Dare to Dream

Ironman Arizona Race Report

2011-12-24T13:40:00.001-07:00

Four years ago I signed up for an all women's sprint triathlon after spending eight weeks working up the courage to do so. The plan at the time was to do one race to prove to myself that I could do it. Well, you know how that goes. I ended up doing five races that season and then set my sites on my first Olympic the next year. Again, I obsessed about it, worrying about how hard it would be, could I really do it. So, this has been my pattern. When I completed my first HIM last year my friend said to me, you will be doing an IM next. My response.. "No way!". Yet, something about watching those late night people on the Internet cross the finish line, the little voice in my head that kept saying... "maybe you can do it" and my friend who is bravely battling a Cancer while reminding us all to seize the day, and take time to live life guided me to Arizona last November to volunteer at IMAZ 2010 and stand in line first thing the next morning to sign up for 2011. This past year has been a busy one, not only with work and training but a new puppy and a purchase of a home. Nothing like doing things all at once! (well within a year). It has been quite the journey.

Race week: My friend Meg and I flew to Arizona on Wednesday. I wanted to have time to settle in, and not worry about rushing, or getting stuck in a snow storm in Denver or anything else that might cause more stress or anxiety to what I thought would be a anxious time. It was a good plan. Meg and I arrived at Tempe Town Lake early Thursday morning and I was able to check in and hit the merchandise tent before 10:00.

Being one of the first 100 participants to check in, I received an e-mail later in the day that I was the proud owner of a new pair of TYR goggles. That afternoon we drove the bike course so I could get a sense of what I would be experiencing on race day. I was pretty calm about the race during this time yet I was worried that I didn't feel well. I had a headache that would not quit and I felt exhausted. There were times in the day where I was worried that I wouldn't even be able to complete the swim, I felt that bad. I also had two more friends and my fiancee arriving the next day and certainly didn't want them to have spent the time and money to make the trip to find out that I couldn't even race. Fortunately I started to feel better on Friday and by Saturday I was doing pretty well. Friday afternoon, Meg, Tanya, Lisa, Brian and I walked around the IM Village and I pointed out just how far I had to swim before I could turn around and come back.

Tanya, Lisa, Meg, Me and Brian

Friday night, the ladies attended the welcome dinner and before the evening was over I heard rumblings from Tanya..."I want to do an Ironman". :)

The swim practice had me nervous as I don't do well in cold water and was greatly concerned how the water temp would effect me. I wore a neoprene cap and booties, and while cold, I managed to talk myself into believing that the water temp would be manageable.

Check out the guy behind me. Anything look familiar?

After spending what seemed to be hours trying to figure out what to put in each of my four bags, it was time for bike and gear bag check in.

Not sure what I was thinking at this point.

It takes thee people to figure out just where to put the number on the bike

This was towards the end of the bag packing. The floor was completely covered earlier on. Again it took three people to get this job done :)

There is a lot to take in on the days leading up to the race.

Once the bike and bags were in their place my friends went out to dinner while I enjoyed some down time in the hotel. I was pretty calm at this point. That was soon to change however.

OK, so I was trying to lighten the mood. It was really early. I was nothing but serious and somber after this

picture.

Race morning I woke up before the alarm and shortly thereafter the nerves kicked in full force. I tried to be calm on the outside but inside, I was starting to really stress out about the swim. I had planned to stay way in the back to avoid contact so that wasn't my worry. It was again the water temp that had me worried. I have had some bad experiences in cold water which didn't help things. Walking to transition you would have thought I was heading to my death :) I knew there was no turning back but boy did I want to.

I managed to do all the things that I needed to do including turning on the GPS device so that people could track me. Once I had my wetsuit, cap and booties on, (I also had socks on over the booties) I made my way over to the swim start area. As people started towards the dock to jump into the water, I backed away and let them all go in front of me. It was amazing to see how many people were actually doing the race. Mike Riley said there were 3000 and it sure seemed like it! It was close to 7:00am and people were still getting into the water. I made my way to the dock and lowered myself into the water just before the gun went off. The price to pay for waiting till the last minute is that you don't have time to get close to the start line before the gun goes off.

I was still under the bridge as the gun went off but at that time didn't think about the extra time it cost me. I was just happy to avoid battle. Hind sight being 20/20, I wish I had started further up or better yet walk along the ledge to the start and then sit on the ledge like so many others did before the start. When I saw the pics of that I was really surprised.

Look at all of them walking to the start!

Now they are sitting at the start! Not sure that frustrates me because I didn't know I could do it or that it doesn't seem fair.

During the first half of the course I felt I was doing pretty well. I was avoiding contact for the most part, passing some slower swimmers and doing a lot of positive self talk. I sang some of the songs to myself that I had listened to over and over on my Swimp3 player during all of those long pool swims. As I started to make the turn to come back I checked my watch and was happy with my time. I am not a fast swimmer but I figured I could finish by 1:30 if not a bit sooner. It was shortly after this that things started to go down hill. My legs started shivering in my wetsuit and the cold was really getting to me. I tried to stay focused on anything other then the cold. I tried to draft off of people, look at the view, just anything to not think about the cold. As much as I tried though, I started to struggle. It is hard to explain but I felt like I was losing energy, that the end seemed SO far away and I was losing focus. It wasn't a fitness issue as I wasn't winded at all and had the altitude advantage coming from CO. I think the cold was just having it's way with me. The rest of the way back was long, slow and scary. At the turn to get to the dock, I remember telling myself "you WILL finish this!" Once I got out of the water, a volunteer asked me if I was OK. I said yes but that I was cold. She immediately got me a Mylar blanket and asked me if I wanted her to walk with me. I said thanks but I was OK. I tried to run to transition but couldn't. My teeth were chattering and I was just focused on moving forward and getting warm.

I went into the changing tent and was never so happy to be surrounded by so many bodies. It was like a steam bath in there! I found a chair and started to change clothes. It was slow going as I was shaking but at that point I really didn't mind. I just wanted to warm up. ( Days later I learned that there was a warming tent. Wish I had known that on race day!) A fantastic volunteer proceeded help me in every way possible. I felt bad for her as she was dripping in sweat while she was doing everything she could for all of us. Once I finally had everything on and was ready to head out the door, I stood at the exit another minute or two before going out to get my bike. I was still cold and I guess didn't feel like I was physically ready to ride a bike. I stopped at a port-a-potty on the way out and even spent a bit of time in there just to stay warm. (For me to spend ANY extra time in a port-a-potty speaks volumes as to how cold I was!) I finally made it to my bike and hit the road. 19+ minutes in T1. Yikes!

Still feeling the effects of the swim at the start of the bike.

Bike

The bike is by far my best event and while I usually focus on speed and am very competitive with myself on the bike, I told myself that on this day, it would be all about pacing and not exerting to much energy.

I set my Garmin to show average speed but removed the field that would show current speed as I knew it would be that much more difficult to ride at a much slower speed then I normally would. It took me a while to feel OK on the bike as I think I was still recovering from the swim. As soon as I got out on the road I noticed that my GPS (Athlete Tracker) was not in its holder. My dad had the link to the tracker on line and I knew he would be worried if he saw that I wasn't moving. For the whole first lap I worried about what he was thinking and stopped at the end of the first lap to tell my friends to call him to let him know I was OK. The second lap was much better and I felt pretty good. I wasn't winded and my legs felt OK.

I made a port-a-potty stop and a stop at special needs during this lap which took up some time but I didn't feel like I needed to race. Again, looking back on it, I wish I had gone a bit faster but I just didn't know what was going to happen on the run and I was being very cautious. The wind kicked up on the second and third lap but I was feeling fine at the end and was confident that I could walk the marathon and still finish under the 17 hour mark.

I have to add here that my friends made great signs for me that were totally a surprise! Look how cute there are!!!

RUN

I am not a runner. As much as I try, it is always a struggle and I am extremely slow. Beyond that, I have a history of having terrible GI issues after long runs so I did have some concern about that. I did a run walk for the first lap and time wise was doing pretty well for me.

I wanted to get some miles behind me to ensure I would make the cut off in case I had to slow down later on. My hamstrings were extremely tight but beyond that I was feeling pretty good. At mile 10, things changed. Out of the blue, I started to feel sick and dizzy. It came on me suddenly but it has happened before and has never ended well. At that moment I had a fear of not finishing. I had been drinking chicken broth at the aid stations but had skipped a couple before this happened. I forced myself to eat a couple of shot blocks thinking that I needed to try and get my electrolytes in balance and was able to walk to the next aid station without incident and get more chicken broth. From then on I told myself that I would just have to walk, keep drinking chicken broth and not risk it by running again. It was a bit frustrating because I felt like my legs could continue a run/walk but I just couldn't risk it. If I had tried to run again and got sick, I knew my day would be over. So that is what I did. I walked 16 miles. My friends were very supportive and encouraged me on.

Finally I was able to make the turn to the finish line. At the welcome dinner Mike Riley said that we should take the time to enjoy the finish. That he sees so many people sprint to the finish and not really take it in. Since I was walking that wasn't going to be a problem :) I was a bit nervous before I started down the shoot. To get all that attention.. well I wasn't used to it. You would never have known that though. As soon as I saw all the people with their hands out for high fives, I had a big smile on my face, high fived them all back and took in as much as I could.

I heard Mike Riley say "Kathleen Kellams from Highlands Ranch, CO, you are an Ironman" then he stopped me before the finish, said something to me and then got the whole crowd to say "Kathleen you are an Ironman!" I waved to them all, held my arms up high and enjoyed my moment of fame :)

I walked through the finish line, not looking like death warmed over like I usually do, while trying to stop my watch but instead reached to the sky,and smiled for the photographers.

After finishing I met up with my friends. They were very happy for me and were texting others and posting on Facebook that I was now an Ironman. My friends were with me through the whole race and were stationed at numerous places throughout the day to support and encourage me. I can't thank them enough.

Meg's husband Richard greeted us at the airport with this great sign :)

Julie was another person who has been extremely supportive and I know she was cheering me from home. Aimee and I did a few rides together and shared a couple of moments during race day. I was glad she was out there with me. I want to send a special shout out to Joe who really supported me during the last couple of weeks leading up to the race with posts of encouragement on my Facebook page. It meant more to me then he could have known.

Would I do IMAZ again? Yes... if the water wasn't so cold! Is there another Ironman in my future. I am thinking so :)

Thanks to everyone in the blogger world for all your support this past year. I appreciate you all.

Just thinking out loud

2011-10-21T19:46:00.000-06:00

I am "athlete # 766" . Yep, the numbers are posted for IMAZ. I want to thank everyone who took the time to answer my Ironman questions. It was very helpful and gave me things to think about. Sometimes I ask myself where this year went. It seems like yesterday when I was standing in line to sign up for the 2011 race. That fact that it is just a month away really makes me nervous but I am committed to seeing this through no matter what the results are. I feel like I should be doing more in the way of prepping for the trip to Arizona but I am so focused on getting my training in and still staying awake at work that it is hard to think about much more. I admit it, I am tired. This Ironman stuff takes a lot of work! :)

For those that have followed my blog (thank you by the way), you might remember that I have lots of GI issues on long runs. While I haven't found the magic answer to the cause of this problem, I have switched up my nutrition a bit which seems to be helping. Out went the GU gels and GU chomps that have caffeine and now I am using Cliff gels (chocolate) and Cliff shot blocks (strawberry and mountain berry) all of which do not have caffeine. Can I also say that the chocolate Cliff gels taste really good! So much better then the Gu brand.

I have changed out my saddle again. I so wanted the Adamo saddle to work but after the last long ride I did, I knew that I had to do something. I went to the bike fitter (been there numerous times over the past week) and put my road saddle on my tri bike. While it isn't perfect, it will be better then what I had. If anyone is interested in a white adamo saddle at a very good price, let me know.

I did a pool swim in my wetsuit this week. I wasn't thrilled about doing this for numerous reasons but in the water I went, wetsuit and all. I made it 3200 before I had to take it off. I was way to hot. I have to say though that it was the fastest I have ever swam. :)

Aimee from I Tri to be Me educated me on "uncrustables" last week during our long ride. I had no idea what they were.. well I had an idea but I just thought it was a nickname for a sandwich. I had no idea they were little pre made pp&j sandwiches. I have them in my freezer and am going to try one out tomorrow on my ride.

