WIBA Report

Today on the IMWI bike course, I calculated that I actually can finish the bike portion under the cut-off time.  This is BIG news.  The biggest.

I'm having a great time hanging out with fellow bloggers and athletes at the 3rd Annual Wisconsin Brick Adventure.  It's pretty incredible to meet so many of the people I've gotten to know online.  Simply Stu, Rural Girl, Steve in a Speedo and his wife Pharmie, Wil, TriSaraTops, xt4...these are just a few of the awesome people I have now officially met.  I love reading and following their journeys and seeing them in-person has been icing on the cake.  Plus I got to have dinner with new friends like Amy, Debbie, and Alan from Cleveland.  

This morning we started with a swim in Lake Mendota.  The IM is in Lake Monona, but news of a sewage spillage put a damper on plans to swim there.  I don't even want to think about that right now and I'm not sure how I'll mentally get past that when they tell us "it's open" again.  I will, somehow, but really - when it comes to things like micro-organisms in my water, bacteria in my food, and sewage in my lakes I'm more in the "don't ask, don't tell" camp.  I know this stuff is out there and we subject ourselves to a lot worse without knowing it, but when I get in Lake Monona and inadvertently drink half of it in a stroke/breath mishap or swish a lot of it around in my mouth because I have a tendency to do that to entertain myself, I don't want to be thinking about poop.  Sorry.  TMI.

At any rate, Lake Mendota is supposed to have 3 unrecovered bodies in it but that somehow still ranks higher than sewage in my book so I went for it.  It was a good experience.  Nice chop, which is something I could use more experience with.  Simply Stu said swimming in Mendota once a week or so during training would make excellent prep for the swim in Monona, which is a bit calmer.  I think this sounds like a good plan.

After the swim, the large group headed out onto the bike course where we met our share of wind followed by some stormy rain.  And it was great!  OK, I exaggerate just a tad.  My legs were heavy and my quads felt like overstretched rubber bands.  I'm still recovering from High Cliff but I didn't want to miss this chance to hit the course with my new friends.  I did 1 loop and hit 65 miles.  On tired legs I averaged 14.2 mph.  This is when I did my calculation...

If I can ride at that pace with super tired legs and if I kept that pace up for 112 miles, I could finish the bike in 8 hours.

If I could hit 15mph with fresh, recovered legs, I could give myself a decent buffer before the cut-off time.  

Yes, there are a few "ifs" in these calculations but since the bike is my weakest event, I stay awake at night worrying about making the cut-off.  My goal in the next training phase is to kick that pace up to between 15-16mph consistently.  If I can do that, then I can stay awake at night thinking about how to manage the pain on the run.  

This is progress for IronMin.  Serious progress.  

Great day, great new friends, and training progress - nothing can spoil that.  Not sewage, or floaters, thunderstorms, or gusts of wind.     

High Cliff HIM Race Report

It feels like ages ago, but my body reminds me it was only 2 days ago...yes - I finished my 1st Half Ironman on Sunday!

After a quick scramble to the local bike shops for PowerGel Vanilla, a rear bottle cage (yeah, no one carries that apparently), salt tabs (again, no dice), and a larger bento box (see previous 2 disappointments for the results of this one)...I picked up my friends Valencia & Johanna and we headed up to Appleton, WI.

We arrived at around 3pm, I picked up my race pack and with a new sense of nervousness - I decided I had better stick around for the course talk. Pretty typical stuff...swim in Lake Winnebago at 73 degrees (SWEET!), bike in about 7mph winds (soooooo untrue), and run on trails through the State Park (awesome).

Then we had "ladies night". The 3 of us had an incredible dinner of steaks & scallops at The Black & Tan Grille in Appleton, plus a couple of really yummy martinis, followed by a soak in the hot tub at the hotel. It was heaven!

