My Training Adventures

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T18:30:00.002-06:00

I haven't updated in a while although I will admit there have been times I've had thoughts about posts I needed to do. So, with the new year, I thought I'd post a bunch of random thoughts. Hopefully my year won't be so random.

2011 In Review

In looking at my workout logs for 2011, I have done the following:
Biked 748.02 miles in 7 hours, 23 minutes and 11 seconds
Run 1185.3 miles in 211 hours,12 minutes and 42 seconds
Swam 30,334.03 yards in 11 hours, 23 minutes and 11 seconds
Strength Training for 9 hours 20 minutes
Adventure Racing for 4 hours
Hiking for 1 hour 25 minutes
Massage for 5 hours 30 minutes (clearly not enough!)
P90X for 24 hours 15 minutes
Paddle board for 1 hour
Race Volunteering for 9 hours
Snorkeling for 45 minutes
Stretching for 30 minutes (ok,I stretched more but didn't log it)
Surfing for 1 hour 45 minutes
Walking for 6 hours 18 minutes and 21 seconds
Yard Work for 3 hours
Yoga for 26 hours 15 minutes

Clearly my focus of the year was on running. In fact, my run total for the year was about 100 miles more than the year before when I did IMFL. It will be interesting to see where my numbers fall this year in training for IMAZ. The swim and bike miles will definitely be more than 2011, but ideally they will also be more than 2010. I still need to finalize my race schedule for this year and determine what I need to do to make sure I am where I want to be in November.

Houston Marathon 2013

A few weeks ago we were in Houston for a volleyball tournament and my Aunt came by to watch Madison play. While there, she was saying that she wants to do the Houston marathon in 2013 and she wants me to do it with her. The Houston marathon was her first (and I believe only) marathon. The 2013 marathon will be 25 years since she did Houston and she'd like to run it. The only problem is that Houston has gone to a lottery system for entry. I'm more than willing to run it with her. We just need to figure out how to get both of us in.

Hectic Schedules

Speaking of volleyball, Madison's volleyball schedule this spring is a little more intense than it has been the past 2 years. Combine that with Dalton's soccer (which will also be more intense) and Yikes! It will be hard to fit my training in, especially the cycling, so I need to figure out a way to do it. Maybe I'll be taking my bike and trainer to some of the tournaments.

More Outside Workouts

Speaking of cycling. One thing that went through my mind after Ironman Florida was that I would have liked to have done more of my cycling workouts outside. Due to time contstraints, safety, and weather, I did a lot of the weekly workouts on the trainer. The long rides were generally outside, but not the shorter workouts. I'd like to change that this year. AND, I really need to start ramping up the cycling now. December was a good start, but I need to get outside and do some longer rides when I have the chance.

Swimming

I've also been back in the pool a little bit in December. I don't feel like I've lost a lot of fitness there, but I do still feel like I have a lot of room to improve. I'd really like to get faster so that I can get out of the cold water in Arizona as fast as I can. I am considering taking a semi-private lesson with a local pro.

Getting Organized

Another thing I really want to do this year is get more organized and stay that way. I spent a couple of days of my time off over Christmas cleaning and organizing. I went through the filing cabinet in the office and pulled old bills (some from 2009). I organized stacks by years and shredded what could be shredded (LOTS). I am finally going to bite the bullet and get organized with paying bills online and am really wanting to scan documents as well. The less paper I have in my house the better in my opinion.

I'm also trying to minimalize somewhat. I've read a couple of books on minimalist living. I don't think I'm one that can take that to extreme (by only having two towels per family member for example), but I do believe that I keep too much stuff and can stand to get rid of some of it. I've already got a few stacks of clothes and stuff. Some I am donating to a friend for a garage sale, some we took to Goodwill and the rest I am going to try to sell on Craig's List or eBay. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to sell some of my books that I know I will not read again. If anyone has suggestions, let me know.

Better Eating

As always, I would also like to try to eat healthier this year. I already eat pretty healthy since I am a vegetarian, but I still have my downfalls. I try not to eat out at lunch very much, but sometimes a lack of preparation means eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a couple of times a week. While not entirely bad, it gets old. I need to find some good recipes that will provide good, healthy leftovers.

Well, those are some of my random thoughts for now. I will try to post a little bit more in the coming year to keep you informed about my training and how I'm doing with staying organized.

Happy New Year!

Another Ironman Is In My Future

2011-11-27T18:03:00.003-06:00

A while back a friend of mine emailed me and said she'd love to do a destination event with me soon. I thought it would be fun and we started talking about what race we could do. She had also been thinking of doing an Ironman and then we found out a large group of folks we know from here were planning on signing up for Ironman Arizona 2012.....and so the wheels started turning.

We decided that we would do IMAZ 2012 together and began to make plans. The first step in the process was making plans to go out to IMAZ this year to volunteer and guarantee we would have a spot.

On November 19th, that process began as weheaded out to Tempe. Once in Tempe, I headed over to the pro panel at the race site. Another friend of mine was racing this year. She is in the Army and was racing as part of the Team Red, White and Blue. This group of folks is raising awareness and raising money to help wounded veterans. One of the pros is an ambassador of Team RWB and would be speaking at the pro panel. I went to meet my friend there and listen to the expert advice of the pros. It was actually kind of interesting as many of the pros said that during the off season they would be enjoying their choice of acoholic beverage and some chocolate. Now that's my kind of athlete.

After checking out the race site (swim course, transition area, etc), it was time to grab a quick bite to eat. There was also an author there who wrote a book called You Are An Ironman. The book is about 6 average age groupers and their journey to Ironman Arizona 2009. The author was there as were several of the folks he wrote about. I got the book and then listened to their Q&A session and then got some autographs as well. There was also a gathering of triathletes at one of the big triathlon stores in town. Lots of the pros were hanging around there and I got a couple more autographs. After that it was time to settle in, relax, and enjoy dinner.

Saturday morning it was time to get up fairly early because I wanted to run part of the run course. I got in about three miles before needing to head to the volunteer meeting to meet the captains for our aid station on Sunday. After that it was time to grab some lunch and then head to a lunch gathering for Team RWB, where I got a shirt so that I could support them during the race. I talked to my friend about possibly joining Team RWB and raising money for them next year. I wished the races good luck and we headed on our way.

Sunday was a long day. We were up early and at the race start to watch the swim begin. We hung around until we saw Brittany come out of the water and then grabbed some breakfast before heading to the run aid station where we were volunteering. We would be helping to set up the aid station and then stay for a little bit of the next shift to hand out nutrition to the athletes as they came through. The good thing about being there so early was that we would see the pros as they came through on their run. It was really neat to see that first pro coming down the path. I got to hand water to several of the pros and got some good pics as well. My friend Selene enjoyed volunteering as well, and her sister and future brother-in-law even jumped in to help. It was lots of fun, but can be very tiring, especially as the day got warmer.

After volunteering at the shift it was time to grab some food and do a little relaxing since we had plans to be at the finish line until midnight. We opted for a late dinner and then headed to the finish line for the last couple of hours. The finish line at that time of the evening is a pretty fun, festive, emotional and inspiring time. I wanted to Selene to see that and get excited about signing up the next day. The last official finisher came through with about 2 seconds to spare in the 17 hour time limit. Wow!

Monday morning it was up early again to head back down to the race area to get in line for to sign up. Volunteers get to sign up first and we were about 30-40 people back in line. It's a good thing we got there early because that line continued to grow and grow and grow. Registration opened a little early and before we knew it, we were standing in front of the volunteer giving them our information. We got the registration done and took our picture with our little piece of paper confirming our entry for next year.

After I registered for Florida, I walked out of the tent and thought to myself "what did I just do". I was excited and nervous and unsure of what the year ahead of me had in store for me. This time, I didn't really feel that way. It's weird in a way. I'm not really nervous about doing an Ironman. I know what kind of training I will have to do and I know what it takes to get it done. The thing that makes me most nervous is the temperature of Tempe Town Lake where the swim will take place. This year the temperature was 61 degrees. Even with a full wetsuit, I know that I will be freezing cold in that. Somehow in the next year I need to figure out how to get use to being in cold water for an hour to hour and a half.

For now, I'm still working out on my own schedule based on what I feel like doing. I do have plans to get back in the pool at least once a week and I've been doing trainer rides more frequently as well. I need to sit down and look at my race schedule for next year and see what I can fit in between the kids' volleyball and soccer tournaments. Specific Ironman training won't begin again until the end of April, but you can be sure I will be building that base before then.

It should be a fun year........

Susan G Komen Race For The Cure 5k

2011-11-27T17:45:00.002-06:00

Just like every year (except 2010 when it conflicted with Ironman Florida), I signed up to do the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. I wasn't really trained to "race" it this year so I knew I wouldn't get a PR, but I was somewhat surprised at the results.

The race use to be downtown and then moved north for a few years. This year it moved back downtown. In looking at the map, I guessed that the first half would be fairly fast with a slight downhill and then the last half would be slower with a more uphill course. I forgot how hilly downtown is and was wrong. The first half of the course has more uphill than I thought.

It turns out I probably started out too fast for the hills, but I hung in there and got it done.

Mile 1: 8:32
Mile 2: 8:57
Mile 3: 9:08
last .1: 53:65 seconds

My final time was 27:28 for an overall pace of 8:48. I ended up 376 out of 1289 who were chip timed that day, 137/764 females and 13/85 in my age group.

It was a great day and it felt good to be racing again.

The 2011 Chicago Marathon

2011-10-24T19:27:00.013-05:00

Race morning I woke up at 5:00am. I probably could have slept later with how close I was to the start, but I would rather be early than rushed. I had taken two different outfits as possible race outfits - a cute pink one with a running skirt and the standard shorts/tank that I had worn for most of my long runs. Since I had only worn the skirt for a 12 miler, I made a quick race morning decision to skip the cuteness and go for tried and true.

I got dressed, ate my breakfast and checked the temps. The weather was warmer than I had hoped for and I knew I'd be fine once I got going, but the decision was whether to start with arm warmers or not. I had a trash bag with me to use for warmth before the race, so I decided not to mess with arm warmers. I knew I would shed them fast and didn't want to have to carry them for most of the race. I grabbed a water, grabbed my trash bag and headed to the race start.

The morning was beautiful and seeing the sun rise over the city was a sight to see. I have to admit that I stole a few of the pics below from the facebook album of a friend of mine who also did the race. Thanks JCP.

I found the port a potties, did my business and hung out for a bit before enterring the coral. About 30 minutes before the race start I enterred the coral and found a vacant spot on the curb to hang out.

Finally it was time for the national anthem and then we were off. With over 35,000 runners, it took me over 10 minutes to get to the start line. I shed the trash bag just before crossing the start. At first I was a little bit chilled, but very shortly we went under a bridge that seemed more like a tunnel and I was extremely glad I had decided to leave the arm warmers in the room. It was muggy and warm through that bridge and I knew from there on I would not be cold again.

I hit mile 1 and saw a 9:54. I was happy with that. I figured it might be a tad fast overall, but it was slower than my first mile usually is. I usually get sucked in with all the excitement and have to slow my pace down. The crowd here was good for me in that it helped hold me back.

I was able to hold a consistent pace for over half of the race.
Mile 2: 9:58
Mile 3: 9:51
Mile 4: 9:27
Mile 5: 9:30
Mile 6: 9:49
Mile 7: 9:19
Mile 8: 9:45
Mile 9: 9:44
Mile 10: 9:44
Mile 11: 9:46
Mile 12: 9:50

From about mile 10 I felt like I kind of had to pee, but not bad. I had been on the lookout for some open port-a-potties because I was not going to stand in line. Finally somewhere between 12 and 13 I saw an open one, darted off course, did my thing and ran back out.

Mile 13: 10:39

I settled back into my pace and continued on.

Mile 14: 9:47
Mile 15: 9:51

At this point it started warming up and I could tell I was slowing just a bit.

Mile 16: 10:02
Mile 17: 10:06
Mile 18: 10:20
Mile 19: 10:32

Somewhere around here I began thinking about all my other marathons. This was my 12th one and in all the previous ones, there was a point where I stopped to walk at least a little bit. In the Disney marathon one year I made it to mile 22 before I walked. I hadn't walked to this point yet and decided I would try to get further than I did at Disney at least. I did allow myself to slow the pace just a little because in reality, my dream was to not walk at all today.

Mile 20: 10:44
Mile 21: 10:40
Mile 22: 10:53
Mile 23: 11:19

I began to think at this point of the post I would put on facebook about not walking one single step. I knew I couldn't post that if I walked, so that was motivation. Whatever works, right? Besides, I only had 3 more miles to go. I knew at this point I'd get a PR, but the question was by how much. I calculated that if I ran 11 minute miles I only had a little over 33 minutes left to run. Surely I could do it.

Mile 24: 11:04

Now only 2 miles to go. Piece of cake.

Mile 25: 10:54

DO NOT WALK. I AM SO CLOSE.

Mile 26: 10:32

The last little bit of the marathon takes you up over a bridge before you turn to the finish. It's not steep by any means but at mile 26 of a marathon it sure feels like it. I plowed up that thing anyway.

The last .2 were done in 2:16.

When I saw the finish line I picked up speed. I had made it. All 26.2 miles without one single step of walking. And a brand new PR of 4:26:18!

I was soooo happy! I got a mylar blanket just in case I would get cold, I got my medal and then I stretched out my legs and lower back. I exited the coral and found a curb to sit on so I could call the family and let them know I was done. After sitting there and drinking my coke for a while I made my way back to the room for a nice shower. Then I put on my compression sleeves and headed to Niketown for some well deserved finisher gear.

I have to say that Chicago is one of the most well supported races I've ever done. The crowds were amazing throughout the whole course. And since it was hotter than expected, most of the locals had their water hoses out and were cooling us off as we ran past. For as big of a race as it is, it was very well run. I'm definitely glad I did this one and can now mark another state off my list.

Chicago Pre Marathon

2011-10-15T20:21:00.010-05:00

Ahhh, after training through the Texas heat, the time finally came for me to head to Chicago. After checking the forecast, it looked like I might get some cooler weather in Chicago. So I packed some long sleeved shirts and jeans. At the last minute I threw in a short sleeved shirt and some flip flops and I would be glad later that I did. After leaving work on Thursday, I headed to the airport for my flight to Chicago.

Friday morning I woke up to nice 60 degree weather and headed over to the Lake Shore path for a short 3 mile run. It felt great. After the run I showered, grabbed some breakfast and headed out for a fun-filled day of sight seeing. I had purchased a ticket for a hop-on/hop-off bus tour. I caught the bus and headed to the upper deck for some great views. The tour was pretty interesting and I learned a little history about Chicago. And I was glad I had a short sleeve shirt and flip flops because it got warm!

I didn't get off the bus until I was pretty far north. From there, I made my way to Wrigley Field for my 2pm tour. Let me just say that the tour was one of the highlights of my trip. I'd love to go back and go to an actual game there. We got to see the press box and the locker rooms as well as sit in the dugout. Pretty awesome!

After a little souveneir shopping, I made my way back to the bus. Before getting on, however, I had to hit the Hersey store and get me some dark chocolate for my "recovery" after the marathon.

I stayed on the bus until I got to the Sears Tower (or Willis Tower as it is now called). One of my friends had said the view at Sunset was nice to see and I timed it pretty perfectly. I even stepped out on the ledge 103 floors above the ground and looked straight down through the pexiglass.

After this I was exhausted and headed back to the room to rest.

Saturday morning I headed over the the Lake Shore path for another short run. Let me just say that at this time of the year, Chicago was an awesome place for a run. The path by the lake runs about 20 miles north and south. Lots of joggers and cyclists are out on the path and I felt very safe.

After showering and breakfast, I headed to the expo where I would run into a friend from home and meet another friend who now lives in Chicago. I also discovered that there would be an autograph signing by Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach. For those of you who don't recognize those names, they are women from the US Woman's soccer team and my son is a huge fan of Alex Morgan. I knew I had to get an autograph and picture, so I hovered. I made sure that when they opened that line I was second to get in it!

Mission accomplished.

After getting the autographs, Tanya and I made our way north of the city and ate lunch at The Corner Bakery. Then I headed to Niketown before making my way back. I found me some pasta for an early dinner and then headed to the room to watch some football for the evening and to relax before race day.

Training for the Chicago Marathon in the Texas Heat

2011-08-07T19:24:00.002-05:00

After doing Ironman Florida last year, I decided to do "fun" stuff this year. And I have. I've done adventure races and shorter races, but I did decide to do the Chicago Marathon and add another state to my list of states in which I've run a marathon. And after seeing what my body could handle while IM training, I decided to go with a high mileage plan for the marathon. It all seemed great until the great heat wave of the summer hit.

I think this year we hit 100 degrees earlier in the year than we normally do and it hasn't let up since then. We are well over 50 days of 100 degree temps or more. In July, there were only 2 days of not reaching 100 and both of those days we hit 99 degrees. This lead us to have the hottest July ever on record. I think the lowest high temp last week was 104. The heat is not welcome and it's making my higher mileage marathon training program seem brutal.

My legs are handling the miles just fine and my cardio is doing well, but the heat is just killing me. A lot of my runs during the week are 8-12 miles. This usually takes me about an hour and twenty minutes to two hours to do these distances. But, when it's still 100 degrees at 8:00pm, it makes things hard.

During the week I get up early anyway to go into work early. I would have to start running at 3:30 or 4:00am to get the runs done before getting ready for work. Sorry, but that is not happening for several reasons, one of which is safety for me. As a female, I don't feel comfortable running alone before about 5am. Therefore, all my weekday runs have to be done after work. When I get home from work it's 100+, so I wait until about 8pm to head out. That brings up the "should I eat dinner or not" question. If I eat dinner at 5:00 or 6:00, then I'm still full when I run, but if I don't eat early, then I'm eating dinner at 10pm and going directly to bed. The treadmill is always an option, but we all know how much fun it is to do longer runs on the treadmill. And so I usually head out about 7 and end up walking more than I like to admit.

The weekends are a little different, but they bring their own issues. For instance, this morning when I started my run at 5:30am, the "feels like" temperature was already 85 degrees. Compared to 105, that's a cool front, but the humidity is a lot higher in the mornings. By the end of my first mile, I was already dripping with sweat. I can run for longer periods of time without walking when I start early, but I am totally soaked in sweat after 30-45 minutes and then my socks get wet and I get lovely blisters. And that's without going through any sprinklers.

So, I've continued my runs and getting my miles in, but they haven't all been pretty. There is a lot more walking going on than I like, but I can only hope that come Chicago all this training in the heat will pay off. I'm hoping Chicago will be cooler in October (and not have a really hot year like a couple of year's ago when they stopped the marathon) and that my body will be ready to go come race day.

Day 9 - The Final Day

2011-07-03T16:07:00.006-05:00

We woke up earlier this morning than we had planned, so we all just went ahead and got up. After showers and making sure the luggage was ready to go to the airport, we set off to find some breakfast. Last night while shopping we had found a crepe place and that sounded good so we headed in that direction. When we got there we saw they didn’t open for another 30 minutes. We decided to head the other way toward Eggs ‘N Things. When we got there we discovered a 45 minute wait. So, we ended up back at the hotel for their breakfast.

After breakfast we got the car and drove out to the Byodo-In Temple. For some reason the kids had originally wanted to go and since we had time we decided to do that this morning. We got there before the tour busses and it was very tranquil and peaceful at first.

We started walking around the grounds and saw the hundreds of koi in the ponds. Madison wanted to feed them so we went in the gift shop and bought some food. We came out and she started throwing the food to the fish. It was amazing to watch them swim on top of each other to get the food. And then the next thing we knew, Madison had a fish land in her hand to eat some of the food. That’s when Dalton decided he wanted some food as well. We stood there for probably 15 minutes letting the kids feed the fish and the birds.

Once the feeding was done, we let both kids ring the bell in the Bell House. The bell is customarily rung before one enters the temple to spread the eternal teachings of Buddha.

After ringing the bell we took off our shoes and entered the temple. Before us stood the over 18 feet tall Buddha. After seeing Buddha, we walked around the grounds a little more before leaving.

We headed back to the hotel where we checked out and loaded our luggage into the rental car. We didn’t have to return the car until 6pm so we had time to do whatever we wanted. On our segway tour earlier in the week, the guide had mentioned an acai bowl at the Diamonhead Cove Health Bar. We decided to head there and try one for ourselves. The bowl was a lot bigger than we thought and we probably could have at least shared one bowl between two people, but it was yummy!

I had remembered seeing a triathlon shop not far from there and I really wanted a Hawaiian themed jersey so we headed that way. I don’t really wear sleeved jerseys a lot, but I saw one I really liked. I also found a sleeveless one I liked, but the smallest size was a men’s small. In the end, I ended up with both of them.

After that, we set off to drive around the island so we could see the few parts we had not seen before. We stopped at the Halona Blow Hole. The view was pretty, but we never saw the water come up out of the blow hole.

Our next stop was a macadamia nut factory. There wasn't a tour to take, but there was plenty to sample! We ended up buying a couple more bags - one coated in cinamon and one coated in caramel.

Since we had time, we decided to head back up to the North Shore and head into the town of Haleiwa. It is a quaint little town. There are some modern aspects to it, but most of it reminds you of what it might have been like before Hawaii became such a popular tourist destination.

We got stuck in a little bit of traffic up there for some reason, so after driving through Haleiwa, we decided to head on back and turn the car in. It was an easy process and we were quickly on the shuttle back to the airport.

We sent our luggage through the agricultural inspection and then checked our bags for the flight. We noticed when we got in line for security that they had the full body x-ray vision machine. It looked like they were making almost everyone go through it so we figured at least one or two of us would be sent through. Nope, 3 of us got sent through. Dalton, the only one who thought it would be cool to go through it, was the only one who got lucky and got to go through regular security. It wasn’t that bad, but it was weird wondering how much they can really see. I didn’t even want to think about it.

Once through security, we found our gate. Madison and I found plugs so we could recharge our phones and we passed time by reading. Around 7pm I asked the kids if they were going to want to eat before getting on the plane. They did, so $40 later everyone had a full belly.

Going home we were in first class again, but on a different type plane. This one wasn’t as nice as the one coming over and the seat didn’t recline near as far. I knew it would be hard for me to sleep. I was glad I kept my neck pillow out even though I got a pillow and blanket in first class.

After takeoff they served warm nuts, vegetable soup, fruit and cheese, a Hawaiian roll (yum) and a macadamia nut cookie. I ate some of it and had a little wine. Then it was time to try to sleep. I think I may have gotten around an hour of sleep from Honolulu to LA. We landed in LA at 5am and our next flight home left at 6:40am. On that flight we got served breakfast. I maybe got another hour or two of sleep on this plane. It was more comfortable and the seats reclined better, but still not like the seats on the flight over.

When we got near the airport, I could tell I was home. My allergies kicked in and I sneezed multiple times in a row. I hardly sneezed at all in Hawaii. Hmmmm. Anyway, as soon as we landed and got off the plane I could feel the heat. Ugghhh. I had worn my jacket on the plane because I was cold and that thing quickly came off. We headed down to grab our luggage. And wouldn’t you know it – another wheel on my luggage came off. That luggage is going in the trash.

My parents were outside waiting to pick us up and take us home. And when we got home, the dogs went crazy. They were very happy we were home. Our house sitter took great care of them while we were gone.

Vacation is over and it’s time to unpack and prepare to enter the working world again on Tuesday. Thank goodness for the 4th of July holiday.

Day 8 - Hanauma Bay and Shopping

2011-07-03T15:12:00.003-05:00

Today was bittersweet. Even though we still have until Saturday evening, we had to check out of the timeshare today and move to a different hotel. We got up fairly early, ate breakfast, finished packing, checked out and headed into town. Our hotel for the night was the Holiday Inn Beachcomber. Since we were going on a snorkeling tour this afternoon, we wanted to stop by the hotel and at least drop our luggage off.

When we got to the hotel, I ran up to the lobby and luck was on our side. Our room was ready. I checked in and then we went to the valet area to park the car and unload the luggage. The whole process was quick and easy. They even gave the kids some drawstring backpacks. Very impressed so far. The room was nice, but nothing compared to the timeshare. Good thing it was only for one night.

After getting settled a little bit, we grabbed our beach gear and walked to the pick-up location for our Hanauma Bay snorkeling adventure. We were a little worried about whether we were in the right spot or not because there was no sign and we didn’t see anyone else who looked like they may be waiting for the same thing, but right on time the bus pulled up.

The bus ride out was about 30 minutes but along the way we got some history of the island and got shown Keanu Reeves’ house (at least that is what the bus driver said anyway). We stopped just outside the bay so that everyone could get snorkels and fins and then we headed in and were dropped off.

We got our tickets for entry and the time for our video. They are trying to preserve the area so everyone has to watch a 15 minute video before being allowed down to the beach and in the water. After the video we headed down the fairly steep path and then found a spot on the beach.

Dalton and I were the first two to get to snorkel. We headed into the water and once again, it was too cold for me. But, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance so I just dealt with it and got in. This was also the first time we would attempt to use our new underwater digital camera. Yes, it was supposed to be waterproof. I say that, because the first time I put it under water and tried to turn it on to take a picture, all I saw was a black screen. I came up out of the water and the same thing. I took it back and gave it to Joel and Dalton and I snorkeled for a little while. We saw a few fish but his mask kept leaking so I told him we needed to let Joel and Madison have their turn while we fixed his mask. We headed back to shore where I found out the waterproof camera wasn’t so waterproof. The bad part was that we had taken pictures on the catamaran and at the falls with it as well, so we are hoping the memory card is not ruined.

Joel and Madison got in the water for their turn. They weren’t gone very long before they headed back to shore as well. Somehow, Joel’s snorkel had come loose from his mask and was gone. Madison wasn’t done snorkeling so I got in the water and went back out with her. We didn’t really realize how far out we had gone until we saw the caution buoys, but we did see a lot more fish out there. We didn’t want to go too much further and the water got colder the further out you were, so we were both ready to come back in.

The rest of the afternoon was like this. Two of us would go out for a little bit and then come back and let two more go. The area was pretty, but every now and then a very strong wind would blow the sand and it felt like you were being sandblasted. It hurt. By 3:00 we were ready to head back to the top and catch our 3:15 shuttle bus back to the hotel.

Once back at the hotel we all showered and got dressed so that we could go eat. There was a Jimmy Buffet Restaurant in the bottom of the hotel and we had decided to eat there. Yes, pricey. No, not original. Yes, easy and fairly quick.

After dinner and our free desert (we had a coupon), we headed up and down the street to finish up some last minute shopping. We also headed into the International Market. When we saw the henna tattoos, we wished we had gone in there earlier. The kids and I all would have gotten them. Oh well.

After shopping it was back to the hotel to make sure everything was packed for the flight home. Then we all read until bedtime.

Day 7 - Waimea Valley Falls, Polynesian Culture Center and North Shore

2011-07-01T00:48:00.010-05:00

This morning was a leisurely morning. We didn’t have any “scheduled” events so we could go at our own pace. After getting up and having breakfast, we headed out for the North Shore.

Our first place of interest was the Waimea Valley Falls, but they didn’t open until 9am, so we checked out some beaches along the way. The first beach we went to was the Waimea Bay Beach. Oh my – what a beautiful beach. There was also a cliff here where people could jump off. It looked like a lot of fun, but the beach wasn’t our mission this morning.

Leaving here we drove further north and ended up at Sunset Beach Park. Again, this was a beautiful beach. If you want less crowded and more laid back beaches, the North Shore is definitely where you need to be.

After seeing these two beaches it was time to head to the falls. It was really pretty even just entering the grounds. Upon getting our tickets, we started our hike toward the waterfalls. The hike itself is ¾ mile on a paved path, but there are botanical gardens along the way with all kinds of trails you can follow to view the foliage. Needless to say, we took lots of detours.

When you finally get to the waterfall and see it for the first time, you almost catch your breath. It is a beautiful sight. Sometimes you can swim in the pool below the falls and sometimes you can’t. Today was one of the days you were allowed to. Before entering you have to get briefed by the lifeguards. Due to the strong current caused by the falls, they advise everyone to have a noodle, a boogie board or a life jacket. Kids 12 and under have to have a life jacket, so Dalton got his. We all three got a boogie board. Joel opted to stay out and take pictures with the good camera.

Hitting the water for the first time was a shock. Those of you who know me well know that I don’t like cold water. And let me tell you, this water was COLD! Even Madison said it felt like taking an ice bath. I slowly inched my way in letting the next part of my body acclimate. I almost thought about not getting in, but I knew I would regret it if I didn’t get in. Finally, I just leaned forward on the board and started kicking.

Even though it was cold, once you got moving it wasn’t too bad. The kids and I swam as close to the falls as we could, but it was hard to get close because the force from the falls kept pushing us back. We stayed in long enough to get some pictures and then headed for the shore so other folks could use our boogie boards.

We dried off a bit and then started our hike back to the bottom. We took some more pictures on the way down but not nearly as many as we did on the way up. When we got to the bottom one of the peacocks was in by the snack bar. I think he was hoping for some food.

After changing into dry clothes we set off to find Madison some fresh shrimp. She had been wanting some all week and we were told there are tons of shrimp trucks along the north shore. It wasn’t a lie. We found a truck and stopped to get her some food. Dalton even ate some.

After that we headed to the Polynesian Cultural Center. When we read about this, we thought it would be a lot of fun and that we would probably spend most of the afternoon here. Upon entering, we discovered it was not exactly what we thought. I think if you get there and time the shows just right it’s probably not that bad, but our timing was off and our family isn’t really the kind of family that likes to sit and watch demonstrations – we like the hands-on kind of stuff. We tried to catch the canoe ride and were told we could get on at the back of the park (we were already back there). Once we got there we were told that was the drop off spot and you had to catch the canoe at the front of the park. We walked all the way to the front and then found out you catch it at the front and it drops you off at the back. There was no return ride. Well, we had just come from there and didn’t want to do that all over again so we decided to not ride.

In fact, after looking at the schedule and seeing what else was there, we decided we were just done with the place. Luckily, the entrance fee was included in our Go Oahu Card so we didn’t feel like it was a big waste of money.

Another thing both kids have been wanting is a tattoo. They had them on the way out so we stopped and let them get a tattoo. That made them happy.

Since we had nothing else on the agenda today and since the kids didn’t really feel like being on the beach today, we decided to continue driving the way we were and see some more of the island. I’m really glad we did. The beaches along the North Shore are absolutely beautiful and the mountains are equally so. It was hard to know which way to look because you were afraid you might miss something.

Along this part of the island we passed the Kualoa Ranch. This is the place where parts of Jurrasic Park, Hawaii 5-0 and Lost were filmed. We thought about stopping to take a tour but the kids were ready to get back to the room.