Any suggestions on what to think about as I walk a good part of a marathon in a month? :)

Ironman Questions

2011-10-02T08:12:00.000-06:00

I have been away so long that I don't even know where to begin. Wait, yes I do! IMAZ is seven weeks away. How is that possible?!?! I remember waiting in line to sign up like it was yesterday. There are so many different thoughts and questions that go through my head that I thought I would share them with you all. Any thoughts, in site or advice is more then welcome.

What do I do when it gets dark and I have my prescription sunglasses on? Do I carry clear lenses and change them out? I have inserts(actual lens that correctmy vision) that attach to my glasses. I don't want to leave anything in the special needs bag that I might lose.
Just how long would I have to wait after the gun goes off to really avoid being mauled during the swim?
At what temps are booties permitted and do they actually help? What about neoprene swim caps? ( I have the sense that any cap that has a strap would drive me nuts but if the water is really cold.....)
Fuel belt on no fuel belt? I haven't found a liquid nutrition that is working for me and carrying extra weight during the run isn't going to help matters. Yet, having water available at all times seems like a good idea and I will have to carry some other items. Wish I could dump the fuel belt if I wanted to (would it be really bad of me to hand it off to a friend even though I am not supposed to?)
Talk to me about sandwiches on the bike. Seems like a PP& J might be something that I would like. Do you carry it with you from T1 and if so where are you keeping it?
Currently, I have two places to hold fluid on the bike. I have an aero bottle and a bottle holder on my frame. I like the idea of not having to carry more fluid then necessary and just grabbing more water from the aid stations. Since I plan on using solid food for most of the bike does that seem reasonable? Am I missing something?
Cut off times. I know the cut off times for all three events but I also know that there are additional cut off times within the bike and run. Anybody care to share what they are? Also, don't you have to be on the bike by a certain time?
Morning clothes... how does that work?
I know they sell all the finisher stuff early the next morning. What if you can't get out of bed (literally)? Can I still get the items on line? ( If I finish this thing I want something saying I did so!)
Just how painful is it to walk a full marathon? ( very well could be my reality) ( I know you can't really answer that but it is something I think about)
Additional socks and sneakers in my special needs bag?
How is the bike support on the course? Will they eventually show up if I get a flat and can't change the darn thing or run out of CO2 cartridges?
How many tubes/cartridges do you carry with you?
Long training rides. I am finding that I either have to ride alone or do them on a trainer. I prefer not to ride alone for safety reasons but finding people to ride with who are doing what I need to do are few and far between and the outcome so far hasn't been very successful. I can handle being on the trainer for hours (call me crazy). Thoughts?

I could go on and on and writing this all down is helpful.
Thanks for reading.

Big Training Weekend!

2011-07-05T19:54:00.000-06:00

OK, I admit it, I have struggled a bit with my training. While I have done most of my workouts, I have missed more then I should have. With the reality of IMAZ hanging over my head, I have re commited to my training (or maybe committed to it for the first time) and had a big weekend.

Friday consisted of two hours of training between bike and run. I ventured out on my own for a nice evening ride.

Saturday was a huge day for me with four bricks! I wasn't sure how I was going to pull this off as I had no way to secure my bike but finally decided to put my trainer on the porch, hook up the industrial strength fan and go for it. The bricks were 1 mile runs followed by 5 mile bikes. It might not seem a lot to some but for me it was a big deal. First off, I am slow runner and it was hot! Like 90+ degrees hot. Also five miles on a trainer takes a lot longer then five miles on open road. 2:5 hours later I was done.. and tired! I did feel like I accomplished something so that was a good feeling.

Casey wondering what the heck I am doing

Sunday started off with an early morning swim at my favorite OWS place. There are buoys out in the lake and they are measured. You can really do any distance you want and know that it is accurate. I completed a 1.5 mile swim and while pretty tired, was happy with the distance covered. Interestingly enough, I got my first case of chafing around my neck from my wetsuit. That has never been a problem before. Not sure if it was due to not having done that distance before or I was lifting my head more then I usually do.

Thanks to Julie for taking this pic

I did an 1.5 hour long run(with a little walking) Sunday evening to round out my three days of hard work.

I know this is only a taste of what is to come but I feel like I accomplished something this weekend and I that feels good.

I hope everyone had a great July 4th!

Where did June go????

2011-07-01T07:34:00.000-06:00

It can't be July 1st already can it?? Where is the time going? Just yesterday I had six + months to get ready for IMAZ. Now I can count the months on one hand. Yikes!

June has always was a very busy month and one of firsts. I did two triathlons, completed my first Century ride which was both fun and enlightening, had to use the kayak for the first time in a tri , had to walk my bike up part of a hill that got the better of me and ran some 800's that were much faster then I thought I could go. So it was a mixed bag.

I chalk up the OWS mishap to a combination of extremely cold water (for me) and going out to fast in those conditions. I had tried to acclimate to the water prior to the race and thought I had done so even though my feet were extremely painful as they began to freeze. (It was as if I had my feet in ice, it hurt that much). For such a small race, there was a lot of contact during the swim which didn't help things any. As I turned the first buoy I was having trouble catching my breath. I tried to breaststroke, pulled at my wetsuit collar and even just treaded water but nothing worked. I remember looking behind me at the rescue boat and thinking that they were to far away and I was going to have to quit the race. I also remember looking at the buoys and the people ahead of me and thinking that there is no way I can make it to the finish. I raised my hand and a very nice man in a kayak came to the rescue. After a little while I was able to regroup and finish the swim but it was scary.

The second tri I did was in Boulder. The swim was still rough in terms of contact but fortunately I had no other issues. For whatever reason the swims have been pretty brutal so far this season. Maybe I am being prepped for Arizona? I need to learn to keep my cool in those conditions but it is sometimes hard not to get frustrated. For both swims, I have been hit over the head by some guy within yards of the swim finish. I know that they knew I was there. That just pisses me off. Can't help it, it just does. And it hurts.

On top of my busy athletic schedule, I am in the process of purchasing a home. It has been a long road which has included a job loss which caused us to lose a previous home we had been under contract on.. After that happened I decided to see if I could qualify on my own even though working for a non profit and house hunting on that salary alone would really limit my options. Fortunately I found a great house that I like better then the one we lost and it is $58,000.00 less then the other one. I have never owned a home before so this is a huge first for me. This might sound crazy to non dog people but one of the things I am most excited about it having a yard for Casey.

I don't have many pictures to highlight my June adventures so I leave you with a picture of my soon to be new home (hope that doesn't jinx anything!)

Denver Century Ride

2011-06-14T23:08:00.000-06:00

The Century was quite an experience! It was certainly challenging and I often thought of the 112 mile IMAZ ride and how I was going to manage that as I took advantage of almost all the stops on this ride. The longest I have ridden before this was 75 miles and since I hadn't experienced Lookout Mountain (a famous climb around these parts) I wasn't sure what I was in for. At one point right before the first big climb there was a short VERY steep road. After that was an aid station where I proceeded to check my cassette to see if maybe I had the wrong one on my bike. (that hill was really tough). I had correct one on (easier for climbing) and was a bit discouraged about how challenging I thought that hill was. Fortunately, Lookout Mountain, while a long and winding climb, was not as steep as the little monster leading up to it and I handled all the climbs fine. They were challenging and I got tired but I kept on plugging away.. The ride took us to places I have never seen before so that was great. My nutrition plan didn't work out so great. I did the two hour bottles of Infinit but I didn't drink enough of it ,I don't think, and then didn't drink the water I needed. I just wanted some solid food so started with the Cliff bars and has a few animal crackers and some pretzels along the way. Cold water and pretzels were great at the 82 mile stop. My back and shoulder were acting up pretty badly by the 82 mile stop and I spent some time lying in the grass trying to stretch things out. I haven't ridden much on my road bike this year so I am sure that was part of it. Overall it was a good day but I was ready to be done at the last aid station. Once we arrived at the finish, my Garmin was at 98.9 miles so I road around the parking lot to get the last mile in. I wasn't about to go all that way and not have 100 miles to show for it. Of course if I spent the time to figure out all the features of my Garmin, I wouldn't have stopped it by accident and lost some of the data.
It was great to have Julie along for the ride (thanks for the pics by the way) and it was nice to meet Jill. My friends Sarah and Paul road also and as always I enjoyed their company.
Some pics from the day.

Invesco Field at Mile High. Start of ride

Pic from Lookout Mountain

Almost at the top of Lookout Mountain

Paul and Sarah enjoying a moment after a big climb

I should have kept my helmet on for this pic but I was way to hot.

Sarah, Paul, Julie and Jill

No Pity Party for Me

2011-04-13T00:25:00.000-06:00

So, I ran (and walked) my first half marathon of the season. It didn't go as I would have liked but to be honest I didn't expect much more then I got. I haven't said much about it to anyone as it is just one of those events that I would rather not think about. For those that know me or read my blog, you know the outcome. Slow at the start, end up walking much of the last few miles all the while battling the GI mystery that no one can figure out. So, that about sums it up! Oh but here is a nice picture of Julie and I before the race. (Thanks for being such a good picture taker Julie!)

Moving on....

I went with the Speedplays. I have only done two trainer rides on them but so far so good. I think I will get a better feel for them and the new shoes once I hit the road. Thanks to everyone for all of your suggestions and thoughts about the whole peddle decision. They are always much appreciated.

What a difference a day makes!

2011-04-03T17:38:00.001-06:00

It was 80+ degrees in Denver yesterday. A new record! Bikes and Rollerblades were dusted off , the winter mood that effects so many of us was lifted and new possibilities seemed within reach. Then it was Sunday.
Julie and I met at Chatfield Reservoir to do one last long run before next Sunday's Platte River Half Marathon. The wind was blowing and the skies looked ominous but we drove out there and were going to give it a go!
Quickly it was apparent that my stamina was lacking today and that this was going to take even LONGER then it normally takes me (and it takes me a long time to do any run). The winds picked up right at the first hill and it was there where the walking started. Julie was kind enough to walk with me and we ended up doing a 9.75 run (with a lot of walking of hills) while having great conversation. Now, when I say winds, I am not talking about a breeze. These were winds that could blow your hat off or make you feel like you were being pushed back while trying to move forward. While I was watching the skies and hoping that we would beat the weather, it wasn't to be. With two miles to go, the temperature dropped, the winds got worse, the rain started and hail/sleet began to beat on us. It was brutal. More then once I thought about trying to wave down a car for a ride but really there weren't many people out and I knew we were just going to have to move on despite the elements. By the time we got to the car my hands were in severe pain and I couldn't move my fingers to turn off my Garmin. Julie had to do it for me. Opening that car door and getting in was like crossing the finish line of a very very hard race. One that you thought would never end. That is how it felt. The only thing better would have been to have hot cocoa waiting for us.
So with that, here are a few pics from Julie and I that give you a much better picture of what we experienced then I could ever do by writing it.

Before we started. We knew the weather was coming.

Taken from inside the car after the run

VERY happy to have shelter!

See the slush on the window?

Ice/slush on the windsheild

Julie looks great! I swear we were in the same weather.

Wet and frozen me.

Great weekend and new bike shoes

2011-03-22T21:45:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was full of outdoor activity! Julie, our friend Gaye from BT and I had a nice yet challenging ride on Saturday. It was sunny and warm but the wind was blowing.. and I mean hard!

Julie and Gaye

On Sunday, the three of us met up with a couple of others from BT (Beginner Triathlete) for a run. Going in to this I knew I was unprepared and would be the slowest but I figured "what the heck". Julie was kind enough to run with me as I moved a long at a snails pace. We did eight miles and while not where I need to be for a half marathon in three weeks, eight miles is by far the longest I have run since October. I still need to figure out the nutrition piece when it comes to my running but over all I didn't feel to bad afterwards and I have to say, I really wasn't sore at all the next day (a very good sign!).

Now, lets talk bike shoes.. and cleats and peddles. Thanks to a gift certificate to a local bike shop that I needed to use and a Christmas gift card, I was able to purchase a pair of triathlon bike shoes. I have always used mountain bike shoes and cleats, which I love, but for the longer distances I felt that I needed a shoe that was a bit stiffer and a peddle/cleat system that provided a bigger platform. So, I am now the proud owner of these.. and they actually match my bike which I didn't realize when I purchased them.