Alarm at 4am, ate my bagel & peanut butter at 4:20am, had my coffee at 4:45am. By 5am I was getting bodymarked and picking up my chip. Check my tires...and had to change my rear wheel tube because I broke off part of the stem when I was pumping air in. I called Mr. IronMin in South Dakota at 5:30am and he advised me to change the tube. He was also not cranky about the 5:30am part, which just shows he loves me! Johanna and Valencia totally took charge of the tube situation and by 6:15am my bike was ready to go and transition was all set up!

I was in the 2nd wave at 7:02 so I didn't have much time, but I spent most of it freaking out about the race. I don't know why - I just know I was more nervous for this one than I was for my 1st sprint tri last year. I hate getting nervous because I think it's such a waste of energy.

Swim
The swim was choppier than my previous open water experiences. Lake Winnebago is a pretty decent-sized lake, which created larger waves than I was anticipating. I choked on a large gulp of lake water twice and got knocked around a lot by the waves. I also got my wish and felt more body contact on this swim than any other. A couple of people tried to swim over me but didn't succeed, and I was smacked with flailing arms...but no injuries and no psychological damage.

According to my watch, I got out of the water around 43 minutes. (the official results aren't posted online yet) I looked at the woman next to me and she said "I didn't think it would ever end." I hear ya sistah.

Bike
The bike was flat compared to what I've been doing around Madison, and I managed to keep my average speed at 15.7mph. My goal from my coach was 15, so I was super happy to accomplish that I nailed it! The weather was excellent - sunny but not too hot on the bike. Around mid 60's when I started to about 70 when I transitioned. It was windier than what I know 7mph to be! What is it with the wind in Wisconsin?!

People were friendly on the course. I never know if I should say anything when I pass someone, but I find it's nice if someone acknowledges me when they go by. It doesn't have to be anything too profound - typical comments were: "I like your jersey" "Good weather, don't you think?" "Lookin' strong" I thought it was polite. I would like to come up with a few comments to use out there too, but I don't want to sound too chipper when I pass someone who may be struggling. NO ONE likes to get passed - that much I know for sure. Even if the person who just passed me was sooo nice about it, I still give them a little stink eye behind their back. I can't help it. I'm not proud.

I practiced my nutrition and ate a gel/bar/pack of sport beans every 30 minutes, starting at interval :15. It worked out great. I supplemented with 2 bottles of sports drink and a large bottle of water. My bike time was around 3:32.

Run
My friend Valencia strapped on her running shoes and ran with me on the half marathon. I thought she would do a few miles, but she stuck with me the whole way. I was very grateful! The wheels started to come off for me around mile 8 and it was a hard finish. No GI distress, just fatigue & soreness setting in. The last 1/2 mile is a descent into the finish area and I had tears in my eyes from my knee pain. They clearly left me somewhere around mile 10 and I was going to have to finish this thing without them. I think my facial expression must have scared some spectators because as I approached they paused a second before shouting encouraging words like "It's ok, you'll make it" "Fight through the pain" "Almost done! Don't stop now".

Yeah, I don't think I had the grin on my face I was hoping for at that point.

Run time was around 2:40. What a relief when I finished! That's the best way I can describe it. My overall time was around 7 hours. I wasn't breaking any records out there for sure - but I do feel great that I finished it. I know what it feels like now. I'm not as afraid of the distance or the pain associated with it.

Recap
I spent a lot of time talking to myself, which is definitely a good thing. I had to remind myself that I can swim and even if I swallow 1/2 the lake, I will make it out of the water. I scolded myself when I got distracted on the bike and let my speed drop below my goal. Except when this guy passed me wearing what I SWEAR was women's sheer black panties...no kidding, I saw WAY more than I needed to through those things and was very happy when he rode out of my sight range. The thought of looking at that for 50+ miles was not appealing.

I had to remember to keep up on my nutrition intervals which I found is a fun way to break up the ride..."Only 4 more minutes until I get to eat again!"

I then had to push myself to run when I wanted to walk and keep moving when I wanted to stop.

It was a fabulous day and I am so glad I did it. I'm so sore, but I surprised everyone when I showed up at work on Monday morning. I might just be turning into an athlete after all!

Thank you to everyone who offered words of support leading up to this race - I really appreciated all of the well wishes!

