Ironman Lake Placid.

I guess number 4 is my favorite number. That's the place in Ironman where I finished most. Let see: Ironman Arizona 2005 and 2008, Ironman Austria 2008, Ironman Florida 2006 and now Ironman Lake Placid 2009 again 4th place. But in my case I am pretty happy with my results. I wasn't sure if will able to go through marathon. The problem was, that I got injured 10 days before the Ironman. It was a foot injury, which caused a knee pain. I've tried to get well before the race, but there was not enough time. Thanks Trigger point and Cassidy, who took care of my injured leg two days before the Ironman, it really helped a lot. 

The swim and bike passe very well, I felt very confident on the bike, although I didn't expect such a hilly course. Finally I learned how to use a Power Tap and download to my computer. I had 178 W. average and 86 cadence and 50.33 ml/h on the dissent hill :)   

I still wasn't sure about my run, but the first loop felt surprisingly good. I guess it was adrenalin I got from running behind the mountain bike with a sign on it "3d woman". By the time Caitlin Snow passed me I was a bit broken. Then I got some other problems except keeling pain from knee and the foot, like diarrhea and dehydration at the end. So, I spent a few hours in the medical tent after my finish. In spite my troubles during a marathon run, 4th place is good, right??? :) I want to say spacial thank you to Cassidy (Trigger Point Therapy), to Tristan (team Timex manager),  to Larry ( photographer) to the guys, who helped me out at the medical tent for all your help and support.

Ukrainian and Europian races.

It took me a while to recover from Strongman triathlon. Mostly I was tired from too much traveling last month. In two weeks after Japan I had Ukrainian team relay championship and Ukrainian cup on a sprint distance. It was still cold in our east Europian countries and we had to swim in the swimming pool at first day of the race. The competitions were divided in 3 days: next day after swimming race we had to do sprint distance (bike+run) and the last day of the event we did team relay super sprint (bike+run). During the swim meet I started feel tooth pain, I just fixed one a few days before the race. I could handle the pain during the day, but at night..... I think it was worst night in my life so far. Next morning my coach drove me to a hospital where I had a surgery in my mouth . I started feel better after that, although I couldn't compete in that same day. But next day I did a super sprint and did it pretty well, as a team we got second place. After I came home I finaly had a time to train without traveling and racing for a next, at least, 3 weeks. But my health wasn't good on 100 % after taking antibiotics for the mouth healing.

           

 I got well before my next triathlon race, which was in Senec, Slovakia.

 I had a crazy idea (as usualy:)) I wanted to do 2 races in one weekend. It's okay if it 2 sprints, or sprint and Olympic distance race, but I figured out it's not that good when you do one sprint triathlon in one country, then drive 200 km to another country, then sleep in a tent and when do Half Ironman next morning..... Not the best idea. Anyway I did good at sprint distance  and I actually felt okay next day during the swim and run, but on the bike I found out that my saddle is too low and the shifter doesn't work well (after trasporting the bike in a car). I still finished though and it was Ironman 70.3 in St. Polten. 

For some reason I started loosing a motivation to train, I guess I just were tired and I still had two more races ahead of me before I could take a small brake: Olympic and super sprint triathlon in Ukraine and half distance race in Poland. Didn't feel good during Ukrainian races, but triathlon in Poland came out very well in spite of unlucky trip to this east Euripian country ( We had some troubles crossing a border in minivan with a stranger driver. It's a long story and not very funny). But even with all not very nice moments it was a good journey , we had Ukrainian team in Poland, included Viktor Zyemtsev, two new in Long course triathlon athletes: Anton Blohin and Galina Makedon and one more guy from west of Ukraine. So, it was fun and all of us had a good race: 1st and 2d female overal; 1st, 2d and 10th overal male.(results)

And right now I am back to US, training and preparing for the second part of my season and Ironman races.

All Japan triathlon, Strongman.

Finally,one of my dreams came true, I went to Japan. After Ironman Florida last year I was invited to Japan to do the race, Strongman. I heard about this event from our team mate in past, Andrey Yastrebov several years ago and since when I wanted to do this race one year. So, I was really excited about this coming opurtunity. A first race of the season always makes me nervous. 3 months of winter preparation are back and I went to Japan, still couldn't beleive in it. But I was there and I've done the first race of my 2009 season. It was a wonderful week on a beautiful Island, Miyako, which reminded me a bit of Kona with it's green plants and tropical climate. Even with a rainy and windy, most of the time, weather I've got just warm memories about nice and welcome people, unbeleivably tasty Japanese food and of course about an atmosphere of the this, very importent for Miyako people event. I think Strongman triathlon is in my Top 5 best organised triathlons. That just describes one more time how well Japanese people work. The weather at the race morning was windy and worm with some clouds, but the water was flat. It was one loop swim course, one and a half loop bike course around Miyako (Miyako is a small Island) and one loop for marathon run, not really a loop, just the way out and back. The swim came out as I planed, time wise, I plan to do it around 45 min (it's 3 km), I felt pretty good on the bike, espacially first 40 km with a tail wind;) But at the beginning of marathon I felt that wind took some energy from me on the bike. I was confused in bike-run transition area about my place, so I thought I have to catch girls ahead of me: 5 and 10 min (it's a big gap). But I was ready to chase them. I didn't know that I am already leading after 70th km on the bike and I have a gap on them 5 and 10 min. I have to learn some Japanese words if I want to come back again :) All way out on the run was a head wind and first 10 km I thought that I am not going to make it, but I started feel better after turn around and I save my lead till the finish line. Even with all attention to me and inteviews after finish I still wasn't sure that I won, so I kept asking a translator: What place am I? They thought it's a joke. :) It was a good beginning of 2009 season. Hope to continue as I started.