Now here is where I need some help. I don't know what type of peddles/cleats to buy.I lean towards Speedplay due to the double sided entry but I know there are pros and cons to each system. I am curious what all of you use and what your experiences are. I have to say that I am a bit nervous about giving up the comfort of my mountain bike cleats but I am hoping that the payoff will be worth it.
Finally, here is a video of Casey playing with Lulu, the boxer tonight at puppy kindergarten. Yes, I am a proud mom :)

I am Back...

2011-03-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have been gone for quite a while though it seems like much longer! The new addition to the family

The winter blahs, and dental surgery (yes again) has held my attention and grabbed hold of every minute of my time and energy. For weeks I had hardly thought about the fact that I have a half marathon in five weeks or that I signed up for this crazy Ironman thing in November. Yet, a couple of days ago as I turned the corner in my healing from my surgery, the thought of triathlon, running and Ironman came to mind and with that the butterflies.. the nerves, the what ifs and the "Oh Shit, I need to train!" Yep, the nerves are tingling, the reality of what is to come is setting in. I am back.

This new puppy motherhood thing is tough!

2011-02-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a week since Casey has been with us and we are all extremely tired! I am getting my workouts in (minus one or two) and have resorted to taking vacation time in order to get the training in but it is worth it. I must say that focusing on something else for awhile has been a nice break. Instead of reading everything I could get my hands on related to triathlons, I have been searching the internet and reading all about puppyhood. My triathlon magazines are piling up and I miss reading all of your blogs. I hope to find the balance again soon.

A few pics of Casey.. it is a lot of work being eight weeks old!

I would like to introduce Casey

2011-02-05T20:19:00.001-07:00

Wow, have I been away way to long! I have so much catching up to do with all of you!
I do have a good reason for my absence however.
Two weeks ago we decided to add a new member to the family. Since then I have been busy prepping for the new arrival, refreshing my knowledge of puppyhood and still trying to get my training in.
I would like to introduce Casey. We picked him up today and I must say I am exhausted :)

Watch the end when he charges the camera

I am the dog whisperer :)

Maybe some people were just meant to be slow runners.

2011-01-10T20:28:00.001-07:00

What do you think about this idea? Do you think that some people will always run the same pace or close to it no matter how hard they try to get faster? I have to wonder this sometimes as I read about people knocking minutes and seconds off their run pace and my pace stays the same (for the most part). While I don't run 5 times a week, I run enough that there should be some improvement. I would even feel better about things if I felt that my running was becoming more efficient even if the pace stayed the same. I don't feel that however. It is just as hard and just as slow as it always has been. The only exception is running downhill. That is the one time I can run at a faster pace and get an idea of what most people's "slow runs" feel like :) Thank goodness I can ride a bike!

2010 in Review

2011-01-01T11:34:00.002-07:00

This is the first year that I kept record of miles, yards, time and other workouts, so I don’t have previous numbers to compare it to. My training slowed down during race season due to a dental infection and surgery that plagued me through the summer but even with that I am content with what I accomplished.

2010 totals
Bike: 155h 53m 15s - 2255.26 Mi
Run: 126h 36m 36s - 685.73 Mi
Swim: 38h 33m 27s - 104348 Yd
Strength: 28h 58m
Stairmaster: 6h 48m
Walking: 7h 53m 23s
If I had to pick one goal for 2011, it would be to get more running miles in in less time.
126 hours is a longtime to be on your feet for that amount of miles!

A look back at 2010 (these pics look much better when clicked on)

January 2010. My first half marathon and the only one that I have completed by running the whole distance.

Beating the winter blues with friends.

Platte River Half Marathon. I fell apart at mile 6.5 and it was down hill from there. The ongoing battle with GI issues while running started with this race.

The new addition to the family

First tri of the season and first time racing on my new bike.

The start of the MS 150. Not one person in line. Amazing!

Boulder Peak. Finally got to meet Julie who was handing out finisher medals

Boulder 70.3 in the books

Aimee, Julie and me at the Iron Girl Tri.

Crescent Moon. While a bit blurry, I like this picture because it is one of the few that shows that on occasion my feet do get off the ground

At the end of the Rock and Roll Denver Half Marathon and before the GI horror started. (do you see the pattern starting here?)

Miami Man’s famous swim cap!

Arizona Ironman 2010. Fun to be a spectator and volunteer.

What is in store for 2011

Tentative. I am not sure I will be doing the whole Boulder series
4/10/11 Platte River Half Marathon
6/19/11 5430 Sprint Triathlon
7/10/11 Boulder Peak Triathlon (Olympic)
8/7/11 Boulder 70.3
11/20/11 Ironman Arizona (gulp)

Thanks to all of you for all your support and encouragement.
A special thanks to Brian for being a great spectator and capturing my year in pictures.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season. You are all very special!

He is always in a rush.

"Runner Crawls to Finish to Win Title for Her Ailing Coach"

2010-12-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

I want to thank everyone who has posted such positive comments about the news of IMAZ. It really means a lot to me and I appreciate the support more then you can imagine!
I have been battling the "crud" for a week and have done little to no training. I see the light at the end of the tunnel though and hope to be back at it in the next day or two.
My father sent me this article from the NY Times and I thought I would pass it on to you. It is a great story and one that I know all of you will be touched by. Runner Crawls to Finish to Win Title for Her Ailing Coach" The article even links to the video showing the girl's efforts to finish the race.

Happy Sunday!

Guess Where I was This Past Weekend?

2010-11-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Let me share my weekend with you in pictures.

Sister Madonna Buder "Iron Nun"

Chrissie

Matt

Chrissie and the camera man

Lindsay

Why they do this

Guess Where I Will be on November 20th, 2011?

Congratulations! You are now registered for 2011 Ironman Arizona

Miami Man Race Report

2010-11-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

And so the day begins....

I had numerous requests to have a picture taken with the "Nemo" swim cap on

The swim cap seems to be a hit with everyone who sees it.

The HIM started before the Olympic distance race so I had lots of down time (1.25 hours to be exact)

Finally my wave (the last one) takes off

The fins at work

The sun was blinding on the long stretch to the finish. I couldn't see anything or anybody in front of me and went off course. Fortunately a a guy in a kayak got me back on course before I cut it without even knowing it.

Bike time. This was a long way to the bike mount line

I plan on purchasing this pic so I feel it is ok to use it :)

bike complete. Very flat and strait course (not used to that in CO). Some winds on the return but overall a good ride. First time I have raced a course that I hadn't even laid my eyes on.

Well, I knew it would have to come sometime. The dreaded run. Nice "Tri Tats" don't you think?

At the first aid station right outside of transition and I am already prepping to pour H20 over my head. It was getting hot!

Check out the elephants :) I made it a point to smile at the camera. I never think to smile so of course the reaction from my friends who saw this pic was a repeated "you smiled" or "nice smile".

Both feet seem to be on the ground but my upper body looks like there is movement.

At the finish, determined to hit the timing mat (I always worry my time will be missed. Don't know why)

This picture cracks me up! I was again practicing my smile and pose for the camera but I look like I am in shock that I actually finished.

Happy to be done and in one piece. I drank tons of fluids during this race and survived without GI issues.

By far the cutest medal I have ever received!

Over all things went well. I started way in the back on the swim and ended up 8th out of 35. This includes a detour off course due to swimming into the sun and not being able to see anything or anybody (literally). At one point I had to stop and tried to shade my eyes to try and see where I was going but it didn’t work. (The swim was a .6 mile swim). I was number 3 out of 35 on the bike and I am very happy with this. Like I have said in other posts, the bike is my strength. For all women, I was 40 out of 232 (my little victory before the run)

My run was slow but I am OK with that (this time). I walked every aid station and spent the time to put ice in my hat on at least three of the (6.6 miles). I drank at every aid station and drank almost all of my bottles on the fuel belt. (I also drank my whole aero bottle full of Infinite and almost a whole other bottle of water while on the bike). I was drinking a lot! I took four Salt Stick capsules (two on bike and two on the run) and had some Gu Chomps on the bike as well. At about mile two of the run I wasn’t feeling all that well. I walked a short bit and then started to get my second wind after that. A brief period of clouds/shade was a life saver and I just worked on keeping my HR at a certain level which seemed to help. I ran almost the entire run except the aid stations. I must have looked like I needed ice as one of the volunteers offered it to me before I even asked. I felt pretty good at the end and didn’t really have any problems after that. So, an uneventful finish, thank goodness .(17th out of 35 in my age group. Once I figure out how to run, watch out people..LOL) I was supposed to do this race last year but surgery put an end to that. I was able to transfer my slot to this year and I am glad I did. It was a fun race with a lot of character and special touches.

Finally, one of the highlights for me was having Greg Simony and one of his three friends in my swim wave.

Check this out.http://www.justnews.com/video/25789496/index.html

Miami Man Expo... in pictures

2010-11-13T15:48:00.003-07:00

Heading to the expo.

Packet pickup

The bike arrived. Just a little tweaking needed.

Racking the bike with my new saddle proved a bit challenging at first.

My own little piece of the transition area.

The longest transition area I have ever seen!

Thank goodness I will be taking a left!

Bleachers at the finish line.

Finish Line!

Muscle Milk Guy

Lots of swag!

"Tri Tats" for the numbers and check out the swim cap! I hope the fins help :)

Tapering

Next Up.....Miami Man Triathlon (Olympic)

2010-11-01T21:20:00.001-06:00

Yes, that is an Elephant.

Sometime during the summer of 2009 I received an e-mail suggesting I sign up for the Miami Man Triathlon. While I had never heard of the race before, I didn't waste anytime clicking on the link that would ultimately suck me in and have me pulling out the credit card. It always works this way. If a race presents itself during a moment where I am feeling confident, then who knows what I will sign up for. What also drew me to this race is the fact that I lived in South FL for 10 years and I quickly envisioned a vacation, race and reunion with friends. What I didn't plan on was gall bladder surgery which would ultimately take me out of the race. I still went to FL and was able to transfer my race slot to this year. I also dodged a bullet as a storm moved in close to race day and the racers experienced 30-40 mph winds while on the bike. Yikes!

So here I am again and as off now all systems are go. I have my flight, hotel, car rental all set up, I purchased a bike case ( I will be using it again.) and watched while my lbs (local bike store) took apart my bike and packed it up tight for shipping. As some of you know, I became the proud owner of a tri bike this past spring. And as some of you can imagine, seeing my bike packed up in a case, knowing it is going to be shipped to FL without me being able to keep an eye it makes me a bit nervous. I mean, I don't know this guy who is handling the bike transport/assembly for the race. Shouldn't I be doing some type of background check before I send my new ride to a complete stranger? :)

New ride. (no it doesn't have a name. Any suggestions?)

While not my bike, it pretty much looks like this at the moment.

So, back to the race. It is at the Miami Zoo and a good part of the run has you visiting with many of the zoo's inhabitants. The swim is supposed to be wonderful as it is in a crystal clear lake within the zoo. While this sounds nice, when swimming in unknown waters I ofter prefer not knowing who's home I am invading.

Racing in FL in the heat and humidity is going to be a challenge. Hydration will be critical and as some of you know, getting the hydration/nutrition piece dialed in has proven to be a struggle. Interestingly, the problem with this aspect of racing has only presented itself during stand alone runs. Let's hope it stays that way! So that is what is up with me these days.

In other news, I wanted to give a very brief review of my Adamo saddle as I know some of you were interested in hearing what I thought of it.

I think this saddle is one of the best purchases I have made since I started on my triathlon journey. I don't know if it is for everybody but for me it works. I have three saddles in my basement which speaks to the challenge I have had finding one that works for me. Just my two cents.

Have a great week everybody!

