Gonna Get My M-Dot

2011-09-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

Ironman Quilt

2010-04-04T12:30:00.002-05:00

Mom made me a quilt for my birthday with all my Ironman pictures and times...turned out AWESOME! She's so talented! Absolutely LOVE it! Thank you Mom!!!

Frame Done

2009-10-26T17:43:00.004-05:00

I got my frame back from Michael's, after having it redone - as the dimensions were wrong the first time I got it back. I think it turned out pretty good! It has my Finisher Certificate, my Bib, my medal, a plaque with my times and my finisher photo.

Tat is Good!

2009-10-17T11:23:00.005-05:00

Well, the tattoo is holding up and staying on! Been lotion-ing it up frequently, per instructions from Lucky. Doesn't really hurt at all, but a little scabbing is starting on the M-dot. I stopped by spin class on Thursday to do the unveiling to the peeps. Then took off...no spinning for me! So far I'm happy with the location that it was put at. Went to the gym last night to lift weights and it stuck out 'just enough' from my t-shirt to be visible with my hair up. Perfect!

So, now that I got the M-dot...now what? I don't know the answer to that yet. I have been resting this month and trying to take it easy. I may start going back to spin class in November, but not at the frequency and intensity that I did last season.

I have no real plans for races next season, yet. I will debate that this winter and see what I want to do...for sure it will be shorter distances and all for fun. For now, I'm just trying to readjust to my extra time and figure out what (outside of triathlon training) I want to focus on and or take up that I could not do over the past year due to training.

I will keep up the blog, but it may have a little less frequency of postings...due to less intensity and energy focused on training over Fall/Winter months. We'll see! It may transform into something totally different. Who knows?

I Finally Got My M-Dot!!!

2009-10-14T21:20:00.009-05:00

Today was the big day! I headed to see Lucky at noon for my tattoo appointment. I got there and he got me all set up with my tattoo design on my neck and Jake showed up shortly after that to oversee the procedure. The inking didn't hurt that bad... I think that the worst part was the positioning that I had to hold my head/neck in for that extended period of time! So, I was pretty much gagged laying on this bed, trying to keep my neck stretched out for the inking for over 2 hours!

In the end, I think it ended up good! I got my M-dot and I think it turned out awesome! He even put in a little 'pink lightning bolt' in one of the swirls to commemorate my bike! So cool!!!

Noelle showed up to watch the activity and photograph, and then Jen and Val arrived for their appointments after mine! When I got off the table from finishing the tattoo - I was really light headed. Felt like I was totally drunk! I think that the head position that I sat in for that period of time was just enough to make me a bit loopy. It took about an hour or so to feel a bit better.

Jen got her tat done on her calf - looked awesome!!! Then Val bucked up and got hers done too, on her calf. Turned out really nice too! All-in-all, we had some really good ink done today! Afterwards, Jen and Val and I headed out to grab some grub and some drinks at a local establishment. Ironman Heidi joined us, but we couldn't show her our tats because they were all under bandages! Oh well...we'll display them tomorrow at spin class, I guess.

Jen - Pre-tattoo
Outline Complete

Lucky Working on 'Swirls'

Getting Back Into It...

2009-10-11T17:15:00.005-05:00

Today I'm a bit sore, from doing one of my new workouts from Nicole yesterday. Was actually nice to hit the gym again after taking some time off. I ended up doing a brief warm-up on the stair mill with Jake and Carmilla, then about an hour of my total-body weightlifting session - including my rehab stuff.

This week I need to get out all my winter clothes (as we had our first snow yesterday), and go through the painful process of trying things on and tossing things out. Should be an intersting endeavor, as my post-Ironman weight loss is making my clothing options interesting. Not that I'm complaining, mind you - just makes things interesting. Guess I need to go shopping!

Time Off and Trainer Day

2009-10-07T12:44:00.004-05:00

So, for the past few weeks since Ironman, I have been giving myself some much needed rest. The leg/foot numbness has been minimal, but still there - so I've been keeping up with my rehab exercises. Other than that, a few visits to the gym to lift weights, but no swimming, biking or running (for the most part).

Today, I went back to Nicole (trainer) to get some measurements taken and some new workouts to ease myself back into the world of weights. I actually have dropped some weight since Ironman, and I was anticipating seeing that coming from lost muscle (due to not working out). However, my measurements indicated that I had dropped almost NO muscle, all the weight from fat - thus dropping my body fat by 1.75%! Amazingly, this level is the lowest that I have been at (that I know of) since monitoring my body composition over the past 7 years with Nicole. Woo hoo!

So, my plan is (for now) just to do some weight lifting and low to moderate cardio in a non-scheduled manner - since my life has been run by workout calendars for the past 1-2 years and I just need to rest my body with the whole bulging disc thing. But, I want to maintain my current body composition levels (obviously).

Today, I also got my Ironman frameset back today from Michael's, containing my medal, bib number, finisher's certificate, time plaque and finishing picture. I'm not overly excited about how it turned out, as the frame is WAY too big and everything is matted very far apart. So I will be taking it back to get redone. Grr.. Now, all I have to get is that darn M-dot tattoo! Stay tuned...next Wednesday is the big day!!!

Tattoo Consultation

2009-10-01T14:12:00.003-05:00

Today, me, Jen and Val went to see Lucky to get our consutation done for our tattoo! We met at the tattoo shop in Maple Grove and laid out our ideas for Lucky to sketch and mull over. We all are kind of sitting in a similiar design mode - which was funny.

Mine: I will be getting my M-Dot on the back of my neck, so that when I'm working out (or racing), you can see the tat with my hair up in a ponytail. However, put the hair down - and it's 'professional-Jen' with no tattoo showing. Clever, eh? I want the M-Dot with some swirly lines and stars, and maybe a small lighting bolt to give some props to "Pink Lightning". We'll see how the final design turns out.

Jen: Jen is going for a side-of-calf M-Dot, with some swirly-leafy design. Leaving some room for when she completes Ironman Canada next year to put in a maple leaf.

Val: Val is also going for a side-of-calf M-Dot with swirly lines and star-bursts, but integrating that design into the butterfly tattoo that she has at her ankle.

We're set up for our actual tattoo appointments on Oct 14th! Us three are all going in, back-to-back. So we'll have Lucky all day long - poor guy! So stay tuned for the final result!

1o Random Thoughts on Ironman

2009-09-25T15:26:00.004-05:00

1. After completing a new distance (any new distance) in racing, your perception of shorter distance races changes. What used to be "the ultimate", is now not quite so grand (or hard). I experienced this when I did the 200 butterfly race, and my perception of the 100 fly completely changed. I believe that now this has occurred at the Half IM level for me as well. So Wierd!

2. The absolute best part of Ironman has to be the fans and volunteers! If they were not out there yelling your name (complete strangers, mind you), I believe that the purpose of this day would be lost

3. I cannot believe that I kept moving for 13:11:49... only sitting in T2 once (to lace up my shoes). Otherwise, consistently moving forward the entire race. Go! Go! Go!

4. The marathon is almost a blur, it flew by so fast (not technically...as I wasn't running a 3:30 or anything), but before I knew it the miles were done. I've never felt that way in a 'regular' marathon before!

5. I've made some great friends in my training for Ironman. Crazy people tend to stick together, which is what we are good at! (I never said that we were sane)

6. I can't believe we were swimming with a dead body in Lake Menona...glad that he surfaced after the race and not during! But, I doubt that anybody would have known, with all the arms and legs flailing.

7. The "Bitches" (hills) didn't seem as bad as when we were on training rides...attributed to the adrenaline pumping with all the people on those hills cheering and yelling I think. During training rides, not so much. Just you and your legs (and snot).

8. I think that besides swimming, biking, and running...nutrition is almost as important - if not more important during a race of this magnitude. Teaching your body to keep moving for that length of time on certain nutrition is required well in advanced of this race...every training ride and session counts!

9. They need to have a full book written on mental Ironman preparation, not just one sentence or paragraph stating that "you may become emotional during your taper period". They fail to mention that a fly could send you off a cliff with an emotional outburst or breakdown, causing the people around you to wonder if they should call 911 to commit you or not.

10. I cannot believe that I didn't sing to myself all day long on the course. I do this in shorter races and I even made little 'playlists' to pull out in case I couldn't think of other songs to sing to myself during the day. Nope! I think I only sang to myself in two spots - during the swim...which paces my arms (and what else do you do when you swim?) and when I was climbing up some of the "bitches" (hills). I was too entralled in watching people and fans to sing to myself, I think.

Post Race

2009-09-22T08:18:00.009-05:00

Post Race:
After chatting with family and friends for a bit at the finish line, I attempted to eat some food. Didn't really want to, but choked down a piece of pizza and a cookie. (You really DON'T feel like eating after these long races...believe it or not). Then Jake and I had to go get my bags and Pink Lightning and head back to the hotel to pack up our stuff, because he had to leave super early to get to work the next day. Unfortunately, I didn't get to hang at the finish line to see Cindy cross it - which bummed me out.

The crew at the finish line
Jen & Noelle showing off their pipes (a post race tradition)
Cindy & Noelle at Finish (Rockstars!)

"Team" at Finish (Jen M., Jen & Val)
Back at the hotel I did get to run into Cindy and get her 'recap' of the race, which made me happy. Both her and Noelle did so well! At the hotel, the fam met us up for a little recap at the room. I attempted to have a beer...choked down maybe half of it. Food + Drink = Not appealing to Jen at this point.

That night I didn't sleep...I think I was too jacked up on caffeine from the Cokes at the water stops and the Gus that I consumed. That, and just the realization of the whole day just wasn't going to turn my brain off. Which was OK, as I had to get up early and head back to the Terrace again to go get my "Finisher's Gear", which opened up at 7:00 AM. We were in line by 6:00...let me tell you why.

Waiting in line for the Finisher's Gear (Jen M., Pam, Jen & Kim)
By 7:15, the 'normal' sizes for all the decent gear were pretty much picked over and rampaged. It is just like Black Friday with crazy shoppers when they opened up those doors. People rushed in and just grabbed things off the racks. So funny! I ended up putting another small dent in the pocketbook on this little trip to the store too. The Finisher's gear I got: 2 jackets (1 normal, 1 bike), sweatshirt, ribbed 3/4 zip sweatshirt deal, t-shirt, tech-shirt, water bottles.

After that craziness, I sat in the hallway and chatted with Brian, one of the coaches from our training weekend and recapped the race with him. What a super nice guy! Am so glad we met those people in June...was great to familiar faces during the race (except Brian was working in one of the Penalty Tents...so was a good thing we didn't technically 'visit' him during the race - ha ha!).

Then I stood in line to get my pictures with Jen M., Kim & Pam (a.k.a. Mrs. Kona Qualifier!!! or Rockstar!). Picked up my pictures and my plaque - which turned out pretty good - and then headed back to the hotel to meet mom, dad & Stacy. Jake had loaded up the truck and was already half-way home, so I got to ride home with the fam. We stopped at Perkins on the way home, and saw Jonny, Val, Jen, & Mimi - just keep running into people we know!

Surprisingly, I felt really good 1 day post-race. Legs a little sore, but not bad! The marathon this spring was 100x worse - as I was walking like a 100 year old for about 3 days! The only thing that hurt were the blisters on my toes. Still hadn't popped them, so everytime I hit them on something (back of car seat) - they just throbbed! Ouch!

Blister on Toe! (Yes, I know! Pedicure is a MUST!)

Run Video Clips

2009-09-20T17:43:00.004-05:00

Here is some footage of the run on State Street

Jen at the Finish Line!!!

The Run & Finish

2009-09-20T10:28:00.011-05:00

The Run:
After getting out of transition, I had no idea how my legs were gonna feel for the marathon. Over the past week and a half when I was given permission to run again - my leg/foot took about 1/3 mile to 'warm up' and not tingle. I had NONE of that this day! I guess the 112 mile bike was enough of a warm up for those guys.

Miles 1 - 6:
I headed out on the run, planning to galloway (run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute) and just keep it strong and steady. My watch was set to beep at me and tell me when to walk or run...this watch was also borrowed by Val and had just run Louisville Ironman, giving her a stellar performance - so I was using it as my good luck charm at IMWI!

As I headed out, I saw my cheering crews again! Man, I loved them all! Jake asked me if I was doing alright and I smiled and gave the thumbs up and kept running. The surprising thing about the run, was that it went so fast...I tried to take everything in while my legs were doing their thing. Watching all the spectators, all the runners, reading all the signs, EVERYTHING! It was absolutely amazing!

At about mile 3 we run around the football stadium (Camp Randall) on the football field and then head out to the running trail before we hit State Street (where the majority of the crowds are).

At State Street, I saw Mom, dad & Stacy cheering loudly with their signs. The TCMC crew were back there again and Ironman Jim ran beside me and asked how I was feeling...my response was that I surpringly felt better than I had in my Half Ironman races this summer (granted I was injured during those races...). It didn't feel too bad! Then I saw the Team IronJen crew and Jake, yelling and screaming.

Miles 7 - 13:

The run is a 2-loop course, so at mile 13, you get to see the finish line, you turn and do it all again! Everyone said that this is the most discouraging part of the race, to be so close to the finish line and have another 13 miles to go...but it didn't even phase me! After the turn around I stopped at my special needs bag for some Gu, and then got to run past all the cheering crews again a few blocks down!

Miles 14 - 18:

On the far portion of the run route, the running path was lined with the Janus signs that people made for their athletes...it spanned over a mile with back-to-back signs. I really liked this part, seeing all of the great motivational posters people made for their loved ones. I never did see the sign that mom, dad & Stacy made for me (Go IronJen & Pink Lightning) - but I was looking! At the Ford Motivational zone, they had music blaring and I got to see the message that Jake put up on the electronic board for me - which meant a lot to me!

At mile 18, on the last turn around on State Street before heading back to the finish, the cheering crews were going nuts! Jake ran with me here for a little bit, giving me my last pep-talk and the Team IronJen girls were shouting that I could make it back by around 8:00 PM! I gave Jake a kiss and headed out on the final stretch to the finish line.

Miles 19 - 26.2:

I kind of picked up my pace a bit for this final stretch...I tried to keep my water stops minimal and just kept moving forward. It finally got dark with about 3 miles left to go. Athletes were getting thier 'glow' bands, but I never was offered one - which was fine with me! I just kept going. I never had an instance during the marathon that the miles didn't just peel away, or where I was just dying to see the next mile marker. It flew by so fast! Before I knew it...I could hear the music and Mike Reilly announcing finishers names by the capital. I rounded the corner and saw the chute and was almost there!!!

I guess I was pretty 'serious' looking going into the finish line (according to Jake) but then I threw my arms in the air as they said my name..."Jennifer Rehling You Are An IRONMAN!" I was actually pretty surprised that I didn't start bawling...I expected that I would really tear up. But I was too excited and wanted to go see Jake, my family, and friends. Final time: 13:11:49!!!

My Run time: 5:01:41 / 11:30 min/mi pace. I finished before 9:00 PM, which was my goal (after the standard goal of just finishing!)

The volunteers gave me my medal, a shirt and a finishers hat and escorted me to the "Finishers photo" area. They kept asking if I was OK and I kept telling them, they could leave me, as I was fine. I got my photo taken and then got out of the finishers area where I gave Jake the biggest hug & kiss! Then I got to talk to mom, dad, Stacy, Team IronJen and the TCMC crew for a bit. It was the most wonderful day!

Jen's Ironman Finish Photo!
IMWI 2009 Medals

Bike Video Clip

2009-09-19T13:47:00.004-05:00

Jen & Pink Lightning biking through Verona

(Red / White / Blue TCMC uniform)

The Bike & T2

2009-09-18T08:51:00.001-05:00

The Bike:
The bike course in Madison is 112 miles long - consisting of a 16 mile stretch out to a town called Verona, then it is a 2 loop course (roughly 40 miles per loop) and then back from Verona into Madison again for the last 16 miles. For those that are not aware...this course has HILLS! This is considered one of the most technical Ironman bike courses in the U.S., including Kona. You are constantly on rolling hills or turning at 90 degrees, or climbing (what I affectionately call) the "Bitches" - the 4 major hills on the loop that you have to do twice.

Plan for the bike is to go out super easy, take the first loop very conservative and keep it steady for loop 2...then the stick back to Madison, just do it (remembering I had to run a marathon after I got back)! Key goals for the bike was to keep my hydration and nutrition on task. I had my watch set to beep at me every 10 minutes to remind me to drink something. My liquid food was to be taken in every half hour, and my supplement pills, at the top of the hour. It is a science!

Jen & Pink Lightning on the course

I started out on the bike just like Jonny said to - in my low chain ring and spinning it out nice & easy out to Verona. Kim (a girl I train with) passed me on the bike in Madison and was cruising! I felt pretty good going out to Verona, and was holding about 19-20 mph. Leg and foot weren't even numb! Awesome!

I little before Verona, I went into my large chain ring and decided to keep it there...I was feeling great and was trying to keep telling myself to actually slow down. Don't get too excited here...it is a long day out on the bike. I was holding a pretty fast pace, but it felt really easy.

In Mount Horeb (~30 miles in), Noelle passed me on the bike. We chatted briefly and she was off. I half debated to try to keep pace with her, but that lasted 2 seconds when I scolded myself and remembered that this was my own race, and to keep pacing myself nice and easy. It is a long day to go still!

At about mile 45, the "bitches" #2 and #3 came up - as I had attempted standing briefly on a couple of the short 90 degree ascents earlier in the ride, my legs felt super rubbery in that position...so on the big hills I kept in the saddle for the whole ascent (#2 is about a mile long!). With all the people, signs, chalk, etc - the hills didn't seem as bad as when we were there for training. Thank god for adrenaline!

On the last "bitch" (#4), the TCMC crew was a waiting towards the top. Was awesome to see them there cheering and jumping up and down. At this point, I was about 30 minutes faster than my predicted pace. So was feeling pretty good.

Coming up Bitch #4 - Smiling & Waving!
I got back to Verona for the completion of Loop #1 and got to see my awesome cheering crews #2 and #3! Mom, dad, and Stacy were waving and yelling as I flew by, and Team IronJen did the same. Jake did his job and yelled out to me to "Eat!", in case I had forgotten. (Nope! I was on task!)

I stopped at the special needs bags at mile 56, and all I wanted out of that thing was my wet naps. My aero bars were SO sticky with my Carbo-Pro (food), I could barely get my fingers off of it! So I wiped those down, grabbed a swig of Coke, and took off in no time at all. On to loop #2.

On this loop, I was slowing down a bit...I knew I had a ways to go until I might see any more of the people I knew on the course. And those darn "bitches" again....augh! Well, I hit the hills again and made them all without standing. On the last hill, with the TCMC'ers - Ironman Jim ran me up the hill and talked to me until the top. I SO needed that boost! I knew once I made that last hill, that the rest of the course would just fall into place and be fine.

Gotta Make It..Up...The...Last...Hill!

Ironman Jim, Steve G. & Jonny J running Jen & P.L. up the last hill
Heidi, Jonny J & Val on the hill (Go Team!)
Back in Verona, for the last time, I got another glimpse of Mom, dad & Stacy and as I went by the IronJen crew (and Jake), they started singing "Somebody call 911!!!", which made me laugh! Jake had filled them in on this little 'joke' and they wanted to make me laugh as I went by this last time on the bike. It definitely worked! Those cheering crews of mine were the absolute best on the bike course! By far my favorite part of the day out there!!!

