I'm laying here in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho on the night before the biggest race in my life so far. My bike is racked and clean as a whistle. My transition bags are packed and tied with ribbon to distinguish (yellow ribbon for livestrong and red for ironman-thanks to Sarah) I've been hydrating up the ying yang for the past 5 days. My family has helped me with everything from packing my special needs bags to fiddling with my Garmin. My dad, mom, sister and all my amazing friends will help me as I count down the miles from 140.6: I'm ready, I'm confident, and I can hardly believe this year has flown by so fast. Tomorrow is my day...My time to shine. I've done the training, I know my nutrition, I understand how my body works and I LOVE competition. So bring Ironman.
Predicted times:
Swim time: btw 1:12 and 1:23
Bike time: btw 6:25 and 6:50
Run time: btw 4:00 and 5:00
The Duck Bill Thrill triathlon was a cold one to say the least. As we were pulling in to the transition site the outdoor temperature was 41 degrees. Not necessarily a heart warming temperature, especially when you know you'll be jumping into the freezing ass lake in less than an hour. But who really cares? Thats why we do tri's because they're for crazy people, who like to do crazy things. The swim start began at 8 am sharp in the frigid, mirky Fall Creek Reservoir. I started up front with high hopes of getting thrashed around by other swimmers. I thought it would be a good chance to simulate the mass swim start of IM. For the first time I also swam with a 3 mm neoprene swim cap which made the swim a lot more enjoyable. As I came out of the water I was slightly disoriented due to the cold water. The first thing I heard was Sarah cheering me on. The she informed me I had dropped my goggles. I looked back and all I could see was brown stirred up water. Screw it I thought...my goggles were looking a little trashed anyway. Like I was honestly going to waste 2 minutes to search for my freaking goggles... all and anytime you can muster up in an Olympic distance tri is very valuable. Transition was kinda chaotic considering my limbs primarily my feet were completely numb. This made it highly difficult to get my socks and bike shoes on... nevertheless I figured it out, hopped on my bike and got to it. I couldn't feel my feet for the entire bike. I tried doing little toe wiggles to get the blood flowing but that didn't do squat. I pushed pretty hard on the bike because I knew there weren't to many women ahead of me. Overall the bike went really well. The course has a decent amount of hills but also a fair amount of down hills to make up for it. As I came into transition I wobbled to my t zone and somehow managed to get my feet out of my bike shoes and into my running shoes. I couldn't feel my feet until mile 3 of the run. It felt kinda like running on cinderblocks... now you may wonder how I know what running on cinderblocks feels like... and quite frankly I don't actually know. I couldn't tell where my feet were in relation to my strides... it was crazy! When I finally regained feeling I was able to pick up my pace considerably. The last 3 miles flew by and I felt really strong. I came across the finish line in 2 hrs and 38 minutes! Beat my last olympic time by 8 minutes. I got 4th overall for women and 1st in my age group! Racing is truly incredible. I love every aspect of it. Competition is ultimately what pushes me to the finish line and on to the next race.
What a great day!
Ironman CDA : 33 days away
I would have to say my first half iron was quite successful. I ended up taking 4th place in my age group coming in just after the 6 hour mark. My official time was 6hr and 30 seconds. My swim time was 35 minutes, bike time was 3hrs and 17 minutes and my run time was 1 hr 59 minutes and 53 seconds. The course was quite challenging. The bike consisted of 2 major hills and alot of rollers. The run was by far the hardest run I've ever done (racing or training). The run was mainly off road on a sandy rocky surface. The run was primarily hills. When I got off my bike and started the run I couldn't have felt stronger. I've never been so happy to start running. It felt glorious on my legs to have them moving in a different motion. I started off with a steady pace...not to fast not to slow. I didn't want to start off to strong and have to walk at the end. Our ages were marked on our right calf. My constant motivation on the run course was to hunt down women in my age group and pass them. I ended up passing 6 girls on the run. All in all I had an incredible experience at Wildflower and would love to come back and beat my time next year. Now its on to CDA!!! Thanks for all your support.
C
As I lay in bed on the night before my first half ironman I can't help but be slightly jittery. My mind's a racing, my stomach's a churning and I can't help but think about what I'll be doing 12 hours from now. I'm constantly reminded of race day as I look down at my hands on the keyboard I see my number 1807 marked in bold, black permanent marker. Anywho... I swam a bit today in Lake San Antonio where WF is held. The water was about 61 degrees which felt quite warm compared to swimming in Fall Creek the past few weeks. I think I'm going to survive tomorrow. I'm praying that everything will go as smooth as possible from swim start, to transitions, to making it across the finish line with enough energy left to throw down the moon walk. With that being said... the next time I write to you, I'll be that much closer to becoming an Ironman.
Now it's time to get some.