Rock and Roll Denver 1/2 Marathon mini Race Report and A New Coach

2010-10-18T18:02:00.001-06:00

I am going to make this short and sweet.
I was holding my own until the 9.5 mile mark when I started walking. My quads were on fire and I tried to stretch them out. I walked up much of the hill to get to the 10 mile mark and then the last three miles were a walk/run. Every time I started to run again, my legs would scream at me. Starting around the 10.5 mark I started to feel crappy. I thought to myself "oh no, not again!". (I got very sick after the last half that I did). At the 12.5 mile mark I took an anti nausea pill as I really wasn't feeling very well. When I finished I tried to keep walking, hoping I would start to feel better but it didn't happen. Two trips to the port-a-potty was followed by dry heaving as we were walking to the car. This was not good, especially in the middle of downtown Denver. At one moment I was ready to have Brian call a medic. I ended up sitting next to a wall while Brian got the car and picked me up. I started to feel a bit better (I took the second nausea pill) but when I stood up I immediately felt worse again. I made it home and spent the rest of the day on the couch. I really don't know why this keeps happening to me. My average heart rate was 147 so I definitely wasn't pushing it to hard. I didn't happen during the Boulder 70.3 when I was on my feet for many more hours and dealing with the heat. I didn't run as much at Boulder but still. I don't know if it is a nutrition issue. I really need to figure this out as I can't go through this every time I do a long race. I have an appt with my GI doc on Tuesday so I will see what he has to say. I did mention it to him once before but he didn't have any answers for me. Ok, enough of that!
In other news, I have hired a coach. I had someone who was writing a training plan for me but it just wasn't working out and at the end of the summer I was said "adios" to him. It was during this time where I was feeling really burnt out and discouraged. Numerous things inspired me to contact the coach but what is really important is the feeling I had when I spoke with him. When I hung up the phone I was excited again about triathlon and was really happy that I was excited. I think what I thought was burn out was really discouragement about my lack of running improvement and the lack of feedback and interest I was getting from the guy that had been writing my plan. I have been working with the coach since the beginning of this month and it has been great. He contacts me numerous times a week with encouraging words about the training I am doing and both e-mailed and called me todoy to go over the events of yesterday. He asked numerous questions and really seemed to want to help me figure out what was going on. Oh and he also tells me I will become a better runner. I think I actually believe him :)

Rock and Roll Denver 1/2 Marathon. 37 Hours and Counting

2010-10-15T19:06:00.000-06:00

The Denver 1/2 Marathon has snuck up on me. Julie and I went to the expo/packet pick-up where we tasted all the sports products that vendors were selling, searched for that perfect running shirt and picked up our number, timing chip and race shirt. The race has sold out with a total of 15,000 people registered to run.
The weather report calls for sunny skies which is wonderful as I will be spending a good part of my morning outside and on the course. I certainly could use a few more weeks of training but I will toe the line on Sunday morning and do my best. If I have to walk for parts of it (which I will), that is ok. There are those who would love to be able to do what I am going to do on Sunday but can't due to a medical condition or other circumstance. How fortunate we are that can do such things.

Cute video: subject Ironman

2010-10-04T21:56:00.000-06:00

I don't know how to add videos into my blog (maybe someone can tell me how) so here is the link.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6933459/

I Want to Take a Moment to.....

2010-10-02T19:28:00.000-06:00

Congratulate Julie on her huge accomplishment! Julie and I met this morning to do her scheduled 11 mile run in preparation for the upcoming Denver 1/2 marathon. 11 miles was a bit long for me considering my current running condition but I knew I could always walk if needed and having someone to run with was a nice change. Until today Julie has never run more then four miles strait. She has run/walked many more miles then that but four miles was her longest run (only) to date. We start our run at a "comfortable" pace and gradually knock off the miles one by one. At mile two Aimee appears and we briefly visit with her before she moved on to complete the last seven of her twenty mile run. She was kind enough to slow down to chat with us and Julie and I did our best to keep up with her :) At the completion of mile four Julie states that this is the farthest that she has ever run without walking. She is feeling good so we keep on going. One mile leads to another and at the completion of mile seven, I start walking. Julie however, keeps running! And guess what??? She ran the whole 11 miles!!! I was so excited for her and am smiling ear to ear while typing this. I couldn't be happier if I did it myself.
Way to go Julie!!

Crescent Moon Sprint Triathlon

2010-09-22T20:23:00.003-06:00

750 Meter Swim * 11.5 Mile Bike * 5K Run

The Crescent Moon is a late season race that has been blessed with great weather for the three years that I have done it. It is a small race of 600 people at a venue that I know well. Really, it is a perfect race to end the season with. There was one problem this year however, and that was my desire. I really had none. The day before the race I was seriously considering not doing it. I was tired and a bit depressed and just had no desire to get up at 5:00 am, swim in a lake etc etc. I really battled with this decision but fortunately I started feeling better by the end of the day and found myself packing my tri bag.

The day of the race I did the things we all do on race morning. Find the best spot in transition that you can, get body marked, set up your gear and contemplate when the best time is to get in the line for the Port-a-Potty (I assume I am not the only one who contemplates this but I could be wrong).
As is always the case at this race, my wave was the last to go off so I had plenty of time to stand around and think. On an occasion or two I found myself thinking "maybe I will just sit this one out".

Looking longingly at the spectators and the big climb to T1

Once I was in the water my mood shifted a bit and my goal was to get out of it ASAP.

OK, that is done!

They moved the transition to a different location which in turn provided us with an extremely long run/walk from the swim exit to T1. And of course it was all up hill. We even had a few sets of stairs to climb. The only positive change in this part of the race was the wetsuit strippers that they added this year. Those guys/gals rock! The timing mat was at T1 so all of our swim times were minute(s) slower then our actual swim time.

The bike course also had some changes in that the entrance and exit were on bike paths. Riding on these paths was a bit tricky with a sharp turn or two and certainly not the safest route to take. My mood shifted a bit as I started out on the bike.

The bike is my strongest event and unlike the run where I have resigned myself to having people of all ages and sizes pass me, on the bike, my goal is always to beat my previous times and do my best to place as close to the top of my age group in that part of the race. While I thought I knew the bike course pretty well, apparently the person setting up the course did not. We later learned that he added an extra turn which added an additional 1.3 miles to the course. You can imagine the confusion and reactions when the times were posted and the bike speed was calculated based off 11.5 miles and not the actual 12.8. I had looked at my computer and was aware of what happened.

T2 was pretty quick but the time I spent heading out on the run course wasn't. Some leg cramping didn't make things any faster. After mile 1 was complete and we were on dirt paths, things improved for mile 2. The final mile was better then the first but not as good as the second. Truthfully, I was just happy to be finishing.

Fortunately this was down hill

After the race a couple of friends and I hung out for the raffle with the hope of winning the grand prize Zipp wheels.

While that didn't happen, one of my friends did win a Rudy Project aero helmet. You might think this is strange but I was really hoping that I wouldn't win it. My friends always joke about me needing an aero helmet and I can't imagine EVER wearing one of those.

In terms of times and placements, I placed 10 out of 22 in my age group and had the third fastest bike split. Really the only HUGE difference between the top finishers and me is that they can run four minutes per mile faster then I can. Oh well, what are you going to do? :)

In other news, I now have the Adamo saddle on my bike. I have only tried it out for a very short time but I have high hopes for it. I hope to provide a report of it in the near future.

Happy Fall Everyone! (where did summer go?)

Park to Park 10 Miler Race Report and Yet Another Tri Item Purchased.

2010-09-07T17:48:00.000-06:00

The Park to Park 10 miler is a running race that takes its participants through four Denver parks and many residential streets. I had heard about this race last year and it sparked my interest. Since I am training for the Denver Rock and Roll Half Marathon and have a difficult time getting myself to do the long runs I thought the Park to Park would be a great way to accomplish that task at least for this week. I e-mailed Julie to see if she might want to join me and fortunately for me she said yes!

The course starts and finishes in different places so Julie and I decided we would meet at the finish line, drop off a car and ride to the start together. Once we finished the race our plan was to drive back to the start to get the other car. The plan worked great. It was a fantastic morning for running. It was cool outside, the sun was shining and there was a lot of shade on the course. I didn't have any real goal that I was shooting for except to finish before the cut off time. Julie and I started out together and then separated for a bit. We eventually met up again where I started following a run/walk plan that Julie was doing. I have a hard time motivating myself to run after I start walking but Julie kept me on my toes. I don't know if she knows this but she really pushed me for awhile. It was painful but good for me. While we separated a few more times, we ran the last half mile together and crossed the finish line at the same time. A time that was under the cut off! It is so much nicer having someone to share these experiences with. We had a good time! The only goof up was that I erased all my data off of my watch before I could look at it. :(

Besides the run/walk that I did with Julie, there were two other things that I did for the first time during this race. First, I ran without any music. I had my MP3 player with me but had only planned to use it if I was running on my own. While there were times during the races that I could have used it, I decided to run without it. I found that I really didn't miss it to much. I doubt this would be the case if I was just out for a long training run on my own. The only down side to not having music was having to listen to a girl's heart rate monitor beep at her every minute as she tried to increase her pace. I swear this happened through the whole run. She would kick up the pace and pass us but quickly started walking once the HRM started beeping at her. We would then pass her only to have her run ahead again for a few feet before the dreaded beeping stopped her in her tracks. Ugh.. The second first for me was using my new Nathan four bottle fuel belt. It was great! I own the two bottle belt that I have used for a couple of years but actually like the four bottle one better. I also never had to stop at an aid station as I had enough fluids with me.

In other news, I have purchased a new saddle for my bike. For those who know me, this should not come as a surprise. I have had a horrible time trying to find saddles that work for me. It took me a year to find a good saddle for my road bike and I have already tried two saddles for my tri bike but neither of them are really working for me. So, instead of the traditional saddle, I have decided to venture out and try something very different. Here is a picture of my new saddle.

I have read some really good things about the Adamo Saddles and it just looks like it will be a better fit for me. At least I hope it is.

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.

Aflac Iron Girl Sprint Race Report

2010-08-31T17:32:00.002-06:00

Aflac Iron Girl Sprint, Boulder CO

1/4 mile swim, 17.2 mile bike, 5k

If you had asked me a few weeks before the race if I was excited about doing it, I would have told you no. In truth, I had considered not even racing. When I signed up for this race many months ago, the idea was that a small group of friends and I were going to do the race together. We had traveled to Las Vegas to do the Iron Girl there in 2009 and this would be a reunion of sorts. Unfortunately, life happens and people were dropping like flies. While I knew a few others who were going to race, they had some other friends who were also participating. I really just felt like the reason for racing was gone. Also, I had already completed the Boulder Tri Series and was tired of traveling up to Boulder and back. I wasn't going to miss anything new by not participating. So what changed my mind you ask? It was the fact that Julie was also doing the race and this would be a time that we could finally spend some time to hang out and chat. She also is in the same age group as me so that made it even better. Then Aimee signed up and that was the icing on the cake! How fun it was to get to know these ladies and how exciting it was to watch Aimee receive her first place gift! I was so happy for her, you would have thought it was me who had won. Having my friends Sarah and Tanya there was also a big plus. It had been a long time since we were on any race course together.

I went to packet pick-up the day before the race and ran into Julie. We hung out for awhile and listoned to the race report. It was VERY windy but boy did we get some loot!

Did I say it was windy?

I arrived at the race site early as I wanted to try and get a decent spot in Transition. Their was an option to rack my bike the day before but I wasn't comfortable with that. Julie showed up a bit later and found a spot next to me. After some visiting with some friends, I headed to the swim start.
Swim:
The swim was short! 1/4 mile. Since it was so short and their were a lot of newbies racing, I decided to push the swim, something I don't usually do. I felt pretty good and decided to go with it. I exited the water in 7+ minutes but the run to transition put me in the 9 minute area.

T1:
Very uneventful. I really need to step it up a bit there. What was nice is that while running to transition we were given hand towels. It was very nice.

Bike:
I had ridden this course during another race and was hoping to beat that time. Heading out of the reservior I passed numerous people, one of whom yelled "say your passing on your left!" I wasn't anywhere near her and I later learned that I wasn't the only one whom she tried to scold. Waste of oxygen if you ask me.
There is a long gradual climb for the first six miles and another women in my age group and I were going back and forth passing each other. I finally decided to just settle in, let her take the lead and set the pace. My plan was to reserve some energy and then leave her in my dust during the down hill. Mission accomplished :)
The rest of the ride was nice. There were not a lot of racers on the road which was a nice change from the other Boulder races I have done. I later learned that my bike split was a tad slower then the time I wanted to beat. I was surprised and a bit disapointed but what are you going to do? Bike ave: 19.8 mph.

T2:
Again uneventful. I really need to move a bit faster here. I can do it. Maybe I am getting lazy.

Run:
Anyone who reads my blog can pretty much write this part. The run starts with a hill, a hill that I planned to walk, that was until I saw the photographer close to the top. CRAP! I pulled myself up the hill and then took a few steps to regroup. Unlike the first time I did this course, I ran almost all of it. I did stop at the aid stations for fluids and I now wonder if I should have had my fuel belt. It was an out and back course and as I knew would happen, Aimee came up behind me, was kind enough to encourage me on and then whizzed by. Man she can run! On the way back I saw Julie, and my friends Sarah and Tanya. How nice it was to have someone to say hi to! Run time: slow :)

Aimee was waiting for me at the finish line and Julie joined us shortly there after.