On the stick back to Madison, I was slowing down a bit more still...but I didn't care. I only had a little bit left and wasn't gonna kill myself. I was WAY ahead of my expected split and was going to make it back into town soon. My feet were hurting a bit, so was curious how that was gonna feel when I got off the bike. I also think I got stung by a bee somewhere on this stretch... whatever. I didn't care at this point.

Back in Madison, I got back to the helix and rode 'er up to the transition area. The bike takers took Pink Lightning from me and I headed into the Terrace. Bike time was 6:39 - I wanted to get in around 7:00 or under. Was very happy about that...as I knew that since it was 3:00 PM at this point in time...I could walk the whole marathon and make it in by midnight. No problem, this Ironman thing was going to be mine!

T2 Transition:
In transition 2 I grabbed my bag and heard Leann, Erica and Corrine yelling at me and cheering me on (they are friends of mine that were volunteering in there). I was so excited to see those guys! I ran into the changing area and had a lovely volunteer help me get all set. I changed into a running outfit, took my supplements, grabbed my running belt, and then quickly stopped at the restroom before heading out on the run. Only 26.2 miles to go!!!

Leann, Erica & Corrine in T2

Swim Video Clips

2009-09-16T19:56:00.008-05:00

Stacy got some good footage of the swim. What chaos! Check it out.

Here's a clip of me running up the Helix after getting out of the water & going to T1

(blue swimsuit & waving)

The Swim & T1

2009-09-15T21:07:00.013-05:00

The Swim:
Noelle, Cindy and I filtered into the swim chute just around the time the National anthem was being played. I swam out to the 'ski ramp' and was going to start the swim semi-near the front of the crowd (maybe about 20-30 feet from the front line) and just a tad 'wide'. The plan for the swim was just to keep it loose and swim steady. Not going for any speed records here - is just a 'warm up' for the day. We bobbed in the water for about 4 to 5 minutes until the cannon fired. And we were off!

Lining up at the swim start
The first minute required you to swim heads up - to see what the heck was going on. Imagine arms and feet just flailing, causing the water around you to be one big, bubbly mess! The course is a 2-loop rectangle, and the first length was just pandemonium. Who cares about swim technique here...just survival!

The best part of the swim was looking out at the Menona Terrace, that was lined with people from top to bottom! Was so amazing to see all those bodies...which I'm sure they were thinking the exact same thing as they looked at all of us, flailing in the water.

The top of Menona Terrace - Spectators
The absolute worst part of the swim came at the first 90 degree turn. Everyone descending on one small point, attempting to change direction was just like a whirlpool! I made it around the buoy and just kept going. A couple times I literally had to stop, tread water for a bit to allow stupid people to get out of the way, and then I would curse at them (not that they could hear me...but it made me feel better). At the end of the first loop, I checked my Garmin and saw I was at 33 minutes...which was below my expected split.

Loop two, I decided to take it wide and swim out a bit from the crowd. This allowed me to have about 5-10 feet of open water in front of me so that I could actually do a proper swim stroke. What a concept! It was still crazy at the 90-degree turns, but then I got back out to my spot with open water. I came into the final stretch and swam it into the finish chute. A volunteer helped me out of the water as I glanced at my watch. 1:12 was my split - I was very happy, as I had estimated around a 1:15 for my time, based on my Half Ironman swims this year.

Next, I ran over to the wetsuit strippers. Down I went, and off came my wetsuit - the coolest thing! I grabbed my wetsuit and started running up the helix to the T1 area. I got a big yell from my two cheering groups on the helix and then headed into the Terrace.

T1 Transition:
In transition, I grabbed my bag in the convention room and went into the changing room. I decided to change every 'sport', so had to get out of my wet swimsuit and into my bike uniform. I for some reason didn't have any 'helpers', so it was a bit tricky to put on the sports bra and uniform top by myself, slightly wet. I got it done, put on my bike shoes, belt with my bib number, and helmet and headed out the door.

Collin was my 'sunscreen' guy - who wiped me down on my arms and legs and then I was off to grab Pink Lightning for the 112 mile bike ride. I saw Jake and Team IronJen as I was heading to the helix to ride my bike down out to the course. They were cheering loudly and pumped me up! And then the bike leg began...here is where the endurance of this race actually starts!

Jen and Pink Lightning on Bike Out
Team IronJen & Jake Waiting for Jen & P.L. at T1

Pre-Race

2009-09-15T10:39:00.016-05:00

Saturday:
I got up and went out to the Terrace to run for 15-20 minutes. I ran into some of the girls who were at the Gatorade swim and/or spectating - including Kat, who we met in August on our training ride (she is from Chicago), Val & Jen (a.k.a. "Team").

Me, Kat, Val & Jen at Lake Menona
After the run, I took Pink Lightning out for a spin to get her gears all checked out. I was still fretting about the valve extender and thought I'd just replace the tube/extender when I got back to the hotel. Well, I couldn't get the air out of the tube (no tool) and decided I'd need to call my personal mechanic (Jonny) to assist or I'd go insane thinking about this issue all night before the race.

I got all my bags packed up for transition and special needs and Jake and I headed to the Terrace to drop off Pink Lightning (& get 'er fixed up) and the bags. Jonny met us and looked at the situation - said it looked like it would be fine to race on...then looked at my worried face and said "OR...we can just change it". That's what we did, and got P.L. all checked in and bags dropped off.

My bike rack spot
Bikes set up in transition
Mom, dad & Stacy got into town and so had "the girls" (Heidi, Maggie & Andrea). The girls were the sweetest things - they had delivered a huge pink bouquet of flowers to the hotel and a good luck note. Of course I started crying...they are the absolute best!

I took my sleeping pill that night and tried to sleep - I got about 4-5 hours of sleep (I think) and then Cindy and I headed to the race site Sunday morning at 5:00 AM.

Sunday:
At the Terrace, we met up with Noelle at the bikes and got them all checked over. I put in air to P.L.'s back tire again and I SWEAR air was leaking out a bit still. Slight Panic!!! Called Jonny quick (as he was there) and then just decided - screw it! The air wasn't leaking out now and seemed to be holding fine. It will be just fine for the race.

I got body marked (I told them to mark over my bruise on my arm from Jake's tailgate incident - so I didn't look like a battered woman) and went into the Terrace to do a quick bag check and chill out in the hallway until we got shuffled down to the swim start.

My Cheering Crew:
The girls and Jake showed up and met me in the hallway - again, the girls teared me up with their display of support via their 'custom' Team IronJen t-shirts they had made up the day before and their IronJen visors! And Jake sported his custom shirt we had made stating: "I don't do triathlons, I do a triathlete" (with "Go IronJen!" on the back). They are the best!

Noelle, Maggie, Andrea, me, Heidi, & Cindy
Jake and me
We went down to the start via the helix (parking ramp spiral) and I ran into Mom, Dad & Stacy in their "Team Pink Lightning" apparel and signs - which teared me up AGAIN! Man, you'd think I was PMS-ing or something!

Mom, me & Stacy (Dad taking pic)
And last but not least, I ran into the TCMC crew on the way down...Ironman Jim gave me a great big hug and told me to have fun. Of which, I again started to lose it. So I had to keep moving towards the swim start before I totally was a puddle. I then dropped my clothes bag off and stood in line with Cindy and Noelle to enter the water. Cindy seemed calm and happy, I started to calm down and threw a smile on my face, and Noelle seemed a bit tense but strong. Man...we were ready to get this thing done with! The swim was about to start!

Cindy, Noelle & Jen

I AM AN IRONMAN!!!

2009-09-14T17:30:00.003-05:00

Oh man, have I wanted to hear those words over the past year of training!!! (Or somehow fast-forward my blog to this day and see how everything turned out) The race yesterday was an absolute dream and I am so glad that I did it!

I am planning on posting up some race reports (probably by sport) over the next few days - in order to avoid a blog novel (as I could go on, and on, and on...as Jake and my parent's got to hear last night and on the ride home today from Madison).

High level Cliff's notes version to get the ball rolling for my lengthy race report:

(click on the image above for a larger image of my splits)

Final Time: 13:11:49
1074th place (of 2176 that finished)
41st place in my age group (of 132)

Athlete Tracking

2009-09-12T11:54:00.004-05:00

Just a quick post for anyone who may want to track the race tomorrow online. You can go to http://www.ironman.com/ and there should be links to the Wisconsin Ironman athlete tracking / race coverage.

My bib number is #2258, or you can search via my last name. Race start is at 7:00 AM...goes to midnight! I'm anticipating/expecting to finish somewhere around 9:00 PM (give or take). Pending things go smoothly. Cross your fingers!

There will be live video streaming footage of the finish line too from that website - so you can watch for me at the finish! Almost there!!!

All Checked In!

2009-09-11T16:20:00.006-05:00

This morning, Cindy and I drove over to Lake Menona to do the Gatorade swim. I guess on Wednesday, some guy drown out there and they hadn't recovered the body yet...so we were hoping that we didn't happen upon him out there. I swam one loop of the course (1.2 miles) to get my siting down and see how it went. Swam comfortably and loose - and ended up doing a 35 minute swim, which is consistent with my 1/2 Ironman swim times. So I was happy.

After the swim, I ran into Pam, Kim, Jen, Val, Mimi, and Jeremy...which was good to see them out here. Then I ran back to the hotel to shower up and Jake dropped me back off at the Terrace to check in and get a look around at the merchandise shop & expo.

I got all checked in at the expo (after standing in a few lines), where you sign waivers, get weighed, get all your stickers and bags, get picture packages, etc. At the store, I ended up getting quite a bit of stuff...IMWI bike jersey, tri outfit, a couple t-shirts, visors, and a hoodie/pants that were really cute. That plus the picture package put a small dent in the pocketbook. But I knew that was coming.

After all that, met back up with Jake and had lunch with Noelle & Cindy. Then headed back to the hotel for a nap. Tonight is a banquet at the Terrace and athlete meeting. Then I will probably go back to the hotel and start putting all my transition and special needs bags together before hitting the hay.

Heading Out to Madison!!!

2009-09-10T12:08:00.004-05:00

Well, yesterday had a few minor melt downs while sitting at the house - packing, thinking, stewing, etc. I made a physical checklist for my bike and for on the run (printed out and taped up with packing tape for water-proofing), so when my mental capacity starts to falter out there - I can pull these cards out and have a contingency plan to feed my mind with the key rules that I'm following for the day (e.g. If you get weepy or sad - EAT!!! Your body is telling you it needs fuel!) and all of the positive thoughts that I am sure that I will be faltering to remember in the midst of this long day.

In addition I made on the back a little 'playlist' of all my favorite training songs that I can sing to myself...otherwise I will be singing the same Lady Gaga song to myself for double-digit hours. I wish that iPods were legal!!! But...that would make me break one of my rules: Enjoy this day and take it all in - every second. This day is technically my "Super Bowl" (to put in a football reference since that season starts on Sunday too)...capping off the season that I've been working very hard for. I want to be able to take in all of the volunteers and fans that are going to be out there, the scenery, the athletes, and all of the excitement that this event brings. It is totally indescribable unless you've been out there to experience it. There will be 2500 others out on the course with me on Sunday, going through the same thing that I will be - and I want to take that all in.

So, after lunch here - I will be packing up the truck so Jake and I will be heading out of town when he gets off from work. Man there is a lot of stuff that needs to go with us! We should be getting into Madison tonight - just to unpack at the hotel room and probably crash. Tomorrow morning I plan to swim (on the course) and get a little warm up out there, then I do the athlete check-in process and may then have to check out the Ironman merchandise shop (retail therapy has been prevalent this past month for Jen).

I'll post an update tomorrow on the day's activities out there. Goal is to leave Andover with a strong and positive attitude and enter Madison ready to enjoy the weekend (no stressing!!!). Yeah right!

Thank Yous...

2009-09-09T07:03:00.004-05:00

So, before heading out tomorrow to Madison and getting caught up in the whirlwind of Ironman events out there...I wanted to express my thanks to everyone that has made this journey of mine over this past year possible. Without the love and support from my family and friends, I'd definitely not be where I'm at today...less than 4 days away from this crazy event!

I won't go into major detail, as I hopefully will have expressed these thank yous to everyone in person - but wanted everyone who is following this blog to know that there are MANY people that have made this possible for me to get even this far...

Jake:
My wonderful husband has been so greatly supportive throughout this season, putting up with my crazy training schedule, my lousy moods, aches and pains, and lately my stress & emotional outbursts as I get closer to the race. It will be his lovely face that I'll be thinking of throughout the race and searching for the second I cross the finish line! Thank you honey for putting up with me and I love you so much!

Mom & Dad:
You guys have been my biggest cheerleaders since I started sports in 7th grade...So, even when I'm 30-something, it means the world to me to see you guys at every race cheering and smiling! Thank you for all your love and support (and worries)...I promise I'll tame things down after this event and make sure I'm healed up. I Promise!

Family / Friends, Cheering Crew & Followers:
To all my friends and family (you know who you are) that have showed up at my races this season to cheer me on and/or have been following me on this blog...I really appreciate your enthusiasm, support and encouragement. I also appreciate the consideration to all of those that have had to put up with my hectic schedule, for when I couldn't meet up for events or functions, due to early morning training rides or races. (I swear! I will re-emerge again! Soon... I promise!)

Ironman Jim / Ironman Heidi:
Thanks you two for getting me into this crazy mindset/mentality to attempt this Ironman event. Instilling that seed that I could actually do this event was the first step, but helping me through every day over the past 9-10 months with pep-talks, strategies, mindsets, and pushing me beyond what I thought possible (4 hr marathon? You are still crazy!!!) has been instrumental in getting me here today. Don't worry, I'll still be cursing you on the race course on those hills - but only because I've been threatening that all year!

Jonny J:
Without the hours and hours of workouts that you've put this body through, I'd definitely not be ready for this race like I feel that I am. Your instruction, technique, and experience has been key in getting me ready for the big day! Thanks a million! Pink Lightning thanks you too...

Nicole:
A huge thanks to Nicole for the strength training and nutrition plans that she's kept me on over the past year. Her help has helped in getting my body to the optimal shape to endure this race and I'm very thankful for her help and support during this process.

Mr. Sholund:
Not visible during this season, but a special thanks to my high school swim coach - for the skills and training he put me through WAY back then, making this part of my race (the swim) one of my strengths and the least of my worries (besides getting punched or kicked in the head by 1000's of flailing arms and legs...details)!

Dr. Dave:
Thanks so much for all your help in getting my body back into whack throughout this summer and all my little injuries. I curse your deep tissue work, but it all seems to have worked out in getting me set for the big day!

Noelle / Cindy:
To the girls that roped me into this....thank you for all the fun, training days, and support that you've given me. Racing this year with you two has been great and I cannot wait to see you two out on the IMWI race course with me. You guys have worked so hard and deserve everything that Sept 13th has to give us that day!

Jen / Val:
To "the team", you guys have been so great to train and race with this year. I am so glad that I got roped into this race and spin class to get to know you guys better. I hope to have the positive attitude of Val come race day and enjoy the whole day that I've worked so hard for (as much as my body will let me), and I will be looking for the other IronJen "burning up the race course" out in Madison! Go Team! Mazel Tov!

Run Club / Spin Class Peeps:
All you guys in both these groups have been motivational and inspirational in all your training, events and all of the sweat and pain that we've gone through together! Thanks to everyone!

Update: MN Tri Series 2009

2009-09-08T20:29:00.006-05:00

Today was pretty uneventful, with no major panic attacks or revelations. Just a day. Hopefully the next few days will be similiar and low-key. I had my last appointment with Dr. Dave this morning and things are looking good...for the race. Still have some reflex issues - but, we'll deal with that after the race. Overall, progress has been made. Yeah!

After work I dropped by spin class to send my well wishes to the crew heading out to Madison. Was good to see some of them prior to getting out there. Erin got me a card and some "Lifesavers" for a minty kick on the run when we're out there. So thoughtful!

Lastly, thought I'd mention my final standings for this season in the MN Tri Series. As you may, or may not recall, last season in this same series I finished in my favorite placement - 4th! And this year? Drum roll please..... 4th place again (click image above for details)! So, funny! I'll take it...based on the whole 3 races that I did. Ha ha!

Packing and Getting Ready...

2009-09-07T18:24:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Jake and I went down to have dinner with Matt & Beth - all you can eat sushi & hibachi. Was really good! Got my carbs in! Yum! Then we went and met the newest edition to their household - Josie (pitbull). She is a handful!

All day long I was thinking to myself thoughts like: one week from now, you should be on your bike...one week from now, you should be on the run....one week from now, you will be DONE! Can't believe it is almost here...Augh!

This morning Jake and I went to the gym. He lifted and I went and ran outside for about 5 miles. Leg/foot/back felt good after the warm-up. Is still a bit "ghost-like" and tingly when I start running. But I'm guessing next week I'll have lots of fun feelings when I actually start to run off the bike.

Forecast still looks like we're gonna get wet. Now all the days surrounding race day are peppered with rain, so I'm guessing we won't catch a break. We'll see.

So this afternoon, I went and picked up my "special needs" and "transition" bag snacks and treats. Between events and then half-way through the bike & the run - you will have bags that you can put stuff in - if you need them (extra clothes, food, drink, etc). Because I don't know what I'll be feeling like having at these times, I picked up a wide variety of things to consume, including:

Nutter Butters (required, as these were my staple for century rides this summer)
Pringles & Cheeze-Its (something salty - am told that all the sweet stuff you inhale gets pretty bad during the day)
Jolly Ranchers & Gummy Bears - some sweet/sour things to suck on.
Small Gatorades (blue kind, my favorite) - as I'm sure I'll be about ready to hurl with all the other flavors of Gatorade they will have on the course.
Small Cokes - Note: Cokes on race day are permissable - and they are not "diet" coke, so I'm not breaking my anti-diet Coke rule (I've been clean since December!!!)

Now, I'll probably only grab one thing and stick with it...but better to have options, than none at all. Right? I also started going through my packing check-list and putting things together. I cannot believe all the crap you need to haul over there..."just in case"! You'd think I was racing for a week, not less than 17 hours!

Tonight, Jake and I plan to put together our 'bike rack' for the back of his truck and get that all situated and set up. Hopefully that will work out good. We shall see!

Spa Day For Pink Lightning

2009-09-05T20:30:00.008-05:00

Today was a big day for Pink Lightning...in preparation for race day (1 week away!!!). I slept in this morning, as I am attempting to get 10-12 hrs of sleep on days that I can here, prior to IM. Rest and sleep are high on my list of priorities this week & next.

After getting up and having my coffee and breakfast, Pink Lightning and I went out for a ride. As I have been pretty 'light' in my rides over the past few weeks with my back and leg/foot deal, I decided to bump it up a notch today and see how things felt.

We went out for about a 25 mile ride, and the plan was to keep aero for the ride and spin at a nice high cadence, keeping the legs moving fast - but not grinding. The first 10 miles I took out in my small chain ring (warm up) and I was just cruising! I was holding 19-21 mph in the small ring. Then I kicked her up into the large chain ring for the remainder of the ride and kept my high cadence rolling. Still holding 19-21 mph, even into the wind. This ride gave me a bit of a confidence booster going into next week that the back/leg/foot is holding up and my fitness level has not seemed to drop during this disc injury & extended taper. Whew!