Last minute prep

My first real test is upon me.  I'm heading up to Appleton, WI to get ready for the High Cliff Half Ironman tomorrow.  While I wasn't at all nervous earlier this week, I'm feeling more of it now as it closes in on me.

I packed all of my gear last night which I am learning (through the tons of traveling I have had to do for work this year) is a good thing.  If you pack the night before, then your brain has time to recall the things you didn't pack that you need.  This morning when I got up and rummaged around for some coffee (which was not to be found in my pantry but instead needed to be procured from a local establishment)...I remembered I didn't pack my goggles.  Goggles are key to making the swim experience come together.  At least for me.  

I cleaned my bike last night and checked the tires.  No time to get new ones now, and there are a few very small lacerations here and there to worry about.  Nothing too major or I would make a more panicked effort to replace them - but just a mental note that after these 56 miles I may want to look into some replacements.

I packed my food and since I'm out of my old standby - PowerGel Vanilla - I will make a quick stop today to grab some.  It would be nice to find a bigger bento box as well, but I'm not sure there will be enough time.  

My friends Valencia and Johanna are going with me as my own little support team.  Talk about rock stars - V got up at 5am this morning to get a 6 hour bike/run in, and Johanna is cranking out 80 miles on her bike in training for her first century...then I am picking them up and we are heading up north.  I am so grateful to have such wonderful, generous friends.  

My coach put together a race strategy for me and I am going to try to stick to it.  Here are a few of the highlights:

Swim - Gel 15 minutes before.  Position in the middle toward the outside.  Relax and have a strong, confident swim.   

My own goal for this is to not be afraid of contact.  My greatest fear in the water is getting kicked or punched.  I need to get over that.  I don't want to emerge from the water with a broken nose or rib, but I wouldn't mind some "body placement negotiation" in the swim to get over the fear.  

Bike - Eat 5-10 minutes in, then every 40 minutes after.  1 bottle of sports drink per hour plus water.  Salt tabs at 2 per hour if it's hot.  Here's the clincher - average 15 mph on the bike.

Wow...15 mph would be huge for me.  I'm going to have to pull out some focus words for that one.  A nice tailwind would be appreciated too.

Run - Run the whole way, drink at every aid station.

If I find myself getting into trouble on the run, I will try to stick to a solid run/walk interval.  Like 9/1, or 8/1.  My primary goal is to only walk the aid stations though.  

That's it. I have a bagel with peanut butter on the menu for breakfast, unless I can get some real (not instant) oatmeal.  Then coffee followed by Nuun.

I'm taking a good rotation of food for the bike - Carb Boom gels (Vanilla Orange), Mini Clif Bars, Sharkies, Swedish Fish, Smuckers Uncrustables, Jelly Belly Beans.  I've trained with all of these so I should be ok.  It's a lot of food choices - probably more than I need for 56 miles.  I'm sure I'll whittle down the selection when I pack the bento.  

Now I'm off.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  My goal is to finish strong.  No time limit or any additional pressure.  Just throw the 3 events together into one day and start to imagine what I will be doing when I double the distance in a couple of months.   

And when I get home tomorrow afternoon, I will be glued to ironmanlive.com to see how my CDA pals are doing!  Good luck to everyone racing tomorrow!

Drama at the Pool

I'm back on the swim wagon and with a renewed vow to not complain about it, I do want to point out a few observations from this morning's session.

I was swimming away in my own little lane, clearly not minding my own business because I suddenly noticed 2 new girls entering the pool area. I'm the only chick in my class and although I don't really appreciate that kind of notoriety, it's kind of noticeable since I'm the only one with a cap on in the water. These 2 girls are wearing swimsuits (and caps) and since the summer session started at the end of May, I'm wondering what's going on. New people don't come and go in this class. Sometimes they start the class and never show up again, but hey - 5:45 am isn't for everyone.