The final results:
I placed 12th out of 69 in my age group, (4th on the bike) and 137 out of 616 over all ( 32nd out of 616 on the bike). As I always say when scanning the results "if only I could run!". I lose it there every time.

It was a fun day out there. Truly for me the best part was seeing my friends both old and new. I have raced alone all summer and it was nice to share this with others.

Boulder 70.3 ..Duathlon???????

2010-08-11T17:50:00.000-06:00

Read the last line

Boulder 70.3 Race Report

2010-08-09T16:54:00.000-06:00

I was under trained going into this race due to medical issues and I really wasn't sure how this day would play out. My goal was to finish before the cut off time without some type of heat illness. Heat related problems have plagued me on the run.

I have a hard time sleeping on a non race day so I woke up at 3:50am which was before my alarm went off. I stayed in Boulder the night before the race and was at the reservior by 4:45. So were many other people. My early arrival paid off as I was able to secure an end spot on the racks in transition.

I met up with STMass, Zionvier and trimama530 from BT for a pre-race group pic.

The Swim:
My stomach started to bother me before the swim start. Never has this happened before a race and I was thinking to myself..."not now, not today!" I stuck to the back of the wave as usual to avoid being clobbered by the others. I was able to draft a bit more in this race as it was pretty crowded for the first 1300 yards. The bouys were nicely lined up and my navigation was pretty good. It wasn't until the final stretch where two men from the waves behind me made contact as they plowed through the field. I think they need to work on their sighting as there was plenty of room and no need to get even close to others at that point of the swim.

T1 :
My transition area was the farthest away from the "swim in" area. For the the first time ever, I really struggled to get my wetsuit off. It got stuck on my wrist and then my foot. I tried sitting down to get it off and after making some headway stood up to finally yank it off. I wasn't trying to break any records but this was very slow for me.

Bike:
I am happy with my bike time and my second lap was 2.25 minutes faster then my first. I was fortunate to have cloud cover for the first lap which really helped with the heat issues. I made sure to drink a lot and even was successful with the two water bottle hand offs that I attempted. That was the first time I tried that. The only problem I had on the bike was some cramping of my hamstring and numbness in my toes. I had to take my foot out of the cleat a few times and tried to make changes in my position to help.
I left the 12-27 on my bike as I figured the pay off for the easier gear was worth giving up a more powerful gear. I am not sure that that was the best choice. I kept spinning out so quickly that I know I lost some good time just waiting to be able to pedal. (this happened numerous times). I have to say that this was one of the least painful (muscle related) bike portion of any tri I have done. Should I have pushed harder? Should I have changed my cassette? Maybe, but I had decided it was better to be safe then sorry for this race.

T2:
I decided to use lace locks for my shoes even though I usually use Yanks as I was worried about the Yanks bothering me if my feet started swelling on the run. The lace locks were great!
I took a few seconds to put some sun screen on as well as make a stop at the port-a-potty.

Run:
For me the heat was definitely a factor on the run. Since I was so undertrained for this (especially the run) my goal was to just go out there, do the best I could do and hopefully finish without suffering some heat related illess that has been plaguing me on much shorter distances. My plan was to walk the hills, run as much as I could beyond that and do whatever I had to do to try and keep myself cool and hydrated (I have never drank so much Gatorade in my entire life as I did the days leading up to a race). I stopped at every aid station to pour water on me, fill my hat and shirt with ice and grab spunges. This worked for the most part on the first lap. When I was running, I was doing an ok pace for me.

A short walk to talk to my friend Sarah who along with a few others came out to cheer me on

The second lap things got worse. As much as I tried to run, I just wasn't getting very far. I spent even more time at the aid stations trying to cool off and even tried a few pretzels and some coke a couple of times as the thought of eating another Gu or Gu Chomp was not at all appealing. There was no shade at all and from the few race reports and comments I have read, that was a factor for people. While I put some sun screen on before the run, I have a pretty good sunburn (certainly all the water I poured on myself washed away any sun blocking properties). I used Salt Stick capsules which I think helped. I really wanted to run more the second lap and I really think that is was the conditions more then my fitness that was a limiter. My legs could do it but I just was to depleated. The medic at the finish line asked me if I was ok as I apparently had blue lips. I told him I thought I was and indeed felt better after awhile. My shoes were completly soaked and everytime I bent down to tighten them up, I would get really dizzy when I stood back up. That was a huge indicator for me that things were getting worse. With two miles of the run, I made it a goal to finish in under 7:00 hours.

I never remember to smile and I always look like I am on my death bed.

The time shown is total time from the start of the first wave.

Race Stats:

Swim:

42:58

T1:

4:01

Bike:

lap 1= 1:27:31
lap 2= 1:25:01
Total bike= 2:54:37
MPH=19.5

T2:

2.53

Run:

Total run=3:10:38 ( who says the bike is the longest leg of triathlon? :) )

Total time : 6:53:08

I am glad I did this race and am equally as glad that it is over. I don't have any other WTC race to compare this to but the race Tee-shirts were really really small and the finishers medals while nice had the wrong printing on them The medal says 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile swim. Huh?
Shouldn't they have been able to get that right?

As a side note, 1700 people signed up for this race and there were a little over 1200 starters. That seems like an awful lot. There were quite a few pros that never even started.

I want to take a moment to thank all of you who have provided me with tips, words of encouragement and understanding throughout my journey to get to this race. It has truly meant so much! Thank you!

Ready or NOT, I will be at the start line.

2010-08-04T18:05:00.001-06:00

See that ticker to the right of this post? Is says four days to Boulder 70.3. How can that be??? I mean didn't it just say 3 months ago last week? I am not ready for this race but I am going to give it a shot.
All the set backs this summer have really hurt my training and I am no where near where I had hoped I would be at this time. Nothing I can do about that now except try to embrace the experience and do my best to just finish. Truth be told, I don't doubt that I can finish in time (even if it is close to the time limit) it is more about the weather conditions and my body's ability to take the stress (I have been having some Achilles issues) that I am worried about. Even if I have to walk the whole half marathon, I am confident I can finish this race as long as I keep the heat from doing me in. I have purchased ALOT of Gatorade and even some Pediolite. I have my salt tablets and have changed the cage on my bike so that the water bottles on the course will fit. I have taste tested the orange flavor Gatorade that will be on the bike course and I was pleasantly surprised. the lemon flavor on the run.... that is a different story.
Unlike the other races in the Boulder Tri Series, my tri buds are going to be there to cheer me on and provide me with that much more motivation to finish, especially when I have to pass the finish line to do another 10k on the run course (ugh!). I am not going to deny that I am extremely nervous about this race. I am however doing my best to not let the nerves get the best of me. It is just a longer day doing what I already do.. right? (gulp). I am going to take it slow and just keep going with the hope that the finish line and I will cross paths before the end of the day.

Nutrition, hydration, overheating.. what is it?

2010-07-25T18:09:00.001-06:00

I have read many, many posts about the heat and how it is effecting people and their training as I too am having a really tough time with the heat. During my 10 mile run yesterday I pretty much started crashing at mile five. While I know that I can chalk some of it up to the loss of training over the past 6 weeks due to dental issues, the problems I am having are not from just being tired or under trained. I started adding walking into my run at the 4.5 mile point and by mile six I was basically walking. I got a really bad headache and was nauseous and dizzy every time I tried to run. I had 20 ounces of fluid with me, a package of Gu Chomps and two Gu gels. I ran out of fluid at about seven miles so that wasn't good. When I finished I was in bad shape but was able to find some shade where I drank some water and ate a banana.
I road the Boulder 70.3 course today. 54.5 miles in just under three hours. I had 60+ ounces of fluid (including Nuun) and about 500 calories. I finished all the fluids just before the end of the ride. Once I stopped, the same thing happened regarding the dizziness and nausea. This is the first time it has happened to me on the bike. I sweat a lot but wonder if over heating is a part of this. While I was very dehydrated yesterday, I wasn't as bad today. I am at a loss on how to manage this. If this happens to me on race day (oh and did I mention it is only 14 days away YIKES!) I am never going to be able to finish. So my fellow bloggers, do you have any words of wisdom for me? I am willing to try just about anything.
Tip of the day. When you open the trunk of your car which has a bike rack on it, make sure you get out of the rack's way before you close the trunk. My Shoulder will be reminding me of this for a few days :)

Boulder Peak Triathlon (Olympic) Race Report

2010-07-13T04:20:00.002-06:00

I started the race on two hours of sleep due to pain I am still dealing with from my dental debacle. I was really not feeling well before the race but decided to give it a shot anyway.

At the start of the swim my goggles leaked immediately. I had to stop to adjust them at least three times before I said screw it and swam with water in them.

Having water in my goggles threw off my stroke a bit as I had to close one eye often during the breathing as the water would run into my eye. Fortunately I can breath on both sides so I was able to break it up a bit. Doing it this way forced my head out of the water more and I even swam quite a lot with my head up while breathing so that the water wouldn't irritate me. While heading out of T1, I had to stop to readjust my shoe and then as soon as I got on the bike and started peddling I kept hearing a clicking sound. I had to stop, get off and adjust my cadence thingy that was rubbing against the magnet. ( I will check that before the next race).

I had told myself that I wasn't going to push to hard on the bike as I didn't have the energy and was worried about what the result would be. Also, knowing that Old Stage Road (big climb) was ahead of me I made it a point to take it easier on the slow gradual climb to Old Stage Road. I conquered Old Stage Road (very slowly) and did my best to get in front of anyone who I thought might stop as I knew if they stopped suddenly or fell over there was a chance that it would force me to do the same. It was like a mini Tour DE France on Old Stage Road. People in costume, people lined up along the road cheering and ringing their cow bells and messages with chalk on the road. The rest of the ride was fine. I passed people, people passed me... you know how it goes . Could I have gone faster.. yes. A lot faster.. I don't know. Would I have suffered for it on the run because of my lack of sleep (over weeks) and being under trained. Maybe.
I knew that I was going to have to walk a lot on the run. I told myself ahead of time to not get hung up with that. My goal for this race was to finish without getting sick or being miserable through the whole thing. I walked every hill and walked through every aid station. I was starting to feel nauseous on the way out (out and back course) and at one point wasn't sure I would be able to finish. At the turn around point or shortly before or after, they were handing out ice. I put ice in my hat and began pouring water over my head. It was really hot and I was overheating. I started to feel better and ran a lot more on the way back. At one point I started to feel a cool which I knew wasn't a good sign and knew that I needed to keep using the ice. First time using ice for me. My run time was expected and therefore I wasn't disappointed. I did get to share the run course with the pros for a bit and was able to watch them cross the finish line as a spectator.

Pro pics

Guess who is the pro in this picture

Tim O'Donnell, Joanna Zieger and Matt Reed.

Under the circumstances, I did about as well as I could have. Like I said, I was just out there to finish this one. The highlight of the race was meeting Julie http://youjusthavetotri.blogspot.com/ at the finish line where she was volunteering. We gave each other a big hug and it made my day.

Rough month

2010-07-06T18:21:00.000-06:00

I feel like I have been away from everyone for so long. This past month has been more then a bit tough. To make a long miserable story short, I had two dental implants inserted a month ago. One of them ended up getting infected and it took me three weeks of pain and trying to convince my dentist that something was wrong before I went to a different dentist who not only validated my pain but ended up removing the implant and doing a bone graft. I will spare you the gory details of this but both surgeries involved scalpels, drills, some other tools that look like the ones in a tool kit and stitches. The pain was debilitating at times but I am finally starting to see the light at the the end of the tunnel. The fact that I am still standing considering the amount of pain killers (which don't work) and antibiotics I have been on is a feat in itself. I won't even get into the cost of all this but I can say that I am going after a dentist or two for a refund of some sort.
My training has suffered immensely. I haven't swam more then twice in a month due to the two rounds of stitches and my running has been minimal at best. I haven't ran at all in almost a week due to the most recent surgery (rise in blood pressure causes swelling and additional pain) and my cycling hasn't been that great either. So here is the thing. I have an Olympic distance race this Sunday and feel very unprepared. I rode the bike course on Sunday so I know I can get up the insane hill they are having us climb but my swim and run are going to be pathetic. I have even thought of not doing the race but am hopeful that I will feel much better by Sunday. I am also stubborn :) I have a 70.3 race in August and I am very worried about that as well. I guess I just need to take one day at a time.
In other news, I did manage to ride the MS 150 during all of this. It was very inspirational and totally worth doing. I hope to do it again sometime when I am feeling better.
Here are some pics from the MS 150.