When we got back to the resort I called the spa to see if they had a massage time available and they did. They just wanted to know if I wanted the massage inside or outside. Well hello, let’s do it outside! I walked down and they took me to a little cabana outside of the spa. It was really nice to lay there and here the birds chirping in the background. We weren’t really close to the ocean, so I couldn’t hear the waves but she did have a small water fountain going, so it made it feel like I was next to the ocean.

After the massage it was back to the room for dinner and then the unfortunate – packing. We have to check out of the time-share here on Friday. When we check out we will move to a hotel in Waikiki, but packing brings to mind the realization that the vacation is almost over. We still have a full day tomorrow and then almost a full day on Saturday before catching our plane.

After dinner and packing, we caught another great sunset. Aloha!

Day 6 - Catamaran and Waikiki - Again

2011-06-30T02:03:00.003-05:00

This morning we had a 2 hour catamaran sail. It was a breakfast sail as well, so we got fresh fruit, donuts and juice.

Before leaving the resort we packed a cooler full of drinks and sandwiches for lunch. We then headed into town. We needed to get some ice for the cooler and make sure we could find parking.

We found where we needed to be very easily and there was a fish shop right there along the pier that had ice, so we were good. We put the ice in the cooler, parked where we needed to, and gathered our things for the sail.

It was kind of funny because Madison wanted to bring her phone and keep it with her. I walked her over to the catamaran and showed her the netting up front. I told her that was where I was going to be and if she was going to be up there as well, then she needed to leave the phone in the car because it was going to get wet. We did have a waterproof bag that I put my phone, wallet and camera in, but I didn’t plan on getting in that bag. We bought a waterproof camera before the trip and I figured we would use that. Consequently, I don’t have photos from the sail right now (I’m only downloading pics from MY camera each day).

Anyway, we checked in for the sail and were the first ones on board. I quickly headed up to the netting at the front to claim my spot and it was a good thing I did. They told us that only 3 people were allowed on each side at a time. Luckily, most people who got on board were in regular clothes and I could tell probably did not want to get wet. I didn’t think many more people would want to be out there.

Once the boat was full and we had our safety meeting, we headed out to sea. When we got just a little way out they opened up the breakfast buffet, which consisted of fresh fruit and Hawaii’s version of donuts. Luckily my family brought me some fresh pineapple and a “donut”. It was covered in a cinnamon coating and was yummy.

I was right, too, in that it didn’t appear anyone else wanted on the netting. For most of the trip out it was just me and Dalton out there. I love laying there and just relaxing as the boat goes up and down with the waves. When we turned to go toward Diamonhead, the first mate came back and told us this was the part of the trip where we would probably get wet. Bring it on! We got into some pretty big waves and I did get wet. So did a lot of people who were in regular clothes.

After being out for about an hour we turned around and headed back. I wasn’t ready to be done, but I knew that all we had planned for the afternoon was beach time.

Once we got back to shore we headed toward Waikiki Beach again. Joel dropped us off at the beach where we wanted to be since we had the cooler and then he went to park. We claimed our piece of the beach and set up camp for the day.

For the first couple of hours we just enjoyed the beach. Yesterday afternoon a couple who was leaving gave us their boogie boards, so Dalton took that out in the water and just played around with that. Around lunchtime we all ate our sandwiches.

After lunch we decided that Madison and I would rent our surfboards first and then Joel and Dalton would rent theirs. Each rental was an hour and a half. Madison and I grabbed our boards and headed out.

This time we did a little better. Madison figured out the timing of the waves and was actually able to ride several in, some of them for a fairly decent distance. I got a little better, but was being a little cautious I think due to my rib still hurting from yesterday. I was able to stand up and ride a wave for a little bit, however, so it wasn’t a total fail. We had wanted to take lessons, but the cost was a little pricey for all of us to do that.

When we came back in Joel and Dalton grabbed their boards and headed out. Madison decided to go out on the boogie board with them so she could help them with the timing. She was out for about an hour and then came back to join me on the beach. Before they turned in the boards, I took the boogie board out so I could watch Dalton.

Unfortunately, both kids discovered why surfers wear the swim shirts they wear. For some reason the surfboards left rashes on both of the kids’ stomachs. Neither Joel nor I have the rash. So, either they were doing something right that we weren’t or they were doing something wrong that we weren’t. Who knows.

After getting worn out on the surfboards, Joel and Dalton turned their boards in and we all just lounged on the beach the rest of the afternoon. Shortly after 5pm we decided it was time to go. We headed to the grocery store to grab a few more things and then went back to the resort to eat dinner.

Being in the sun all day has worn the kids out so it will be an “early to bed” day for all of us.

Day 5 - Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Beach

2011-06-29T02:08:00.008-05:00

Today was Pearl Harbor Day. Seeing Pearl Harbor was one of the reasons we picked Oahu. I knew it could be a long day, so I didn’t really plan anything afterwards except the beach.

We got up early this morning and arrive at Pearl Harbor a little before 7am. There were already some people in line, but maybe only 20 or so. I have to say I was amazed at how many people did not research before hand or read the signs to know that no bags were allowed in. Some had big bags full of all kinds of stuff.

At 7am when they opened the gates, we got our tickets for the Arizona Memorial. The tickets for this are free, but you do have to get tickets in order to take the ferry out. We were lucky and got the 8am tour, which is the first tour out. We also got our tickets for the USS Bowfin Submarine and the Battleship Missouri.

Since we had a bit of time before our ferry we walked around the grounds and read about some of the history. We also went ahead and got the audio tour so we could learn a little more.

At 8am we went in and watched a video about the history of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. When the video was over we caught the ferry out to the memorial. That was really powerful. It amazes me that almost 60 years later, oil is still leaking from the ship. We took pictures and took in the experience before catching our ferry back.

We were going to do the Bowfin next, but the shuttle to take us out to Ford Island and the Missouri was there so we went ahead and hopped on. After a short ride we were dropped off at the Missouri. We decided we would do the tour on our own. At this point we were a little hungry, so we grabbed a quick snack before starting the tour. For a little while we were behind a young group of kids and it was taking a long time, so when we could we found a way to pass them and continue on the tour.

After seeing all we wanted to see, we caught the shuttle back to the visitor center so we could do our tour of the Bowfin submarine. There was an audio tour with that which was pretty interesting. However, being a submarine, it was close quarters and really hot.

By the time we were done, all of us were hot, hungry and grumpy. We needed food.

We got in the car and headed toward Waikiki because we knew we were going to spend the afternoon on the beach. All we needed to do was find parking and food. We decided to eat at the Hard Rock Café. It wasn’t really our first choice, but we had seen it yesterday so we knew where it was and we knew they would have a veggie burger for me. The food and service was actually really good. We even had a small dessert.

We then changed clothes and walked to Waikiki beach. Once there we rented 2 surfboards. Madison and I gave it a go first. Let’s just say that surfing is harder than stand up paddle boarding. After a little while I let Joel try. Unfortunately, Dalton had somehow forgotten his bathing suit, so no water time for him this afternoon. Joel was out for a short try and then I went out again. I can’t tell you how many times I fell and my ribs are a little sore from the time I landed on the board. Oops.

We turned the board in and chilled on the beach until around 6pm. Then we headed back to the resort to eat. It was a relaxing afternoon.

Day 4 - Diamondhead, North Shore, Dole Plantation and the Beach

2011-06-29T01:05:00.010-05:00

Since we didn’t climb Diamondhead yesterday we decided to get up early this morning and be there at 6am when the park opened. We arrived right on schedule. The only bad part was that a tour bus arrived just before we did and that created a little back-up at the beginning.

Joel and I both wore our vibrams for the hike and that turned out to be a good decision. Most of the path is fairly smooth and the vibrams gave good traction.

I had wanted to see how fast we could climb up, but with the tour bus folks in front of us it was impossible to go real fast. We passed them when we could but at times that wasn’t possible, especially going up the 3 sets of stairs at the top.

You climb to the top in 0.8 miles so there are some sections that are fairly steep. I was actually amazed at how easy the hike felt to me when so many around us were really winded. We did see a few runners who come there for their hill workout. Let me tell you, that is a great workout if you are running.

When we got to the top we took our share of pictures and then started the decent.

Madison had complained that I was going too fast on the way up, yet she was the one going real fast on the descent. Going down in the vibrams was a little tougher for me because you had to pay a lot more attention to where you put your feet. Because of this Madison and Dalton got a little ways ahead of us. However, when I reached the smooth trail at the bottom I started running. When I was close to catching them they realized I was behind them and they took off running!

Overall I’d say we hiked for about 40 minutes. It was a great way to start the morning.

The next thing on the agenda was to find the Go Oahu Card office and swipe our cards for the Luau tonight. That didn’t take long and then we were on our way to the Dole Plantation.

We arrived at the Dole plantation about an hour before they opened so we decided to drive north and see if we could make it to the north shore or not. We came to the town of Haleiwa and decided to stop at the beach there and take a few pictures. It was really pretty and I can’t wait to explore more of the north shore later in the week.

We drove back to the Dole Plantation and arrived just as things were opening up. We walked around a little bit and then got our tickets to the maze. We planned on finding all 8 of the secret stations, but after finding 3 of them fairly easy and then taking forever and still not finding the fourth, we decided we had had enough of the maze and were ready to go. We stopped inside the store and split a macadamia nut cookie and a pineapple whip before heading back to the resort.

Once back at the resort it was time to eat lunch and get ready to hit the beach for the rest of the afternoon. We just stayed at the beach at the resort. Madison and Dalton found some little kids to play with and helped them build sandcastles. It was a very relaxing afternoon.

We all came inside and got ready for the Luau. It only took us about 15 minutes to get there. When we got there the entertainers were walking about in the crowd. One of Madison’s friends had told her to get a picture with a cute Hawaiian guy while she was here. Madison was planning on doing that while on Waikiki Beach, but when she saw one of the entertainers she decided THIS was THE PLACE for that picture. Dalton even found him a little hula girl.

The show began by the uncovering of the pig from being cooked in the pit in the ground. The ceremony for that was short thank goodness. Then it was time to eat. Since we had kids we got to be one of the first to go through the line. Madison and Dalton tried almost everything. There wasn’t much I could eat on the menu but I got what I could, including some delicious Hawaiian rolls.

Once everyone had been through the line the show began. It was pretty neat because they showcased some of the dances from the various influences – Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand and Samoa. They even had a guy perform a fireknife dance. Dalton was impressed with that. It was a pretty neat show.

After the Luau we headed back to the resort and to bed.

Day 3 - Continued...Shopping and Segway

2011-06-28T10:04:00.005-05:00

After the triathlon we headed back to the resort so I could shower. The plan at that point was to then head to Diamondhead so we could hike up that, then head to the Aloha Bowl Swap Meet to do some souvenir shopping, then return the bike and head into town for our segway tour. Most of that happened but not all.

We got back from the triathlon later than I had anticipated and the drive to Diamondhead took a little longer than anticipated as well, so when we go there the lot was full. Our options were to park at the park down the hill and walk to the entrance or come back another day. If we had opted to park and walk, that would have added an hour to the hike and we didn’t have that kind of time since the bike had to be back by a certain time. We decided to skip Diamondhead today and come back tomorrow. Instead, we headed to the swap meet.

The Aloha Bowl Swap meet is a bunch of venders who set up booths outside of the Aloha Bowl. They go all the way around. We parked, made note of where we were and set off walking. Madison had in mind some things she wanted but the rest of us were just looking. There was some interesting stuff, some cheap stuff, some food and lots of beach towels, bathing suits and luggage. Along the way we got hot and decided some shave ice sounded good. And it was, but it also melted pretty fast. We made our purchases and found our car and headed back to the resort to get the bike.

Back at the resort we ate lunch and then loaded up the bike. We dropped it off at the bike shop and then headed into downtown Honolulu so we could make sure we had time to find parking and figure out where we were meeting for our segway tour. The confirmation had said to meet at the Hilton Hawaiian Village so we figured we would try to find parking there. We did (for $24).

We got out and went to find the tower we were supposed to meet by. Oh my! That resort is HUGE. And it’s not just a resort. They have all kinds of shops on the property. High dollar ones, too. I almost think that the place is too big for me. I’m not sure I would enjoy staying there. It’s like its own little town. Anyway, we found where we needed to be and it was close to the beach so we went to check out the beach there. It was pretty but very crowded. We hung out in the park next to it until it was time for the tour to start.

When the tour guides got there we discovered it was our family and one other couple who would be on the tour. It turns out the other couple was from Australia. We all got to put our lovely helmets on and then one by one they taught us how to get on and operate the segway. It’s actually quite easy once you get the hang of it. The sudden stop took a little bit, but the rest was easy.

As soon as everyone was comfortable, we headed out for our tour. We went fairly slow at first. This was so that we could get use to the segway and also to get us out of the busy part of town. Once we got to Ala Moana Park, he let us go full speed and even took us up and down some of the hills there. We went to several landmarks and took some scenic pictures. We took a small break to give our feet a rest and then we headed back.

Going back through the park were some bumps and Dalton was getting bumped around on his segway, so the tour guide gave Dalton his heavy duty segway with the offroad tires. Boy was Dalton happy! The tour was really fun. I would have liked to see more of downtown during the tour, but you can’t do that tour unless you are 16 or over so it wasn’t an option for us.

When we were done, one of the tour guides took us to the penguin exhibit. Yep, you read that right. The Hilton Hawaiian Village has a penguin exhibit and have real penguins. Somehow they have the temperature regulated for the penguins. It was pretty weird to see penguins in Hawaii.

We then headed home where I had to get warm and we all at a little something before heading to bed for the evening.

Day 3 - Firecracker Sprint Triathlon

2011-06-28T03:04:00.003-05:00

This morning I did the Firecracker Sprint Triathlon. When I found out it would be taking place while we were in Hawaii, I thought “why not”. There were brief moments this morning I second guessed my decision.

I woke up around 3:15 this morning,which really didn’t seem that bad since it was 8:15 back home. I ate breakfast, got ready and we were off to the race site. We weren’t exactly sure where that was and since I still had to pick up my packet, I wanted to get there early. Well, after going a round about way, we found the place and we WERE early. I was the first racer there.

When another racer arrived and went up to the transition area, I decided it was time to go ask about packet pick-up. I was able to get my “packet” which consisted of a t-shirt and a race number. That was it. No swim cap. We would have to provide our own so I was glad that I had brought one with me.

I went back to the car to drop off the shirt and get my race gear so I could rack my bike. Being the first one there, I had my pick of spots, so I chose the rack closest to the bike exit and, as always, got on the end. It didn’t take me long to set up my stuff so I had a lot of time to people watch as the rest of the folks started to arrive. And what I saw was interesting.

I’d say about 75% of the people came into transition with buckets of some kind. Usually these were shallow tubs. They also had gallon jugs of water. As I watched people set up I realized these tubs and the water were so that people could rinse their feet off at their transition spot. Hardly anyone at home does this. I started thinking that it might be because of the sand and starting wondering if I should have something there to wash my feet off with. Luckily Joel had a bottle of water he said I could have.

The other thing I noticed was that some people don’t know the rules of racking bikes and some people take up way too much room in transition. For instance, the lady next to me. She appeared to be an experienced triathlete. She had a nice tri bike with race wheels on it and had the fancy aero helmet. However, she was next to me and racked her bike with her wheel on the same side as me. That’s not correct. AND, she took up about 2 feet with her towel, which had her bucket to wash her feet off. Big no-no as well.

At this point I decided it was time to find some restrooms. I had to walk a little ways to get to them and it was during that walk that I saw the ocean for the first time. And it was at this point that I started to second guess why I was doing this. The waves were rolling in and there were white caps. Yikes! It almost looked worse than Florida. Oh well, I was here so I would at least give it a shot.

I walked back to transition and hung out until it was time to walk down to the beach for the swim start. During that time I learned there was a lady from New Jersey doing the tri. Her sister had gotten married on Saturday night and, like me, she decided since she was here to do the tri.

Soon enough it was time to have the pre-race meeting. There would be two swim waves – men would go off at 6am and the relay folks and women at 6:03. It would be a beach start. Other than that, we were just supposed to follow the course on the bike and run, both of which were out and backs.

At 6am the gun fired and the men ran into the ocean. I put my goggles on and got ready for my turn. When our gun went off, I took off running into the ocean with the other women. The water was a bit chilly, but did not seem as cold as the water at our resort. I stayed on my feet while the water was shallow and then went horizontal and started swimming. I had told myself this was for fun and I didn’t care what my swim time was, so I didn’t want to go out real hard. However, I didn’t want to be the last one out of the water either. I sighted frequently and as long as there were other swimmers around me I was ok.

The waves were not as bad as they looked, but every now and then I did get slammed by a pretty big one. Someone had said the swells were 2-3 feet which really isn’t that bad. Before I knew it I had reached the first buoy and made the turn to swim horizontal with the beach. This part was a little trickier. With the waves coming to one side, you had to breathe on the other side. Luckily I can breathe on either side so it didn’t bother me. The thing that did bother me was my goggles were fogging. I couldn’t spot the next buoy so I decided to stop and rinse them off. It was much better after that. I rounded the second buoy and headed toward shore. When I got out of the water and looked at my watch I was happy to see a 13:XX. (Race results show 13:19).

I started running up the beach and into transition. The way they had us go in and out of transition, I had a little run. I got to my bike, sat down to wash my feet off, put on my socks and shoes and then put on my glasses, gloves and helmet. I was ready to hit the road. (T1 time: 2:17)

As I got on the bike I realized I was in the small ring up front. Since this was a flat course I wanted to be in the big ring so I worked the shifters until I found a gear that felt good. The bike fit was ok, but I think the seat was still a little bit too high and honestly, it felt weird not being in aero bars. And it felt really weird not having a computer on the bike. I had no idea how fast I was going so I just went by how it felt. And if I saw someone a little ways ahead of me I tried to catch them. I tried to not let anyone catch me either, but a few did. Oh well.

As I was heading out on the course, I saw the lead cyclist come back. I glance at my watch. I had only been racing for 27 minutes. Wow! And there was no one behind him for a while. I just kept going along my merry way.

I finally hit the turnaround and started heading back. I would push for a while and then have fun for a while. I did have to be careful because this course had several USAT officials on the course. I finally got back to the start and dismounted the bike. (bike time: 40:55 for a 16.6mph)

I ran back into transition and quickly got ready for the run. (T2 time: 1:31)
The run was an out and back as well. I didn’t know if they would have mile markers or aid stations so once again I was going by perceived effort. I hit mile 1 and guessed based on the time I was around 9 minute miles. I knew I had it in me to go a little faster. I started trying to pass the person in front of me and then the next person. I could tell my pace was picking up. And I was glad I had my water. The only aid station was at the turnaround point. As I got close to the finish line I passed a couple more people, including one in my age group. I had no idea how many people in my age group were ahead of me, but if I could see one I was passing her. (run time: 27:11 for a 8:46/mile pace)

I crossed the finished line and stopped my watch. I was pretty happy with my time but had no idea how it would work out. I grabbed some grapes and a bagel and then checked the results they were posting. It appeared that even here there were fast women in my age group. I had come in fifth with a time of 1:25:12. We hung around for a few of the awards and it was frustrating to hear that the winner of the 35-39 age group had a time of 1:25:09. If I were two years younger I would have gotten
2nd. My age group always seems to have fast women in it. Oh well.

Doing a triathlon in Hawaii was fun and I was glad that I did it. It was a different experience.

Day 3 - Quick Summary

2011-06-27T02:10:00.002-05:00

I did the Firecracker Sprint Tri this morning.
Swim: 13:19
T1: 2:17
Bike: 40:55 (16.6mph)
T2: 1:31
Run: 27:11 (8:46/mile)
Total: 1:25:12

This was only good enough for 5th in my age group.

After the tri we went and got the kids and attempted to hike Diamondhead. The parking lot was full so we decided to go shop at the Aloha Bowl Swap Meet instead. After a few hours there is was back to the resort to eat lunch, grab the bike and return it to the bike shop and then head downtown for our segway tour.

The segway tour was lots of fun. But it's late and we are getting up early tomorrow to hike Diamondhead, so no details or pics tonight. Maybe I can get caught up tomorrow.

I have to say, by 8pm here, I'm ready for bed. My body still hasn't adjusted. Good night.

Day 2 - Beach Day

2011-06-25T22:51:00.005-05:00

Well, I made it until about 8:30 last night before crawling into bed. Unfortunately, just as I thought, that meant I woke up this morning a little after 2am. I got up, went to the restroom and crawled back into bed hoping for more sleep. I think I tossed and turned for a while but by 5:30 I couldn't take it. I had to get up.

I got dressed and waited untill it started getting light outside and then I headed out for a run. The temperature was definitely cooler than at home, but the humidity was there. I ended up getting in a 5 mile run.

When I cam back up to the room, I stuck my key in the door and got a yellow light. I tried again. Epic fail. My room key had gotten deactivated somehow (probably from being next to my phone in my fuel belt). I knocked on the door until Joel let me in (he had gotten up to do a short run and some weights in the gym and was in the shower when I got back).

One I got in the room, I rinsed off in the shower and then got ready to hit the beach. Knowing that Friday would be a long travel day, I had scheduled today to be a relaxing beach day at the resort. When the kids finally woke up and ate some breakfast we headed down to claim our spot on the beach.

Every time we go to the beach, I have the kids write the name of the place in the sand and get their picture with it. Before the beach got crowded I had them do this and took the obligatory picture.

I also got the obligatory "feet in front of the water" picture. HaHa!

Those of you who know me know that I do not like cold water. I thought the water was really cold, so I was happy to stay on the beach and relax. Dalton, however, stayed in the water or really close to it all day. He even dug himself a "chair" in the sand.

Around lunchtime we headed back up to the room. The kids ate some pizza bites while Joel and I had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Then we headed into town to pick up my rental bike. I'm doing a triathlon tomorrow and did not want to pay to ship my bike over here so I rented a bike. It's a nice enough bike but 1) I haven't ridden a road bike outside in over a year; it's been all about the tri bike; 2) the shifters are different than on my roadie; 3) there is no computer on the bike so I will have no idea how fast or slow I am going; and 4) the seat absolutly sucks; my rear was hurting just riding it in the parking lot to get it sized enough for tomorrow. Good thing the tri is just a sprint.

After returning from the bike shop, everone lathered up again and we headed back down to the beach. Unfortunately, the sun had decided to hide behind some clouds and the afternoon was mostly cloudy and cooler.

By 5:30 we were all ready to head to the room and fix some spaghetti for dinner so I could carb up for the tri. After dinner it was time to relax until bedtime. Tomorrow morning will come very early.

Day 1 - Travel Day

2011-06-25T12:57:00.004-05:00

I didn’t sleep well last night, but when the alarm went off at 4:15 this morning, it didn’t really matter. We are heading to Hawaii today and THAT is what matters. I got up, got ready, finished packing the last minute stuff and ate breakfast. At 5:30am my parents arrived so that they could take us to the airport. We loaded the truck and were off. At this point, the kids still didn’t know we had been upgraded to first class.

When we got to the airport my dad dropped us off with the luggage and my mom and then he went to park. Since I wanted to use the first class line to check in, it was time to tell the kids. I told mom to get out the camera so she could get a picture of their surprised faces. I then told them that I had some news. I acted like it was bad news. When I said we were in first class the whole way they just looked at me stunned. They were definitely surprised.

We proceeded to the check in counter to check our bags. It was a painless process with no one in line in front of us. When we were done with that we went to get in the security line. It was really long for an early Friday morning. That’s when my dad, the seasoned traveler, came in the doors and asked why we were in line. He showed us the “priority line” that we were able to use since we were in first class. Wahoo. We skipped right ahead of everyone and cut in line. I think that’s the fastest I’ve ever been through security. After we found our gate, I headed out to get water for everyone. I told the kids I wanted it gone by the time we landed in Hawaii.

When it was time to board the plane, I think Dalton was the first person out of his chair and headed to the plane. We settled into our seats nicely. The flight attendants asked us what drink we wanted once we were in the air.When we took off they delivered our drinks along with a biscotti. I think the flight attendant liked the kids as she asked them if they wanted another biscotti. I think both accepted. Their first experience in first class was a success.

After deboarding the plane in Dallas we found out which gate we would be flying out of to Honolulu. Then we set out that way, hoping to find a Subway along the way. Even though we would get lunch in first class on the plane, I needed to make sure I had something to eat since I am vegetarian and can’t eat cheese. My guess was that any pasta on the plane would have lots of cheese. So, we grabbed Subway. From there, it was time to find the gate and wait until our flight to Honolulu.

When they called for first class to board,we headed that way. This time we were on a 767, so we had nicer seats – seats that reclined almost all the way flat. The kids were excited. They had to push the buttons to check out the way the seat moved. The flight attendant came through the cabin offering water, juice or champagne. Of course, I took the champagne.

Once we took off and were in the air, the seats started reclining. I got my kindle out and started reading. The flight attendants started food service. We got some warm nuts to begin with. I also had some wine at this point. The salad came next. I skipped the main course and brought out my Subway sandwich. That was a sight. I was eating a Subway sandwich and Doritos and drinking wine. Ha! I think both of the kids had the chicken hibachi and Joel had the cheese tortellini. And then it was time for dessert. Madison and Dalton had the ice cream sundaes. Since I’m lactose intolerant I got the fruit and cheese plate.

After eating lunch I was getting tired so I reclined my seat and closed my eyes. I’m pretty sure I slept some but it felt good to stretch out and relax – sleep or no sleep. Off and on for the remainder of the flight I would read for a little bit, then relax for a little bit, then read for a little bit, then relax for a little bit. Finally after 8 hours in the air, it was time to land.

The Honolulu airport is actually a really pretty airport. There is a beautiful courtyard and it has a lot of “open air” spaces. After following a military man toward the baggage claim we headed down the stairs to an awesome scene. What I had not realized was really how many military personnel were on the flight. Turns out there were a lot. And as they reached baggage claim, they were greeted with signs and applause from their families, friends, and fellow military men and woman.

Seeing the men greet their families after being gone on tour brought tears to my eyes. I saw one lady taking a picture of her husband and their kids, so I asked if she would like to be in the picture. I took their picture and asked how long he had been gone. She said he had been gone 8 months and was just home for a short break. It was a real experience.

We waited for our luggage to come and mine was one of the first out. However, when I grabbed it off the belt and sat it down it almost fell over. That’s when I realized BOTH wheels on one side had come completely off. I’m not sure what they did to my luggage, but it is no longer rolling luggage. It’s a bummer too, because I don’t usually use the larger suitcases and this was the first time I had used that piece. Oh well.

Once everyone’s luggage came out we caught the shuttle bus to the rental car agency to get our car. And boy was Dalton excited. He had hoped all along that we would get a Dodge Charger and that is exactly what we got. And it was even blue. I do have to say it was a challenge fitting all the luggage in but we got it done and were soon off to the resort.

We arrived at the Marriott timeshares and were told that only the smaller part of the unit was ready (we had a 2 bedroom). They gave us keys for that so we could drop our luggage in the room and then we explored the resort for a while. Once the other side was ready we unpacked and made a grocery list before heading off to get some food for the week.

Let me just say, I’ve heard about the high cost of food in Hawaii and it is no joke. Oh my! My beloved Doritos cost $4.89 for a bag that cost under $3 at home. A 12-pack of coke was $7.99. Ten flour tortillas were $3.49. Eggs were $2.99. Prego spaghetti sauce was $4.49. We bought breakfast foods, stuff to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a few things for dinner for the nights we will eat in and we spent more than we do for a whole weeks’ worth of groceries at home. We’ve decided we may be eating at Taco Bell a lot!

When we got back from the grocery store there were some beautiful flowers on the counter in the kitchen. My family had sent them to me as a way to say “thanks” for planning the trip.

We are trying to stay up for a while now to adjust to the time difference. If we were back home, I would have been in bed hours ago. But I don’t want to go to bed now and wake up at 3am. We’ll see how that goes.

Our Hawaiian Vacation - The Background

2011-06-25T01:22:00.002-05:00

We’ve been planning this trip for several years now. My parents have a timeshare and several years ago my mom painted blank puzzles with beach scenes. She wrapped them up and gave them out as Christmas gifts, telling us that we all had to open them at once. I believe Dalton was the first one to open it, put it together and yell “Hawaii”. It didn’t have to be Hawaii, but my parents said that they wanted to do a family vacation with my family and my brother’s family. We just all had to agree on where. The idea was that they would “bank” their weeks and then get 3 units at the same time at the same resort. Well, that wasn’t so easy. A couple of years went by with no luck so they finally said “each of you can go on your own”.

We thought about going in 2008, but then Madison got nominated for a People to People trip to Italy. We knew we couldn’t afford both. In 2009, my brother and his family went. We thought about going again in 2010,but then Dalton got nominated for a People to People trip to Australia. So, 2011 was our year. My parents put in the request for a week on Oahu anytime from mid-June through the end of July.

We found out early in 2011 that the dates of our trip would be June 24 – July 1. In looking at the calendar, we realized that the end of the trip was the 4th of July holiday. We knew we would be off work that Monday, so we decided to stay and extra day. It was time to book the flights.

Again, knowing that this would eventually happen, I had gotten an airline credit card years ago to begin saving frequent flyer miles in hopes of upgrading to first class. Once we had our dates, I got online to find the best flights for us and then called to book them and see about the upgrades. We were told there were no available upgrades on the flight out and only 3 on the flight home. We went ahead and booked those and got on the wait list for the rest of the flight.

And then the rest of the planning began. I did all kinds of research on what to do on the island. I knew we would want a few days of beach only, but I also knew that one of the reasons we picked Oahu was so that we could see Pearl Harbor. I began to put together a calendar of the week with the activities we wanted to do so that I could make sure there was time for everything without being too hectic. I also began searching for a rental car and for a hotel for the extra night. We began thinking about who could house and dog sit for us. AND, I kept calling the airline and checking seat availability to see if our upgrades would clear. The countdown was on.

About 10 days out, I got an email notification that our upgrades to first class on the flight out had cleared for all 4 of us. It would be first class all the way. I have flown in first class a few times, but the kids never have. I decided I would not say a word to anyone until departure day and let it be a surprise.

2011 Lake Pflugerville Tri

2011-06-19T21:04:00.002-05:00

This morning was the Lake Pflugerville Triathlon. This was the 5th year for the race, and I’ve done every one of them. The first 4 years, my times got better. Unfortunately, this year I think was the slowest of them all. I say that because as of 9pm the official results are still not posted anywhere. I'm not very happy about that as I would love to know the official time; however, the unofficial time is somewhere around 1:33:00.

I knew going in it would probably be a slow race. First of all, I haven’t been doing a lot of tri training lately. I’ve been focusing more on my run training for later in the year. Second of all, the forecast for this morning called for 15-20mph winds at the start and at least 20mph by the time I would be on the bike. The forecast did not disappoint.

