Peaks to Portland: 2.4 Mile Swim to the Mainland

The last few weeks have been crazy...fun...a whirlwind of activity!

After spending a week in Vegas and San Diego for the From Fat to Finish Line documentary launch (more to come on that) I came home exhausted and ready to roll into this event. well, kind of...

I was feeling waaay under-trained for the 2.4 mile open ocean swim, Peaks to Portland, this year...having only done a handful of 2 mile swims in the weeks leading up to Saturday.

I did get to swim about 2 miles in La Jolla CA and whoa, that was cool. I've got an awesome story about THAT swim coming too...But anyway, back to Peaks. I knew if I just took it easy and swam steady, it would be a good day. ---> I also had my favorite guy who would be providing kayak support. From the moment I signed up for this event, I was SO excited to be doing this with him -- this gave me LOTS to look forward to!

The night before, sleep proved to be a challenge. Not due to race nerves or anything but simply being a Mom to Lola. I finally got some sleep around 2am so when my alarm sounded at 4:15 am, I barely heard it. Or wanted to. I shut the alarm off and fell back to sleep for a bit, finally getting up just before 5am. I am supposed to be at the ferry station to Peaks Island at 6am. Better hurry!!! I was tired. I was late. I was not thrilled.

I had prepped the kayak and packed up everything the night before and most of it was good to go. I wasn't feeling very hungry so I packed up some bananas, my go-to oatmeal Coach's Oats and Powerbar Simple Fruit in apple/lemon/orange with 2x caffeine. This flavor is awesome but I knew I would also need the extra boost of energy too!  I also knew there would be lots of down time between the ferry ride over to the Island and GO TIME>

going through the checklist 2 or 3 times...

The JennyB kayak. of course, it's in HOT PINK! 

FM and I hit the road 5 minutes AFTER 6am and got to the ferry terminal about 20 minutes later. When we arrived, the parking garage was full. Ooops!!

Current Mood at that moment:

you can see i am thrilled. good thing I had FM there to keep me grounded

 We unloaded the kayak and all of our gear and I went to find parking. I snagged the LAST spot in a pay lot a half mile down the road. Boom! I literally RAN in flip flops, my swim suit and a sundress from the lot back to the ferry lines. When I got there, I asked FM if he had the ferry tickets. Nope, they were still in the car. Sprinted BACK to the car and then BACK to the ferry. Yes, a 1.5 mile interval run would be a great warm up to the day. 

made it back to the ferry WITH the tickets in time! 

In reality, being late did not matter. Leaving the tickets didn't slow us down. The line to the ferry was still just standing there and they did not start loading until close to 7am. Soon we were on our way...and I was able to finally relax.

finally, time to board the ferry! 

We made our way to the top of the ferry where I found several of my friends, including Yvonne who was happily snacking on some yummy local donuts. I was still not hungry. The ride was quick as we chatted about the course, strategy and what a beautiful day it was going to be. We also chatted about the awesome Otillo style race Yvonne is completing next month...swim & run for MILES and MILES.

We made our way to the shoreline amid a mass of colorful kayaks and swimmers and prepped for the morning ahead. 

I was able to snack a bit and get mentally prepared. I was calm since I was not racing yet I was still a bit nervous about how my body would handle the swim. I had to take a year off of swimming due to an injury so I was curious how that would feel. I knew I would finish out of pure stubbornness alone, but still. I did not feel 100% prepared as I normally would for an event like this.

I put those doubts aside, sprayed myself down in TriSlide and got into my Blueseventy wetsuit. Donned my favorite TYR Special Ops goggles after a generous application of Foggies and it was into the water for a little warm up. 

post swim warm up, I was inspired by one of the athletes who would do this event with 1 leg.
I tried to get her to consider doing a triathlon or relay with rev3 in August! 

or should I say COLD UP. The water felt really, really cold. Reports stated that the temps were 61-63* but it felt REALLY cold...my face was fine in the water but my hands and feet were going numb. Normally I would just duct tape my feet up to prevent cuts on the shells, rocks and barnacles that cover the shore and the first 15 feet of shoreline into the water but this year I opted to try water shoes that I would just take off at some point. It seemed to work well...kind of. 

With AMR before lining up to GO.

It was close go time and I could see FM making his way to the kayak line. Our wave was gathering to line up and go thru the chute and into the water. I felt calm and ready to have a great swim. I was very happy to be there and glad we were able to make the ferry, despite my earlier feelings. I got to give one of my athletes a pre-race pep talk while we were lined up. It was going to be a good day. 



I was in the water and it did not feel as cold. I sighted my starting line and positioned myself at the front right of the wave. I could see FM and knew it would not take me long to reach his side. I stayed calm and was breathing easy as the wave was launched with a GO and a loud buzzer sounded. 

