On Sunday, July 25, we rolled out of bed, strapped on our headlamps, and began getting ready for our ÖTILLÖ training session in Hanging Rock State Park. That's right...we rolled out of bed, not out of a sleeping bag. With a tent this large, we might as well have put a couple of queen-sized air mattresses inside...which is exactly what we did. We camp in style. It was nice to stay right inside that park as we were able to start before it even opened!
Our plan was to hit the trails no later than 6:00 am, but since it wasn't quite light enough, we got rolling about 15 minutes behind schedule. We wanted to take a couple of pictures, so we ran up to Hanging Rock, took a few pictures of the breathtaking view, and hung on a rock. I mean, it's called "Hanging Rock" you know! The trail system there is amazing and the rocky terrain was perfect training for Sweden, and for testing out our inov-8 shoes (They are awesome!) In fact, we couldn’t tell each other enough how awesome it was to train at Hanging Rock!
On our way back to camp to drop the camera, we ran by a few trail runners making the steep climb. One gentleman, seeing us all decked out in our swim caps, hydration pack, paddles and pull buoys strapped to our sides, asked "Are you ladies training for ÖTILLÖ?" Stunned by the question, we both came to a screeching halt...literally. We chatted with the stranger for a couple of minutes and he mentioned he had competed in the race last year with his son. How cool is that?! Ironically, Kristen read his blog just days earlier! What are the chances we would run into someone that had done the same race? What a small world! The gentleman's name is Jan Kriska. Check out his story!
After dropping the camera, we set out for our first swim of the day. The lake in the state park was pretty small, so we swam as many laps as we could in 20 minutes. Our new hydration pack is money...it is super light and we don't feel like there is someone trying to drown us when we are swimming with it!
After dropping the camera, we set out for our first swim of the day. The lake in the state park was pretty small, so we swam as many laps as we could in 20 minutes. Our new hydration pack is money...it is super light and we don't feel like there is someone trying to drown us when we are swimming with it!
For the next several hours we alternated running trails and swimming. Swimming got a little tricky after 9:30 am when the lifeguards arrived. Apparently the lake didn't "open for swimming" until 10:00 am, and there was a $5 fee. We then had to swim in the designated swim area, which was smaller and riddled with people whereas before we stayed just outside of the swim rope. We made it work, but it wasn't the most ideal training environment. Perhaps if we decide to train there again, we'll front load our training session with swimming before the "red shorts brigade" shows up for work.
We tested out some new gear, and worked on our nutrition plan, and talked a little about strategy for the race. We really like the Smartwool socks. They provide a little warmth, some cushion and dry out relatively well. We also really like the hydration pack. It is a lot easier to run and swim with than the one we used at White Lake. It is light, compact and has lots of pockets for which to store nutrition and our course map. We decided that since Jenny is the stronger runner, she will carry the hydration pack for at least 75% of the race. And more weight might help keep her a little warmer, as she seems to struggle with staying warm more than Kristen.
That said, this training session brought to light a couple of potential concerns. One of them is nutrition, specifically Jenny's nutrition. What works for her in a triathlon doesn't necessarily work for her running and swimming. She is finding it difficult to consume some of the same things running that she does on the bike during a triathlon. She is really going to have to nail this on our next training excursion. Caloric intake is important in a long race, but especially when that race is also in cold temperatures. Kristen on the other hand doesn’t seem to have any issues taking in calories. She is going to stick with Huma gels, a blend of baby food (grain and fruit), Skratch, and she’ll definitely being using what’s at the 9 aid stations throughout the course.
Speaking of cold, we are thinking of ordering gloves for the swim. We noticed that the female team that won ÖTILLÖ last year wore gloves. This is probably a good idea. When we were in Hanging this past weekend Jenny’s hands actually went numb right after our first swim. We did have cooler air temperatures, but with the water in the high 70s we decided that having gloves will save our hands in the 55 degree water in Sweden.
We have one training session left before we leave for Europe, and we will literally be attached at the hip for 8 hours this time. That should be an interesting and a fun adventure. Just under 4 weeks until our departure....until next time!
We tested out some new gear, and worked on our nutrition plan, and talked a little about strategy for the race. We really like the Smartwool socks. They provide a little warmth, some cushion and dry out relatively well. We also really like the hydration pack. It is a lot easier to run and swim with than the one we used at White Lake. It is light, compact and has lots of pockets for which to store nutrition and our course map. We decided that since Jenny is the stronger runner, she will carry the hydration pack for at least 75% of the race. And more weight might help keep her a little warmer, as she seems to struggle with staying warm more than Kristen.
That said, this training session brought to light a couple of potential concerns. One of them is nutrition, specifically Jenny's nutrition. What works for her in a triathlon doesn't necessarily work for her running and swimming. She is finding it difficult to consume some of the same things running that she does on the bike during a triathlon. She is really going to have to nail this on our next training excursion. Caloric intake is important in a long race, but especially when that race is also in cold temperatures. Kristen on the other hand doesn’t seem to have any issues taking in calories. She is going to stick with Huma gels, a blend of baby food (grain and fruit), Skratch, and she’ll definitely being using what’s at the 9 aid stations throughout the course.
Speaking of cold, we are thinking of ordering gloves for the swim. We noticed that the female team that won ÖTILLÖ last year wore gloves. This is probably a good idea. When we were in Hanging this past weekend Jenny’s hands actually went numb right after our first swim. We did have cooler air temperatures, but with the water in the high 70s we decided that having gloves will save our hands in the 55 degree water in Sweden.
We have one training session left before we leave for Europe, and we will literally be attached at the hip for 8 hours this time. That should be an interesting and a fun adventure. Just under 4 weeks until our departure....until next time!