there were only awards for 1st through 3rd place, boo.) The women's and men's races are separate, so I was also able to see the men's winner who finished in 15 minutes. The race was on time and well organized as usual.

I realize how far I've come since I ran this race in 2009. In 2009 I was still on the course when the men's race started. So I was excited to have finished beforehand this year. Also, I didn't know anyone at the race then, and this year I saw quite a few people I've met through running.



I think I will make this race a yearly tradition for myself. It's reasonably priced, easy to get to, and fun!

Upcoming race: The Race That’s Good for Life 5K

I’ll be running The Race That’s Good for Life 5K in Oak Park this weekend. This was my first 5K in 2009. I even won an award by placing 3rd in the Athena category. It’s a neighborhood race that winds through beautiful homes and small parks. I registered for this race on a whim. Until a couple of weeks ago I forgot that I signed up. With all the races I’ve participated in since this one, I’m interested to see how this year will compare. With the exception of the Lung Run, I rarely repeat races because I like to try new routes and locations to keep my running interesting. I’ll have a full race report as to how this year compares to 2009.