This was at the start of the event. I just had to take a picture. Empty port a potties.. really???

Day one. The climb was at the end and the drugs were wearing off. At least that is my excuse for the look on my face.

I was really ready to be done but figured I would put on a happy face

The finish line!

I hope all is well with everyone. I hope to catch up on all your posts soon!

Out for a Ride.

2010-06-21T15:31:00.001-06:00

Look who was next to me at the stop light this morning.....

Boulder 5430 Sprint Race Report

2010-06-20T19:35:00.001-06:00

Well the first Boulder race is in the bag, two to go. I felt I did pretty well for the swim despite the fact that some woman was hitting me and pushing my feet down for much of the first 330 yards. I finally started kicking to let her know "to back off". I was worried about the men in my wave but it turned out that it was women who I needed to do some battle with. My goggles didn't fog for the first time ever in a race! Spit does work!
As always, the bike was my strongest event. I averaged 20.1 miles an hour and didn't suffer to much. Considering I didn't know the course and haven't been training like I should for the past two weeks, I was very happy with this. Also there were times when you couldn't pass due to cars or narrow areas where you couldn't pass slower riders which probably slowed me up just a little bit. While I had driven the course the night before I would have benefited from riding it at least once.
Now for the run. Well, I fell apart. It was very hot, no shade and I just didn't have it in me today. I walked part of one hill, walked the aid stations where I poured water on my head and stopped to stretch out my painful shin. I have to say that this is very discouraging for me. I know it takes time (years to improve) at this sport but it just seems like I am stuck when it comes to running. I have accepted that all the people that I pass on the bike will be passing me on the run but when I see the rankings and I see what could have been if I was even a half way decent runner, it frustrates me. I can say that the race today has lit a new fire under me along with the reality that the Boulder Peak and HIM are just around the corner. Probably the best part of the race were the cold soaking wet towels that they handed out after the race. I wore that on my head for at least 10 minutes. The other Boulder races are going to be extremely hot and the run is going to be brutal due to lack of any shade. I am really going to have to figure out how to hydrate for that as I sweat a ton and I am on that run course a lot longer then most.

Over all it was a good day. Boulder is a different league for me in terms of competition so with that in mind I feel I did pretty well. here are the stats.

I was 28th out of 68 in my age group.

I was 13th out of 68 on the bike in my age group. ( we won't talk about the run rank)

I was 243 out of 555 woman

I tied for 88th out of 555 women on the bike (Again, I only look at the bike results in that detail as that is the only place I am at all competitive).

Thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement. They mean a lot !

Boulder Sprint Pre Race Pics

2010-06-19T15:38:00.000-06:00

These might be the only pics I have of the race as I am flying solo on this one.

The people in front of the stage are trying to find shade. It will be a hot one tomorrow.

I heard that the water is in the high 60s'. A very good thing.

The racks are numbered. I searched and searched but couldn't find mine. They were still working on it when I left.

I was trying to get a nice picture of the mountains but can only do so much with my Blackberry.

5430 Sprint Pre Race Thoughts.

2010-06-19T10:09:00.001-06:00

I have the first of the Boulder tri series races tomorrow. It is the 5430 Sprint which consists of a half mile swim, 17.2 mile bike and 5k. I have not been training as I should for the last two weeks due to some dental issues related to a surgery and I haven't swam at all. I am trying to have an "it is what it is" attitude about this instead of worrying myself to death about it (easier said then done). There have been a couple of other times where my training has suffered a bit before a race but the race always turned out better then I thought.
Now, the two times this has happened was due to injury or some other issue and not planned but in the end it has worked out. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. I will just be happy when I am done with the swim (I am in a wave with men and historically that has proven to be a rougher swim even when I try to stay away) and get through the bike without a flat (I haven't explored the whole rear tire removal on my tri bike and it looks a bit different then my road bike). As much as I dread the run, I am always relieved when I have made it that far without incident :)
Happy Weekend Everyone!

Elephant Rock 62 Mile Course

2010-06-06T15:37:00.001-06:00

This has been quite a weekend!
First the triathlon on Friday, a run on Saturday followed by my first "ice bath" (I didn't use ice though)

and now the completion of the 62 mile course which is part of a huge bike festival that takes place every year. There are between 7000 and 8000 people who participate in this event that offers different ride distances from a seven mile ride to a century ride.
We had great weather but the winds made for some very challenging miles. It was really nice to be able to stop at an aid station, grab a snack and some water, hit the port-a-potty and not worry about the time I am losing. 62 miles is a long way and I couldn't help but think about how this ride would feel with a swim and run attached. I took my road bike and hit a new max speed of 48.4 miles an hour! Scary but lots of fun!!!

Metro Broker's TriathlON Friday

2010-06-05T09:01:00.007-06:00

Last night I completed my first triathlon of the season. It is held on a Friday evening and the proceeds go to Special Olympics and Adaptive Adventures, two organizations that I am very fond off. I had not planned on doing this race again this year but was given the opportunity to take some one's place at a discounted rate so I jumped on it. I would have probably done it anyway as I decided that doing a race on a course I know would help shake out the cobwebs and give me a chance to race with my new bike on "home" turf. I was so nervous though! For those that know me, they understand that I always get nervous but this was extreme even for me.

The race went well. It is SO hot before the start that I pretty much looked like I had already been in the water before I made it to the beach area. It felt really good to get in the water though of course there was the whole cold water going your back/zipper thing. I had no problems at all with the wetsuit. ( This was my first time in open water this season.

"Warming" up before the start

The uphill run from the swim to the transition area

There were a good amount of waves from the jet skis and boats which made for a rocky swim. The buoys were also white which made it harder for me to see.

The water looks calm here but it was not to be the case once the swim started.

I had some goggle fogging also but over all the swim went well. I took almost a 1.44 off my time from last year. The bike went well. I was a mile faster (19.8 vs.. 18.8) this year. I am still a bit cautious about turns and rough roads with the new bike so that slowed me up a tiny bit.

Heading out on the bike

Then the run. For some crazy reason they set up the course wrong and it was shorter then last year. It is the same course but they made the final turn around to soon! I don't get it. One of the measurements that can be almost exact and they mess it up. So... based on running 2.85 miles vs. the 3.07 miles I ran last year I was 40 seconds per mile faster this year. That includes walking the aid station and taking a couple of short walks up the steepest part of the hills. Aimee offered some encouraging words as she whipped by me VERY early in the run. :)

This is how it ended up over all.

I placed 17th out of 41 females

Tied for 6th place on the bike amongst females

64th out of 117 overall ( I was faster then 36 men)

3rd in my age group (there were only five of us). As is always the case, if I was a better runner, I would move up quickly in the ranks as I often have better bike splits the the top people in my age group. That is sure to change in Boulder however. Maybe I should consider an Aquabike.

It was nice to finally meet Aimee(I Tri To Be Me). Congrats on a fantastic race!

Look how serious the guys on the right are while the one on the far left looks like he is hanging out just enjoying the scenery?

Finally some one on one time with my tri bike

2010-05-30T16:13:00.001-06:00

I have spent very little outdoor time with my tri bike. Seems crazy doesn't it? Between the weather and group rides that won't allow tri bikes or road bikes with aero bars, my time has been limited. This past week I changed that.
I went to one of the local parks a few days ago to get some ride time in without all the cars and traffic.
It was windy which made for some challenging moments as my bike and I were blown sideways a bit but it was nice to get out.

Today I summed up my courage and went for a ride on the open road. There were some good climbs and some great downhills. I spent most of my time in the aerobars with the exception of some of the downhill parts and some rough spots in the road. I am very glad that I have had aerobars on my road bike for the past 1.75 years as it has made the learning curve much smaller then it would have been otherwise. I didn't break any speed records today but being outdoors, time on the tri bike and exploring some new places to ride made for a very good day.

Lesson Learned

2010-05-25T07:19:00.001-06:00

As you can see from the little ticker at the top right hand side of my blog there are 2 months and 2 weeks before Boulder 70.3. That is not very far away! While I have been training all winter and spring (if you can call the weather we have had "spring like") I haven't been very good about following my training plan. That is until last week. Of course last week happened to be a big volume week but so be it. The biggest additions to my training have been my long bike rides in the mountains. I have joined my friend and her cycling club for these outings which has definitely helped motivate me to take on these new adventures. While the climbing and hours in the saddle are challenging, I think that the most painful part is descending from anywhere from 7000-9000+ feet. I freeze when I do this! You would have thought I would have learned from the first time a couple of weeks ago when we were in snow at 9000 feet and I was so cold that my teeth were chattering but apparently I need to learn the hard way. This past Sunday while climbing I had on a sleeveless cycling shirt and a vest (I had taken the sleeves off the vest). It was very sunny and mild and with me being someone who sweats more then the average person, my head was soaked and drops of sweat from my hair had saturated the collar of my vest by the time we had reached the top of the climb ( sorry for the graphic description but I want to paint an accurate picture). Regrouping at the top of the climb, I put the sleeves back on my vest and was wishing I had brought my long sleeve shirt that I had decided to leave behind because it was warm (at the bottom). A hat or bandanna would have helped as well. I can only describe the decent as brutal. Between the altitude, wind and speed, I was so cold that I actually thought to stop for a moment to try and get my body to stop shaking. If someone had offered me a ride down I very well might have accepted. I finally went into my drops to help cut some of the wind which helped a bit and needless to say I was more then happy when we were at the bottom. It is like being stuck on a boat while sea sick. You would give your right (or left) arm to just make it back to land. So, I think I have learned my lesson this time and will pack accordingly for the next time. Now if I can just figure out how to store a small suitcase on my bike :)
Have a great week!

Quite a Day!

2010-05-16T19:48:00.004-06:00

Quite the day today! We started out in sunshine and warmish weather and by the time we came to the top of the first long climb we were surrounded by snow. Not unexpected at 9350 feet.

The decent was fast and VERY cold. my teeth were actually chattering for a good part of it. We had some other small climbs in the middle of the ride along with a few miles on some dirt roads. Our final climb before the finish topped off at 13%.

I held my own and was extremely grateful for the 12-27 cassette. Parts of that ride would have been miserable without it. I tried not to use the easiest gear for much of it but for the really big stuff I needed it. We did about 43 miles. A long day starting with a wake-up call at 5:30 in order to meet my friends for the ride to Boulder at 7:00AM. Actual ride started a bit after 9:00am. My longest time in the saddle to date.

Above is a pic of the 13% climb.

Tomorrow is a big day for me.

2010-05-15T12:35:00.001-06:00

I have my first "real" ride tomorrow and I am a bit nervous. I am riding with a cycling group (never have done that before) that my friend is a part of. I have joined their team for the MS 150. From all I know they are a very friendly group and welcome people of all levels. The one thing that I had to do which I really didn't want to do was remove my aerobars from my road bike.(I am not ready to take my tri bike out on such a venture). We are riding in Boulder tomorrow and apparently doing some major climbing. I have never ridden in Boulder before and between not knowing the route, not knowing 99.9 % of the people and this being probably my most challenging and longest ride to date, to say I am a bit nervous is an understatement. I did however just put 12-27 cassette on my bike to help with the climbing. I am sure I will be fine (I am a much stronger cyclist then a runner) but I haven't ridden near as much this winter as last winter and not knowing what I am getting myself into is very unsettling. There is always a first time for everything right?
Happy Training!

May 12th!

2010-05-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

There is a tri taking place here in two weeks. I can't even imagine getting into the water for at least another month. I know it is warm and sunny somewhere!

I finally got to take my new bike out for a spin.

2010-05-09T15:01:00.000-06:00

When I think of May, I think of warm temps, blue skies and short sleeve shirts. Apparently Colorado has another idea of what May should look like. Between work and crappy weather, it has taken me until today to get out for my first ride of the season. It wasn't a long ride but it was nice to get out and test out the new ride.We rode in Cherry Creek State Park. This is where numerous tris and other races take place.

In other news, I have signed up for the MS 150. If that isn't motivation to get out on the bike then nothing is.
My friends overwhelmed me with donating over $400.00 within hours of my registration. I was very touched.

The weather report calls for rain and possible SNOW for Tuesday through Friday. Oh, and the OWS areas are open. Yikes!