After the ride, it was time to pamper Ms. Pink Lightning. We went out on the patio and had a little 'spa day'. Time for a bath! P.L. got washed up good, degreased, and given a little TLC. She's gotta get me through 112 miles of hilly terrain in a week - so she better be lookin good and well rested too!

Then after the bath, we drove down to see Jonny. He was nice enough to do a little "pre-race tune up" for us. Jonny proceeded to tighten things up on Pink Lightning, get her gears shifting smoothly, tweaked her brakes, rotated her race wheel tires (yes...we rotated her tires), put on new handlebar tape, lubed up her chain, and topped 'er off with a teflon polish finish! I think that she should be set! We'll go out for a spin on Monday or Tuesday and ensure that all her adjustments are kosher and that we don't need any last minute tweaks before we head out to Madison.

Tomorrow, Jen gets pampered...as Suzie is coming over for a little 'fluff & buff' massage to limber things up before IMWI. No deep tissue stuff, so should be semi-relaxing...unlike most of her massages. Can't wait...but need to go to bed soon to get my exorbitant amount of sleep.

Go Team Go!

2009-09-04T19:23:00.003-05:00

Last night Jonny took 'the girls' (me, Jen, Erin, and Val) out for dinner to regale Ironman stories from Val (just did Louisville) and himself (Canada) - and to instill the "ins" and "outs" of the things that us "first-time IMWI'ers" need to remember come race day. This was really great to hear, since tension and stress has mounted amongst the group heading out there. Plus his little pep-talks to us all, instilling confidence that we all can finish the race based on the training that he has seen us do this year, (let me re-phrase...that he's made us do this year - usually whining and griping) really was calming and much needed by the crew.

Was a fun evening hearing all about the races (Val's was stellar in almost every way (great weather, feeling good, great splits, etc.) vs. Jonny's was really tough (95 degrees, 40 mph wind, smoke from forest fires making it hard to breath, upset stomach, ending up in the med tent). Which just goes to show you that each and every race day brings a new set of possibilities and/or obstacles to overcome. Most of which, we cannot control. I wonder what I am in for?

Oh don't worry, I've already started scoping the 10-day Madison forecasts. Currently, some sites claim 30% chance of showers and some don't (just mostly cloudy). Most are consistently putting the day at temps from a low of 50 degrees, to high of mid-60's. So, I think we're in for a cool day. I can handle that - regardless, I don't think we'll have the horrible conditions that we went through when we rode the course out there at the beginning of August (pelting rain then hot and windy)...so we should be good.

Tonight I met Lindsay for a swim at Lake Ann after work. We swam about 2 miles and called it good. I feel bad that her IMWI'ers are soon to be dropping off and she's gotta train for another 2.5 months for IM Arizona without the crew. That would suck! I told her that she may be able to talk us into some sympathy swims until it gets cold out. We'll see.

Fair Day & Race Number

2009-09-03T08:53:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning I met up with Nicole to do my monthly measurements and to see where I 'landed' as I go into Ironman. Since I had not been doing any 'core' and no running for the past 1.5-2 weeks, wasn't sure where I was going to end up. However, my weight had dropped a smidge, due to nerves and appetite starting to decline.

Interestingly enough, I dropped 2% body fat this month! Largest drop in the past year. Yeah!!! I dipped under the mark I wanted to race at and really haven't been this lean since 'bridal bootcamp' prior to our wedding 4 years ago. So, that was great news. We chatted and planned out taper nutrition and the days leading up to the race.

Then, I went home and decided to try out this whole 'running' thing I was allowed to do again. I did a loop by my house for 5K. Leg/foot felt good after it got warmed up and my pace was really good. Ran sub-8:00 for the first mile. Then threw in some 'walks' for good measure for the last 2 miles and averaged 8:27 min/mile for the entire run.

Jake and I then hit the fair for the day...so that I could consume more calories and 'bad food' after my great news from Nicole. ha ha! I ate (shared) the following: scotch egg, pickle-on-a-stick. pork chop, nitro ice cream, cheese curds, some sort of sausage wrapped in a bisquet deal w/ asian sauce, Sweet Martha's cookies and a chocolate dipped banana. Was fun to just walk around and people-watch, not be at work, and not be stressing about Ironman. Was a fun day.

Today, I got the message that Ironman race numbers have been posted. Jen's number for the day is.... 2258! I'll post this next week with a link to the athlete tracker for people to be able to follow me on race day via their computers.

No Needles For Jen Till October!

2009-09-01T21:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I had my appointment with Dr. Dave, and my foot/leg numbness had been getting better all weekend (pretty much has gone away for the past 1.5-2 days, with minor twinges). So, with that good news - we decided to fore go the cortisone injection we had tentatively planned to do had things not progressed. Yeah!

Additionally, I was told I could start running again - just a little. Pending that it doesn't aggravate anything. So, that was some good news. I got some more exercises and a burrito (I mentioned to Dr. Dave that my appetite was starting to wane, so he sent me home with one of the surplussed Chipotle burritos that the office had acquired that day. They had 6 extras he was trying to pawn off. ha ha).

Today, I think I got slammed with my first major panic attack(s). Just sitting at my desk, minding my own business I all of a sudden felt like I was punched in the stomach, couldn't catch my breath, and started welling up with tears. FOR NO REASON! I've read and been told that once into taper and with the race drawing near, that high emotions and attacks of this nature will sneak up on you out of nowhere and for no reason. Isn't that just grand? Anyways, Jake talked me down from my hysterics and I think that really helped. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that he's going to have to do that a lot in the next 12 days.

Tonight at spin, Val stopped by to tell us about her awesome race in Louisville. She looked SO happy and I am very proud of her! She had such a strong race and dropped 2.5 hrs from her IMWI time last year (granted...it was different courses and conditions). But she did great (13:31:33)! I can only HOPE to finish near that time and be that happy after all of this is said and done.

Lastly, I made my appointment today with Lucky, the tattoo artist, that I will be getting my M-dot tat from when I finish this race (Note: I used "when" in that sentence, not "if"). I couldn't get a consultation for working on the design until October 1st! So, I guess I'll have to wait a few weeks to get the actual ink...but I guess that is OK. I have a pretty good idea of what I want and where. So I guess I will have some needles in me, technically. But not until October!

Tomorrow, after getting measurements and a nutrition session with Nicole, Jake and I are headed to the fair! Yeah! Glad my measurements are first before I get to all that food! Hopefully my appetite will show up for the fun.

Weekend Update

2009-08-30T19:34:00.004-05:00

Friday, I met up with Jen and Lindsay for another open water swim after work out at Lake Ann. We just did about a mile and called it good, since I had to get home to shower up and spend an evening with Jake and some friends that live just a few blocks away. Was nice to just hang out for a night...maybe this is what life will be like in about 2 weeks?

Saturday morning I got up early and went to a swim clinic out at the Gunther's. I wanted to go and get some last minute 'tips' for Madison. Was a good clinic, as we talked a lot about agressive swimming techniques, where you can avoid agressors by how you stroke and position your body. Also, how to handle "grabbers" and strategies for the entire swim.

Saturday evening, I met up with the girls at the Twins game (Heidi, Angie, Emily & Andrea) and watched a pretty uneventful game. Was OK, as I think we were gabbing the entire time, and maybe saw a few plays. We had our IronJen rally hats on, trying to get the Twins going - didn't work. They lost 2-0.

Sunday I got up early to go cheer on Stacy at the Minneapolis Duathlon (and Jim/Heidi, Leann, and a few more). Met mom, Jon & Laike, too. Stacy rocked out the course! Holy crap! The first 5K, she rocked out with a 8:30 min/mi average! She so would have smoked me! She had a strong bike (we didn't get to see her bike, as we were playing on the playground with Laike) and she looked great in her last 5K as well! She definitely had a great race and I'm so proud of her!

This afternoon I spent some time on the trainer in the basement and I interjected some 'runs' around the block every 30-45 min of spinning to see what the leg felt like. (Don't worry....just some easy comfy runs - once around the block and back on the trainer again) Good news is that the leg (and back) seemed fine. No pain, a little bit of 'ghost leg' going on, but not bad. I just had to check it out and see how things felt, as I haven't ran for over 1.5 weeks here.

The other good news is that my foot numbness has been (knock on wood) pretty much gone for about 1.5 days now. I minorly can feel a little tingle, but only if I am consciously thinking about it. I think tomorrow's appt with Dr. Dave we may get away with no cortisone injections...we'll see what he says. I really don't want a big needle in my back...not fun.

My other activity today was monitoring Val and Jonny in their respective Ironmans today. Val is kicking some BUTT in Louisville and I'm so proud of her! She's about 6 miles from the finish and her splits for EVERYTHING have been so strong! I'm projecting her to finish at 13:30-14:00 if she holds strong. I am so very jealous of her right now...

Jonny hasn't posted any run splits yet - swim was strong and first half of the bike looked good too, seemed to have slowed on the second half of the bike, so will have to get the scoop on that (weather? course? mechanical? bonk?). Hopefully the run goes well (Canada only posts 2 run splits, so it takes a while).

Taper officially starts tomorrow, however, with my modified workout regime this past week, I'm really looking at that I'm going to have a slightly extended taper. Which is fine. The countdown begins!

Positive Attitude...Check!

2009-08-27T07:55:00.005-05:00

Tuesday was kind of a 'blah' day for Jen...after getting the disc news the day before, my mind started racing around what this means for me post-Ironman. I was just mentioning to Noelle a few weeks ago how excited I was to get through tri-season and get into the Fall so I could meet up with run club 1-2 nights a week again and reconnect with those friends. That just hasn't fit into my workout schedules this season, and I miss them! I'm just hoping that running is still going to be in the equation for me, as that would knock out run club...and potentially future triathlon seasons. (Now you see why Tuesday was 'blah'? These thoughts were not very fun for the day running through my head)

But...attitude has bounced back from that minor derailment. Pep talks at spin Tuesday night helped and sending Val & Jonny off to their respective Ironmans this weekend (Louisville & Canada) was good too. I am trying to emulate Val's attitude (she's been struggling with a bum knee all season - doing her fair share of pool running) and only hope that I can approach IMWI in the positive / happy manner that Val sees things going into the big race. She is the most amazing person and I am so glad we're on the same 'team'! (Go Team!) She's gonna rock this weekend, I just know it!

I go to see Dr. Dave again this afternoon...the leg numbness has been going down (I think?) and so we'll have to chat about if we want to schedule up a cortisone injection next week or not. Right now, tingling is super-minimal in the toes & shin and I can feel it when I am thinking about it (to validate if it is there or not). So, I think that the icing and exercises are doing their job (I hope)! I'm icing my back as I type - super religious about that. I even travel with my ice (ice in the car driving to work, ice at work, ice on the way home from work...you get the picture).

I picked up my "IronJen" visors last night. They turned out super cute and I can't wait to see them on all of Jen M. & my friends and family out in Madison! I additionally picked up an Under Armor white compression shirt at the sport shop to go under my TCMC tri top, in the event that race day is 'chilly' - in lieu of using my arm warmer sleeves (that don't match my uniform) or throwing on my Flying Pig jacket (although it is pink...). Gotta look good on Pink Lightning!

Battle of the Bulge(s) & Pool Running

2009-08-24T20:17:00.008-05:00

Today was the official 'reading' of the MRI from Friday...got some good news and some bad news. Bad news is that L4 and L5 discs are both bulging. That's right, two of 'em. Good news...they are not herniated. The goal is to keep them that way!

So, what does that mean? It means Jenny needs to get the current swelling down (that is pinching that sciatic nerve, causing my numbness) and keep it down. That involves icing, exercises I have to do 10 times a day, making sure my workouts don't irritate it (anymore than it is), and Dr. Dave's ART treatments (Active Release Technique).

Still ix-nay on the unning-ray (no running). If things don't progress in the next week here...potentially there could be some steroid/cortisone injections that we may try. But...that is not for sure yet.

So, in that tone, I spent an hour and a half in the pool today (I think that's the longest I've been in that pool for a LONG time...just HATE the pool). I ended up swimming a half mile, then running in the pool for 15 min. Repeat this 3 times. Next 'running' session I have in the pool I need to remember my iPod. Boring! On a good note, my half mile splits were sitting pretty stellar...and consistent. Got that going for me, I guess. Lake Menona better watch out!!!

I found some really good Les Brown quotes today, to put things in perspective for the coming weeks here:

"If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness."

"Just because Fate doesn't deal you the right cards, it doesn't mean you should give up. It just means you have to play the cards you get to their maximum potential."

"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way. Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead."

"I advise you to say your dream is possible and then overcome all inconveniences, ignore all the hassles and take a running leap through the hoop, even if it is in flames."

"Safe & Easy" Weekend & Heidi Rocked!

2009-08-23T18:56:00.005-05:00

Saturday I got out for a nice & easy ride to see how things were a' moving in my lower appendages. I ended riding about 40 miles out to Elm Creek from my house and back. Leg felt pretty decent, numbness was minimal (still present, but not too bad).

I then went to Pam's for Sarah's going away party with the other TCMC'ers. Is gonna be sad for when she leaves...was fun to train with her this year. Many of the party goers headed out early, as they were either racing at St. Paul or going to go cheer in the morning.

I got up early with my "Go Heidi" sign and headed over to St. Paul. I was going to go swimming during 'warm-up' to get some open water time in...but it was a bit chilly this AM and I parked a long ways away. So, opted to be solely a spectator.

Heidi was all revved up, she was in stellar form. Mags, Andrea, and Emily showed up too, to round out the cheering section. Heidi ended up smashing her expected finish time by almost 10 minutes! She rocked out on the swim, had a strong bike (2nd in age group) and went sub-30 on the run! Way to go Heidi!!! Next year, we will be working on transition techniques...(wink, wink). Easy time to shave off, girl!

During the race, I started to feel a few 'nervous' twinges....I think it was being in the 'race atmosphere' and knowing that in 3 weeks - that atmosphere (times 100) will be in Madison. It is coming up so very fast! Not officially a 'panic attack' for the counter, but I feel a few coming on. After the race, I went home and did another medium bike ride for the day - went about 30 miles this time. Again, leg felt pretty good (slightly numb, but not bad). Let's hope for a good week of biking & swimming...

MRI Time

2009-08-22T09:39:00.004-05:00

Well, didn't quite anticipate that I'd be sitting in a MRI tube yesterday afternoon...but that is where I ended up. After hearing of my lovely condition (specifically it is either a bulging disc or herniated disc putting pressure on my sciatic nerve), I called around to a bunch of orthapedic doctors to see about getting a definitive diagnosis (MRI) to know what exactly I'm dealing with - with 3 weeks out of Ironman. Additionally, mom and dad are a bit concerned (as parents are), especially with dad having disc problems in his back ever since I can remember.

So, the earliest I could get in to see someone was Aug 31st...most of them were booked into late Sept! So, at my appt with Dr. Dave, I pretty much asked for the MRI referral "now", versus waiting for a week or so to see how therapy worked out. In a nutshell, if there is to be any treatment beyond Dr. Dave trying to get the inflamation down...I'd need an MRI first. So, to speed that process (IF it comes to that), I wanted that MRI in my back pocket. Time is a ticking!!!

So, ended up I got in yesterday late-afternoon and sat in that tube for about a half hour. Man is that thing noisy! At least I got headphones and could listen to some tunes. I even got a CD with all my images on to take home (see img above). Kinda cool huh? Well, I am NOT medically diagnosing myself, but there does seem to be a few little 'bulges' that could be the culprit of this sciatic numbness...but what do I know? We'll see on Monday, when I have my appt to see what the actual deal is with this stuff.

In honor of this fun injury, I ended up not going on the last 'century' ride with Noelle and Cindy (today) up to Noelle's cabin and staying home. I didn't want to push anything and risk further injury, this close to the race. In addition, I didn't want to be in the middle of nowhere (a.k.a Rush City) and have to call mom and dad to come pick me and Pink Lightning up.

Instead, I am going to go out for a ride this afternoon around here...maybe 30 miles or so - and am contemplating trying to get an open water swim in this weekend too (I just hate that pool!). We'll see. Tonight there is a TCMC party that I will probably swing by for a member that is moving away. And tomorrow I plan to go out and cheer on Heidi (and Suzie) at the St. Paul triathlon!!! Heidi's gonna rock!

Interject More Drama...Seriously?!?!

2009-08-19T16:41:00.005-05:00

"Thou cold sciatica, cripple our senators, that their limbs may halt as lamely as their manners.”
– William Shakespeare 1564.

So, to keep viewers interested up until the very end of TV shows and movies, writers interject late breaking drama to their story lines. Will the hero/heroine actually overcome, said, interjected drama? Oh... you must stay tuned to find out! Whatever!

Well, why would this journey of mine be any different, right? 3 1/2 weeks from IMWI, why wouldn't we want to put on a little test for our future 'IronJen'? Let's just see how tough she really is.... right?

OK, let me fill you in. For the past week (or so) I've had some numbness (twinges) in my left leg when working out. Thought it was probably just some sort of pinched nerve or something or other. Had my massage this weekend, hoping to work it out. It doesn't 'hurt'...is just like your leg is about to fall asleep. (Not very conducive to physical activities prevalent in Ironman training, needless to say).

So last night at spin, I was just not doing well. Our set just sucked for me...my leg was numb and hence I could not 'spin' very well and was just muscling through the sets with my other leg (basically). To make a long story short, I ended up in some back siezing pain by the end of the night - pointing fingers to the fact that Jen has some disc issues going on in her back.

So, back in to see Dr. Dave today - just got home from said appointment. Confirming I have a disc injury causing the numbness I've been seeing and some of the lack of strength in that leg.

Lovely! So...what does that mean? I'm not supposed to run (for now) and only swim and bike (non-aero) as my leg numbness permits. Plus back exercises and therapy to get that disc back into whack. If in the next few weeks things don't improve (or if they get worse), I have to go in for an MRI and see what the deal-e-o is. So...I guess my last few weeks of training here are going to be interesting.

Don't get me wrong, I WILL be doing Madison...I guess I just have to leap over a few more hurdles before I get there. Gotta.Make.It! Al...most....there...

Coming Into Final Stretch

2009-08-17T09:31:00.006-05:00

So, recovery week is over (boo hoo!) and the final stretch is drawing near. In the next 2 weeks I will be putting in my final deposits into my fitness bank for withdrawl on Sept. 13th. It can be said that there's very little - if any at all - fitness to be gained or developed after the next 2 weeks of workouts that I have before taper. I think that's almost true right now - but I will attempt to squeeze a bit more out of this lemon, I think.

Since my fitness peak is here, I decided this weekend to work a bit on my mental fitness, as well. Besides a day full of homework yesterday (yuck!) I added a little 'light reading' to my list after seeing the girls out at the beach on Friday. I showed up for our swim and all lined up on towels were the girls with the following books "Becoming an Ironman" and "Born to Run". Prepping themselves for Madison and Louisville.

So, I went over to Borders on Saturday and picked up "Becoming an Ironman" too, to read some stories of Ironman finishers and their thoughts going into the race. (Again, at this point...I don't need any training books telling me how to train or eat, etc...) I just thought it would be a nice little 'pump you up' book and maybe I'd glean some real-world advice from these racers for how they approached and handled race day.

It's funny too, to think about being at one's 'peak' in a cycle like this...I flash back to when I swam in High School and my coach (Mr. Sholund) told us during one of our taper periods before Sections that this will be the fittest that we will probably ever become. Now I don't know if he meant for that build/taper cycle or not...but I have to disagree after this past year of training. I think I'm a bit 'fitter' than I was when I was 17 years old at the CHS pool. It's silly the things that stick in your head from almost 15 year ago! Yikes!