It was about 300 yards out to the kayak and we met up without issues. We were in the middle of the scrum at this point. We communicated our plan to get to clean water and it was executed perfectly. I was still swimming with the water shoes on for a while until FM said he thought they were slowing me down (which they were) so I took them off and handed them to him. Ahhh, much better. He continued to guide me with verbal cues and encouragement. He also said I was moving much faster without the shoes on!! 

It was so great to be out there, doing something I love with this amazing guy right there by my side. Every time I looked up, I was smiling. Literally. We had reached the Fort, which is kind of the half way point of the swim, and I was feeling very relaxed and pain free in my shoulder. The water had warmed up quite a bit, as well as my body! I wasn't feeling any mental or physical fatigue. GOOD GOOD GOOD stuff. I was starting to pass other swimmers and I was having a wonderful time. My heart was very happy. 

Before I knew it, we had reached sight of East End Beach and we maneuvered our way through boats and swimmers. I was struggling to see the course buoys and it was messing with my head. I kept asking where the buoys were and FM assured me that they were there and to just follow his lead. Finally, I could see the big orange buoy and hear the crowds cheering. Let's GO!!

In the final 1000m push my only goal was to pass this guy in an orange sleeved wetsuit, which I did so I considered the day a success right there. FM made his way to the beach in the kayak and I swam my way into shore!  I was out of the water and up the beach. All Smiles. I saw FM and my friend Yvonne on the sidelines cheering. I saw the clock at 1:26:xx and  was happy with that. I figured being undertrained and just getting back to swimming, I would be around 1:30 for this. Previous P2Ps and 2.4 miles swims I have done range from 1:07 to 1:19...but then I looked at my Garmin and saw 1:11 for a time (and a swim distance of 2.49) and I remembered

OHYEAH...wave starts. You did not take into considering the clock started with wave1 silly girl.

So my official time was 1:11:16

Garmin time 1:11:28 and 2.49 miles. I can't wait to load the data and see how far off the line I was with the extra distance. 

I stayed and cheered on friends. My athlete, AMR, who has been swimming her tail off all winter, PR'd this event by over 14 minutes. Her hard work in the pool dropped her times there and now in open water.

I had such a wonderful day filled with smiles. It was an absolute dream come true to race with my guy by my side. Such an incredible happiness. 

And now I am so ready to get back to ME. To training like an animal. To racing and chasing my dreams. To inspire others and help them find their finish lines. 

Thank you to all my friends and family who were able to provide financial support for this event - the YMCA is able to help so many in my community and their mission is so strong. Because of YOUR help, kids right in my town will have access to camp programs at the Y. Thank you!! 

A huge thank you to my incredible sponsors
Rev3 Tri - my second family and the best tri race series out there. 
Blueseventy - I could not ask for a more comfortable or faster wetsuit!
Powerbar - best gels ever. I love the new simple fruit!
SBR Sports Inc - I don't know what I would do without my Foggies and my TriSlide. 

Here is a supercool video FM put together about our day, making our way from Peaks Island to Portland's East End Beach. He did such a fabulous job as my kayak supporter - Thank you!! 

That Run? ROCKED

Today was my run day and I woke to cold temps and an arctic blast of air that left the earth covered in a lacy pattern of frost overnight. I had contemplated getting out super early (like dark o'thirty) with my headlamp and cold gear but opted to wait just a bit...and I am glad I did. I gained several degrees and some light. It was a beautiful morning, watching an orange sun rising to blue skies - then the winds picked up the clouds stated to make their way, turning the skies into a steel cold grey.

I love cold weather running...as long as I am in the right gear. Here is what today's essentials were:

My Rev3 Buff and a pair of fuzzy pink gloves:

i ditched the usual visor and opted for some extra coverage today (plus, it covers my ears!) as well as some gloves to not only keep my hands warm but to also wipe my nose as I tend to leak like a faucet on cold weather runs
----> does anyone else have this issue??What's your favorite solution.

After I posted on Instragram about using the gloves to wipe my nose, a friend tweeted me a link to these gloves

Zap Run Glove by SUGOI

"These gloves are wind resistant and warm, but it's the smallest details that make the biggest impact. The reflective design provides added safety during low light hours. Touchscreen compatibility makes it easy to use your phone. But my favorite aspect of the glove is that the thumb is made with a terry cloth material so you can comfortably wipe your nose on cold runs. Genius!" 
~Women's Running Magazine 

Then another friend messaged me on FB and told me her Craft gloves have the same feature; a soft "nose wiping surface". Now...I consider myself pretty UP and ON IT with all the swim/bike/run gear so WHY had I not heard of this amazing invention.
(yet another idea falls from my grasp...)

The other ESSENTIAL for any run is

TRISLIDE 
 )

I slick down the areas that are "HCR" {high chafe risk}like the "undercarriage" and where my heart rate strap sits... and in the years that I have been using this easy spray lubricant, I NEVER have issues. This is the ONLY thing I use, even for long bike rides....AHHHmazing stuff. 