I woke up at 4:15 this morning and started getting ready. When I headed outside to load the car and raised the garage door so I could put my bike on the bike rack, I realized it would be a tough day. The wind was already really strong. By 5am I was out the door and on the way to the race. This race is open racking and I like to get there before everyone else so I can basically have my choice of rack spots. When I got there I was able to get an end spot about 4 racks from the bike exit. I can run faster without my bikes shoes on, so this is my preference. I was joined on the row by a couple of friends and a former pro triathlete.

I hung around in transition visiting with other friends, hit the port-a-potty’s and mentally prepared for a tough race. At 6:50 I headed out of transition and over to the swim start. On the way, I saw Joel and Roscoe and got a few licks from Roscoe. He was a happy boy to be out at the lake. I then continued over to the start and stood amongst friends until I headed down to get in the water. My wave went off at 8:03, 33 minutes after the start. Only two waves were after me.

As I stood on the “beach” waiting for my wave start, it appeared the swim would be a difficult one as well. I saw at least 4 people come back in quickly after starting. The waves were rocking. When they called our group I raced into the water and got close up front and on the inside. With one minute to go, I started my watch. Then it was time to swim.

As we started swimming I was taken back to my ocean swim in Florida. The waves were coming and I was rocking. I was also getting a face full of water quite often. I knew I would not have a fast time for the swim. I managed to keep a fairly straight line despite the waves trying to push me every which way and was actually surprise when I got out of the water to see about 13:XX on my watch (remember, I had started it early so this meant a 12:XX - although it was a ways to the timing mat).

I ran (ok, jog may be more like it) out of the water, skipping the pools they had there to wash feet off in. As I ran up the sidewalk one of the volunteers kept saying “slow down”. I know he was doing this in case the sidewalk was slippery but I was thinking “um, this is a race, I’m not slowing down”.

I headed into transition and to my spot so I could get ready for the bike. I expected to see an empty row, but instead I saw the former pro’s bike on the rack. Either he had dropped out, or he had already finished the bike. I found out later, he had already finished the bike. That’s what happens when you got off in a wave start so close to the end.

Anyway, I got my socks and shoes on, then my gloves and glasses, and finally my helmet. I grabbed my bike and ran as best as I could in the bike shoes toward the bike exit. I crossed the mount line and got on.

Remember, the race course is a route I ride regularly in training. I am very familiar with the course so I knew where I would have a tailwind and where I would have a headwind. I knew that right out of the start I would have a tailwind so I decided to push it here. I would have plenty of time to slow down later in the course.

As I rounded the first curve, I began to slow. The winds were a strong crosswind here, so I just tried to go as hard as I could and stay upright. As I passed people I would say “on your left” like I am supposed to. I said that one time and the girl said, “I’m trying to stay to the right.” I told her I understood because it was hard to stay right since the wind was blowing from that way. I knew at the next main turn, we would have a headwind for a while and I wasn’t looking forward to that.

I finally got to the corner and turned into the headwind and it smacked me in the face. Ugghhh. This is also where you have one of the biggest “hills” on the course. My speed dropped dramatically. I shifted into an easy gear and pedaled away. I even got up out of the saddle so I could keep SOME speed. I just did what I could do and told myself I’d have to be ok with the outcome. The good thing was that I was actually passing quite a few people and wasn’t getting passed very much.

We went around a few more curves and were just about to turn back west when I realized a girl was on my wheel. I think she had been there for a while and she would continue to stay there for a while as well. I told myself I would drop her when I could, but with the wind I just didn’t have any more in me than what I was already doing. Well, if she wanted to be happy with her race after drafting for a large part of it, so be it.

I kept playing leap frog with another lady and was actually impressed with her. She was younger (which meant she had gone off in a wave before me), but she was on a road bike with regular shoes and cage. Most people in races have clipless pedals. Clipless pedals make it easier, but she was doing just fine without them.

As we got closer to the toll road, I got excited. I knew I could fly on this part. It’s a slight downhill and we would have a tailwind. As I made the turn, I shifted appropriately and hammered. At one point I looked down and was doing 28mph. A lot of people were taking advantage of the wind here and coasting so they could rest, but not me. I wanted to make up some time. I went as hard as I could the whole way down the toll road until just before the turn.

The turn from the toll road onto the country road back to the lake is a pretty sharp turn. Last year I was going so fast through the turn that I almost hit the median. I learned my lesson and slowed down this year. The only problem with that is that as soon as you made the turn you were right back into the wind. It took a while to gain some momentum again. It’s also deceptive because you think at this point you are almost through and you are still a little more than 2 miles out. I just kept grinding away.

I was really excited to make the last turn back toward the lake. Tailwind!!!! I went hard until the finish and then slowed down to turn into transition. I rode right up to the dismount line before getting off. I “ran” my bike back to the rack and did a quick change of shoes, removing the helmet and gloves and grabbing my Gatorade and race number.

As I ran out of transition I put my Gatorade in my top so I could redo my ponytail and get my hair out of my eyes. As I started the run I grabbed a cup of water to down and then set off to run. And boy was it hard.

The first part of the run crosses the dam and the wind was straight into my face. I felt like I was trying really hard but barely getting anywhere. Joel was there with Roscoe again and yelled “go, B, go”. My response was “I’m trying”. I knew it would not be a fast run so I just made a decision to run the whole way. There were a lot of people walking into the wind because it was just sapping the energy out of them. I didn’t want to be one of those people. I will admit there were times I probably could have walked faster than I was running, but I kept running anyway.

At the first water station I dumped water on my head. It felt good because the sun was starting to pop out and it was getting hot. Even the wind was a hot wind. I was glad to turn north on the lake path and have a little wind at my back for a while, but with the final turn toward the finish we were fighting the wind again. I could see the finish but it felt like I couldn’t get there. Finally, I crossed the line. I was very happy to be done.

At the finish, there were some nice touches: they had freezer pops for us as well as an ice cold towel and a bike bottle full of cold water. The freezer pop was awesome!

After cooling down a bit I grabbed a piece of pizza and then waited around for transition to open up again. When it did I took some stuff to the car and then came back to wait for a friend of mine to finish.

Overall, despite the wind, it was a good day. I just wish I had some official results by now.

Texas 4000 Atlas Ride

2011-06-04T18:34:00.002-05:00

Today was the Texas 4000 Atlas Ride. This ride is the first leg of a 4500 mile journey that students from the University of Texas make each summer to raise money for cancer research. Although I am an Aggie, I strongly agree with the basis behind this ride. Plus, who can argue with a ride that ends at a winery?

The ride starts in Cedar Park. There are several options of ride lengths, the longest being 70 miles. Since I haven't been on the bike much this year, I knew going in I would only do the 50 mile route.

This ride is also one of the few rides where most people actually enjoy the ride and don't go blasting off the start in a race. I like that because when you have that many people leaving an area at once, it can get a little tight. When you have showboaters out there it can get dangerous.

I took off at a pace that felt comfortable. I didn't want to blow up early. The good thing was that there was a little bit of a tailwind and it was still a little overcast early. Plus, the roads early in the ride are good, smooth roads, so you can build up some speed. This helped get me to the 2nd aid station (about mile 26) in around 1:30. I stopped to potty (as usual) and refill one of my water bottles and then took the route for the 50 miles (this is where the 50 and 70 milers split off). Last year I had done the 70 mile route so I was unfamiliar with the rest of the ride. And leaving that rest stop, it seemed like the next several miles were all uphill. Nothing big, but a long gradual climb. Ughhh. But onward I went.

The sun started poking out a little bit and I knew I was slowing down some, but that was ok with me. I was there to enjoy the ride (and the wine at the end). Just before the last aid station at around mile 40, there was a guy up ahead who had stopped. He kind of circled back and I thought maybe he had dropped something. Then he did one of those "I'm going to slow, I've lost my balance and I'm going down" crashes. I wondered if he was ok. As I got closer I realized he was trying to alert us that there was a snake in the road. And it wasn't dead. Yikes! From what he said,it was a water mocasin, but I have no idea. I didn't get close enough to find out.

After a brief stop at the aid statin to dump some cold water on my head, it was off for the last 10 miles. Or what I thought was 10 miles. It turned out to be more like 13, which in the grand scheme isn't that big of a deal, but I had it in my head I was doing 50 and by 50, I was mentally done. Those last 3-4 miles were hard. And they were even harder because they take you through a neighborhood with bad roads and then through the city park and on a hike and bike trail for a a bit. You have to really slow down a lot.

When I pulled in the vineyard for the finish, I was happy. I was ready to be off the bike and it was getting hot. After changing clothes and grabbing a coke I went to get some food. This is one part of the ride I really like as well. I'm a vegetarian and most races do not offer a vegetarian option. This race does and if you have meat on your plate, you don't get the veggie option. They want to make sure there is enough for the vegetarians. It was catered BBQ,so I got some bread, pickles and potato salad before heading over to get my veggie kabob. And that's when I realized they had made vegetarian beans! Wahoo!!! I love beans but usually can't eat them because most BBQ places cook them with bacon or ham. But today I could.

Several friends joined me while eating and when we were done, we headed inside the winery for the wine tasting. The bar was full at first so they sent us to the back where a "secondary" tasting was going on. The vineyard we were at this year was different than last year, but right next door. Turns out the two vineyards are owned by brothers, so the brother from next door had his wines in the back. We sampled all of his wines and then went into the main room and sampled the wines from the main vineyard. Nice! After buying a few bottles it was time to head home.

What a great day!

Ironman Texas 5/21 - Spectator and Volunteer Report

2011-06-04T18:03:00.002-05:00

For those of you who follow the triathlon scene, you know that this year Ironman introduced a new race - Ironman Texas. The race took place in The Woodlands on May 21st. Let me tell you, it was tempting to sign up since it was so close to home, but I resisted because I know what May can be like in Texas. However, I knew a couple of people who did sign up and many members of the triathlon forum I frequent had signed up as well. Because of this, I wanted to go and spectate and decided that if I was there I might as well sign up to volunteer as well.

We drove to The Woodlands Friday after work. After checking into the hotel we made some signs for my friends, made sure we had things ready to go and got in bed. The alarm went off really early Saturday morning so we could get to the race start before the swim start.

We arrived at the race location, somehow managed to find one of the parking garages and began the walk to the swim start. The transition area and swim start were probably close to a mile apart, so we got some decent walking in. As we got toward the swim start, we saw another friend on the bridge who was also there to spectate and volunteer. We decided to stop and stay there with him on the bridge so we could see the start. While we were standing there, I was fortunate enough to see BOTH of my friends who were racing as they were on their way to the start. That was cool.

As it got close to the swim start, there were still a lot of swimmers on shore. I was wondering if they would delay the start until all of them got in the water, but this is Ironman. You have 17 hours to do the race. There would be no delay. Either you were in the water or you weren't when the gun went off. If you weren't in, the time just counted anyway.

As always, the swim start of an Ironman race is a sight to see. Over 2,000 athletes all starting to swim at once and arms moving in the water like crazy. When I did IMFL, I thought the swim would freak me out, but it was actually one of the funnest parts of the day. Being in the midst of that many athletes is amazing.

At IMTX, once the swimmers start you really can't see them much until they come back to head down the canal to the finish. Because of that we decided to walk back over to the swim finish and find a spot to wait for my friends to get done. I knew both of them expected to be out of the water between 1:20 and 1:40. The cutoff is 2:20. We found a nice little spot on a hill and waited.

The first pro swimmer came out of the water in 50-something minutes. He was several minutes ahead of the next swimmer. Truly amazing. Then a few more pros came before a few of the fast age groupers started coming out. True to time expectations, we saw my first friend come out. Because of where we were, I got to see him exit the water and then I ran to the chute right before he would enter the change tent and got to high-five him there. Then I went back to our spot to wait for my other friend. And wait we did. We were not sure at the time what happened, but he did not come out of the water until a little after 2 hours. We were a little worried. I was able to give him a high-five as well before he enterred the change tent, but I could tell he was upset. I just hoped he would shake that off and not let it affect his day.

After we knew they were both out on the bike it was time for us to fuel up. Madison wanted some Starbucks and I wanted to go to the expo and do a little shopping. The only thing was the "big" expo was closed and the "little" expo wouldn't open until noon. Bummer.

Once the kids had their Starbucks, I needed food. We walked down the shopping area and found a little Mexican food place that had breakfast tacos. Perfect. It really hit the spot.

By the time we had done all of this, we knew the pros would be coming in from the bike soon so we walked back over there and found a spot on the curb. By now it was getting hot and the humidity was high. I was sweating through my shirt just sitting on the curb. We got to see the first bikers come back in. It was amazing watching the way they dismount their bikes. I want to find a nice piece of grass and practice that!

At this point, we were all hot and Dalton was getting bored, so we headed back to the hotel for a little pool time. The water was cold, but it was nice to chill out for an hour or so. My other friend who was their spectating had gone out on his motorcycle and called to tell me that he had seen our friend on the bike course at mile 100. We decided to try and make it back to the bike finish in time to see him. We quickly changed and headed back. We set ourselves up at what we thought was the run exit. After being there a while and not seeing our friend, we started getting worried again. And then we found out we were actually at about mile 8 of the run course. Well shoot. We still had to eat dinner before our volunteer shift and we knew we would not see him. We decided to go ahead and go eat.

After filling up on Chick-fil-a we headed out to our volunteer spot - Aid Station #4 on the run course. We quickly found a table that needed help and went to work handing out coke and ice and water. Ice was a big favorite. People would take a cup and dump it down a top or shorts or put it in their hat. Pretty much every person that came by was soaked - either from sweat or from dumping water on themselves or a combination of both. I coudn't imagine how they felt doing an Ironman in the heat and humidity like they were. There was a reason I picked Florida.

We finally saw both of my friends come by and both were on their second lap, so we knew we would see them again. Dalton switched to handing out wet sponges and really enjoyed that. And as it got later, more people started asking for chicken broth. Hardly anyone asked for the Ironman Perform drink which is like gatorade. I don't blame them. I had tried it during training and it did not taste good to me and it upset my stomach.

We were at our aid station from 6:30-11:30pm. As some of the later runners came through, you could see them calculating times to see if they would finish. The last "official" runner came through around 11. We never went back to the finish line, so I don't know if she made it or not. All I know is after she went past us and we were told we could pack up, we did. And then we headed to the hotel for a quick shower and crashed. It had been a long day, but a fun one.

I don't know that I will ever do IMTX unless they change the time of year they have the race, but I would love to volunteer in some capacity every year. It was a lot of fun and is a different perspective from racing. One thing I thought was interesting was all of the things I saw on the run. Almost everyone was walking through the aid stations - I'm sure because of the heat. One lady stopped to pat some dogs who were out for an evening walk. A couple of people stopped for a few minutes and just sat on the park bench near us. No one seemed to be in a hurry.

Like I said, the weather wasn't ideal, but I think The Woodlands is a good place for an Ironman. It seemed to be very spectator friendly and there are lots of shops and restaurants near the transition and finish lines for spectators to occupy their time. I think it will only get better.

Armadillo Hill Country Ride - 5/14

2011-06-04T17:58:00.002-05:00

I'm finally getting around to updating the blog, so there will be a few posts close together even though the events were not.

On May 14, I did the 40 mile route of the Armadillo Hill Country Classic. This was only the 2nd or 3rd time I've been on my bike outside since Ironman Florida in November. I wasn't expecting much.

The ride was tough for me. It actually started out a little chilly (high 50s, but that is chilly for us that time of year). I started out with arm warmers and a jacket. And not only was it chilly, it was really windy. The winds have been really strong this spring and the winds on this day were no different. There were probably between 15 and 20mph.

The first part of the ride wasn't too bad, but coming back was not so much fun. My knees started hurting and there is a part of the course where there are 3 pretty tough hills in quick succession. It wasn't fun.

The ride took longer than I had hoped, but I was back out on the bike and I finished. It's a start to getting back out on the bike.

Shape Diva Dash 2011

2011-04-09T16:44:00.003-05:00

I've been a regular subscriber to SHAPE magazine for a few years now. I enjoy the magazine and when I saw an ad in the magazine for a Diva Dash, I decided to check it out. This would be the first year for the race, but it looked like fun. The Diva Dash would be a 3 mile run with obstacles about every half mile. Since this is suppose to be my year of "fun", I decided to sign up and do it.

For a first year race, it had some good and some bad parts to it. So, I'll break it down for you.

Registration

Registration was fine. It was done online and was just like signing up for any other race. The only thing was there were different waves and once they were full, your only option was a later wave. I waited too long to actually decide to do this, so the first available wave for me when I signed up was the 10:45 am wave. I knew it was risky with the heat, but I figured this was for fun, so who cared. Eventually 3,000 women signed up to race.

Packet Pick-Up

Originally, packet pick-up was just going to be on race day. It said to pick up your packet an hour before your wave. Well, I guess with 3,000 women doing the race, someone got smart and they decided to open a packet pick-up option on Friday night. This was good. The bad, however, was that they decided to hold the Friday night packet pick-up at Runtex on Riverside. Those of you from around here know that there is NO parking at Runtex on Riverside. Pick-up started at 5pm. I got there around 4:30 and there was not one spot to be found. I had to pay for street parking on Barton Springs and walk over. It's not a long walk by any means, but by the time I got back over there, a line had formed.

Usually, packet pick-ups will start a little early. Not this one. I don't think they even had the bags stuffed yet. And there is no space inside Runtex, so we were all standing outside in the 90+ degree heat. I will give props to Runtex, however, for bringing out free water for all of us. The water may not have been cold, but it was very welcome.

After standing in line in the heat for 20-30 minutes the line finally started moving. Then we found out the line to the right was for merchandise. If you didn't want to buy anything, you could walk (through all the store merchandisse) to the place where they were handing out bibs. I made my way to the 10:45 line. When I reached the front, I signed the waiver and was handed my bib. And that was all. No bag, no goodies, nothing. Just my bib. I saw some stuffed bags to the side, so I went over and grabbed my own before making my way out of the mad house and back to my car.

Once I was back at my car, I checked out the contents of the goodie bag. Of course, there was a SHAPE magazine in there. There was also a Luna bar, a pair of cute socks, and our pewter finisher necklace. I thought that was a little strange to get the finisher necklace in the goodie bag instead of at the end of the race, but oh well.

Race Morning

The race venue was at Walter E Long Park aka Decker Lake. This is also the sight of the Danskin Triathlon and the Austin 70.3 triathlon, so I am very familiar with it. The race info had said there would be shuttles to take us from the parking at the Travis County Expo Center to the park. This is nothing new. The same thing happens at the triathlons. I figured it would take a while and I like to be early, so I had arrived at 8:40am. And it was a good thing I did.

The best we could figure out, there were only 3 buses in the shuttle rotation. And there were tons of people in line to catch them. Racers and spectators. Some of the ladies around me were in the 9:30 or 9:45 wave. I knew they wouldn't make it. I stood in line for an hour before I climbed on the bus to be shuttled over. If I would have known it would take that long, I would have walked the 2 miles. It would have been faster. Next time, they need to have a lot more buses in the shuttle rotation.

Since I had gotten there so early, I made it to the park by about 10am. I saw many girls enter the starting chute that were past their start time, however. I watched the 3 waves ahead of me take off and then I got in the chute and headed to the very front. I knew there were a lot of first timers and a lot of people doing this just for fun and I wanted to be ahead of the crowd going into the obstacles.

The Race

When it was our time to go, I took off with the other ladies at the front. A few of them really took off. I just settled into a good pace ahead of the crowd. I felt pretty good about where I was at and hoped that when I reached the obstacle there wouldn't be a line. I had carried my bottle of water with me as well because someone had mentioned there wasn't much water on the course (and they weren't kidding - more on that later). As I rounded the corner to approach the first obstacle, I saw that it was really pointless for me to have carried my water as I would need both hands for this one. I ditched the water and hit the obstacle.

Obstacle #1: walk across an approximately 2" diameter rope (probably 15-20ft long)while holding onto two very thin ropes about waist high. I thought this was kind of fun. I wasn't speedy fast, but I wasn't slow either. I hopped off the other end and continued on my way.

The other thing about races out at Decker is that the runs are always VERY hilly. It doesn't matter which direction you are headed, you will be running up several hills at some point. Joy.

After we got up the first hill and turned to the right, we found our second obstacle.

Obstacle #2: the "maze". I wouldn't really call this a maze because there weren't any wrong turns, but you did have to duck down the whole time and follow the twists and turns until you came out the other side.

As I exited the other side I kept running. At this point the sun is starting to poke out from behind the clouds and I am missing my water, but I pressed on. I kept running until I saw the third obstacle.

Obstacle #3: the balls. This one wasn't hard either. They had an area full of big balls, taller than people. They were packed in pretty tight, but all you had to do was push them aside and run through to the exit. I was out of there quickly and on to the next one.

Luckily, somewhere in here we had some downhills. It made me feel good at one point to run past some walkers and hear one of them say, "she must be a runner" because I was running at a pretty good pace. As I got down the hill and turned the corner, there was the next obstacle.

Obstacle #4: the rope/Survivor one. For those of you that watch Survivor, this one seemed like something on one of their challenges. It was a big A frame with rope cross-crossing in every direction. All you had to do was find the big holes in between the ropes and crawl through to the other side. It was maybe 3' wide, so not hard to do. If it had been longer, it would have been more challenging. From what the volunteers told us, we were at mile 2. We still had not seen a water stop. The heat was getting unbearable.

The real challenge at this point was the hill that faced us as we left the obstacle. Uggghh. And all we had to do was run up it, do a u-turn and head back down to where we were. I will admit that I did a little bit of walking up this hill. But, as I turned that corner, I started running again. I knew I only had about a mile left to go.

Probably a quarter mile later we came across the one and only water station of the whole race. This is definitely an area that needs to be improved on. There needs to be more water in a race like that. I stopped, drank a glass, dumped a glass on my head, and then drank some more. Then it was time to tackle the next challenge.

Obstacle #5: the tubes. In this area, they had lots of intertubes (like tires) next to each other. You had to run (or walk) through them kind of like football players do in their drills. I decided I wanted to run through them. I did pretty good at first, but to run through them, you really have to pick your feet up and run with high knees. This is NOT how I normally run, so before I got to the end I got tired. It was a fairly long distance of tubes, so I was not surprised I got tired. When I got to the end, there was a medical staff attending to a racer, probably from heat exhaustion. Hello, more water would be nice.

I left that obstacle and ran toward the next one. As I rounded the corner I thought "there goes my time". I was doing well up to this point, but the lines for the last obstacle were huge.

Obstacle #6: water trampolines. You know those big trampolines they put in the lake in the summer? Well, there were about 5 of those, but on a smaller scale, tied together close to the shore. You had to make your way across all of them and back to the shore a little further down. There was a possibility you could fall into the water, but it was probably only a foot deep here.

I could have skipped this obstacle and no one would have ever known, but I came here for fun and part of that fun was completing all of the obstacles. There were only two stations for this one, and only one person could go at a time, so like I said the lines were LONG.

As I got in line I looked at my time. I wanted to know at the end how much time I spent waiting in line. I will admit that they wait was kind of welcome. There was a nice breeze blowing which helped to cool me off just a bit. By the time I got to the front, however, 14 minutes had passed. Ouch. That really hurt my time. I quickly made my way across the trampolines and got off on the other side. I was headed to the finish line, but not before climbing one last hill. Have I mentioned how hilly this course was???

The Finish and Timing

After crossing the finish line you were coraled into a narrow path where you walked passed a table. One lady was calling out your bib number and another lady was writing it down on a yellow notepad in the order you were in line. No times. Did I mention this race was not chip timed? I have no idea how they are going to determine who the overall winner was or who the age group winners were without knowing what times the people finished in. And on top of that, it would have been very easy to skip the long line at the last obstacle. As it was, the finish time on my watch was 47:04. Take out the 14 minute wait and my time was pretty respectable at 33:04. But how would anyone have known whether I did the obstacle or not? I didn't expect to win anything, but it's the principle. The overall winner received a 5 day trip to Aruba and I can almost guarantee the winner was in the first wave of the day and didn't have to wait at obstacles. I definitely think it should have been chip-timed and there should have been mats at places to account for the wait time.

Shuttle Back

I had a soccer game to get to, so I did not hang around. After leaving the finish area I grabbed a cup of water and walked back to the shuttle area to catch the shuttle back to the parking lot. There was a line again, but it didn't take as long as this morning to get on a bus and make my way back.

Overall

Overall, I like the concept of the race. There are definitely things that need to be improved upon and personally, I would like to see the challenges a little more challenging, but I know they were trying to attract women of all abilities for this race. The goal of the race was to have fun and I did, so mission accomplished.

2011 Cap 10K

2011-04-08T20:43:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I'm a little late, but I have another race in the morning, so I thought I'd better write my race report from the Cap 10K race a few weeks ago. I've done the Cap 10K race for several years now. It's the larget 10K race in Texas and a lot of people dress up for it, so it's lots of fun.

This year, race morning turned out to be a beautiful morning for a race. Temps were in the high 50s and it was a little overcast. It was a little cold standing around before the race, but I knew it would be perfect once we started running. As always, I had gotten to the race start early and hit the port-a-potties. Then I stretched for a bit because I was still having knee issues. After stretching for a while, I hit the port-a-potties again and then I headed for my coral.

Standing in the coral waiting for the race start, I started talking to an older gentleman. Turns out he was from Bryan (in fact he use to be the mayor) and he was an Aggie graduate. We talked some more and he told me he was 77 years old and didn't take any medication. He runs to stay healthy. He also competes in the senior games. I want to be like him when I grow up!

The gun went off and I wished him good luck. It took a few minutes to get to the start, but when I did I took off and tried to settle into my pace. I knew I wouldn't get a PR in this race, but I hoped to come in under an hour. I wasn't going to push the pace with the knee issue.

I felt pretty good running up Congress. As I approached the first mile marker and hit the split button, I saw an 8:53 pace. I knew that I wouldn't be able to maintain that, so I slowed down a little bit. Besides, I had forgotten how hilly the first few miles could be. Note to self: get back to hill training.

Mile 2: 9:12. Ok, that's a little better and now with the uphills are a few downhills. Mile 3: 9:16. Keeping a fairly good pace here. If I can get through the hills, I should be ok. The spectator support at this race is good and it kept me focused on moving forward. Finally I was through the majority of the hills. Mile 4: 9:03. Just 2 more to go. Mile 5: 9:09. I'm hanging in there and confident I can finish with a decent time. Mile 6: 9:10. I thought about pushing it the last .2 miles, but knew at this point I would not PR, so I decided it wasn't worth it. I cruised on in to a 56:36 finish time. The last .2 took me 1:50.

After I finished, I grabbed some water and stretched my legs out. I know I need to get better at stretching and make it more of a focus after all my runs and races. I started getting cold as I was sweaty from the run and the temps were still in the high 50s.

Another great race was in the books. I found out later that many of my friends had done the race as well and I didn't see anyone down there. I guess with 23,000 runners, that's to be expected.

Diva 5K Run

2011-03-06T16:47:00.009-06:00

One of the local high schools put on a Diva 5K Run. Madison and I decided to sign up and run it together. Race information said it was an all female race (ok, well there were a couple of men who dressed as ladies and snuck in) and you even received a tiara and a boa toward the end. What could be better than that?

After a week of beautiful afternoon temperatures, we woke up race morning to cold and rain and wind. LOTS of wind. Luckily, this race wasn't until 4:00pm, so maybe it would warm up. If only we could have been so lucky.

The overcast doom of the morning did give way to sunshine, but the wind stayed at gusts of 20-30mph and the temps stayed in the high 50s and low 60s. The temp was perfect for a 5k, but not with the wind.

Madison and I had ordered matching outfits - hot pink running skirts and a matching top. Afterall, this was a DIVA race and we needed to look the part. We did decide that with the wind, we would wear an UnderArmour top underneath.

Once we got to the race site, we headed toward the start. We tried to stay warm, but it was just impossible. We lined up at the front of the pack. This wasn't necessarily on purpose, but no one else seemed to want up front. We just hoped that someone who knew where they were going would pass us real quick. The start of the race was in the football stadium, but after that we weren't sure. Since this was the first year for this race, I wasn't sure how clearly the course would be marked.

Once the horn blew for us to take off, it didn't take long at all for us to get passed by a few people. In fact, the one woman that really jumped out front stayed out front the whole time and eventually won the race.

We ran around the track and out of the stadium onto the school grounds. Most of the race was weaving around the parking lot and around the school. There was one little section where we went onto a neighborhood street, but then we were right back in the parking lot again.

The race course itself wasn't bad, but the winds proved to be brutal. Especially when they were in your face going uphill. I started to get hot about a mile in and wished we hadn't worn the long sleeves. Plus, with it being a 4pm start and Dalton having a soccer scrimmage at 12:00, I never really ate lunch, so I was feeling that as well.

The one and only water station wasn't until mile 2, which I thought was a little far into the course. This is one thing I have to admit could have been done better. They had the tiny cups instead of the bigger ones and they had them FULL. You couldn't pinch the top together to keep the water from spilling. Because of that, I ended up with water up my nose and not a lot of it in my belly where it needed to be. Oh well, I had to keep going to keep up with Madison who was doing very well.

Onward through the parking lot and back toward the start. About a 1/4 mile out, we were handed our tiara. I tried to put it on, but doing that while running proved to be difficult, so I just carried it. At the next corner we were handed our boa. I quickly wrapped that around my neck so it wouldn't fly away. And then, as we entered the stadium again, we were handed a rose. It was a little tricky running the last bit with all of that, but I made it to the finish line.

Madison beat me by about 20 seconds. I still can't find the "official" results from the timing company, but I estimate her time around 26:40, because my time was right at 27:00. There were not a lot of people who finished before us, so we decided to stay and see if either of us placed. At one point they posted "unofficial" results on a bleacher. It appeared that Madison got 3rd in her age group and around 14 overall, and I got 7th in my age group and 21st overall. Dang, I hate my age group!

We had to wait about an hour before the awards ceremony, which I thought was way too long. And because the wind still hadn't died down we were freezing again. We huddled as best we could to keep warm. And when they got to Madison's age group, she did indeed get 3rd. Not bad for her first official 5k.

Overall it was a great day. There are things that need to be improved upon (earlier water station, water at the finish, awards sooner, etc), but for a first year race they did a good job. We had fun and that was what mattered.

Great Urban Race Austin 2011

2011-02-26T19:24:00.011-06:00

*Sorry about the spacing of the pics vs the wording. Blogspot is not spacing as I want it to.*

As part of my objective to "have fun" this year, my friend Selene and I signed up to do the Great Urban Race. It's kind of like a local Amazing Race. We decided to do this just a couple of weeks before the race, so we didn't have a lot of time to prep or strategize, but I had read a race report I found online and gotten some ideas of things to do.