Open Water Swim, Massage Day & Party

2009-08-15T09:52:00.010-05:00

Friday, I met up with Val, Jen, Jonny, and Erin at Lake Ann to do an open water swim in the lovely heat (whew! it was warm out - especially in the wetsuits!). I must say...these swims are SO much better than pool swimming. Pool swimming just gets so boring! Back, forth, back, forth. At least in swimming in the lake, you get to practice sighting and trying not to inhale nasty, dirty water.

We had a pretty good swim...swam across the lake beach-to-beach twice, which I'd estimate at a little under 2 miles. See my Garmin output of the swim...cool huh? The only thing that sucks is that the Garmin doesn't track distances correctly in the water for some reason. I think the output here for this swim said we swam almost 4 miles. Yeah, right!

Then I went home, watched a movie and hit the hay. Jake called and said that he was almost set to fly out on the charter to thier hunt in the Alaska wilderness (I think they were 700 miles north of Anchorage, somewhere). After chatting with him briefly, I slept for 11 hours! Wow...must have needed that. I was going to get up early to get in a run before my massage - but the sleep was much more appealing (obviously). So, I slept in a bit.

Then Mike came over for a massage...been trying to fit that in since Madison. Much, much needed...my left leg has been feeling a bit numb (kinda like it is about to fall asleep?) when running in the past week. Wierd! Hopefully Mike worked out whatever was pinched and that will go away.

Later, I went out for a long run - about 16 miles today. Was nice out, overcast and breezy. Legs felt pretty good on the run and I finished 'er up just before it started to sprinkle. Talk about timing! Tonight I'm heading to a party with the TCMC crew over at Val's house for Jen's birthday. Should be fun to hang with everyone again (not on bikes)...recapping Madison stories and chatting with everyone getting ready for their respective Ironman races coming up. (We really are a wierd bunch when you get us all together...) Ha ha!

Recovery Week

2009-08-13T09:48:00.006-05:00

So, since I've been back from Madison - it's been recovery week. Yeah! For those not into triathlon training, your training plan builds up (time and intensity) for 3-4 weeks and then you get a recovery week after that to allow your body to rejuvenate and get ready for the next round of weeks that build up again. After this week, I only have 2 more tough weeks before 'taper', which means I'm ready to rock and roll for IM! (Exactly 1 month away!!!! Augh!)

Not too much to report... Monday, I took off from training after the Madison weekend. Tuesday I was going to go to spin, but was feeling a bit 'out of it' at work (tired, light headed) and decided to skip it and went home to nap and then went to the gym with the hubby later in the evening to run and lift. Wednesday, I had 'core' at Jonny's. The rest of this week is fairly 'light', and should be good for getting me set for next week's workouts. Goal is to get as much rest as I can.

Back from some GREAT Training in Madison

2009-08-09T20:21:00.006-05:00

Friday, Cindy and Noelle and I headed over to Wisconsin on Friday and would be meeting up with about 10 other TCMC people I train with for the big weekend of Ironman-fun. On our way, we stopped at Devils Lake State Park and decided to do a long open water swim across the lake and back. Doug, a guy from our June training class joined us too. My GPS seems a bit off....saying we swam 6 miles. It was moore like 2.5 - 3 in my opinion.

After that, we headed to the hotel, the girls did a quick soak in the hot tub, and then it was bed time for the next day's festivities of biking the full course (112 miles of F'ing hills! Pardon my french) I, unfortunately, couldn't sleep. Probably will be similiar to the night before the race...so emulation techniques were working.

Noelle & Cindy got up early to go meet Doug and Jake (another training class member) and get out on the roads early for the bike. I was waiting for the later TCMC crew that was doing Perkins first, then the ride. Which worked out good, as it was thunderstorming in the morning. After brunch, we decided we'd hang until 10:00 until the storm passed through town and then hit the road. Noelle and Cindy were waiting for the weather to subside too...and were going to possibly join us, but then decided that they would run instead and do the bike tomorrow. So we got split up. Sounds like they had a good time.

The ride was tough! We headed out in the rain to Verona (called "the stick"). It only rained for that portion of the ride (about an hour). So we were all very wet and dirty. Once in Verona...then it is 2 40-mile loops and then back into Madison.

Loop #1: First half of the loop to Mt. Horeb went well with no issues...we were all pushing it (more than we should) and the heat was starting to pick up with the humidity. The second half of the loop encompasses 3 of the 4 hills (bitches) that make the course famous. Man! Did those SUCK! As bad as I remembered from last time, however, I think the humidity added to the "can't breathe" sensation that really over-powered me on those guys. But...I made it. The group met up in Verona for some cool beverage refills and to encourage the crew before we headed out for loop #2.

Loop #2: Jen made really good friends with the front ring (gear) and attempting to keep her legs moving and loose. At the hill in Mt. Horeb (bitch #1) I heard a familiar sound from my rear tire....ppssst! Darn! Flat! Luckily...Jonny and Russ were behind me and stopped to get me all changed up in no time flat (was a pesky piece of wire that pierced my tire/tube). Jonny had to 'push' me to get started again because we were in the middle of the hill....but got 'er going. The second half of the loop has those darn bitches on them...and I was thinking I might have to walk those suckers. Got to them and decided to mentally give them hell and made it up all of them (panting, huffing and puffing...mind you). I really hope the 'fans' on that last hill don't expect any verbal confirmation of their presence from me on race day - cuz all they will get is breathless panting and snot. Seriously. Did I mention that it was hot (oh, and windy on some good stretches)? OK...just checking.

Finally, we made 'er back to Verona with the crew. One person had 'bonked' a bit back and we had to call Noelle and Cindy to be her sag wagon to get her home...but the rest of us had only 16 miles back on the stick to call 'er a day. Home James! The ride back wasn't too bad, as the sun was starting to get lower and temps were dropping. There was a good hill on that stretch on the way back that is a little sneaky devil, but we all made it back. Tired, but all with smiles. We did it!
After that, we packed up our stuff, headed to the hotel to shower (is about 9 PM at this point) and went to grab a bite to eat before bed. Jonny said that in his 16-17 rides on this course...this was by far the toughest conditions he's seen (rain, wind and temps) and encouraged us all that if we could survive this today - we'd be fine on race day. AWESOME! Confidence booster.

That night, I again couldn't sleep...(you'd think that with 9+ hours of biking for the day a body might be tired). So I went down to the lobby for about an hour to read. Sunday morning, we got up and had a bite then off to the terrace to run. We ran one loop of the course for about 13 miles. Again, a warm day out...but at least it was overcast - which was better than the day before. Val, Erin, Mike, Kat, and I went out and gallowayed (5-and-1's), which was nice. Erin was our 'tour guide', as she went to UW Madison...was fun to hear what the buildings were and little 'facts' during our run. After the run...back to the hotel to shower and head home.

Cindy and Noelle were still on their bike, so I had one of the vehicles and headed home solo. They called during the ride home and said they had run into some issues with one of their fellow bikers 'bonking' after loop 1 and they didn't get in all the milage they had hoped for....which sucks. After I got home, I unpacked, took a 'sleeping skittle', and attempted to blog until it kicked in. It kicked in fast, as this blog entry was a little 'funky' as I read it...good thing I didn't publish it. ha ha! I then fell into a coma to get my body the rest it was dying for. Ahhhh.....recovery week begins!

Going to Mad Town...

2009-08-07T08:44:00.003-05:00

Well, spent last night packing up all my stuff for heading out to Madison today. I still cannot believe how much "stuff" there is for triathalon. I guarantee you that my car will be STUFFED full when I go over next time for Ironman (since you have to pack everything...just.in.case!). Oh...did I say "next time"? It is getting close!

I'm finishing up coffee here, putting the last of the luggage in the car and heading out. Gonna swing by the grocery store briefly for bananas and cash - then head over to meet Noelle. We are meeting up with Cindy and Margarita and then heading out together over to Wisconsin.

Plan is to stop at Devils Lake for a swim before getting into Madison, so hopefully the weather will hold out for us. Can't wait to try out the new Garmin! Should be back Sunday with lots of stories (hopefully good ones) and probably pretty sore and tired. I'm Off!

Into Long Week #2...

2009-08-05T16:43:00.004-05:00

Well, we are about mid-week into week #2 of 20+ hr. training. Am still alive. Tired, but alive. Yesterday, I was going to run prior to spin class and Jim & Heidi decided to join in on the fun with their little 'Ironman-in-training'. We talked Mike into it too....sucker!

We ran around the lake next to spin class out in Maple Grove. Jim and I were sporting our new Garmins - just like twins. Jim & Heidi (a.k.a. speed demons) played nice and kept a 'slower' pace than they would have liked for the sake of Mike and I. We ended up running 5 miles at about a 8:30/mi pace. Nice little warm-up for 2 more hours of spin after that.

I got home to the neighborhood 'Night Out' deal in full swing on the street in front of our houses - this is twice in about 3 days that I've showed up to these little neighborly events all sweaty and gross from 3+ hour workouts. They officially think I'm nuts, I'm sure. Oh well...

This morning was core in the morning with the crew and tonight a little swim at the club while the hubby lifts weights. I have to start getting packed up for this weekend - as I leave Friday with a huge crew to go out and train all weekend in Madison. Should be a fun weekend, and the culmination of this massive week with the following planned activities:

Friday - core class in AM + open water swim of roughly 2.4 mi on our way to Madison (~IM distance)

Saturday - Bike the WHOLE course - 112 miles (possible brick run afterwards? TBD)

Sunday - Run half the course (1 loop) or so for 13-ish miles with possible bike loop afterwards before heading home

I'm pretty sure that by Sunday evening, I'll be zonked. But then my week is done. Rest on Monday...Yeah!!!

Busy Weekend

2009-08-03T07:30:00.008-05:00

On Friday, I biked about 30 miles out by my house and then Cindy came up to stay at my place for our long ride on Saturday morning. Ryan came up and met us too and we all took off for C-town (Cambridge). We rode up to mom and dad's, where they made us some good grub (pancakes, eggs, sausage, etc.). Yum! The ride was pretty windy (20-30 mph winds/gusts) so we were having a heck of a time getting up there. The way home wasn't any better...seemed like we couldn't catch a break. But, that's good training. All-in-all, we did 75 miles - my legs were dead by the end, so attempting to round it out to 80 wasn't going to happen.

When we got home, I had a nice package on my doorstep... I ordered my Garmin from a different website on Friday morning, it was shipped and delivered in less than 24 hours! AWESOME!

After the ride I took a nap and then got ready to head down to Owatonna with Heidi and Angie to see an exhibit put on by our friend from college, Scott (we swam and were both art majors together). He is now a successful design director for Beyonce's clothing lines. He was displaying dresses he had designed for her, ad campaigns and design sketches he has done at the show. Was amazing! (see Star Tribune article). Was so GREAT to see him! After the reception, we went to "Bubba's Bar" and had a beer and then went over to Scott's parent's house for a bonfire and a little more time to converse and hang out with him and other alumni friends.

Dresses Scott has designed for Beyonce

Sketches a la Scott

The Girls at Bubba's Bar

Sunday, I met Noelle and Cindy out at Lake Harriet for our long run. The plan was for about 15 miles. I had my new Garmin charged up and ready to go. We ended up running Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles - then back to Harriet. After about 10 miles, Cindy and I were spent. I think the windy bike ride on Saturday wiped us out. So we decided we'd walk another loop of Lake Harriet for a few more miles on our feet and call it good.

Long training week #1 done: 21 hours total, very tired. Now, on to long training week #2! Woo hoo!

Trainer Day and New Duds...

2009-07-31T10:33:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I met my trainer (Nicole) in the morning to get measurements and do a little 'nutrition' session with her. I had been a bit negligent in getting over to see her for my monthly measurements, so that - and the fact I feel like I'm eating anything and everything available to me lately (specifically CARBS!) I was sure my measurements would be bad.

Luckily...almost all of my measurements were down since my last reading and I was down about 1.5% in body fat. Guess I was wrong on the above predictions. So, we chatted a bit on nutrition for the next month of heavy workouts and how the heck I'm going to keep my caloric intake up when I'm burning 8,000-10,000 calories a week now with my workouts alone. Yes, not a typo...I'm burning that much.

I also had my (hopefully) last appt with Dr. Dave in the afternoon. Bill of health is up there on previous injuries and I get my 'exercise list' from him next week to keep up in order to avoid seeing him again. After that I went and ran with run club and then swam. This morning was core with Jonny. Small group today meant that we got to focus on "Bosu" drills instead of lovely hallway drills. Which was nice. Push-ups today hurt a bit after Wednesday's 200 push ups that we had to do. Ouch!

Gear update:

I gave up on the site that I originally ordered my Garmin from and found another. It claims to have next day shipping - so hopefully I'll get this guy before we head out to Madison next weekend so I can try 'er out.

I also got some cute workout clothes yesterday that I ordered from SkirtSports.com (tank (shown) and a running skirt). I'm totally debating now what I'm going to wear for my various legs of Ironman (team uniform or some sort of cute outfit? both?). But I think that is a different post that I'll need to get into later.

And Now Training Increases...

2009-07-29T15:26:00.008-05:00

So, now that races are over and we are heading into late July / early August (a.k.a. "nearing the home stretch"), training days start to get longer. I'm 4 days into a nice little 2 week stretch of workouts, sure to wipe me out (then I get a recovery week! Woo hoo!).

I'm slated for around 22 hrs this week (which will be my largest workout week EVER)! I've already prepared my co-workers for tired & crabby Jenny. She will be out in full force. Oh yes she will...

Visors for Madison

2009-07-27T12:51:00.003-05:00

So, I found an awesome idea per another "Jen" that did Madison a few years ago on the internet. Her husband had visors made for spectators cheering her on. So, another 'Jen' that I train with and I thought these were adorable and wanted some on our fans out in Madison too! (the visor may say "Madison 2009" on them too...not sure of final design yet)

We are going to place orders for these guys this week, so anyone that wants one to sport one out in Madison for us - contact me or leave a 'comment' on this blog and I'll add you to the list. Cost will be $10 each. I will need the final visor count by Friday of this week to get the orders in - so don't delay!

Chisago Half IM Race Report

2009-07-26T19:09:00.006-05:00

Last race before IMWI...complete! Race went well, and had a good time. I met up with Stacy in the AM and we walked over from Betty & Vern's to transition. Was a little cramped on the racks...but oh well. I didn't have very much time prior to the race, so didn't get in any warm-up of any sorts (don't tell Jonny!).

Swim went off well - was in heat 3 and felt relaxed but strong. I just kept the arms moving and tried to keep it straight. After the turn-around, I found another guy that was moving at a good clip and seemed to be swimming straight. So, I decided to practice my 'drafting' on him for most of the way back into shore. I did pretty good on the drafting, if I do say so myself. I got out of the water and saw on my watch a pretty good time (it said 29:something, but I start my watch with 30 seconds to go). Actually got a 30:13 (6th in age group). Um...that doesn't seem right - expecting another 5 minutes onto that time. But I'll take it!

Off to bike! Sporting the new aero helmet - I was off on Pink Lightning. the first few miles felt pretty bad - legs were like lead and something seemed a bit 'off' on P.L. I stopped to see if I could adjust my front break alignment and my chain was falling off (to the outside of the crank). Crap! So, I hopped around and fixed that up - hands now full of chain grease... Yuck! Got back on the bike and started off again. As predicted, the wind started to rear its ugly head - specifically on the 20 mile trek North (the longest stretch of road, mind you!). So, that really blew (literally). I had to stop ONE more time about mile 35ish - as I was paranoid and thought maybe my back wheel was flat. False alarm. Grrr.... Back on P.L. and kept going. Cindy wizzed by me about 10 miles from the end - looking like a champ! I kept going. Finally finished and clocked a 2:50:24 (19.5 mph).

Now, run. I grabbed my iPod, recently loaded with peppy tunes and took off (this race allowed iPods on the run and since I had 13.1 miles to run...I was listening to it - damn it!) Run felt pretty good. Lame leg was behaving, actually! I did break for a few 'walk breaks' when the terrain hit an incline, as my lower back was a bit achy on those still...but kept up a steady pace for the duration. Sara and Daniel found me on the route and were cheering loudly, as did Heidi and Jim. Was nice to see some faces out there! Noelle zipped by me around mile 9 - looking strong and on a mission. Wish I had that running strength! I finished up with a 2:10:20 split (averaging 9:57/mi.)

Final time: 5:33:44 (PR!) Was very happy and made most of my goals for the day. Afterwards, we went over for goodies at Betty and Vern's with the family (and triathlon friends). Stacy did her 2nd triathlon today too - and did AWESOME! She is a rock star! In addition, she made the sweetest cake for me and my Ironman. So talented!

I got home from the race and took an ice bath to calm down my angry legs. My 'other' leg (the non-injured one) is a bit tender and there is a bit of swelling by the knee. So thought I better nip that in the bud. (Don't worry Mom...this is what happens after long races!!! I swear!). My 'injured' leg feels like a champ, though. Which is good. Now, maybe some food...only burned 3000 calories today. Need to refuel.

Last Race Before IMWI!

2009-07-25T10:32:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow is the Chisago Half Ironman race...my last race before Ironman. Now I have 49 days to train, train, and train some more! Woo hoo! Stacy and Laike are coming over this morning to go over and get our race packets. We'll have to swing by Betty & Verns since we're out in their neck of the woods.

Today, I'm taking it easy - no workouts. I'll have to get Pink Lightning suited up with race wheels and redo her flat kit. Maybe take her and the new areo helmet out for a brief tour around the neighborhood to ensure all is in order. Other than that, just some homework to do (yes... I have homework over the summer for my FALL class! What's up with THAT?!?!)

I'm a bit peeved that my Garmin that I pre-ordered a while back has not yet been shipped. Ironman Jim called me yesterday to tell me that the Garmin version (without the heartstrap) is out and he had one in his hands at his wife's running store. We'll see if he shows up tomorrow with it. All I know is that I NEED that sucker before September 13!!! Grr.....

Goals for tomorrow's race:

1. Is a "C" race, so just to finish without injury (getting too close to IM to get another one of those!)

2. Time Goal: Would like to shave about 10 minutes from my Liberty Half IM time = ~ 5:45ish ?

3. Swim: Finish in my usual Half IM timeframe

4. Bike: Would like the bike split to be near or above 20 mph average (all depends on weather!)

5. Run: Pain free (or at least limp-free) - haven't decided if I'm going to run or Galloway this yet...

6. Get over to Betty and Verns before all the great muchies are eaten up by my family! ha ha!

Getting Some Spares...

2009-07-23T19:16:00.003-05:00

Since my little flat a week ago, I needed to replenish my flat kit with appropriate materials before my next race (Sunday) when riding on my lovely Zipps again. So, tonight after work I headed to Erik's to get all setup with the correct tubes to fit my "multi length" extender valves that I had. I realized that I have two different length extenders - and the one I put on my 'long' valve tube made the valve/extender TOO long for my Zipps. I just couldn't win! Too short, or too long! Augh!

So, I went in and played the "What tube + valve length fits the correct extender" game with the boys at Erik's and got all set up. Was sort of a confusing game, but we got it all figured out and the boys gave me some of the special 'tape' that I need for putting the extenders on and I was off. They treat me and Pink Lightning so good!

