Mary Lou's Blog

February 7th, 2008 - "Forced rest is not fun"

Well, I met my first Nordic long race of the season a couple of weeks ago....The White Mountain Classic 30k in Jackson, NH. 

I hadn't been feeling great for weeks, but nothing seemed majorly wrong....just a little sinus congestion leftover from a little tiny "cold" that my adorable 1-year old niece gave to me during the Holidays.  (Those cute little bundles sure pack a lot of potency in their germs)!  Each week of training (mostly skiing, with some swimming and running), found me more exhausted and craving heavy doses of sleep!  So I arrived in Jackson, the day before the race, as team captain of Maine Nordic Ski Club's Women’s Masters’ Team.  A bunch of us stayed in a fantastic condo right on the course!  After an easy 1.5 hour ski on Friday to test my wax and check out terrain, I proceeded to cough for the next two hours.  Grrrrrrr!
Saturday would not be easy for me!  Fortunately, it was a gorgeous day, with remarkable conditions, and lots of ski buddies all around.  I wheezed and coughed my way around the course, deciding from the start that I'd just have to settle for going "easy". 

In the end, I won my age group by 1/2 hour, but was sorry to not have had the energy to race with the women that I'm generally competitive with.

A trip to the doc subsequently confirmed that I had pneumonia, and truly needed the rest.

Forced rest is not fun.  It's hard to do when you're accustomed to working out every day.  Especially difficult when you're sidelined in the middle of an awesome snow year!   But, I did take the time, slept and read a lot, and worked on learning to use Adobe Illustrator (harder than any Ironman)!  Slowly, I've been getting back out on the trails, finding that the rest has given me more energy, and time out has helped heal a long-time nagging glute/adductor issue.

What’s on the Front Burner

My immediate goal is to be healthy and ready for World Masters (Nordic Ski Championships).
This year, USA is hosting the event in McCall, Idaho.  MWC (Masters World Cup) is always a fun group of familiar (as well as new) faces from all over the world.  We compete in 5-year age groups that mirror triathlons.  I'm always amazed at the competition.... so many skiers in my division who were former one or two-time Olympians, and have dedicated their lives to Nordic skiing!   Since I grew up (near the
North Pole) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and didn't see a snowflake until I was in college (at University of
Georgia) skiing has been relatively new for me!  Yet, it is addictive!

I still consider snow and skiing a "novelty" in life.  And, if you're a Type A personality, you automatically have that "competitive" spirit for anything you try, so I guess that's why I caught on to ski racing.

So much for the swim-bike-run-ski thing this winter!  Skiing is intense, so the S/B/R pretty much went on the back burner.  But that's okay. 
Mentally, as well as physically, I needed a break from triathlon.  I just hope I can get my old body moving again once the snow melts!

I plan to race the Tri-ME races, as well as Mooseman Quarter, Tin Man at Tupper Lake, NY, and Chicago Tri (my daughter lives there and is interested in trying her first tri in the next year or so)!!!!

As one of the race organizers for the Rangeley ROMP, I'll try to jump into that one too, but we'll see how "organized" I am by race day (check it out on Tri-ME site)!

Then, there's Pumpkinman Half.

My main focus race for '08 will be Ironman Western Australia in early December.

As I mentioned, I'm taking a little breather from thinking about Ironman round the calendar/clock like I did last year before Kona, which was a bit overwhelming.

My plans for summer also include more kayaking and hiking, and a visit to my son in Seattle who always has a great adventure waiting in some breathtakingly beautiful place!  Oh, and my gardens that were sorely neglected last spring/summer.....  So much to do in life.......

Mary Lou

Q & A
December 27, 2008

Q:  What are you doing now to prepare for next year’s Tri-Maine races?
A:  First and foremost, I set my race schedule for '08. I set my target training goals based on key or 'A' races and frame my season around those goals. Currently, I have begun my overly busy Nordic ski season but will continue to swim/bike/run as my daily schedule allows. Triathlon is my primary sport, but it's nice to have some time away from the seriousness of it all. I enjoy keeping up with fitness in a different way....good for the mind and the body!  I also enjoy my ski training/racing buddies, many of whom cross over to the tri season.

Q:  When do you plan on signing up for 2008 races?
A:  As soon as they're open for registration since I already know my intended schedule. At the post-season party and Silent Auction, I won a prize that begets entry to three Tri-ME races. This should make it a bit easier to secure a spot into the notoriously fast-filling events.

Q:  What social events have you attended lately that involves other Tri-Maine athletes?
A:  Post-season Tri-ME awards gathering (GREAT party!!!!); monthly gathering/lecture/social at Peak Performance Multisport and Sunday morning group runs from Brunswick Multisport.

Q:  Being an experienced triathlete, how do Tri-Maine races compare to others you’ve done of the same distances?
A:  Extremely well organized with a nice flair for something unique....the venue, the course, pre and post-race activities or awards/swag, there is always something adventurous about Tri-ME races. I like that aspect a lot.

Q:  What was it like registering for PolarBear this past February?
A:  Piece of cake.  I became a sponsor of the event, in the name of Rangeley Lakes XC Ski Club and Rangeley Lakes Trails Center, which gave me an automatic entry! I did this for two reasons:  to support Tri-ME and RLXC/RLTC, and I wanted to be away skiing at sign-up time.

Winter Activity?
December 20, 2008

I tracked Mary Lou down playing in the white stuff up at Silver Star Resort, British Columbia. From her hotel she emailed us about the snow and AMAZING skiing they were having so early in the season. After a brief phone conversation, it was clear that she was having a great experience.  In true Mary Loy fashion, she casually asked, “Have you guys ever considered putting on a winter tri?  You know, skate ski – snowshoe run - classic ski…or maybe downhill ski and MTB?” Maybe next year....

Getting to know Mary Lou
December 19, 2008

Mary Lou has been with us for a few years now, competing in our events and performing at a high level.  In 2007, she was the top female in her age group and was a benchmark name when calling awards. In November of 2007, she tested her skills at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Mary Lou, with her amiable personality, and charismatic smile, is serious about her athletic endeavors. Her biography (on the right) has the complete list of races and achievements.

What this blog is about
December 19, 2008

Back on November 3rd at the annual Season Awards Party and Auction, Mary Lou placed the highest bid on the “Be a Tri-Maine Sponsored Athlete  For a Year.” This included a donation to The Bike Shop, Tri-Maine gear, and this blog.  We will be keeping tabs on Mary Lou’s whereabouts and s preparation for next year’s Tri-Maine races.