What a Week!

2010-05-02T09:40:00.003-06:00

This past week has been a bit crazy for me. Our company moved offices this past weekend and the packing and stress leading up to is has been building. Fortunately the worst is over and we are in our new digs as of tomorrow.
Three out of five evenings were spent "out". I joined a triathlon club(haven't attended one work out yet) and we had our monthly meeting on Monday and a happy hour on Thursday. On Tuesday afternoon I ended up back at the bike store for my bike fit. That took a few hours and I ended up leaving my bike there for a couple of days so they could rewire the shifters to bring the aerobars in closer. All of this has not only cut into training time but has tapped into any reserves that I had for socializing, writing e-mails and blogging. You see, I work with people who have disabilities and all day long I deal with people and their issues (let me tell you, there are A LOT of them). By the end of the day my ability to be social, supportive..blah blah blah.. is maxed out. So, having all this extra activity in the evening has pretty much taken the place of my "down time". I am not complaining mind you but wow.. all this extra time of having to "be on" is wearing! :) Oh, I almost forgot, I also met with a sports nutritionist this week to figure out what I can do to gain more energy and maybe prevent the nausea problems I have after running. Basically what I need to do is eat more protein and healthy fats and not so many carbs. Oh, and not worry so much about calories. For someone who was heavy for the first 20+ years of her life, the idea of not worrying so much about calories and eating fat is enough to put me over the edge :)
In other news.... I watched a good part of Ironman St. George on line yesterday. I was actually tracking a person who I "met" through a mentor group on BT. I always enjoy watching the late finishers cross the finish line. These people amaze me.

The weather has not been great in CO for the past few days but I hope to actually get out on my new bike sometime this coming week even if I have to play hooky. I rode it on the trainer the other day and realized the derailleur needed adjusting so back to the bike shop it went. All part of the new bike process.
OK, enough of my rambling. I just basically wanted to check in and say hi.

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-04-25T19:30:00.000-06:00

Wow, it has been way to long since my last post. I have had a couple of very busy weeks at work as well as shopping for a tri bike. I had a fit assessment, went to numerous stores to see what the different brands look like and test road the very few that were available in my size. I really wanted to be sure I was making the right choice. Thanks to those who provided me with very valuable advice. With the help of some birthday money, I was able to take the plunge.

Platte River Pic

2010-04-13T17:54:00.001-06:00

This is one of the few race pics that I like. Now if I could just keep my arms from crossing my body!

See the sweaty hair??? I was working hard :) Actually it could be 20 degrees and I would be sweating. I WAS working hard though! :)

Platte River Half Marathon

2010-04-13T17:44:00.000-06:00

I wish I could say that I had a great race, felt great, PR'd etc. but it wasn't in the cards for this race.
It was a tough day out there for me on Sunday. I was doing well for the first six miles but then I TOTALLY fell apart during the rest of the race. While my quads were hurting, the lack of energy was the biggest problem. I ended up walking A LOT. I wasn't feeling well at the finish and headed right home where I proceeded to get pretty sick. I am now thinking Ihad some type of bug and that that was part of why I struggled.
The other possibility is my nutrition. While I have always used the same things (gels, H2o and Powerade) the last few long runs have left me nauseous and a bit light headed at the end. This did not happen in Arizona when I did the half marathon or during other long runs a few months back. I drank a bit more Powerade (a flavor off of the course ) and an additional gel with the hopes that it would help me. I wonder it that could have done something. Also, I did a ten mile run last week without any muscle pain. Sunday, by mile eight, my quads were hurting. Also what happened to me after the race at home (thank goodness) was much worse then anything I have previously experienced. It was like having food poisoning and then feeling like you are about to pass out at the same time. Like I said, I felt nauseous after the race and ate something and felt a bit better. Then once at home I thought I was going to die.
Two days later I am feeling much better. I do worry a bit about future long runs (I might have PTSD) but want to believe that I had some stomach virus and that it had nothing to do with my nutrition. Any thoughts on the subject are more then welcome.
It was a beautiful day for a race and I am so glad that both Christi and Aimee had great races :)
There will be other races. I did finish, so for that I am glad and considering I walked a tremendous amount during the last six miles (including taking off my shoes to get the pebbles out.. I ran on the dirt every chance I had) and was only 9 minutes slower then my Arizona time, I know I was doing well for the first half of the race. Here are some pics at the start and middle of the race.

Calling all bike gurus' and those who enjoy bike porn

2010-04-10T19:41:00.001-06:00

I have been doing a bit more tri bike shopping and based on availability, fit and the good people at the LBS, I am thinking about becoming the proud owner to one of these bikes.

While I would have preferred a pretty blue bike that is not in the cards and the nice red and white one that I rode earlier in the week is way beyond my means. In terms of color, I lean towards the white, charcoal and black one. The red, white and black doesn't do much for me ( I think it looks a bit masculine) though my feelings about the color are not as strong as they were before I spent a good amount of time on it today.
I am attaching the links to each bike so that those of you who know about bike specs can take a look at the differences. I am interested in hearing people's opinion regarding color as well as over all bike. One of the bike's is $1000.00 more then the other. For those in the know, is it worth it? (based off specs).
I appreciate any feedback you can provide.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45897&eid=4338&menuItemId=0
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45896&eid=4338&menuItemId=0

Ultimately I don't know what the outcome will be but in the meantime it is helping me from obsessing about the half marathon I have (and am not ready for) tomorrow.
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. And Thanks for your help and thoughts!
Kathleen
PS... the prices shown on the website are $300 more then the price that I would get it for. (still quite steep anyway I look at it)

April 7th......

2010-04-07T07:20:00.000-06:00

The weather report for this weekend is 70 degrees. I will believe it when I see it.

I finally rode a tri bike. Now I have questions

2010-04-05T23:53:00.000-06:00

So I was having my third fit adjustment to my road bike today ( I am having some cleat positioning issues ) when I started talking to the bike fit guy about tri bikes. To make a long story short, I ended up riding a Specialized Transition Pro (they didn't have a less expensive bike in my size) and enjoyed it. I was very nervous about taking a $4500 bike on a test ride in 30 mile an hour wind gusts but I was able to get a feel for the bike and found the transition from a road bike with clip on aero bars to a tri bike quite easy. So here is my question for all of you great people. I am always reading about bike fit, how important it is to get a bike fit before you purchase a bike. That you should ride numerous bikes and see which one feels best. How can you get a real bike fit when the geometry of the bikes are different? I can't imagine finding any bike store that is going to spend hour(s) fitting someone for a test ride. before I purchased my road bike, I road numerous brands before I picked the one that felt the best to me. I later found out that the bike is a bit long for me and adjustments have been made to make it fit me better. So, when I read comments from people saying to "purchase the bike that feels/fits the best" how do you know which one that is?
I have no idea if I would ever purchase another bike but if I do, I want to make sure that it is one that "fits"
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
And for you viewing pleasure... here is the bike that I rode today.

A Good Day

2010-04-04T09:43:00.001-06:00

So my training plan has called for a long run and "up to 2000" yard swim on Saturdays for the past two months. Yesterday was the first time that I actually completed that task. My long runs have always wiped me out and getting to the pool....well it never happened until yesterday. The weather called for strong winds later in the day so I was determined to get out early for the run. While I didn't beat the winds, I was done with the run by 12:30 which allowed for some down time before heading to the pool. I found a new trail with both mile markers and a Port-a-Potty! That is huge! The only issue I had besides the wind was a continuous cramp in my shoulder. As much as I tried to get rid of it (swinging and stretching my arm ) it didn't work. I tried pushing on it a few times also but I only ended up scratching myself when my fingers slipped. (another reason besides wetsuit rip prevention to cut your finger nails.

I finally gave up on my shoulder. It took up to much energy to address this while continuing to run.
I spent a couple of hours in the late afternoon watching a swim meet on Universal Sports hoping that it would motivate me to get to the pool. I don't know if it helped. Anyway, I finally made it to the pool around 6:00pm as I knew the pool would be closed on Sunday due to Easter. All six lanes were totally empty! Fantastic! That is a dream for me. Having a lane to myself is such a gift. I laid my gear out (you know, fins, pull buoy, kick board...) and took my usual extra few minutes to adjust my SwimP3 player.

Can I just say that this is one of the best inventions ever! Being able to listen to music while swimming has made the endless laps so much more manageable.
After hitting the cool water, I swam my fastest 100 ever! I have been starting out my swim workouts with 800 freestyle and timing myself. I have started to see real improvement and yesterday was the best day yet.
I can actually say that I am getting a bit faster! I don't know if it was happiness, relief, exhaustion or what but I almost wanted to cry after seeing my times. It is so nice when all the work finally pays off.. even a little bit.

Happy Training Everyone!

How do I contact followers through Blogger?

2010-03-28T08:27:00.001-06:00

Happy Sunday Everyone!
I need some assistance. I would love to be able to e-mail people who post to my blog. Is there a way to do that? I would like to respond to some of the comments left for me but I feel if I just add them to the comment thread then the person might never see it. Thanks in advance for any tips on how to do this.

Hey, it is sunny this morning and supposed to be in the 60s! The forecast calls for 70 degrees for the next few days. No snow in site! That is a very good thing!

I have been spending way to much time looking at the great pics of my fellow bloggers new tri bikes and at the same time reminding myself that I have a perfectly fine road bike with aero bars that has served me well.
I don't need a tri bike. Really, I don't. BUT... I think I might go and test ride one, JUST to see what it feels like. There is no harm in looking right? :)
Happy training!

Just Another Spring Day in Colorado

2010-03-24T08:52:00.001-06:00

My bike and I are going to be spending a lot of time
in the basement the next couple of days.

Snow on the first day of Spring

2010-03-20T10:03:00.001-06:00

While pretty, this is doing nothing for my training! I am supposed to do a long run today and the idea of doing it on the treadmill makes me want to go back to bed and hide under the covers. If I had the right shoes and didn't think I would slip and break something I would head outside anyway even if it is only in the 20s'. With race season just around the corner and my building nerves about the 70.3 race, I am thinking I might be putting some of my vacation time to use. I hate being inside all day anyway especially when we do have the nice days. All I think about is what training I could be doing if I wasn't stuck in an office staring at a monitor.
Here's hoping everyone meets their goals this weekend.

Today's Training Tip: Don't Worry, Be Happy -From Runner's World

2010-03-13T09:24:00.003-07:00

Written by Mark Remy-Runner's World Magazine

03/11/2010 9:49 AM
By Mark Remy

"Relax. Life is good. Have a juice box."

Mark Remy
Runners — myself very much included — are always touting the stress-relieving aspects of a good run. Nine times out of 10 or better, you can start a run as a ball of anxiety and end it practically blissed-out. It’s nice.
For an activity with such a reputation as a stress-buster, though, running can induce a lot of stress all its own. Personally, running has added to my anxiety levels in the following ways just in the past week or so:

* I dreaded Sunday’s 20-miler, for the usual reasons: I hate to wake up early, especially on weekends; I worried that I hadn’t sufficiently recovered from the previous Sunday’s crazy-hilly 17-miler; because we wouldn’t be following a planned route, there was a chance we could get lost and wind up running, I dunno, 30 miles for all I knew, in the wrong direction, culminating in our flagging down a motorist and riding home in the back of some weirdo’s pickup truck, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles-style.

* I’ve realized suddenly that I have a marathon in less than three weeks. Gulp.

* I was anxious about yesterday’s hill repeats. Because they’re hill repeats.

These are real stressors. But you know what? I’ve decided not to worry anymore. I’ve decided to be happy.
My inspiration for turning this particular corner: Mr. Bobby McFerrin, who turns 60 years old today and who is probably celebrating by relaxing in some loose cotton pants as he rocks gently back and forth and hums his trademark tune, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”
The Don’t Worry, Be Happy approach has lots of real-life applications, both in running and in, well, real life. For instance…
This weekend’s long run is going to be so long. And hilly. And hurt-y. I’m already feeling it in my quads.
Don’t Worry: Relax. It’s nothing you haven’t done before. And that hurt means you’re making progress and getting stronger. It’s called training, champ.
Be Happy: Won’t it be nice after the run to take a shower, make some pancakes, and plop down with the Sunday paper? Ahhh.
I’ve been training so long for this race. What if I miss my goal by a lot? Or, worse, by a little?
Don’t Worry: Relax. There will be other races, and other goals. And any goal that you’re guaranteed to attain isn’t much of a goal, is it?
Be Happy: At least you’re healthy and strong enough to be racing in the first place. Many, many people out there are not. You’re one of the lucky ones.
Isn’t this blog post awfully similar in structure and tone to that treadmill one from a few weeks ago?
Don’t Worry: Relax. Stop living in the past, man.
Be Happy: Uh… Hey, look… cute puppies!