After that, I went out for a 25 mile bike ride - trying out my new aero helmet before Chisago. Not too bad! Still feel a bit like a dork in the thing...but I'll get over that if I pull off some good splits! Ha ha! Now, time to eat (starving!) and sleep (exhausted!) - two things that I can't seem to get enough of lately. Can definitely tell that I'm hitting 'that' time of the season. Gotta make it!

Century Ride #2 - Complete!

2009-07-19T16:31:00.008-05:00

Today, Cindy and I got up bright and early to meet up with a bunch of people for our century ride. Was a little chilly this morning, but weather was decent (no rain, wind). The ride was in the north metro - starting only 5 miles from my house. The route went up through St. Francis and then north on 47 about 5 miles past Dalbo which took us to 50 miles...then turn around and head back to hit the 100 mark.

The ride went well, Cindy and I headed out with a bunch of the TCMC crew (Jen, Val, Collin, Erin, Mimi, and a few others). At aid station #3 (at mile 62), Noelle caught up to us since she had to start late due to work. So, then the three of us took off and headed back to the start. About 5 miles later, Noelle's tire blew. She had a huge slice in her tire, so she did some creative 'patching' to get it all fixed up with a $20 bill and some duct tape. Then, off we went.

For the last 40 miles, I really was feeling strong. Is really strange, but all of my long rides that I've done this summer, I get my wind after about 50 miles. So, I just kept pedaling strong and keeping the pace around 19-21 mph on the backside. At the end of the ride, my bike computer put us at 5:42 ride time (not including rest stops) and averaging about 17.5 mph.

After the ride, Cindy and I went out and ran a quick 2 miles to give our legs a little taste of what they are gonna feel in about 8 weeks after riding on our bikes for > 100 miles. We felt pretty strong (both of us coming off of some leg issues) and then the day's workout was done. Only roughly took us 7:30 overall time. That's a long training day!

Out of the Woods?

2009-07-18T17:25:00.005-05:00

I'm hoping that I am not jinxing this, but I may be seeing a light at the end of the "lame leg" tunnel and could be coming out of the woods on this thing! Hooray! Today's long run went really well...was supposed to do around 13 miles - but only did 10.5 miles. I did not want to push anything, and didn't want my milage to jump too dramatically from what I've been working up from over the past few weeks. All-in-all, I'm not too far off of my training plan with this stupid injury - which I'm happy about.

The weather was perfect, cool and overcast, to run. Is so strange to be in the middle of July and the temps are in the 60's! Usually, I'm getting up super early on these Saturday mornings to get the workouts done, prior to the stiffling heat & humidity that usually comes with mid-Summer in Minnesota. Not today! Got to sleep in a little!

The run went well. Goal was to remain slow and steady - working on keeping the limp out of my gait and evening things out. Warm-up time seemed to be less (for the leg to get to a normal run) than Wednesday. I can now vaguely feel a dull muscle pain in the calf and the TFL seemed to be a bit better today too. It only really annoyed me when the terrain got a little slanted. Then I just had to try to align my hips a bit more to compensate.

I did get to try out my new shoes today, which will be my 'official' pair of shoes I'll be sporting in less than 8 weeks at Ironman! Oh man... that date is creeping closer! Tomorrow, a bunch us IMWI girls will be heading out on the Century ride with the MN Tri Club. Hopefully we'll have another great ride (with no flats, right Val?).

Week Almost Done

2009-07-17T08:30:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I got my fun packages in the mail - was like Christmas! Package #1 - Hammer Nutrition products that I've been getting low on. Package #2 - my new aero helmet for Chisago Half IM and IMWI!

Yes, I decided to go for it and look like a dork. If the thing will save me a chunk of minutes off my bike time in IMWI (just by wearing the silly looking thing) - then I'm in! I mean I'm already dressed head-to-toe in spandex - it can't get too much worse! Can it?!?!

So, the final decision to get the helmet was made when I saw one at Lifetime Fitness Tri last weekend on some girl's bike that was the same fancy one Jim wears (we call it Titleist One, because of the golf ball 'dimples')...but this helmet had a streak of 'pink' on it! I was SO close to accidentally walking off with the thing - that girl has no idea! Ha ha! It obviously was meant to be! So, found a good deal online this week and... Sold! The Pink streaks are installed and look sweet on it!

I swam yesterday at Liftime, however, did not know that water aerobics had moved from Wednesdays to Thursdays. Grrr.... So, ended up in the throws of that mess to deal with during my yardage. Then the lanes started to fill up with lap swimmers too. Which is fine, but the guy in my lane - just a pain to manipulate around. I ended up cutting my workout a bit short, just due to the annoyance factor. Then went home and foam rolled, stretched, and iced. What a great routine!

This morning was core, bright and early. Didn't go too terribly bad. Oh! My run on Wednesday went OK - got 8 miles in on the bad wheel and didn't feel too bad. I kind of like the little loop that I have going around by my house lately. Let's see if we can do 10 this weekend...

Plans for weekend: Long run Saturday (10+??? pending lower appendages), Century ride on Sunday (possibly short brick?)

Ouchy!

2009-07-15T16:32:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was spinning, which went well with the usual crew. This morning was core at Jonny's - which was a treat, as always. We got to do some more calf strengthening - a la Jenny's weaknesses.

Then this afternoon, I had my appointment with Dr. Dave. Can we say 'painful'?!?!? Oh man! When those gloves came out for that deep muscle crap that he does in my calf (and now in my TFL, after Graniteman's lovely run on Sunday).... Oh.My.GOD! I seriously was welling up with tears today during his little 'session'. I really just want this crap to subside already!

Tonight, I'm planning on heading out for a run to see how things fly with my lower appendages. Is a toss-up... could go well, could go crappy. Never can tell! But, since the Half IM is a week and a half out - need to get a little bit of milage in on these suckers. Grrr.... wish me luck!

Zipps = 0, Staple = 1

2009-07-13T19:17:00.004-05:00

Tonight, I went out for a little ride on Pink Lightning. Am still a bit tired from this weekend's races, but wanted to just go for a light spin and loosen up the legs a bit. Well, about a little over an hour into my ride, I felt like the road got a little more rough - which seemed wierd. So I slowed down and checked my wheels. (I kept my Zipp race wheels on from yesterday's race...just for practice and was lazy to change 'em)

Wheel in back was flat. Hmmph.... but this is GOOD! Good, you ask? Why would a flat tire be good? Well, I have not yet had a chance to change my new Zipp wheels myself, and this would give me a great opportunity to try it out on a non-race day. And....boy am I glad that I did!

Things that would not have been good to learn on race day when riding my Zipps (either at my next Half IM or the big daddy... IMWI):

1. My valve extender that I bought at Penn (that they said would fit 'perfectly' on 808's) is a bit short. Only sticks out about a 1/4" to 1/2" from the rim. Not ideal.

2. My CO2 cartridge that I had in my flat kit doesn't fit on my CO2 valve-thingy - no tread on the lip.

Ended up, there was a staple lodged in the tire that pierced the tube. Lovely. So, pulled out the staple and got the tire changed. Wasn't too bad. Additionally, I managed to get just enough of the valve extender to protrude from the rim and pushed just hard enough on the CO2 cartridge to pierce it and hold it just long enough to get a slow trickle of air into the tire. I think it only got to maybe about 70-80 psi (by touch)... but I only had about 3 miles to get home. So figured I'd give it a try...or else get a good walk in tonight too.

Needless to say...I think that these two items were very important things to learn on a non-race day and I believe that I will be heading to my local bike shop this week to rebuild my flat kit with the appropriate tools and materials.

Graniteman Race Report

2009-07-12T19:28:00.006-05:00

This morning was day #2 of getting up at 4 AM for a race...a little bit harder to do on the second day! I got my gear in the car with 2 thermos mugs of coffee and headed up to St. Cloud (little over an hour drive). I swear I was doing the head nod a bit until that coffee kicked in - was pretty bad!

I raced up there with Cindy, Noelle, and for the second day in a row...Ironman Jim and Ironman Heidi! Maggie came up to cheer on Kevin too - so we had our token cheerleader in the crowd, which was awesome!

So, the swim went out well...we had to swim (literally) around a string of water noodles for 1/3 mile. Is great - cuz sighting is not necessary... just don't run into the noodles! Was 6th out of the water in my wave and was glad that I didn't feel like I was standing still in the water like yesterday's sensation while racing. Whew!

I then took off on the bike course with Pink Lightning. For the first few miles, the legs were feeling a bit lead-like. It definitely felt like this may be a long 15 miles if I didn't get my energy back up (here is where I was thinking the double-header was affecting me most). But, I just kept spinning...

About mile 5, Miss. Noelle came up and passed me. I started thinking that since she is going to pass me on the run...I better give her a little friendly run-for-her-money on the bike and pass her back. (Love you Noelle!) We definitely push each other when we get out on the course - which is great! So, off I went... rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. Was a pretty good head wind on one stretch, but pedaled her in for a 20.4 mph average (5th in age group). (Above 20 mph = good in my book!)

Then to the run. Noelle was racking Moon Goddess, as I was at run out and praying that the leg would be good today (every day is a toss up, I've accepted). I was a bit limpy (at least Mags commented on it afterwards), but kept 'er going. Not quite as peppy as last weekend's run, but averaged 8:46 - which I will take a sub-9 in this condition. I finished the race in 1:22:54, which was roughly about 4 minutes faster than last year's race. PR (my goal)! Finished in 9th place out of 68 in my age group (can you say LARGE field today?!?!)

Noelle swiftly ran past me around the 1.2 mile mark (this seems to be a trend...) and was looking great! I didn't see Cindy on the course, but she pedaled herself in just a little behind me and had a great race too! Was awesome to have these guys on the course today! Great job you two! Heidi and Jim? Well, those speedsters just rocked the course (as usual). Heidi even set a Master's course record, winning her age group. Way to go TCMC'ers!

At the awards/door prizes I won AGAIN! This week it was a $150 towards a sleeveless wetsuit! (Last weekend I won $250 in swim lessons at Minneman). I guess it's my lucky streak! Keep it coming!

On the drive home, there was an accident on 94 (overturned gasoline tanker) that closed down the road in both directions (the road is actually still closed down right now as I blog...8+ hours later). We sat in traffic for 1.5 hours until we could get to the manditory exit ramp. While waiting in traffic, I decided to change in the car (behind the wheel) out of my tri uniform and into clothes (what else was I supposed to do?). Man, I am good!

Once we exited 94, us girls quickly grabbed a bite to eat (starving!) and then headed home. But the traffic out of Monticello / Big Lake was just as bad with all the diverted traffic + a parade in town. So, all-in-all, it took me 4 HOURS to get home from this darn race!!! What a nightmare! Oh well...

Lifetime Corporate Challenge Relay

2009-07-11T20:40:00.008-05:00

Today was the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon where Ironman Jim, Ironman Heidi, and I were doing the Corporate Challenge relay (Olympic distance). I swam, Jim biked, and Heidi ran. I got to transition not as early as I usually do...but I didn't have to find a place for my bike either. All I had to tote along today were my goggles, swim cap and wetsuit.

The race went well for the team...we are all racing tomorrow at Graniteman - so we weren't pushing things too hard. Just there to have fun. The swim went OK...I'm still peeved that they make the Corporate Challenge relays go in the 3rd wave. 1st & 2nd wave are the Pros. Then it is us... then the Elites go 2 minutes after us! WTF?!?! We basically just get plowed over by those guys.

Well, as predicted... at the first corner bouy - the elites were 'a coming. I literally treaded water for 20-30 seconds to let a majority of them just swim by. It was not worth getting hit, kicked, and banged up with those peeps charging through. The rest of the swim was alright...I felt like I wasn't going very fast and seriously was not going to be surprised if I came out of the water and seen a 35:00 on my watch. Felt that slow! Fortunately, my time wasn't too bad - came out of the water at 28:17 (which is almost exactly the same time as I did last year). Then I had to pretty much run about .2 mile into transition to get to Jim (our spot was the absolute furthest rack in transition!).

Jim took off and did us proud - averaging 24.1 mph on his 25 mile bike. Then Heidi was up...with her new Zoot shoes (pink!). She rocked too! Average pace 7:33 min/mi for the 10K. Total time: 1:21:58. We placed 8th out of 19 relays (our goal was top 10...there are some fast teams out there!) [Last year's total race time: 2:25:44]

I want to say "hi" and thanks to all my friends that made it out to watch and cheer today (Naomi, Heidi, Andrea, Noelle). You guys rock and it is so much fun to hear your name as you are running out of the water and can see some familiar faces in the crowd. :)

Now, just finished washing up the tri-uniform for tomorrow and getting Pink Lightning all packed up in the car. No specific goals for tomorrow's race, except to have fun (another sprint race - yeah!). Would be nice to PR from last year's time....which if it isn't windy out - I'm guessing shouldn't be too hard to do (as last year was 20+ mph winds). Look for tomorrow's race report for results.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-07-09T11:50:00.003-05:00

Today is Jake and my 4 year anniversary! I cannot believe that 4 years ago today I was prepping for the ceremony with all of my closest friends and family! It was a HOT (95 degrees) and windy day out - but went off beautifully! Except for that darn tent that blew over during the cermony. Ha ha!

So, in honor of that day and to spend some quality time with my wonderful husband, I am taking today off from training. What?!?! I know, crazy talk!

Tonight, Jake and I are going out to dinner at a new hibachi restaurant that just opened up near our place. We'll see how it is - gotta get in some good carbs for this weekend's races.

Yes...I said races - plural. Saturday is the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon corporate challenge (relay) that I'm swimming in and Sunday is Graniteman sprint. Should be a fun weekend.

Just Keep Running...

2009-07-08T19:52:00.003-05:00

I had to chuckle a little bit, after checking out the yndecam.com race pictures from Minneman last weekend. I think that this photo (left) could be the exact same as the one taken last year at Minneman, only swap out the tri uniform (see photo on right side of the blog). My FINGERS are even in the same positions! Wierd!

Sunday I met Noelle and some of her P2 friends to ride the Chisago Half IM course. Was a nice and windy day - but was good training. We then headed over to Betty & Verns to chat and have some muchies. (Sounds like Stacy just signed up for Chisago short course...so we'll probably be back to ride the course together prior to that race).

Yesterday I saw Dr. Dave again for my weekly check up and taping. Things seem to be getting better. Then I had spin class. This morning I did core, and Jonny again tailored the workout to give me personal pain. Today's target area - the calf. Calf raises, lunges, jumps, whatever... So sorry Heidi, Jen & Jim. Then tonight, I decided to go out for a run and see just how much better this leg is getting. (Is hard to tell during races - as I think the adrenaline masks pain pretty well)

Verdict...I think I'm on the mend - officially! It took about a mile to get the calf loosened up (had a bit of a small limp going in the first 8-9 minutes), but then it seemed to even out pretty nice. Ran for about an hour and didn't seem to have any issues. (crossing fingers)

The one thing that did pain me tonight were these running shorts! (I almost never wear running shorts - always tri shorts or running skirts with built in spandex pants) Memo to self: Do NOT wear running shorts at Ironman - you will chafe and probably start bleeding! Ouch!!!

Now, find some food and ice calf & foam roller. And since our 52" plasma TV is broken (won't turn on...repairman coming tomorrow) - I'll have plenty of time this evening to do all these wonderful things, since I cannot watch TV except for in bed.

Finally Made Podium!

2009-07-05T09:22:00.008-05:00

Last year I jokingly was 'plagued' with getting 4th place in my races. Yesterday, I finally broke that streak and made it into the top three for my age group. Specifically 2nd! (Missed 1st place by 2 seconds....aw! Will still take it!)

It was the Minneman sprint tri yesterday up where my husband works the course as it goes through his jurisdiction. Stacy (my sister-in-law) was doing her first tri and Heidi was back in the swing of races and was joining us too! I was SO excited to do a sprint race...as I haven't done one this year yet (all longer distances). And plus it was with these guys - all the better!

The swim went out great - except it was like an obstacle course on the swim back to shore with all the people in the wave before us to manipulate around. Grrr.... We even had pink swim caps! I ended up 1st in my age group out of the water.

Then to the bike... hopped on Pink Lightning and took off on this crazy FLAT course (compared to last weekends hills - this was crazy fun)! Weather and wind were cooperating and I was flying the whole course at well over 20 mph. I passed quite a few guys from the wave ahead of us, and absolutely no one passed me on the bike - which I was pretty proud of. I got to wave at Jake directing traffic at his corner and then took off for the finish of the bike leg. I ended up with a 20.7 mph average and 2nd in my age group on the bike. I'll take that!

The run I was a little worried about with the calf, but Stacy and I had warmed up prior to the race and it felt decent. So, took 'er out and tried to keep the legs moving. I was about a mile out and watching the people ahead of me coming back on the course and noticed that there weren't too many females, and the ones I saw I knew were not in my age group. Hmmm.... At the turn around I saw Jen M. and Heidi R. right behind me, and figured I'd be seeing them passing me soon. One girl passed me with about .5 mile left and I thought she had a '27' on her calf (not in my age group) - but was wrong. She was the winner of my age group (see pic below). Oh well... I ended up with a 8:24 pace - 4th in my age group for the run.

Final time: 1:15:53 - 2nd place in age group. 20th female overall. Yeah!!! I was so excited when I saw that on my results slip. We got water bottles for awards, which were nice. And I won a door prize for being closest to the race # called for swimming lessons (worth $250). I'm not terribly sure I need these...but we'll see what I do with em.

Now....Stacy did fabulous too! Her first race and she finished in great time! She survived the swim (which she was worried about), did great on the bike (17 mph - I think we have a biker!) and had an excellent run to finish it off with (9:49 min/mi)! Ended up finishing 5th in her Novice division!!! I think we have another triathlete in the family now! Yeah Stacy!!! I am so proud of you!

Heidi did great too for her first race back (after her injury), and was so happy to be back in the races again - I'm hoping she signs up for some more races this year so we can either race together again or I can cheer her on (with a cool sign, right Heidi?).

Jon & Laike (above) - - - TCMC crew (below)

After the race, Jake and I went over to the lake at Sarah's parent's house - as we do every 4th. Relaxed, had a few beverages, watched the boat parade, ate.... At one point, Jake and I went out on the jet ski - I haven't laughed so hard in such a long time!

We took a donut and flipped the thing...both of us went flying off. It took us a bit to re-flip it and then we attempted to get back on it. Jake got on...I'd attempt and the second I shifted my weight - flip! This happened, I swear, 4-5 times!!! I could NOT get on the thing! Oh was hilarious! Then we went and watched the fireworks in Forest Lake, headed home and I was done by midnight - zonked!

Another Week...

2009-07-01T09:19:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture of the training group out in Madison prior to our second open water swim.

Yesterday, I had a session with Dr. Dave again and got the calf worked over again. Is starting to get better (I'm telling myself). Then was spinning with Jonny. He was super nice to us that are racing this weekend....allowing us to not strive for wattage, but just spin lightly all evening. Additionally, I did do the 'stairs' sets - but very lightly and slowly. Haven't done those for almost over a month with the calf injury. So that was good.

This morning was core with Jim & Heidi - had lots of fun with that. Tonight, I'm meeting up with Stacy (and Noelle & Leanne) out at the Minneman course to ride it and possibly do an open water swim. Should be a good time - hopefully this drizzly rain will let up for this session.

And Then There Were Hills....