Meet my training buddy John. This Sunday John will be participating in the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon. We've been practicing open water swimming together at Fall Creek to get him ready to swim in the San Fransisco bay. The triathletes will take a ferry out to Alcatraz Island. When they arrive at the starting point the athletes will jump from the ferry into the Pacific Ocean and begin their 1.5 mile swim back to the mainland. The bike course is 18 miles and winds up, down and all around the city of San Fransisco. Last but not least the 8 mile run loops underneath the famous Golden Gate Bridge and back to the transition area. It is sure to be a long Sunday afternoon but John is going to KILL IT! Good luck John.... keep your thoughts positive and remember pain is weakness leaving the body. I'll be thinking about you as you plunge into the nice warm water. Livestrong... You got this... money in the bank.
Made it to San Francisco yesterday. Spent the evening with Zephyr (my roommate from last year). Today I'll travel on to San Louis Obispo. I can hardly wait to get to some warm weather, see the Abster, and get ready for one of the largest races in America. Wildflower is now only 2 days away...thats right 2 days. When I registered for Wildflower on December 2nd I thought race day would never come. Shockingly its here. To be honest I can't wait for Saturday. The race starts at 8 am but the swim is done in waves. My wave begins at 9:10 and will consist of women 29 and under. Piece of cake! Knowing that I don't have to do a mass start with pros, men and thousands of other great swimmers gave me a huge confidence boost. I've been practicing open water swims in Fall Creek near Eugene the past few weeks. The water temperature has been a whooping 52 degrees. Putting your face in the water is a combination plate of claustrophobia, suffocation and a mega ice cream headache. Basically I focused on staying in the water, sighting and getting used to freezing water. Luckily the average water temp for WF is 72 degrees. This should be a walk in the park compared to Fall Creek. The bike portion of WF is sure to be a b*&^% the last hill is called the "Nasty Grade" and is a 1000 ft 5 mile climb straight up. The run is 40 % road and 60 % trails. From what I've heard there will be naked college students popping out of the trees along the run course. This should make for an interesting and very entertaining 13 miles. To say the least, I think I'm ready for the heat of WF. I'm prepared, focused and ready go all in. With that being said....BRING IT ON WILDFLOWER!
Time sure seems to be flying lately, its hard to believe Wildflower is in 18 days! My training is coming along very well and at this point my body feels great! Last weekend was long and rough in deed but sure enough, I made it. I'll be heading to San Louis Obispo on the 28th of April to relax and get ready for Wildflower (half iron) on May 2nd. I've been reading a decent amount of blogs about individuals and their experiences at WF. Apparently the best way to describe WF is hot, hilly and hell. Man.... that right there gets me EXCITED! ha. It is my hope that my training will pay off on May 2nd and WF will be a walk in the park (: None the less, I think I'm ready to get some.
Time is starting to fly........
I can hardly believe I'm almost finished with 3 months of training. First race of the season is in 38 days near San Luis Obispo California. Wildflower is know as one of the largest, hilliest, hottest, wildest triathlons in the US. It's really time to kick it in to gear for this one. The Wildflower tri will be half iron distance, 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. My game face is on and I'm ready to get some. This race will be a good test of how ready I am for the real deal.
Went for an outdoor ride yesterday. The first outdoor ride on my new frame. Allow me to set the scene...
March 21st, an overcast day in Northern Idaho. The temperature is chilly and grey clouds blanket the once blue sky. I was going back and forth adding layers, then taking them off again thinking I'd be to hot. In the end I opted for the extra layers thinking I'd rather be hot than cold. I was riding with a friend of mine who clearly had the opposite thought running through his mind. This was clearly evident when he showed up for our 3 hour ride in shorts, a tank top and no socks. I was shocked. The clouds were getting darker and darker by the minute. I asked him if he was sure he would be warm enough with his minimal clothing choices. He responded with pure confidence that he was more than prepared for whatever it was that mother nature was about to hit us with. With that being said we hit the road.
We headed West on HWY 2 towards Laclede. Light precipitation started within the first 5 minutes of our ride but we figured that was as bad as it would get. The weather held up pretty good until we arrived at the Klondike in Laclede. At this point we had to make a decision as to if we should venture further West or head back to town in case the weather took a turn for the worse. We decided it was best to head back to town seems how if the weather held up we could continue the ride closer to town. The second we decided to head back, the once light precipitation escalated to a heavy down pour. The ride back was brutal. Cars were spraying us with muddy road water, my lips were dusted with sand from riding behind Steve. It was lovely. The ride back took us about an hour and we were both substantially drenched. Sure enough Steve was freezing in his lame-o clothing choices. I continually reminded him that it was in fact March, in Northern Idaho and that his choice of attire was quite shafty. In the end we did make it back to the club. I took my cycling shoes off, poured out the standing water and thought to myself....what am I thinking? Ha just kidding, I loved every moment of that ride. Builds character and adds variability to my training. I'm hoping to ride the full CDA course this Saturday. Fingers crossed for gorgeous sunny weather!
Puravida!