I Don't Get It!

2010-03-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned numerous times running is not my strength and I am OK with that. I know I am going to be passed left and right during the run, it is a given. Here is the thing that I don't get however. How is it that people of all ages, different sizes from very small to obese and people so knock kneed that their knees almost touch are all faster then me? For two years now I have been working on my running with the hope of some improvement. While I guess there is some the reality is is that I am still very slow.( I had a particularly slow run today (slower then usual) when it should have been faster so I am a bit frustrated). My significant other runs very little. On the few occasions that he has run with me, he often passes me. That totally pisses me off! Sometimes I think that maybe there is something wrong with my mechanics but then I see some other peoples' form and I know it can't be that. I am in good cardiovascular shape so that shouldn't be holding me back to much I don't think. I mean shouldn't I be faster then those who don't do squat and then go out one day to run? I have often thought it was psychological. I was a heavy kid who played sports. While athletic, the running killed me. I was always the slowest and really struggled. I know that those memories used to be a factor in my relationship with running but I have worked hard to go from hating running to tolerate and on occasion enjoy it. I don't know, maybe it will take years to get to the place where many start out.
Good thing that I can pass them on the bike:)
Ok, I am done complaining now.
Thanks for "listening"

Who Knew????

2010-03-04T22:15:00.001-07:00

It took me a good month or so to get up the nerve to sign up for my first triathlon two years ago. At the time my only real thought was about completing the race and spicing up my somewhat stale workouts. I never thought that the click of an Active.com registration button would lead me to challenges I never thought I would take on, places I had never visited and most importantly friends and a community that has come to mean so much to me. I just finished reading some of the blogs that I am following. I don't frequent them as much as I would like but each time I do, I find myself comforted by the reminder that there are others out there who share some of the same thoughts, worry about the same things and are experiencing many of the same things that I am. Reading about the successes that you all have brings a smile to my face. I am truly happy for you and know that I am cheering you on. Reading about the challenges and struggles makes you all the more interesting and makes me want to read more. We might never meet in person but I am pleased to have the opportunity to get to know you.

This and That

2010-02-25T18:12:00.002-07:00

I pay a coach to write a monthly training plan for me. I have been doing this for about eight months now. While having my month's training all planned out for me is nice, I don't get feedback and all the other good stuff that people who have coaches get. So, I have recently joined a triathlon club. There are always coaches available at the workouts and there will be six workouts a week that I can pick and choose from once the weather changes. One of my biggest hopes is that I can get together with some of the others who are doing the 70.3 race and not only learn from those who have done the race but ride the course a time or two with them. I am also going to have to figure out the whole nutrition thing with a race of this distance so having coaches available to me will be very helpful. Not bad for $75.00 a year.
I have been having a hard time sticking to my training schedule but am determined to follow it as close as possible this week. So far I have followed almost 100%. As one friend said to me "that is an accomplishment by itself"
Speaking of accomplishments, I swam 2000 yards today. My longest distance to date. Thank goodness I have a Swimp3 to keep me in music as I am a slow swimmer and all the back and forth can easily become a form of torture :)

Please spring, arrive soon!

2010-02-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

I am struggling to get my much needed runs in. The thought of running lap after lap of a tiny indoor track or get on a treadmill has led me to my basement and the trainer numerous times this week. While riding is certainly a plus, it is my strongest event of the three. I should be working on my weakness (s). I did make it to the gym today for a six mile run on the dreaded treadmill and hit the pool for a swim. I have also signed up for another half marathon which takes place in April. Hopefully that will be my motivation. It is a local race so I will be able to train on the course. The weather reports calls for temps in the 40's by Wednesday. A practical heatwave, I can't wait!

Sunday Spin

2010-02-14T23:36:00.003-07:00

There was a time when I would scramble to the gym an hour before spin class just so that I could secure a bike. Now I just head to my basement for my own spin class. The one thing missing from my now solo rides have been my "tri buds". Today however that all changed!

Meg and Annegret shoveled their driveways, loaded their bikes, trainers, towels etc etc in their cars and joined me in my basement for our first Sunday spin. It was a nice way to spend part of the afternoon. Our friend Tanya couldn't join us due to some medical issues but we have a spot waiting for her when she is ready.

The joy of logging in the miles

2010-02-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

I swear, sometimes I think I train just so I can log in the miles. It is my reward. I love to map the run I have just done to see the mileage, figure out the pace I ran and then note it in my training "calendar". One of the best things about it is that I have nothing to compare it to. I am not trying to beat last years miles/hours as I never recorded them. I now however, have posted my progress to date on my blog as I have one follower who is very interested in this data. What does that mean to me? I will let you know after I get my ride in. No time to slack off, I have people watching now! :)

Motivation

2010-02-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here dodging my afternoon training session while telling myself I have the whole evening ahead to get motivated and do what I need to do. Yesterday I got home from work and stood in the kitchen for a minute or two having a tug of war with myself about whether or not to skip my scheduled run and take the evening off. The fighter in me won the battle yesterday. Not unlike a transition, I quickly changed clothes, found my sneakers and MP3 player and headed out the door. I knew I had to move quickly or I would detour to the couch. As usual once I was outside and a good twenty minutes into the run I felt better and when finished I was very glad that I had done it. That sense of accomplishment is a powerful one. It is the reason I continue to take on these new athletic challenges. Crossing that finish line after working so hard to get there feels great. But, so does sitting on the couch :)

Rock and Roll Arizona 13.1 race report

2010-01-31T13:54:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago today I completed my first half marathon. It started out with my friends and I gathering outside our hotel rooms at 6:00 am to drive to the race start.

We arrived at the start with plenty of time to spare and immediately took advantage of the vacant port-a-potties at the drop off area. we hung out near the UPS trucks until it was time to hand our bags over to them so that they could transport them to the finish line. The final prep before getting into our corrals included lubing my toes with every blister prevention known to man and waiting in VERY long lines to use the port-a-potties.

With corrals starting every two minutes, it was a good half an hour before my group reached the starting line. During that time I must have adjusted my shoe laces at least 10 times (people around me surely thought that I had OCD) and started to remove the numerous layers that I had on to keep warm before the start. (One of the really nice things about these races it that all the clothing left at the start or on the course is giving to the homeless or other people in need).

My 13.1 mile journey started slowely as I continued to remind myself that this wasn't the usual 5k race that I was used to. At mile one I heard someone say to their friend "we have completed a mile" and thought to myself, "nothing like being reminded of the 12.1 miles I have to go!" ARGHH...

At the 1.5 mile mark I was looking for the port-a-potties but refused to wait in the lines. There was no way I was going to stop this soon into the race, to stand in a line knowing the time I was losing, only to have to face the long journey ahead. I am not one of those who is able to stop and get going again easily. Once I stop or start walking the battle to keep running gets harder and harder. While I had no set in stone goal for this race, I was hoping that I would be able to run the whole thing and no port-a-potty line was going to nix that hope at the 1.5 mile mark! As the miles went on and my search for an empty port-a-potty or some alley way to duck into continued, my focus changed from the need for a bathroom to the mission of run the whole race. Living in CO was a huge advantage for me. The course was flat and the altitude change made the cardio part of the race more then bearable. In fact, I never felt that I was struggling in that area and probably could have pushed it harder except for the fact that my quads had other ideas. At about mile nine, my legs were starting to have enough of this whole thing ad by mile 10 my quads were rebelling at very step. I knew that now it was just a matter of mind over matter. I told myself "you only have a 5k to go, you can do this!" At mile 11 I thought "ok, just keep running until you hit the 12 mile mark" and at the 12 mile mark I thought" there is NO way you are going to walk now with only 1.1 miles to go!" It was a battle of mind over matter but I did it. I ran the whole race! Now some people could watch the clip of me coming across the finish line and think "that isn't running" but I would say, "oh yes it was!" It wasn't pretty but it was running.

After crossing the finish line I remember thinking to myself " how am I going to ever do a Half Ironman" but allowed that thought to quickly escape until a later date. I received my medal, had my picture taken, and hobbled over to the UPS truck to pick up my bag with my change of clothes in it. After finally hitting the port-a-potty I continued to hobble over the designated meeting area. While I stood around awhile for fear of sitting and not being able to get back up, the idea of getting off my feet won over and down I went. Fortunately the others found me and I was able to stay where I was until we had to go. And yes, I did need to be helped to my feet. :)

The day was a huge success. Everyone finished and we were all very happy with our efforts.

Waiting at the airport the next day it was very obvious who had done the race the day before. People wincing when trying to sit or stand or walking with a limp or very gingerly were very common. I felt right at home :)

Since the race, I have had some lingering blisters and muscle soreness that has kept me from doing to much running. I was able to finally start running again yesterday and it felt good to be back out there. I don't enjoy running but I actually missed the high and feeling of accomplishment, of having sucked it up and getting the miles in. I truly never thought I would take on a challenge like this and then actually complete it. Just goes to show you that if you Dare to Dream, sometimes those dreams come true.

Hanging with the elites.....

2010-01-15T17:46:00.002-07:00

My friend Meg and I arrived in Arizona yesterday afternoon. With no time to spare, we checked into our hotel and headed To P.F. Chang's to "do" happy hour with Dean Karnazes, Deena Kaster, Ryan Hall and Josh Cox. I enjoyed listening to their stories and words of wisdom. Who runs a 4.45 minute mile??!!! Ryan Hall does. I can not even imagine what that must feel like. I can hardly imagine what a 8 minute mile must feel like for any amount of time beyond 10 seconds. The message that they all conveyed is that no matter how fast or how slow each of us is, we all feel the same thing when we cross the finish line. The "high" is no different for an elite runner then it is for us mortals. We all are victors.

Five days and counting

2010-01-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

In five days I will be competing in my first half marathon. While I have always been inspired by those who take on these type of challenges I never thought I would participate in one myself. Truthfully, before I started doing triathlons two years ago I would never have believed I would have accomplished all that I have. It really is all about taking one step in front of the other and not letting fear stand in your way. My friends Meg and Annegret are doing the race with me. Experiencing this with them will make this event all the more memorable. Here is a picture of the three of us after our first 10 mile run.

Sneakers!

2010-01-09T10:42:00.002-07:00

I just purchased another new pair of sneakers. One would think that I am bordering on a sneaker obsession. Maybe that is true. However, my true motivation(or original one before I became somewhat obsessed with them) is to find a pair of shoes that work for me, that won't cause blisters, that feel just right. Maybe I will always have to deal with the blister issue as I seem to have a running gait that is a perfect breeding ground for them but I haven't quite settled on a pair (or size) of sneakers that just speak to me :) Note however, the pretty white and blue ones at the bottom of the picture. These might just be the ones!!!

A year of firsts

2010-01-09T09:39:00.001-07:00

I have never "blogged" before. Just one more thing to learn about and experience in this new year.
It is only January 9th and I have already committed to three new ventures. I will be participating in my first half marathon on January 17th in Arizona. I have signed up for this summer's Boulder 70.3 (Half Ironman) race and am now finding myself doing the "blogging" thing. No wonder I am tired! :)
While the journey to this summer's 70.3 race is just beginning, it took the commitment to the half marathon to convince myself that I could even sign up for the Boulder race. A half Ironman consists of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a half marathon (13.1 miles). For the record, I am not a runner. I find it the most painful of the three sports of triathlon. I am slow and my form leaves a lot to be desired. While I am learning to dislike it less and embrace it more, it is an ongoing process. I am fine with the fact that I will never be fast. I am fine with the fact that most people who I compete against will be faster runners then me. I am not fine with my current ability and speed and am determined to improve in this area however painful that might be. Yikes!
Beyond the whole running thing, is the fear of racing itself. I am always a bundle of nerves before a race and even months leading up to it. Being nervous for months is not an easy state to be in. Adding three races in Boulder (the mecca of triathlon) where I will be amongst the pros and elites just adds to my fear. Yet I continue to take on these challenges. Somewhere deep inside I must either be a glutton for punishment or have a belief that "I can do this". Probably a little of both.