2009-06-29T21:24:00.005-05:00

The Madison Weekend went off just great for Noelle, Cindy and myself. We headed out on Friday to Madison and met up with the training camp crew that evening for some introductions, course talks and logistics for the upcoming two days.

Saturday, we got up early and headed out to Fireman's Park to do a 'swim'. It actually was mostly "tips and tricks" from our instructors (of which both had done IM Madison several times and Dwight has done Kona as well....fast cats). In the water we talked about positioning for prior to the canon on race day, sighting, things to practice between now and Sept (bi-lateral breathing for sunshiny mornings when breathing to the East is kind of sucky!), practiced if our goggles get ripped off, and lastly wetsuit stripping! That was kind of fun....at IM you actually don't take off your wetsuits - volunteers do this for you and so we practiced this 'art', which was fun.

After the swim we went back to the hotel and got our bikes for the bike route. Our hotel was in Verona...so we actually biked into Madison (~16 miles) to the Monona Terrace where the bike starts. We biked up the helix (this is the spiral ramp for the parking garage) and then down again before heading out on the route. This was probably worth the camp for me, as these small little nuances (e.g. biking up the helix and down the helix) look really hard or scary - but aren't. And now are off my list of things to worry about come race day.

So, we took off on the bike - 16 miles out to Verona again ("the stick"). Once we got to Verona, we stopped at Brian's parent's house (he was one of the instructors) for refueling and a brief break. Then off to "the loop". This is 40 miles long and done twice in the race - we only did one loop this day. This is where 'the hills' are located. Specifically "the big 4".

Here are my thoughts on "the big 4":

#1 - hill prior to the high school. Not terribly bad - just long. Doable.
#2 - this one I personally thought was the worst. Went on FOREVER and you didn't know when it would end because of the curves.
#3 - a.k.a. 'the bitch' - was bad...but not as bad as #2.
#4 - pretty bad just due to having done 1-3 prior to this...on race day there will be tons of people here - so should be motivating in that respect.

Average heart-rate for these guys was up in the 170's. Gotta love that. Now, I guess on loop #2, these guys get exponentially worse - so we'll see about that when we go back in August to do the full route. Going down some of these hills was almost as scary - think 40 mph on a 18 lb bike. What would happen if you hit a bump or lost control in this situation? I think Jenny would be a little scraped up. I'm hoping for fair (and DRY) weather come September. Don't want wet roads!

After the loop we ended up back at the hotel (~70 miles total for the day). We got together again for more course talks, run analysis (on video), and logistics for Sunday. Afterwards we had a BBQ at Brian's parent's house again and then headed back to the hotel to sleep.

Sunday, we got up and headed out to Lake Menona for our real 'swim' in front of the terrace. We swam out a little over .5 miles to the bridge and then swam back to the 'swim start'. I felt pretty good and was in the front of the pack (not up by Dwight - Mr. Kona... but pretty close to the front runners). After the swim, we got our wetsuits 'stripped' again and then we had to practice running up the helix like we would on race day to our T1 room. After walking through T1 logistics we went back to our cars and changed for our run.

The run was going to be 1 loop of the run course (13.1 miles). I was a bit concerned regarding my lame leg (calf) how this was going to fare, but was going to give 'er a shot. I ran with our group out about 3 miles into the course and decided that before I got too far into the course, I should probably turn back and ensure I didn't hurt myself any more than I am. So, I got about a 10K in for the day (which was better than last week's weekend milage with this thing).

Noelle and Cindy went on and were going to stay an extra day to get some more biking in - so I headed to the hotel, packed up my things, and headed home (some of us have to work on Monday!). All-in-all - the weekend was fun. I feel I have less to worry about come race day, than I did. Don't get me wrong...there will be plenty that I will find to worry about - but some of the small things we covered should not be on that list.

Going to Madison

2009-06-25T13:02:00.006-05:00

I had my appointment with Dr. Dave today and MAN! did my calf just scream when he touched it! It is super, super tender from Tuesday's 'glove' session with him and I could definitely feel the pain today. Luckily, he was 'gentle' on me... we worked my glute/back a bit more and then an ultrasound of the calf and I was outta there.

Tomorrow Cindy and Noelle and I are heading over to Madison for our first official 'training weekend' over there. We shall see how that goes, I guess. I'm hoping the calf holds up decently. Schedule looks like this:

Friday:

- course talks, and misc random stuff with the group that is meeing out there.

Saturday:

- Open water swim

- 1 loop bike course (~75 miles)

- core strength session

- run analysis

- misc talks

Sunday:

- Open water swim #2

- 1 loop of run course (13.1 miles)

- optional loop of bike course

I'll post updates throughout the weekend on how it goes.

First Century Ride of Season

2009-06-21T20:37:00.006-05:00

Today I met up with Jen M. and Val to go on the Minnesota Tri Club's century ride. We decided to meet an hour prior to the official start of the ride to get a head start on things and get this thing done with. So, at 6:30 AM, I met up with those two and we headed out on the route. Was a 50 mile out-and-back route with rest stops every 20 miles.

For some reason, I had a rough first 50 miles. I think my run yesterday (darn calf!) attributed to some of it, as I was just dogging it up hills - felt like I could not MOVE! Val and Jen were just kicking my butt... so I just hung back a bit and caught up to them at the rest stops vs. trying to pedal like a mad woman to try to catch those two. At the 50 mile turn around, Val had gotten a flat. I caught up with those guys and giggled as they attempted to get the wheel back on - there were some chain issues. Val did get that tire changed in no time flat, however! What a pro!

Then we were back on our way. At this point I was feeling just fine on the bike and keeping pace with those guys pretty decently. The entire ride back we all hung pretty close. I think maybe my calf just needed some 'warm up' time or something - as I felt 200% better on the last half of the ride. We ran into some rain on the ride home, but nothing too bad. (Not like Buffalo!)

At the end of the ride we took a look at our times, and were quite amazed. Ride time (on bike) was 5:36 (average 17.8 mph). Total time: 6:41 (including 4 rest stops and a flat). We had to call Jonny when we got back to the car to tell him the good news. Felt really good after the ride....legs were fine (actually, my limp went away - so wierd!). Am super glad I got this first century ride out of the way and it went so well...I have plenty of these this summer to look forward to.

When I got home, I took a small nap in the afternoon, before doing some work around the house and heading up to see dad in C-town for Father's Day.

All Taped Up & Uniforms

2009-06-19T13:29:00.006-05:00

This morning was bright and early core class (since no races this weekend). Jonny proceeded to torture us in many lovely ways.

This morning's session in the 'hallway' was extremely gross - as the humidity in the air seemed to bring out the nasty sweaty stench embedded in the hallway carpet as we crawled in various torturous manners across this nastiness. Needless to say, hand washing was necessary as soon as we were done with our 40+ minute session out there. Yuck!

We got our TCMC uniforms today too...they seem pretty decent. Will be sporting it at the next race on the 4th of July!

This afternoon I had my second appointment with Dr. Dave - today's focus was the calf. The 'glove' came out and proceeded to annoint pain as he massaged/manipulated my muscle. Ouch! Afterwards, I was 'dressed' with some Kinesio Tape (remember the stuff that Misty May Treanor / Kerri Walsh had going at the Olympics?)

I guess this is supposed to 'relax' my calf muscle and allow it to heal up faster. Then, I can focus my training more on my running...to see how that is affecting my glute/back. Baby steps... have to get the little stuff outta the way to fix the bigger stuff, I guess. So, I get to leave this stuff on for a few days and see how that goes.

Injury Update

2009-06-17T18:35:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went to see Dr. Dave and check out all my little nagging injuries that have been yelping at me, as of late. After assessing my standing, walking, running, and various other nerve tests - I got the answer(s).

My @ss is weak + I have a tight hip flexor. Ok...well, the explanation is more like this. I have a muscular repetitive strain injury to my glute and lower back. Since my glute is 'weak', when I'm running (repetitive motion), my body is over compensating for the weakness by my back tensing up and pulling tight. (Hence, lovely pains while running on inclines, stairs, etc). The calf...just an injury from the marathon that has yet to work itself out and heal.

{ Technical Explanation: The role of the gluteus medius during activities such as walking and running is to dynamically stabilize the pelvis in a neutral position during single leg stance. As you can see in the photo above, weakness of the right gluteus medius will cause the left hip to drop when standing on the right limb. }

So...I'm perscribed to go see Dr. Dave a few times a week to get the scar tissue in the muscle worked out and see if it can't get itself back to normal. Then I'll just have to work on strengthening that muscle and getting my run back on track. After that session with Dr. Dave, it was spinning - sans stairs (I am to avoid running inclines, stairs or track/interval training until I'm feeling better/stronger). Class was decent, but am still tired from the Half IM...it seems.

This morning was core at Jonny's house. In celebration of my lovely diagnosis from Dr. Dave - I believe Jonny structured class around Jenny's weaknesses (sorry Jim & Heidi...). Did lots of glute work, planks, abs and push ups. At least we weren't on the Bosu as much as last week. ha ha.

Half Ironman Race Report

2009-06-14T08:50:00.007-05:00

What a perfect day for racing! Could not have asked for anymore. Sun was out, calm waters, and low wind (OK, there was some wind...but it seemed to be a blessing on the bike & run this year vs. hindrance like in 2008).

So, I met both of my previously stated goals: to PR and to finish in under 6 hrs. Yeah! So, all-in-all, the race was a success and I'm so very glad I have this one over with. One less thing to do prior to Ironman.

The swim (1.2 miles) went pretty well, fairly uneventful except for at one point I was gasping for air for about 15-20 strokes. Felt like I had some sort of phlem ball in my throat and I couldn't breathe. Wierd...but it passed as soon as it came on. Never had that happen to me before. Noelle and I finished in the same fashion, and time for that matter, as last year (back to back out of the water within about 30 seconds). Swim time: 36:58, (5th place in my age group).

My feet were numb from the water, so when I got on the bike (56 miles) I had to work that out. Took about a mile or so to get feeling back. Noelle passed me on the bike right away, but I hung close. (Same scenario as last year again - de ja vu!) This time, however, my bike just felt awesome, so I surged ahead.

My legs felt strong and I was pushing 21-23 mph easily on the course on the flats. The hills seemed almost non-existant too (which is wierd...because they were there for my practice rides). But I decided not to question it. I just focused on getting in my suppliments, food and water on a consistent basis and to make sure that my mind stayed alert and didn't start to go 'goofy'. I caught myself a few times going a little loopy, but then forced in some food - hoping to clear that up fast.

Before I knew it, the first loop was done, and in really good time. I was just hoping loop #2 stayed as strong. Michelle (one of our TCMC peeps) was out on the course and popped up about 4-5 times in various areas to cheer us on. Mom was at the corner by the start of the race too. Was nice to have great cheerleaders! Loop #2 and the small dog-leg flew by fast too...I felt a little bit of fatigue - but was still pushing some good mph. In the end I finished up the bike in 2:55, (averaging 19.2 mph, 7th place in my age group). Was SUPER happy about getting under 3 hrs on that guy!

Then, the run (13.1 miles).... What can I say about the run? Well, was worried about the calf and back (as I mentioned before) - but I was determined after having one hell of a bike ride to muscle through this sucker and try to get under that 6 hr mark for the finish. So, I attacked as best that I could. I ran on the flats pretty well, but when the rolling hills started...I had to 'power walk' them as my back started to scream at me. (I decided I wasn't going to lolly-gag these walks. If I had to walk - well it would be a fast walk, darn it!).

At about mile 6, Noelle caught up to me, as I had predicted in my head based on her position on the bike when I last saw her. She gave me a pep talk and was on her way (what a little speedster!). For the rest of the run I played leap frog with 3 other guys. We all just passed each other back and forth. Was kind of humorous that the pic of me on the bike (above) the guy in that pic is one of my leap-froggers and he finished the run just a few seconds ahead of me.

Finally, the last mile was upon me and I had about 17-18 minutes (according to my watch) to make this race in under 6 hrs. So, I kicked 'er into gear and motored her to the finish line. Had mom, Noelle, and the TCMC crew cheering loudly. (Run time: 2:19, 10:38 average pace)

Final time: 5:54:29. 11th place in my age group of 20.

Both Noelle and Cindy also had good races and PRs for them too! TCMC had a great showing and some super stellar times too! Is great to have so many friends on the course to help pump you up during the race. Post race, we went to Ironman Jim's and Heidi's for a BBQ with the TCMC peeps, then Noelle and I went up to St. Francis to see the hubby and some friends at Pioneer Days. Then bed was a callin!

Post race issues:

Small blister on toe had a nice little blood bath to my foot once I got my shoe off post race. Can not believe that a mosquito bite of a blister could produce that much blood!
I'm limping profusely with my calf (last night and this morning)
Back is sore

Tuesday I go to see Dr. Dave and see what is going on with all this stuff in my lower extremities. I can't have this going on in about 3 months. Will keep you all posted.

Tomorrow...Liberty Half Ironman!

2009-06-12T19:22:00.004-05:00

Well, yesterday I was getting Pink Lightning all revved up for Saturday's race. Put on her race wheels, her new aero water bottle, and rigged up my new 'pill dispensor' with velcro for administering all my suppliments during the bike. Think I'm set!

As I was walking over to the tool bench, however, I accidentially kicked the lawn mower and my toenail (which was about 95% ready to fall off) got snagged. Ouch! Blood a flowing. So, I had to rip it off. Which is fine, now I don't have to worry during T1 (transition 1) in my race tomorrow about it when I'm putting on my socks/shoes. So now I'm down to 8 toenails! woo hoo!

Tonight I met Noelle & Cindy for some carbs at Macaroni Grill. Yum! Those two yahoos got the 'singer' to sing some Italian song to me by telling him it was my birthday. What silly girls! Now, I'm home and packing up my crap for tomorrow and getting to bed early. Looks like the weather couldn't be any more perfect! Temps from 53 in the AM up to mid-to-upper 70s into the day with a very light wind (5-10 mph). If the wind can stay low like that....will be SOOOO nice! Last year's wind was HORRIBLE! And on a hilly 56 mile bike course....it sucked!

So, goals...I'd like to PR from last year's time - which was 6:22. Idealy, would be awesome to break the 6 hour mark. But we'll see. I had some issues running yesterday with my calf and my back was acting up at Buffalo with the hills - so those are my main concerns when I get to the run. So, am crossing my fingers and we'll see what happens.

Is actually kind of funny that last year at this time I was pretty much hyperventilating with this race coming up with nerves and anxiety. This year... I'm like "eh... just another race to get through to practice for Ironman." Is amazing what a year can do to you! Stay tuned for a race report.

Fun With Bosu

2009-06-11T08:44:00.009-05:00

Monday I had Mike come over for a massage to work out the kinks from Sunday's race. Got a few more bruises to add to the mix of ones that showed up per the U-turn episode during the race. Boy! Do I look tough! (Or at least I am telling myself this....)

Tuesday I had spin and my angry legs were speaking up to me. Was pretty tired, but then again - so is everybody these days. You can tell that people are in the throws of their training plans and its starting to take its toll physically on them (myself included). I've just been zonked lately!

Yesterday, Ironman Jim and his wife Heidi and I met at Jonny's for a small group "core" workout session. We are going to start these up (with Jen M. too), as the other core session with him is on Fridays - which is too close to race days during the summer (on some weekends).

We spent a HALF HOUR on the darn Bosu ball doing squats and miscellaneous variations of balance moves. Then we threw in some push-up sets, plank craziness, and abs to round out the session. Was a good workout and I'm not as sore today as I expected to be - which is good. Should be a good little mid-week workout for the rest of the summer. Definitely pushes you a tad more than attempting these moves solo at the gym or at home!

Ran out to Gear West yesteday and picked up a new front aero-water bottle system for the race on Saturday, which is a tad less bulky than my dual chamber one that I have. Should be a nice little addition to Pink Lightning's accessories. Got all my race nutrition as well, while I was out there.

Swam a bit last night and have a run planned for today. I am going to take Friday off (from training), since the Half IM is Saturday. Yeah! A day off! Woo hoo! Should be interesting to see how the race goes...last year I tapered for this race - of which I am not this year. Just another "training day" (a.k.a. "B" race).

Brrrr! Darn Cold "C" Race!

2009-06-07T16:37:00.007-05:00

Today was the Buffalo Olympic tri that Cindy and I were going to do - to prep for our Half Ironman next weekend. Got to the race site bright and early (as usual) and got a great spot in transition. It was a chilly 48 degrees out with a nice and heafty wind a 'blowin....not to mention a bit of a drizzle. Lovely weather, huh?

So, the calf and hip were feeling pretty good this morning (no limping, at least) - so was crossing my fingers that I'd hold together. Made the decision that my bike gear was going to entail my jacket and gloves after my warm-up bike ride. Jen M. kindly even borrowed me a long sleeve tech shirt to add to the mix. Ironman Jim contributed bootie warmers for my bike shoes so my toes didn't freeze up. (What a great pit crew!)

Well, the race started and the water temp was great - much, much warmer than the air (74 degrees)! I took 'er out easy on the swim (.9 mi) and think I maybe went a little wide on my first leg of the triangle. Swim felt so-so, think I was singing some Lady Gaga songs to myself in my head for most of the swim. My third leg of the swim got a bit choppy in the water on the way back to the beach - which was fun (inhaled a bit of water there). Got out of the water and headed to transition. Had the best cheerleaders at the race too - Mom, Dad, Angie & Aurelia, Andrea, Heidi and Mags - in addition to the TCMC peeps that I workout with! What a crew! (Thanks for coming guys!!!)

(Us freezing before the race start!)

Well, transition wasn't the snappiest, since I had to put on all that gear to battle the cold wind coming up, but got outta there and onto the road. I was a bit paranoid riding my Zipp 808 race wheels in this level of wind (so what else is new?). I didn't want to get whipped around. Thankfully, I kept them pretty under control and am glad I got that under my belt for a bit of confidence for upcoming races.

The only darn incident on the bike entailed a U-turn at the end of a dog-leg on the course where the girl in front of me was going in tight (so I went out wide) and she zigged out in front of me because she was going too tight, I guess. I couldn't clip out of my pedal fast enough and ended up tipping over...getting a nice little scrape on my knee. Luckily, I was basically standing still when I tipped and there was no damage. Just annoyance with the girl and my obviously lack of pedal un-clipping abilities for the day. Grrr....

The rest of the ride was just wet and cold...bike split was a tad slower than last year - but the conditions were much, worse too. I got into transition and was hoping my legs were gonna hold me through the 6.2 mile run. Crazily, they felt pretty good! I took it out pretty easy, just trying to hold a good and comfortable pace. I had 2 hills that started to aggravate my back (I thought that guy was GONE!), so ended taking a small walk break through those, but then got back at it. My run split ended up pretty good, averaging 9:15/mile. Happy with that! Finally, a better split than last year!!! 1 out of 3 isn't bad...right?

I finished up in 2:51:30, about 2.5 minutes slower than last year's race (9th place in my division of 24). Was a bit disappointing not to PR, but looking at results, it seems that that the weather affected a lot of people this year (again...the analyst in me). So, was happy to finish comparably and without too many problems. Got a great medal and gear from the race (T-shirt, visor and stainless steel water bottle). Now, I think I'm due for a recovery massage this week and then it's the Liberty Half IM next Saturday - boy is that sneaking up!