This morning we met and rode downtown together. We went to the race start and checked in to get our race numbers. We had Joel, Madison, Dalton, Brandi, Amy and a friend of Selene's at home ready to search the Internet for our answers and we had Tom and Patrick downtown with us. Their plan once we got clues was to help us figure out the best route between them.

Once we were allowed to open the clues, I snapped pictures on my cell phone and texted them to our support crew as Tom, Patrick and Selene tried to figure out what they could. Some were fairly easy. Once we had a few figured out, Selene and I headed out. I had read from last year that there was a clue in the paper, so this morning I scanned the classifieds and sure enough there was a clue in there, so I had that and it was fairly far north of the start. We figured that might be the furthest north, so we decided to start there and work our way back south.

Unfortunately, neither of us nor any of our support crew was overly familiar with the public transportation so we decided to head that way on foot. This was probably a couple of miles from the start and took us 20-30 minutes to get there. We ran some and walked some and worked up a good sweat. Along the way we looked for opportunities to take pictures to fulfill our picture tic-tac-toe. We were able to get a picture of us with an out-of-state license plate as well as with someone with a tatoo.

We finally found our way to the Littlefield fountain and got someone to take our picture acting like we were diving into the fountain.

By this time, our crew had figured out that one of the clues was leading us to the University Co-op. We found our way there and found the Bevo statue. Selene had to make a paper airplane and I had to throw it and try to make it land on a target. We only had 3 chances. The first one didn't go very far. The second one landed on the target, but not in the middle bullseye. The third one also missed, but since I had landed on the target, they gave us the guitar pick, took our picture and sent us on our way.

These were the only two clues up north, so we started heading south. We had hoped to catch a bus, but started walking/running that way on foot anyway. Along the way we found a mural on the wall and snapped a picture to complete our picture tic-tac-toe. Three clues solved.

We continued south on Lamar to Pease Park. We had to go to the southern most part of the park and find the picnic tables with the "creatures" on it. The creatures turned out to be 2 different kinds of cockroaches. We had to properly identify which kinds they were (out of a list of 3 kinds) and then take a picture of both of us with one of us holding the cockroach. After decided what they were, Selene picked up a cockroach, we got our picture taken and then we were off again.

On our way to Uncle Billy's on Barton Springs, we realized we were a few blocks from the challenge we needed to complete at Pure Austin. We took off running to get there. We had a hard time figuring how to get inside, but once we were inside I hopped on a bike and began pedaling. The equation on the clue had given us an answer of 0.56. That was the distance I was suppose to go. The tripometer only had one decimal point. It stumped us for a bit until we heard others say their answer and realized we needed to round up. When I went the distance we had to get a pic of both of us AND the computer showing how far we had gone. Before we could get someone to take a pic, the computer cleared. The race staff reset it and got the pic and we were on our way.

Continuing south on Lamar, we headed to Barton Springs and to Uncle Billy's Brew pub. While there, we had to correctly identify 3 out of 6 ingredients used to make beer. Well, neither of us are big beer drinkers and the ingredients were in their raw form. After guessing out loud and studying the look on the staff person's face, we finally got it right. We got our coupon and moved on.

The next location was probably the southern most location on the route. We headed to Roadhouse Relics, studied the picture vs the real thing and found the 3 differences. We were off again to the next location a few blocks away.

Once we got to Mighty Cone, we had to pick up a crunchy treat. This was either a fried pickle or a fried shrimp. We both went for the pickle. We had to feed each other and have someone take a picture of us while doing so.

From there we headed up Congress to Lucy in Disquise. This is a very popular costume shop. We got a fake mustache, found a guy with a real mustache and got our picture made.

We headed north on Congress over the bridge and headed to the Children's museum. We had to make a craft there and Selene got to work on it. We were trying to get info on a bus route to take us East to get the last two clues taken care of. After the paper craft was done we headed to 3rd and Colorado where a bus was suppose to come in about 5 minutes. There was a lot of construction there, so when 5 minutes had passed and no bus had come, we figure the routes had changed due to construction. We decided to head to 4th street and start heading East, hoping to find a bus along the way. Unfortunately we arrived at our next destination without use of a bus.

At this pit stop, we had to sample some coffee and decide which 3 countries the coffee came from (we had 4 choices to choose from). Unfortunately, neither Selene or I are coffee drinkers, so this was not a challenge we enjoyed. We thought the coffee was nasty. There were several teams there at the same time and we kind of all worked together to get the answer. We grabbed our coffee sample and headed for our last stop.

The last stop was at Any Baby Can. We had to take some items for donations. Luckily you can use ground support so Tom and Patrick had stopped and gotten the supplies for us earlier. We turned those in and headed to the finish, again, hoping to catch a bus. Unfortunately, no bus.

We ended up doing the ENTIRE race on foot. We estimate that we traveled over 10 miles today, probably closer to 13. We crossed the finish line back at Maggie Mae's in just under 4 hours. The top 25 teams qualify for nationals at the end of the year in New Orleans. While we didn't think we were in the top 25, we weren't ruling it out. If other teams who had finished before us had not completed the clues properly, they would incur a 30 minute penalty. But in the end, we had taken too long.

We had a ton of fun, definitely got our workout in for the day and learned lots of lessons for the next time we do this. If the Great Urban Race comes near you, I would highly recommend this if you are the type that likes a fun adventure.

Injuries, Illness and Ice - Plus a 3M Half Marathon Race Report

2011-02-04T13:28:00.004-06:00

"Running should be a relief from stress, a way to help cope with it, not another added stress." Bob Glover

At the start of the new year, I was determined to get back to a scheduled plan for training and ramp up enough for the 1/2 marathon I had at the end of the month. My knee had other plans. Sometimes it would hurt while running and sometimes it would only hurt the next day. I'd take some time off and it would feel better and then I'd run and it would hurt again.

So I went in to the 3M Half Marathon with my "long" run being only a little over 5 miles and knowing that I wouldn't PR. I had put kinesio tape on the knee to help stabilize it. Race morning was a little warm and with the threat of rain, a little humid. They announced at the start that the temp was 73 degrees. I was in shorts and a tank.

I started off and felt pretty good. I was doing about 9:30 per mile. I knew I could hold that for a while, but probably not for the whole race based on the amount of running I had been doing. And about 5 miles is where I could tell my conditioning was not where it needed to be.

About mile 7 I had to stop and walk for just a minute and give the knee a break. I walked through the aid station making sure I took in plenty of hydration and then was back on my way. About mile 10 I ran as far as I could and then would walk for a minute. I was ready to be done. As I got closer to the finish, I tried to keep running but had to walk yet again right before the finish. Then I ran on in crossing in just under 2:10. Official time was 2:09:52. You do the best you can on any given day and can't ask for more, so I'll take it.

I decided it was time to get the knee checked out and went to see an orthopedic doctor this week. He did x-rays and said no fracture. He twisted the knee several ways and put pressure where it would indicate a meniscus issue and didn't think that was it at all. He thinks it is a muscular issue and prescribed an anti-inflamatory. If it's not better in 2-4 weeks I need to go back and he will probably do an MRI.

My daughter also has an injury right now. Her thumb got jammed at volleyball practice and we thought it might be fractured. X-rays revealed no fracture, but the doctor said it is sprained and put her in a brace.

My son has been sick with strep throat and missed 4 days of school this week. Just when we thought he would go back on Friday, we get freak weather for here and he missed Friday due to an ice/snow day. It's nothing like what other parts of the country got, but with ice on the streets, our city shuts down. The kids did not complain.

I am officially registered for the Chicago marathon and I can say that with the cold weather we've had, I am hoping the winter does not come early to Chicago.

Where Have I Been and What's Next

2010-12-31T20:15:00.002-06:00

"Work hard. Be dedicated. That's all." Charles Foster

I always like to do a post on the last day of the year to recap the year and see what I've done. I'll get to the whole year in a minute.

Since Ironman Florida, I've been taking it pretty easy. I didn't do any running for a week and then tried to ease back into it. My longest run since then has been 6 miles (not much for me). I wasn't worried about speed, but did run a 5K the day after Christmas and tried to race my son. Tried is the operative word. He isn't trained for a 5k and I figured he would go out too fast and then lose steam and I would pass him at the end. Boy was I wrong. After holding him back (relative term) for the first two miles, he took off for the third and crossed the finish line about 45 seconds ahead of me. I finished in 27:11, which was good for me considering I haven't been working on time.

I haven't been swimming since IMFL, but intend to get back in the pool at least once a week starting soon. I also haven't been back on the bike outside, although I have been on the trainer a few times.

Some of my reasoning for taking it fairly easy was to give my body a break, but I've also had a pain in my knee recently that I've never had before. I'm trying to be safe and smart and not let it turn into an injury that will keep me from running for a long time. I love to run. I'm ready to get back out there for some longer runs and with consistency again.

2010 in Review - So what did I do in 2010?

My main goal of 2010 was Ironman Florida. I got to the start line injury free and crossed the finish line in 13:56:00, which was faster than I had anticipated. Along the way I set PRs in the half marathon, sprint triathlon, and half ironman triathlon distances. I also racked up some serious mileage:

Bike: 3612.66 miles 225h 15m 03s
Run: 1105.31 miles 189h 46m 44s
Swim: 224,194 yards (127.38 miles) 85h 09m 19s
Strenght training: 8hr 45m
Bowing: 1hr
Massage: 3hr 25m
Mountain Biking: 1hr 5m
Volunteer at Races: 1hr 30m
Stretching: 3hr 15m 10s
Walking: 8h 02m 10s
Yoga: 29h 40m

Overall, 2010 was a successful year.

So what's next in 2011?

Going into 2010 and Ironman training, I decided 2011 would be my "fun" year. I do have a few races on the schedule that I normally do and I think I want to do another marathon this year to get further along in my goal of running a marathon in all 50 states. However, I want to throw something fun in along the way.

I'd really like to do a running relay race. There are two in Texas that I am interested in, but need to figure out if I can pull it off. The Texas Independence Relay is the first weekend of March, which I think is a little too quick to get a team together and is also probably the first weekend of soccer for my son. The Capital to Alamo relay is the first weekend in August. That would give me more time to form a team and get details figured out, but that is the weekend the fall season starts for my son's soccer and my daughter will most likely have volleyball scrimmages that weekend. Hmmm.....what to do? Maybe I should look at a relay somewhere else :)

I also wouldn't mind doing some kind of adventure race if one works out in the schedule. I'll have to look. And this year I read of a "doggy-du". I think it would be a blast to swim and run with Roscoe. I'd have to "teach" him to swim first, but it could be something to try. And then there is always the possibility of an ultra run. I'm not ready for a 100 miler at this point and really not even a 50 miler, but a 50K might be doable.

The other thing I think I want to try this year is running in vibram 5 fingers. A lot of people really enjoy running in minimalist shoes. I go barefoot almost all the time anyway, so I might enjoy it. Who knows. I may get me some and VERY slowly integrate running in vibrams into my schedule.

I'm also looking at some more strength training this year. I think one of my limiting factors in bike speed is weak quads. You would think that with all the running I do my quads would be strong. And they are, but not strong enough for the power I need in cycling. Plus, I sometimes have arm envy. Especially of Jillian Michaels or Kelly Ripka.

Speaking of Jillian. I fould a "Hot Bod In A Box" by Jillian at the bookstore the other day and bought it. I bought it mostly because it has strength excercises on cards and it will be easy to travel with and you can rearrange the cards for different workouts. Plus, it has some cards with pre-determined circuits already on it. I did one this morning. That 30 minutes kicked my rear! We'll see how that goes.

So while I don't have a lot figured out for 2011, I do have the following on my calendar:

1/30 3M Half Marathon
3/27 Cap 10K
May - Dfest 5K
6/19 Lake Pflugerville Tri
October - seriously considering the Chicago marathon

I'll also do some pay rides to get the bike mileage in.

No matter what I do, I plan to work hard and be dedicated. That's all.

Happy New Year!

I am IRONwoMAN!

2010-11-10T19:28:00.002-06:00

“I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the starting line, we’re all cowards.” Alberto Alazar

The short summary – I am an Ironman!!!

My time was 13:56:00.
Swim Time: 1:24:27
T1: 15:25
Bike Time: 7:01:43
T2: 10:14
Run Time: 5:04:13

Now, if you want to read the long version, grab a cup of coffee or something and get comfy.

After basically training for a year for this, race day was finally here. My alarm went off at 3:30 am. I got up and started getting ready. Heat the water for the oatmeal, get dressed, take my medicine, eat breakfast, drink my shake. Patrick called at 3:45 like I asked him to make sure I was awake. I made sure all of my jewelry was off, made sure I had my chip around my ankle, put on my warm clothes and grabbed the rest of the stuff.

Patrick came to get me about 4:40. We grabbed the special need bags and my morning clothes bag and drove toward the starting point. With all the roads blocked off, Patrick pulled up just where the run special needs drop off point was. I got out with all my gear and was alone again for a little bit while he went back to park the truck at the house and walk back to meet me. In the meantime, I dropped off the run special needs bag, went across the street to drop off the bike special needs bag, and then made the short trek to transition.

When I got to transition, I found someone to body mark me. I had to take my warm clothes off to get marked. Brrrrr! But once I had my numbers on I entered transition. I headed straight for my bike and put my nutrition on. I remembered to get my computer out of the zip lock bag, put it on the bike and reset it. I found a nice volunteer who was checking tire pressure and made sure mine was where it needed to be. I had also rented a GPS tracking unit, so I turned it on, put it in its pouch and placed it in my swim-to-bike bag so I could put it on in T1. I ran into a Kathy G and got a quick picture and then stood there for just a bit to soak it all in. The atmosphere was amazing. There was nothing left to do in transition. I called Patrick and he was almost back, so I headed out of transition and met him so I wouldn’t be alone.

We walked to the beach side where the swim start was and sat there for a little bit, but it was in the low 40s and I was getting cold. I would be out in this all day, so no reason to be out in it now. We found the lobby of the hotel and went inside to get warm. During the time we were in there I used the bathroom several times (just to be sure) and ate my second breakfast.

As the time approached 6:30 I figured it was time to start putting on the wetsuit. That’s always fun and today was no different. Pull here, squeeze here, pull some more. I made sure to put body glide on areas I thought might chafe, but especially on the neck area. I got my arms in but didn’t zip up yet. I put the sweatshirt back on over the wetsuit and we headed down to the start.

After being here to volunteer last year I knew the sand would be cold, so I had worn some mammoth crocs to the start. This worked perfectly. I handed everything to Patrick except my phone (so I could make sure to find him), my swim cap and my goggles. I entered the arch that said “swim start” and crossed the timing mat. There was no turning back.

I walked to the right along the barrier between the athletes and spectators and found Patrick again. I wasn’t planning on leaving until I saw my family and it was almost time to start the race. As I was waiting, I checked my goggles and realized that when I put the defogger in, they didn’t get rinsed well enough and they were streaked. I couldn’t see clear through them. I had been smart and put a second pair in my morning bag, so we got those out and I went through the process again making sure to rinse them well. I took my sweatshirt off and handed my phone to Patrick. Still no family. They had called and I knew they were heading my way, but it was time for the pros to start and almost time for me to walk to the water.

Finally I saw my kids. I got some great hugs from the family and teared up thinking about what I was getting ready to do. It was time to go. I took my crocs off to hand them to the family and when I did, the sand got on my goggles. Which were wet. Crap. Grabbed the water bottle and rinsed them again and then took off to the water. I saw Kathy G right before the swim start and that was nice. It helped calm me down a bit. With one minute to go, I hit start on my watch and tucked it into my wetsuit sleeve. I put the goggles on and enjoyed the moment. The next thing I know, the cannon had gone off and we were moving forward. I was doing an Ironman.

Since Florida is a beach start, there is some walking to start with. After being in the cold with the feet on the cold sand, it felt good to be in the water. The water was warmer than the air temp. It felt good. And then it was time to start swimming.

I was in the middle left to right and probably somewhat toward the middle front to back as well, but still in the mix of a bunch of folks. I just looked for an empty spot and went horizontal. It was crazy, but exciting. I was doing fine for a while. Sure, I’d bump people here and there or they would bump me, but nothing bad. I could feel that I was in the whole draft of the hundreds of folks before me and thought I should try to stay there as long as possible. And then, about the first buoy, it was like we hit a brick wall. Everyone stopped. I don’t know why, but there was no way to swim forward for a split second. With my head out of the water, I looked around and took it all in.

Back to swimming we went. I got into a rhythm with the waves and tried to use them to my advantage when I could. And I also started swimming more toward the buoys and ended up swimming the buoy line.

The next thing I knew we were at the first turn. And wow was that crazy. People everywhere. I just wanted to get around the buoy and try to find an open spot again. And then I just tried to follow the people in front of me. At this point, we were swimming directly into the rising sun and I could not see anything. Finally I caught a glimpse of the next turn buoy and just kept swimming. It didn’t take long to get there and turn to swim back toward shore.

At this point it was thinning out a little, but I was still in the middle of a lot of swimmers. That made me feel really good because I am not a super fast swimmer and am sometimes lonely at the back of the pack. As long as I could see people around me I would not panic that I was at the back. As I got closer to shore I could hear the announcer and the music and got excited that I was almost halfway through the swim. I swam until the shallow water again before standing up and heading in.

I ran up the beach glancing along the sides to see if I could see my family. I had no idea where they would be. I crossed the timing mat, grabbed a cup of water to rinse out my mouth and continued on my way. As I was going diagonal in the water to start the second lap, I spotted Brandi. I figured someone else was there with her and started waving my hands in the air, hoping they would figure it was me. And then it was time to start the second lap.

It wasn’t as crowded anymore, but I still got bumped and even got kicked in the jaw at one point. Good thing the water was clear. I started watching for feet and protecting my face. I had checked my watch at the turnaround point and knew I was having a good swim, so I just kept doing what I had been and enjoying the moment. As I turned around the second turn buoy to head back to shore I was excited. It was a little harder at that point, though, because the waves kept pushing me out to the right and I kept having to swim back in to the buoys. I didn’t swim as close to them on this lap as I did on the first, but that was fine. I just kept focusing on the swim finish.

I couldn’t believe it when I got to the shallow water and stood up again. I still had to cross the timing mat, but I had just finished my swim. I was VERY happy. I finished faster than I thought I would and that meant even if I had a bad bike, I still had time in the bank.

As I exited the water I unzipped my wetsuit and got my arms out. Because of the cold temps I wasn’t sure if I wanted to use the wetsuit strippers or if I wanted to wait to get out of the wetsuit in T1, but I made a quick decision to use the strippers. I found an available male, laid on the ground and stuck my feet in the air. He ripped that wetsuit off in no time and grabbed my hand to help me up. I was on my way. The only bad thing is that so many people were in the wetsuit stripping area that I was pretty much on sand, so I stopped under the showers to rinse off the sand. I probably stayed there longer than I should have, but I wanted to make sure the sand was off as much as possible.

After going through the showers, I ran up the path and through the archway to the T1 bag area. I knew where my bag was and ran that way. Then I was running to T1.
And my feet were cold. And numb. And they hurt. But I kept going. I was doing an Ironman!! Just before entering the changing area, I heard someone yelling for me and looked to see my family. That was awesome.

I had used the changing tent during the Redman aquabike to get a feel for the experience, but this was nothing like that. I turned the corner to enter the tent and was amazed. It was packed! I wasn’t sure where to go so I just kept walking to the back hoping to find a place. There was not a free chair anywhere. I finally found a somewhat open spot and dropped my wetsuit and bag and started getting out of the wet clothes. Since the temps were so low I had decided to change into dry clothes before starting the bike.

I got out of the wet clothes and dried off as best I could before putting on my tri jersey for the rest of the race. I did tap the volunteer next to me on the shoulder and get her help in pulling down the back of my jersey. Other than that, I did everything myself. My transition time was slow, but I wanted to make sure I did everything I needed to and that I had everything I needed for the bike. Once I was sure that was done, I stuffed my swim stuff in the bag, gave it to a volunteer and headed out of the tent.

I had to run back down the long chute, but saw my family again on the way. I did stop at the port-a-potty and then found the volunteer who had my bike ready and waiting. I grabbed it from her and headed to the bike exit.

As I was heading down the bike chute to the mount line, I saw my friend Brandi on the phone and heard her say “she is wearing her green jacket.” I assumed she was talking to my family who was probably further down, but at that point I had to concentrate to get on my bike and get clipped in without hitting or getting hit by anyone. There were lots of people in the chute at the same time as me and I was just ready to get out on the road.

After watching weather forecasts all week, I knew the bike was going to be tough for me. Winds were forecasted to be 10mph or more with gusts of 20-25. And the direction they were forecast to be blowing meant a headwind or crosswind for much of the ride. The forecast was not wrong.

I told myself to do my ride and not worry about anyone else. And it was a good thing I did. As I was heading out past the hotels, I got passed by a LOT of folks. That’s ok. I just let them go. This was going to be a long day and I wasn’t going to use all my energy the first 10 miles. I got settled in and just pedaled at a speed that felt comfortable to me.

As I got to Hwy 79 and turned to head north, I knew it would get tougher. We would be in an almost direct headwind for that stretch of the road. I didn’t want to worry about what speed I was going. Again, I knew I just needed to do my ride, even if that meant riding slow. I would try to make it up on the parts of the course where we might have a tailwind. And I was hoping I’d get that chance as we turned to head east on Highway 20. I did pick up some speed here, but not as much as I hoped. Regardless of which way I was riding, I felt like I had a headwind. It was still cool and I still had my jacket on.

Normally in a long ride, I am known for having to stop and use the restroom about mile 20 or around an hour into the ride. I had planned on this and knew I might have to stop at the second aid station, but I didn’t. I made it to mile 30 or 40 (can’t remember) before I had to stop for the first time. There was a little bit of a wait, but I knew if I didn’t stop it would hurt me in the ride. I did my thing and got back on the bike.

Since I stopped so late for me, I pretty much decided at this point that I would not stop at mile 56 where the special needs bags were. The only thing I had in mine anyway was extra CO2 (and I hadn’t had a flat), extra nutrition (and I had four extra bags in my pocket), and peanut M&Ms (which I could do without). I did not need to stop.

The out and back section that contained the special needs stop was interesting. Most of the course was on very smooth, great roads (especially compared to what I normally ride on). The first out and back section was a section of road that had some bumps on it. It almost felt like when you cross a bridge and you cross the expansion joints between pavement if that makes sense. A lot of people thought that road was horrible, but it was still better than the roads I train on. Even though it wasn’t that bad, it was nice to be done with that part. Well, except that I knew the next part of the course would have some long rollers with a headwind or crosswind. Onward I went.

The section of 20 coming back to 79 had some long rollers and it seemed that everyone was getting beat up through here. It was tough to get a good pace going if you were following the rules correctly and staying 4 bike lengths back from the bike in front of you. And when they were slower than me, I knew I didn’t have the energy to pass them in the required 20 seconds. Occasionally I’d get up out of the saddle and get it done, but then I’d have to recover again. There was definitely some leap-frogging going on. And some illegal drafting by others. I didn’t realize how much until I saw pictures.

Around mile 70 I stopped again to use the restroom and to refill my bottles with more nutrition. And as I was getting ready to leave the aid station I hear my name being called. My friend Patrick had taken his motorcycle and had ridden out to find me with my daughter on the back. They were there taking pictures. That was a nice surprise to see them at that point.

I continued on 20 and saw the next intersection. For some reason I forgot that was 77 and not 79, so mentally I was preparing to turn and hopefully enjoy a tailwind. Wrong. I still had a way to go. I just kept pedaling. Despite the fact that I was slower than I wanted to be, I wasn’t doing too bad and I knew I was not in danger of missing any cutoffs.

When I finally got to 79 to turn to head back to town I was happy. I knew there wasn’t a lot of course left and I knew I’d have a little bit of a tailwind at least. I was able to pick up speed at this point, but not as much as I hoped. Somewhere along this stretch, though, the toll of the wind caught up to me. I have issues with the wind drying my contacts out and not being able to see. It has happened in other rides and it was along this point that I realized I really couldn’t see all that clearly. I kept trying to blink my eyes to wet them and hoped that it would go away. It was also along this stretch where I saw Patrick again, but this time he had my son on the back of the motorcycle. I was glad they both found me.

When I got to the turn for the second out and back, my family and Brandi were there with signs and were yelling like crazy. One of the riders told me I had a huge fan club. That was a nice surprise as I had told them before the race that I didn’t expect to see them on the bike course. And with them being there, that meant that after I did the out and back, I saw them again. Well, I would have seen them if I could see. My contacts were getting really bad at that point.

After stopping at mile 70 I had decided I didn’t want to stop again unless I absolutely had to. But after turning onto 79 to head in, I saw some port-a-potties and decided to stop one last time. But the main reason I stopped was to put drops in my eyes to see if it would help. After a quick stop I was off. I knew I only had about 15 miles to go.

Crossing the “big” hill on the way back was challenging because coming down the back side I got caught by a huge crosswind and felt like I was going to be knocked over. It made me slow down and lose some momentum in speed. The drops were not helping my eyes. It was hard to see and the winds were still beating me down. But I kept pedaling. The faster I pedaled, the sooner I’d be done. And it was nice when I got back to Thomas Drive and the stretch by the hotels. It was even nicer when I made that last turn and headed down that last little stretch before entering the chute again. I rode all the way to the dismount line and got off.

As soon as I crossed that line, an awesome volunteer grabbed my bike and I ran to get my T2 bag. Before I got in the tent, I had my helmet and gloves off. This time, the change tent was not so crowded. A volunteer asked if I needed help. I don’t do a lot in T2 except get rid of the cycling stuff and change shoes so I didn’t need help, but I still couldn’t see. From listening to the girl next to me, I wans’t the only one.

When I had all I needed for the run, I left the tent and headed for the run exit. In the meantime, I turned on the garmin (I wore one on the bike and a different on the run to make sure the battery lasted the whole time) and hoped it would find a satellite quickly. It wasn’t. I needed to set it to the interval training so I would have my “beeps” for my run and walk segments, but I had a hard time seeing the screen. It was very frustrating. Once I got it ready, I left transition and began my run.

As I started the run, my legs felt a little heavy but really not bad at all. I’ve trained for this. I knew they would get better. I told myself to just stick to my 4/1 and go. It worked great. After a couple of walk breaks my legs felt great. I passed Kathy G and she told me I looked strong. I felt great. The only problem was that I still couldn’t see. At least it was still daylight. For now.

Run/walk, run/walk, run/walk. My plan was working like a charm. Soon I was in the state park turning around to head back. I knew I was averaging just over 10 minute miles and I was very pleased with that. It was great being out on the course with so many people. And for a large part of the run I was close to Jack Chen (the inspirational hero who was blind) and his running partner. It was amazing to watch them run together, only connected by a short rope. The guide would warn Jack when they were coming to a speed bump or when they would be turning. He would let Jack know when they were coming to an aid station and help him get water. Truly amazing.

Before I knew it I was at the halfway point. As I rounded to corner, volunteers were shouting out numbers for the run special needs bags. I knew I was going to grab mine because the sun was almost down and it was getting colder. I wanted my gloves that I had put in there. And, another nice surprise was that right as I was turning the corner I saw some friends from home that had gone to watch some of their other friends. Seeing people you know on the course always gives you a boost of energy.

I grabbed my special needs bag and attempted to get to my gloves, but my hands were cold so the volunteer asked what I want and got it for me. Awesome! The volunteers were amazing.

I knew that for me, for doing a marathon in an Ironman, I was having a great run. I was excited to head back out on that second loop. I saw my family several times on the run and that was nice and I chatted with other participants along the way. As the sun went down and it got dark, though, it got tougher for me. Not because I was sore or tired, but because I had a harder time seeing where I was going. There are parts of the course, especially the part through the state park, that are really dark. In order to try and help, the race director had gotten extra spotlights to light the course. This was great when the lights were behind you, but when you were running toward them it was as if the sun was right in your eyes as it’s setting and you couldn’t see a thing. So, not only could I not see clearly through my contacts, but now I also couldn’t see anything because of the blinding light in front of me. I ran toward those lights with my hands shielding my eyes a lot of times. And I just hoped there was someone in front of me to follow. I could only imagine at that point how jack Chen felt running the whole thing without being able to see at all.

I think one of the highlights of the run was between mile 21 and mile 22. I was running one of my run segments at that point and there was another female runner next to me. We passed two guys who happened to be walking at that point and I heard one say to the other as we passed, “dude, we are seriously getting chicked”. Getting “chicked” means a female is kicking a guy’s booty. I had to smile and laugh. I also thought to myself, “yeah, you are probably getting chicked because you probably pushed too hard on the bike.”

Toward mile 24 it started getting harder to run again after my walk breaks. I knew I had slowed down but tried to keep running. Since I couldn’t read my watch, I had no idea what my elapsed time was or how well I may be doing, but I knew I would finish. There was no doubt in my mind about that. I walked for a while and just enjoyed being out there. I talked to folks, I told them good job, I thanked the spectators. It was an amazing feeling.

And then I turned toward the finish. There were lots of people lining the finish chute. I still had a ways to go and was still walking at that point. And then I heard someone say “you are almost there, you can run it in”. And so I started to run. And I ran down that chute and I heard people cheering and I could see (kind of) the finish line. Since my eyes were still foggy I didn’t even try to find my family. I just ran. And then I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face.

Patrick had volunteered as a finish line catcher and was waiting for me as I crossed which was great, because I couldn’t see a thing. I wasn’t even able to read the finish line clock to see what my finish time was, so I asked him. He told me just under 14 hours. Really????? I never imagined I would finish in that time. I was excited. It turns out my marathon time was only 20 minutes slower than my stand alone marathon PR. Wow!

I walked around to keep my legs moving while he went to get my morning bag and my warm clothes. I had my medal, my finisher hat and my finisher shirt. I stopped to get my finisher picture taken and then as I was heading to get my massage I ran into my family and Brandi. I was glad I got to see them there because I know how chaotic the finish area can be. They went to get warm while I went to get my massage.

After the massage I put on some more warm clothes and we called my parents to see where their car was. I was not going to walk back to the house. They picked up me and Patrick while Brandi and Joel went to get my bike and transition bags.
Once back at the house I ate a salad and cole slaw from Chick-fil-a and drank a coke. Then we enjoyed some cookies they had made me and toasted with some champagne. What a day it had been.

Once everyone left, I lay on the couch for a while longer and read my facebook messages from the day and also read some posts on the triathlon forum. It is truly amazing to me how many people checked in through the day to see how I was doing. I am truly blessed.

Eventually I got up and took a warm shower and crawled into bed. I’m pretty certain I fell asleep really fast, but I do know that I fell asleep knowing – I AM an Ironman!!

Rain Go Away!