UA Sports Bra "Still Gotta Have It"   

I've worn SO MANY sports bras over the years and this one by far is my favorite. Compression style, fantastic colors and styles (hello, they have a WONDER WOMAN one...) and it LASTS> with a good price tag to match ($25-30) 








BROOKS Glycerin 16 is what I am currently running in...I just got these direct from the fine folks at Brooks Running. I am liking these so far. Lightweight. Support. Bright colors. NO BLISTERS> I've done 3 runs so far and I am diggin' it...

NOW...for today's ROCKING PLAYLIST. I recently went to see Alice Cooper and Motley Crue so I have been on a 80's hair band kick lately (but let's be real, I am ALWAYS on an 80's kick...) Did I mention I also got to see VAN HALEN 2nd row this summer too?? Yeah, it's been a blast!!

Here's a few rare gems for you...me NOT in training gear or a visor, on our way to the show (with MY favorite rockstar!!)

 

I seriously adore this pic...

 Patiently waiting for the show to start, I had to snap the obligitory Motley Crue selfie.

 

Nikki Sixx killin it on stage

We also got to meet one of the opening bands, The Cringe. The front man is none other than John Cusimano, married to the queen of food tv, Rachel Ray. Here is a shot of me with the lead guitarist,
James Rotondi (who reminds me of Johnny Depp a bit).

so, here's a sample of some of the tunes that rocked my run today!




JUKEBOX HERO-Foreigner (1981)

 POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME- Def Leppard (1987)

 SCORPIONS- No One Like You (1982)

WHITESNAKE-In the Still of the Night (1987)

MOTLEY CRUE- Kickstart My Heart (1989)

VLOG: Let's Pick a Winner!

#snOMG has hit Maine so I thought this would be a perfect time to dust off the video recorder and pick a winner of the Injinji socks giveaway with Lola!

we wrote out each name for each valid comment on pink paper

and then cut each name into a tiny strip

then we folded each piece of paper 

and put them in a big red Tupperware bowl

Were YOU the lucky winner???

Shoot me an email at jsmall14(at)maine.rr.com and I'll get you hooked up with your socks!! 

Tri for a Cure Weekend & A Contest

Tri for a Cure has come and gone~



Tri for a Cure is a unique event that is a woman's only triathlon that raises money for the Maine Cancer Foundation. This year there were 1100 participants and they raised $1.2 million dollars for MCF!



this is my third year in a row at the event and each year I am so touched by the strength of the people at this race. Stories of survival, strength and courage and so many people racing in honor of those who did not survive the battle against cancer. It seems each year the "survivors" wave gets bigger and bigger...so many pink caps!




This year I was repping Rev 3 and SBR Sports, Inc. all weekend which was, of course, totally awesome.

Rev 3 and SheJAM's have joined forces at the Rev 3 Maine race to introduce an all woman's wave of the Olympic distance race, which is a fund raiser for Maine Cancer Foundation.

A Revolutionary All Women's Olympic Triathlon to Kick Cancer. REV3 sheJams Triathlon is a unique race that will be limited to 300 women. REV3 will bring a world class venue to Old Orchard Beach and allow us the opportunity to create a life changing experience for women who participate!

Anyone can compete, but all must raise $100 for the cause! We all know someone who has been touched by cancer. Come out and show your support by challenging yourself and raising money for cancer research, education and patient support programs through the Maine Cancer Foundation.

It was great to hear so much buzz about the Rev 3 Maine and SheJAM's race!

The calm before the storm...literally.
Saturday's clear skies turned into heavy rains come race day

Even those who were not ready to tackle an Olympic distance course were excited to volunteer (if you want to volunteer, please visit http://rev3tri.com/maine/volunteer-me/training/


Saturday was a day filled with chatting about the Maine race and TriSlide, TriSwim and Foggle! I had some wonderful helpers who love Rev 3 and SBR Sports just as much as I do!

training buddy, Marc happy to help!

the BFF rocking the Rev 3 R

I also got to meet one really cool chick this weekend! She introduced herself to me on Saturday at the Expo and said she read my blog (but never comments! ha ha).

Meet Megan!!
and her super cute Dad, Ted.
Loved these two-they reminded me a bit of me and my own Dad. He was there as race support for Megan and THAT in and of itself it total rock*star status for sure.

As soon as I arrived to the venue on Race Day, I saw Ted immediately and then found Megan. I was really glad I was able to give her some good luck mojo!! It was all very romantic, right at the Port-O-Potties to boot :) (Or green tombs of death as I like to call them...these were SO clean, especially for a TRIATHLON! ha ha)




Megan is a Mom, wife, runner and now she can add TRIATHLETE to that resume.
Tri for a Cure was her very first tri and she did amazing!!