Double Digits to IM Wisc

2009-06-05T10:18:00.002-05:00

Well, countdown to IM finally went to double digits today (99). Boy, time is really flying here. Faster than what I would hope.

To mark the day - I added to my blog my official "IM Panic Attack" counter to track my anxiety as the day draws closer. So far...can only recall a couple minor nightmares regarding IM, putting my initial count to "2". Hopefully this counter will remain low.

And Then There Were Nine...Toenails

2009-06-04T21:15:00.005-05:00

Well, again....sorry for the blog delay of a week. My life has been utterly hectic this past week and you all know how it is.

Today I lost my one toenail from my marathon...finally. Has been hanging on by a thread for the past few days and I've been paranoid I was going to rip it painfully off somehow by snagging it on something. I'm glad it got stripped, before my first tri race on Sunday - so I don't have to worry about being careful about that sucker during transitions and all.

Recap highlights (that I vaguely remember) from the past week:

Friday went to core class with the crew...bright and early in the AM. Hurt to get up, hurt to do crab walks, hurt to do most of the 'animal' named moves that are inflicted during these sessions - but I was there.
Saturday had a massage with Mike, worked the entire hour on my calfs and hamstrings. My one calf is still acting up since the marathon and I think he finally loosened it up pretty good. Walking was much better after that.
Sunday had a good ride out in the windy weather - made a new route by my house that should be utilized in the next few months quite a few times for longer local routes. Not a darn hill, but good shoulders.
Monday went running over lunch with Jim around Normandale Lake quickly - calf started siezing up a bit at the end and we spent some time on the foam rollers after that.
Tuesday at spin class my shifter broke on my bike, but Jonny was able to rig 'er back up again in short order. Thank goodness for the mechanically inclined! And that it didn't happen in my race this weekend...
Yesterday, went to Moore Lake to swim a bit (not sure if C.R.'s pool is open yet or not) and had a great set of 400's. Am holding them at about 1:00 faster than last year's splits - which I'm uberly surprised at. Am seriously questioning the length of these pools lately. Are they shorter?
Today had another run and my calf is feeling OK, got my Yankz put into my new shoes and am getting those sorted out for this weekend's race.

Sunday I'm racing the Olympic distance at Buffalo. Am hoping to better my time from last year...however this is totally just a "C" race and basically a training brick with spectators (and a medal!). Am pretty confident that my swim is faster this year, as is my running - per my pacing lately in practices. I am a bit paranoid on the bike, however. I cannot tell in my practice rides where exactly I am at compared to last year - as each ride is different with weather conditions (darn wind!) and me getting comfortable on my new race wheels. I'm hoping I'm stronger - per all the extra spin training I've done this past off season...but I guess we'll see come Sunday. Wish me luck!

Beautiful Day!

2009-05-28T21:06:00.003-05:00

Today was amazing out! Such a beautiful day! Sunny and warm - I can definitely get used to this for the rest of the summer. Got to have lunch on a patio this afternoon, which was what I've been looking forward to all spring. Just waiting for the perfect day for it. Too bad that I had to go back to work after that. Not a great day for wanting to stay at work.

After work I got a nice 2 hr bike ride in on Pink Lightning. Again, couldn't have asked for a nicer evening. There was a nice little wind that made me work a bit harder than I would have liked, but that's good training. Right Jim? Ha Ha!

Nice & Windy...

2009-05-25T11:51:00.003-05:00

What a great weekend for getting in some longer workouts! Yesterday I worked a bit in the morning and then went out to the dam to do a nice little 10 mile run in the afternoon. Since my legs are still feeling a little bit 'angry' with me, I decided to galloway the run. Interestingly enough, I still pulled down a 9:10 average pace - even with the walks. I'll take that!

Today is officially my "off" day, but since I'm not at work I thought I better get some training in (and I could make up for the mechanical issues I had on Saturday). So, I got up early to get a few hours on Pink Lightning and see if my 'angry' legs wouldn't loosen up a bit. Went out to Elm Creek to do the ride. Man! It was windy out! I had my Zipps on, so got a few little 'tugs' at my front wheel during some cross-wind action and I definitely know now what that feels like. Need to get used to handling those suckers in these kinds of conditions, I guess. Needless to say, I didn't spend too much time in the areo position today and my wrists are a bit sore. Oh well...

All-in-all - got in about a 2:30 ride which is what I should have additionally put in on Saturday. Now it's off to a few Memorial Day BBQs and then probably logging back in to do some work tonight.

Busy Week...Recap

2009-05-23T18:44:00.004-05:00

Well, been neglectful in blogging this week - so sorry. Been super busy with work with an upcoming deadline + training. Everyone will be happy to know that Heidi is doing good and is itching to get back into the swing of things for upcoming races this summer. We need her on our rides, so she better get a healing! :)

Training has been going well this week. Tuesday I got back to spin class, since I've missed for the past couple weeks due to the marathon and switching nights to the night that I had class. Wednesday I had a great swim - did a mile straight and according to my watch, I was around 4 minutes faster than I was last year at this time. (Granted, I believe I counted all the laps correctly...)

Friday I decided to do a little run down by the Normandale lake near my client site over lunch for giggles. Ran two laps of the lake (roughly 4 miles) and had a fun surprise to see my average pace for that run was 7:53! Crazy - guess I'm into the 7 minute club now! I think I may do this little workout more often over the lunch hour - is a good way to sneak in some milage. My hip and calf are still giving me some persistant whining since the marathon...but hopefully will be settling down soon.

Today, I ran up to the Apple Duathlon in Sartell to cheer on my TCMC peeps that were racing! Ironman Jim & his wife Heidi did AWESOME - and Heidi qualified for the World Championships. Yeah!!! A few others that I spin with also qualified and so it was a great day of spectating! After the race, I ran home and headed down to the Liberty Half IM course to meet Noelle & Cindy for a ride. We biked one of the loops and during the last 5-10 miles my gears were not shifting well and I was not happy. (Of course it was the gears I like to be in when riding rolling hills, which are prevalent in this route!) Cindy and Noelle were kicking my butt and I was just helpless, grinding in the wrong gears! Grrr..... We stopped at the car after loop one, I tried to adjust the derailer and get things smooth again.

Loop #2, a few miles in - gears were back at their old shinanigans. So... I threw up my hands and decided to go back. I was not going to go blow up my legs (even more than they were) for another 20-some miles riding in the wrong gears - keeping up with speedy 1 and speedy 2. So, in lieu I went back to the car, threw on my shoes and hit the pavement for a bit to at least get a bit of a brick in. I think I'll probably try to get out Sunday and Monday to make up some of the miles I missed - after I get my derailer all fixed up. Oh well! Nobody said I was mechanically inclined!

And "Crash" Was Born...

2009-05-17T18:14:00.007-05:00

Yeah, today... a bit of excitement ensued (and not in a good way). I got up this morning and did a few hours of work before meeting up with the girls for our ride out in Buffalo. We were planning to do the Buffalo Olympic route 2X to get in ~50 miles or so. So Cindy, Noelle, Heidi, and a friend of Noelle's met and were off for the trek.

I had my Zipps out today, wanted to see how they felt and handled. With a little wind, I'm told they can be a bit 'catchy' and you have to know how to handle them so you don't tumble. On a few of the downhills with cross wind, I was one arm aero, one arm on handle bar/break to steady myself, which was OK... just wanted to make sure I had control. Unfortunately, it was not me that required the control today.

Just about 9-10 miles into the route we were tooling along on a flat patch. Cindy and Heidi were up front, trying to push their mph up higher in the 20's and Noelle and I were a tad further back - she was commenting on how my water bottle holder was about to fall off. Great! So, I was gonna stop and check on that...breaking and slowing down. Not a few second later, I look up and Heidi is FLYING across the road!!! Literally!

She ended up on the shoulder of the opposite side of the road along with her brand new bike. Complete and udder accident!

We hurried over to her side and she was doing OK. Huge road rash and her shoulder was very sore and she was clutching it tightly. I dialed up 911. Few minutes later we had a trooper, firefighter in his truck and the ambulance on the scene. Oh! Before they all came....another biker road right by us all and didn't even stop to see if we needed any help! 5 people with bikes all in the ditch - one girl laying in the middle of the road!?!? And not even an offer of assistance? Wtf? Some people's children!

Anyways... Heidi was loaded up by some cute parametics and taken to the ER. We all turned around and headed back to the park where our cars were parked, met up with the fireman that was wonderful enough to haul Heidi's bike back to us, and headed to meet our friend at the hospital.
In the ER, Heidi was in good spirits. We sat with her while she waited for her x-rays to come back. They came back as nothing broken...which was good. While we were waiting we named Heidi's bike for her.... "Crash"! As the thing had not officially been baptised into the triathlon world yet with a wonderful name (e.g. "Pink Lightning" (mine), "Speed Racer" (Cindy's), or "Moon Goddess" (Noelle)). So, at least we have that from today's escapades!

Cindy and Noelle drove our looped up Morphine-head friend home and did some car magic to get everyone situated with rides (thanks girls!). I had to run home fast, as Suzie was coming for my massage (much needed since the marathon) and then it was back to work for the evening. Oh what a crazy day!?!?! Hides, feel better soon! Love you!

Back Into Running

2009-05-16T09:37:00.007-05:00

Thursday was a lovely evening and so I was either going to go for a nice bike ride or go running after work. I opted for running, since my agenda looked like I would be booked up with riding this weekend.

I went out to the dam to throw down a few miles and see how I felt post-marathon. I had only done a few short stints of running since the race, so wanted to see how actually doing an hour+ run would feel.

The first 3 miles or so felt alright, was a bit stiff and tender - but not terribly bad. Was surprised to see that my pace was still pretty good.

After mile 3, I started to get hit with all my idiosyncrasies from the race, however:
My blistered TOE - hurt rubbing against my shoe. My CALF - seizing up a tad, this is the one that wanted to go into a charlie horse just after I crossed the finish line and was giving Cindy a hug. My HAMSTRING - little tender to go along with my calf. Don't know where that came from?!

So...I officially have some of that to work on, I guess. Am trying to get a massage in this weekend to get back on track here. All-in-all, ran 8 miles - which was good.

Today we were supposed to go ride the Liberty route (Half IM) with a group. I opted out due to crappy weather. Start time of the ride had the forecast at < 40 degrees (30 degree windchill) and 20+ mph winds. (I require 50 degree weather to ride - am a bit of a cold-baby).

Tomorrow, the girls and I plan to go out and ride the Buffalo route a time or two and see if we can't get our mileage in there. Weather seems to be a bit more comfortable, per the current forecast.

Crazy Route & LOST

2009-05-13T19:06:00.003-05:00

On Monday, Pink Lightning and my lovely Zipp wheels got out for a nice ride. Wind wasn't too bad and was actually warm out. (Sunday, a tad chilly on the bike - mind you!) So I was going to try for a 20-25 mile route by my house that I typically did last summer. However, as I neared my crossing on Hwy 65 to my route path, the view across the way stopped me - cones and construction all along the shoulder.

Grrr.... Well, that put a damper on that lovely route! So, I had to make up a new one. And a new one at that it was. Attempted to snake my way back around to my neck of the woods and zig-zag around to get the milage in. Not a very good route. Shoulders sucked and pavement at times was patchy. Need to find some better options here. At least my mph was good and my legs felt decent.

Yesterday was my last day of class for spring semeter - yeah! So finished that off and had a little day 'o rest. Had to work into the evening after that (late), so was a tad sleepy and crabby today at work. Oh well...tonight's planned run and swim turned into just a run. Remembered that it is 'water aerobics' night and can't deal with that tonight in my disposition of crabbiness. Which is fine - will make it up in the morning (or at least try to). ha ha. We shall see...

As for the rest of the evening...dinner with the hubby and watching the season finale of LOST. Can't wait to see what is in store!

Forgot The Pain...Already

2009-05-09T18:16:00.010-05:00

The morning of the Flying Pig marathon a week ago, Cindy and Noelle were mentioning that they already signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon in October - roughly a month after our Ironman. I myself had not and pretty much thought I had missed the boat, as I figured it was filled up already. Noelle said that it probably wasn't full just yet, so I said I'd think about signing up when we got back home (Note: this was about 5:30 AM...prior to the race start).

At about mile 20 of the race - this thought was running through my head. "No way in HELL I'm signing myself back up for one of these....voluntarily!" TC Marathon - off the plate. Several days of waddling around with sore legs earlier this week - same answer.

Today, Cindy and I went out to the Oakdale Duathlon to cheer on Heidi, Jim & Heidi, and others that we knew racing. Was a great race and everyone did so well. Was kind of nice to spectate at one of these things...don't usually get to do that. In addition, a bunch of friends are up in Fargo today running the marathon up there...

So, something obviously sparked in me today and I must have forgotten the pain of the race last week (already) - as I just signed up for the TC Marathon. What am I thinking!?!?! That will make 4 marathons this year (including IM) - officially psycho.

I think I want to see what I can do on a 'flatter' course in my home state - see if I can't PR again. I can always back out, pending I'm fried from the IM...but that is a looonnnggg ways out (OK, I'm telling myself it is a long ways out, but that counter up on this blog just keeps ticking faster and faster!).

Soreness Subsiding

2009-05-07T08:21:00.002-05:00

So, 3 days post-race, the legs are starting to get back to normal. The boys at work gave me some crap, since I was walking like a 100 year old for about 2 days. Now, I can actually walk down stairs without bracing myself substantially by railings or walls. That is key!

On Monday, I went to the pool and 'ran' and stretched in the water to loosen up my legs a bit after getting home from work. That helped quite a bit. Tuesday, I had the 'day off' due to class. Then last night, I got a quick ride outside on Pink Lightning prior to the skies opening up. Was nice to loosen up the legs a bit and to try out the new helmet and sunglasses.

Survey says: Helmet - comfy and love it. Sunglasses - great! Love the fit and requires no 'squinting' when in the aero position. I'm slightly concerned about the lens size, however. These are 'mens' sunglasses and work just fine with the bike helmet, however, might be a little large when paired with a visor on the 'run'. You know my motto....look good, race good. So I might have to try to order up the 'fem' version of these and see if they fit better - but I want the lens color that is in the mens version. Oh, what problems!

Flying Pig Results

2009-05-04T09:18:00.003-05:00

Here are my 'official' results from yesterday's race:
(click for larger image)

PR at Cincinnatti

2009-05-03T13:28:00.006-05:00

Aughhhhh..... Let's just start with that. We got up this morning at 3:30 to get over to the race 'bright and early'. Rain was starting on the drive over. We got there and Steph let us hang in her car for a bit until the parking attendant got all crabby with us, then we went into the stadium/center that the race was starting from.

By race start, the rain had subsided with only a few drips....temps were perfect. Then we were off. Cindy, Noelle and I ran together for a bit (remember, Cindy was only doing the half marathon!). Then Noelle and I peeled off and kept a going. We were holding a pretty decent clip (mostly in the mid-8 minute miles). Miles 5-9, as predicted held for us some really good hills. I made Noelle walk 2-3 of these with me, as my back/broken @ss could not handle these inclines - as I had predicted.

Miles 15-20 really sucked for me (oh! did I mention that Noelle and I decided to run the whole thing....non-Galloway?). Noelle was keeping great pace (in the 8's still) and I fell behind her a good 15-20 paces. But, she kept me motivated and I wasn't going to lose her from my sights. So, we kept on. By mile 20, we were getting a bit tired, and had to throw in some walks for the last 6 miles. Which was fine by me. We were still on par for a great time (in my book).

Noelle had some achilles issues with the hills we had incountered too, so we were both faltering just a tad for the last 10K. By the last mile, Noelle was kicking it pretty hard and trying to keep me motivated. One last hill towards the end - I had to do a stint walking up it for 30-45 seconds...as my back was screaming. Then off to the finish line. I was just bitter to get this done with and Noelle was trying to light a fire under me. I was having nothing of it for the last 3/4 miles. Just.Wanted.This.God.Damn.Race.Done! (pardon my french). But 'thanks' Noelle, you are an angel!

We finished 'er up to the cheering from Cindy at the finish line. Didn't see her, but heard her. She did awesome on her half too! Final time for Noelle & I was 4:18 (under a 10 minute mile). PR for me by quite a bit (last marathon was 4:53). The impressive thing was that this course was much, much hillier than San Antonio. Much more challenging!

Post race - legs very sore. Few nice blisters on the toes and I'm sure a few black toes to boot. (We'll see when I take my nail polish off when I get home) Now, it's time to wash up some clothes here before we pack up our stuff for our flight home tomorrow morning. Might need a little nap too. Umm....nap.sounds.nice!

Our feet, post race. Nice blisters on Cindy and my feet. Oh what fun!

All Done!!! (Great medals too! Best medal that I have to date - and it's PINK!!!)

Ready To Run

2009-05-02T17:37:00.003-05:00

Today we got up and went over to the Expo. It's a good thing that I really like pink...as you all can tell. As the entire expo clothing line looked like a bit pepto-bismol fest! I got a great jacket (pink), long sleeved tech shirt (pink) and black t-shirt (with pink on it!) plus some other misc. "Flying Pig" stuff.

We also got a tech shirt for the race, a poster, and a bag that was pretty cool. Not too bad for the day, in terms of garb. I may have an issue packing up this stuff and getting it all home in my roller bag. Hmmm.... creative packing may have to ensue.

After the expo, we grabbed lunch and then just bummed around. We found a pottery fair and looked around for a bit and also rode part of the route to see what we were up against. There is one section that may proove to be a tad of a challenge around miles 5-9. I just hope that my back/broken @ss doesn't start to act up with the inclines. Regardless, I'm going to take those easy - as this is a "C" race and not as important as making it to September in one piece.

Tonight is a pasta dinner at Joe's house (Steph's adorable boyfriend) and then early to bed for us girls that need to get up at the crack of dawn for this sucker. Weather report says 50-60 degrees out with 50-60% chance of showers in the AM. I'm guessing we may get wet. Here's hoping not. Race report to follow tomorrow - hopefully in good spirits.

We Made It!

2009-05-01T19:51:00.006-05:00

Made to to Cincinnatti today....Noelle and I flew in and Cindy and Steph picked us up at the airport. We went out to grab a bite to eat....Mexican, and a few beverages. Yum! Now the bunch of nerds that we are....are all sitting in Steph's living room either blogging or facebooking. Yeah, crazy girls!

Quote of the Day [Thanks to Cindy!] - "I'm just doing the half marathon....REMEMBER?!?!"

(in reference to nutritional information administered to her regarding sodium intake in Ohio)

I guess half marathoners don't require sodium in Ohio... Note to self. Guess that is just for us FULL marathoners, Cindy! Ha ha!

OK, we are ready to hit the town soon...check out a few night spots and chill out for a bit. Expo tomorrow and then getting ready for race day Sunday. Noelle and I are debating plans of action for the race now. To Galloway, or to not Galloway....that is the question (Thanks Jim and Shawn for planting that seed! %$&@! Grrrrr). I guess the world will know when they see our splits on the marathon tracker.

Heading Out Tomorrow

2009-04-30T21:09:00.005-05:00

So, It is now upon us - flying out tomorrow for the marathon in Cincinnatti. Of course, I'm not packed yet. Just got home from the gym from running a couple quick miles to loosen up the legs. Thought I'd log one last blog before getting outta dodge.

There is marathon tracking if anyone wants to get email or text splits during my race. Not guaranteeing anything people! Ha ha!

So wish me luck! Marathon #2 - watch out!

Busy Getting Set For the Pig!