2010-11-04T11:28:00.000-06:00

“The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince. “ Coach Lombardi

Tuesday morning I left home and headed for Panama City Beach. We made it to Biloxi, Mississippi, before stopping for the night. After getting up, getting in a short run, and eating breakfast this morning, we loaded the truck and continued our journey – in the rain.

Yes, folks, it has been raining all day. I don’t know if it is outer bands from the tropical depression in the Atlantic or if it’s just a system moving through, but it better move through.

Once we arrived in Panama City Beach (PCB), we ate lunch and then I headed to the rental house to check in and unload my stuff. After that it was off to the athlete check-in. I got my wrist band, my race numbers and my swim cap. Only the guy writing my number on my swim cap didn’t know what he was doing. I’m #2484, but the way he wrote the numbers on it, it looks like I’m either #2424 or #8484. Good thing I have a sharpie with me.

After getting all my stuff and doing a little shopping, it was time to get my massage. The only bad part was that it was under a big tent – outside. The massage was good but it was a little cold with the wind blowing and sometimes the rain would blow in and hit me. Oh well. I have hot chocolate at the house.

After some dinner it was time to hit the grocery store. Then it was time to start laying things out. And now it’s time to hit the bed.

The Final Countdown

2010-11-02T07:17:00.002-06:00

"I told myself there was no way I was going to let this training go to waste. It was my time, and I was ready to go." Katie Hoff

In four days I will be standing on the beach in Panama City Beach, Florida, to start my final journey of becoming an Ironman. Those last 140.6 miles will be the sweet end to a long journey.

I will leave in just a couple of hours to head to PCB. A lot of thoughts are going through my head, but in my heart I know I am ready. I have done the training and I have put in the time.

The following is something that I found on the triathlon forum I visit. I did not write it, nor do I know who did. It was not written for me, but for another athlete, probably by their coach. But it says it all. Everytime I read it, I get excited, nervous, emotional, and yes, a little teary eyed. Enjoy.

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Right now you are about to enter the taper. Perhaps you've been at this a few months, perhaps you've been at this a few years. For some of you this is your first IM, for others, a long-overdue welcome back to a race that few can match.

You've been following your schedule to the letter. You've been piling on the mileage, piling up the laundry, and getting a set of tan lines that will take until next year to erase. Long rides were followed by long runs, which both were preceded by long swims, all of which were followed by recovery naps that were longer than you slept for any given night during college.

You ran in the snow.
You rode in the rain.
You ran in the heat.
You ran in the cold.

You went out when others stayed home.
You rode the trainer when others pulled the covers over their heads.

You have survived the Darwinian progression that is an Ironman summer, and now the hardest days are behind you. Like a climber in the Tour de France coming over the summit of the penultimate climb on an alpine stage, you've already covered so much ground...there's just one more climb to go. You shift up, you take a drink, you zip up the jersey; the descent lies before you...and it will be a fast one.

Time that used to be filled with never-ending work will now be filling with silent muscles, taking their final, well-earned rest. While this taper is something your body desperately needs, your mind cast off to the background for so very long, will start to speak to you.

It won't be pretty.

It will bring up thoughts of doubt, pain, hunger, thirst, failure, and loss. It will give you reasons why you aren't ready. It will try and make one last stand to stop you, because your brain doesn't know what the body already does. Your body knows the truth:

You are ready.

Your brain won't believe it. It will use the taper to convince you that this is foolish - that there is too much that can go wrong.

You are ready.

Finishing an Ironman is never an accident. It's the result of dedication, focus, hard work, and belief that all the long runs in January, long rides in April, and long swims every damn weekend will be worth it. It comes from getting on the bike, day in, day out. It comes from long, solo runs. From that first long run where you wondered, "How will I ever be ready?" to the last long run where you smiled to yourself with one mile to go...knowing that you'd found the answer.

It is worth it. Now that you're at the taper, you know it will be worth it. The workload becomes less. The body winds up and prepares, and you just need to quiet your worried mind. Not easy, but you can do it.

You are ready.

You will walk into the water with 2000 other wide-open sets of eyes. You will look upon the sea of humanity, and know that you belong. You'll feel the chill of the water crawl into your wetsuit, and shiver like everyone else, but smile because the day you have waited for so VERY long is finally here.

You will tear up in your goggles. Everyone does.

The helicopters will roar overhead.
The splashing will surround you.

You'll stop thinking about Ironman, because you're now racing one.

The swim will be long - it's long for everyone, but you'll make it. You'll watch as the shoreline grows and grows, and soon you'll hear the end. You'll come up the beach and head for the wetsuit strippers. Three people will get that sucker off before you know what happening, then you’ll head for the bike.

The voices, the cowbells, and the curb-to-curb chalk giving you a hero's sendoff can't wipe the smile off your face.

You'll settle down to your race. The crowds will spread out on the road. You'll soon be on your bike, eating your food on your schedule, controlling your Ironman.

You'll start to feel that morning sun turn to afternoon sun. It's warmer now. Maybe it's hot. Maybe you're not feeling so good now. You'll keep riding. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep moving. After all, this is just a long training day with valet parking and catering, right?

You'll put on your game face, fighting the urge to feel down as you ride for what seems like hours. You reach special needs, fuel up, and head out.

By now it'll be hot. You'll be tired. Doubts will fight for your focus. Everyone struggles here. You've been on that bike for a few hours, and stopping would be nice, but you won't - not here. Not today.

You'll grind the false flats to the climb. You'll know you're almost there. You'll fight for every inch of road. The crowd will come back to you here. Let their energy push you. Let them see your eyes. Smile when they cheer for you - your body will get just that little bit lighter.

Grind.
Fight.
Suffer.
Persevere.

You'll plunge down the road, swooping from corner to corner, chaining together the turns, tucking on the straights, letting your legs recover for the run to come - soon! You'll roll back - you'll see people running out. You'll think to yourself, "Wasn't I just here?" The noise
will grow. The chalk dust will hang in the air - you're back, with only 26.2 miles to go. You'll relax a little bit, knowing that even if you get a flat tire or something breaks here, you can run the damn bike into T2.

You'll roll into transition. 100 volunteers will fight for your bike. You'll give it up and not look back. You'll have your bag handed to you, and into the tent you'll go. You'll change. You'll load up your pockets, and open the door to the last long run of your Ironman summer - the one that counts.

You'll take that first step of a thousand...and you'll smile. You'll know that the bike won't let you down now - the race is down to your own two feet. The same crowd that cheered for you in the shadows of the morning will cheer for you in the brilliant sunshine of a summer Sunday. High-five people on the way out. Smile. Enjoy it. This is what you've worked for all year long.

That first mile will feel great. So will the second. By mile 3, you probably won't feel so good.

That's okay. You knew it couldn't all be that easy. You'll settle down just like you did on the bike, and get down to your pace. You'll see the leaders coming back the other way. Some will look great - some won't. You might feel great, you might not. No matter how you feel, don't panic - this is the part of the day where whatever you're feeling, you can be sure it won't last.

You'll keep moving. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep eating. Maybe you'll be right on plan - maybe you won't. If you're ahead of schedule, don't worry - believe. If you're behind, don't panic - roll with it. Everyone comes up with a brilliant race plan for Ironman, and then everyone has to deal with the reality that planning for something like Ironman is like trying to land a man on the moon. By remote control. Blindfolded.

How you react to the changes in your plan will dictate your day. Don't waste energy worrying about things - just do what you have to when you have to, and keep moving. Keep eating. Keep drinking. Just don't sit down - don't EVER sit down.

You'll make it to the halfway point. You'll load up on special needs. Some of what you packed will look good, some won't. Eat what looks good, toss the rest. Keep moving. Start looking for people you know. Cheer for people you don't. You're headed in - they're not. They want to be where you are, just like you wanted to be when you saw all those fast people headed into town. Share some energy - you'll get it right back.

Run if you can.
Walk if you have to.
Just keep moving.

The miles will drag on. The brilliant sunshine will yawn. You'll be coming up to those aid stations fully alive with people, music, and chicken soup. TAKE THE SOUP. Keep moving.

You'll soon only have a few miles to go. You'll start to believe that you're going to make it. You'll start to imagine how good it's going to feel when you get there. Let those feelings drive you on. When your legs just don't want to move anymore, think about what it's going to be like when someone catches you…and puts a medal over your head... all you have to do is get there.

You'll start to hear the people in town. People you can't see in the twilight will cheer for you. They'll call out your name. Smile and thank them. They were there when you left on the bike, and when you came back, and when you left on the run, and now when you've come back.

You'll enter town. You'll start to realize that the day is almost over. You'll be exhausted, wiped out, barely able to run a 10-minute mile (if you're lucky), but you'll ask yourself, "Where did the whole day go?" You'll be standing on the edge of two feelings - the desire to finally stop, and the desire to take these last moments and make them last as long as possible.

You'll hit mile 25. Your Ironman will have 1.2 miles - just 2KM left in it.

You'll run. You'll find your legs. You'll fly. You won't know how, but you will run. The lights will grow brighter, brighter, and brighter. Soon you'll be able to hear the music again. This time, it'll be for keeps.

Soon they'll see you. Soon, everyone will see you. You'll run towards the lights, between the fences, and into the night sun made just for you.

They'll say your name.
You'll keep running.
Nothing will hurt.

The moment will be yours - for one moment, the entire world will be looking at you and only you.

You'll break the tape at the finish line, 140.6 miles after starting your journey. The flash will go off.

You'll stop. You'll finally stop. Your legs will wobble their last, and suddenly...be capable of nothing more.

Someone will catch you.
You'll lean into them.

It will suddenly hit you.
YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

10 Days

2010-10-27T20:44:00.002-05:00

I don't have a quote tonight because, frankly, I'm being lazy and don't want to go downstairs to get my folder that has the quotes in it. I have 10 days until Ironman Florida and I am in taper mode. I still have workouts on the calendar, but they are shorter and the body is saying "take it easy".

I had a swim and a bike on the schedule today, but we also had haircuts, so my time got cut short. I went to do the swim and about 30 minutes in decided I was done. I came home, grabbed something to eat, made myself a cup of hot chocolate and am now relaxing in the recliner. The bike will not get done tonight. I may move it to another day. Or I may not. At this point I'm not going to gain any additional fitness. I can just maintain.

I have short workouts this weekend and will spend my "free" time packing. I will be heading out early next week. I am getting excited and can't wait to be around other triathletes doing the race. We got bib numbers assigned this week, so that made things more real. I am #2484. At least it's fairly easy to remember.

Stay tuned in the coming days for more updates. I will try to do some updating from the road and once I get to Panama City Beach. I'm sure I will have lots of thoughts going through my head.

25 Days Until Ironman Florida

2010-10-12T13:53:00.001-05:00

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Last November, on the day after Ironman Florida 2009, I took the single step to begin MY journey to become an Ironman when I got in line to register for Ironman Florida 2010. After covering thousands of miles in the pool, on the bike, and on foot, my journey is closer to becoming a reality. In 25 days, I will be participating in Ironman Florida with the goal of crossing the finish line before midnight.

With 25 days to go, I thought I would share with you 25 things that I have learned along this journey.

1. Your body is capable of doing more than you think it is. In the past when I would train for just a marathon (no swimming or biking), I would follow the plan, but still not reach 100 miles of running a month. With Ironman training, I have hit over 100 miles of running in a month several times, in addition to the swimming and biking. And my body seems to be handling it ok.

2. Getting up at 4am to get in a workout sucks. But once you are up, it’s really not that bad. And running at 4am when it’s dark and quiet outside is actually kind of peaceful. Unless you encounter skunks, or dogs, or the crazy paper boy/man.

3. Speaking of said paper boy – he is a crazy driver and it is best to jump up on the sidewalk when you see him coming. He does not stop at stop signs, nor does he obey the speed limit sign. At least not in my neighborhood.

4. I should have asked Chick-fil-a to sponsor me and hope for free food. That seems to be my choice of post-long-ride refueling these days. I know it is weird for a vegetarian to love Chick-fil-a so much, but the side salad, cole slaw, fries and a coke are perfect for re-energizing my body.

5. Compression socks and sleeves are my friend. The hot pink ones are the best for embarrassing the kids.

6. I’ve always loved college football, but I love it even more because it provides a perfect excuse to lay around on Saturday afternoon and evenings (in compression socks) and recover. No one cares that I am unproductive because everyone else is laying around watching college football, too.

7. Massages are not a luxury, they are a necessity.

8. Time management is critical. I have been able to work my job, get in my workouts, and still make almost all of my kids’ volleyball, soccer and football games. The few that I have missed have been missed because I had a race scheduled before I knew of the game, or because I’m at the other kid’s game. I still haven’t figured out how to be two places at once.

9. Sometimes you have to choose between eating, stretching or sleeping. There just aren’t enough hours.

10. You don’t have to be old to go to bed early. There have been nights where I have been in bed by 8:30 or 9:00. And I’m ok with that. Sleep is good.

11. When you sign up for an Ironman a year in advance you think you have time to do all kinds of things. Next thing you know, you have 25 days and lots to do!

12. Either spend a fortune on a bathing suit or buy a LOT of cheap ones. The chlorine of the pool will make certain parts of your suit very thin and you will NOT want to wear it to the pool.

13. Race wheels for the bike ROCK!

14. Chipseal roads are not fun to ride on. Period. And neither are roads with potholes or huge cracks. If I wanted to ride on those kinds of roads, I’d ride my mountain bike.

15. Headwinds and hills can be brutal (in cycling or running), but they will make you stronger.

16. Skipping a workout every now and then will not be detrimental to your training. Your mind may think so, but your body will thank you.

17. It is next to impossible to find a hot pink and/or lime green tri top. I knew I wanted something that would stand out so that family and friends can spot me on the course easier. I happen to like hot pink and lime green and the search was on. I found some cycling jerseys in those colors, but nothing in a tri jersey that was sleeveless. I settled on an outfit with those colors in it. I did, however, find some hot pink arm warmers if I need them.

18. You can try to be as prepared as possible, but there are things that you just can’t prepare for. Like the weather. But also, course changes. We just found out the Ironman Florida bike course is changed for this year. I drove it last year so I would know what to expect. Now I will need to drive it again this year when I get there.

19. You will have good days and you will have bad days. That’s why it’s called TRAINING. If you have faced it all in training, hopefully when race day gets here you will know what to do and you WILL cross that finish line.

20. Most people who ask you about your Ironman will tell you that you are crazy. Just smile and say “yes, I am”.

21. Your kids will hate it when their coach finds out what you are doing, because they will expect your child to have the stamina and endurance you have.

22. Some foods can be eaten before a big workout and some cannot. Stay away from the ones than cannot.

23. It’s ok to walk during some of your run. Chances are you aren’t going to make it through the whole 26.2 miles without walking on race day, so it’s ok to practice during training. Plus, it makes recovery a little easier.

24. Everyone will have an opinion about what you should or should not be doing. Trust in YOUR plan. You picked it for a reason.

25. You can’t get to the destination without the journey. My journey is almost over. Final destination – Panama City Beach, Florida, November 6, 2010.

Redman Full Aqua Bike Race Report

2010-09-28T21:49:00.002-05:00

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased." Ralph Waldo Emerson

WARNING: LONG REPORT AHEAD
Short Report: Full Aquabike in 8:45:00

The training plan I am using for IMFL has a half Ironman 8 weeks out from race day. I did not feel I needed to do another HIM, nor was there one that fit the schedule. Many people I know who have done full IMs however, have done full AquaBike races for training and Redman had one 6 weeks out. I thought that would be the best thing for me to do, so I signed up.

I left for Oklahoma City Thursday after work and got there late in the evening. I checked into the hotel and watched tv to relax. During the show I kept hearing what sounded almost like constant knocking and I kept thinking “this better not happen tomorrow night” as the race was Saturday morning. Eventually I figured out it was actually a “gurgling” coming from the pipes in the restroom. I made a note to tell the front desk Friday morning.

Friday morning I slept in a little bit and then got up and headed over to the race sight. They say never do anything new for race day, but several people had convinced me to get some race wheels and try them out and I wanted to ride my bike with them Friday to make sure all was ok. I also wanted to check out the race venue. I took my wetsuit and stuff in case I decided to swim, but by the time I got down to the water they were not letting anyone else in the water. That was fine with me. I got on the bike and road on the path around the lake for about 30 minutes. Wheels seemed fine, so I packed up and went to find some breakfast.

After breakfast and a shower I decided to drive the race course. The bike course changed this year. Last year it was a two loop course. This year it would be a four loop course, so it wouldn’t take too long to drive. There were lots of 90 degree turns, some really rough roads, and a few decent rollers. There was also one section indicated on the map as a “no passing” zone. It wasn’t too long so I figured that wouldn’t affect me much.

After that I grabbed a sandwich from Subway and a quick 45 minute nap. Then it was time to head back to the race site and check in. I got my race numbers and my race swag and then decided to try to find the massage people. The website had said they would be there and my back was killing me from the very uncomfortable bed at the hotel. Found one guy and it turns out they have had low response in the past so they decided not to offer massage this year. However, since I was there he said he would work on me. The best thing was he knew how to kinesio tape and I know that works on my back, so he taped me up.

While there, they were also doing the first of the athlete meetings so I sat in for a bit to see if there was anything new I needed to know. Remember those rough roads? Well, normally in a triathlon on the bike you have to stay far right or you get a penalty for blocking. The roads were so rough in areas they told us we could ride where we felt safe and we would not get penalized. Yeah, they were that bad.
At that point it was getting late and I decided to go ahead and check my bike in. Then I would go back and pack my special needs and transition bags and bring those in the morning since that was an option. So I left my bike on my spot and headed to get some pasta for dinner.

Once back at the room I started laying everything out. I was glad I did this race with all the bags, etc. because that’s how Florida will be and it was a little bit different for me. I would be able to get to my bike in the morning so I had to think about what went on my bike and put that in its own bag. And I wanted to use the change tent even though I didn’t really have to so I packed a swim to bike bag for T1. I also packed a special needs bike bag just to get use to that. Then I had my run stuff. Even though I was only doing the AquaBike I was going to do a brick run after, so I had to have that ready. The other thing I had to do was put my “tattoos” on. This race had your race number as temporary tattoos. That was neat, but the numbers were huge and covered all of the top part of my arm. Then it was time for bed.

The alarm went off nice and early race morning. I got up and got moving, ate my prerace meal and got dressed. Made my nutrition for the bike and put it in the bags. Made sure I had all my bags and headed to the race site.

At the race site I turned in my T1 and special needs bags, got my bike set up, and set up my run stuff for when I was done. Several of the girls doing the aquabike were doing it in prep for IMAZ or IMCozumel. I wasn’t the only one doing this as a training race. When it was time, I put on my wetsuit and headed down to the water. Water temp was 74 degrees according to the race director.

As a full aquabike participant, I would be going off in the first wave with the full distance athletes. While smaller than an Ironman branded race, this was still good for me to go off in a mass start with male and females. When they announced 30 seconds until start, I started my watch and waited for the gun to blow.

The starting horn actually startled me a bit, but I dove in the water and started my swim. I had started on the right hand side about 3 deep back. Next thing I know, however, I’m inside near the buoys. It’s my natural instinct to want to hug the buoys and get the shortest swim I can. The interesting thing in this swim that I noticed was that there were lots of people walking. The course was a rectangle course and the first long leg ran parallel to the shore. And apparently, the water was shallow enough almost the whole length of that leg that people could stand up and walk if they wanted. Many people did. I did not. I thought to myself “I won’t be able to stand up in Florida if I get tired, so I’m not doing it here”. Yeah, I know in the beginning at Florida I will be able to walk and at the end, but if I’m out at the far buoy I won’t be able to stand. Besides, I wanted to SWIM the 2.4 miles.

That first leg, I did get kicked, I did get an elbow to the head that made my ear ring, and I did get to “enjoy” a little bit of the washing machine effect of a mass swim start. That was good for me mentally. As I rounded the first turn things seemed to be thinning out a little. It usually does for me as I am not one of the faster swimmers. The back side of the loop was deeper water so no one could walk here. It was also an area with pockets of colder water that actually felt good but made me glad to have the wetsuit on. As I round the last buoy to head back to the start I decided that when I got there I would stand up briefly to check my time and then swim again. At Florida, we will actually have to get out of the water and cross a timing mat, so I wanted to kind of simulate that. I got back to the start, stood up and saw 43 minutes on my watch. I was very happy but just hoped I could keep the same pace for the second lap.

The second lap was much less congested. In fact, when I would breath I would also check to make sure I wasn’t the only swimmer still out there. As long as I could see another swimmer I was ok. And I just kept telling myself that this was a training day and I would make the cutoff time, so what difference did my time really matter. I got in my groove and swam.

I was happy to round that last buoy and head into the finish area. I swam until I reached the volunteers who were standing at the start of the boat ramp. I stood up and made sure I was safe on the boat ramped, glanced at my watch and saw around 1:28, smiled and then started unzipping the wet suit. I got it unzipped and got the sleeves off and then headed to a stripper to let them do the rest. I only had one lady helping me and the wetsuit got a little stuck coming off my ankles, but she managed it and helped me up. From there I headed into the changing tent.

As I said before, I didn’t really need to use the changing tent, but I wanted to go through the motions. I had put stuff in baggies thanks to advice from more experienced ironman finishers and that seemed to really work. I got my socks out and on my feet, I put on my HR strap and turned my garmin on, I put on my gloves and my sunglasses, set my shoes aside, stuck my extra nutrition in my pocket and then shoved my goggles, cap and wetsuit back in the bag. I left the bag there, grabbed my shoes and ran to my bike. I waited to put my shoes on until I got to my bike because it was a pretty long run and I could run faster without them. When I got to my bike I got them on quick, put my helmet on and took off.

Leaving transition was a little interesting as we had to go a certain way and that meant lifting the bike up onto the sidewalk, down the sidewalk for a bit, and then back down into the parking lot. Not a big deal, but not as fast as just rolling the bike out. I crossed the timing mat, crossed the mount line, got on the bike and took off.

For a little bit it seemed like my computer was bouncing around. It would show 13mph then 24mph then 18mph. I didn’t really know what speed I was going but told myself to not push it. I had 112 miles to go on some pretty rough roads.

I am notorious for having to stop and pee at about 20 miles or around an hour of being on the bike. I had hoped to make it through at least on loop before having to stop, but those rough roads heading out seemed to jostle my intestines and my bladder and I knew there was no way I would make it. At the halfway turnaround spot there was an aid station and I decided to stop. Unfortunately so did several others so I had to wait, but let’s just say it was worth it.

Once I emptied myself and was back on the bike I felt great. At least until right before you get back and turn to head to transition. For some reason that spot was a huge wind tunnel. It was a false flat, but nothing steep and it was all I could do to go 10mph. I thought maybe my wheel was rubbing or something and seriously thought about stopping to check it, but once I made the turn I picked up speed again and knew I was ok. Later I would find out other people had problems there as well.

I made it through the second loop without stopping and was still feeling pretty good. I have been told that special needs at Florida is around mile 50, so I had told myself I would stop at special needs which was at the 56 mile mark. Besides I had 2 empty bottles and needed to mix more infinit. And while there, I might as well use the potty, right. While I was waiting for an open potty, a volunteer brought me my special needs bag and I grabbed a few peanut m&ms out of there. Another volunteer brought me cold water to mix my bottles. It worked out well. Back on the bike for 2 more laps.

The third lap went fine, but you could tell the half folks were done because the course was a lot less crowded. It was good because you didn’t have to worry about drafting and when you went through the rough spot you could pretty much ride in the middle of the road. The third loop went fine and I thought I could make the fourth loop without stopping. However, it seemed the sun was finally warming things up and the heat was getting to me. I decided to stop at the mid way aid station this time and drink some cold water as well as dump it on my head. I did just that and it felt great. After that, when I passed an aid station I grabbed a bottle of water at the start, drank several sips, squirted some on my head and then chunked it at the end of the aid station. This worked well.

After doing the loop so many times I knew exactly where I was on the course and exactly how much I had to go until I finished. I pushed it hard on the smooth spots, put it in an easy spin gear on the rough spots and climbs and even got out of the saddle in parts just to get off the seat for a while. My legs were feeling great and I was happy. I had a huge smile on my face coming into transition. I stopped, got off my bike, headed to my rack and went through the motions of putting my shoes. From there I headed out to officially “end” my race. At Redman, they make the aquabike folks run out of transition just like everyone else, but then you turn a different way and actually cross the actuall finish line. It’s a long run out, but I liked the concept and got to cross the finish line.

Once across, I got my medal, some cold water and my finisher shirt. And then I headed out for a short brick run. My training schedule for the day had me doing a one hour brick run after my long bike. But since I did a longer bike than the schedule called for I decided I could do a shorter run.

I started out running and felt good. And for a while I was actually on the run course for the race. After I got a lot of “you’re doing good” and “keep it up” and “good job” comments I didn’t feel right about that and headed off course. And this meant I didn’t pass any aid stations and didn’t have any water. And it was hot. I did a 9/1, then 2 4/1s and then I walked back to the transition area. I got 35 minutes in and decided that was good. Grabbed some more cold water and headed to the massage tent to get my much needed massage. After that, it was time to load the stuff and get back to the hotel for a shower and some food.

I was very glad I did this race and very pleased with how my day went. I know now that as long as I stick to my nutrition and stay positive that I CAN finish Ironman Florida. I also have an idea now of how long it will take me to do the swim and the bike and know how long I may have for the run.

Sunday morning I went to the awards banquet and found out my time was good enough for 2nd place in the female masters division! (Masters are 40 and older, so it pays to be 40 now!!!) This is probably the only time I’ll get an award for this type of distance and I’ll take it.

Now I just need to get through the next six weeks of training.

How Hot Is Too Hot?

2010-08-28T19:29:00.002-05:00

"You have a choice. You can throw in the towel,or you can you it to wipe the sweat off of your face." - Gatorade

Training during the month of August in Texas is never fun. I think last year we had over 60 days of 100+ temps during the summer. We haven't had that many days over 100 this year, but the days we have had have seemed hotter. In August alone, I think all but maybe 5 days have been over 100 degrees. The high on two days was 105 and one day the high was 107. That's the real temp. The "feels like" temps have been up to 110 degrees. That's just too hot to be working out in.

So what have I been doing? Well, there have been some mornings where I've gotten up at 4am to get in my run before work. I don't really like getting up that early, but it does beat running in 105 degrees. Don't get me wrong. It's still hot at 4am. Like 80 degrees with 100% humidity. I came in one morning from a run and looked like I had ran through someone's sprinklers. I hadn't. But I was soaked. You could wring my clothes out and get a puddle. But it still beats running in the afternoon heat.

There have also been days where I've hit the treadmill or the trainer. I prefer not to do that either, but I'm not going to risk a heat stroke by going outside. I tend to runner slower on the treadmill, so you know my training is ramping up when I've done several treadmill runs and I will have my biggest run month ever this month (so far anyway). I've already run 107 miles this month and I still have at least 3 hours of running to do in the next 3 days.

Speaking of ramping up the training......Ironman Florida is just a little over 2 months away. This coming week will be the start of my peak training weeks. I will continually increase volume until about 3 weeks out and then will enter the taper phase. During my peak, my long bike ride will get up to 6 hours and my long run will get up to 3 hours. I'm just hoping and praying the cooler weather gets here fast.

This morning, I did a 4 hour bike ride followed by a 45 minute run. I started as soon as the sun came up and I have to say, it was a very pleasant (maybe even a bit chilly for me) 68 degrees outside. The first couple hours of the ride were very nice! But, by the time I got done with the ride and started running, the heat was in full force and I did have to wipe the sweat off my face a few times. I'm not throwing in the towel just because of the heat. I am, however, looking forward to the cooler temps of Florida in November.

Has It Really Been That Long?

2010-08-08T19:30:00.002-05:00

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always gve up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. but the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you wer younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tire. You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going." George S. Patton, U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian

Wow. I can't believe it's been over a month since I've updated this blog. I guess I HAVE been busy - with training as well as with family stuff. So what's been going on?

Well, I spent the first part of July getting ready for two big events. The first was the trip to Australia that my son went on with the People to People Student Ambassador Program. We needed to make sure he had the clothes he needed, Australian money, and all the essentials for a 14 hour flight. He left on July 14th and returned July 28. He had a wonderful time and brought back lots of memories.

The other thing I planned for was the camping trip we took my daughter on while my son was gone. She wanted to go camping in a tent, so we began our quest to borrow as much as we could and come up with a menu of good tasting vegetarian food to cook while we were camping.

Both of these events were successful in my opinion and I was still able to get my training in. It was actually kind of nice to see deer on my morning runs while we were camping. It would have been so much nicer to not run, but I have a goal and so I made myself get up and get it done.

Training is going well, but it is increasing in volume and I am starting to feel the effects. I can't sit down at night in the recliner to watch tv without falling asleep! My muscles feel fine, but my body needs rest. And with the increase in volume, it's getting harder to fit everything in. A couple of times I've had to set the alarm for 4am to get up and get my run in before work because I knew there would not be time after work. I've gotten pretty good at rearranging things to make it work. We'll see if I can keep that up, though, because things are getting ready to get busier.

At the beginning of August, my son's soccer season started. He had team camp the first week and has scrimmages 2 out of 3 weekends in August with an out of town tournament another weekend. That same week, my daughter had high school volleyball tryouts. She made the freshman A team and her schedule is packed. They had scrimmages Friday and Saturday and they have 3 games (none at home) this coming week. I feel 4am calling my name.

The training plan I'm following has a few more weeks of build. Then I will enter a few weeks of peak training before tapering. During that peak phase, my bike rides will get up to 6 hours of riding. While I'm not overly worried about being on the bike that long (I did a century ride in mid July and felt great), it will be hard to squeeze 6-7 hours of training into a Saturday morning. Mentally and physically. But my mind will have to make my body do it. I have to be ready in November.

I just keep telling myself, "three more months and then I can rest". Ha!

The Six Disciplines of Triathlong

2010-07-01T20:38:00.003-05:00

"Make friends with pain, and you will never be alone." Ken Chlouber

Everyone knows the three main parts of triathlon - Swim, Bike and Run.

I've always kind of considered the fact that there are really two other parts to doing triathlons as well. And know I'm discovering yet another part to being successful. Lets look at the six parts.

1) The Swim - this is the first discipline of the race day. It's pretty self-explanatory. You have to get through the swim before you can continue. It doesn't matter what kind of stroke you use (and let me tell you, after being a swim angel at the Danskin tri earlier this summer, there are all kinds of strokes used in the swim). There is a lot of debate about how much time to spend on improving the swim, but you do need to be able to get through swim and still have energy for the bike and run.

2) The Bike - again, pretty straight forward. You can technically do the bike on any kind of bike, but as you get better, you either have a road bike or a tri bike.