She was 47th overall with a finish time of 1:29:13! She splashed out 12:09 1/3 mile swim, rocked a 48:53 bike split (for an 18.4mph avg) and killed that run with a 22:24 5k time (7:14 pace) Congratulations Megan!! I better see you registering for more and more triathlons now! I am looking forward to seeing you at Beach to Beacon next weekend (as you run past me!).

CAPTION CONTEST!
Want to win some cool stuff?
Wanna win a can of TriSlide and some foggle wipes?

The BEST caption for this photo wins. What determines the best? Who knows! Make it funny, make it serious, just make it memorable!
I may open up the best entries to voting.

Disclosure: the SBR Sports prize of TriSlide and Foggle is totally funded by me because I love this stuff and I am sure you will too!

Fitmas Gifts

Can you believe Christmas is next weekend??

I am done most of my shopping and I have just a few little things to pick up and I will be done! Now, to get it all wrapped up. I just love wrapping the gifts, I think it is my favorite part!!

I wanted to put together a list of simple and inexpensive Holiday gift ideas for the fit person in your life or maybe even for you. Or me. I love all of these things and I think you will too!

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For the Triathlete/Runner/Cyclist in your life:

TriSlide

From SBR Sports, Inc

I discovered this little gem this summer and there are no more stick glides in my life anymore. So easy to use, no chafing and gets that wetsuit off in record time! Plus it's a great anti-chafing spray to use for running (goodbye chub-rub!), on your feet or on your bra line.
Definitely a multitasking spray not limited to wet suit use.

The Venus Spa Breeze razor
From Gillette

Dudes (legs only please) and chiks will LOVE this razor!!
The lubricating edges guarantee a smooth shave and the way the head flexes on the contours of the leg. No razor nicks or cuts.
 
 
 
 

Balega Enduro Socks
From Balega
 
No blisters, they last forever and just all around comfy!!
Pick up a couple pairs-the perfect stocking stuffer!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

Foggle wipes

From SBR Sports, Inc.

 

Another winner from SBR. Use these on your swim goggles before a swim, on your glasses before a ride or run (or anytime you head out) and you will be clear from the fog! Not only do they apply an anti-fog to your lens but they clean them as well. Double win!!
Each wipe can be used multiple times so they last a long time. I keep a couple stashed in my swim bag, on my bike and in my car.
 
 
 
 

The Sufferfest Cycling videos

 

 

 

 

You gotta love the company's motto "I will beat my ass today to kick yours tomorrow"

#IWBMATTKYT

Seriously, best line ever! and they keep their promise. With workouts named "A Very Dark Place", "Downward Spiral" and "The Hunted" you can be sure you are getting your money's worth. Make sure you have a towel and bucket ready.

Bonus: The price is actually quite low ($11.99) compared to some other indoor cycling videos I have seen. 

 

Tough Chik Visor

From Tough Chik

 

I have two. Black and hot pink.

I need four.

 

I'll wear the dry one while the wet one gets washed or it hangs to dry. SERIOUSLY.

 

I actually have three visors in active rotation right now (Tough Chik black, Tough Chik pink and Rev 3 Quassy).

 

 

I babied my pink one for weeks, I wanted to keep it my "dressy visor" (did I just write that?? yup, I did). The Tough Chik visor is also loaded with good mojo. They don't advertise this on the site, but it's true. I wore one for every single race this season. GOOD MOJO

I love HeadSweats hats and visors-the quality is A+ yet they are so easy to care for. Just toss it into the washing machine and they come out looking brand new. They keep the sweat out of your eyes but keep your head open to the air for killer ventilation on hot days. Grab one of the active gal in your life.

Not a visor kind of gal?

well you can't go wrong with a tee shirt from Tough Chik!!

 

 

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Family Fun and Fitness

 

Flickin' Chicken

From Haywire Group

available on Amazon.com

 

Want to have some active family fun and laugh hysterically? Flickin' Chicken is the perfect way to get the family together for some fun.

The object is to land your chicken on the target in the least amount of throws. Think golf with rubber chickens...yes, hilarious! The chickens bounce and roll so it's a lot harder than it appears.

Lola and I have had SOOO much fun playing this game all summer and now, we brought it indoors for the cold weather. She makes up her own rules and we always have a blast.

Flickin' Chicken was nominated for The Outdoor Toy of the Year in 2011.

 

 

Make Your Own Medal Hanger!

I came across this post from Lauren at {Sweat Junkie} where she purchased some pretty and funky knobs and made her own medal hanger!!

I thought this was such a brilliant idea and what racer would not want to hang their bling from a hanger that was made by their loved ones?? I know that if little miss Lola made me one, I would treasure it always (hint hint!!)

Also, what a fun family project to do together. This is really a win/win.

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed my list of Fitmas ideas!!

 

What is sitting at the top of YOUR wish list??