2009-04-28T21:13:00.003-05:00

This week has been flying by. I'm trying to get everything all lined up for being gone this weekend for the "Flying Pig" marathon, but we all know how that goes. Not enough time in the day!

Sunday I had a pretty good workout - indoors, since it was rainy and nasty out. Ran 8 miles and swam 3000 yds. Had a pretty good 1200 yd straight swim, in which my average 400 splits were all under my 1/4 mile race pace - so was happy.

Monday, I met with my trainer in the morning - which went OK. Measurements didn't move this month, but I think the past week or so of fending off this 'crap' I've been dealing with and not having any appetite may have put me in a bad position for taking these. I have to try to keep up my calories this week better, with the marathon on Sunday. Went spinning in the evening, which went well.

Today, I had class after work, and so am going to maybe try to start packing up my gear for this weekend tonight - as I fly out on Friday for Ohio. I'm sure I'll be swamped tomorrow and Thursday...which is usually how it goes when you plan to take off for somewhere. Now, if only I knew what to pack?

Gear...It's That Time of Year

2009-04-25T11:46:00.004-05:00

I feel like it's Christmas...just put my orders in for this season's 'necessary gear' for race season:
1. Garmin Forerunner 310XT Multisport
2. Rudy Project Kontact Helmet
3. Rudy Sunglasses

Item #1 is the COOLEST thing EVER!
A week or so ago, a friend of mine had mentioned that he saw there was a new Garmin coming out...but I disregarded it - as typically they release a new watch each year. I found out more information on the Garmin this week from Ironman Jim & Heidi that it is ACTUALLY is coming out with a multisport GPS (which means it it waterproof)! Hooray!!!

My biggest complaint when racing is that I have all these watches that perform all different functions and none that does them all that you can wear for an entire race (swim to finish). I really like to have my Garmin that tells you your pace and distance when I'm racing - but since none of them (previously) were waterproof...it is too much of a pain to put these guys on during transition and have them all synched up and ready to go, etc. I have been debating what stategy of watch(es) I needed to use for Ironman and how I was going to coordinate it all. Problem...solved.

I don't think the watch is released until May... so may be a few weeks until my pre-order comes to my doorstep. I'll let you all know how it works out when I get it. Yeah!!!

Sleeping Beauty...Kind of

2009-04-24T07:39:00.004-05:00

Wednesday, I was exhausted. I think I did have a little bit of a bug from Monday still and then dinner on Tuesday night was a late one (way past my typical 9:30 bedtime!). So I came home from work and took a nap on the couch. After about an hour and a half, I woke up, toasted a bagel for 'dinner' and headed up to bed. All-in-all...I slept 12 hours! 6:30 PM - 6:30 AM. So wierd.

Yesteday I felt much better (must have been all the sleep). I debated heading outside on the bike yesterday after work vs. spin class (since it was 85 degrees out!!!). However, the crazy wind squelched that idea right away. I went to spin and we ended up running outside instead of doing stairs for our brick workouts - which was kind of different. Jonny was actually nice to us for the last 30 minutes of class and let us spin 'easily' at 200 watts. (OK, if I had said that a few months ago...I would have died laughing, cuz 200 watts was NOT so easy.) Must mean I'm getting stronger.

This morning I got up and lifted and now am heading to the chiropractor again to get a little work done. Then off to work!

Chiropractor Time

2009-04-21T17:07:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Ironman Jim and his wife Heidi ran the Boston marathon...so tracked them online during the day at the office. They did a good job for just making it a 'training run'. Later in the day, I think I got a bit of a bug that is floating around the office or I ate something bad. My stomach was just churning all afternoon. I drove up to spin class to see how it was gonna be, and in the parking lot I decided that it probably wasn't going to fly to spin tonight (bad stomach + sore legs from Saturday...not going to be a good class). So I went up and said 'hi' to the troops and chatted for a bit, then went home and rested on the couch (while doing some work - if I wasn't working out...I may as well be billing). Stomach feels better today...so strange.

Today, I got up early and got my swim in - 3000 yards. Workout felt pretty good and was glad to get it done. I then went down to work. I came home for a chiropractor appointment to check out my hip alignment and back and see if I can't fix this thing up. Went OK, did some adjustments and funky chiropractor stuff. Then had a heat 'session' on the bad spots. I could have taken a nice little nap at that time.

Now, Jake and I are headed to Manny's for a celebration dinner for my President's club award I got for work last year. Should be fun, is at the new Manny's at the "W", which we have not been to yet. Can't wait...gonna be some good food. Yum!

Earth Day Race Report

2009-04-18T12:49:00.007-05:00

First race of the season....done! I got up early this morning and headed to St. Cloud for the Earth Day half marathon. I did this race last year (was my first half marathon) and so was curious as to how I'd do in comparison this year with all my Ironman training I'd been up to lately.

I had 2 goals going into the race:
1. Run faster than last year's time.
2. Break the 2 hr mark

I didn't have any people to run with this year, so I pumped up the iPod with my catchy tunes and hit the pavement. Strategy included keeping a nice steady pace and making sure my turnover for my legs kept quick (or at least I was consciously thinking about this). One mile in I checked out my Garmin and saw that I was well under the pace that I had mentally set for myself (9:00 min/mile) and so I decided that I'd attempt to keep all my miles under the 9:00 mark - or at least as long as I could. Guess what? They kept down in the low 8's... the WHOLE race (including one 7!).

I felt great and kept up my 'suppliments' and nutrition all in stride (practicing for Ohio in a few weeks). I ended up crossing the finish line in 1:50:36. Average pace = 8:27 minute/mile.

Goals - Accomplished! (17 minutes faster than last year - holy crap!!!) and well under 2 hrs!

I was a little floored by my 'places' too (see below)...this is a running race and I'm usually not up in this percentile for this type of event. So was very happy! I'm hoping this race is an indicator of how I might do in upcoming races - we shall see...

Here's an interesting comparison to last year's race results (yes... I am an analyst! Can't you tell?).

Tired Legs

2009-04-15T08:06:00.004-05:00

Sunday I was planning on taking Pink Lightning out on the road for the first time this spring. Was so excited. I got my cold riding gear out (had to dig a bit), scavenged around for my flat kit which I took off this winter, and attempted to get the training tire off of my back wheel. Could.not.get.it.off! These training tires are made of rubber that is really hard to get on and off of the wheel. I had Jonny put the thing on this fall for me. Well, after about 20 minutes of fighting this thing - I gave up. No riding outside for me that day. On a good note, I did get to watch the Ironman 70.3 Clearwater on TV...

Monday at spin, I had Jonny switch out my tire. Now I'm set!!! He also is putting my cassette on my new Zipp wheels this week so I can try those babies out too. Yeah!!! So in spin on Monday we had a 20 minute time trial (TT). This is where you go as hard as you can to keep the highest power wattage output for the entire 20 minutes. We did one a few months back, so it helps gauge where you are at and if you are getting stronger.

I started out pretty good, but at about minute 12 or 13 my legs just gave out. I think that my 20 miler on Saturday was a big factor in that. So, I just spun the best I could for the remainder of the TT, and ended up with an average wattage that was still about 20-25 watts better than my last TT. So, at least that was decent. But man! Those legs just were tired!!! Grrr....

Yesterday I lifted in the morning and had class last night. Today is a run and swim day for me...and my brother and niece from Alaska are coming into town! So will be nice to get to see them here soon. Saturday is the 1/2 marathon in St. Cloud. Weather report is looking like rain - which would really suck. I'm crossing my fingers that it holds off. If not, guess I'll be getting wet.

20 Miler - Done!

2009-04-11T20:13:00.007-05:00

I met Noelle today at Elm Creek to knock this 20 miler off the training schedule. Last super long run until the Marathon. So, we decided to tackle a 'hilly' course to emulate what we are up against in Cincinnatti, come May. The day was awesome, weather was perfect. Had a bit of wind on occasion, but overall very nice out.

We ran 6 miles out-and-back on the trails one way, took a brief pit stop at our cars for Gatorade & GU, then hit the trails to the opposite direction for another 8 miles. At our turn around at mile 16, we stretched out and officically got a bit loopy. I think we both could have laid there for hours just soaking up the sun, but some bikers starting coming by and we thought we might look a tad wierd. (I did actually get some good sun on my face...checking in the mirror just a bit ago) The last 4 miles, we just wanted to get DONE! I think we picked up the pace a bit and got it hammered out as fast as we could (at that point).

All-in-all, run went well. Legs felt good, only problem was breathing with this darn stuffy head. I also got a nice little chafing on my neck from either my shirt seam or my necklace... looks like a hicky. Not good. ha ha.

I got home and sat in the hot tub for a bit and then chowed down some food to fill the gap that my little 2400 calorie jaunt cut into me. Now, milage goes down for the next two weeks until the big race. That will be super nice. Noelle got some pics from the run that I will post here later when she sends them to me.

Nice Day...

2009-04-10T20:47:00.003-05:00

Today was such a nice day out... I am SOOO ready for summer (or at least spring)! I met up with some co-workers for breakfast this morning, so had to omit my morning swim. After work, I ran over to check out a bike for my sister-in-law (for her first triathlon this summer) and ended up picking it up. Needs a little tune-up at the bike shop, but should be a decent starter bike for Stacy. Yeah!

After that, I went and swam my laps at the gym. Got about 3000 yards in with some pretty good 400 sets, which I held some good splits on. Was pleased about that. Now, it's food (maybe some catching up on my DVR shows) and early to bed... Noelle and I are meeting tomorrow for our 20 miler (or pretty close to that). We're going to go run out at Elm Creek and get some hills in, preparing for Cincinnatti. Then, after this weekend's long run - it's all downhill until the marathon. Yeah!!! We'll see how it goes.

Colds...So much Fun!

2009-04-08T20:14:00.004-05:00

Been a little lagging on blogging this week...oops. Updates include I've been fighting a cold all week and might be starting to get over the hump. I drugged up with NyQuil last night and got 10 hours of sleep, which I think was much needed. Hopefully, I'm on the mend and can swing back into my training plan without too much trouble - last week was a recovery week anyways. I'm usually good for one cold in the spring that knocks me out for about a week - I hope this is it!

On Sunday, Jake came home from being outta town for the weekend with a dozen pink roses. My house smells amazing! They really are the best smelling flowers that I think I've ever received. Was a nice little surprise.

Tonight, I had a 6 mile run followed by lifting weights. I was going to swim, but water aerobics was in full force and I wasn't going to deal with that tonight. Oh well. Now grab a bite to eat and get some more sleep. Um... love sleep.

I'm Broken...Still

2009-04-02T21:24:00.003-05:00

I thought that maybe I might be getting better from my little broken @ss incident that I've been getting massaged through as-of-late, etc. Again tonight at spin class, during the stair intervals - like clockwork on rep #8, it starts to kick in. That is, a dull aching pain in my lower left back / upper @ss that just puts everything out of alignment for me. So...it's either keep going for the next 12 reps in pain - potentially injuring myself further. Or...pop back into the room and have Suzie crank on me for 10-15 min. I opted for the latter.

So, Suzie worked me over good. Jonny J came in and gave his opinion too. (He confirmed, my lower back / hips are a bit jacked up (possibly from my fall a while back on the ice). I didn't understand squat when they were conversing on their opinions). So, I jumped back on the bike, spun for the next set and ran out for stair set #2. I knew the outcome here, but had to try until it hurt. I'm not a slacker - and of course...made it to rep #8, aching started to flair up, and decided to go back in and hit the foam roller. Well, then Mike stepped in (another massage wonderboy) and decided that he was going to work on me (his specialty, I guess). So Mike took me aside and started to massage the hell out of me (pardon my french...but other words were rolling through my head that were much, much worse during his little session). I think he really got some of the muscles relaxed up, though. But we'll see.

Due to this little issue, I'm under strict orders to attend 'core' class tomorrow morning at 5:45. Guess I'll have to skip my swim and head over to that class and get my glutes worked over. I have a feeling this is gonna hurt.

On a good note... I had done a fitting last week for the TCMC (Twin Cities Multisport Club) tri outfits for racing this season (since a lot of the people I've been training with will be flaunting these lovely duds at races this summer) - but they were only ordering men's outfits. Needless to say, men's outfits don't fit women very well. But, whatever...was gonna get one and be a team player. Tonight at class, they had a box of women's outfits...guess that those will now be an option instead. So, luckily - the outfits might be a tad more flattering than the men's ones on us. But...we shall see.

My Life Would Suck Without You

2009-04-02T08:40:00.002-05:00

So, yesterday I made it to the gym in the AM to swim - I swear...this is going to take! Had a decent swim set and then headed to work. After work, I met up with the hubby (his day off) and we went back to the gym and I got in a good 6 mile run on the dreadmill plus some abs after that.

It was quite funny when I was running, however, as when one of my songs on my iPod came on (Kelly Clarkson), I just was flying. I had to crank up my speed just to keep the treadmill up with my pace. I found it hilarious that music can do that to you. Just to test that, I would flip between some songs and see how my pace felt, then back to this one song and sure enough....pace just accelerated. Now, if only I could have my iPod during IM Wisc... Oh well, I'm good at singing to myself in my head.

Trainer Day!

2009-03-30T08:01:00.004-05:00

Met Nicole bright and early this morning for our monthly training session. This month was a nice little surpise - as the past 2 months I've held pretty steady on my measurements, etc.

I was down 5 lbs and 1% body fat this month....so was happy with those results. Additionally, my ab measurement is almost to the lowest that it's ever been - and we're talking bridal bootcamp time was when I hit my bottom for that guy - almost 4 years ago! Based on last year's measurements at this time, I'm down 2%. So still ahead of the game, in my opinion.

I'm still aiming for dropping another 3-4% body fat by the start of race season / early summer. That would get me sitting pretty good for my heavy Ironman training and going into IM Wisc. My workout this month is focused on power. Short, heavy sets to focus on building up some explosiveness. We'll see how that goes.

LSD Run - Complete

2009-03-28T18:35:00.004-05:00

I met up with Noelle today at the dam for our LSD (long slow distance) run for the weekend. I was hoping she would be able to run with me, as I decided to sleep a bit in this morning and do the run in the afternoon.

So we ended up running 16 miles total - did 2, 8 mile out-and-backs, which ended up working out pretty well. Felt pretty good on the run, was a smidge chilly on parts of the trail when the wind picked up - but pretty decent out all-in-all. Am very happy all the snow and ice is gone, makes these runs much, much better. So glad it's done, though.

Now, I'm heading down to uptown to have dinner and hang out with Heidi for the evening. It's 'girls' weekend, which has been few and far between lately with training. So will be fun.

Week 2 - AM Workouts

2009-03-27T08:14:00.003-05:00

Today I got up bright & early to go swimming - AGAIN! That makes 2 weeks now that I have officially woken up and done morning laps. This might become a habit, I'm not terribly sure yet - but maybe. I still don't like mornings and I don't like getting ready at the gym. My hair always comes out frizzy. Oh well...

Had a good spin last night. Tried to keep up with Ironman Jim on the stairs and did alright for some of the set, then dropped off the last half of the set to get my back massaged by Suzie. Ahhhh...much needed. She's coming over on Sunday for another massage, so that is good.

One thing I hate about all this training? Clothes....specifically jeans. I had to try on 4 pairs of jeans last night to make sure I packed a pair that fit in my gym bag (because there is no going back to the closet when you are in the gym locker room, if something doesn't work so well). My jeans are all either too big/baggy/sloppy - or some are too tight in the thighs (Thanks Jonny J!) due to lovely spin workouts I've been putting these legs through. I cannot understand how there is not one pair of jeans in my stack that remotely fits me like they used to. Even last season! I think I just need to do some good Spring shopping - great excuse, right?

Nightmare on State Street

2009-03-25T07:43:00.010-05:00

So, I'm hoping it was the Tylenol PM talking...but I woke up this morning from a nightmare regarding Ironman. I'm going to have to chalk this one up to my first panic attack (subliminally via dream). Will need to get that counter up on the blog here soon. Grrr...was hoping that may take longer to implement - but it's creeping up fast!

Anyways, I dreamt that I showed up for Ironman the morning of the race. I had my wetsuit on with a hole in the arm - it was terribly hard to put on and I think I had it on backwards even. I was trying to go through bags and totes of stuff that I got for the race, but couldn't find ANYTHING! Then I was getting wisked off to the swim start and I had no wrist band, no special needs bags set up, no nutrition, and no bike helmet or sunglasses! I had been absolutely unprepared and they were wisking me into the water in my tore up wetsuit! I think I ordered one of my friends to run down the street to the bike shop and buy me a helmet & sunglasses - was so completely insane! My alarm went off then and I had to get up.

Needless to say, I will probably have some sort of project plan, itinerary, and lists galore when I do finally get to this race (as anyone who knows me....should expect nothing less). But this was sure a goofy dream.

Yum...Caffeine

2009-03-23T21:24:00.004-05:00

No...it's not from Diet Coke! But I did consume my fair share of coffee today. With a crappy night of sleep under my belt, the typical morning thermos of coffee on my commute to work just wasn't enough. So I had to swing into Caribou before hitting the office for a large, light roast.

Then, with the crappy, rainy weather out...at lunch I had 2-3 (small) cups of coffee with my salad. Then...around 2:30-3:00ish I was starting to crash - need one more cup of coffee from the break room. I don't know what got into me today!?!?

Well, needless to say with this consumption under my belt, at spin tonight I was either going to have a good day - or a really bad day. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good one. I felt pretty strong holding most of our fairly long sets at close to 225-250 watts - consistently. Goal was not to dip below 200 during these 20-30 minute sets and I think I hit that pretty good. Must have been all the caffeine I consumed today! (Not to mention the Cafe Latte flavored Perpetuem that Ironman Jim let me try during class) Bring on the joe!

Ah...Saturday Runs

2009-03-21T11:29:00.002-05:00

Last night, Jake and I went to a birthday party for a couple of his co-workers. I had a good time, tossing back a few Bud Light Limes. Yum!...but, had a long run in the AM - so had to be pretty good. Time flies.

So I got up at 6:00 AM and met up with Noelle at the dam at 6:30. I'm impressed I got there on time and not feeling too bad (according to Jake's PBT, I was at a .109 last night. Good thing I wasn't driving! ha ha). So, we proceeded to run - went all the way out to Elm Creek and back and then did a little loop around the center for a total of 14 miles. I was supposed to do 15-16, but we decided that was close enough. Was nice to have the run done and over with early in the day.

Now, off to do a little work this afternoon and then Jake and I have a banquet tonight that we are going to with his Chief and wife.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T07:31:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was SOOOO beautiful out! Mid-60s is something that I've totally missed. I cannot wait until this weather is here to stay. Not holding my breath just yet, though. I am a Minnesotan and I know how this state works.

I had a great spin last night - we did some wattage sets with decent recovery sets in between. (I HATE it when we have only 30 seconds to catch our breath and then are expected to punch out another high wattage set like its nothin!) Motivational Ironman Jim got me up to 325 Watts on one of the last sets - which is crazy for me. Now if only I could hold that longer...will keep trying.

Today, Ironman Jim and I went on a Shamrock shake run for work and hauled 16 McD's shakes back to the office. It took a little while for them to make them all up - but boy were they good! Yum! Was craving one of those since last night... Then I had class tonight over in St. Paul. Luckily it got out early so I had a bit of time at home tonight. Think I'll watch a little TV before hitting the hay.