A huge thanks to the Life Cycle Bike Shop crew in Eugene. These guys hooked a sister up! They went above and beyond the call of duty to get me a new bike frame. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for my bike to show up. I wanted to take my bike back to Idaho over spring break to get some long rides in and potentially ride the Ironman CDA course. I basically called the bike shop everyday last week inquiring about my bike. When I went to pick up my bike Friday afternoon, I was so excited...the moment my eyes saw the frame I fell in LOVE. My previous bike was awesome, the yellow was fast and a wild color to say the least but this new frame is sexy. Were talkin' matte black with hot pink. What more could I ever ask for?!?! I took my bike home and could hardly stop looking at it... ha actually I'm still looking at it...3 days later. One may think I'm crazy but I even slept with my bike next to my bed the first night. It was glorious waking up to may baby sitting right in front of me. Anyway when I first found out that my bike had a cracked frame it really threw me off. In the end everything ended up working out for me and my bike. A learning experience to say the least. Don't stress about thinks you can't control and likely they'll workout in your favor. Here are some snap shots of my new beauty.
Enjoy
Somehow my bike frame has cracked where the carbon meets the aluminum on the rear triangle. I'm sending some photos to Felt warranty Monday morning. We'll see if they will replace the frame under the life time warranty. Time will tell. For now I'm back on the upright bike at the gym. Today's workout was bike-run-bike-run. 2 hrs of biking 40 minutes of running.
Last week I put in around 14 hours of training. I felt great overall at the end of the week. Not complaining about some minor blisters I acquired on my long run :) This week is my one of my first recovery week...I must say I'm really happy to have a light week. My planned training time for the recovery week is about 10.5 hours. May still seem like a lot but when your used to an additional 4 hours its NBD. Yesterday I got some new Hammer Nutrition products, Recover-right and Perpetuem. I'm looking forward to incorporating these products into my workout and hopefully seeing a difference in overall performance. Anywhoo.... Time for me to hit the saddle.
Peace, love and TRI
Well today is workout number 40! Things are moving right along with training. Overall I'm feeling pretty good. The feeling of nervousness has switched to excitement. I'm up to 13 hours per week now. Feeling like its rather manageable however I know that number will nearly double in the next few months. I can't believe I'm just under a month and a half of training. The time is flying by.... maybe thats just because I'm a really fast rider. ha. probably not. Wild flower is just right around the corner. I can't wait for the racing madness to begin. Believe it or not I'm starting to imagine race day. Its going to be great.... I can't wait!
"Mind is everything: muscle - pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind."
- Paavo Nurmi
This is why I need to learn some serious hydro kickboxing!
Had a rockin' swim today. Felt really smooth and good in the water. It was nice to get my workout done early and now I have the rest of the day to relax and play. Its gonna be a busy weekend of training. Tomorrow morning I have a 10 mile group run with my coach. If the weather sticks to the forecast I'll try to get a 2 hr outdoor ride in on Sunday. Otherwise it will be time to pop in a movie and hit the trainer...maybe I'll even have some popcorn. Ha. prolly not.
So today is my first double workout.... should be fun. I got a nice easy 40 minute run in my new 5.0 Free's. Then I'm gonna hop in the pool for a 2800-yd swim. Here's what my swim looks like.
600 yd Warm-up
200 swim, 200 kick, 200 pull
4x100 w/20 sec. rest descending 1-4
6x200 w/30 sec. rest
4x100 hard w/30 sec. rest
200 Cool Down.
Hmm...we'll see if I make it to Dolla dolla beers afta this one.. ha.
Day 1 of Training-
Lets just say I've been anticipating this day for quite some time. Since the day I signed up for Ironman in mid July, I knew that the bulk of my training would start in the beginning of January roughly 6 months before Ironman CDA. The past few weeks my mind has been a case of the mexican jumping beans. Emotions are beginning to fill my brain about injury, training and the overall excitement of fulfilling a dream I've had since my Sophomore year of high school. I don't look at training for Ironman as solely an endurance race. For me, Ironman is a challenge, a commitment, a dream, a fear, and a way to push myself physically and mentally like I've never done before. So here goes nothin' and guess what....I'm ready for it, so take me through the meat of it. Bring it because I want to be an Ironman.
After years and years of contemplating whether or not or when to do an Ironman triathlon I've signed the papers. On June 27th 2010 at 7 am sharp I will compete in Ironman Coeur d'Alene. This is my chance to prove to myself that I can do anything. It is my opportunity to embark on a personal journey to a place I haven't been. I will learn the commitment level of training 10-20 hours a week. I'm excited to push myself to this unknown level. I'm excited to develop a work ethic that is untouchable. Last year at Ironman Cda there were 18 people in the 18-24 age group for women. Three of those people didn't finish. That leaves a one in fifteen chance of qualifying for Ironman World Championships. With that being said I will be stoked if I even finish Ironman in 17 hours. I will hope to finish in under 14 hours and I will train like I'm going to Ironman World Championships. When I'm riding my bike in the middle of February in the pouring rain I will think to myself...One in fifteen and thats when I will learn to dig deeper.