Three minutes later I find out what they're up to, when the swim coach asks me to scooch a lane over (back to my old lane with my previous lane partner) because the new girls are "trying out" the class today to see if they want to join. I'm disgruntled - of course - since now I have to swim the stroke of shame back to my old lane where I was unceremoniously booted out 2 weeks ago because I was apparently too slow to keep up. Yes, yes, I realize that's what I ultimately wanted but logic is seldom my friend in situations like this.

As I'm finishing my set of 8x100 (50 choice/50 free), I look over to see the new girls pulling out some serious butterfly on their 50 choice. I had to stop mid-length to check it out. It's just not our class policy to pull out the fly. We are pedestrian swimmers hoping to get through triathlon training in one piece. We aren't trying to show off or do anything fancy to impress each other. If we have a 50 choice, it's an unspoken "rule" that we are allowed to fumble through a pathetic breaststroke or a survival-ready backstroke. Nobody messes with the fly because when we have tried it in the past, we look like a bunch of 90-year olds trying to get down to that new-fangled rock 'n roll music. It ain't pretty and I'm pretty sure a hip could get broken.

I watched them for a moment longer and realized these new girls had skillz. They looked like dolphins for crying out loud. As disgruntled as I was to give up my lane o'solitude, I had to admit they were really quite good and they made the fly look like poetry in motion. I don't make anything look like poetry, even the really bad Hallmark card kind, so now I'm jealous.

Even though they got there late, I think they finished all 3,700 yds of the workout. Once I accepted the fact that I wasn't about to intimidate them from joining the class with my own set of - ahhh hemm- 'skills', I quickly moved on to other pressing issues like tracking the soap opera lives of the lap swimmers...

At 7am when my class ends, the lap swimmers arrive. It's usually the same crowd. Same suits, same caps, same routine. If one is missing, I wonder where they are. It's comforting when life is somewhat predictable.

For the past few sessions, there's been a new woman with a skirt suit. You know, the suit that is supposed to be for swimming but looks a little like you might give a ballet recital afterward. Anyway, she shows up as I'm getting out of the pool. Like last time, she's already been through the locker room pre-pool shower and shows all signs of getting ready to swim. After I get to the locker room and transition into getting ready for work (I like to call this T2 since T1 consists of actually removing myself from my bed and pulling on whatever clothes are handy to head to the pool), she comes out of the pool area, showers, then gets ready for her day.

After being in the pool area for 9 minutes.

What kind of workout takes 9 minutes? Is there like "9 minutes to a great swim stroke"? Or "9 minute abs - for the pool"? Does she have a pool phobia and each session she gets a foot closer to the water? Or spends 1 more minute in the pool area?

I assume she actually got into the pool but I really have no proof of this. It's none of my business but...inquiring minds want to know. And let's face it, drama at this hour in the morning is hard to come by so I take what comes my way.

Just when I'm pondering this, I notice the new girls walking out and one of them is wearing a sweatshirt with a name on the back. Imagine my shock and horror when I realize she and I share a common nickname - "MiMi". Super Olympic Swimmer Butterfly Girl, who is destined to sign up for the class with her Super Olympic Swimmer Butterfly Friend and kick me out of my very own lane, is also trying to steal my nickname.

Will the swim gods EVER shine upon me?!

Life's a journey, not a destination

I'm surprisingly ambivalent about my first half ironman this weekend. If I finish it in one piece after falling off the workout wagon that will be a giant step for IronMin. The problem is that when you have the 800lb gorilla of the full IM on the schedule in a few months, the half seems like a solid training day and not the milestone it should be. I plan to tackle this race like I've tackled everything so far this year - just get out there and do it. Take whatever comes. Do my best and let the chips fall where they may.

I've already accomplished so much on this journey - more than I thought I could, really. 100 miles on my bike. 2 half marathons in the past 6 months. Breaking the 3,000 yd mark in the pool. I'm different. I'm not an Ironman, but I have started to check off a few major milestones on the way there.