3) The Run - or the walk. Whatever way you can get through this part on your own two feet is good.

As people first get into triathlons, these three are usually the only thing they focus on. As they improve times in each discipline and/or increase distance, they start focusing on the fourth aspect.

4) Transitions - between the swim and the bike and between the bike and the run, you go through transitions to get ready for the next discipline. These are known as T1 and T2. In the beginning you don't really care what your transition times are, but soon you start to see that if you can cut time from here, your overall time gets lower. You start looking for ways to cut time - go sockless on the bike and/or run; do a running mount to get on/off the bike, etc. Some people have lost out on a podium spot because they had a slower transition time than a fellow competitor. When you're trying to get an award, transition times count.

Once you've got all that down and really start looking at longer distance tris, the fifth part comes into play.

5) Nutrition - For the sprint and even Olympic distance tris, you can probably get by with water and gatorade as nutrition. You may even have thrown in a gel here or there. And you start watching what you eat for breakfast to make sure it doesn't upset your stomach. As you increase distance to the Half Ironman distance, nutrition plays an even bigger role. Mess up your nutrition at this distance and your race may be ruined.

At my first half ironman, the temps were close to 100 degrees. It was HOT out there on the course. I had never experimented with salt tablets and wasn't going to for the first time in a race, but I probably needed some. I was sweating like crazy and losing electrolytes faster than I could replace them. Because of this, I ended up walking most of the "run". Since then, I've experimented with ways to avoid this problem. And with an Ironman looming on the horizon, nutrition is even more important. How do you prepare your body to work for you for anywhere from 10-17 hours and not have any "real" food? It's all about the nutrition. You have to figure out how much your body can take in and process. If you don't take in enough, you won't have the energy to go on. If you take in too much, your stomach will revolt.

With all of these taken into account, you should be set to go. But what I don't think a lot of people think about is the sixth part of triathlon.

6) Injury/Recovery - as you increase distance the potential for injury increases and you need to know how to prevent it or how to recover from it when it happens. This is the part that I never figured into my training plan and am now having to do that.

I mentioned in my last post that my back was hurting me the day before and during the Lake Pflugerville Tri. On Monday I went to my chiro thinking that if he could get a good pop out of my back I might be fixed. That wasn't the case. And based on what he saw, he told me to rest. Well, that just wasn't going to happen without another opinion. A guy in my office has had success with an Airrosti practitioner, so after confirming insurance coverage I called for an appointment.

Airrosti is a different approach to things and I liked the philosophy behind it. My first visit was kind of like a deep tissue massage/physical therapy session. He evaluated my range of motion and strength several different ways and then went to work trying to loosen up the tight area in my back. After that I went across the hall to foam roll and stretch. Then I was told I need to foam roll EVERY day and I need to stretch and ice the area.

Every day? Yeah, I know I need to, but who has the time? I'm already doing all I can to get in the workouts in between work and the kid's activities. Add in stretching and foam rolling and that adds another 30 minutes at least to the day.

But if stretching and foam rolling will keep me able to do my workouts, then I'm willing to do what I can to get that time in. If I have to stay up a little later I will. I've been doing a pretty good job of getting it in during the past week, but I keep getting new moves/stretches added to my routine of things to do. I can tell the difference from foam rolling and I've seen a big difference in the pain level and range of mobility in my back since doing these things, but I need to keep doing them.

To be successful at the Ironman distance, my triathlons have six parts to them - not just three.

Lake Pflugerville Triathlon

2010-06-20T21:16:00.002-05:00

"The gun goes off and everything changes....the world changes....and nothing else really matters." Patti Sue Plummer

Today was the local sprint triathlon that takes place in the lake and on the roads where I train. I've done the race since it started. This was the 4th year and it continues to get bigger and better (and more competitive).

I woke up this morning a little unsure of what the day would bring. Every now and then I move a certain way and tweak a nerve or muscle in my lower back. Well, yesterday I did that and could hardly stand up straight or walk normal. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to race today, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway.

I woke up early and had my standard oatmeal breakfast and then loaded the car and headed to the race site. I got there early because this race is open racking and I wanted to get a good spot on the end. Got body marked and found a spot and then was told the bike out would be on one side and the bike in on the other and everyone would have to make the entire loop at one point or another. After hearing that, I moved my bike to the mid way point near the run out. I hit the port-a-potty and kept trying to stretch the back out. Since it was a local race I saw lots of folks I know.

As I was exiting transition I saw my family. Then I headed to the swim start area where they had the pre race meeting and stated that they were changing the bike in/out and you could now go in or out on either side. I was not happy as I had had a perfect spot in the beginning. Oh well. Too late to change now.

Next thing we know, the swim is starting. All the men went first and then the women went off in age group order. This meant I was toward the end, but I think there were 2-3 waves after me so at least I wasn't last.

When it was time to enter the water, I headed to the front and positioned myself on the inside. I've done this swim many times in practice swims and wanted to follow the buoys as straight as I could. When the horn sounded I took off. I started pushing fairly hard and felt like I was in the front of the pack. I decided to keep pushing as long as I could. By the second buoy (about 200 meters) I passed a swimmer from the wave in front of me. This gave me the energy to keep going. As I rounded the turn bouy to head back to shore, the sun was in my eyes and I had trouble seeing the next buoy. I finally found it and once I passed that I just focused on the yellow flags on shore by the swim exit. And I swam as hard as I could. And I kept swimming until my hand touched bottom and then I stood up and ran. Luckily for me the back seemed to be ok at this point.

Swim Time: 10:56 for 500 meters

I headed into transition. As I bent to put on my bike shoes I realized the back was not going to cooperate and I had to sit on the ground to get them on. I usually don't do that. I got back up, got the gloves and glasses on, put the helmet on, and off I went.

T1: 2:12

As I got on my bike I just hoped my back would cooperate. The first part of the bike course can be very fast if you do it right. Again, I've ridden this course many times in training and knew what I was capable of. I wanted to see if I could beat my best time and I wanted to be above 18mph for the course. A couple of miles in, there is a decent turn that heads right into a decent climb. If you don't know about it, you will slow for the curve and not have momentum to climb the hill. I got lucky and didn't have any riders near me heading into that curve so I was able to maintain my speed. I felt like I was doing a good job of pacing and was passing people, but really only got passed a few times during the bike portion.

Once we got passed the rollers we turned to head back to town and finally had a little bit of a tailwind. The problem is that this portion is a false flat and if you don't realize that you can lose speed here. I tried to keep my speed as high as I could. I kept thinking "push while you can because your back may not cooperate later on the run". I just hoped if the back DID cooperate that my legs would, too.

Just before hitting the turn to head down the access road of the toll road, a 51 year old woman passed me. Dang it. She made a comment about the tailwind and I told her to get ready to fly when she hit the toll road. I made the turn and gave it all I had going down the slight hill and straight away. You can build up some pretty good speed here. I think I may have built up too much and not slowed down enough for the turn to head back to the lake, though. I had to turn wide and hit the brakes. Oops!

As I got closer to the lake I saw my family, gave them a wave and a smile and kept going. One last turn downhill before a slight uphill into transition. I was happy because I knew I was close to my goal time of 45 minutes.

Bike Time: 45:04 for a 18.6mph average

I stopped right before the dismount line, unclipped and got of the bike. And the back had that pain. I thought if I would run through it it might go away, so I jogged to my transition spot. Once again, I had to sit to change shoes and I never do that. Despite that, it was a pretty quick transition.

T2: 1:27

The run out was a little weird as you had to run up the grassy side of the hill to get up to the run path around the lake. That was a little challenging with the back and my foot hit a hole right before I hit the path. But I kept going. I just wanted to keep a steady pace and try to run the whole way. As I got close to the dam I saw my family again. My back was still hurting at that point but the pain was getting less and less. I kept going and was even able to pick up the pace a little bit. Just before mile 1 I saw a women in my age group and made it my goal to pass her. Mission accomplished. The around mile 2 I saw a lady who was in my age group last year and passed me at the end. I made it a goal to pass her. Mission accomplished.

And so it was for the rest of the run. Just get to the next point or the next "rabbit". But on that back stretch, I got passed by a different lady in my age group and I knew I would not catch her. At this point I had no idea how far back I was, but I did not want to get passed again. At lease by anyone in my age group. I did get passed by several 20-30 year olds, but that meant I had passed them on the bike since they started before me, so I didn't mind. As I got closer to the finish I began to pick it up just a little bit. I crossed the line and was glad to be done.

Run time: 26:11 for 8:44/mile pace

Total time: 1:25:52

This was almost 2 minutes faster than my time last year and was good enough for 5th place in my age group. And that 51 year old woman that passed me on the bike - she won her age group. As the quote above says, once that gun went off, I seemed to forget about the back pain and race my race. But you can bet I'll be headed to the chiropractor this week!

Atlas 4000 Ride

2010-06-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, June 5, I joined a few other Team in Training teammates and rode in the Atlas 4000 Ride. The Atlas 4000 ride is the first stage of a 4000 mile ride from Austin, Texas to Alaska. Students from the University of Texas raise money to help cancer research and train for the ride which will take 70 days. The first day of the ride is open to any rider willing to pay the entrance fee and it is a point-to-point ride from Austin to Lampassas. It was the first point-to-point ride I've done, but worth it. We ended up with 70 miles of riding and the final stop was at a winery, so we got to do a little wine tasting. That's a nice way to end a ride.

Where Did May Go?

2010-05-31T10:23:00.002-05:00

"No one ever drowned in sweat." Author Unknown

I cannot believe today is the last day of May. It seems like the month has flown by. I do want to take time today, however, to thank the men and women who are in the military and who put their lives on the line to protect ours. Because of what you do, I can enjoy the freedom of choosing what I do.

And as most of you are aware, one of the things I have chosen to do this year is Ironman Florida. I have been following my training plan now for about a month and things are going well. I've had to shift days of some workouts due to kid schedules, but it seems to be working out.

The week after the fun run mentioned in my last post, I rode in the Real Ale Ride. I knew it would be a hilly ride as I have ridden many of those roads before, but I didn't realize how humid, hot, and windy it would be. And I didn't realize how much those hills would kick my rear. I have not trained on hills this year. Ironman Florida is flat, so why train on hills? Well, I don't need to train on them all the time, but I do need to ride more hills to make me stronger.

Within the first 10 miles of the ride, I was struggling. My quads were burning and I was dripping with sweat. I was ready for the first aid station to take a little break. Turns out that I was ready for EVERY aid station on the course. We'd go up a hill at 5mph and come down the other side at 35mph. And as the day went on, the wind picked up. And mentally, it beat me down.

Last year in April during a pay ride, I crashed. Turns out my front tire blew out, but it was a windy day and I still associate the crash with the wind. I don't mind wind on flat roads when I'm struggling to go 10mph, but 15-20mph winds when flying down a hill at 35mph messes with my mind. I went as far as I could but at 50 miles I had had enough. I used the SAG vehicle to get back to the start and called it a day. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do.

My run the day after this ride was a suffer fest. My son was confirmed at church that morning, so I delayed my run until the evening. And despite the fact that summer does not officially start until the end of June, the temps around here tell me otherwise. I am completely soaked after every workout done outside.

During the week, I moved my workouts up a day in anticipation of spending most of the Memorial Day weekend at a soccer tournament. We found out Wednesday, however, that the tournament was not going to happen for our boys. I stayed with the plan, though, and decided my body could use a break during the weekend.

So, on Friday I did my long ride. A 40 mile ride in 2 1/2 hours in the 90 degree temps. But, with proper nutrition, it really wasn't that bad. And it was done. I got up Saturday morning and got in my 1:15 run and 7.82 miles. Then the family headed out to the local lake for some relaxation.

While at the lake, I did try to relax, but I couldn't resist riding a lap around the lake on my newest toy. I have a tri bike and a road bike, but can't ride either of those on crushed granite trails or off road. We are going camping this summer so I figured I needed a mountain bike. Hey, one can never have too many bikes, right? Riding the mountain bike will take some getting use to for me. For starters, I have regular pedals on it (for now anyway) and it feels weird for my feet to not be attached to the bike. Then there is the whole issue of sitting up straighter than on the other bikes. That will take some getting use to as well. I think it will be fun to have, though, if I can enjoy it and not take it too seriously.

Sunday after church we headed up to the state park we will be camping at this summer. We wanted to check it out before we go to see what it was like. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring, so that's good. But, we did get some ideas of things we need to get. We need a clothesline to hang between trees and dry the wet clothes. My daughter wants some noodles or floats for hanging out in the lake. We will need fans and LOTS of water to drink. It's a nice place and I'm getting excited about the trip. In fact, we came home and put up the small tent in the backyard. The kids were going to sleep in it last night, but decided their bed sounded more comfy.

This morning I slept in and then went for my run. Only an hour today. I got in 6.29miles, but the humidity messed with my breathing. And sweat dripped in my eyes. I was soaked again. This will be the norm the rest of the summer. For now I will relax, but this afternoon I will head out to the lake again to get my swim in. I'm meeting a friend who will be doing her first triathlon next weekend. I'm excited for her and have decided to volunteer at the tri so I will be there to cheer her on.

I hope you and your family enjoy the Memorial Day.

Hardware is NICE!

2010-05-16T18:55:00.002-05:00

"Set your sights high, the higher the better. Expect the most wonderful things to happen, not in the future but right now. Realize that nothing is too good. Allow absolutely nothing to hamper you or hold you up in any way." Eileen Caddy

Ever since I started running (training on a regular basis and enterring races) in 2005, I have dreamed of placing in the top 3 of my age group. Today, that dream came true when I got 3rd place in the women 35-39 age group.

Most races around here have thousands of people in them. The top in my age group run 6 minute miles. I've gotten faster over the years, but I've never seen a "6" at the front of a mile time. My only chance is to run fast in some small races. So, a few years ago I started running in the local 5K which starts just a mile from my house. One year I came in 4th, just 20 seconds behind 3rd place. But today, luck was on my side.

I woke up this morning, went through my normal routine and then headed out about an hour before the race. Since the start is so close, I jogged to the start as a warmup. Once I got there, I got my chip, attached it to my shoe, and did some stretching. I hit the port-a-potty and got in line for the start.

As usual, when the gun goes off, I'm passed by a wave of people who sprint out of the gate. I've learned to ignore it and do my thing. I knew the course had some hills in the beginning, but hit mile one at a 7:50 pace. I knew that with the humidity this morning, I couldn't hold that pace, but I was going to give it my best shot.

I hit mile 2 with a split of 8:17 and told myself to hang on. I only had one more mile to go, but was drenched in sweat. There was a little boy about 8 running next to me and I figured if he could do it, so could I. the last mile and a half is either downhill or pretty flat, so I was happy when I hit the corner and started downhill. Then when I turned on the road to the finish, I was happy. I didn't know if I'd get a PR or not, but I just kept pushing. Mile 3 split was 8:17. The last .1 mile took 51 seconds.

And just like that, I was done in 25:13. It wasn't a PR and I wasn't sure it would be good enough, but I kept hoping. When they posted the initial results, I was 2nd, but I had started right up front so I knew that might change and it did. But I stayed at 3rd and got my first hardware ever. I was very happy.

The sad thing is that on my bithday next month I age up to a new age group. If I had already aged up, I would have gotten first place in that age group today. Bummer! How often do you wish you were older than you are?

Busy Times

2010-05-13T18:55:00.002-05:00

"You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it." Charles Buxton

Some people think December is the busiest time of the year. For me, I feel like May can be just as busy if not busier. The end of the school year always brings lots of kid activities. And there are always graduation parties. This year is no exception.

Madison has started "summer" league volleyball and it's not even summer yet. These games pretty much take Wednesday evening as it's a drive to get there and back and she plays two games a night, usually an hour apart.

Thanks to the rain we had earlier this year, Dalton has twice as many soccer games in May, thanks to makeup games. This means games on both days of the weekend for a couple of weeks. Plus, he is being confirmed on the 23rd.

But never fear. Somewhere in there I am squeezing my training in. I've had to rearrange a couple of days to squeeze it in, but it's working. I'm making the time.

Lonestar 70.3 - Weekend Recap and Race Report

2010-04-26T18:45:00.002-05:00

"Confidence comes from planning and practicing well. You get ready during the week and the confidence will be there on Sunday. This confidence is a difficult thing to explain. Butyou do get it if you have prepared." Coach Lombardi

In trying to figure out my plan of preparation for the year leading up to IMFL, I decided to do an early season Half Ironman triathlon to test my nutrition and fitness level. The triathlon I decided to do was the Lonestar 70.3 in Galveston. I started training for this back in December. It turns out I think I made a good decision.

I went down early for this race so that I could get in a practice swim in open water and get a practice swim in with my new wetsuit. I had tried to do an open water swim with the wetsuit here one weekend but the water was so cold that my feet went numb the moment they hit the water. I really wanted to get in an open water swim in the wetsuit before race day. Friday morning I got checked in for the race and then Friday afternoon I met a bunch of folks I've only known from the online triathlete forum I frequent. We met at a small private lake in Houston. There were probably about 15 people there. Some were preparing for the sprint or Olympic race on Saturday, but most were preparing for the HIM on Sunday like me. I probably swam about .5 mile total and felt the wetsuit fit well and I was comfortable with the open water. After the swim, a few of us went to eat lunch together before heading back to Galveston.

Saturday morning I got up early and headed to the race site. I knew a few people racing today and wanted to support and cheer them on. It was a little chilly and fairly windy, but nothing compared to the 75 mph winds that had blown through around 1:00 a.m. But that all changed right before the swim was scheduled to start. About 6:40, the winds picked up to about 40mph and the once somewhat calm water in the bay was now covered in white caps. The race director announced a 15 minute delay in the start. Not long after that, the announcement came that the swim was being cancelled and the race would basically be a duathlon with cyclists leaving every 3 seconds from transition. This was a big disappointment, but you cannot control the weather. Most people did the bike and run but there were also a lot that did not. Cycling is not fun in 25mph winds, so I don't blame those who chose not to continue the race.

Saturday afternoon I met some more "online" friends for a nice lunch. Then I took my bike to the race to get it checked in and racked and then spent the afternoon laying out my race gear and packing my transition bag. After my normal pasta dinner it was an early bedtime.

Sunday morning the alarm went off at 3:30am. I don't like to feel rushed on race morning and I wanted to be at the race site when transition opened at 5:00am. I got up, got on my race clothes, ate my oatmeal, prepared my strawberry/banana shake, prepared my race nutrition, checked my bag one last time and headed to the race. After getting body marked, I headed to my bike to get my transition area set up.

The weather this morning was much nicer than yesterday. It was a little bit chilly, but with somewhat calm winds for being right on the ocean. The race was scheduled to start at 7:00am with the pro men going off. My wave was the last swim wave of the day, scheduled to go off at 8:15. I knew that I would have a long wait, so after double and triple checking my transition site, I grabbed some extra nutrition along with my wetsuit and headed to the swim start.

At the swim start I found several other Team in Training buddies and chatted with them for a while. I was getting cold so I went ahead and put my wetsuit on and then ate my Lara Bar and drank my Gatorade. One by one my buddies left to get in their swim waves. I was pretty bummed about starting in the last swim wave mentally and it only got worse as the beach got less and less crowded as wave after wave started the race. The only good thing about being in the last wave was that I figured I had a good shot at watching the pros coming back in on their bikes as I was heading out (more on that later).

Finally, it was our time to head down the pier and jump in the bay for our deep water swim start. I was the first one in the water. I don't like jumping in cold water, but when I hit the water, I realized it really wasn't all that cold. I swam right up to the front of the buoys and waited until they said it was time to go. As soon as we started swimming I was immediately passed by lots of women in my wave. Again, this was mentally challenging knowing that I might be one of the last swimmers out of the water. I tried not to think about it and just swim my swim.

The waves were a little stronger than they looked from the shore and it made breathing on the left side a little challenging at times as a wave would hit right as you were taking a breath. Luckily for me, I can breathe on either side. About the third buoy, I passed a yellow swim cap which was the color of the wave in front of me. They had started 5 minutes ahead of us, so I knew that I wouldn't be the last one out of the water. Mentally this was good.

As I rounded the buoy to head across the bay, swimming became tougher. The wind and the waves were now coming straight at my head, making forward progress tough. And because I was so far back, there was no one to draft off of. I did pass a couple more yellow caps and even a couple of red caps from an even earlier wave, but I still new I was near the back. I didn't want to over exert myself though and not have a good bike or run, so I just kept swimming at my slow pace.

Finally I turned at the buoy to head toward shore. It seemed like it had taken forever. They had told us to swim all the way to the ramp before standing up so that our feet would not get cut by standing on the live oyster bed, so that's what I did. I would have liked to stand up sooner, but didn't want to risk cutting my feet.

As I got out of the water I started taking off the wetsuit. Wetsuit strippers were provided at this race and since they will also be at IMFL I decided to take advantage and use them. I got my arms out of the sleeves and got the suit down a little past my hips. As I approached the strippers, I laid down on the ground and stuck my feet in the air. They grabbed my suit, counted to three and yanked it off. It was actually a very quick process. It was only at that point that I looked at my watch and I did not like what I saw. I saw 52:XX on my watch. I had started it a minute before my wave start and I wasn't exactly sure where the swim stopped and T1 started, but I had been hoping for around 45 minutes for the swim.

Official Swim Time: 50:19 (2:38/100m pace)

Even though I didn't like the time, I kept jogging to my bike. I threw the wetsuit down, put on my bike shoes, gloves, sunglasses, and helmet, grabbed my bike and ran out of transition.

Official T1 Time: 3:20

Once I got to the mount line, I got on my bike and took off. The roads leading from transition through Moody Gardens and out to the Seawall were a little rough, so I had told myself to take it easy until I got to the Seawall. As soon as I turned on Seawall, I found a gear I liked and kept a steady pace. I passed several people and got passed by a few. Again, it was mentally challenging knowing that I was at the back of the pack just because of being in the last swim wave.

And just as I previously thought, I did see the pros come back in on the bike. That was pretty cool as there were some big name pros at this race. Of course, looking at them across the road, I had no idea who was who, but it was still pretty neat.

I had driven the bike course on Friday so I knew what to expect. The course was mostly flat. The road on the way out had recently been repaved, so it was nice and smooth. there was on spot at about mile 22 just before heading over the San Luis pass that got a little rough and the 6 miles from the pass to the turnaround were not all that great, but overall it was a good course.

Heading out on the smooth road was nice, but there was a crosswind/slight headwind. I didn't want to hammer too hard and ruin my legs for the run, so I stayed pretty conservative, but managed to get in decent speeds. I kept looking for my friends that were racing to see if I could see them heading back in. I passed one friend on the way out. And somewhere around the pass I saw another one heading back in. Shortly after that I saw the other one. They were maybe 15-20 miles ahead of me so I figured roughly an hour.

Finally, I hit the turnaround spot. The wind was now a crosswind/slight tailwind and I noticed my speed increase with little more effort. All along, I was sipping my Infinit. And I was successful in changing out the bottle to my rear hydration when I finished the first one. I was feeling good and as I got closer and closer to the end I passed more and more people. I think they had gone out too hard to begin with and had nothing left in the tank. It felt so good to make the final turn off of Seawall and head back to Moody Gardens - until the hard headwind slowed me down. I'm just gratefull we didn't have that for a large portion of the bike.

As I got to the dismount line, I stopped, unclipped and took off running back to my spot. My legs were not happy but I made them keep moving.

Official Bike Time: 3:22:06 for a 16.63 mph average.
The first 28 mile split was 1:43:31 for a 16.23 mph average
The second 28 mile split was 1:38:35 for a 17.04 mph average

Once I got back to my spot, I racked my bike, took off my helmet, gloves and shoes and put on my running shoes. I was out of there.

Official T2: 2:09

My legs were still getting that running feel to them but it felt good to know I was on the last leg of the race. The run was a four loop course, so I told myself to take it one loop at a time. As I ran past the first aid station, I grabbed some Gatorade. I decided I would alternate between Gatorade and water. I watched for the mile markers since I was unfamiliar with the run course. I knew each loop would be a little over 3 miles. There were also a lot of out and back parts of the run course so I kept an eye open for my friends. Surprisingly enough, I saw them all on the run course at some point or another.

As I passed each mile marker I glanced at my watch to gage my splits and make sure I wasn't going to fast. I was getting in around 9 minute miles at first. My goal was to try to run the whole thing and I felt ok with 9-10 minute miles. Because the day was heating up and the sun was bearing down, I grabbed something at every aid station. And when cold sponges were offered, you can bet I took them. I got through lap 2 without walking at all, but starting on lap 3 I allowed myself to walk through the aid stations as I grabbed a drink. This seemed to be a good thing as I felt like I was stronger on the runs in between aid stations. And it finally felt good to be in the mix with and passing men. I had no idea what lap most of them were on, but I finally felt like I wasn't at the very back. The only bad thing was that at this point I could feel a blister on my second toe on my left foot. I ignored it and hoped it wouldn't bother me by the end.

As I was finishing my third lap I came upon one of my TNT buddies finishing his fourth lap. I wished him well and continued on. And when I hit the fourth lap still able to run strong between aid stations, I was happy. I knew at this point I would get a PR (personal record for those who don't know), I just didn't know by how much. As I crossed the finished and looked at my watch I was happy.

Official Run Time: 2:13:08 for a 10:09 mile averageLap 1: 30:49 (9:24mm)
Lap 2: 33:36 (10:15mm)
Lap 3: 34:17 (10:28mm)
Lap 4: 34:26 (10:30mm)

I was fairly consistant each lap and was only about 16 minutes off my stand alone PR for a half marathon. And I don't normally run well in the heat.

Official Finish Time: 6:31:02

Yes, this is a new PR. By about 25 minutes. Even though I was disappointed with the swim, I was happy with how the day turned out. It seems my nutrition and pacing on the bike was right on to allow me to have a strong run. And despite the mental challenges of starting in the last wave and being at the back for so long, I didn't let it get the best of me. I learned some things that work for me and I learned some things I need to work on. I have a little over 6 months before IMFL, so I have plenty of time. Planning and practicing will definitely pay off.

Fiesta Wildflower Century Ride

2010-04-18T21:11:00.002-05:00

"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first." Shakespeare

For me, climbing steep hills requires a slow pace all the time! And therefore, my pace today during the Fiesta Wildflower Century Ride was slower than I would have liked. Whoever said that ride was flat LIED!

Once a year I like to fundraise for Team in Training. I knew I wanted to do a cycling event this year to help train for IMFL. My options were to do the America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride around Lake Tahoe again or the Fiesta Wildflower Century Ride in San Antonio. Because of the fundraising requirements, I decided to do the Fiesta ride. Besides, they said it was a flat ride and that would be perfect for IMFL training, right?

Saturday afternoon I headed for San Antonio. I checked into the hotel and then we drove the first part of the course. There was a hill on the map that said "caution, extremely steep hill". We wanted to see what the San Antonio folks considered steep. And after doing Tahoe, that hill wasn't really that steep, but there were some really big rollers in the first 50 miles. We thought by looking at the elevation map that the last 50 miles would be relatively flat. Wrong again.

After driving the first part of the course, we headed out to the pasta party. We ate our pasta and listened to a family share their story of losing their 4 year old to leukemia. And that is why I keep doing this. Then we headed back to the hotel to get things ready for the ride.

This morning I woke up early, ate my breakfast, got dressed and made my nutrition. We headed over to the race site and gathered with our fellow TNT teammates. Then it was time to line up. Since I was doing the century, I got to line up up front. There was several of us doing the century.

The temps this morning were a little chilly and the wind was blowing. I started out with my jacket on and ended up keeping it on for the first 40 miles. It wasn't long into the ride before we started hitting the hills. Big, long rollers. Into the wind. I told myself not to worry about speed. I had a long way to go.

At mile 17 we stopped at the rest stop so I could pee. There is something about the bike with me. Around mile 20, I have to go. Without fail. A quick stop and we were on our way. I had set my watch to beep every 10 minutes to remind me to drink. I figured we would have to stop again and sure enough, at mile 40 I did. It was at that point I decided to shed the jacket.

More hills, more wind, more chip seal. Three of my least favorite things. At mile 80 we stopped to stretch. I checked the mph on my computer and it said 15.8. I was actually pleased to see that with the course and conditions we had. But the last 20 miles were brutal. I was getting tired of being on the bike and being in aero. The wind was still blowing and the roads were still chip seal. We had been told there was another rest stop at mile 90, but we passed 90 and no rest stop. We stopped one more time to stretched and then were ready to head on in. Around 93 we passed the rest stop and then shortly thereafter, some really horrible railroad tracks. And my riding partner got a flat. Stopped to fixed that and we were on our way.

Finally we could see the end. I was so ready to get off the bike. It felt really good.

This was good for me mentally in preparation for IMFL. I am not where I want to be right now on the bike, but I know there is still plenty of time to get there. And when you are climbing a steep hill, it really doesn't matter what the pace is, does it? As long as you climb it you are improving.

Thirty Weeks

2010-04-13T20:44:00.002-05:00

"The comes a moment when you have to stop revving up the car and shove it into gear." David Mahoney

When I saw this quote, I thought it was the perfect quote to use on the first "official" day of training for Ironman Florida. I made a decision last year to follow a 30 week competitive plan in the Be Iron Fit book. Most Ironman plans follow a week schedule that goes Monday - Sunday. Counting back from November 6, the first day of training was scheduled for Monday, April 12. But, since most plans go from Monday-Sunday and since Saturday and Sunday are the big days, Monday is usually a rest day. And so the "official" first day of training should be today.

However, I am still training for the Half Ironman coming up April 25th, so I will not be following the IM program until that is over. After the HIM, I will take rest day (as I'm sure the schedule will dictate) and then I will begin following plan. After building toward an HIM, the plan will probably feel light at first. But it will be nice to give my body a little break before building again. I've got lots of work ahead of me. No reason to burn out.

Cap 10K and A New PR

2010-04-11T18:08:00.002-05:00

"What distinguishes those of us at the starting line from those of us on the couch is that we learn through running to take what the day gives us, what our body will allow us, and what our will an tolerate." John Bingham, running writer and speaker

This morning was the annual Cap 10K race. It's one of the largest (if not THE largest) 10K races in Texas. I think they said almost 20,000 runners and walkers were out there this morning. I've done this race every year for the past several years and every year I have PR'd here. I know at some point that will come to an end, and based on the weather this morning I thought today might be the day.

The forecast leading up to the race wasn't looking good and when I woke up this morning, the forecast had held. Temps in the low 60s, heavy mist and high humidity. For me, not a good combination for running. Even though I freeze while waiting for the start, I prefer temps in the 40s or 50s for racing. And humidity makes my exercise induced asthma act up. Mentally I prepared myself to NOT PR today.