I thought I had respect for Ironman before I signed up. Now I'm in a separate place. It's more than respect and it's difficult to describe. It's an emotion entangled in the ups and downs of training: the mental arguments that take place as I lace up my running shoes instead of going out to dinner with a friend or as I get on my bike when sitting on the deck in the sun with a cold beer seems like a much better option; the focus it takes to stay on the bike when the hills are relentless and my legs left me stranded an hour before; or the willpower it takes to start another lap in the pool as my lungs burn from lack of oxygen and my goggles cloud up...

When I look at how far how I've come, then look ahead to how much further I have to go - the feeling is overwhelming. Not in the "I'll never get there" way. It's an overwhelming feeling when I think about those who have come before me - those who make it look easy on race day because they have done the work to get there, and those who inspire me (& others) to take the leap and chase this race. These are the people who keep me grounded and remind me that it's not easy and it shouldn't be easy. If it were easy, everyone would be an Ironman. And we all know that isn't the case.

So I send this to Tea - who will be crossing over as Ironman this Sunday at CDA - thanks for letting us be a part of your journey and inviting us to share in your milestones, triumphs, and victories along the way. Thanks for keeping me grounded and for being an honest voice of inspiration. When you become an Ironman, we'll be cheering for you as if we are right there on the finish line with you! You're a rockstar, sistah!

Living Life

I've often used the expression: "I had planned to do that, but life just got in the way."

When I think about the past 1-1/2 weeks of sparse training, it was the first thing that came to mind.  Life got in the way of training.  

I went back to Detroit for a baby shower, a 1st birthday party, and some much needed time with friends and family.  It was a great weekend.  I was surrounded by old memories while making new ones, and it really felt like coming home.  I came back on Sunday night fully rejuvenated...which is good because on Monday morning I flew to NYC for 3 days of work.  Very productive, very exciting work.  I'm not being sarcastic - we had an incredible product launch event followed by a successful strategy meeting.

I also went to a Conan O'Brien taping and I saw "A Chorus Line" on Broadway.  If you're a super sleuth you can connect the dots...there is a common thread between the launch, Conan, and "A Chorus Line".  His name is Mario Lopez (from "Saved by the Bell" and "Dancing with the Stars" fame).  He is our spokesperson this summer and not only did I get to meet him, but I have to say - he is a very nice guy, talented, and great to work with.  On the same day he helped us with our launch he was also a guest on Conan and then performed in his Broadway musical.  It was a full day for us, so I know it was a crazy full day for him.   

And when I came back Wednesday night, I was exhausted.

Thursday I finally got on the bike for an hour in the living room.

And now it's Friday.  When I was thinking about how life got in the way of my training schedule, I realized something profound - at least for me.  Life doesn't get in my way - I'm actually living my life and sometimes, training doesn't fit no matter how hard I try to get it in. Although I wasn't training and felt very guilty about it when I let it creep into my thoughts, I was having a pretty good time.  

I'm not ready to completely stop beating myself up about the lack of training and I think I will suffer more than necessary in my first half ironman next Sunday.  However, I also think about the past 10 days and I'm not willing to trade it.  It was a cool ride and maybe in this particular situation - I know this is a bit of ironman blasphemy - training didn't get in the way.

The grass is always greener

I just got my own lane in swim class, but I'm not sure I'm happy with how I got it.

I've been not-so-into the swim lately.  Ever since the Galena Tri, the pool just isn't doing it for me.  I yearn for the open water, with all of its green opaqueness.

I decided I needed a change to keep me motivated.  A new suit?  New swim cap?  Maybe some cool paddles?  Then it hit me - I need my own lane.  My very own lane.  The whole darn thing to myself.  If I cross over the lane line, nobody objects.  If I decide I want to kick out some backstroke on my warm-up, I don't have to worry about head-butting anyone.  No more stress about leading the lane and screwing up the lap count.  Having my own lane was the answer to the swim rut I was in.

Since we lost a few people in the class when the summer session started, there were now 3 open lanes.  I had been contemplating how to position my need for my own lane to the coach..."See, with my increase in training hours, I may be too slow to keep up with my lane partner."  "3 open lanes just seems like such a waste!"  "You know, the IM swim is a solitary event so I don't want to get used to training with a partner for it."  I had a lot of really good reasons.