When I got to the race start I stayed in my car for a bit and then headed to the port-a-potty before heading to the start line. The whole time, the mist was coming down. I wondered if it would stay the whole time. At least it would keep things cool. The race doesn't start until 8:45, so it's a late start for the race. I wondered if the sun would pop out and really make the humidity increase.

When the gun went off and we started running, I reminded myself that it was ok to go slower if I needed to. I felt like I was going somewhat slow, but was passing a lot of people and doing a lot of weaving. The first mile is a slight incline the whole way. At mile 1 I hit the split button: 8:51. Not bad, but maybe a bit too fast with the humidity. I also started to get a little side cramp and decided to take water at EVERY aid station. Grabbed some water and kept running.

After mile 1 is a tiny downhill part before another decent climb. Mile 2 split: 8:35. Then the hills come, big both up and down. Mile 3 split: 9:19. At this point I figured I was losing ground and a PR was out of the question. But I kept going. Mile 4 split: 8:36. Ok, I'm back in the game. From this point on, it's mostly flat. Maybe I could hold the pace and still do it. And even though I knew my splits, I never looked at the elapsed time. I didn't want to start calculating. Mile 5 split: 8:49. Still hanging in there with 1.2 to go.

By this point I am totally drenched in sweat. I'm trying to keep my breathing steady and keep my pace steady. I know it will be close. Mile 6 split: 8:45. At this point I look at the elapsed time and figure if I can get the last .2 done in under 2 minutes I can get a PR. I start picking up the pace. I turn the corner to head to the finish line and pick it up even more. The closer I get the faster I get. I cross the finish line and hit the garmin a few seconds later. The garmin reads 54:41. That's a PR. The official chip time was 54:38. That will go in the books!!!

I took what the day gave me did what my body would allow and came out with a result I was happy with.

Great Day For A Bike Ride

2010-04-03T13:24:00.002-06:00

"What I need is someone who will make me do what I can." Ralph Waldo Emerson
And that's exactly what I had today.

I was off of work Friday and hoping to get in a long ride, but the weather did not cooperate. Cycling in 20+ mph winds is not the smartest thing to do, so instead I got in a 3000 yard swim and a 2 hour trainer ride.

But today - today was different. I woke up to a slightly chilly morning that promised to get warmer as the day went on and very little winds. My TNT cycle team was meeting not far from my house and riding on the country roads near me. I had a friend pick me up with the intent on cutting the course where necessary to make it to my son's 11:00 soccer game.

When we started out, I was with two of our faster guys. My goal was to stay with them as long as I could and then cut over when I needed. But when we got to the "cut over" place, I realized that if I did that, I would be on my own. For some reason that did not appeal to me today, so I decided to stay with them and then get sagged forward if I needed to.

But I never needed to. They pushed the speed and pushed me and toward the end when it was getting close on time, they got in front and blocked my wind so we could go faster. I pulled into the soccer fields (escorted by them to make sure I was safe) just as the game was starting.

Yes, triathlon is an individual sport, but sometimes you need to ride with others who will push you to do what your body is capable of, but which you wouldn't normally push yourself to do. Thank goodness for awesome teammates.

VO2 Testing, the Rosedale Ride, and Lots and Lots of Wind

2010-04-01T20:40:00.002-06:00

"Instead of seeing how fast you can go or how much pain your body can take, your're much better off training in a comfortable zone. This teaches your body to burn fat and spare glycogen, which will maintain your physiological health and reduce the risk of injury." Stu Mittleman

VO2 Testing

I had the opportunity last week to get tested for my VO2 max. I wear a heart rate monitor when I train outside, but I've never tested to see what my zones should be. I've done 2 mile time trials during marathon training to test for my paces for short vs long runs, but nothing official. Since I'm training for an Ironman this year, I felt it might be beneficial, so when the opportunity came up I decided to go for it.

I was tested on the bike as well as the run to establish my zones for each sport. I was hooked up to a mask that was hooked up to a machine and every two minutes I increased the speed on the bike. On the treadmill, the speed as well as the incline was increased.

There are many philosophies and thoughts as to whether VO2 testing is accurate to begin with (some feel the LT test is more accurate) and then there are philosophies as to how to use the information from the test. My test gave me 4 different heart rate zones. I know for Ironman, most of my training will be in zones 1 and 2. And this is where philosophies differ. The HR for zone 1 is low, yet some people feel that's where the training should be and if I need to walk to keep my HR there, then so be it. Other people suggest going by PRE (perceived rate of exertion) while watching the HR. Others say train in zone 2 which gives you a higher HR zone. Some people say train as you are going to race. Well, for short distances that would probably be zone 3. But for Ironman it will mostly be high zone 1 or low zone 2.

With all of that information, I have been paying a little bit more attention to my heart rate.

Rosedale Ride

The Rosedale Ride is an organized pay ride that benefits the Rosedale school. The Rosedale school is a special needs school, so it supports a worthy cause. And luckily for me, the route is very close to my house, because the ride was this past Saturday and I had to be at my son's soccer game by 11:00. The fields were just 3 miles off the route.

I started off at the front of the pack and the way out was great. The winds were at our back and for that first hour we averaged about 19mph. But that was soon to change. As we turned east and then south to head back to the starting line, we were hit with very strong headwinds. There were times I was doing 12mph. It was tough. And I thought for sure I was probably way over my HR range that had been established Friday night during my VO2 test.

I ended up cutting the course where I needed so that I could head to the soccer fields and made it just in time for my sons game. I was able to get in about 40 miles. And when I analyzed my data after I got home I was surprised to see that my average HR was just where it should have been for the ride based on my cycle test.

The run is where I'm having a problem, and today made it worse.

Lots and Lots of Wind

Not only was it windy the day of the Rosedal Ride, but this spring has been very windy all around. Today was no exception. On the calendar was a 1 hour run. Temps have been getting hotter so today was in the low 80s. By the end of summer, 80 will feel cold, but for now, that's HOT. With the heat I had planned on going out slower and seeing if I could stay in the low zone 2 range. But it was not meant to be. The wind gusts this afternoon were 15-20mph. I almost wimped out and stayed inside on the treadmill, but then I told myself "It may be windy at Lonestar 70.3 in 3 weeks and it may be windy at Ironman Florida in November. You have to train for it so you will be prepared."

So I headed out. And it was hot. And it was windy. There were times the wind would stop me in my tracks and there were times the wind would blow me forward. It was hard. And my HR shows it. I ended up being in high zone 2. And I could tell afterwards that the effort was too hard.

I don't want to over do it on slowing down as I have worked hard to get faster, but I know I need to run at a pace I will be able to run for a long time. And at a pace I can hold after a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike. I need to learn to train in that comfortable zone and burn fat and spare glycogen.

A Disappointment Turns Into A Pretty Good Weekend

2010-03-21T18:07:00.002-06:00

"Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done whether you like it or not." Thomas Huxley

Well, as of Friday night about 10:00, I still didn't know if the ride would be cancelled or not, so I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. and went to bed. When the alarm went off I headed in to the computer to see what was going on. At that point the storm had still not passed and the ride was still on but the website said to stay posted for an update at 5:30.

I made my breakfast and sat in front of the computer for the next half hour waiting. The 5:30 posting said they still weren't sure - stay tuned for the next update at 6:30. What to do? If I waited until 6:30 and the ride WAS on, I wouldn't make it on time. So, I got dressed, loaded the car and stared that way, checking for updates at stop signs and stoplights. And around 6:20 the update came that the ride was being cancelled.

I headed back home, took the bike off the car so I could close the garage door, and climbed back in bed. And I stayed in bed until almost 10:00. Wow! Haven't done that in a long time.

Once I got up I knew what I had to do. It was a cold, rainy day and it would have been nice to cuddle up on the couch and watch basketball all day, but I headed to the trainer where I would be for the next two hours. I got off, ate lunch and then headed to the pool. I wasn't sure what my workout would be, but when I got there I decided to just swim straight through. 3,000 yards later I was done.

I thought I was done for the day but had told my daughter I would help clean out her closet. I spent a couple of hours helping her clean. Can I log that in my training log????

Since it had been a pretty full day, we decided Saturday night to sleep in Sunday morning and go to late service. That was nice. But as soon as we got home from church I knew I needed to get in a long run. The sun was out today, but the wind was still gusting at 20+ mph. I wimped out and hit the treadmill. But thanks to March Madness, my mind wasn't on running. Ninety minutes later it was time to stop.

So despite the disappointment of not getting in a nice, long, outdoor ride, I did get a lot of training in this weekend.

Day by Day - Lots Going On

2010-03-19T19:33:00.002-06:00

"It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time." Winston Churchill

This quote is true in life as it is in training, and it hit me last weekend as Madison and I were traveling to Houston for her volleyball tournament.

For this tournament, it was just Madison and I. I've got relatives in Houston and have driven there many times, so I know how to get there. But once there, well that's a different story. Our hotel was in downtown Houston and there are just too many roads. So before we left, I set the Tom Tom to lead me where I needed to go.

After getting gas and a quick bite to eat, we were off. My plan was to take 290. As soon as I made the turn to 290 I saw bumper-to-bumper traffic for as far as I could see. I knew it would take over half an hour just to go a few miles. Madison was suppose to be in Houston by a certain time for a team meeting and we were already pushing it timewise, so I made a quick decision to take the toll road to 71 and head into Houston that way. It's not a way I'm familiar with, but I had the Tom Tom. I just had to trust it.

Luckily Highway 71 takes you pretty much all the way to Houston so I didn't have to turn for a couple of hours. But as we got closer to Houston the Tom Tom would tell me which road to take next and which way to turn. It wouldn't tell me anything other than the next step I needed to take.

And that's when it hit me that my trip with the Tom Tom was kind of like my trip to Ironman. In both cases I know my starting point and the end point. But the journey in between is a journey I'm unfamiliar with. I have a plan (the directions from the Tom Tom and the training plan for Ironman) and as long as I follow the next step, I should arrive at my destination as planned. So for Ironman training, as long as I look at each days training schedule and follow the plan, I should be ok. I can't worry about what I have 2 months down the road. I have to accomplish TODAY's plan.

Accomplishing "today's" plan is not always as easy as it sounds, however. Driving to the tournament Friday night right after work and arriving at 9pm, then having a parent meeting, then upacking and putting drinks on ice meant it was late and I was not getting in a workout.

Despite wanting desparately to sleep in Saturday morning, I set my alarm clock for 6:30 am and got up and headed to the treadmill for an hour run. It was hard to do, but I'm glad that I did. After that it was breakfast, getting the girls to stay active, lunch and then off to the convention center for their afternoon bracket. The girls played well, but played some good teams and ended up ranked 3rd for that pool. We didn't get finished until 9:30. Then the girls still had to shower and eat dinner before getting into bed. Add to that the time change, and there was no way I was setting an early alarm for a Sunday morning workout. I told myself if I woke up on my own I would head down.

Needless to say, I sleep until that last minute alarm Sunday morning. It was up to shower, eat and load the car before heading to the convention center for todays games. The girls won one and lost one and were done. As I mentioned earlier, I have relatives in Houston. My Aunt and Uncle had come Saturday night and my other Aunt and Grandma came today. After we were done we went out to eat with them. By the time we were done and on the road it was a little after 4:00.
We got home just after 7:00. I unloaded the car and then settled in my recliner to relax for a bit before heading to bed at 9:00.

Monday morning it was VERY difficult to get up. I had a tough time staying awake at work and even went to take a nap in my car at lunch. My body would have been perfectly happy going home from work and napping again before going to bed early. I was exhausted. But my training schedule had something different on it. I wasn't sure how my workouts would go since I was so exhausted, but I did them anyway. And I felt better. And I wasn't as tired.

It's taken all week to feel like I've gotten caught up on rest, but I have managed to get in all my workouts so far. I'm hoping to get in my long bike ride tomorrow, but after a beautiful week with temps in the 70s, the forecast shows temps in the 50s with possible thunder showers and wind gust from 14-24mph. It's an organized pay ride, so it may be officially called off. In that case, I'll likely spend a few hours on the trainer. Oh joy. This time, I'm hoping the weatherman is wrong.

Getting It Done

2010-03-06T18:13:00.003-06:00

"Champions in any field have made a habit of doing what others find boring or uncomfortable." Anonymous

For whatever reasons (weather, kid's activities, etc.) a lot of my workouts lately have been inside on the treadmill or trainer. And honestly, I find both of those somewhat boring. And today, on my 2 hour trainer ride, it was even a little uncomfortable. But, I'm getting the workouts in somehow. I may have to rearrange them, but they are getting done. And I'm happy with that. I would like to get more long rides on the bike outside since I have a century ride next month, but I'll do what I can to get ready.

And while the kid's activities definitely alter my training schedule, I love watching my kids play their sports. We've had a lot of volleyball lately. Since I played volleyball in middle school and high school, I really enjoy watching volleyball. The girls have had a tough season (several injuries leading to changes in the lineup), but are definitely getting better and coming together as a team. They took third in the tournament this morning and played really well. They also had fun doing it, which I think is key. Today's 3rd place was a positive as they get ready for a big tournament coming up. Madison also had her first track meet last week and did really well running the 2400m. I think she might even beat me in a head-to-head race.

Soccer for my son will hopefully start this coming weekend. It's the start of spring break, so we need to make sure we'll have enough players (as will the other team). If not, that will be rescheduled. The boys got first place in a tournament a couple of weekends ago, so they should be ready and should have a good season. My son is also gearing up for his People to People trip to Australia this summer. And YES, I'm VERY jealous.

In order to fit it all in and let them have fun in the meantime, I'll do boring and uncomfortable if I have to.

Long Bike Ride

2010-02-27T19:26:00.003-06:00

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." John F. Kennedy

The quote above couldn't have been more true today. I met the Team in Training cycle team this morning at 8:00. I knew there would be a group of alumni heading out at a faster pace that the team, so I planned to head out with them. Since I'll be doing more triathlons this year, I was on my tri bike. And I had my new Infinit nutrition ready to go. Temps were in the high 40s to start, with the sun nicely shinning, and they continued to climb as the day went on.

For those of you familiar with this area, we met at Cool River and headed north on Parmer. Parmer is a great ride because there are a decent number of hills and there is a wide shoulder the whole way. The only problem is that there is usually a strong headwind either as you head out or head back. Today the wind wasn't that strong.

There were 6 of us in the front group. A husband and wife on the team were out on their tandem, so we tried to stay with them as long as we could, but they can really build some speed on the tandem and we lost them after a little bit. But I wasn't overly concerned with speed today. I just wanted to get the miles in. I don't have many free weekends this spring to get out and get a long bike ride in. Today's goal was at least 50 miles. The end result: 51.85. And, an average of just over 16 mph. I've only gotten in 2 or 3 other rides outside so far this year, so I was very happy with that average. As I get in more rides outside and more longer rides, that average should go up.

As for the Infinit. It seemed to work really well. I have been known in the past to do a long ride and hardly drink anything, so today I set my garmin to beep at me every 15 minutes to remind myself to drink. The Infinit formula suggests you drink 20 oz every hour. That's basically a water bottle full each hour. I didn't quite meet that goal, but I did finish 2 full bottles and some water during the 3 hours on the bike.

The only other issue I need to figure out is how to not have to stop at mile 20 to pee. It's almost like clockwork with me. Something about mile 20. I can run a full marathon and never stop, but get me on the bike and I gotta stop at mile 20.

After I got home, we gathered the family and dogs along with one of Madison's friends and headed to the lake here in town (small lake and no motorized boats). The intent for me was to try out my new wetsuit. I spent some time getting it on and getting syched up to get in the water when it was in the 60s outside. Another one of my TNT buddies had come to try out his new wetsuit as well. He started into the water first and said it was cold. I don't like cold. And when my feet hit the water, I knew the swim probably wouldn't happen. If I had booties to keep my feet warm, maybe. But my feet went numb right away and they hurt. The water was that cold. I guess the snow this last week really made the water cold. I did manage to get in past my waste, but the thought of my face in that cold water - well, it just wasn't going to happen. Guess we'll have to wait another month or so. The dogs enjoyed their walk, however, and Madison and her friend enjoyed riding bikes around the lake (it's a 3 mile loop). I'm really ready for the spring now.

Busy Times

2010-02-26T20:18:00.002-06:00

"Self-discipline is the capacity to do what you need to do, rather than what you want to do. It's difficult, but the result is worth it."

Ever since MLK weekend, our weekends have been packed with kid activities. We've either had a volleyball tournament, a soccer tournament or a day with multiple soccer games. I've also had a couple of races thrown in there. It's been tough to get my training in.

This past weekend we had yet another tournament. This one was a soccer tournament and it was out-of-town. As usual, I had checked the hotel where we were staying to make sure they had a fitness center and I packed my workout clothes.

We usually don't find out the schedules until a couple of days before the tournament, and our luck is that we usually have early games. Not this time. Saturday's games were at 11 and 5 and Sunday's games were 11 and 2. Oh how nice it would be to actually sleep in for a change.

But guess what? I didn't let myself. I made myself get up early, head to the fitness center, and get my workout in. All before time to meet the team in the lobby for breakfast. Even after the Saturday night team dinner of Mexican food and margaritas (hey, we were in San Antonio!), I made myself get up again on Sunday morning for another workout. I'm glad I did. I know it will pay off down the road.

Unfortunately, the treadmill has been my friend lately. After being out of town and enjoying some beautiful weather, we came home and had SNOW on Tuesday. Yes, you read that right. I feel sorry for those of you who have it all winter, but for us, for the one day we had it, it was beautiful. We only got a couple of inches, but it came down in big, fluffy flakes and we had enough to make a snowman.

So, despite the weather and dislike of the treadmill, I've gotten my runs in. Despite the weather and somewhat dislike of the trainer, I've gotten my bike rides in. And despite the cold, I've gotten my swims in. I even got my longest swim to date in (3,000 yards).

The best part of it all.....the weather is suppose to be beautiful Saturday and we actually have a free day. Oh yeah. I'm going out for a long bike ride. AND, I get to try out my nutrition. I know the day of Ironman will be a very long day and I've done a lot of reading about nutrition options that others use. I have decided to give Infinit a try while I'm on the bike and my order came today. The first test will be tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

Austin Half Marathon

2010-02-14T13:06:00.002-06:00

"I run for hope, I run to feel, I run for the truth for all that is real, I run for your mother, your sister, your wife, I run for you and me my friend. I run for life." from "I Run For Life" by Melissa Ethridge

This weekend our family was split. My daughter had a volleyball tournament in Ft Worth and my son had soccer games here. Since I also had a race on Sunday, I got to stay here with my son.

As we showed up for his first soccer game Saturday morning at 7:30, the air was filled with fog, the ground was covered with frost and the temps were in the low thirties. Oh how I was wishing I was in Ft Worth inside the gym for volleyball. It was COLD on the soccer fields. So cold in fact that when the fog made my hair wet, the wetness froze and I had ice crystals in my hair. I even had to go buy my son some gloves between games because his hands were freezing. And at this point I thought "it better not be this cold in the morning".

Fast forward to Sunday morning. I wake up early, get dressed - in shorts, a tank and a long sleeve top - eat my breakfast and head downtown for the race. Temps were a little better this morning, but still in the low 40s. And the whole time I'm thinking to myself, "why do I do this?" But then I think of Melissa Ethridge's song 'I Run For Life' and I know why I do this. I started running in 2005 with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program to honor my brother-in-law who is a Lymphoma survivor. And I haven't stopped. I run because I can. I run for those who can't. I run for life.

So I headed to the race start. As the gun went off and I started running it was cold. I knew I'd warm up. Since I met my goal of breaking 2 hours at the 3M Half Marathon last month, I didn't really care what my time was today. This course is a bit more challenging as there are lots of hills on the course. My first mile was 9:29. Perfect. I can usually hold a 9:30 pace for long runs, so I was ok with that.

The first part of the course leads you away from downtown with a slight incline. Then you turn, go over a few streets, and head back to town with a slight decline. I held a pretty even pace through it all. As I got back to the downtown area around mile 6 the crowd support was great. It was the boost needed at the time. The next couple of miles were fairly flat. There is one short steep hill thrown in, but mostly flat for a while. I was still holding fairly steady but knew the hills were coming.

As I turned to the hilly stretch of the last 3-4 miles I told myself to just stay steady. Shorten my stride and keep moving. Surprisingly, the hills didn't feel that bad. In the past, I've done specific hill training once a week with hill repeats. I haven't done that this year so I figured the hills would get to me a little bit. But I knew the big hill was yet to come. As I approached mile 12 I prepared myself mentally for the big climb. There was no way I was stopping on that hill and I didn't. I made it to the top, regained my breathing and kept going. I knew the end was near. And when we turned next to the Capitol to head to the finish I started picking up the speed. I could see the finish. I kicked it in to cross the finish line. Chip time - 2:01:41.

Overall, I was happy with my time. I was secretly hoping to break 2 hours again, but I knew the hills would slow me down. However, I ran a very steady race. My pace for each mile was all within a :30 space.

Mile 1: 9:29
Mile 2: 9:28
Mile 3: 9:11
Mile 4: 9:19
Mile 5: 9:00
Mile 6: 9:05
Mile 7: 9:10
Mile 8: 9:18
Mile 9: 9:30
Mile 10: 9:26
Mile 11: 9:12
Mile 12: 9:23
Mile 13: 9:21
last .1: 0:45

I paced fairly evenly, but I can run this pace for my long training runs. Now I need to figure out how much I can push myself and when to start that push.

After crossing the finish line I got my medal, got my finisher shirt, grabbed some food, and put on some warm clothes. It turned out to be a beautiful day for a race. However, I never shed my long sleeve top, so I was pretty sweaty. Sweaty and cold temps make me really cold. I managed to get the sweaty stuff off and get some dry clothes on and then headed home for a shower and food.

I'm glad I raced today afterall.

I Love Dogs, But........

2010-02-08T21:38:00.002-06:00

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." Michael Jordan

When you are training for anything, you will have obstacles. Some people will have mental obstacles. They will think to themselves that they can't go on or that they aren't good enough to accomplish the goal. Others have physical obstacles - shin splints, stress fractures, tendonitis, IT band issues, etc. Me, I have dog obstacles.

Saturday morning was a decent day for an outside bike ride and even though I didn't have as much time as I wanted, I took advantage of the day and headed out for a ride. I live in a small town. It seems like I'm in the middle of the town. But if I take the road next to my neighborhood about 3 miles out, I'm in the country. Country roads can be good or bad, depending on where they are. Most of the time, the country roads I ride on are pretty good. They are fairly smooth (except after long hot summers with no rain when the roads crack and there are 3 inch ruts in the road, but I digress), traffic is fairly light, and the drivers that do pass you usually give you lots of room.

Saturday morning I headed out. There was hardly any traffic and I had a nice tailwind. It felt good to be on the bike. My plan was to do an out and back, keeping an eye on the time to make sure I got back home in time to shower, eat lunch and get my daughter to her out-of-town volleyball tournament on time. I made it to my turnaround point in plenty of time and was feeling good about getting back early. I knew it would take longer to get back with the headwind, but what I didn't count on was a roadblock about 4 miles from the house.

As I turned on the road to head back to the house I noticed something in the middle of the road ahead. It's not unusual to see road kill on the country roads (in fact I had passed a dead skunk on the way out), but this thing looked like it was moving. As I got a little closer, I realized it was a dog. Just laying there in the middle of the road. Almost like he was waiting for me. Ugghhh. I hate dogs when I'm on the bike and they are out of the fence. They always seem to chase the bikes and it can be scary.

I stopped for a minute and thought about my options. I could keep riding and hope that either he wouldn't chase me or that I could outride him. I didn't like this option because I figured that as soon as he saw me coming he would start running at me. He would have an advantage and could very possibly run in front of me and cause me to wreck.

I also thought about getting close and then getting off my bike and walking past him, hoping that he wouldn't be as aggressive if I wasn't on my bike. But, I had no idea if this was a nice dog or a mean dog. If he was a nice dog, it might work. If it was a mean dog I would not only have to keep him away from me, but worry about handling my bike as well. Not to mention that I was in my bike shoes.

My only other option (and the one I took) was to turn around and find a different route home. Luckily, I know the country roads well and knew just which way to go. The only problem is that it meant more riding into the headwind and it meant coming back home through town and dealing with more traffic.

But I didn't let the dog stop me. I figured out a way around the "obstacle" and still got a safe ride in and got home in time. Now if I could just figure out how to get people to keep their dogs behind fences!

BRRRRRRRRRR!

2010-01-31T15:42:00.002-06:00

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." Anne Bradstreet

We usually don't have much of a winter, but this year, we have. And I'm tired of it. The spring will definitely be very pleasant this year. The very little bit of spring we have. Because I know it won't be long until I'm complaining about the heat. But for now, I'm complaining about the cold. I don't know how you northerners do it.

Around Christmas and New Year, I did several outdoor runs in temps of high 20s or low 30s. I don't like it, but I can handle it. I just bundle up and go and pretty soon my body heat takes over and I'm not so cold anymore. It's a different story on the bike.

I will once again be fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as part of the Team in Training Cycle Team. I'm doing a local ride this year since my main focus is Ironman Florida. The season kicked off Thursday night and the first practice was Saturday. For the new folks, it was an information session, but for the alumni, it was time to get back on the bikes outside.

I've been riding a lot on the trainer lately so I was excited to get outside and ride. Do I take the road bike or the tri bike? How far did I think I could go with the group? Was I ready for the hills? None of that really mattered much when I saw the temperature forecast for Saturday morning - high 20s or low 30s with winds of 14mph. Yikes!

Because of the winds and because of the roads we would be riding on, I felt it was best for me to take the road bike. The tri bike is lighter and in high winds I sometimes get thrown around a bit. We would be riding on the shoulder of a major road and I didn't want to risk it. Besides, on my tri bike I can't tuck in behind the big guys and draft like I can on the road bike.

Saturday morning I woke up and started layering the clothes. Underarmour - check. Fleece vest - check. Windbreaker - check. Gloves - check. Something to cover the ears - check. I drove to our meeting place to find out that only 5 other people brought their bikes and were prepared to ride. And I was the only female. Oh well. If I didn't ride now, I knew I wouldn't get a ride in and I had made the effort so I figured I'd see what I could do. One of the guys ended up staying behind to help with the clinic, so there were only 5 of us to ride. Three of the guys are actually training for a ride called the Triple Bypass in July and were planning on doing a longer ride. I didn't think I was ready for that yet. Luckily the one other guy said he would turn around early with me.

When we started out my legs had that "this isn't the trainer" feel. And when we hit some of the first hills they were asking me "what are we doing?" It took a little while to get in my rythym. When we hit the major road (the one that is very hilly), I tried to get behing the big guy so I could draft and he would block the wind. I did everything I could to stay on his wheel. I did for a while but lost him on a downhill and couldn't catch back up on the next hill. At that point I felt like giving up and turning back. But I kept thinking to myself, "You have an Ironman to train for and there is no giving up on race day. No matter what. You can do this." I also kept repeating a phrase that those of you from beginnertriathlete are probably very familiar with - HTFU.

We regrouped at the top of a hill. One of the guys and I decided on a place to turnaround and the three others decided on their route as well. Our turnaround spot wasn't much further and I was very happy when we got there. Turning around meant I was on my way back to warmth and it also meant the wind was now mostly at our back. It's amazing the difference the wind makes not only in the effort you have to put forth, but in the way the temperature feels. With the wind at our back I was still cold, but not shivering like I had been. I knew I could make it back.

All in all I ended up with just over 20 miles. I would have liked to gotten in more, but it will come. The days are starting to stay light just a little bit longer and hopefully I'll get some warmer days in the near future where I can get out in the afternoon and get in an outdoor ride. It's nice to have the trainer and the treadmill, but I much prefer to do my workouts outside when I can. Yep. I'm ready for the spring.

3M Half Marathon Race Report

2010-01-24T14:48:00.002-06:00

It is the illusionthat we can go no faster that holds us back." Kenny Moore

When I did my first half marathon in 2004, it took me almost 3 hours. I was undertrained for that one and walked a lot, so I knew I could get faster. And with each half marathon, I did. Three years ago I ran a half in 2:05 and I knew I was close to breaking the 2 hour mark. I signed up for the 3M Half Marathon in 2008 hoping to break that mark because this race is known as a fast course. That year I came in at 2:00:40. Last year I came in at 2:00:55. It was very frustrating knowing that I was so close, yet couldn't break 2 hours. So once again, I signed up to try again.

This morning, I left the house early so I wouldn't get caught up in the traffic going into the parking garage. I got there early and sat in my car for a while to stay warm. Last night, a "cold" front blew in. The temps really weren't that bad (high 40s or low 50s), but the wind was horrible. Weather.com said the wind was 16mph out of the NNW. The bad part of that is it made it feel a lot colder than it was. The good part is that the wind would be at our back for a good portion of the point-to-point course.

The race was suppose to start at 6:45, so at 6:00 I got out of my car, dropped of my clothing bag with warm clothes for after the race and headed to the port-a-potties. The lines were short at the time, so I still had some time to wait for the start. I was in shorts, a tank, and a long sleeve top. But I was cold. So, I joined some others behind the generator for the lights and kept a little warm. Then one last time I hit the port-a-potties again and got in line for the start. Even among the bodies, I was cold and couldn't wait to get moving.

And then we heard the announcement. The wind was so bad, it was blowing the baricades over which was allowing traffic through on parts of the course. The city would not let us start until the issue could be fixed due to safety concerns. So there we stood. Freezing. Wanting to run but not being able to. The lady next to me said she was leaving if we didn't start in the next 10 minutes. I'm not sure what happened to her. I was thinking the same thing myself, but stayed. I told myself at that point that I didn't care what my time was, I just wanted to get going and get warm.

And finally an hour late, the gun went off and we took off running. At first, my feet felt numb from being so cold and standing on them for an hour. But it felt good to be moving. I had lined up between the 1:50 and 2:00 pacers and just hoped I could keep the 2 hour pacers behind me. But I told myself with the cold and wind that if I didn't break 2 hours today that it just wasn't meant to be.

When I hit the first mile marker I hit my split button and saw 8:43. I was surprised. I felt like I had started slow, but didn't think I could hold that pace for 12 more miles. I slowed a bit to have a 9:24 mile two. That mile was also uphill and into the wind. Then we started back downhill and mile three was 8:54.

Mile 4 was 8:56. Mile 5 was 8:23. Mile 6 was 9:17. It was at this point I was almost wishing I had done the relay of the race so that I would be done, but I told myself to just keep running. No walking.

Mile 7 was 9:04. Mile 8 was 9:10. Mile 9 was 9:11. Mile 10 was 9:12.

Again, I was wishing I was done, but I knew if I kept this pace for the next 3 miles I would break 2 hours. So I told myself what I've been telling myself during my training runs, "You can do this for 30 more minutes. You can do anything for 30 minutes." And I kept going.