I was nervous when I pulled into the parking lot for class Monday morning.  Would she see it my way?  Which approach should I lead with?  

I walked into the pool area ready to confront her with my solid arguments.  Before I had a chance to speak, she looked at me and said, "I moved you over here."

"Here?"

"Yes, I moved you over a lane."

"Paul too?"  

"No.  I'm giving him a new lane partner.  You are in your own lane."

Wait a minute - you mean I'm getting my own lane because I am TOO slow to keep my current lane placement?  I'm being pushed out into the cold?  No one wants me to be their partner?  

Having my own lane was all good when it was MY idea, but when it became HER idea...I didn't want it anymore. 

All morning I wanted my old lane back.  I would catch the new guy out of the corner of my eye sprinting past me and I swear I saw a victory smirk because he took my place.  As he and Paul (my old lane partner) circled in the lane, I think I heard birds chirping in the background & I'm sure I saw some high-fiving.  Or was it a secret handshake?

Just like that, I'm back in the swim rut.

101

That's how many miles I covered on my bike Saturday.

101 miles. 7 hours & 23 minutes.

Unbelievable.

I had 7 hours on the schedule, but when you hit 7 at mile 95, you don't just stop. You say - I'm only 5 miles from 100. My first century is only 5 measly miles away.

Then you cry and curse because those last 5 miles are longer, harder, and require more effort than the previous 95. BY FAR.

The day started out with a few complications. I will admit - I was intimidated by the 7 hour ride ahead of me so I wanted to prepare well. I planned 2 loops of the Ironman course so I could stop at my car between loops and restock nutrition plus grab 2 fresh, ice cold bottles. I was so excited about my genius plan as I was filling my bottles w/water, Nuun, and Accelerade that I completely left the 2 spares at home and showed up at the ride start with only the usual 2 I normally carry. My 2 ice cold replacement bottles were sitting in the fridge at home. Sigh.

Undaunted, I planned to stop at a Kwik Trip 1/2 way through to replenish. I started getting ready w/helmet, shoes, gloves...wait a minute - how did I grab 2 left hand gloves?

Ok, so we're doing 7 hours without gloves. This could get interesting.

Accuweather promised me the wind was only gusting at 10mph. I was skeptical as I watched the trees blowing. Valencia joined me & when we started out we were hit by a wall of wind on the first hill into the loop and just like that, Accuweather fell off its weather pedestal in my world. Liars.

At the end of the day, the wind was a blessing and a curse. It was sunny and warm in the mid 70's. When the wind was at my back, it was really, really hot. When the wind was blowing it was a reprieve from the heat. That's almost a wash.

The first 80 miles felt pretty good. Around that time, things started to hurt. My right foot, my lower back, and you know - some other key parts that sort of object to being on a bike seat for hours upon hours. Understandably so. I used focus words to keep pedaling through it, but as I neared mile 85 all of my focus words started to have 4 letters. It wasn't pretty out there.

I ventured onto an out and back to complete the final 15 and that's where delirium started to set in. I was flying - I mean totally cruising - at like 17 mph on the out stretch. Wow! I feel great! 85 miles and I have so much energy! This is so EASY!

At mile 92 I turned around to complete the back stretch. And I suddenly realized why I was flying. It had nothing to do with me. It had everything to do with the tailwind I was riding. The tailwind that had now become a headwind at the most inopportune time.

I'm just thankful no one was around to witness the crumbling of IronMin. I went deep into my Pain House. There was no light where I went. The only sounds I could hear were those pesky 4 letter words that kept getting louder and louder until they were a SHOUT ringing in my head.

I honestly don't know how I made it back. I blocked out most of it. When I got to the car, I just stood there staring at it for an eternity. I forgot how to drive.

Here's the thing about the pain though - after a hot shower and a short nap, I started to forget about it. And a sly little smile crept in as I realized something very important...I just did my first century ride. And I lived to tell about it.

But seriously, I'm supposed to ride another 11 miles then run a marathon?

These next 3 months are going to be BIG.