Mile 11 was 9:02. I guess I got excited and ready to be done because Mile 12 was 8:55. I knew I was close. I slowed down a bit that last mile, but when I saw the finish I started speeding up. The last 1.1 mile was 9:42.

And just like that I broke the 2 hour mark. Official chip time was 1:57:55. I am very happy with that time and felt good after the race. I got my medal, got some water and gatorade and ate some recovery blocks from Cliff and headed back to get my car.

I guess I no longer have the illusion that I can't go faster.

Challenging Weekend

2010-01-19T21:27:00.002-06:00

"My body immediately reacts to a lack of exercise. 'Take me outside' it cries; 'let me out'". Paula Zahn

This weekend was the first of many challenging weekends we will have this spring with the kid's volleyball and soccer tournaments. Madison had her first out-of-town volleyball tournament.

Ever since December 26th, I had done a swim, bike or run every day.....until Friday. Knowing we had the tournament and knowing the hotel had a gym, I packed enough clothes to run each day we were there. I was planning to run Friday evening once we arrived at the hotel and got checked in. What I didn't count on was lots of rain and leaving the house an hour later than we planned. By the time we got to the hotel, it was time for the parent meeting. By the time we were done, it was 9:30 at night and I was still full from our late dinner. The streak was broken as no workout got done.

Saturday morning we were up early for the girls' first game of the tournament. They had three games and were done around 2. They played awesome, winning 2 of the 3 matches. As we were leaving, some issues arrived that caused us to be later getting back to the hotel than planned, but I headed to the exercies room anyway. It was a TINY room. I managed to get in 45 minutes on the treadmill. Then I showered and we went out to eat.

Sunday was another early morning. The girls unfortunately played the #1 ranked team of the tournament. They played hard, but it wasn't enough. After a 2 hour break they played their other two games. Again, earlier issues of the weekend had an affect on the girls emotionally and they lost the next two matches as well. They were a player short so Madison was playing front row and back row. They played their hearts out and were exhausted. The parents decided to take the girls downtown for some Tex-Mex and let them bond as a team. We had about 25 people for dinner. But after eating Tex-Mex and getting back late, there was no way I was getting on the treadmill. And I needed it after sitting at the games all day.

Monday morning my body was screaming, "I need a workout". Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for me) we had someone bang on our door at 6am. Obviously they had the wrong room, but now that I was awake I decided to head to the treadmill for an hour run and then meet the girls in the lobby for breakfast. I got in my run and felt much better.

Then it was off to the final day of the tournament. It was win or go home. The girls won the first two matches and made it to the finals. And the final match went to 3 games. They fought so hard, but were sooooo tired. They ended up with second place in their bracket. We were all so proud.

Today it was hard to go back to work and I think it was hard for the girls to go back to school. Madison said she almost fell asleep in class. And they all looked sluggish at practice. Me? I feel better after getting back into my workout routine. My body needs it.

Enough For Today

2010-01-13T20:40:00.002-06:00

"Jesus said, 'Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.'" Matthew 6:34 (NRSV)

Every morning before I leave for work, I read a devotional for the day. A few days ago I read one from The Upper Room that I felt applies to Ironman training. The quote above was the verse for the devotional. Following is the rest of the devotional:

In my backyard is a small pond that I made a few years ago. I decided to direct some of the rainwater runoff from the roof of our house to the pond, using plastic drainage pipe. The pipe was 100 feet long and would need to be buried underground. I did not want to spend the money to rent a trencher, though the ground was full of roots, making the job difficult. After an hour of digging with a pick and shovel, I realized that I didn't need to dig 100 feet all at once. I could do a few feet each day and, eventually, I would complete the job.

I have often found that a particular task seems too great when I look at it in its entirety. However, when I break it down into smaller parts and do just what I can do today, I can complete the task over time.

Jesus encouraged us to deal with today's concerns and to trust him for the rest - for all that we need in the future. When I trust God for one-day-at-a-time strength, what at first seems impossible becomes more than possible. It becomes accomplished!Mike Smoot (Virginia)

To me, this applies to Ironman training in the sense that you have to do the day-to-day workouts and not worry about race day. When most people first get into triathlons, completing an Ironman seems impossible. But,if you do the work required each day, then on race day you WILL accomplish your goal.

So that's what I'm going to do. Follow the plan. Do the required work each day and see where it takes me. And if I complete the scheduled workout I can say, "Enough for today".

I Got Spoiled

2010-01-05T21:15:00.002-06:00

"Once you have established the goals you want and the price you're willing to pay, you can ignore the minor hurts, the opponent's pressure and temporary failures." Coach Lombardi

Being off work last week spoiled me in more than one way. I enjoyed "sleeping in", which for me means sleeping until I wake up on my own. No alarm clock. But I usually can't sleep past 7:00am. Last week I think I even slept until almost 8 one day. But the real way I got spoiled was that I got my workout in first thing and then was done for the day. This was good for two reasons.

First of all, getting my workout in first thing in the morning means that I had no excuse later in the day to not do the workout. It was already done. And while I'd love to get in some workouts first thing in the morning on any given day, I'm not to the point where I'm willing to do that - YET. I know that day will come, but not now. I get up at 5:30 as it is. I'm not willing to get up any earier until I get into the heart of Ironman training.

The second reason getting the workout in first thing has to do with the weather. We have had some unseasonably cold weather for us. The day after Christmas my run was in 29 degree weather. And that's the weird thing. If I get up and get dressed to run in the cold, and go out and run in the cold first thing, I don't mind. I know that I'll warm up as I go and that when I get home I can take a nice warm shower and then I will be warm the rest of the day. But, if I get out in the cold and know how cold it is and then get warm again before doing my run, it feels so much colder getting out in it. I can't explain it, but it's hard to make myself run in even 50 degree weather after being at work all day. Knowing I have to get back in the cold is tough, but that's what I did today. I got home from work, got dressed for cold weather running and headed out for an hour long run in the low 50s. I know that may be warm for some of you, but it's cold for us. And it's only going to get worse. Thursday and Friday we are suppose to have high temps only in the 30s. And it's suppose to get down to 19. You won't find me outside running in those temps. Go ahead and call me a wimp. That's why I own a treadmill.

And back to the quote at the top - when I was out on my run today I got a side cramp about 20 minutes into the run. Normally I would have stopped and walked to see if it would go away. But I know that when I stop to walk, I have a hard time getting in that running groove again. Knowing that I will face cramps, pain and doubt during the Ironman, I kept going. I slowed my pace some, but I kept going. That cramp stayed with me for probably 10-15 minutes before it finally went away. But I ignored the minor hurt because I have a goal. And that goal is always on my mind.

In With The New

2010-01-01T20:05:00.002-06:00

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it."

A new day, a new year, and a new goal to achieve. This will be the year of the Ironman, and this will be a year of preparing. I'm excited about the year, but at times still wonder what I've gotten myself into. But, I know if I do the training, I will finish the race on November 6th.

In the meantime, I have a half marathon in 3 weeks, so I started out the new year with a 14.5 mile run. I did something different this morning and set my watch to beep for intervals of 4/1. I know I'll walk some during the marathon of the Ironman and I'm thinking about training with intervals for it, so I thought this morning's run would be a good time to try it out. I actually felt good the whole time and was ok with my average pace. I won't do intervals for the two half marathons I have coming up, but I may try it at my HIM in April and see how it works.

Here is what my year looks like at this point:
January 24th - 3M Half Marathon
February 14th - Austin Half Marathon
March - a couple of pay rides of at least 60 miles
April 11th - Capitol 10K
April 25th - Lonestar 70.3
May and June - long bike rides
June 21st - Lake Pflugerville Sprint Tri
July and August - long bike rides
Possibly another HIM about 2 months out from IMFL
November 6th - IMFL

I am lucky in that there are many supported pay rides in the spring and summer and many of those have the option to do the full century distance. I'll be doing as many as I can, depending on soccer and volleyball schedules for the kids.

Whatever your year has in store for you, may you prepare well so that on race day you will achieve the success you desire.

Out With The Old......

2009-12-31T16:37:00.002-06:00

"If you do not consciously form good habits, you will unconsciously form bad ones."

The last couple of weeks of December have been busy. The weekend of the 19th, my cycle team had a ride/lunch/white elephant party. We got in around a 25 mile ride. There were a couple of times I let loose as I was on my tri bike, but for the most part we all stayed together. This meant going slower than normal at times for the newer riders, but at least I was getting in time on the bike. The white elephant exchange was kind of fun as well.

Then on the 20th, we had to go out of town for a grandmother's 90th birthday and then come back in town for Dalton's indoor soccer game. Then it was back out of town on the 23rd for Christmas with the in-laws, back on the 24th and Christmas with my family on the 25th. Then back out of town on the 26th with extended family. Luckily, after that we were home for good and I was off work the last week of the year.

During all the craziness, I have continued to work out, even getting in my longest swim session to date - a 2,800 yard workout. I'm excited that I'm at that point and I still have 11 months to go until IMFL.

This week off has been nice, but still busy. One of the guys from my Sunday school class at church put out a resolution challenge. From the 26th - January 1, he challenged people to workout at least 20 minutes a day by walking or running. You get points for time, distance, being outside, and if the outside workout is below freezing. My first workout was the day we had to go out of town, so I got up early to get my run in and it was below freezing. Wahoo!!!! An extra point. Even though I would have worked out every day anyway, this challenge has encouraged me to probably do more than I would have. Thursday was a busy day and I could have easily skipped the workout, but I knew others in the challenge would see a blank day and I wanted points, so I got my run in. Forming that habit of working out every day is what most people need to keep going, so I hope the challenge helped some people.

As I look back on 2009, I feel like it was a good year. I got a PR in the 5K, 10K, and sprint triathlon distances. I ran more than I did last year, and I swam over twice the distance I did in 2008. 2009 totals are:

Bike: 1384.26 miles
Run: 832.73 miles
Swim: 32683.26 yards
Strength: 3 hr 55 min
Massage: 3 hr
Race Volunteering: 4 hr 30 min
Soccer: 30 min
Spin Class: 1 hr
Walking: 15 hr 46 min 30 sec
Wii Fit: 20 min
Yoga: 23 hr

It will be interesting to see 2010 totals at the end of next year after training for the Ironman.

I hope that your 2009 was good to you and that 2010 will be even better. Happy New Year everyone!

Time Versus Distance

2009-12-15T21:18:00.002-06:00

"One part at a time, one day at a time, we can accomplish any goal we set for ourselves." Karen Casey, from Achievement of a Life Goal

With the holiday season approaching, some things at work, and Madison's volleyball kicking into gear, things are not slowing down. But I am determined to get the workouts in however I need to get them in. Last Wednesday, Madison told me at the last minute that she wanted to go to Bible study. I had already planned to get in my 60 minute run before dark. We were having a hard time figuring out how to get her there and pick her up and still get Dalton where he needed to go. Then I thought, "Why don't I just get dressed, drive her there, and run from that house for an hour? I'll be done when she is." So that's what I did despite the 45 degree temps. And it worked out perfect. She called me on my phone to see where I was just as I was rounding the corner to the house.

I've also had to rearrange the schedule a little bit due to an all day volleyball tournament on Saturday. For the team's first time to play together in a real game environment, they did well (at least I thought). And Madison's serving amazed me. On the last game they were playing, they were down 24 to 17 (or something like that). If the other team scored a point, the game was over and our team was knocked out. It was our turn to serve. And it was Madison serving. She did great under pressure and brought the team back to 25-24. And then the other team won anyway. But I was so proud of her. It was worth it to rearrange my workout schedule.

Then after working out on Sunday with a swim of 2,500 yards (my longest to date) and a run, I got to looking at my Ironman program again. The one I plan to follow does the run and bike workouts by time but gives swim workouts, so it's distance there. I've been following a half-iron plan right now that also bases workouts on time. And I'm actually finding that I kind of like that. For instance, the other night when I had the 60 minute run - normally I probably would have gone 5-6 miles. But since I ran for an hour, I got in 6.2. So I may actually get more miles in this way, at least with running. I know later on I will do bike rides by miles, doing several century rides over the summer, and I know I will want to get in several 18-20 miles run toward the end of training. Well see how it goes.

I also noticed that my Ironman plan only has swim workouts of up to 3,500 meters. I don't think I like that since I'm already fairly comfortable with 2,500. I think I want to go farther, and in swimming you can. I may look at some other plans and take the swimming workouts from those. It will definitely be an interesting year, but one part at a time and one day at a time, I'll get there.

Busy Times

2009-12-08T21:33:00.002-06:00

"My feeling is that any day I am too busy to run is a day that I am too busy." John Bryant

I guess today was a day that was too busy. Sure, I could be on the treadmill right now instead of updating my blog, but I pretty much refuse to start a workout after 9:00 pm. I don't mind working out past 9:00 if I've already started, but I don't want to start working out that late.

The past two nights I've gotten home late. Last night, I got home around 8:00. I got on the treadmill for 30 minutes and then the trainer for 45 minutes. I then took a shower and went to bed. Tonight I didn't get home until almost 9:00 and I had not eaten dinner yet. I knew I needed to eat. Tomorrow is a light day as far as activities go, so I'll do tonight's run tomorrow either before or after swimming.

I have looked at my schedule (training and activities) for the next two months to figure out what kind of workouts I need to do and when I can fit them in. I've got the December schedule posted on a cabinet in the kitchen. I need to find the time and get it done.

I've been looking at races/rides for 2010 and how they fit in my Ironman training. One thing that I decided to go ahead and do is an early season Half Ironman. I wasn't sure I wanted to do that, but several other people I know who are also doing IMFL are doing the same race and I think it will be good for me to see where I'm at and start testing the nutrition. So, training for that starts now. No more skipping workouts!

Slow and Steady

2009-11-30T19:24:00.002-06:00

"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." Confucius

Lately, that seems to be my theme. I'm getting it done, but it's slow.

Thanksgiving morning I went out for a run. I didn't really care how long it took or how far I went. I just wanted to get in a run that morning so I wouldn't feel so guilty about what I ate later in the day. When I headed out for my run it was in the mid 50s and the sun was starting to pop out. It was a beautiful morning and I was out to enjoy it.

Friday ended up being a travel day back home and a "get things done" day. We got haircuts, put up the outside Christmas lights along with some inside decorations, and had Madison's birthday party which included a trip to the mall on Black Friday. It actually wasn't too bad.

Saturday morning I headed out for a bike ride with one of my good TNT buddies. We rode a lot together last season and always ride well together. We headed "out" on our out-and-back route and I thought I was doing good. I haven't ridden outside in a couple of months and here we were going 18-22mph and it felt easy. A few hills started to wear me out, so around 17 miles we turned to come back. And WHAM! The wind hit us in the face. Our speed dropped and the hills got harder for me. I knew there was a reason I picked Florida for my first Ironman race.

Sunday was church and more of Christmas decorating. I told the family that if it didn't get done on Sunday, it wasn't getting done. Then in the evening, a cold front (for us anyway) blew through.

Todays temps were in the high 40s and low 50s. When I got home I decided to run on the treadmill. My body needs some adjusting to the lower temps. Last week I was running in the mid 70s in shorts and a tank. I just wasn't ready to head out in 50 degree weather today. I know, call me a wimp. So I hopped on the treadmill instead. And I always run slower on the treadmill. I can average 9:30/mile outside and usually end up a little over 11:00/mile on the treadmill. It's frustrating. But, I'm getting it done.

Mexican Food Before Swimming is Not a Good Idea

2009-11-24T21:30:00.002-06:00

"You eat a hamburger, you run like a hamburger." Steve Riddick

So, if you eat Mexican food, do you swim like Mexican food? Because that's what I did tonight.

Because of the holidays and because the pool will be closed Thursday and Friday, I decided that I would swim tonight. But I wanted to wait until my daughter got home from her orthodontist appointment and make sure we didn't have anything else planned for the evening.

Well, Madison's birthday is tomorrow (Wednesday) and the tradition in our house is for the birthday person to pick where they want to go eat dinner. Since we won't be able to go out to eat tomorrow night, she decided she wanted her birthday dinner tonight. At our local Mexican food restaurant. So, I decided to delay my swim, but not give it up.

After eating dinner I headed to the pool. To be honest, I don't think I swam any slower tonight than I normally do, but I definitely felt full. And I felt a little sluggish even if my time didn't really reflect it. In the end, I'm still glad I went to the pool and got the swim done. At least maybe I worked off some of that food I ate tonight.

Back in the Pool

2009-11-21T17:02:00.002-06:00

"The water is your friend...you don't have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move." Alexandr Popov

After a restful week of basically either walking the dog, yoga, or nothing, it was time to get back to some real working out. I was suppose to go for a bike ride with some of my fellow Team in Training cyclists today, but the weather did not cooperate. So, I changed plans and headed for the pool instead.

Swimming is the least favorite of the three disciplines for me. I don't like to be cold and always am when I first get in the water, and it just involves so much more than the other two disciplines. I can't swim at my house, so it's a pain to drive to the gym. And in the past when I've done my swimming, I've just swam 2,000 meters and gone home. But I have realized that, just like in running or cycling, to swim faster, you have to swim more and you have to do drills and intervals.

Today when I swam, I swam a 300 meter warmup. Then I did drills for 700 meters. Then I did the fun stuff: 10 x 50m with 15s rest in between. I surprised myself and swam every one of those 50m between :55 and 1:00. Pretty consistent and pretty fast for me. Then I did a 500m continuous swim. Overall, my average pace was just over 2:00 per 100 meter. I use to be around 2:30, so I am seeing some improvement.

I know between now and next November I need to hit the pool at least twice a week. Later in my Ironman training plan, I'll be hitting the pool three times a week. And I also know I need to swim longer. I've never really swam longer than 2,000 meters at a time because the longest swim I've done in a race was the 1.2 miles of a Half Ironman. I know that I will be swimming around 4,000 meters or more in some of my training swims. I really do need to become friends with the water.

Recovery Week

2009-11-17T21:08:00.002-06:00

"How important is rest in the training equation? More important than most runners know." Paul Goss

After my first marathon, I was told to take a day off for every mile I had just run. In other words, take 26 days off. I took a week off and did my first triathlon exactly one week later. Then for the rest of the summer, I just did what I wanted when I felt like it. No training plan and no stress about getting a workout in. I'm not sure I could do that again, but I do take a rest break after my marathons....at least for a little bit.

Monday when I got home from work, I took my dog Roscoe on a walk. We use to be in the habit of walking every day and then my training increased and the temps got hotter and suddenly we weren't walking anymore. We had a great time yesterday.

And then Monday night I went for a massage. I'm on a list at a massage school and they had called Saturday afternoon to see if I could come in. What better way to recover after a marathon than to get a massage. Today was my typical Tuesday yoga class.

I probably won't do much the rest of the week - just something light each day. Then I'll get back to working out on a regular basis, but doing what I feel like doing and nothing too intense. I've already got some races scheduled for the first of the year, so I need to keep the base I have, but I also don't want to over do it before the "official" Ironman training kicks in sometime in April.

My body will appreciate the rest.

San Antonio Rock 'n Roll Marathon

2009-11-15T18:05:00.003-06:00

"Running for someone else makes me less willing to give up or give in, more able to withstand the pain and the fatigue knowing that someone else is drawing power from my effort. I look at it as an opportunity to carry a portion of another person's burden, to cover some ground on their behalf, to try to lighten the load by shouldering some of it on our own backs. That's endurance." Kristen Armstrong

As a Team in Training participant, this pretty much sums up why we do what we do. And this year, for this marathon, it meant more than ever. One of our participants' personal honored hero passed away yesterday. This race was very sprecial to our team this year.

Heading into this marathon, I was hoping to set a PR. My record for the marathon distance so far is 4:44. I was hoping to get into the 4:30s somewhere. But when we woke up this morning to temps in the mid 60s and high humidity, I was a little reserved. I don't do well in heat and humidity, but thought I'd give it a go anyway. My plan was to run with one of our coaches and see what we could do. Shorts and a singlet was the outfit.

We figured we would try to maintain around a 10:30 pace, so when we took off and hit 10:13 at mile one we figured we were ok. We did pretty well the first few miles, despite the fact that by mile 2 I was sweating already.

Mile 1: 10:13
Mile 2: 10:22
Mile 3: 10:11
Mile 4: 10:30
Mile 5: got missed and combined with mile 6
Mile 6: 20:55
Mile 7: 10:47
Mile 8: 10:12
Mile 10: 10:25
Mile 11: 10:43
Mile 12: 10:23

At this point my coach's calf muscle was starting to cramp some, so he stopped and stretched a little and we started walking more through the aid stations.

Mile 13: 11:05
Mile 14: 11:24
Mile 15: 10:28
Mile 16: 10:58

At this point coach said he was going to have to walk more and sent me on my way. This was also the point where you head out to a kind of lonely out and back section of the course.

Mile 17: 10:41
Mile 18: 10:51
Mile 19: 11:14
Mile 20: 11:21

The sun started coming out and it started getting really hot.

Mile 21: 12:03
Mile 22: 13:25
Mile 23: 12:37
Mile 24: 13:31
Mile 25: 12:51
Mile 26: 12:39
last .2: 2:27

Garmin Time: 4:53:02. I'll post official time when I see it.

The course wasn't a bad course and was fairly flat. I think if the temps had been 20degrees cooler, I could have gotten my PR today, but it wasn't meant to be. I saw my family several times on the course and saw several TNT alumni as well, which helped. And coming into the finishing chute was nice because some of our team who did the half were done and were along the finish line cheering. My family was also there as well.

After the race, I headed back to the hotel room for a quick shower and then headed home with the two other girls I came with. I've got my lovely hot pink compression socks on and hope that when I wake up in the morning I'll be able to walk fairly well.

A Busy Day

2009-11-14T07:55:00.003-06:00

"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." Frank Shorter

Well, hopefully my mind has forgotten my last marathon since I'll be trying another tomorrow. But first I have to get through today.

This morning my son has a People to People meeting. He was nominated to be a student ambassador to Australia this summer and today is their first meeting. Then we leave early and head toward San Antonio for his soccer game. Two of my Team in Training buddies are coming to the game and from there, the three of us will continue on to San Antonio.

Once we get to San Antonio, we'll check into the hotel and then head to the expo to check in and get our bibs. From there we will head to the TNT pasta party, have our team meeting and then go back to the room to get ready for Sunday morning's race.

It should be a very busy day!

Small Efforts Contribute

2009-11-11T17:53:00.002-06:00

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." Robert Collier

As I prepare for the marathon on Sunday, I'm backing down on mileage. Today was only a 3 mile run. Most of the time, when I only run 3 miles, I feel like a slacker. But in the grand scheme of things, I know that even that 3 mile run contributes to the success of the longer runs. It's not always about the long run, but about getting out day in and day out and getting the runs in. Hopefully my small efforts will pay off on Sunday.

Visualization

2009-11-10T17:07:00.003-06:00

"Spend at least some of your training time, and other parts of your day, concentrating on what you are doing in training and visualizing your success." Grete Waitz

I believe visualization is an important part of training. While I was in Florida, I had my picture taken under the Ironman fixture that eventually graced the finish line. While I was at the finish line catching, I visualized myself coming down the chute and crossing the finish line. And I will continue to do so throughout the year.

One thing that helps me focus and visualize is the fact that I go to yoga. I have been for the past 6 or 7 years, once a week (as long as the instructor holds class). I truly believe yoga has been a great asset to my training - in helping to clear my head, in helping with focus, and in helping with my flexibility.

With that, I'm off to yoga and will visualize me finishing the race during meditation.

Namaste

Back to Training

2009-11-09T17:28:00.001-06:00

"It's not what you did yesterday, but what you will do today that will make a difference tomorrow."

Thank goodness yesterday doesn't count. Or the few days before that. Other than the swim in the ocean on Friday morning, I haven't worked out since Tuesday and that's too long for me. So today I went out and ran 4 miles. After all, I have a marathon to run this weekend.

The Start of A Journey

2009-11-08T14:35:00.002-06:00

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. Walt Disney

And my dream of becoming an Ironman is being pursued. I stood in line this morning with the other volunteers and registered for Ironman Florida 2010.

In June of 2005, I ran my first marathon (26.2 miles of running). Exactly one week later, I completed my first sprint triathlon (500m swim, 12 mile bike and 3.1 mile run). At that point, something inside me was born. I enjoyed the challenge of endurance racing and knew there would be more marathons and triathlons in my future. What I didn’t know at that point was how far I would take it.

In the spring of 2006, I did my first Olympic distance tri (.9 mile swim, 24 mile bike and 6.2 mile run). I wondered if I could do a longer one. The next step was a half ironman (otherwise known as 70.3). It involves a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run. I did my first half ironman in the fall of 2007. At that point I began to question whether I could accomplish the “big one” – a full Ironman distance. An Ironman triathlon is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run – all in one day with a time limit of 17 hours.

I began reading the beginnertriathlete forum and read any thread I could that had to do with Ironman. I read lots of race reports, and I began to think that maybe I could do it. I did my second half Ironman in the fall of 2008 and knocked my time down. The dream of a full Ironman was growing.

I researched the different Ironman races and decided if I did one, I would do Ironman Florida. I had also read that it’s best to go to the Ironman race the year before to volunteer and experience Ironman and then get in line the day after to sign up for the following year. So, this is how I came to my decision to volunteer at Ironman Florida for 2009 and sign up for 2010.

Ironman Florida from a Volunteer Standpoint

On Thursday afternoon I caught a flight to Florida. I landed in Pensacola, hooked up with another BTer and made the drive to Panama City Beach, Florida. Got to the condo and headed for bed. Friday morning I was up early and heading down to the Gatorade swim. Several of us BTers met to do a practice swim in the ocean. And I am glad I did. In Florida, the 2.4 mile swim consists of 2 loops of 1.2 miles. No problem, right? So I head out and felt great at first. The salt water and wetsuit had me floating on top of the water. I wasn’t worried about time, so I just enjoyed the swim. My son had joked about there being sharks in the ocean. I didn’t see any sharks, but what I saw is something I hadn’t thought about – jellyfish. Luckily most of them close the surface were small and I did not get stung. A few things I learned from the swim:

1. The water isn’t as cold as I thought, but the wetsuit is good.
2. Salt water doesn’t taste so good and the taste stays in your mouth most of the day
3. If you tend to get seasick, an ocean swim is not for you (at times my body felt like it was in a washing machine)
4. 1.2 miles in the ocean feels like a lot further than 1.2 miles in the lake
5. It’s hard to spot the buoys when the waves get in the way
6. It’s nice when your feet hit the beach again

And I have to do two loops? I’ve got a lot of work to do.

After cleaning up from the swim, a couple of us headed out to drive the bike course. I had heard it was flat, but wanted to see for myself. And for the most part, it IS flat. Especially compared to what I’m use to riding on. But, there is one overpass that creates a fairly steep hill early on that is also toward the very end of the course. Will need to save some legs for that. And one of the long stretches has quite a few rollers and false flats. But, as far as Ironman bike courses go, it’s the flattest there is.

After that, it was off to the volunteer meeting and then to a pizza joint for a dinner with a few other BTers. It was nice to meet them, especially since most of them will be signing up for next year as well.

Ironman Florida 2009 Race Day Observations

Race day morning I got up early. I wanted to be at the swim start to see everyone hit the water. And wow!!!! What an experience that is. The water at the shore is quite shallow, so there is a lot of “walking into the water” at the first part of the swim. And in most races, everyone is going as fast as they can. Not here. In fact, some were purposefully holding back so they wouldn’t get caught up in the washing machine effect of waves and 2400 swimmers. The pros finished their first lap in just under 30 minutes. Simply amazing.

As the lead pro got close to finishing his second lap, I moved over to the swim exit. It was fun watching them come out of the water and even more fun to watch the wet suit strippers do their job. I stayed here for a bit before heading up to watch the transition area. From where I was standing, I could see the swimmers head into T1 and then saw them again as they headed out to get their bikes. I saw a couple of BT racers and cheered for them. I also stayed until the last swimmer came out of the water. Some of the last ones looked pretty beat up from the rough water.

It was interesting to watch the people though. All shapes and sizes of bodies, and all ages, too. A couple of athletes had prosthetic legs. It was also interesting to see what people were wearing. I was taking notes for next year. I definitely think arm warmers will be in my T1 bag. And I may have to get a bright colored outfit so my spectators can find me easier.

From there, it was back to the room for some food and rest before heading back out in the afternoon to watch the cyclists come in off the bikes.

About 3:00 we went out right in front of the condo to watch the cyclists come in. Our condo was less than half a mile from the finish, so when we saw the cyclists, they were pretty much done with that part of the race. I saw a couple of BTers and cheered them on. Some cyclists were taking their feet out of their shoes already, but most were just stretching things out and getting ready for the run.

After a quick bite to eat, I headed down to the finish line. I stood at the run turnaround and run finish area for a while. Most runners looked strong. Only a few were walking. Then just a little before 5pm, I headed over to check in for my volunteer duty as a finish line catcher. I got my shirt and wristband (which I needed this morning to get in the volunteer line to sign up), put some gloves on and went to work.

As each runner came across the finish line, a catcher would walk to the athlete and ask them if they were ok. Most were, but a few nearly collapsed and had to really be caught. Then we would walk them through the chute to get their mylar blanket, medal, finisher shirt and hat, and have their chip removed from their leg. If they were still ok at this point, we let them go on their own. If not, we walked them to the medical tent or massage tent or wherever they needed us to walk with them.

I did have to “catch” a couple of people and I did have to take a couple to medical. One guy just wanted an IV so he wouldn’t be so bad off today. I also caught an 18 year old who finished his first Ironman (and probably in less time than I will), a guy who crashed on his bike at mile 56 but still completed the race, a guy who said this was his first triathlon (not just first Ironman, but first triathlon), and a guy from beginnertriathlete. Let me just say that if you ever “catch” at the finish line, make sure to wear rubbers gloves and a long sleeve shirt. Trust me on that one. After 140.6 miles, some people are pretty darn sweaty.

I was only signed up to catch from 6-9, but ended up staying until 10:30 because at times there didn’t seem to be enough catchers. From there I headed to the bleachers (so I could at least sit for a bit) and watched the finishers come in until the clock hit 17 hours at midnight. The last official finisher came in with about 35 seconds left on the clock. What an amazing finish.

Then, after a short night of sleep, I was up early this morning to go stand in line to register for next year’s race. Registration was posted as starting at 9am. I got there a little before 7am and was probably 200-250 people back. I’d be curious to see what time the first person in line got there. Luckily, they opened registration early and I was in and out before 9.

And so it begins. I won’t officially start Ironman training until sometime in April, but I will start swimming and biking again as soon as the San Antonio marathon is over next weekend. I’ll work on my base over the winter before getting into specific training in the spring. Should be a fun year!